Camera
What Sony's gridline update tells us about the future of cameras
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Sony’s gridline update adds up to four customizable grids to which users can color code and apply transparency masks.
Photo: Sony |
Earlier this week, Sony announced a $150 update to bring custom gridlines to its Alpha line of cameras starting March 2024. The a7 IV will be the first camera to have access to the update, with others likely to follow soon after.
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You may have noticed the news that users will soon be able to create and import up to four customized original gridlines, which may help portrait, commercial and business clients produce large batches of consistent images. For example, Sony cited the need for school portraits that require the same head position across hundreds of photos.
But there’s one thing the initial news missed.
Gridlines aren’t the story here. Even the snark of poking fun at this being a ‘boring’ update isn’t the story here. The real story is what this means for the future of camera firmware and feature updates.
Years from now, will we look back at this as the camera industry’s BMW heated seats moment? The beginning of a new era of microtransactions and subscription fees to unlock an a la carte selection of features on our cameras. If you want to unlock 100fps burst mode, will you need to pay to unlock it the same way Mercedes requires $1200 to unlock higher output from its EV engines?
This isn’t a first for Sony. It had a similar model to charge users for camera features such as time-lapse and multiple exposures through its PlayMemories camera apps. Sony stopped shipping cameras with PlayMemories support in 2016, and earlier this year, it formally announced the app store would be closing down.
With the gridlines announcement, the concept of charging users for individual feature updates is back.
In the realm of video, we’ve seen manufacturers position pay-to-play video-centric add-ons as a way to avoid making still photographers pay for features they don’t need. Panasonic charged GH4 users for V-Log, Canon charged 5D IV users for C-Log and EOS R owners for stop-motion. But it’s not a standard practice for still photo camera updates.
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In 2015, Panasonic became one of the first manufacturers to introduce paid video feature updates, when GH4 users were offered V-Log for $100.
Photo: DPReview |
Similar to the video argument, Sony has suggested that custom gridlines aren’t a feature most users will need. In essence, it says custom gridlines are aimed at a very specific use case – business and commercial clients – so it’s not depriving the average user by charging for the feature.
Whether you accept the rationale or not, it does present a potential slippery slope and opens the door to asking users to pay to add features to their cameras. Further, in our commercial shift toward subscription models for everything from software to entertainment, does paying for upgrades also open the door to subscription models? And, if upgrades are tied to a purchaser, what happens if we want to sell or pass our camera on to a friend? Will the paid-for features be allowed to transfer to a new owner?
Perhaps this $150 feature update isn’t a thing to roll our eyes at. Perhaps it’s our wake-up call as camera lovers and consumers. Following BMW’s announcement that it would charge $18 every month to unlock heated seats, consumers spoke up, and BMW backed off this idea, so use your voice.
We contacted Sony for comment but did not hear back in time for this report.
Sony Press Release
Sony Electronics Announces Custom Gridline License Available for Alpha Camera
BodiesVarious camera bodies starting with the Alpha 7 IV, etc.
SAN DIEGO – Nov. 28, 2023. Today, Sony Electronics announces a new custom gridline license planned for the Alpha 7 IV[1] in March 2024 onward, and more camera bodies[2] in the future.
The new license offers the ability to import up to 4 customized original gridlines. The gridlines can be displayed on EVF (electronic viewfinder) and LCD (Monitor on the rear of the camera) when shooting which makes for easier, more consistent images. For example, staff at schools, photo studios, theme parks, cruise ships, malls, etc. will now have the ability to update their cameras with ease and utilize this tool for quick and precise, more professional shots. Imported customized gridlines are replaceable and color gridlines are available. Once gridlines are registered, it can be displayed with HDMI output as well. After shooting, users can check the images with the grid lines overlayed on EVF and LCD.
“The ability to import customized gridlines into a mirrorless camera is an essential feature for all of our photographers to capture images consistently,” says Frank Lombardo, National Photography Manager for Inter-State Studio and Publishing. “These simple gridlines keep head sizes the same for all our products and improve our production time. They also allow us to know where the edge of print will be during capture.”
“With a focus to improve both the consistency and quality of school photography, this advancement is a great foundation to a platform geared for volume photographers across the globe. Sony’s commitment to continually innovate along with their unparalleled support aligns perfectly with Strawbridge Studio’s, Inc. mission to provide the best picture day experience for schools across the country,” says Nic Davidson, Director of Photography of Strawbridge Studios, Inc.
“Sony’s commitment and support for this industry is unprecedented, from their support in student photography across the US to their training of future photographers and videographers and now, developing a camera system that will radically change the volume photography space for years to come,” says David Crandall, the Executive Director of School Photographers of America (SPOA).
“Now anyone can make a pattern, import it, then change and improve it to their liking. The possibilities are endless – simply rotate the four favorite patterns you need for the job at hand. Sony gives us real practical solutions, allowing the School, Sports and Volume Photography industry to produce better, more accurate compositions. The ability to import any four graphics, then scroll between them makes our jobs easier and results better than ever before,” says John Rak, member of the School Photographers Association of California (SPAC).
Not only can this be utilized as gridlines, they can also be used as partially filled transparency masks. In addition to school and sports photography, Sony has positioned this to be used for businesses such as cruise lines, theme parks, nature photography, ID photography, dentistry, and CG photography. Sony hopes that this custom gridline feature will help improve the creativity and work efficiency of photographers in a variety of industries.
The license will be available at a suggested retail price of $149 USD through the Upgrade and License Management Suite at https://ulms.sony.net as of Spring 2024.
[1] A license must be downloaded from Sony’s camera upgrade website: pro.sony/ue_US/digital-imaging/custom-gridline and installed in the camera.
[2] Future compatible models will be announced through the web site below: https://pro.sony/en_ME/digital-imaging/
| Image: Adobe |
Adobe Max London is underway, and with it comes announcements from Adobe for its editing platforms. Some of the changes were previously revealed in a blog post from the company. The rest are mostly subtle, but, as usual, aim to streamline and simplify the editing process.
First, a new Select Landscape feature is coming to Adobe Lightroom. This tool will automatically detect and create masks for common landscape elements like plants, sky, water and more. Such automatic masking tools in Lightroom (and Photoshop) were previously limited to obvious subjects like people, so selective edits on landscapes still required more time-consuming manual edits. This should speed up the editing process for landscape photographers.
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The Select Details actions can save you some tedious manual work.
Image: Adobe |
For Photoshop users, Select Details will make it easier to select finer details like hair, facial features and clothes. Masking out hair is a tedious task that can be difficult to get right. Portrait photographers will appreciate anything that eases that process, so if this works as well as Adobe promises, it will be a welcome update.
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Adobe says the Select Background tool will provide even more precise results, even with complex images.
Image: Adobe |
Adobe says it updated the Remove Background tool in Photoshop, promising much more precise results and sharing an impressive demo of it cutting out a fish in a net. It should allow for much more accurate selections when dealing with complex images or colors that blend into each other, like a subject wearing a black shirt against a dark background.
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You can now control colors from the Contextual Taskbar.
Image: Adobe |
Adobe also updated the Contextual Taskbar with an Adjust Colors option. When clicked, it automatically samples the colors for you and creates an adjustment layer. That way, you don’t need to create multiple adjustment layers or manipulate individual color changes when adjusting colors in your images or designs.
| Image: Profoto |
Today, Swedish company Profoto announced the release of the Spot Small. This compact light shaping tool is built for photographers looking for precise control over their lighting and is aimed at professionals in the fashion, portrait, product and fine art industries. Profoto says the Spot Small delivers a crisp, artifact-free beam with its 115mm focus lens.
Features
- Projects a clean beam of light.
- Focusable high-quality 115 mm optical lens.
- Four integrated adjustable metal leaves.
- It has an optional Iris and Gobo Holder (no Gobos included).
- Compatible with Clic light shaping tools.
- Compatible with both protruded and flat fronted 100mm lights.
Integrated adjustable leaves allow photographers to fine-tune the shape of the light, while optional add-ons like the Iris and Gobo Holder allow for the production of custom shapes and dramatic effects. A magnetic front ring ensures compatibility with Profoto’s Clic light-shaping accessories, something users looking for more ways to experiment might be interested in.
Profoto says the Spot Small is built for longevity. It features fully vented 360-degree housing to withstand the demands of professional work. The device is compatible with both flat and protruded flash heads. Images of the product and its accessories can be viewed on the brand’s official Instagram page.
The Spot Small is positioned as a tool for pro photographers who wish to work with intentionality and creativity, confidently shaping light with precision. Currently, there is no listed price.
Profoto Spot Small speficiations
| Focal length | 115 mm |
|---|---|
| Lens dimensions | 12-18.5 cm (4.6-7.3″) length x Ø7.3 cm (2.9″) |
| Width | 19.5 cm (7.7″) |
| Height | 23 cm (14″) |
| Length | 35.5 cm (14″) |
| Weight | 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) |
| Image: Helium Design Lab |
There’s no denying the bold, unique look of the Sigma BF mirrorless camera. It’s unlike any camera currently available, with a body milled from a single block of aluminum. The minimalistic design lacks a grip, though, which some may take issue with. Helium Design Lab, a company started by photographers Ed Palisoc and Hugh Brownstone, has stepped up to the plate, with a grip worthy of the BF, as PetaPixel reports.
It takes a special design for any grip to look even somewhat right on such a distinctive-looking camera. The Helium Design Lab HeBF handgrip keeps the aesthetics of the camera intact, resulting in what Helium Design Lab says is a “more perfect union between camera and passionate photographers like ourselves.” Like the camera, the grip is made of precisely machined aluminum, and each is hand assembled and inspected. It is designed, manufactured and packaged in the US.
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| Image: Helium Design Lab |
The HeBF grip provides access to the battery without removing the grip and features a hidden, anti-tamper AirTag slot so you can keep track of your camera. It also offers built-in Arca-Swiss compatibility, and it’s compatible with the Peak Design Capture Clip and Travel Tripod. There are bottom anchor lugs on the left and right, providing multiple options for wrist and camera strap configurations. It’s available in natural silver aluminum and anodized black finishes.
The kicker: this is a very limited production run. Helium Design Lab says it is only making 100 units and will not offer it again. The limited nature of the grip, along with the close attention to detail of each one, naturally demands a steep price: $390.
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The grip comes in silver and black.
Image: Helium Design Lab |
As Brownstone admits in the YouTube video discussing the grip, “390 bucks is anything but chump change.” But it isn’t the company’s most expensive offering. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than all of the company’s other options by $150.
Brownstone explains that they’ve engineered significant costs out of the grip compared to their other products to keep the price down as much as possible. Still, the grip’s nature means it is expensive to produce. “This is not primarily a rational business decision. We’re bad. It’s an emotional one,” says cofounder Hugh Brownstone. “Our ambition is to break even.”
You can pre-order the grip from the Helium Design Lab website, provided you get there soon enough.
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