DSLT Alpha owners: What improvements would you make to your camera?

[p4ult212]

We constantly strive to improve our products, so we’d really appreciate your feedback on what changes you would make to your Sony DSLT camera to make it even better.  Whether it’s to do with the design, usability or specific features just let us know what camera you use and what changes you’d make.

[-mudo- · Accepted solution]

A55, probably also A33/35

Firmware issue:

Pressing the DOF button while zoomed in (with delete key in live view) resets the zoom.

Steps to reproduce:

- configure delete button for live view zoom

- press delete button in live view to zoom in

- press the DOF button

Result: zoom is reset to show the entire image.

Expected behaviour: image should remain zoomed in to allow for precise DOF control.

Body layout:

On a live view centered camera the button to zoom in should be easy to reach. The delete button however is the button that is the most complicated to reach when holding the camera. A dedicated button on a better position would be preferable.

Body design:

The cover for the USB connection only just allows the USB plug to fit in. It seems like the flexible plastic "hinge" might break soon when used regularly.

Nachricht geändert durch -mudo-

Nachricht geändert durch -mudo-

[Paperoga63]

I used the A55 once for a friend's concert shooting, the photo are there:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1707832470036.89013.1664804755&l=837713a3f8

using the 35f18, and a old Beercan with also a HVL-f58 in wireless mode.

I loved the lightness of the camera and also the image quality, but I found the buffer is really poor when you shoot in rapid sequence the machine is blanking the viewfinder and you lose the scene, I still remain on my A700

[VALASANTE]

Imrpvement of the heating problem in the video mode

[j.j.rutter]

I have an A33 but find it really annoying that the screen blanks for so long while taking rapid action shots.  Only the first shot is likely to be well centred while panning, the next couple might work but after that a fast moving object is usually lost.  The lack of a mirror to move should make the thing faster than an SLR, not slower, surely this "feature" could be reduced or removed?

[Paperoga63]

You're right: is very annoyng, but this behaviour is related to the class of the camera, the A-77 will be completely different and much more "pro" also in this, i'm beginnin to think to resell my A700

[-mudo-]

More ideas.

1. User modes like on a900/850.

Changing the settings by hand is way too slow, as there ar no dedicated buttons for SSS f. ex.

2. Peeking (with adjustable sensitivity, no like on NEX).

There are cases where AF is inferior, so manual focus should be  as easy as possible - now with SLT this could finally be very easy for  APS-C cameras, so please implement it.

3. RAW histogram and expose to the right.

Digital cameras have specific requirements when it  comes to exposure: maximum quality is achieved by giving some extra  exposure (depending on sensor characteristics) while ensuring that no  highlights are clipped. It is therefore necessary to determine exposure  accordingly. One might think this is easy with a camera that does the  metering with the main sensor: the automatic functions have to use  according algorithms, and the live histogram helping with manual  exposure has to be based on raw sensor data. Alas, both is not the case.  Exposure is determined like for slide film in the old days, and seems  near perfect - just for the wrong media.

Suggestion:

• base histogram on raw data whenever the camera is set to raw or raw+jpeg. In addition, either
  • expose to the right automatically in above case, or
  • give configuration option to do so.

In both cases, process jpeg and embedded jpeg so that the resulting jpeg is properly exposed.

It seems the above has been discussed for years, some  people go to great lenghts to get a histogram that resembles the one  from raw data as much as possible, and demanding users try to expose to  the right using the inaccurate camera histogram together with  bracketing. Isn't it strange that such crude measures are necessary in  these days? For me, it was a really frustrating experience: on film, I  could easily get perfect exposure without bracketing in a few seconds  using a spot meter and some knowledge. No knowledge however will help me  with current digital cameras, the only thing I can do is to do  bracketing, hope for the best and select a shot later. Now that is a  frustrating "high tech" experience.

Make Sony the first  camera company to produce a "digitally ready" exposure metering system.  SLT technique with direct metering from sensor should be perfect for  that.

See http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/optimizing_exposure.shtml for more detailed explanations and suggestions.

4. Improve exposure bracketing

(for hdr, of course 😞 more shots, much wider range.

5. Touch screens

You  will probably use touch screens for some of the future cameras.   Please: do not force the user to use the touch screen where it is not  superior to a button or dial. Use touch for features like "tap to zoom  in in live view or image review", "drag to scroll zoomed area", "tap  again to zoom out", but not to enhance the coolness factor.

[Yanneman]

I absolutely love my A55. Lightweight and easy to work with. Here are my suggestions for improvement:

• In P-mode I would like to be able to shift the program up or down with the wheel.
• I miss being able to make a time-lapse shoot, with say 1 frame/second, and have it rendered as an *.avi video-file. Custom settings for frames/sec/min/hour and viewing/playback speed, with say 25 frames/sec, on the resulting video.
• I also would like to recieve an email when new upgrades of the firmware is available.

[SaturdayScience]

SLT-A55V 

Body: I agree that the USB port is a forced connection, I am also waiting for the 'hinge' to give up.

Firmware: AUTO ISO: It would be good to be able to limit the ISO range in auto eg no faster than 400 (selecteable rather like Drange).

I really like the ver 2.0 firmware option to return to the last used menu option. I use it to control GPS on/off. Sadly the reason is to keep charge battery longer.

Hardware: Larger capacity battery

Hardweare: faster charging batteries / and matched charger.

Any chance of a plugin super battery/ grip that would replicate memory card contacts? (I cant see how you could have a plug in battery without blocking the memory card.)

[dnwinterburn]

Sony A-55

A great camera - it does almost everything I want. BUT please upgrade firmware so that I can bracket exposures by more than +- .7. Please