My 5 Urgent Feature Requests for Sony A7s Next Firmware Update

My 5 Urgent Feature Requests for Sony A7s Next Firmware Update

  • "Record Movie" option for shutter button

    Votes: 9 50.0%

  • Adjustable color temperature during recording

    Votes: 2 11.1%

  • Selectable line thickness for guidelines (rule of thirds, aspect ratio, center marker)

    Votes: 1 5.6%

  • Real 24P (24.00 fps)

    Votes: 2 11.1%

  • 180 Degree shutter option

    Votes: 4 22.2%
  • Total voters
    18
N

Nicholas Natteau

Veteran
Having just received my Sony A7s, I'm absolutely amazed with it's low light sensitivity and beautiful image. Low light wise, I've never seen anything like it. Truly phenomenal.
But as a GH4 owner, I do wish the A7s had the following features that I hope Sony will add ASAP in the next firmware update.

So please vote in my poll and let Sony know what firmware feature(s) you would most like to see added:

• Enable "record movie" function on Shutter button. The movie button is awkwardly placed and way too small.

• Allow color temperature change during recording. You can do this on the GH4, and other cameras, why not on the A7s???

• Allow user to change line thickness of guidelines (center crop mark, rule of thirds, aspect ratio guide). Do they really have to be that thick? GH4 allows you to do this.

• Give us real 24p (not 23.976). The GH4 has this option, why not the A7s?

• Give us a 180 degree shutter option. Again GH4 has this, why not the A7s?
 
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For me, taking a custom white balance in movie mode trumps any of these asks. I'm sure I have other gripes, but I can't think of them at the moment.
 
For me it's hands down the shutter angle and true 24p. For people actually shooting a short/feature that's meant for cinema those are a MUST.
 
Please figure out how to allow me to use 32GB cards. I would rather shoot to those AND buy them, far better for offloading during the day.
 
I'd love to see them speedup the readout and reduce the rolling shutter a bit more. Definitely the record button assignment. Viewing SLOG with a LUT? We can dream.
 
Kholi said:
Please figure out how to allow me to use 32GB cards. I would rather shoot to those AND buy them, far better for offloading during the day.
Click to expand...

I don't understand this request....the A7S doesn't allow you to use 32 GB cards?....or is this one of those inside jokes I missed
 
IT seems as if a lot of cameras have that 64gb limitation

My GH4 has it, or at least it says it only supports up to 64gb but I use a 128 gb card in it all the time
 
I think they should have a color tweaking to all their profiles where they plug in the natural skin tones. I haven't gotten the mix yet - I haven't spent too long on it - but I wish someone would start figuring out the best settings.

Agreed on shutter angle.

I wish s log you could shoot at lower iso than 3200 .

Timelaspe mode in camera not via a phone - but good to know you can control from your phone.

A way to view video a la go pro to your app - wirelessly.

having the meter mode adjust to s log - to get decent exposure needs

color bar option to calibrate the lcd and viewfinder
 
Take the image out of the equation (because that is subjective) and compere the A7s to the Gh4 and the Gh4 wins hands down. Better all around thought out camera for use with motion capture. Much more fluid to work with in terms of video.
 
* viewing LUT so we can expose and focus while shooting slog2 without an external monitor
* zebras at any level we want, not just >70%
* IRE reading in the center (like the one in ML)

One thing that may or may not be there already: configurable settings presets that can be assigned to a button (or even a wheel). Like, I push one button and I'm shooting 24p 1/60s ISO 3200, push it again ant I'm at 60p 1/120s ISO 6400, push it again and I'm at 120p 1/240s ISO 12800. They have to be fully configurable, otherwise they are useless. I think this one-ups the 180º shutter setting by a wide margin...
 
Mine would be:

1) 10 bit output, c'mon guys the data is there....
2) Exposure info, either zebras at any level as Samuel mentions or a waveform
3) Look at the black overshoot aliasing on the downsample, it's worse than the FS700
4) Look at the purple blobs in the shadows, the XAVC makes it worse compared to the HDMI output but they're still there
5) Allow the Remote app to use Picture Profiles
6) Allow the Use Exposure Effects to be assignable to a custom button
7) Allow one profile for viewing and a different one for recording (view normal, record Slog)
8) REDUCE THE BLACK POINT of Slog. It is utterly pointless to have blacks running 10% up in an 8 bit container. Zero the blacks. This is INSANE in 8 bit....

I've done informal side by sides of range and some tests, enough to get me through some B cam stuff yesterday. I will do some formal tests this week. I reckon there's 11 to 12 useable stops of Slog2 in that container, there's a little more range that the FS700 but depending on condition. I don't think using Slog2 is a clear decision, i think cine4 seems pretty good. It depends whether you're looking at the shadows, mids or highs.

The XAVC workflow is a nightmare - it's very difficult to know whether an application is using the full range or clipping.

There are some issues recording to the O7Q via HDMI as well, i need to spend more time with that combination to understand them fully. I don't think the recorder or the camera is outputting the right signals all the time. This might just be me, so once i've tested properly i will let CD know. I don't know if anyone else has tried?

I'd also say that the HDMI output is slightly sharper in the Red and Blue channels (4:2:2 vs 4:2:0), the green is pretty much the same. I don't know if there's a strong reason to not use XAVC, it seems pretty good so far.

cheers
Paul
 
Thanks very much everybody for all your feedback. I do hope someone from Sony looks at these requests. I tried looking for a Sony feature requests page on their web site but didn't find any, which is why I started this poll.

Eddavid, thanks for mentioning being able to shoot lower than 3200 ISO in S-log, I forgot to add that to the poll. Is there anyway I can do so now or is it too late?
I don't understand why Sony prevents us from shooting below 3200 ISO in S-log. Who made that decision?

But the most infuriating thing (by far) for me is the tiny "record movie" button on the side. If I try doing any self shoot test, it takes me 3-4 seconds to locate when it could so easily be assigned to the shutter button.

And why is the Sony "Play Memories" remote app so limited? I can't do anything besides press "record". No focus, no ISO control, nothing else.
Sony really needs a major update for that app ASAP.
 
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Dear Sony,

1) white balance during recording.
2) white balance during recording
3) white balance during recording
4) shutter = alternate record button

thank you.
 
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