Possible to see focus point -> in playback mode??

[SDeGat]

Is it possible to see the focus point that was used to take a picture when playing back picture on the camera? (like in the picture below)

 

For example, if you are taking a picture of yourself with a tripod and want to check where focus was made to be able to adjust.

 

Or if you only want to understand why focus was not as expected let's say.

 

[Zé De Boni]

Sould be! This is a great idea. Like hundreds more that can be implemented in digital cameras and photography, which unfortunately don't get into camera and software makers, just because the engineers don't have the practice and their senior advisors are only asking for improvements in features that they are used to in their old-fashioned career.

[SDeGat]

Thanks Zé De Boni. I had that feature on nikon and was hoping that Sony would have it too...

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

Canon also shows the focus spots in their proprietary software. It's a useful tool to have sometimes.

 

To some extent, Sony is still learning what photographers want and need in a camera system.

 

For stills, DxO Optics has a feature that identifies the sharpest areas of the photo. It will show where focus actually is, but not where the camera thought it was.

[ContaxRTSII]

Can you show me How this works? Thanks

"DxO Optics has a feature that identifies the sharpest areas of the photo"

[Thad E Ginathom]

Based on a6500, I do not know what other models have this feature....

Press the zoom button in playback mode and it goes to the area of focus and zooms in on that. I have no idea how accurate this is: there is no mark or anything to tell you that you got the eye rather than the nose, but you can certainly tell if you got the face, or the right face face.

In other words... sort of.

I guess that the imaging post-processing software just looks for contrast and marks that.

[Lescatalpas]

On 6/11/2019 at 11:25 PM, Thad E Ginathom said:

Based on a6500, I do not know what other models have this feature....

Press the zoom button in playback mode and it goes to the area of focus and zooms in on that. I have no idea how accurate this is: there is no mark or anything to tell you that you got the eye rather than the nose, but you can certainly tell if you got the face, or the right face face.

In other words... sort of.

I guess that the imaging post-processing software just looks for contrast and marks that.

On the a7r3 (and I guess it's the same on the a73)  it works as you described. It is accurate, or as accurate as you want, because it uses the focus point choice. small, medium, large, expand flex...  It is a choice in the menu, playback section, page 2 , 5th item from the top, where you can choose focused position or centre when enlarging the picture being played back.

[Chrissie]

Les,

I beg to differ:

The notion of "playing back" should, IMHO, be reserved to any kind of video being "played back". For a still, I would prefer the notion of "viewing" it, just to avoid any confusion.

[Lescatalpas]

2 hours ago, Chrissie said:

Les,

I beg to differ:

The notion of "playing back" should, IMHO, be reserved to any kind of video being "played back". For a still, I would prefer the notion of "viewing" it, just to avoid any confusion.

Sorry Chrissie, but the menu chapter is named playback. Not my invention. If you differ, you differ with Sony.  Have a nice weekend.

[Thad E Ginathom]

On 6/15/2019 at 6:41 PM, Lescatalpas said:

On the a7r3 (and I guess it's the same on the a73)  it works as you described. It is accurate, or as accurate as you want, because it uses the focus point choice. small, medium, large, expand flex...  It is a choice in the menu, playback section, page 2 , 5th item from the top, where you can choose focused position or centre when enlarging the picture being played back.

As is probably to be expected, you have more choice/power with the a7 series. No such choice on the a6500: zoom goes to the focus point, and that's it. But that's what I like, and probably what most would want. Another nice touch is that the dial displays forward and backwards keeping the same place in the images. Well, I like it!

As to playback or view, Chrissie has put his finger on my discomfort with "playback!" I guess it is what the > symbol on the button has come to mean --- and may be more movie than stills oriented. Although "view" works for both too. Mustn't grumble! Sony manuals may not be exactly chatty, but Japanese documentation in English has come a very long way in a few decades.