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Posts Tagged ‘tracking’

DPReview TV: How set up Sony’s ‘Real-Time’ autofocus tracking

26 Dec

Did Santa leave a new Sony camera in your Christmas stocking? If so, your first step should be to enable Sony’s ‘real-time’ autofocus tracking. In this video, we show you how to set up this useful feature.

These instructions should work for the Sony a6100, a6400, a6600, RX100 VII, RX10 IV, a7R IV, a9, and a9 II.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Tracking in Auto mode
  • Tracking modes
  • Animal eye-AF
  • Conclusion

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: With new firmware, Nikon Z6 and Z7 autofocus gets closer to 3D AF tracking

12 Mar

Editor’s note: We have updated our reviews of both the Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7, including scoring, to reflect both cameras’ performance using the new firmware.

Nikon recently announced firmware update 3.0 for its Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras. Most notably, it includes AF system improvements that designed to replicate Nikon’s class-leading 3D-tracking mode for DSLRs. We put it to the test to see how well it works.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
  • Introduction
  • The new tracking interface
  • Animal-detect autofocus
  • Eye detect performance
  • Other improvements
  • Conclusion

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: This is how you set up Sony’s ‘Real-Time’ autofocus tracking

28 Nov

Sony’s ‘Real-Time’ autofocus promises to track almost anything you throw at it, but it’s not enabled by default. The words ‘Real-Time’ don’t even appear in the camera’s menu. In this video, Chris shows us how to set up this very useful feature.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Tracking in Auto mode
  • Tracking modes
  • Animal eye-AF
  • Conclusion

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony announces a6600 with image stabilization and Real-time Tracking autofocus

29 Aug

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Sony has just announced the a6600, a camera it’s calling the new ”flagship” of its APS-C lineup. In it, you’ll find a host of enhancements, including in-body image stabilization, the latest implementation of Sony’s Real-time Tracking autofocus, which seamlessly transitions from subject tracking to face and eye-detection, as well as a Z-type battery, which should have around 2.2x the stamina of the older, smaller W-series battery. Weight has gone up as a result of all this, with the camera weighing in at 503g (the a6400 is 100g lighter at 403g).

Sony has also tweaked the design of the grip on the a6600, partly for ergonomic reasons of course, but also partly to make room for the much-bigger battery. You can also shoot full 14-bit Raw files, and Real-time Tracking functionality – including eye detection – is possible while shooting 4K video. Speaking of video, the a6600 makes room for both microphone and headphone ports, and can shoot 4K footage in HLG to help make the most of the camera’s dynamic range.

Other core features remain unchanged from the existing a6400, including a 24MP APS-C sensor, 11fps burst shooting with autofocus and auto exposure, 4K/30p video recording and a 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder. The a6600 does have a touchscreen for touch focus, touch shutter and touch tracking functionality. We’re told the a6600 officially replaces the a6500.

The Sony a6600 will be available in November, 2019, at a price of $ 1400 US ($ 1900 CAN) body-only, and $ 1800 US ($ 2400 CAN) with an 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens.

Press release:

Sony Electronics Strengthens APS-C Mirrorless Line-up with Launch of Two New Cameras

Company Introduces Alpha 6600 with in-body Image Stabilization and Enhanced Battery Life, Also Boosts Product Portfolio with Introduction of Alpha 6100

SAN DIEGO — August 28, 2019 — Sony Electronics today announced two new additions to its ? (Alpha) series of mirrorless cameras with the launch of the Alpha 6600 (model ILCE-6600) and Alpha 6100 (model ILCE-6100). These new models bring many of Sony’s most advanced imaging technologies into compact, lightweight APS-C bodies.

The new, extremely versatile Alpha 6600 camera has been designed to address the needs of the most demanding photographers and videographers, while the new Alpha 6100 is targeted at users who are looking to produce high-quality photos and videos with an interchangeable lens camera.

In addition to the new bodies, the Sony APS-C range has been further strengthened by the launch of two new lenses: E 16-55mm F2.8 G and E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS. Sony’s “One Mount” solution for both APS-C and Full-frame cameras provides creators an extreme amount of versatility for all of their photography and video needs.

“These new APS-C cameras provide excellent image quality in a compact package, with the ability to take full advantage of Sony’s growing lineup of 54 different E-mount lenses,” said Neal Manowitz, deputy president of Imaging Products and Solutions at Sony Electronics. “We are proud to bring so many of our innovations into our APS-C lineup and to provide creators with several new tools to realize their vision.”

The new Alpha 6600 and Alpha 6100 include a 24.2MP Exmor™ CMOS image sensor, the latest BIONZ X™ image processor, and a front-end LSI implemented in Sony’s full-frame cameras. This powerful trio combine to deliver all-around enhancements in image quality and performance across all areas of photo and video capture.

The Alpha 6600 and Alpha 6100 offer a lightning-fast autofocus acquisition time of 0.02 seconds. With 425 focal-plane phase-detection autofocus (AF) points covering approximately 84 percent of the image area and 425 contrast-detection AF points, the high density and wide coverage of the AF system ensure reliable AF, even in the most challenging light conditions. Both new models benefit from Sony’s ‘Real-time Tracking’ which utilizes Sony’s latest algorithm with Artificial Intelligence-based object recognition to ensure that subjects can be captured with excellent accuracy, even via the touch panel on the rear screen. In addition, the new models offer ‘Real-time Eye AF’, the latest version of Sony’s acclaimed Eye AF technology. Real-time Eye AF employs AI-based object recognition to detect and process eye data in real time, resulting in improved accuracy, speed and tracking performance of Eye AF for both humans and animals, and it allows the photographer to concentrate exclusively on composition. The Alpha 6600 also offers Real Time Eye AF in video. When activated, the eye of a subject is automatically tracked with high precision and reliability, allowing the shooter to focus on the content itself as opposed to what is in focus or not.

Additionally, both cameras can shoot high-quality 4K video, and include a microphone jack and flip screen that allows for easy framing and shooting of vlog-style content. The Alpha 6600 also features a headphone jack to monitor audio.

An Eye for Detail

Based upon feedback from users of existing Sony APS-C camera users, Sony has added features to the Alpha 6600 and Alpha 6100 to fine tune the user experience. These include:

  • Improved color reproduction; algorithms inherited from full-frame models deliver natural color reproduction, particularly in skin tones
  • Hi-resolution internal 4K movie recording with full-pixel readout without pixel binning in Super 35mm format with easy smartphone transfers via the Imaging Edge™ Mobile application
  • Interval shooting for stunning time-lapse videos
  • 180-degree tiltable, 3.0-type 921k-dot (approx.) LCD touch screen
  • Integrated Microphone input for clear and crisp audio on video recordings

Alpha 6600

Across an ISO range of 100-32000 (expandable to ISO 50 – 102400), the new Alpha 6600 offers superb low-noise performance and delivers extremely high-quality images, even in low-light conditions. By applying noise reduction and sharpness processing optimally in each area, Area-specific Noise Reduction and Detail Reproduction Technology greatly reduce noise while preserving high resolution. This contributes to fine reproduction of subject textures and shadow details.

The Alpha 6600 features many of the technology breakthroughs that are attracting praise on Sony’s high-end full-frame cameras. These include:

  • Sony’s innovative 5-axis in-body image stabilization system that results in a 5.0-step shutter speed advantage
  • Implementation of the industry-leading long battery life with Sony Z Battery for the first time on an APS-C camera, enabling extended power performance; approx. 720 still images using viewfinder, approx. 810 images using LCD monitor
  • A tough magnesium alloy design that is dust and moisture resistant
  • Real-time Eye AF for movie shooting; when activated, the eye of a subject is automatically tracked with high precision and reliability, allowing the shooter to focus on the content itself as opposed to what is in focus or not in focus. Touch Tracking functionality will also automatically initiate Eye AF when a human subject is selected
  • Integrated headphone jack which allows the user to connect high-quality headphones for accurate monitoring of recorded sound

4K Recording

The Alpha 6600 and Alpha 6100 boasts internal 4K movie recording in Super 35mm format with full pixel readout without pixel binning, to enable them to capture approximately 2.4x the amount of information required for 4K movies. This oversampling results in stunning footage, delivered in the XAVC S™ format with unparalleled resolution. The Alpha 6600 also equips an HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) picture profile that supports an instant HDR workflow. Recorded movies played back on an HDR (HLG) compatible TV will appear true-to-life, with no blocked shadows or blown highlights, and without the need for color grading. For users who want to color grade their footage in post-production, S-Log3 and S-Log2 Gamma profiles are provided.

Pricing and Availability

The new Alpha 6600 will be available in November and will be sold at a variety of Sony authorized dealers throughout North America at below prices:

Camera body – $ 1,400 US / $ 1,900 CA

Camera kit with Sony 18-135mm Lens – $ 1,800 US / $ 2,400 CA

Sony a6600 specifications

Price
MSRP $ 1400 (body only), $ 1800 (w/18-135mm lens)
Body type
Body type Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution 6000 x 4000
Image ratio w:h 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels 24 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors 25 megapixels
Sensor size APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor type CMOS
Processor Bionz X
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array Primary color filter
Image
ISO Auto, 100-32000 (expandable to 102400)
Boosted ISO (maximum) 102400
White balance presets 8
Image stabilization Sensor-shift
Image stabilization notes 5-axis
Uncompressed format RAW
JPEG quality levels Extra fine, fine, standard
File format
  • JPEG (Exif v2.3)
  • Raw (14-bit Sony ARW)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus
  • Contrast Detect (sensor)
  • Phase Detect
  • Multi-area
  • Center
  • Selective single-point
  • Tracking
  • Single
  • Continuous
  • Touch
  • Face Detection
  • Live View
Autofocus assist lamp Yes
Manual focus Yes
Number of focus points 425
Lens mount Sony E
Focal length multiplier 1.5×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Tilting
Screen size 3
Screen dots 921,600
Touch screen Yes
Screen type TFT LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Electronic
Viewfinder coverage 100%
Viewfinder magnification 1.07× (0.71× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder resolution 2,359,296
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 30 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 sec
Exposure modes
  • iAuto
  • Program
  • Aperture priority
  • Shutter priority
  • Manual
Built-in flash No
External flash Yes (via hot shoe)
Flash modes Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction (On/Off selectable), Hi-speed sync, Wireless
Flash X sync speed 1/160 sec
Drive modes
  • Single
  • Continuous (Hi+/Hi/Mid/Lo)
  • Self-timer
  • Bracketing
Continuous drive 11.0 fps
Self-timer Yes
Metering modes
  • Multi
  • Center-weighted
  • Highlight-weighted
  • Spot
Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
AE Bracketing ±5 (3, 5 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)
WB Bracketing Yes (3 frames, H/L selectable)
Videography features
Format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Stereo
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC + Memory Stick Pro Duo
Connectivity
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
USB charging Yes
HDMI Yes (micro-HDMI)
Microphone port Yes
Headphone port Yes
Wireless Built-In
Wireless notes 802.11b/g/n + NFC
Remote control Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed Yes
Battery Battery Pack
Battery description NP-FZ1000
Battery Life (CIPA) 810
Weight (inc. batteries) 503 g (1.11 lb / 17.74 oz)
Dimensions 120 x 67 x 69 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 2.72)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording Yes
GPS None

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony a9 ‘real-time tracking’ update makes it the highest scoring camera in its class

03 Jul

We were already impressed with the Sony a9 when we reviewed it, giving it a score that put it on par with its two very capable rivals, the Nikon D5 and the Canon EOS-1DX II. In April this year, nearly two years after the camera’s launch, Sony introduced a significant firmware update that largely revamped the autofocus system of the camera, adding a new ‘real-time tracking’ AF mode that works seamlessly with face and eye detection. Sony also updated face and eye detection algorithms by using machine learning to understand human subjects and features more accurately.

Gold Award

90%
Overall score

We’ve spent some time shooting with the updated a9 in a variety of situations, and have previously written and in-depth look into what the new AF system brings. After further testing, we’ve re-scored the a9 with the boosted autofocus in mind, and it brings the score up to 90% (from 89%). This makes the a9 the highest-scoring camera in its class, out-ranking the Nikon D5 and Canon EOS-1D X II.

The increased score reflects the precision of the updated a9’s subject tracking system, as well as its ease-of-use that makes it valuable for nearly all types of photography. Click ‘Read our review’ above to jump to our full review (originally published in 2017), and read on for a description of the new real-time tracking mode, with some examples and videos of the system in use.


Real-time tracking in use

‘Real-time tracking’ refers to the ability of the a9 (and a6400) to understand the subject you initiated focus on, and track it in three dimensions, much like 3D Tracking on Nikon DSLRs, and the respective subject tracking modes on various mirrorless cameras. What sets the a9’s system apart are both its performance (we found it to reliable enough to be useful for portrait, event, candid, sports and even landscape photography), and its ease-of-use.

To pick a target, you can simply reframe your composition to place your AF point over your subject, half-press the shutter, and real-time tracking will collect color, brightness, pattern, distance, face and eye information about your subject so it can use it to keep track of your subject.

It’s robust enough that it will even, again reliably, switch in and out of Eye AF as necessary if a face or eye is detected on the subject you are tracking, as you can see in the video above.* Collectively, this means you can concentrate on the composition and the moment. There is no longer a need to focus (pun intended) on keeping your AF point over your subject, which for years has constrained composition and made it difficult to maintain focus on erratic subjects.

In practice, the system excels. While many professional sports photographers that know their sport, and can anticipate the action, have successfully used Single Point or Zone AF for years, real-time tracking can help both the amateur and the pro achieve potentially better results. First, it frees up the photographer to compose freely, as composition is no longer constrained by having to keep an AF point over the subject. But perhaps more importantly, not having to keep a fixed AF point or zone over a fast moving subject is a boon when it comes to fast, erratic subjects shot using long telephoto lenses, where framing is increasingly difficult. The sequences below were shot with the 600mm F4 GM lens at a soccer match (click on any thumbnail to launch the gallery):

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Unpredictable motion combined with a 600mm focal length makes it difficult to keep a fixed AF area over your subject. Here, real-time tracking tracked our players even as others passed in front of them, switching in and out of Eye AF, and reverting to generic subject tracking, as necessary so as to not lose the original subject. Photos by Barney Britton

And below, despite erratic motion, changing directions, and nearby similarly-dressed players, the camera tracks the original player in both instances. In the first sequence we targeted the player in red (Everton); in the second, the player in silver (Ivan). Only one or two shots in the sequence are slightly misfocused.

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Away from sports and burst photography, we found the performance of Sony’s ‘real-time tracking’ to be beneficial for even more stationary subjects, as it frees you up to try different poses and framings quickly, as we’ve done below.

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Most of the 20 shots above were captured in under 19 seconds, without ever letting off the AF-ON button. The camera never lost our model, and the seamless transitioning between Eye AF and general subject tracking allowed the AF system to remain on our subject throughout the series. By not having to think about focus, you can work faster, and come home with a greater variety of images to choose from.


*This video demonstrates ‘real-time tracking’ on the a6400, but the principle is the same on the a9.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony’s ‘Real-time tracking’ is a big leap forward for autofocus

14 Feb

One of the biggest frustrations when taking pictures is discovering that your photos are out of focus. Over the past few years, camera autofocus systems from every manufacturer have become much more sophisticated, but they’ve also become more complex. If you want to utilize them to their full potential, you’re often required to change settings for different scenarios.

The autofocus system introduced in Sony’s a6400 as well as in the a9 via a firmware update aims to change that, making autofocus simple for everyone from casual users to pro photographers. And while all manufacturers are aiming to make autofocus more intelligent and easier to use, our first impressions are that in practice, Sony’s new ‘real-time tracking’ AF system really does take away the complexity and removes much of the headache of autofocus so that you can focus on the action, the moment, and your composition. Spoiler: if you’d just like to jump to our real-world demonstration video below that shows just how versatile this system can be, click here.

When I initiated focus on this skater, he was far away and tiny in the frame, so the a9 used general subject tracking to lock on to him at first. It then tracked him fully through his run, switching automatically to Face Detect as he approached. This seamless tracking, combined with a 20fps burst, allowed me to focus on my composition and get the lighting just right, without having to constrain myself by keeping an AF point over his face. For fast-paced erratic motion, good subject tracking can make or break your shot.

So what is ‘Real-time tracking’? Simply now called ‘Tracking’, it’s Sony’s new subject tracking mode. Subject tracking allows you to indicate to your camera what your subject is, which you then trust it to track. Simply place your AF point over the subject, half-press the shutter to focus, and the camera will keep track of it no matter where it moves to in the frame – by automatically shifting the AF points as necessary. The best implementation we’d seen until recently was Nikon’s 3D Tracking on its DSLRs. Sony’s new system takes some giant leaps forward, replacing the ‘Lock-on AF’ mode that was often unreliable, sometimes jumping to unrelated subjects far away or tracking an entire human body and missing focus on the face and eyes. The new system is rock-solid, meaning you can just trust it to track and focus your subject while you concentrate on composing your photos.

You can trust it to track and focus your subject while you concentrate on composing your photos

What makes the new system better? Real-time tracking now uses additional information to track your subject – so much information, in fact, that it feels as if the autofocus system really understands who or what your subject is, making it arguably the ‘stickiest’ system we’ve seen to date.

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Subject tracking isn’t just for action. I used it even in this shot. Good subject tracking, like Sony’s ‘Real-time tracking’, keeps track of your subject for you, freeing you up to try many different poses and framings quickly. Most of these 20 shots were captured in under 19 seconds, without ever letting off the AF-ON button. The camera never lost our model, not even when her face went behind highly-reflective glass. The seamless transitioning between Eye AF and general subject tracking helps the AF system act in such a robust manner. Not having to think about focus allows one to work faster, get more poses and compositions, so you can get to the shot you’re happy with faster. Click here or on any thumbnail above to launch a gallery to scroll through all 20 images.

Pattern recognition is now used to identify your subject, while color, brightness, and distance information are now used more intelligently for tracking so that, for example, the camera won’t jump from a near subject to a very far one. What’s most clever though is the use of machine-learning trained face and eye detection to help the camera truly understand a human subject.

What do we mean when we say ‘machine-learning’? More and more camera – and smartphone – manufacturers are using machine learning to improve everything from image quality to autofocus. Here, Sony has essentially trained a model to detect human subjects, faces, and eyes by feeding it hundreds, thousands, perhaps millions of images of humans. These images of faces and eyes of different people, kids, adults, even animals, in different positions have been previously tagged (presumably with human input) to identify the eyes and faces – this allows Sony’s AF system to ‘learn’ and build up a model for detecting human and animal eyes in a very robust manner.

Machine learning… allows Sony’s AF system to detect human and animal eyes in a very robust manner

This model is then used in real-time by the camera’s AF system to detect eyes and understand your subject in the camera’s new ‘real-time tracking’ mode. While companies like Olympus and Panasonic are using similar machine-learning approaches to detect bodies, trains, motorcyclists and more, Sony’s system is the most versatile in our initial testing.

Real-time tracking’s ability to seamlessly transition from Eye AF to general subject tracking means that even when there was an eye to track up until this perfect candid moment, your subject will still remain in focus when the eye disappears – so you don’t miss short-lived moments such as this one. Note: this image is illustrative and was not shot using Sony’s ‘Tracking’ mode.

What does all of this mean for the photographer? Most importantly, it means you have an autofocus system that works reliably in almost any situation. Reframe your composition to place your AF point over your subject, half-press the shutter, and real-time tracking will collect pattern, color, brightness, distance, face and eye information about your subject so comprehensively it can use all that to keep track of your subject in real-time. This means you can focus on the composition and the moment. There is no longer a need to focus (pun intended) on keeping your AF point over your subject, which for years has constrained composition and made it difficult to maintain focus on erratic subjects.

There is no need to focus on keeping your AF point over your subject, which for years has constrained composition and made it difficult to focus on erratic subjects

The best part of this system is that it just works, seamlessly transitioning between Eye AF and Face Detect and ‘general’ subject tracking. If you’re tracking a human, the camera will always prioritize the eye. If it can’t find the eye, it’ll prioritize its face. Even if your subject turns away so that you can’t see their face, or is momentarily occluded, real-time tracking will continue to track your subject, instantly switching back to the face or eye when they’re once again visible. This means your subject is almost always already focused, ready for you to snap the exact moment you wish to capture.

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The tracking mode lets you specify a subject and it’ll prioritize their eye, switching to face detection if it loses the eye and treating them as a generic subject to track if they, for instance, turn their head away from the camera. Click on the images and follow the entire sequence to see how the camera focuses on my subject no matter where she walks to in the frame.

One of the best things about this behavior is how it handles scenes with multiple people, a common occurrence at weddings, events, or even in your household. Although Eye AF was incredibly sticky and tracked the eyes of the subject you initiated AF upon, sometimes it would wander to another subject, particularly if it looked away from the camera long enough (as toddlers often do). Real-time tracking will simply transition from Eye AF to general subject tracking if the subject looks away, meaning as soon as they look back, the camera’s ready to focus on the eye and take the shot with minimal lag or fuss. The camera won’t jump to another person simply because your subject looked away; instead, it’ll stick to it as long as you tell it to, by keeping the shutter button half-depressed.

Performance-wise it’s the stickiest tracking we’ve ever seen…

And performance-wise it’s the stickiest tracking we’ve ever seen, doggedly tracking your subject even if it looks different to the camera as it moves or you change your position and composition. Have a look at our real world testing with an erratic toddler, with multiple people in the scene, below. This is HDMI output from an a6400 with 24mm F1.4 GM lens, and you can see focus is actually achieved and maintained throughout most of the video by the filled-in green circle at bottom left of frame.

Real-time tracking isn’t only useful for human subjects. Rather, it simply prioritizes whatever subject you place under the autofocus point, be it people or pets, food, a distant mountain, or a nearby flower. It’s that versatile.

In a nutshell, this means that you rarely have to worry about changing autofocus modes on your camera, no matter what sort of photography you’re doing. What’s really exciting is that we’ll surely see this system implemented, and evolved, in future cameras. And while nearly all manufacturers are working toward this sort of simple subject tracking, and incorporating some elements of machine learning, our initial testing suggests Sony’s new system means you don’t have to think about how it works; you can just trust it to stick to your subject better than any system we’ve tested to date.


Addendum: do I need a dedicated Eye AF button anymore?

There’s actually not much need to assign a custom button to Eye AF anymore, since real-time tracking already uses Eye AF on your intended subject. In fact, using real-time tracking is more reliable, since if your subject looks away, it won’t jump to another face in the scene as Eye AF tends to do. If you’ve ever tried to photograph a kids’ birthday party or a wedding, you know how frustrating it can be when Eye AF jumps off to someone other than your intended subject just because he or she looked away for long enough. Real-time tracking ensures the camera stays locked on your subject for as long as your shutter button remains half-depressed, so your subject is already in focus when he or she looks back at the camera or makes that perfect expression. This allows you to nail that decisive, candid moment.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon Z7 AF tested: Tracking lags behind the D850, mirrorless competition

16 Oct

The Nikon Z7 is slated as a mirrorless equivalent to the D850, but it can’t subject track with the same reliability as its DSLR counterpart. AF performance is otherwise good, except in low light where hunting can lead to missed shots.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fujifilm X-T20 firmware update improves subject tracking, enhances touchscreen functionality

13 Apr

In addition to the six other firmware updates released today, Fujifilm also released the previously announced upgrade to the X-T20. The most interesting features include:

  • Improved AF tracking: the company says that the camera can track moving subjects at twice the speed of the previous firmware. The X-T20 can now track subjects 50% smaller than before.
  • New touchscreen controls: Users can now move the AF area by touch when in ‘focus zoom’ mode. The Quick Menu can now be operated by touch, as well.
  • Exposure improved with face detection
  • RGB and highlight warnings now available

Version 2.00 of the X-T20 firmware can be downloaded here.

Here’s the full list of improvements:

The firmware update Ver.2.00 from Ver.1.11 incorporates the following issues:

1. New AF tracking algorithm for moving subjects
Thanks to the newly developed image recognition algorithm, the update enhances AF-C to track moving subjects twice as fast as previous firmware. In addition, the update also enhances tracking to be able to capture up to 50% smaller moving subjects than before.

2. Enhanced touch screen operation
The firmware update will add some of the touch screen operation features which are currently available on the FUJIFILM X-E3. These touch screen features include:
1) The Auto Focus area can be moved when in focus zoom with flick operation.
2) Pinch-in/out operation in playback mode will be updated to go from full-frame playback to multi-frame playback (Nine-frame view and Hundred-frame view)
3) Select the frame in multi-frame playback with tap or drag operation or return to full-frame playback by double-tapping
4) Q (Quick) menu selection
5) Input character with touch key-board (*1)
*1?Except for some functions. (ex. SSID input)

3. Support “FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO”
After connecting a camera to a computer via USB cable, the “FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO” enables users to convert RAW files with X Processor Pro. Fast batch processing will also be available. The “FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO” can be downloaded from the FUJIFILM website for free.

4. Support for backup/restore of camera settings via FUJIFILM X Acquire
Once connecting a camera to a computer via USB cable, the “FUJIFILM X Acquire” allows users to backup/restore camera settings to/from a file. Copying all camera settings from one camera to another is available.
*Settings other than date and custom white balance can be backup and restored.

5. Compatible with the newly developed FUJINON XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens
The upgrade will add compatibility for the newly developed FUJINON XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens.
1) When changing the focus mode (AF/MF), the focus ring function (fine zoom adjustment, manual focus) automatically switches.
* Focus ring function when focus mode is “S” or “C”?Fine Zoom adjustment.
* Focus ring function when focus mode is “M”?Manual focus.
2) Memorize the lens zoom position when power off and return to the position when power on
3) Maintain the lens zoom position in playback mode to shorten the startup time for the next shooting

6. Improve radio flash controller usability
The upgrade allows users to shoot with compatible third party studio flash in high speed sync. or TTL mode via their radio controllers.

7. RGB histogram display and highlight warning
If you press the function button in the histogram, RGB histogram and highlight warning (high brightness portion will blink) will be displayed.

8. Enlarged and customizable indicators or information
The upgrade allows users to enlarge indicators and information in the viewfinder and/or LCD monitor. This upgrade will also enable users to customize the location of where the information is shown on the display. When enlarged display, some icons are not displayed like distance indicator, focus frame, focus mode, focus warning, microphone/remote release, AF+MF, button lock and sound and flash indicator.

9. AE optimization when face detection

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DJI AeroScope demo shows drone tracking tech in action

21 Nov

In October, DJI introduced a new technology called AeroScope that makes it possible for law enforcement and other officials to track drones that broadcast info. The system was launched to address growing concerns about drones being operated in forbidden locations, such as near airports or over wildfires. AeroScope works by picking up telemetry and ID data broadcast by DJI drone.

The Verge recently shared a video showing AeroScope in action.

The system, which is a box-shaped device that includes a touchscreen display, issues an alert when it detects a drone nearby. Officials can pull up the ID and telemetry info the drone is broadcasting and potentially use that to identify the operator. A explained in the video, AeroScope shows the operator’s email address, which officials can message for direct contact.

Speaking to DIY Photography, DJI said that email addresses were displayed to users in a beta version of the AeroScope software, and that such abilities won’t be included in the final version.

There are some limitations to the AeroScope system. For example, drones that aren’t registered won’t provide info that helps officials identify the operator. As well, the system is localized, meaning it can only detect drones within a couple miles of the device. DJI previously explained that it chose this localized tracking method to prevent drone data from being easily amassed in government databases.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Taro uses infrared technology and AI for improved subject tracking

10 Nov

Conventional tracking systems tend to struggle when the tracked subject briefly exits the frame or disappears behind another object. The new Taro auto-tracker and stabilizer tackles this problem with infrared technology.

Users connect their smartphones, DSLR cameras or existing Bluetooth stabilizers to Taro and select the target they want to track. Taro will then follow the target using an AI-based infrared tracking algorithm that performs 30 calculations per second. According to the Taro team, this allows for tracking of objects that are moving as fast as 50 MPH.

“In developing Taro, we’ve essentially designed a robot that operates your camera just like a real cameraman could,” said Taro founder, Hao Qian. “Taro can instantaneously establish the intended object’s approximate location,” he said. “Taro also has a powerful learning algorithm that immediately eliminates sub-optimal positioning, precisely pinpointing the object’s exact location – which results in the perfect balance between efficiency and accuracy.”

The Taro robot looks like an interesting solution for anyone wanting to film themselves during sports and action activities or for filming while moving. The Taro is available on Kickstarter now in three versions, a kit for smartphones, a kit for DSLRs or just a tracking module that can be used with existing Bluetooth stabilizers.

The smartphone kit will set you back $ 200 while the DSLR kit is $ 600. The tracking module on its own is available at $ 100. Early-bird offers are available as well. For more information watch the video below and have a look at the project’s Kickstarter page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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