Sony nex-ea50 functionality

[Steven Digges]

Instead of using words like deal killer this is what I will have to do. Find a right angle mini that I can solder onto my 280 HDs. An adapter wont work because it would just stick out farther.

[Steven Digges]

I did not want to cut up my headphones so I found right angle 3.5 to 1/4 female TRS patch cable that will work. Easy fix but I still think Sony could have chosen a better place for the headphone jack. It is at the base of the handle because that's were they put it on shoulder cams. But on those your face is not in the way.

[Steven Digges]

OK Guys,

Yesterday I said I would tell you if I loved or hated the AF after I tried it. I took my dog on a short hike up a hill behind my house. After follow focusing a 100 pound Labrador as it paced a 50 foot circle I am blown away. I went into it a skeptic but I am a believer now. In bright daylight this thing was as snappy as anything I have ever used. It does not search for a focus point at all (normal situations of course). Very, very fast in that kind of light. When the dog would walk behind a bush the change from the dog to the bush snapping in was so fast you did not see it happen. Boom...the bush would be tack sharp and the return to the dog was the same. This thing rocks. Yes I can focus...but my old eyes and glasses means it is not as easy as it used to be. An AF that works is a pleasure to operate.

My earlier comments about fearing that it was slow were also correct. But the cause was low light in my living room. Totally understandable for a slow lens. And acceptable because it would get there. Again, no searching, when it gets there it locks on. Now for a big bite of crow.....the AF is far better than any of my Canon XL series lenses...That hurt, I said I would not be biased.

Nothing to add about the zoom...I think my previous comments were accurate. Again, keep in mind this thing just came out of the box and these are first impressions. I am very happy so far with a ton of stuff to learn and do.

When I said I was going to beat on it I did not mean literally. On my first little test shoot the dog drooled on it, I sweated on it, there is gaff tape goo on it, and one very minor scratch. Who cares? That is normal use but here is the kicker. I pinched the skin between my thumb and index finger making a tripod adjustment. I got blood on the damn thing! Oh well, I guess I am making it mine.....

Steve

[James Carl]

Just found this thread and I am curious if anyone figured out a way fast smooth way to work to adjust the gain/ISO? I just had a shoot where it would have been real helpful to not have to bdig into the menu adjust gain/ISO.

[James Carl]

PS Overall there is a lot to like about this camera but in addition to my desire to have an ISO/gain wheel on the body, I wish there was a switch to shift from digital zoom to optical zoom on the body as well. The digital zoom comes in handy when we are shooting wide open and donlt want the lens to stop down (obviously only we can live with the shortened range). For longer zooming at a constant aperture, the speedbosster by Meatbones works very nicely with the Canon 24 to 105 f4, in that it turns it into a constant aperture f2.8 lens.

[Peter Rush]

Thumbs up for the speedbooster - best money I ever spent - using my Canon glass was one of the reason's I bought this camera :)

[Steven Digges]

James,

One of my work a rounds to avoid menu digging for gain goes like this:

You set the manual gain or ISO toggle switch at three settings you pick from 0 to the highest setting you do not want to go over. For example 0, 12, & 21 with no limiting turned on. Many of us here agree that 21 is the highest we are willing to go without suffering too much loss. Then, in a worst case scenario, if you must exceed your highest setting you push it to auto. It may go to thirty or maybe a bit less, but if it does it needs to. This way you get four values out of it without going to the menu. Not much better but it helps a little bit.

Steve

[Robert Moran]

The VG 20 & 30 enables one to use the scroll wheel to tune ISO/Gain, something the 50 should have but does not. This is easily remedied by Sony if they wanted too.

[Jimiz Zanei]

Make a new function for the ISO/GAIN , on firmware is really possible and fast for the SONY DEVS...
and this is a very HANDYCAP of this cam....to much time you need to stop recording, with panic because you need to change with a more appropriate iso, that isnt' present on the 3 sets...and you must go inside the menu....!!!

UNFORTUNATLY...I not belive, we see any another firmware for this cam...

any one have write to sony and became any answer ?

[Noa Put]

It's been over a year and one firmware update later nothing has changed, I think you shouldn't hope for any change anymore, Sony is busy developing other camera's :)
Sony also has the stupidly slow zoom operation on their rx10 and from experience with my former nex-ea50 that won't change either, but you can always hope.

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Robert Moran

The VG 20 & 30 enables one to use the scroll wheel to tune ISO/Gain, something the 50 should have but does not. This is easily remedied by Sony if they wanted too.

Also the VG20 can focus lock on an object and track it - would be useful if the EA50 did this

[Tom Van den Berghe]

SO if you choose for example 0, 6 and 21db for gain switches.
When you film manual and you see that 6db is not enough and 21db is too much.

Do you select 21db and close the diafragma (iris ring) to avoid overexposure?

Like Noa said it takes too much time to go in the menu and choose a new one for that situation.
When you change from stocklens to a fast prime for example

[Steven Digges]

That is a good question Tom. I take the time to (and hassle) to manually adjust the gain to its lowest possible setting. I also consider 21db to be the highest setting you can use without the gain rearing its ugly head. So 21 is my standard setting for the switches hi position. If I don't have time to do the menu dance and I must have more than that or loose the shot I kick the gain into auto and let it rip.

Steve

[Noa Put]

I'd change the 6db gain to a higher value, maybe halfway between 0 and 21? It had always annoyed me you had to choose between only 3 presets but that's the way it always have been on professional camera's, only the ea50 has much more usable higher iso's, on my xh-a1 I had 0, 3 and 6db gain which was about all I needed as 6 db gain allready looked very noisy. Too bad Sony didn't change that behaviour through a firmware update, I"m sure it is an easy fix.

[Tom Van den Berghe]

Originally Posted by Steven Digges

That is a good question Tom. I take the time to (and hassle) to manually adjust the gain to its lowest possible setting. I also consider 21db to be the highest setting you can use without the gain rearing its ugly head. So 21 is my standard setting for the switches hi position. If I don't have time to do the menu dance and I must have more than that or loose the shot I kick the gain into auto and let it rip.

Steve

Steve,

So I have to close the iris ring to avoid overexposure? IS this the way to go?