Sony Nex 5 Firmware...

[davect01]

agree, mostly

I agree mostly that the peaking is a great addition and makes the NEX so much better.

The only downside so far is when shooting a subject the same color as the peaking brackets. Would be nice if it had built in a color shift to bring out the most contrast to what you were shooting.

 

[Streetshooter]

See Dave.... I wasn't far off with the psychedelic color issues....
The B&W screen does help with the color blocking out...like Red on a RED rose....

 

[Janis]

The peaking is just fantastic!!! I don't know how I have lived without it for manual focus, and I like it even for AF. I can't wait to try a macro lens. I'm very hopeful all camera makers will get on board with this.
The Toy Camera filter is very similar to Pinhole Camera filter on the EPL-1 -- deep saturation and a big vignette. I kind of like it but I need to figure out if you can shoot RAW plus jpg and have the filter applied to the jpg. I don't see a way to apply the filter after the fact to a RAW file, as Olympus allows you to do. The color filters where the rest of the image is desaturated don't work well at all for me, except maybe the yellow, but even then the yellow object better not have any non-yellow highlights or shadows, because they will look bad, esp. on flowers. The blue filter can't even "see" most blue tones. So far I have just used a Nikon 50mm to test the firmware due to being too busy lately. I have only barely begun to play and will post some samples when I have time.

 

[Armanius]

This peaking functions sounds and looks great!!! For some reason, I thought the firmware update wasn't released yet! I'll have to update my NEX tonight, and start using it again along with the M lenses.

Question for the knowledgeable people about DOF scale on M lenses. Is the DOF scale on a M lens still accurate and applicable when in use with a NEX with APS-C sensor (or with m4/3 cameras with even smaller sensor)? Smaller sensors have larger DOF right?

Thanks!

 

[Streetshooter]

Armando... I have found that 1 stop difference is ok for DOF.
If you are at f11, use f8 on the scale.
It works for me. They say ist really a stop and a half but I don't believe it.
The 35 Lux or Cron is deadly on the Nex.

 

[Armanius]

Armando... I have found that 1 stop difference is ok for DOF.
If you are at f11, use f8 on the scale.
It works for me. They say ist really a stop and a half but I don't believe it.
The 35 Lux or Cron is deadly on the Nex.

IF I only had a 35 Lux or Cron!!

So if I have the lens set on F11, I should look at the F8 scale as my DOF? So the DOF is actually shallower on the NEX??

A couple of more newb questions ... I read and hear the word "stops" all the time. What does it really mean? I see references like "X lens is one stop faster than Y lens." But it seems to be used in reference to not only F-stops but sometimes also to ISO. I've read people saying that F2.8 and F3.5 is one stop of difference. But also read that its 2/3 of a stop. Is there a measurement of what one "stop" really is?

Thanks for indulging me!! I really have no true concept of the mechanics/physics/science behind photography.

 

[Streetshooter]

A stop is a measure of light. So fstop 2.8 is 1/2 the amount of light as fstop 2.
Fstop 2 is 2xs the light as fstop 2.8.
This applies to shutter speeds and ISO also.

The name for this law is..The Inverse Square Law.
There is this half/double law within everything in photography.
The way to get the brain to process this is to...
Remember...less is more, more is less.

F16 is a bigger # but is less light.
F2.0 is a smaller # but is more light.

The exposure equation is based on the 1/2 2x relationship.
1/500 sec is a big number but less light, less movement issues.
1/30 sec is a smaller number but more light and thus more movement issues.

Got more if ya need more...

 

[Bugleone]

"stop" just means 'aperture' and comes originally from the phrase 'waterhouse stop'. Originally these 'stops' were simply round holes of different size placed against a lens to limit the amount of light admitted. They were arranged in a set on a disc so that each 'stop' had a logrithmic progression,..thus each 'stop' allows 2x the light of it's smaller neighbour. By dividing the foical length with the physical diameter of the stop you get the stop number such as f2.8 or f16 etc. f16 is much smaller, and passes much ,less light, than f2.8,...'big number, small hole'...!!

When the variable iris diaphragm came into use the same system was transferred to that device. An f2 lens for example usually has a range of apertures or 'stops' going; f2 (sometimes f1.7 such as pentax of f1.8 as with Canon but the same animal for all practical considerations ) then, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, and sometimes f22.

Note; in modern parlance, especially among those who don't really no anything better, a 'stop' has come to mean 1 EV,...ie one dfferance in EITHER aperture, shutter speed or possibly iso such that there is two times less light or two times more.

f3.5 is NOT a whole 'stop' in a range of apertures,..its aprox half way between f2.8 and f4.

The use of the phrase "2/3 of a stop" came from the permitted 'tolerance' in exposure calculation when using professional tranparency film. 'Half a stop' is the minimal exposure differanc that could be normally seen on a light box when viewing transparencies.

EDIT: 'streetshooter'posted before me but I'll let my post stand for added detail.

 

[Armanius]

Thanks Don and Bugleone! I still have a LOT to learn about photography! I've seen "stop" being used in some many different contexts that I found/find it pretty confusing. Things get even more confusing when 2.8 and 4 are one stop apart, but 4 and 5.6 are also one stop apart. I guess the inquiring mind in me is trying to figure out what the progression is!

At least it's not as bad as scoring in tennis with 15, 30, 40 and game! I was trying to explain the scoring system in Wimbledon to my girlfriend yesterday while we were watching the recap on the Isner vs Mahut 11 hours match from last year -- Why 15, 30, and then 40? What's a tiebreaker? Why is it scored differently? Ad? Breakpoint? Why no tie breaker on the fifth set?