A6000 burst failure? marketing hoax?

Ynos

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Before you will read this mini-review made by verybiglebowski http://verybiglobo.blogspot.cz/2014/04/sony-alpha-a6000-world-fastest-af.html I want to say that I have ordered my A6000 with 16-70 and I am not a troll and if anything Sony fanboy. This guy Victor is very reputable guy and his reviews are very useful and i often read them to find out new info etc. So don't bash him or me, but rather I'm interested if A6000 is really not as good as advertised and much of its AF is hoax? After reading his first look at A6000 i was almost ready to cancel my order.
 
He is right. "It won't work magic out of the box, and you will need to spend quite some time trying to figure out, how to set it to get best results".

I'm still tinkering my settings for each situation.

--
Dez
http://dezsantana.com

sign.jpg
 
Your jumping from that impression he wrote to "marketing hoax" is a ridiculous leap.

It is very hard to discern anything from that offhand usage. He doesn't even tell us if he acquired lock on with his son at the start. One can conclude it is possible to take an oof of a moving subject with it, I suppose.

Furthermore there is nothing in it to say it might not be the best AF that exists in any camera. No comparison provided.
 
Your jumping from that impression he wrote to "marketing hoax" is a ridiculous leap.

It is very hard to discern anything from that offhand usage. He doesn't even tell us if he acquired lock on with his son at the start. One can conclude it is possible to take an oof of a moving subject with it, I suppose.

Furthermore there is nothing in it to say it might not be the best AF that exists in any camera. No comparison provided.
I think it is clear what author meant. He was just polite to not write it down as per ce. Anyone who can read got the idea.

What I would like to know if verybig changed his opinion. Maybe he can comment to make it clear. So far it looks like he was not impressed to say the least. (or plainly a6k screwed up)
 
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More valid description would be Sony has crappy manuals and the verdict on AF has to be done by people who actually have an idea what they are doing. :)
I would not call Victor a person who is not knowing what he is doing. If anything he is probably the most knowledgeable person here on forum. I understand initial reaction of folks who already bought a6000 or who ordered it to protect it. But I'm just trying to be real. Not only I foresee that my a6000 will not be a wunderwafle as Sony wants us to see it, but I already see that there are actually just 2 lenses that can keep up with fast AF: 16-50 and 16-70. From which 16-50 has its own problems of smearing details during burst: issue here http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53638106 and picture showing problem here http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53630260
 
He is right. "It won't work magic out of the box, and you will need to spend quite some time trying to figure out, how to set it to get best results".

I'm still tinkering my settings for each situation.

--
Dez
http://dezsantana.com

sign.jpg
He basically failed to get focused shots during tracking no matter what settings he tried. Let's be honest here. We can talk about various settings and how there is a magical setting that we just need to find, but reality is if there is one - it would be known. More logical answer is kinda different, a6000 is not tracking well IMHO. Or if I can say, it is tracking relatively slow objects in some limited conditions.
 
He is right. "It won't work magic out of the box, and you will need to spend quite some time trying to figure out, how to set it to get best results".

I'm still tinkering my settings for each situation.

--
Dez
http://dezsantana.com

sign.jpg
I've tried a few of these model-coming-straight-at-me scenarios and prior to the firmware upgrade, I was an '0-fer' with it. None were in focus. Fast forward to a shoot after the NEX-6 firmware upgrade and things dramatically improved. I just did a shoot the other day with my new A6000 and I think the results were better than the NEX-6 post firmware upgrade.

I will have more opportunities to try these in the next few months. Next shoot I will ask the model to do brisk walking (not running) towards me.

Here's the link to my post:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53642270

Cheers,

José
 
More valid description would be Sony has crappy manuals and the verdict on AF has to be done by people who actually have an idea what they are doing. :)
I would not call Victor a person who is not knowing what he is doing. If anything he is probably the most knowledgeable person here on forum. I understand initial reaction of folks who already bought a6000 or who ordered it to protect it. But I'm just trying to be real. Not only I foresee that my a6000 will not be a wunderwafle as Sony wants us to see it, but I already see that there are actually just 2 lenses that can keep up with fast AF: 16-50 and 16-70. From which 16-50 has its own problems of smearing details during burst: issue here http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53638106 and picture showing problem here http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53630260
The a6000 is great to say otherwise is sacrilege. Take it back. :)

I say it's not as good as the marketing BS but probably not as bad as his results after he plays with it more. And that's from seeing other tracking AF shots that actually did look better.
 
I agree with Victor. I performed similar tests with my A6000 + SEL 18-55mm / Sigma 30mm and burst mode does not work as advertised. I thought that my camera or my 18-55mm lens were faulty, but sadly I am not able to get more than the first two shots focused in 11 fps or even 6 fps burst mode. I tried every settings combinations posdible, but even with the focus tracking featurrs it is worse. AF is faster than my 5N, but burst mode fails until firmware update I think. I ordered a SEL 16-50mm because I thought that it was the lens Sony uses in their marketing spots and AF speed data. However, I see that I was not wrong with my posts of this issue in this forum.
 
you have to master your camera and your skills!

Maybe a new lens too... i have tried both kit lens (16-50) and sony G 18-105mm f/4 @ 105mm f/4 (most diffficult scenario) and i dont have any problems with focusing.

I have almost 50-80% keepers with 11 fps, most than my dslrs (canon 7D - 8 fps).

car in a turn , about 50 klm/hour... (even behind trees)





kids running and jumping fast ...


https://www.flickr.com/photos/toxotis70/14084394955/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/toxotis70/13897892938/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/toxotis70/13897894478/
 
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you have to master your camera and your skills!

Maybe a new lens too... i have tried both kit lens (16-50) and sony G 18-105mm f/4 @ 105mm f/4 (most diffficult scenario) and i dont have any problems with focusing.

I have almost 50-80% keepers with 11 fps, most than my dslrs (canon 7D - 8 fps).

car in a turn , about 50 klm/hour...





kids running and jumping fast ...


https://www.flickr.com/photos/toxotis70/14084394955/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/toxotis70/13897892938/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/toxotis70/13897894478/
That's impossible. Do you work for Sony marketing? :)

Big difference between your kid running at the camera test and his is probably the lighting which might have given you an advantage.
 
images speak for themself ! :-O

I dont work for anyone , but myself !:-)

The second one (indoors) is with natural light only...
 
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More valid description would be Sony has crappy manuals and the verdict on AF has to be done by people who actually have an idea what they are doing. :)
I would not call Victor a person who is not knowing what he is doing. If anything he is probably the most knowledgeable person here on forum.
Nobody would question Victor's knowledge on all things optics but I quote from the very same blog post you used as source of this sensationalist drivel:

"I don't use AF often. In fact I use it very rarely."

This is one area in which he may not be the expert. He says as much in the end - doesn't want to pass judgment yet since he's not certain if he's doing it right.
But I'm just trying to be real.
Are you now? Then why are you cherrypicking for only negative results? No mention of Justin's BIF shots for instance - or were those what you call "relatively slow objects"?
 
I saw your YT videos before buying my A6000 and that convinced me to buy it. But it seems that burst mode works fine with particular lenses only (your G 18-105mm, SEL 35mm 1.8, Zeiss 24mm / 16-70mm as seen in many videos) but I do not want to spend more than €450 or more (up to €1,000 for the Z16-70mm!) in a lens like a pro (more than €1,000 for a lens+camera combo, more than a good medium-level Nikon-Canon DSLR). I hope only that the humble SEL 16-50mm will be useful for burst mode than my beloved SEL 18-55mm.
 
He is right. "It won't work magic out of the box, and you will need to spend quite some time trying to figure out, how to set it to get best results".

I'm still tinkering my settings for each situation.

--
Dez
http://dezsantana.com
He basically failed to get focused shots during tracking no matter what settings he tried. Let's be honest here. We can talk about various settings and how there is a magical setting that we just need to find, but reality is if there is one - it would be known. More logical answer is kinda different, a6000 is not tracking well IMHO. Or if I can say, it is tracking relatively slow objects in some limited conditions.
And/or this camera is new and we have to learn & master the camera. I don't use nor need the tracking method as I don't shoot birds or sports but eventually in time, users of the a6000 will figure out what's best for each situation.

sign.jpg
 
I will have more opportunities to try these in the next few months. Next shoot I will ask the model to do brisk walking (not running) towards me.

Here's the link to my post:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53642270

Cheers,

José
José, the sequence you've linked above is quite interesting, and revealing too, but... it was done with the 55/1.8 (and not with the 16-70/4ZA- which might [or might not] create a quite different scenario as to the critically focused keepers ration). Also, the great usefulness of this series is her running at the camera!!!!

And yet you don't intend to repeat the same with 16-70/4ZA? Might that mean that you've already tried with the zoom, and found it of not being on par AF'ing-wise in more [than a brisk pace] demanding situations??

best,

jpr2

--
~
Nex-7 classic:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157629823874033/
street candids (non-interactive):
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157609618638319/
music and dance:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157600341265280/
B&W:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157623306407882/
wildlife & macro:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157600341377106/
interactive street:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157623181919323/
Comments and critique are always welcome!
~
 
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I will have more opportunities to try these in the next few months. Next shoot I will ask the model to do brisk walking (not running) towards me.

Here's the link to my post:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53642270

Cheers,

José
José, the sequence you've linked above is quite interesting, and revealing too, but... it was done with the 55/1.8 (and not with the 16-70/4ZA- which might [or might not] create a quite different scenario as to the critically focused keepers ration). Also, the great usefulness of this series is her running at the camera!!!!

And yet you don't intend to repeat the same with 16-70/4ZA? Might that mean that you've already tried with the zoom, and found it of not being on par AF'ing-wise in more [than a brisk pace] demanding situations??

best,

jpr2

--
~
Nex-7 classic:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157629823874033/
street candids (non-interactive):
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157609618638319/
music and dance:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157600341265280/
B&W:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157623306407882/
wildlife & macro:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157600341377106/
interactive street:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/qmusaget/sets/72157623181919323/
Comments and critique are always welcome!
~
Hey jpr2, with regards to the Zeiss zoom------I normally carry no more than two lenses in the bag during shoots so there's no room for it. Plus I'm a bokeh addict thus I like throwing off the background with primes even during my Canon days (my model shoot lenses are normally the 85LII and the 50L). I've replicated this with my A6000, Touit and the Sonnar. This should be my gear combo for going forward.

Just like some photographers, I tend to 'fall in love' with a particular lens and now for me that is the Sonnar. It's my new 85L!!! There will be occasions when I feel like carrying just one lens thus I will bring the Zeiss zoom.



155449857.WqnUsAKu.a61d3IMG_9061.jpg


cheers,

José
 

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