Sony a1...Everything about the a1 thread...

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Thanks to Geoff for recommending ISO set to rear dial , shutter speed set to front and aperture to control wheel. I really like this , much quicker adjusting with my thumb
 
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Doug Herr said:
The problem with the a1 is that there's no going back. If you never experience the a1 first-hand you'll be blissfully ignorant of how much fun, and how productive, a camera can be. The a1 experience spoils you for anything else.
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I currently shoot with an A7RIV and an A9II. I know the A1 is better, but I don't know that it's "more than both those cameras combined" better.
 
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RikWriter said:
I currently shoot with an A7RIV and an A9II. I know the A1 is better, but I don't know that it's "more than both those cameras combined" better.
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It will always depend on what you shoot but I sold my A7RIV and A9II after getting the A1. Heck, just the speedy operation of basic tasks with the new CPU makes using the older cameras feel very antiquated. I really don't think the RIV or 9II provide any benefit over the A1. 11MPs isn't really that important and the high-ISO benefits of the A9 can be overcome with downsizing and NR programs very easily.
 
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I’ve noticed bird eye AF works with some birds better than others . I think the A1 can register faces ? Wouldn’t it be great if they added a feature in firmware that allowed us to register and update the animal and bird eye catalog ? We could even save the updates to a SD and share , so many birds and animals all over the world
 
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Hut2 said:
I feel like little finches and sparrows even in sagebrush and rabbitbrush are almost an instant lock. It's amazing how quickly they are found in focus. The most trouble I have had with Eye AF were Terns with black heads. Great Horned owls seem to do better at close range with animal eye AF.
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I agree. I also found herons and egrets challenging at times while raptors are almost foolproof.
 
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Finches and sparrows and shorebirds like dunlin are what the A1 does best with. These were the birds that actually worked some of the time on the A9II with its Animal Eye AF that didn't even support birds. So I think that carried over into the new AI learning and the A1 now excels at these. The other two species the A9II could pick up sometimes were female pintail and mallards. It also could do owls at very close range.

Another "trick" with the A1 is that BEAF activates more if you use the Tracking version of any given AF mode. With the way my camera is setup my AF-ON switches my regular AF mode into Tracking and I've tested over and over where it won't see the eye in certain situations in say regular Zone but then if I switch that over to Tracking by holding in my AF-ON it immediately recognizes the eye. It also activates more the smaller the AF mode as it is then looking over a more defined area.
 
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Hut2 said:
I use this method now and I do like it. Walking around, My starting point is regular zone and will bump AF On button occasionally as needed. It works great. If that struggles my next area choice is center spot.
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I've thought about a set up like this but am not a fan of holding in a back button and using shutter button at the same time. Is there a way to toggle between the "regular" AF area and its tracking version with the single push of a button? If there is, I haven't found it yet.......................
 
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BrianSmall said:
I've thought about a set up like this but am not a fan of holding in a back button and using shutter button at the same time. Is there a way to toggle between the "regular" AF area and its tracking version with the single push of a button? If there is, I haven't found it yet.......................
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yes you can toggle a button to turn tracking on or off
 
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Howard said:
yes you can toggle a button to turn tracking on or off
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I’m with Brian on this one and may have to look thru Steve’s new book closer but don’t see where you can toggle it on or off. Just “hold”. Toggle would be nice I have it set up like Steve or I thought I did. I looked at the camera and don’t see toggle for tracking. I dont Use bbf so not sure if that’s why?

edit: Now that I’ve tried it again. Basically using the tracking back button is like using bbaf but it’s tracking and you use the shutter button to take the shot.
 
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Hut2 said:
Yes exactly 👍 so it’s not what Brian is looking for though. I need to look at the menu when I get home.
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Correct, Brian is looking to toggle this setting to a button I assume. I’d also like to do the same but it’s not a game changer. I do like the option like Steve pointed out in the video and book. Should be a game changer for me for sure

Edit: Just re read Steve’s book on this subject. I better understand why he chose what he did. Still wish you could toggle it for lazy days. Lol
 
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BrianSmall said:
I've thought about a set up like this but am not a fan of holding in a back button and using shutter button at the same time. Is there a way to toggle between the "regular" AF area and its tracking version with the single push of a button? If there is, I haven't found it yet.......................
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There is - sort of.

You can't toggle tracking from a normal AF area BUT you can do the opposite, toggling from a tracking area to a normal AF area.

So, with this enabled, anytime you are in a tracking mode, you can press the button to go into the normal version of that AF area and since it's a hold option, it'll stick until you press the button again, the camera goes into standby, or you shut the camera off. It's called "Tracking Off Toggle" and is two slots under the "Tracking + AF-On" option (you have to scroll to the next page) - when you go to customize the button, head to Focus Area > Tracking Off Toggle on the selection menu). Might be worth a shot.
 
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Steve said:
There is - sort of.

You can't toggle tracking from a normal AF area BUT you can do the opposite, toggling from a tracking area to a normal AF area.

So, with this enabled, anytime you are in a tracking mode, you can press the button to go into the normal version of that AF area and since it's a hold option, it'll stick until you press the button again, the camera goes into standby, or you shut the camera off. It's called "Tracking Off Toggle" and is two slots under the "Tracking + AF-On" option (you have to scroll to the next page) - when you go to customize the button, head to Focus Area > Tracking Off Toggle on the selection menu). Might be worth a shot.
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Many thanks for that Steve....................
 
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