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Sony Please Square Format with A7RII cameras!

Sony would you please listen and add to firmware a simple square option.

I love square and I miss it since film times. Now that we have flipping monitor and easy manual focus option we only need that square.

Please listen and give us that surprise.

I'll be very grateful, even more that what I am now with my 2 babies A7R and A7R2. Love them both really.

 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
I agree. The output would render about a 28mp image which is still plenty for most applications.
 

dmward

Member
The easiest way to get a square format output from your A7RII is to build an input preset for Lightroom that applies a square crop to your images.

It's not too hard to visualize the square format in the view finder. Especially if you have the grid line option turned on.

I do agree that square format is a great option. I loved shooting with Hassy and getting square negatives. There is something about the format that is visually compelling for me.

Another option for square, if working on a tripod with a tilt/shift lens is to use the shift function to make two images that, when combined using the Pano merge feature in Lightroom, generates a really nice large file for processing.
 
I could not agree more! I think it is so lame that Sony offers only a 3:2 mode for stills on the A7R2

I would really prefer a 5:4 or 4:3 mode but would also welcome a 1:1 crop mode.

From what I understand, both a 1:1 and a 4:3 are offered on the Sony RX1R2, so it must be super easy to implement this in a firmware upgrade for the Sony A7R2 and others..

I did post on the Sony community site in the hope that maybe somebody there was listening ;)

http://community.sony.com/t5/Alpha-...ible-to-be-included-in-a-firmware/td-p/542704

Please add your comments there as well, hopefully this can be added in a firmware update... :)
 
Well lets hope they listen to us.

Wallpaperviking, thanks for posting in the Sony community site. The moderator actually answer the proposal and send it to the right people. I didn't know about that site.

"Hi wallpaperviking,

Welcome to the Sony Community!

While the firmware updates and product developments being made by Sony are confidential, we still appreciate the voices of our customers when it comes to improving our products and services. Thanks for this feedback, we will forward this to the right department.

For assistance regarding any concern about your camera, please contact the Sony offices/Sony representative offices nearest to your place of residence in Asia Pacific region http://www.sony-asia.com/countryselector.html?hpid=countryselector:AsiaPacific. Due to proximity, they are in a better position to respond to your questions or concerns.

If my post answers your question, please mark it as "Accept as Solution". Thanks_Mitch"
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Interestingly enough the RX1R II comes with crops for square and also 4:3 so it's not as though a firmware option for the A7RII would be a leap of faith for them. I'd like it too for the same reasons as other folks here - I see square most of the time.
 
Any idea if a 645 waist level finder by either Mamiya or Pentax might be able to be attached to the rear LCD of the A7RII, so that I can view the rear LCD in my desired 5:4 crop?

Totally lame to have to do this but that is all I can think of at this stage... Figure this may be the smallest option..

There are the "video" type viewers but these seem to make the camera much larger and don't fold down...

Any other thoughts?
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
Any idea if a 645 waist level finder by either Mamiya or Pentax might be able to be attached to the rear LCD of the A7RII, so that I can view the rear LCD in my desired 5:4 crop?

Totally lame to have to do this but that is all I can think of at this stage... Figure this may be the smallest option..

There are the "video" type viewers but these seem to make the camera much larger and don't fold down...

Any other thoughts?
Wouldn't it make more sense to mask off your LCD with gaffer's tape and use the flipped-up LCD to frame. Then you could make a crop in LR (on import) to match.

I hope Sony listens because I still use 3 TLR's and a 6x7, and love to shoot square (I just imagine it in the viewfinder or flipped lcd and crop).
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
Cindy, are you aware of a specific way to do a crop on import with Lightroom? I've tried to do it, but presets seem to save everything -but- cropping.
I crop each one as I process it. If I made a mask, then I would try to automate it. Maybe someone else has done it and will respond.
 
I crop each one as I process it.
Darn. I do it that way too, but I was hoping you might have found an automated way. (I sometimes shoot APS-C lenses in full-frame mode so I can eek out a bit more field of view. It would be great to be able to set up a preset for that.)
 

Hausen

Active member
Wouldn't it make more sense to mask off your LCD with gaffer's tape and use the flipped-up LCD to frame. Then you could make a crop in LR (on import) to match.

I hope Sony listens because I still use 3 TLR's and a 6x7, and love to shoot square (I just imagine it in the viewfinder or flipped lcd and crop).
Funny you should say that, last week I bought a nice Rolleiflex 2.8c. Thought if I only wanted one film camera in my bag what would it be, Rolleiflex for sure.
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
Funny you should say that, last week I bought a nice Rolleiflex 2.8c. Thought if I only wanted one film camera in my bag what would it be, Rolleiflex for sure.
I bet it is a beauty! I have 2 Rolleicords, a Yashicamat, and a Mamiya 7. I have had 2 Rolleiflex in the past and many other Rolleicords. There is nothing like framing a 6x6 in the viewfinder.
 

mjm6

Member
I would prefer an add-on program for the A series cameras that allow a few things...

1. Set up a grid on the screen TO YOUR OWN SPECIFICATIONS! Not just the default one in the operating system.
2. Permit the screen to have a white border or other method of showing the edges and corners of the frame when composing in the dark, or when you have a dark edge/corner in the image.
3. Permit inverse-screen colors for the outer information frame area (white background, black text or similar) for the surrounding information.

I don't know... there are probably a few other things I'd like as well.

I do crop to square a decent amount, but I don't think I'd want to lock that into the file if the camera is capable of grabbing more the the sides. That gives me room to choose the crop in the post processing. However, I'd LOVE a square crop frame that shows the square image at the center with a few crop ticks or lines and then shows the edges beyond grayed back a little to each side.


---Michael
 
I do crop to square a decent amount, but I don't think I'd want to lock that into the file if the camera is capable of grabbing more the the sides. That gives me room to choose the crop in the post processing. However, I'd LOVE a square crop frame that shows the square image at the center with a few crop ticks or lines and then shows the edges beyond grayed back a little to each side.


As far as I know, this is basically the option of the RX1R2... Provides darkened off areas for viewing (1:1, 4:3) but leaves the whole 3:2 sensor file size and leaves it to you to crop in post...

Just need a firmware update for the other A series cameras!
 
It's not too hard to visualize the square format in the view finder. Especially if you have the grid line option turned on.

I do agree that square format is a great option. I loved shooting with Hassy and getting square negatives. There is something about the format that is visually compelling for me.
I'm using the grid now as dmward explained, but still fell we should have format choice.

The new firmware didn't bring this option yet so still hoping for Sony to listen.

I've been shooting quite a lot lately and getting more familiar with the menu and options. This is a great camera. I haven't feel this way since I bought my Bronica SQ and lenses a million years ago. Gosh that camera was a trip.
 
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