Sony NEX C3 Manual focusing with “peaking” mode.
The video on top shows a peaking mode test made with the new Sony-NEX-C3 and an old manual lens, the Jupiter 85mm f/2.0 (Click here to see the lens on eBay). The tester said: “It’s really great if you use manual lenses“. The red highlights indicate where the image is sharp (easy!). All manual lens owner will be very happy with the new feature! And as you know the peaking mode will be available for NEX-3/5 user with the new firmware update which is coming on June 20th.
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Comment from Rob: yes it does work in video mode i just tr...
Comment from keki: This is THE most important feature that ...
Comment from Alex Buga: Now, if only they will make an evf......
Comment from MrWoody: I suspect it'll stumble with the exact s...
kybel
9 months ago |…available for NEX-4/5 user… you mean 3-5
Mattia
9 months ago |C’mon Sony…Please, make a FW upgrade for the VG10…
S Pimenta
9 months ago |One word only: AWESOME!!!!
This is very usefull even in video mode, with manual focus (is the clever way to focus)! Because in video mode you can’t zoom to check focus.
And even to take stils photos because in some cases zoom is not very practical.
I am more pleased to have purchased a NEX-5!!!
Miroslav
9 months ago |Great innovation! Kudos for Sony!
Disinto
9 months ago |AWESOME. My MF and non-SAM/SSM lenses are reviving :d
lifeispixels
9 months ago |And the price of old Minolta MD lens will be rising, thanks to this new feature
Glad I bought many to my collections already.
NEXfive
9 months ago |Yeah,still got my fast Canon FD lens collection from the 80′s here that will be even more useful than already starting 20th June…
Peter F
9 months ago |I love this feature. The technology has been there for a long time for this and I have missed in on my cameras ever since I bought the old Nikon CP4500 back in 2004. Wonder how it will work on macros, when you focus by moving the camera in and out.
Red
9 months ago |GREAT!
New firmware update for A33, please @_@
sonyboy68
9 months ago |EXCELLENT !!
Zstan
9 months ago |~.~ the firmware for a33 is out on the same day.
GJH2
9 months ago |This is a nifty little feature. And I’m glad it works with all manual lenses.
albin
9 months ago |This looks awesome! What more to say.
This will be super useful.
Really must try it out.
EC
9 months ago |And that, my friends, will work best in an EVF camera!
A99 will rock!
brad
9 months ago |Will this feature be on the a77 too?
grex
9 months ago |Is the “peaking” mode a feature available also for a35?
Voohoo
9 months ago |The reason why they came up with this feature is because they don’t plan to make any more E-mount lenses.
Jeff
9 months ago |nothing new, Sony H5 and others have this. Just another reason Sony is horrible, should of been in all the cameras, boo on you Sony.
Juan
9 months ago |I’m curious to know if this will be on the a77. Any info on that Admin?
Camaman
9 months ago |Actually this is pretty damn useful!
Hoping to see this implemented by all camera makers!
Juan
9 months ago |Manual focus Samyang 85mm 1.4, here i come!
Darren
9 months ago |The examples use subjects with relatively sharp edges (leaves, square or sharp metal, etc.) Will this focus tool help when your subject does not have sharp relief? e.g. smooth contours of a face ?
MrWoody
9 months ago |I suspect it’ll stumble with the exact same subject matter that standard contrast-detect autofocus would stumble with. There’s still contrasting edges on faces, I don’t think that would be a problem. The problems will arise from scenes with very low contrast across the board, like very dimly lit shots without much relief or shadow.
That’s pretty much a given though, you could be looking through an optical viewfinder, or using contrast or phase detect AF, and that kind of scene will still be a nightmare to hit the correct focus.
Peaking won’t work miracles, but hopefully it might bring the manual focus experience a fair bit closer to the immediacy of using auto.
aiueo
9 months ago |I want this in my a580… Sony, firmware update, please.
Although I guess Sony has pretty much abandoned the a560/a580 models already. a33/a55 gets firmware updates, but nothing for the OVF models.
Phlapp
9 months ago |Wow, anyone know if this coming to the NEX VG10? It could really do with it.
Luciano
9 months ago |Will it work in video mode too?
Rob
8 months ago |yes it does work in video mode i just tried it on my NEX-5
Akiva S.
9 months ago |This is freaking awesome.
matt
9 months ago |for those whom are complaining that it doesn’t exist in dslr and slt models, please think before you speak. The reason this will work on nex and other P&S camera is that these cameras use contrast detect AF. This focus peaking is exactly how the camera can ‘see’ focus. The difference with this is it is actually giving you a visual clue as to what it is seeing so that you can manually focus the lens because the camera can’t. It isn’t some kind of special technology, it is nothing more than a visual overlay.
slr’s and slt’s use phase detect, that doesn’t look at focus peaking (edges of contrast) and as such cannot be implemented in the same way. However the phase detect Af still works with manual focusing, giving a green square for areas in focus just like using AF. So stop your sooking!
Stupig
9 months ago |Actually, SLT can benefit from the hybrid AF using both phase sensors and the main image sensor. The image sensor is always on for viewfinding anyway — actually, they can implement AF-auto calibration as well as AF-fine-tuning with the two types of sensors.
Steve Jones
9 months ago |There’s no reason why a DSLR can’t use contrast detection as an alternative option to phase detect. Indeed many DSLR live view modes can do exactly including the Sony A580. It’s a natural fit with an EVF.
If the Sony A77 has peak contrast detection in the EVF then that would be a superb addition and there doesn’t seem to be any obvious technical reason why it couldn’t be done given the main sensor is the source of the image.
Matt
9 months ago |What would be the advantage of having it over phase detect AF in the SLT’s or dSLR’s? currently there is no AF confirm of any kind (other than magnification) in the NEX due to it only having contrast detect so this helps a lot for that platform, but the phase detect cameras already have AF confirm. Visible contrast peaking is definitely useful, but I don’t see it being any better that phase detect.
TheHacker
9 months ago |When fpocusing manually on the A55 you only get focus confirmation with the center focus point. With peaking you would be able to what is in focus even if it is not in the very exact center of the frame (one small focus point); you would also see how much of the image is in focus, so if you have many spots in the frame being withing the DoF, you wouldn’t have to hunt around the frame with the center focus point.
Sky_walker
9 months ago |You can run Contrast Detection AF in DSLRs/SLTs too if you don’t know.
This feature may be a life-changer for many people afraid of manual focusing so IMO it should be implemented into A-mount cameras ASAP.
Matt
9 months ago |How so? Yes it is nice to have for cameras like the NEX or video cameras or P&S where you have no other option. Having phase detect AF really cancels out any need on cameras such equipped.
However, I can see this being an advantage for using the new liveview in say the a580 where one is seeing the liveview directly off the main sensor rather than the smaller pentamirror sensor, as the phase detect AF is disabled when in this mode, so not an option.
Matt
9 months ago |I should say that I too am really excited about having this on my NEX3 to use with my old manual lenses (really really excited), I just see little to no advantage in having it in my a55.
TheHacker
9 months ago |Have you ever tried to manually focus on the a55? How do you confirm focus in off-center areas?
Chad
9 months ago |First off, this looks well implemented and it is going to be a game changer for the NEX. Second, do we know if you can use peaking in b/w mode? I often shoot in b/w mode and RAW since it makes it a bit easier to focus manually and I still get my files in color. Having that red highlight pop on a b/w view would be as simple and clear as it gets.
Matt
9 months ago |Chad, from what I have read when using the colour peaking the display goes B&W with the colour showing what areas are in focus. So it’s default function by the sounds of it are exactly what you are looking for
Matt
9 months ago |Sorry my bad, I was thinking of the Sony CLM-V55 monitor, which also has a similar peaking function seen here:
http://www.kurtmunger.com/sony_clm_v55_clip_onid278.html
E
9 months ago |They are onto something good!
- A large enough mount to be able to make adapters for almost any lens out there. ( there was a video here for a videocam making this clear.) This is not unintentional!
- Better and better support and aid for manual lenses.
- A really nice compact camera body, creating some buzz and attraction, albeit the pancakes would have been nice also.
A bit sad that they so far have choosen to design the lenses so their outer diameter is exactly that of the mount, I think they could have made them smaller without looking strange.
I think NEX as a system worries many camera makers out there.
/E
Alex Buga
9 months ago |Now, if only they will make an evf…
keki
9 months ago |This is THE most important feature that is missing in all video-enabled DSLRs. Manual focusing is imperative for shooting video with DSLRs (this applies also to SLTs for serious video shooting). And by using the 3″ onboard LCD, you can’t really tell if the subject is in focus or not, so this peaking feature would help a lot. Now, Sony has showed us that it is possible to make APSC cameras that focus fast enough in contrast mode (using the main image sensor), for this “peaking” feature to be usable in real life (without substantial lag). If A77 has this in video mode, I’m switching to Sony.