Got me a Nex toy...

[agorabasta]

Now that all the problems are gone, I return to investigating how to use this cam for the best possible image quality.
I found that the best for me appears to be shooting with 'Landscape' at contrast '-3', saturation '-1' and sharpness '-3' in order to have the ability to apply PP corrections for CA, colour, sharpening and geometry.
I then simply import the JPEGs in Lr with a custom preset, here's the preset I use for the 16mm -

[agorabasta]

The results appear to be quite satisfactory. The residual purple CA in the corners (that's not PF!) cannot be easily corrected this way, but it's really not that obtrusive and may well be left alone in most cases or simply cropped out.
Here is an example of the same shot reprocessed from JPEG in comparison to an Lr-corrected IDC development -

[agorabasta]

Now here are the 100% crops from the central in-focus area showing a good detail level retained in JPEGs after reprocessing -

[Vidgamer]

But what would you do with a 3D image besides display it on your 3D capable HDTV?

What do you mean? There are all sorts of things you could do!

• You can print the stereo pair and use it with a Holmes-style viewer
• You can view them on screen with red/cyan 3D glasses, or even without by crossing your eyes
• You can view them on your 3D computer monitor
• You can print it in lenticular format

Actually, lenticular printing is probably going to be poor, because you, ideally, need 3 or 4 views, not the 2 that this gives you. Oh well. But at one time, people were perfectly happy with 2-image stereo pics.

I actually have a 3D film camera that I seldom use (due to the convenience or lack thereof and the great expense and difficulty of lenticular printing). But I really enjoy a decent lenticular print, so I hope that it regains enough popularity or an easier workflow so that I can return to this.

[agorabasta]

Nex with a 16mm lens definitely makes for a good enough P&S, especially so if JPEGs are given some further PP. That PP may be made totally automatic, without any individual adjustments for each pic.
Here are three samples PP'd for CA, colour calibration and geometry, one shot in the low evening sun and the other two exactly at midday (from back seat of a moving car through the open window) -

[Dr. Harout]

Agorabasta, may I presume you're in Kaluga now?

[agorabasta]

OK, good Dr. Harout, please feel free to presume to your heart's content...

But I'm currently in Moscow, staying here for at least 10 days more. Then I plan Montenegro, Croatia, then back to Moscow for awhile, then back to Brasil (ugly winter... brrr)

[alphaomega]

Just discovered this entry by DK on 1 July on the question of EVF connectors built into the NEX

We all asked that question at the press launch in Europe. The worried faces on some of the Japanese execs indicated that this was not necessarily included in the connector as it stands. They said no, but went into a huddle to discuss first.

Bad news indeed and I never cease to wonder about the Sony thinking and execution. On the one hand they are brilliant at certain things and on the other hand they seem to leave out what to me (and others) are such obvious things to include. Another one for Barry F. to get started on. In the first place why did they need to get into "a huddle" to discuss the answer to such an obvious question? I could have told them that this question would be SHOUTED at them by "a pack of wolves". P&S mentality and blinkers. A kind of mixture of brilliance and incompetence.

[bakubo]

Just discovered this entry by DK on 1 July on the question of EVF connectors built into the NEX

We all asked that question at the press launch in Europe. The worried faces on some of the Japanese execs indicated that this was not necessarily included in the connector as it stands. They said no, but went into a huddle to discuss first.

Bad news indeed and I never cease to wonder about the Sony thinking and execution. On the one hand they are brilliant at certain things and on the other hand they seem to leave out what to me (and others) are such obvious things to include. Another one for Barry F. to get started on. In the first place why did they need to get into "a huddle" to discuss the answer to such an obvious question? I could have told them that this question would be SHOUTED at them by "a pack of wolves". P&S mentality and blinkers. A kind of mixture of brilliance and incompetence.

Yeah, that is what I think too.

[pakodominguez]

Just discovered this entry by DK on 1 July on the question of EVF connectors built into the NEX

We all asked that question at the press launch in Europe. The worried faces on some of the Japanese execs indicated that this was not necessarily included in the connector as it stands. They said no, but went into a huddle to discuss first.

In the first place why did they need to get into "a huddle" to discuss the answer to such an obvious question?

Probably getting a good translation?
It happens to me a couple of years ago when, at the Photo Plus Expo, I ask the people at Tokina if they were planning to offer a-mount lenses again and they did the same: the bunch of Japanese got in a circle before gave me a mono-syllabic answer...

Regards

[agorabasta]

Here are some 100% crops from the samples above, just to show the real detail retained in the images.
And btw, how are the colours in those full samples above?

[Vidgamer]

Looks like good detail to me. The ca/pf is small enough to where I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't have an opinion about the color except to say that red seems to look red on various postings I've seen. I'll be curious to see if there is a preference for landscape, etc, but for now, I'm using normal mode.

I've been getting some use out of the camera. I hope I'll like the results. So far I feel like it's a LOT more capable than my dslr.

[alphaomega]

Vidgamer, would you kindly provide some detail and examples to underpin this statement above

So far I feel like it's a LOT more capable than my dslr

I am interested in a NEX at some stage but have been put off by a lack of EVF. I saw a video and the chap held his NEX5 like a Hasselblad (as he put it) and I guess that flipping up the rear screen and shielding it with the body from the sun might overcome the problem with the sun bleaching out the on screen image. This is my major gripe with my LX2/3 as they have fixed rear screens. I just keep shooting in the hope that one picture will come out OK. I would welcome views from users on how they overcome this P&S negative (at least in my opinion).

[Vidgamer]

Maybe I'll have some time to do a proper a/b test in a few days. For now, I just have to go on the fact that with such usable high iso, I'm getting better results there alone. More pixels should result in more detail but I suppose I need to do a proper test-- seems good so far. Also, my a100 has an awful time doing video! . I've already made good use of that. Color seems good.

An a550 would probably do similar.

I've been using the LCD in bright light at "auto" setting. It has brighter options but I've been trying to conserve the battery. It's ok most of thetime but in bright light it is still hard to see detail. An evf would be better. I might test th other settings and get back to you..

[agorabasta]

Looks like good detail to me. The ca/pf is small enough to where I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't have an opinion about the color except to say that red seems to look red on various postings I've seen. I'll be curious to see if there is a preference for landscape, etc, but for now, I'm using normal mode.

Actually, the 'standard' reproduces the colours much more correctly than the 'landscape' does. I use 'landscape' because it apparently has a lower gamma/brightness, helping to stuff more raw DR into JPEGs.
In order to have all further corrections done to JPEGs automatically in Lr, I have contrast at '-1', saturation also at '-1' and sharpness is all way down to '-3'; I also leave the DRO on auto with those settings; then for DRO off I push contrast further down to '-3'. Then upon importing the files I use an Lr preset, the contents of the preset file are quoted below:

Code: Select all

s = {
	id = "63B5BD26-18C0-45EB-A72E-987D2511E6FD",
	internalName = "16f28+DRO",
	title = "16f28+DRO",
	type = "Develop",
	value = {
		settings = {
			BlueHue = 0,
			BlueSaturation = 20,
			CameraProfile = "Embedded",
			ChromaticAberrationB = -10,
			ChromaticAberrationR = -15,
			ColorNoiseReduction = 25,
			ColorNoiseReductionDetail = 50,
			CropConstrainToWarp = 0,
			Defringe = 2,
			EnableCalibration = true,
			EnableDetail = true,
			EnableLensCorrections = true,
			GreenHue = -25,
			GreenSaturation = 0,
			LensManualDistortionAmount = -6,
			LuminanceNoiseReductionContrast = 0,
			LuminanceNoiseReductionDetail = 100,
			LuminanceSmoothing = 30,
			PerspectiveHorizontal = 0,
			PerspectiveRotate = 0,
			PerspectiveScale = 100,
			PerspectiveVertical = 0,
			RedHue = -5,
			RedSaturation = 25,
			ShadowTint = 0,
			SharpenDetail = 5,
			SharpenEdgeMasking = 0,
			SharpenRadius = 1.5,
			Sharpness = 150,
			VignetteAmount = 20,
			VignetteMidpoint = 50,
			orientation = "AB",
		},
		uuid = "F9AA9562-7C4D-467A-BCCD-B116EC9E227F",
	},
	version = 0,
}