A7/A7R - HDR / Bracketing.... How are YOU going to do it?!

[Jeff31M]

As a Canon 5d MK2 user who had Magic Lantern installed, I had the best of HDR world at my fingertips.

I could set the number of exposures, the range, and all of it was accessable via TIMER or standard shooting. It worked great.

However, on the Sony side of things, it is a different game.

In a perfect world I could get a 2 second timer followed by 3-5 HDR shots in a variable EV arrangement. Normally I am fine with 3 shots, but when I am shooting into the sun , sometimes its nice to go with 5 so I have some playign room.

Anyhow, playing with my A7, and I am trying to figure out the best way to do this. Holding down the button SUCKS. I dont like that option.

I installed a remote trigger app on my phone (IR on Galaxy Note 3) but it only seems to work near the FRONT of the camera. Im assuming thats where the sensor is. I cant be holding a cell phone in front of my camera to take pics :/

Any thoughts/whats your method for doing so?!?

Id love someone to create a Sony app that did what we WANT, Id be willing to pay good $$$ for it too.

 

[Jeff31M]

Correction, I was in front of my monitors which were causing some issues. I did further testing and I was able to get my cell phone remote control to work just fine.

worked pretty good

 

[Jagdon]

Thanks for that. I was doing some HDR last night and wondering the same thing as had to use the button. Will try with app tonignt

 

[Clayton1985]

As a Canon 5d MK2 user who had Magic Lantern installed, I had the best of HDR world at my fingertips.

I could set the number of exposures, the range, and all of it was accessable via TIMER or standard shooting. It worked great.

However, on the Sony side of things, it is a different game.

In a perfect world I could get a 2 second timer followed by 3-5 HDR shots in a variable EV arrangement. Normally I am fine with 3 shots, but when I am shooting into the sun , sometimes its nice to go with 5 so I have some playign room.

Anyhow, playing with my A7, and I am trying to figure out the best way to do this. Holding down the button SUCKS. I dont like that option.

Id love someone to create a Sony app that did what we WANT, Id be willing to pay good $$$ for it too.

You can use an IR remote with a 2s timer with the bracketing options but you are limited to 2.0EV3 and 3.0EV3.

 

[bergenpaul]

I like a lot about Sony's cameras, but I find it ridiculous that they STILL can't figure out that 'when should the shutter activate' and 'what should it do when activated' are two separate questions that require 2 separate controls. You should be able to say 'activate it in 10 seconds (timer)' AND 'do bracketing'. But they combine the when and what on the same control (drive mode), so that if the 'when' is anything but 'now', the 'what' is only single shot. i'm hoping there's an app to fix this.

 

[Clayton1985]

I like a lot about Sony's cameras, but I find it ridiculous that they STILL can't figure out that 'when should the shutter activate' and 'what should it do when activated' are two separate questions that require 2 separate controls. You should be able to say 'activate it in 10 seconds (timer)' AND 'do bracketing'. But they combine the when and what on the same control (drive mode), so that if the 'when' is anything but 'now', the 'what' is only single shot. i'm hoping there's an app to fix this.

It can be separated when using a remote with the A7/r but I agree that it would be nice if you had full control over the timer options and drive modes at the same time whether using the remote or pressing the shutter button, etc.

 

[Parentesi]

Does anybody think that Sony will change the Bracketing options ever?
1. Set the timer option and Bracketing option separated.
At the Moment you can only choose Timer or Bracketing, not both.

2. Shoot the whole bracketing-set without pressing the shutter all the time.
At The Moment you have to hold down the Shutter, otherwise it will stopp and you will be at the beginning. Holding it shakes the camera and the shots are not sharp.

3. Separated bracketing options. Steps and EV have to be separated.
At the moment you are limited to max 5 x 0.7 (+ - 1,4) or max 3 x 3.0 (wtf). Or at least ad 5 x 1.0, 5 x 1.4, 5 x 2.0 and the same with 7 x 0.7, and so on ....

But as statements from Sony "they will not change this option, and it is as it is"
So they actually do not care about HDR photographers!?!

 

[Cullings]

Does anybody think that Sony will change the Bracketing options ever?
1. Set the timer option and Bracketing option separated. . . .
2. Shoot the whole bracketing-set without pressing the shutter all the time. . .
3. Separated bracketing options. Steps and EV have to be separated. . . .
So they actually do not care about HDR photographers!?!

I agree with your assesment that Sony doesn't care about proper HDR. Don't hold your breath waiting for Sony to change! My solution is to use Canon cameras for HDR. They do it the way you want (probably Nikon does too). My 7D and EOS-M ($300) both work great for HDR; however, I'd like more choices on the number of photos that can be bracketed (only 3 on mine).
.
PS. Canon has a LOT of lenses. Both my Canons have standard mic jacks.

 

[Parentesi]

Yes, I will go back to Sony.

I love the idea of having a smaler Kamera with me with the same chip like the D800E.

So I sold my Nikon stuff to get a Sony!

But; Wooot you want proper Bracketing?! gtftonikoncanon

 

[PVCdroid]

Yes, I will go back to Sony.

I love the idea of having a smaler Kamera with me with the same chip like the D800E.

So I sold my Nikon stuff to get a Sony!

But; Wooot you want proper Bracketing?! gtftonikoncanon

There is single and continuous bracketing so between the two and a $10 IR intervolometer and your smartphone or tablet, I think there are many options to get the job done. Granted Sony should and could improve the bracketing implementation but they have said it is a hardware limitation in the past, at least on the NEX-7.

 

[philip pj]

'So they actually do not care about HDR photographers!'

On the contrary, most photographers not well-versed in post-processing are reporting flat files from the industry leading a7/r, which delivers all of 14 stops at ISO 100, over two stops more than the Canons that make up the lion's share of the FF marketplace.

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www.dxomark.com

It's fully understandable HDR is appealing in the context of the Canons and similar handicapped cameras, the users of which otherwise face the Hobson's Choice of choosing between the colour damage (colour is a mid-tone phenomenon) and over-exposure risks (oops, too far) associated with ETTR, or near-unrecoverable noisy shadows associated with normal exposure in typical scenes with high SBR (subject brightness range) - meaning ETTR is the only real choice - for them, but not for us.

Most users just lift the (clean) shadows (in RAW of course) a little when needed..and can also now leave the fiddly ND grad filters at home - a truly excellent outcome.

I'm sure there will be a workaround for the technique though, it seemed to be pretty much out of vogue, as most people learned that shadows are integral to high quality imaging.

 

[stevo23]

As a Canon 5d MK2 user who had Magic Lantern installed, I had the best of HDR world at my fingertips.

I could set the number of exposures, the range, and all of it was accessable via TIMER or standard shooting. It worked great.

However, on the Sony side of things, it is a different game.

In a perfect world I could get a 2 second timer followed by 3-5 HDR shots in a variable EV arrangement. Normally I am fine with 3 shots, but when I am shooting into the sun , sometimes its nice to go with 5 so I have some playign room.

Anyhow, playing with my A7, and I am trying to figure out the best way to do this. Holding down the button SUCKS. I dont like that option.

I installed a remote trigger app on my phone (IR on Galaxy Note 3) but it only seems to work near the FRONT of the camera. Im assuming thats where the sensor is. I cant be holding a cell phone in front of my camera to take pics :/

Any thoughts/whats your method for doing so?!?

Id love someone to create a Sony app that did what we WANT, Id be willing to pay good $$$ for it too.

I like the way Sony does it in one aspect in that it's easy to pick what I want and it's fast when holding down continuous. I hate how Sony makes it all part of the same menu on this camera. I sometimes want to choose continuous delayed HDR shooting. Can't do it can I?

But for everything else where I either do it manually or I do hold down the shutter and fire away, the Sony is a joy to use.

So for those shots where I need delayed exposure, I'm usually on a tripod and I do it manually. Having the little dial is perfect for that. Not ideal, but works for me.

 

[Parentesi]

There is not continuous Mode, as you have to hold down the Shutter

There is no option to shoot 7 x 1EV or 5 x 1.4EV

Try holding down this Chinese IR in continuous with a near 180° fisheye and not being in the picture

With the cable remote, you often cast your shadow, except there is not direct sunlight where you are shooting.

With a tablet or iPhone-app to expand it is way to slow to produce one 360° x 180° Dome, not useable and there will be that point where you do not know what you are doing.

If you are a professional, you do not have time for this, you want this to work proper without thinking about it. this is not what the sony Camera delivers. I worked in this field already since my first Canon 5D. I used the 5D MK II, the Nikon 800 and 800E, Phase One 45+ and 65+ and with all of them I never had any problem setting them up to auto-timer, set bracketing number and EV steps to fast and easily shoot 360° Domes. Also my cameras that where still manual shot Bracketings by them self after pressing the shutter. i.e.: Contax G System, Nikon F Cameras.

Now Sony reinvents the wheel and gives it 16 corners, not a circle anymore.

That it is hardware on a a7 would be nonsense, it is purely a software-desing issue. If Sony would tell us clients Why they cripple this, then I would be satisfied in a way. But they dont, they just say it is that way because we wanted it that way, without being able to give one reason why it should be that way and what is good abut it.

 

[Parentesi]

Holding down the button gives a blur to longer exposures and will move the camera between shoots.

Except you are e robot or you have a Cinema-Tripot with you!

But with a 500USD Carbon-Tripot, the shots are never 100% Aligned and sharp. (sharpens is good when the lightning is perfect, but most of my domes I shot with the sony are a bit blurry when zooming in, as I need 32bit.)

And it is a pain getting there. Up To know I set the Camera to 3x2 EV and then shift one EV in Manual, and do that shot again. So I have 6x1EV in the end. But especially the second set is never 100% aligned and need much more work to get perfect results.) Results from a 3x3EV are not good enough and setting light in a VE (Virtual Environment) does not give satisfying realistic lightning for objects.

So for hobbyists and semi professionals it may work, but not as a professional tool to work with.

What sucks most, that Sony gives me the impression that they do not care at all!

 

[stevo23]

Holding down the button gives a blur to longer exposures and will move the camera between shoots.

Except you are e robot or you have a Cinema-Tripot with you!

Not at all as long as you're using speeds that you can hand hold from beginning to end.

But with a 500USD Carbon-Tripot, the shots are never 100% Aligned and sharp. (sharpens is good when the lightning is perfect, but most of my domes I shot with the sony are a bit blurry when zooming in, as I need 32bit.)

I'm not sure why, must be your settings. I rarely get blurry shots with bracketing.

And it is a pain getting there. Up To know I set the Camera to 3x2 EV and then shift one EV in Manual, and do that shot again. So I have 6x1EV in the end. But especially the second set is never 100% aligned and need much more work to get perfect results.) Results from a 3x3EV are not good enough and setting light in a VE (Virtual Environment) does not give satisfying realistic lightning for objects.

I have no idea what this is about. The Sony fires of 3 or 5 shots perfectly fast and without blur granted that you are within hand-held range.

 

[Parentesi]

Mr. Smart? Or from Sony?

Holding down the button gives a blur to longer exposures and will move the camera between shoots.

Except you are e robot or you have a Cinema-Tripot with you!

Not at all as long as you're using speeds that you can hand hold from beginning to end.

As i said further down, when lightning is perfect, i.e. 250/s and up!
But most locations demand times at 30/s for the middle shot. Still you will always move when you have your finger on the trigger. So the images may be sharp with fast times, but not aligned. Let it be 3px, still blurs the HDR. By 3px misalignment this would look sharp at 12MP but not at 36MP.

But with a 500USD Carbon-Tripot, the shots are never 100% Aligned and sharp. (sharpens is good when the lightning is perfect, but most of my domes I shot with the sony are a bit blurry when zooming in, as I need 32bit.)

I'm not sure why, must be your settings. I rarely get blurry shots with bracketing.

I can not demand on "rarely" , I need "never" as one set of images belongs together and make one picture. (between 5x6 and 36x6 depends on lens used)! And I can not check while shooting.
Imagine having a laptop with you, downloading all images, rendering them and checking every image if it is sharp. Takes forever. And then you have to go and shoot theses separately and check them again. After that change the time manually in a HDR-Dome software, so the system knows rhey belong together. OMG. I do not know how much patience and time you have, but I do not have that much time.

And it is a pain getting there. Up To know I set the Camera to 3x2 EV and then shift one EV in Manual, and do that shot again. So I have 6x1EV in the end. But especially the second set is never 100% aligned and need much more work to get perfect results.) Results from a 3x3EV are not good enough and setting light in a VE (Virtual Environment) does not give satisfying realistic lightning for objects.

I have no idea what this is about. The Sony fires of 3 or 5 shots perfectly fast and without blur granted that you are within hand-held range.

The Sony does not shoot a range of 32bit+ with steps of 0,7, 1.0, 1.4 EV steps. That is what you need for true HDR Photography. Fact, Physics, cant change that and the sony can not do this at the Moment with its crippled Software.

 

[PVCdroid]

Does anybody think that Sony will change the Bracketing options ever?
1. Set the timer option and Bracketing option separated.
At the Moment you can only choose Timer or Bracketing, not both.

2. Shoot the whole bracketing-set without pressing the shutter all the time.
At The Moment you have to hold down the Shutter, otherwise it will stopp and you will be at the beginning. Holding it shakes the camera and the shots are not sharp.

3. Separated bracketing options. Steps and EV have to be separated.
At the moment you are limited to max 5 x 0.7 (+ - 1,4) or max 3 x 3.0 (wtf). Or at least ad 5 x 1.0, 5 x 1.4, 5 x 2.0 and the same with 7 x 0.7, and so on ....

But as statements from Sony "they will not change this option, and it is as it is"
So they actually do not care about HDR photographers!?!

There is single and continuous bracketing available. Use a combination of both if needed. But, with the DR on the A7R, I highly doubt that more than three images would ever be needed. I'm using a $12 JJC remote where the 2 second timer will trigger bracketing.

 

[Parentesi]

Does anybody think that Sony will change the Bracketing options ever?
1. Set the timer option and Bracketing option separated.
At the Moment you can only choose Timer or Bracketing, not both.

2. Shoot the whole bracketing-set without pressing the shutter all the time.
At The Moment you have to hold down the Shutter, otherwise it will stopp and you will be at the beginning. Holding it shakes the camera and the shots are not sharp.

3. Separated bracketing options. Steps and EV have to be separated.
At the moment you are limited to max 5 x 0.7 (+ - 1,4) or max 3 x 3.0 (wtf). Or at least ad 5 x 1.0, 5 x 1.4, 5 x 2.0 and the same with 7 x 0.7, and so on ....

But as statements from Sony "they will not change this option, and it is as it is"
So they actually do not care about HDR photographers!?!

There is single and continuous bracketing available. Use a combination of both if needed. But, with the DR on the A7R, I highly doubt that more than three images would ever be needed. I'm using a $12 JJC remote where the 2 second timer will trigger bracketing.

Continuos is only continuous when you hold the button. So problem remains.

And no, 3x3EV may cover the area, but there is not enough info in the low and high-lightet image to cover the whole range for a HDR-Dome.
If this would be so, then no one would ever have to shoot 7x1EV in certain situations.
I do not get why people try to convince others that this camera has great HDR-feautures that are good enough, when there are enough professionals that complain about the limited and for HDR-Photographers limited options that sometimes make it useless. That is a fact!

If you do not know the insight of HDR, and what is really needed, then please dont waste other peoples time!

 

[stevo23]

Mr. Smart? Or from Sony?

Holding down the button gives a blur to longer exposures and will move the camera between shoots.

Except you are e robot or you have a Cinema-Tripot with you!

Not at all as long as you're using speeds that you can hand hold from beginning to end.

As i said further down, when lightning is perfect, i.e. 250/s and up!
But most locations demand times at 30/s for the middle shot. Still you will always move when you have your finger on the trigger. So the images may be sharp with fast times, but not aligned. Let it be 3px, still blurs the HDR. By 3px misalignment this would look sharp at 12MP but not at 36MP.

But with a 500USD Carbon-Tripot, the shots are never 100% Aligned and sharp. (sharpens is good when the lightning is perfect, but most of my domes I shot with the sony are a bit blurry when zooming in, as I need 32bit.)

I'm not sure why, must be your settings. I rarely get blurry shots with bracketing.

I can not demand on "rarely" , I need "never" as one set of images belongs together and make one picture. (between 5x6 and 36x6 depends on lens used)! And I can not check while shooting.

The only time I get blurry shots is if I push it beyond my own limits, or if something jars me like a truck rolling over the bridge I'm on. I think your own issues with blurry shots from the Sony or self-inflicted. I don't have any problems. with mine.

Imagine having a laptop with you, downloading all images, rendering them and checking every image if it is sharp. Takes forever. And then you have to go and shoot theses separately and check them again. After that change the time manually in a HDR-Dome software, so the system knows rhey belong together. OMG. I do not know how much patience and time you have, but I do not have that much time.

So you do HDR in-camera?

And it is a pain getting there. Up To know I set the Camera to 3x2 EV and then shift one EV in Manual, and do that shot again. So I have 6x1EV in the end. But especially the second set is never 100% aligned and need much more work to get perfect results.) Results from a 3x3EV are not good enough and setting light in a VE (Virtual Environment) does not give satisfying realistic lightning for objects.

I have no idea what this is about. The Sony fires of 3 or 5 shots perfectly fast and without blur granted that you are within hand-held range.

The Sony does not shoot a range of 32bit+ with steps of 0,7, 1.0, 1.4 EV steps.

It does .3EV steps, .5EV steps, .7EV steps 1EV steps etc. - all that you mention except the 1.4. You can do 3 steps, 5 steps or 7 steps in each in RAW.

That is what you need for true HDR Photography. Fact, Physics, cant change that and the sony can not do this at the Moment with its crippled Software.

I don't know what you mean that it "can't do this". It works great!

I get what the OP was talking about - it's not as easy as with a Nikon for instance.

 

[stevo23]

Does anybody think that Sony will change the Bracketing options ever?
1. Set the timer option and Bracketing option separated.
At the Moment you can only choose Timer or Bracketing, not both.

2. Shoot the whole bracketing-set without pressing the shutter all the time.
At The Moment you have to hold down the Shutter, otherwise it will stopp and you will be at the beginning. Holding it shakes the camera and the shots are not sharp.

3. Separated bracketing options. Steps and EV have to be separated.
At the moment you are limited to max 5 x 0.7 (+ - 1,4) or max 3 x 3.0 (wtf). Or at least ad 5 x 1.0, 5 x 1.4, 5 x 2.0 and the same with 7 x 0.7, and so on ....

But as statements from Sony "they will not change this option, and it is as it is"
So they actually do not care about HDR photographers!?!

There is single and continuous bracketing available. Use a combination of both if needed. But, with the DR on the A7R, I highly doubt that more than three images would ever be needed. I'm using a $12 JJC remote where the 2 second timer will trigger bracketing.

Continuos is only continuous when you hold the button. So problem remains.

And no, 3x3EV may cover the area, but there is not enough info in the low and high-lightet image to cover the whole range for a HDR-Dome.
If this would be so, then no one would ever have to shoot 7x1EV in certain situations.

I do not get why people try to convince others that this camera has great HDR-feautures that are good enough, when there are enough professionals that complain about the limited and for HDR-Photographers limited options that sometimes make it useless. That is a fact!

If you do not know the insight of HDR, and what is really needed, then please dont waste other peoples time!

The Sony brackets a wider range than most other cameras. I don't know if you actually have one. The OP was complaining about how to trigger it. On a D600 for example, you can set a group and self time them so you don't have to be touching the camera. But the width is limited.