Mark the Redneck

[HSakols]

The web is a strange place to really learn about people.  After looking through a number of Marks articles I have formed my own impressions of someone who had a successful career in Silicon Valley and has perfectly white shoes.  I must say I'm impressed with Mark's new Redneck take on photography.  I'm sure when Mark modified his camera he changed into some overalls and did the work in a friend's barn.  Watch out Mark! You just got a taste of the good life.  I grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley way before the tech boom, but always felt the calling of Yosemite's mountainous landscape.  Watch out, from now on Mark's posts may start to get bit scary.  Next he may find the pleasure of becoming a Dirtbag. The urban dictionary defines a dirtbag as A person who is committed to a given (usually extreme) lifestyle to the point of abandoning employment and other societal norms in order to pursue said lifestyle. Dirtbags can be distinguished from hippies by the fact that dirtbags have a specific reason for their living communaly and generally non-hygenically; dirtbags are seeking to spend all of their moments pursuing their lifestyle
The best examles of dirtbags and dirtbagging are the communities of climbers that can be found in any of the major climbing areas of North America--Squamish, BC; Yosemite, CA; Joshua Tree, CA; etc.
I can't wait to see you dirtbagging it in Yosemite with you modified Sony NEX7.  It should make for a good article.  Once again, being the web, I hope you don't take this the wrong way.  Stay creative!

[MatthewCromer]

Great article Mark!

This bit of embarrassment may be the push over the edge that Sony needs to add a "are you sure you want to record video" confirmation option to the NEX7 settings.

[prairiewing]

Was a little disappointed that duct tape was neither mentioned nor used for the fix.

[michael]

True Rednecks don't use duct tape. Much too sophisticated for them. Bailing wire is the binder of choice.

Michael

[theguywitha645d]

Can't you just pull it off with pliers or a hammer?

[c_soars]

I've had a NEX-7 for a few months now, and have to say I've not shot any unintended video with it.  I'm 6'2" with larger hands and my thumb happily fits in the contoured grip below the video button.  Even with using the right-most dial or chucking the camera into my bag I've had no issues.

I have noticed said button has a stiffer, but squishier, less clicky push than the the rest of the buttons on the back side (less binary, more deliberation required).  Is my copy subtly different, or am I just an odd duck for not joining in the griping 

I don't deny the issue (I'd love to have the dial lock include an option for the record button with the Tri-Navi), but have to say it hasn't affected me personally.   Ah well.

[Robert55]

I think this is a beautiful solution and well executed. I've had the problem just a couple of times, but today indeed I lost a shot because of it.
But I have a similar [but far worse] problem with my Garmin Etrex which insists on beeping because it wants to record waypoints while in the bag. Maybe I can use the other half for that.
But being definitely nod-redneck, I'll have to go to the hardware store with the Nex and the Etrex and ask for those pastic things which are called grommets in English but I don't know what they are called in Dutch. I can live with that embarrassement, done it before.

Funny thing is, I seem to have set up Downloader Pro in such a way that it does not download these video files. I'll solve that as, if and when I come up with a real video.

[douglasf13]

   The stills/video thing doesn't really bother me.  When in playback mode, you just need to hit down on the keypad to bring up multi-shot viewing mode, and then hit left to get to the still/video selection mode.  No menu diving required, really.  I don't mind having them separate.

  The NEX-7 video button is also my most annoying issue with the camera.  Hopefully, a firmware fix will come.  Here are a couple of more elegant solutions from some guys on dpreview:

user "horst"


user "Rich Gibson"



 

[dreed]

I wonder if we (on the outside) underestimate the amount of effort required to produce a significant firmware update. The most significant that at least I'm aware of was that for the Canon 5D Mark II for video.

If it is like other software, it may be that fixing a bug is significantly less work than releasing a new feature.

For example, to add a new feature requires updating all of the manuals in whichever languages they are written in. This may have a further impact if printed manuals are made. If a large batch were ordered (say 100,000) to supply the camera for a year's worth of production, then do you introduce a new feature after three months and throw away 50,000+ manuals?

[prairiewing]

True Rednecks don't use duct tape. Much too sophisticated for them. Bailing wire is the binder of choice.

Michael

Nice to know then that I'm a step above.  I don't have any bailing wire but couldn't survive without duct tape.

[douglasf13]

I wonder if we (on the outside) underestimate the amount of effort required to produce a significant firmware update. The most significant that at least I'm aware of was that for the Canon 5D Mark II for video.

If it is like other software, it may be that fixing a bug is significantly less work than releasing a new feature.

For example, to add a new feature requires updating all of the manuals in whichever languages they are written in. This may have a further impact if printed manuals are made. If a large batch were ordered (say 100,000) to supply the camera for a year's worth of production, then do you introduce a new feature after three months and throw away 50,000+ manuals?

NEX cameras have been known to have tons of features added with firmware upgrades:  focus peaking, creative modes, etc.  Adding a feature that requires you to hold the movie button for a few seconds to activate it wouldn't be a big deal.

[JohnNewman]

  The stills/video thing doesn't really bother me.  When in playback mode, you just need to hit down on the keypad to bring up multi-shot viewing mode, and then hit left to get to the still/video selection mode.  No menu diving required, really.  I don't mind having them separate.

Thanks for the tip.  I for one hadn't realised that this relatively simple access to the stills/video election was possible.

My main gripe is that Sony have crippled what is essentially an enthusiasts' camera in the HDR/Bracketing department.  Even the latest F3 and SLT A37 only has bracketing up to 0.7 of a stop either way.  This has been criticised ad nauseam on every forum I've seen.  As far as I can see, of recent Sony cameras, only the A 77 has a decent auto bracketing function.  Yes I know the cameras have auto-HDR which isn't bad but certainly not suitable for all occasions.

Just as bad is the fact that if one resorts to auto-HDR in low light situations and want to bang the camera on a tripod, then the flaming remote release won't work and one has to use the normal shutter button which kind of defeats the purpose of a tripod.  It can work much of the time but, hell's bells, this is an enthusiast camera.  One is left with the impression that Sony designers have no experience of actual photography and what photographers actually want.

I'm not going to hold my breath any longer waiting for an update for any of the problems.  Sony obviously isn't listening and I'm running out of air

The Nex 7 still suits me and i've no intention of changing - but it's frustrating.

John

[douglasf13]

Thanks for the tip.  I for one hadn't realised that this relatively simple access to the stills/video election was possible.

My main gripe is that Sony have crippled what is essentially an enthusiasts' camera in the HDR/Bracketing department.  Even the latest F3 and SLT A37 only has bracketing up to 0.7 of a stop either way.  This has been criticised ad nauseam on every forum I've seen.  As far as I can see, of recent Sony cameras, only the A 77 has a decent auto bracketing function.  Yes I know the cameras have auto-HDR which isn't bad but certainly not suitable for all occasions.

Just as bad is the fact that if one resorts to auto-HDR in low light situations and want to bang the camera on a tripod, then the flaming remote release won't work and one has to use the normal shutter button which kind of defeats the purpose of a tripod.  It can work much of the time but, hell's bells, this is an enthusiast camera.  One is left with the impression that Sony designers have no experience of actual photography and what photographers actually want.

I'm not going to hold my breath any longer waiting for an update for any of the problems.  Sony obviously isn't listening and I'm running out of air

The Nex 7 still suits me and i've no intention of changing - but it's frustrating.

John

I don't personally have a use for this, but this is a strange omission for a 7 series Sony camera.  The good news is, Sony made the same mistake with the A700 when it was new, and, after many complaints, they upgraded the firmware to allow +/- 3 EV, so there is hope.

[JohnBrew]

I've had a NEX-7 for a few months now, and have to say I've not shot any unintended video with it.  I'm 6'2" with larger hands and my thumb happily fits in the contoured grip below the video button.  Even with using the right-most dial or chucking the camera into my bag I've had no issues.

I'm in this boat, also. I have small hands. When I pick up the NEX-7 my thumb goes directly to where Sony intended it to go. If you have this problem get inventive and create something like demonstrated in this thread. Frankly, if my camera had what Mark put on his I'd probably knock it off putting it in the bag. Mountain out of a molehill in my case.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Am I the only one wishing ALL cameras to have a menu item: "Disable video"? Let alone each such a camera to have a retail counterpart without video (not unlike D800 in two versions)?

[michael]

Speaking of the new Nikons, they handle video mode quite intelligently for a DSLR. There are seperate Live View for stills and video modes on a lever setting, and the dedicated video button only works when video mode is engaged.

For anyone not interested in video the whole thing can be ignored, while for those that are activation is easy without happening accidentally.

Michael

[douglasf13]

Speaking of the new Nikons, they handle video mode quite intelligently for a DSLR. There are seperately Live View for stills and video modes on a lever setting, and the dedicated video button only works when video mode is engaged.

For anyone not interested in video the whole thing can be ignored, while for those that are activation is easy without happening accidentally.

Michael

That sounds like a good way to do it.

[dturina]

Olympus (on my E-PL1) placed the video button in the same annoying place on the thumbrest, but at least theirs is programmable. I set mine to switch between default focus mode and MF. That is actually useful and isn't a big deal when pressed accidentally. Why Sony didn't make it programmable, I don't know, but if they did it properly they wouldn't be Sony, I guess.

[Philmar]

The best thing to do is replace the SONY switch with my 30D's shutter button which seems to stop working every few months. 

[JohnBrew]

Why Sony didn't make it programmable, I don't know, but if they did it properly they wouldn't be Sony, I guess.

LOL.