Useless (or very inferior at least) focus magnifier on A7R2

[marktomaras]

The Problem:
When using the manual focus magnification feature on the A7R2 (and predumably on the other Sony cameras as well), the entire area of the viewfinder or rear LCD screen will fully enlarge to the half or full magnification level, effectively blacking out the field of view to the photographer by filling it with a small portion of the subject.
 
The Solution:
Rather than fill the area of the viewfidner with just a small portion of the subject, leave the full field of view of the lens to take up the majority of the viewfinder, and superimpose a small box in the center of the screen (or movable by the user) that contains a 100% magnification.  This will allow one to observe a scene, aim the camera to put an important part of the subject in the 100% magnification square, focus, recompose, and shoot, all while never taking the photographer's eye off of the field of view.  This is how SLRs worked for decades, and also how Lecia's range finder cameras have worked for decades (minus the magnification factor, of course). The reason is, this works!  For the photographer, the field of view is paramount!  A focus aid should not disconnect the photographer from the scene.
 
Here is a link to a petition to show Sony that this request is supported.  Please sign it!
https://www.change.org/p/sony-sony-please-fix-a-huge-problem-with-the-a7r2-manual-focus-magnificatio...
 
youtube Link to see video of problem & solution:
https://youtu.be/SLbIXLvzknc

[BernardLanguillier]

I would perhaps own an a7rII had Sony figured this out already.

Cheers,
Bernard

[marktomaras]

please sign the petition!  it's great to get big companies to listen to us :-)

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

please sign the petition!  it's great to get big companies to listen to us :-)

The link is broken. I tried adding "n" to finish the last word, but that still didn't work.

[marktomaras]

https://www.change.org/p/sony-sony-please-fix-a-huge-problem-with-the-a7r2-manual-focus-magnification-tool?recruiter=281600666&utm_source=petitions_show_components_action_panel_wrapper&utm_medium=copylink

[BJL]

I agree that it would be great addition for Live View to have a "Picture in Picture" option: showing a magnified view in the center of the viewfinder image but with the edges of the whole frame still visible around that.

Does any camera offer this, either on the rear-screen or in the eye-level EVF?

The Problem:
When using the manual focus magnification feature on the A7R2 (and predumably on the other Sony cameras as well), the entire area of the viewfinder or rear LCD screen will fully enlarge to the half or full magnification level, effectively blacking out the field of view to the photographer by filling it with a small portion of the subject.
 
The Solution:
Rather than fill the area of the viewfidner with just a small portion of the subject, leave the full field of view of the lens to take up the majority of the viewfinder, and superimpose a small box in the center of the screen (or movable by the user) that contains a 100% magnification . . .

[pegelli]

I don't think the current method is useless or inferior. I can see why what you propose would be handy sometimes, but most of the time I think I would prefer the current method because I want the magnified view as large as possible. So if they implement it I hope the old option will remain to be possible as well.

[petermfiore]

I don't think the current method is useless or inferior. I can see why what you propose would be handy sometimes, but most of the time I think I would prefer the current method because I want the magnified view as large as possible. So if they implement it I hope the old option will remain to be possible as well.

This is my preference as well...

Peter

[Hening Bettermann]

I don't think the current method is useless or inferior. I can see why what you propose would be handy sometimes, but most of the time I think I would prefer the current method because I want the magnified view as large as possible. So if they implement it I hope the old option will remain to be possible as well.

So do I.

[Paulo Bizarro]

This would be most useful for portraits, in my case.

[chez]

This is my preference as well...

Peter

Me as well.

[tonyhowell]

This is my preference as well...

Peter

Ditto - like it the way it is thanks

[Phil Indeblanc]

I agree with the OP in that....
It is a very small area it zooms in on and takes time to know where you are, and composing you can't until you half press the shutter. So it maybe a user getting used to it also. I know I am not. So switching between the shutter button and focus ring needs to dance around much the way it is now.

I think it would be a great and a welcome addition....Another thing they can do, UNLESS this is already the way it works, is, to make the ring control allow how zoomed in you are. this way its clearer where you are focused. So as you use the lens focus ring, your thumb can be zooming in and out. This to me might even make more sense, so there is no switching, just seamless multiplier from frame to 12 or whatever the max is.

[pegelli]

I agree with the OP in that....
It is a very small area it zooms in on and takes time to know where you are, and composing you can't until you half press the shutter. So it maybe a user getting used to it also. I know I am not. So switching between the shutter button and focus ring needs to dance around much the way it is now.

I think it would be a great and a welcome addition....Another thing they can do, UNLESS this is already the way it works, is, to make the ring control allow how zoomed in you are. this way its clearer where you are focused. So as you use the lens focus ring, your thumb can be zooming in and out. This to me might even make more sense, so there is no switching, just seamless multiplier from frame to 12 or whatever the max is.

Why don't you assign Focus Magnification to a button, move the spot where you want it and the press the button again to zoom in exactly where you want. I find that way more effective then the focus ring shuffle (as you describe it)

[Phil Indeblanc]

That is a good option. So this would be taking the auto zoom assist OFF ?

[John Hollenberg]

Works fine for me the way it is now.

[Phil Indeblanc]

I tried it yesterday....I turned the assist off, and I do have the C3 set to zoom, so it works, but with a few steps involved.
This camera is all about a few steps involved. Gosh I wish it focused better, faster more accurately. I hope they make a A99II like robust, but E mount version of this device.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi Phil,

I would agree that the low magnification step is nuisance. Also, the automatic focus magnification is pretty use useless as it invokes 5.5 X and I obviously want maximum, so I newer use it.

It is one of those things I would prefer implemented otherwise, but it is just a bit of irritation. Another issue is focusing rings. AF-lenses are not geared for exact AF. This is one things I like with my Contax lenses (28-85/3.3-4 and 35-135/3.3-4.5) they have good focusing rings and probably pretty small focus shift with stopping down.

Best regards
Erik

I tried it yesterday....I turned the assist off, and I do have the C3 set to zoom, so it works, but with a few steps involved.
This camera is all about a few steps involved. Gosh I wish it focused better, faster more accurately. I hope they make a A99II like robust, but E mount version of this device.

[scooby70]

I've never seen a problem here. All I do is move the focus point to where I want to focus and then magnify on that point. As noted this gives a full view of the area I want to see clearly - my point of focus. There's no need to focus and recompose.

However, I assume this could be done with firmware if Sony could be bothered and as long as I could select either way of doing it I'd be happy