Usability improvements for IQ backs

[miska]

I have been using my IQ160 on a tech cam (Arca Swiss Factum) for a few months now, and I am loving it !
There are a few (small) things I would like to see improved in the back's usability, so I thought we could try to gather here the small (and big!) improvements we would like to see for IQ backs. Some improvements could probably be done in a firmware update (or are so well hidden that I haven't found a way to do it), some could be reserved for the next generation of backs.

I'll start:

1 - When I try to delete a picture while it's still being written on a card, I get an error message. It's like the back is saying: "Don't bother me, I'm taking my sweet time to write the data, come back later". What I want to hear is: "yes, Sir, I will not contaminate this CF card full of magnificent pictures with these unworthy pixels". So remove the stupid error message, and just erase the file after it's been written (or stop writing it altogether).
This happens mostly when I am fine tuning the framing, and take fast paced pictured and erase them if the framing is not 100% right. Of course, I could gather all those pics on the card, and erase them later. But I don't wanna

2 - Allow me to switch between two (consecutive) images in a fast way, without the "swiping" effect. On my Canon, I can do it simply by turning the scroll-wheel. This allows to quickly see the changes between two images. I do a lot of panoramas, and it's very helpful to see where the seam will be. With the swiping effect, the eye follows the picture as it is replaced with the next one, and seeing the seam (or small changes between two images) is much more difficult.
I do think the swiping looks sexy and is convenient when reviewing a large number of pictures, so I am not asking this mode disappears.
This "blinking" could be affected to one of the buttons (one would be forward, the other one backward), which brings me to the next point:

3 - Ways to customize the buttons. I'd like:
- A button to delete a picture, without using the "trash and star bar". I find the bar takes a lot of space and I can't see what happens at the bottom of the picture. So I constantly add the trash bar, then remove it, then add it again. If I could long press a button and get the "Are you sure you want to delete the picture" dialog, it would help a lot.
- The "flick back and forth without swiping animation" buttons
I am sure there are others who would want other functions in the buttons.

4 - Not a software feature, but pleaaaase : add a little metal ring to the back, so I can attach a safety lanyard to it. I had a real moment of terror, when for some unknown reason, the back detached itself from the camera (I suspect the little half-moon shaped locking mechanism between the back-adapter plate and the camera had somehow rotated too much while the camera was in the bag. Lesson learned: before picking up the camera from the bag, check the half moon is snugly in position)! Only my super quick reflexes allowed me to catch the IQ in flight, before it hit the rocks

Otherwise, I am loving the whole tech cam experience and the IQ160, there are just a few (small) annoying things...

What do you think ?

 

[Pemihan]

5 - A feature where you manually can enter the focal lenght you're using so it gets written to every file until you change it. The Leaf Aptus backs has this feature and I find it really handy and it shouldn't be so hard to implement in the IQ firmware.

Edit: To be able to enter the amounts of shift X/Y in a image file after it's shot would be awesome too!

 

[miska]

Yes, adding the focal length of the lens (with even programmable presets for each lens) would be very useful ! One click each time you change lens would be sweet.

Also:

6 - Add support into Lightroom of the star rating system. It gets transmitted into C1, but Lightroom doesn't recognize it. Not sure it's in P1's hands though.

 

[Paul2660]

I like the idea of the lanyard attachment, however your Arca half moon should never work loose. Once mine has grabbed the back, I am 100% confident it will not move as I often move around with the back on the rm3di on tripod. I also do a lot vertical shooting, and loosen and rotate the back vertically.

You might need to have your Factum checked as that attachment point is critical and should never move unless you turn it. Yours may need an adjustment.

This method of mounting the back to the camera, (Arca) was one of the key factors that led me to go the Arca route for a Tech camera, love the fact that you can work the attachment with one hand and have the other hand free to rotate the back.

Paul

 

[miska]

Hi Paul,
It's actually not the half moon on the Factum that was loose, but the half moon on the spacer between the Factum and the digital back (I was using an HR 90mm lens). I need to check that half moon again and see exactly what happened. Because, like you, I was very confident that the locking system was very secure...
I did change lens a lot that day, adding and removing the spacer, so perhaps I did not turn the half moon enough - or it got loosened while the camera was in the bag, on a (somwehat) bumpy road. It's still a bit of a mystery.

 

[Paul2660]

Ahh that's one I have not tried. You must have the rare HRSW 90. The yellow band. Sweet lens but it needs the spacer. I have yet to try the spacer lenses but am looking at the new 120 SK

PAUL

 

[miska]

Yes, I do have a brand new yellow band of sharpness
The spacer is a bit of a pain, I must admit. It forces you to manipulate the MFDB a bit more, which can be a bit tricky, when there is wind for example. But you get used to it, and with two hands, changing it is ok (you've got three options: attach the spacer to the camera, and then the back to the spacer, or the other way around, or both operations at the same time - opening/closing both half moons and then adding/removing the back while not letting the spacer fall).

One thing which is not clear, is whether one needs one spacer per lens, or if say a 90mm and 150mm (or 120mm) can share the same spacer. I have asked my A/S dealer and waiting for an answer.

 

[kdphotography]

6. A firmware update allowing the user to select File Saving options when tethered. Save to CF only, Save to Computer only, Save to both CF and Computer

Let the user decide the saving options (just as we can with IIL and IIs) and determine if the speed or battery drain is worthwhile or not.

Saving to both Computer and CF is no different than DSLRs using two CF card slots in a raid 1 configuration---uses more power, and slower to empty the buffer, but the user has the option to make that decision, and sometimes that anal duplicity gives a sense of security.

ken

 

[dougpeterson]

1 - When I try to delete a picture while it's still being written on a card, I get an error message. It's like the back is saying: "Don't bother me, I'm taking my sweet time to write the data, come back later". What I want to hear is: "yes, Sir, I will not contaminate this CF card full of magnificent pictures with these unworthy pixels". So remove the stupid error message, and just erase the file after it's been written (or stop writing it altogether).
This happens mostly when I am fine tuning the framing, and take fast paced pictured and erase them if the framing is not 100% right. Of course, I could gather all those pics on the card, and erase them later. But I don't wanna

3 - Ways to customize the buttons. I'd like:
- A button to delete a picture, without using the "trash and star bar". I find the bar takes a lot of space and I can't see what happens at the bottom of the picture. So I constantly add the trash bar, then remove it, then add it again. If I could long press a button and get the "Are you sure you want to delete the picture" dialog, it would help a lot.

What speed CF card are you using? Writing to the card should be a very fast operation. If you're not using a UDMA7 card you might consider getting one to decrease the write time.

I know the programmers are very very very very careful/conservative with the manner in which they implement delete commands. Personally I'd suggest you use the rating system to assign 1 star to those images which you strongly suggest are of no value. This rating shows in Capture One immediately upon import such that you can immediately filter by them and move them to the trash. This has the benefit of getting rid of the images you knew in the field were no good, but greatly reduces the chance you'd ever delete a file and later regret it. If you do this workflow then you also have the chance to add additional "positive" ratings like 2, 3, 4, 5 to indicate increasing levels of confidence in the field that a particular image was worthwhile so you can jump directly to that back on the computer.

2 - Allow me to switch between two (consecutive) images in a fast way, without the "swiping" effect.

Use the top right and bottom right hard buttons to switch instantly, sans swipe.

If you go back and forth once, then the back won't need to re-render for the additional changes and the switch will be instant, including if the view is set to 100%. Very useful for checking differences in the focus mask or differences in the on screen sharpness or detail.

See #1. I don't disagree that some users would find a shortcut for image deletion useful, but I just don't see them adding any option which would make it even remotely feasible to accidentally delete an image especially since the back has a touch screen and the confirmation button could be accidentally clicked.

4 - Not a software feature, but pleaaaase : add a little metal ring to the back, so I can attach a safety lanyard to it.

This is a neat idea!

The IQ2 changed the lock so that you have to be actively pulling the lock back (rather than having two click-stops for lock and unlocked) to remove it but this does not preclude other locks in the 3rd party system from releasing.

If you all collect in this thread some additional suggestions I promise to make sure the thread gets in front of the IQ Product Manager. No promises of course on any specific idea being implemented, but any given idea will be more likely to be implemented if it's heard than if it's never heard at all .

 

[miska]

Thanks Doug for the suggestions !

What speed CF card are you using? Writing to the card should be a very fast operation.

It's a pretty old 16GB SanDisk Extreme. I will try a faster card, and see if it makes a difference. If the writing of the pic was "instantaneous" that problem would go away...

I know the programmers are very very very very careful/conservative with the manner in which they implement delete commands.

Agreed, it's a compromise. On the one end, a complete "no delete button" at all policy would be extra safe, on the other, a single click delete. It's just the "sorry I can't delete right now, try a bit later" which is mildly annoying, not the "are you sure you want to delete ?" part.

Use the top right and bottom right hard buttons.

I'll try that, thanks !

The IQ2 changed the lock so that you have to be actively pulling the lock back (rather than having two click-stops for lock and unlocked) to remove it but this does not preclude other locks in the 3rd party system from releasing.

Ok, good to know. That wouldn't have removed my moment of terror though, as that was an Arca-Swiss specific glitch.

No promises of course on any specific idea being implemented, but any given idea will be more likely to be implemented if it's heard than if it's never heard at all .

Great, thanks !

Keep the ideas coming !

 

[Paul2660]

I believe the spacers are different for each lens, i.e the 120mm and 150mm appear to have different sized spacers. It's my understanding the spacer on the 90mm is pretty small in overall height, i.e. gap between factum and IQ180.

Paul

 

[GrahamWelland]

I know the programmers are very very very very careful/conservative with the manner in which they implement delete commands. Personally I'd suggest you use the rating system to assign 1 star to those images which you strongly suggest are of no value. This rating shows in Capture One immediately upon import such that you can immediately filter by them and move them to the trash. This has the benefit of getting rid of the images you knew in the field were no good, but greatly reduces the chance you'd ever delete a file and later regret it. If you do this workflow then you also have the chance to add additional "positive" ratings like 2, 3, 4, 5 to indicate increasing levels of confidence in the field that a particular image was worthwhile so you can jump directly to that back on the computer.

I just picked up a Hasselblad CFV-16 (thanks Son!) and I confess that at first I thought that their instant image review marking system was a bit quaint at first but actually it turns out to be very useful. On the 'blad you can mark an image as red/yellow/green and there are options to delete only red images, or alternatively as the card fills up the back will delete the red marked images as needed to make more space for more captures. I thought it would be gimmicky but actually it works very well.

Use the top right and bottom right hard buttons to switch instantly, sans swipe.

If you go back and forth once, then the back won't need to re-render for the additional changes and the switch will be instant, including if the view is set to 100%. Very useful for checking differences in the focus mask or differences in the on screen sharpness or detail.

:thumbup: exactly. No need for the swipe. I use this as my main navigation technique.

If you all collect in this thread some additional suggestions I promise to make sure the thread gets in front of the IQ Product Manager. No promises of course on any specific idea being implemented, but any given idea will be more likely to be implemented if it's heard than if it's never heard at all .

Oh, oh, yup, I've got a few ideas

#1 how about an option to stretch the highlight/shadow areas of the histograms so that I can concentrate on not blocking up or blowing out the extremes of dynamic range. Make it configurable on a button so that I can see the standard histogram for overall image assessment but then zoom & expand the ends of the histo for fine tuning to avoid issues.

 

[dchew]

I've posted this one before in reference to checking focus around the image at 100%. I guess I'm not very good at scrolling around with my finger:
Actually, when zoomed in 100%, they could add a feature that allows us to do something like double tap one of the four existing buttons (or hold down for 1sec) and that sends you to the corresponding corner of the image. Not as good as seeing all four at once, but it could be implemented with a simple firmware update to all of our existing backs.

Dave

 

[miska]

Ok, this one's clearly for a CMOS back, but:
- What about multiple live view images with 100% zoom for each ? With Tilt & Swing & Focus, you can ideally get 3 points in your image sharp. So how about picking 3 areas on the sensor (user selectable of course), and showing a live view at 100% on each, simultaneously. Would be really nice !

 

[jlm]

+1 for the 3 points at 100%, doesn't need to be live view;

how about a loupe function like C1?

 

[hogweed]

when upgrading from the P25 to the IQ160 I stopped using the sliding back with the ground glass. The optical viewfinder is fine in most cases. Of course the LV could be better.
What I really liked, was to compose the image upside-down.
So, my idea, is it possible to use the LV function with the image upside down, like on a groundglass. Or maybe to review the pictures in upside don mode? Would be an easy feature, and very usefull for some compositions

 

[Dan Santoso]

I wish for new feature that allows CF storage and tethered function at the same time.

Automatic back up via CF card when tethered.

 

[etrump]

How about changing ISO without having to back all the way out to the main menu.

 

[Steve Hendrix]

How about changing ISO without having to back all the way out to the main menu.

+1


Steve Hendrix
Capture Integration

 

[Ken_R]

How about changing ISO without having to back all the way out to the main menu.

That would be nice and should be quite easy to implement.

More difficult would be a proximity sensor for the IQ screen.