HX9V Cybershot firmware wish list

[badgerme]

I am very pleased with my HX9V, but I do have a few suggestions for possible firmware updates.

Does anyone else have any ideas?

How can we best communicate our ideas to the developers?

Here are my thoughts:

Suggestions for firmware updates to HX9V (and other Cybershots)

1/ Option to turn GPS on (or off) from position information page

2/ Add a continuous shooting mode

ie hold down shutter button and camera continues taking pictures (refocusing for each shot) as quickly as possible (depending on shooting conditions and file size) until finger lifted from shutter button (or card is full)

Include this function as fourth option:  single / continuous / burst / bracket

3/  Increase bracket range to +/- 2EV

4/  Add function to ‘DISP’ – hold down 2 secs to enter panel brightness menu

(failing this, include panel brightness in top menu )

5/  Provide ‘automatic’ panel brightness option

6/ Save display detail settings separately for playback mode

eg detailed when shooting, clear screen on playback

Roger

[@7624010000023031]

I would apprecia it if even while loosing some SD space I could save in RAW format.

I dislike the Dust and Scratch effect the camera has and would like to be able to adjust it to my needs ( I suppose its a compression  problem).

I would love to be able to de-saturate the pictures when I take them.

I would love to have the possebility to take pictures adjusting manualy the  contrast and noise ( I wouldn't buy this camera now after a month of having it).

I thought I had to get to know the camera but to me the still images are important and this camera has lots of gadgets but really poor image quality. not worth the cash payed. (I wish I could give it back).

David

[blaireau_photo]

Hello badgerme / @76240100000,

Sony members of staff do read these threads often so it is always worth leaving these comments as it will assist with the development of future firmware releases - thank you for your comments so far.

In the future, if there is an updated firmware released for the HX9V, it will be announced here:

http://support.sony-europe.com/dime/digistill/cyber/cyber.aspx?site=odw_en_GB&m=DSC-HX9V

Thanks,

Simon

[i_am_jon]

Not holding out much hope of sony taking any notice but heres my firmware wish list:

Bugs:

• If you set ISO in manual mode this changes it when you return to Program mode as well, should have separate memory for these 2 settings.
  
• Screen colour / saturation. Screen seems to over saturate colours compared to viewing photos on other displays. Makes the auto mode pictures look bad rather than just over saturated, especially on indoor shots.
  

Missing Options:

• 60p / 50p video setting. Why can't we choose rather than locking it to region? Surely it's just a firmware setting not hardware. Is there some licensing legal issue?
  
• Colour setting for auto modes. Real colours in program mode look great, why can't we have this option in auto modes. I appreciate some users like the default vivid colour scheme but why can't we have a choice? This seems to be the most complained about issue with the camera.
  
• NR settings (Plus, Normal and Minus) as on the HX100V
  

New features that would be nice:

• Extra long shutter / Star trail mode. Camera takes decent night sky pics but miss the extra long shutter speeds CHDK gave me on my old canon. 5 min shutter is enough to get a good effect.
  
• Continuous shooting mode (including hands free self timer mode). Also don't limit the shutter speed as it does on burst mode. Then I could use for image stacking on night sky shots etc.
  
• Flash power setting on program & manual
  
• Raw image option and disable NR / dark frame option
  

Message was edited by: i_am_jon

• Just realised the NR that displays for exposures 1/3sec and longer is the dark frame subtraction (which explains the long processing time).Would be nice to remove the exposure restriction in burst / continuous mode and capture a single dark frame at the end for image processing. That would result in a 10 X 30 sec = 5 minute exposure once the images have been stacked. This could be a relatively minor change?
  

[GoNz0-]

lower compression of the jpg's / less noise reduction (selectable)

its doing to much work and making the pictures really soft, not good for your high end compact.

i do regret buying it as a point and shoot as the quality is poor compared to my A55

i expect an option that will allow proper size jpg's, ie average 6-10mb with good quality images, it must do them then over compensate and spoil it.

[Stefan_77]

• Selectable noise reduction

• Selectable compression (80%? you must be kidding! My 10 year old Kodak was better at this!)

• RAW (well lets not get overexcited here but memory IS cheap!)

• 3D mode is fun but hard to guess if it turned out well / at all - a simple toggle-mode flipping both pics would be fine.

General thoughts an ideas for the next model:

• GPS reception sucks and should have a selectable "keep alive" time where the cam holds the signal even when turned off. All GPS-receivers have modes for that so -please- use them!

• USB connector at the bottom? Seriously? And one that is unique? If a charging-cradle was in the kit maybe...

All in all I like this cam. It uses all that processing power to do stunning things.

The Panos are great and simple - Photoshop is way better of cause but be realistic: Who wants to take 30 pics manually and then stitch all night long?

Dim light situations are handled very well - point-and-shoot works great.

3D is a fun feature but not that important.

The video-function is superb.

Overall-useablility is well beyond of what I expected from a Sony product. Compared to other cams I own it's easy to use 🙂

Nice cam - get rid of the idiotic compression and we have a winner!

Edit:

A remote for the cam would top off my wish-list!

Should be possible via the sensor I gues...

Message was edited by: Stefan_77

Message was edited by: Stefan_77

[SyrianFC]

Owning a HX9V and it is well performing in total for compact zoom, but some things are really annoying. Hope someday there will be a firmware upgrade and excellent hardware meets corresponding software.

1. Please allow the NR level to be set by user - current one is a terrible loss of detail.

2. Same thing - allow setting camera JPG compression level.

3. Flash is really terrible - just killing everything closer than 2m. I think there must be flash power correction setting.

4. Shooting RAW is always a good option.

Anyway, Sony is performing well and hope it to continue so.

[joschmi5569]

My enthusiasm vanished after uploading my first foto’s to my PC. The pictures were too sharp and not natural. I think this is due to an extreme JPEG compression.

I’ve tried all other options within the DX9V, but all appear in the same unnatural manner. Now I have this camera for some months and I hardly use it anymore. I wish I could change it for another one (even my old Canon G2 makes better quality pictures).

Conclusion: disappointing camera! Need a firmware update badly with at least an adjustable JPEG compression and preferably RAW-support. Besides this, I agree with the most of the updates mentioned in the other comments.

Hopefully Sony doesn’t wait with this firmware update too long, because else I’m sure I‘ll change to a better camera (probably Canon again)!

[badgerme]

Hi,

I agree that it would be nice to have a choice in terms of JPEG compression, but I haven't experienced pictures looking 'too sharp'.

Have you tried selecting low sharpness in the shooting menu?

[badgerme]

I agree with most of your points Stefan_77, except the gps.

I have been using a Garmin gps for some years - and still do use this for geotagging (using Copiks Photomapper http://software.copiks.com/photomapper/ ) - but I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the Sony gps locates. I presume that this is due to the 'GPS Assist Data' that is downloaded when the camera is connected to my pc.

Whilst agreeing that the option to have the gps function 'kept alive' when the cameara was turned off could be included, for me I don't think it would be of much day to day use due to the inevitable battery drain this would involve.