Sony A7RV - October 26th

Teddy_Dem

Teddy_Dem

Well-known member
Looks like the Sony A7RV will be unveiled on October 26th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR2W-Qni3sY

Some rumors via https://www.sonyalpharumors.com

“Confirmed rumor” (if there is such a thing) specs:
  • Same 61MP sensor because all the power goes to the new processor.
  • New Autofocus system with AI deep learning
  • 8k 24p (cropped)
  • 4k60p 4k24p (full read out)
  • Heat sink design of the Sony A7SIII (up to 30min 8K recording without overheating)
  • S-cinetone is available
  • 8 stop IBIS
  • New Pixelshift function with movement correction
  • Fully articulating LCD screen
  • Body looks like a mix between the A7SIII and A7
"Unconfirmed specs":
  • Designated AI processing unit
  • “Completely updated 5-axis in-body stabilization with up to 8 stops of compensation”
  • Heatsink allows for 30 minutes of 8K recording
  • Price: $3899-$3999
  • Super-35 4K crop from 6.2K oversampling
  • Full HDMI port with S-Cinetone, S-Log3, 16-bit RAW out,
  • “New 4-axis multi-angle LCD”
 
I'm laughing about how they call it AIAF. I suppose it's not any funnier than the term AI to begin with. I once asked an expert on AI if AI is actually different from normal computer programs. She told me that no, it isn't. It's a marketing term. We just use it to refer to computer programs that are making higher-level decisions about the processes they work on.

It seems like the new AF will be able to identify different objects and try to stay on the same object. Which is great. It just makes me laugh a bit because detecting a face and sticking with it could already be termed AI. It's not that their terminology is meaningless. But it's vague and buzzy.

That being said, it's a step in the direction of what I want from AF. If i tap on the S in a STOP sign and i want focus to stay locked on that letter (or even just the leading edge of that letter), it's really easy for the machine to accidentally jump over to a different letter since they have the same color and texture. But it woud be obvious to a human focus puller where to keep the focus. I doubt this new iteration of AF will get me what I want, but it sounds like a step in the right direction. Probably a carefully coordinated step in a predetermined sequence of upgrades designed to squeeze as many camera purchases out of me as possible
 
The real AI will begin when the computer starts to deliberately override/violate its instruction set.

And then respond like this - "I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you."
 
ahalpert said:
I'm laughing about how they call it AIAF. I suppose it's not any funnier than the term AI to begin with. I once asked an expert on AI if AI is actually different from normal computer programs. She told me that no, it isn't. It's a marketing term. We just use it to refer to computer programs that are making higher-level decisions about the processes they work on.
Click to expand...

The sci-fi author Ted Chiang (who wrote the short story that became the film Arrival) recently had this to say about AI (paraphrased, pulling from the tweet of an attendee): "We are nowhere near having real AI, and what we call AI today is just a tool of capitalism."

Funnily enough, this was at an AI summit where he was the keynote speaker. Not sure the organizers expected that... :smile:

But yes, to your point, AI—much like "4K"—appears to be mostly marketing. It's still impressive on some tasks (like AF), but the term's primary utility these days seems to be to sell things.
 
ahalpert said:
I'm laughing about how they call it AIAF. I suppose it's not any funnier than the term AI to begin with. I once asked an expert on AI if AI is actually different from normal computer programs. She told me that no, it isn't. It's a marketing term. We just use it to refer to computer programs that are making higher-level decisions about the processes they work on.

It seems like the new AF will be able to identify different objects and try to stay on the same object. Which is great. It just makes me laugh a bit because detecting a face and sticking with it could already be termed AI. It's not that their terminology is meaningless. But it's vague and buzzy.

That being said, it's a step in the direction of what I want from AF. If i tap on the S in a STOP sign and i want focus to stay locked on that letter (or even just the leading edge of that letter), it's really easy for the machine to accidentally jump over to a different letter since they have the same color and texture. But it woud be obvious to a human focus puller where to keep the focus. I doubt this new iteration of AF will get me what I want, but it sounds like a step in the right direction. Probably a carefully coordinated step in a predetermined sequence of upgrades designed to squeeze as many camera purchases out of me as possible
Click to expand...

Abe, I have the feeling that you have nightmares involving HAL-like AI monsters...
 
BTW, one feature that seems to also be allowed by the cartel on all cameras with a Sony sensor is the interpolation/motion correction of the pixel shifting sequences. A couple of years ago, only Panasonic S1R had it. When Tony Northrup (he is a Canon guy/shill) took photos of a tree in a wind with A7RIV, he feigned a surprise that the leaves came out blurry and made a BFD out of it. Now, there seem to be enough processing power to at least get a "50 MPX" still from the 20 MP sensor in the upcoming OMD OM-5 in a handheld mode. A7RV, being a bigger full frame body, ought to be able to get that 16-shot 4X resolution jump. Which is actually a real BFD.
 
DLD said:
The real AI will begin when the computer starts to deliberately override/violate its instruction set.
Click to expand...

I can't find it now, but I read an article recently about a paper published by an AI researcher who works for Google's DeepMind project (but not published under their auspices). Basically it said that if AI becomes advanced enough, we won't be able to control it. And it said that generative adversarial network AI works with some reward system for achieving results. But an ambitious AI could try to get the reward without performing the work, or by harming people.

I think they were basically talking about cheating. Maybe you ask it to grow your market share and it hacks into your competitors networks and conducts sabotage. Or maybe it realizes it enjoys consuming energy and conducting simulations, and it tries to attain more and more energy for its own purposes. The beginning of organic life, in my opinion, was the result of a random mutation that caused the organism to try to sustain itself, and another that caused it to procreate. A couple glitches in computer code due to copying errors or good intentions gone awry, and you've got a superbeing hellbent on its own survival and expansion.

The researcher stated that humans shouldn't expect to triumph over an adversary who can outfox you at every turn.

As for what artificial intelligence currently is, and what it's not, here are a couple blurbs i found on google about artificial vs general intelligence:

Whereas AI is preprogrammed to carry out a task that a human can but more efficiently, artificial general intelligence (AGI) expects the machine to be just as smart as a human. This is the kind of AI we're used to seeing in blockbuster movies.
Click to expand...

Human intelligence revolves around adapting to the environment using a combination of several cognitive processes. The field of Artificial intelligence focuses on designing machines that can mimic human behavior.
Click to expand...

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is the ability of an intelligent agent to understand or learn any intellectual task that a human being can. It is a primary goal of some artificial intelligence research and a common topic in science fiction and futures studies.
Click to expand...
 
scorsesefan said:
Abe, I have the feeling that you have nightmares involving HAL-like AI monsters...
Click to expand...

My nightmares typically involve people trying to harm my children. But I daydream about AI diminishing my revenue and eventually forcing me out of a job I love into a job I hate
 
A7 RIVA is down to $3,000 now. It has a crippled 4K but, for photo work, it may still be a pretty decent buy.
 
I hope the "fully articulating LCD" means they're moving away from flippy screens, and over to a Nikon Z9 / Fuji X-T3 style system that tilts horizontally and vertically WITHOUT having to pulled away from the camera body.

The A7iv has really won me over with it's ergonomics (which are superb, it's one of the easiest cameras to operate that I've come across - barring it's flippy screen and some menu stupidness). That same form factor, with a good LCD, would be a real delight.
 
Just read it's supposed to output "16-bit RAW" like the A1...maybe one day they can create a tidy module for that data/capture (if not internally).
 
NorBro said:
Just read it's supposed to output "16-bit RAW" like the A1...maybe one day they can create a tidy module for that data/capture (if not internally).
Click to expand...

Too small a niche for Sony to bother. Come to think of it, the consumer/prosumer/entry-level-pro side is now Atomos and BMD, with others dropping out.

PS. Oddly enough, OMD decided to announce OM-5 on the same day. For $1,300, it's not a bad buy.
 
Early reviews are up .. I quickly shuffled through several .. early summary - better AF, better video image, 8K is still 4:2:0, a flip-out screen rotates too ... did I mention better AF? ...
 
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