The Sony a7R V was released just last week, and one of the interesting features about it is the AI autofocus feature. What exactly is that, and how is it going to affect how we shoot?
The fifth generation of Sony’s high-resolution full frame mirrorless camera line, the Sony A7R V, comes with quite a number of features that make it attractive to a variety of photographers. It comes with a 61-megapixel sensor, capable of 8K 24p or 4K 60p video, as well as a new and more flexible screen. However, the feature that most people did not expect is the presence of an AI-processing unit. What exactly is it, and what will it do to change how we shoot?
Like any other improvement in camera technology, the goal of the AI chip is to give us better accuracy, precision, and consequently, efficiency in shooting. There are a number of possible implications on what AI can do when infused into the camera itself, but perhaps the most fundamental way it can benefit is through focusing.
In this video coming from portraiture and lighting specialist, Jiggie Alejandrino, he takes the new Sony a7R V for a spin to demonstrate how the AI focusing system works when shooting portraits. Through various tests that are applicable to many shooting scenarios, he demonstrates what the new feature can do and how it can make shooting easier for photographers.
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This brief article is written as if AI autofocus is something new.
Author - you are aware that we have been using AI autofocus for decades, aren't you? I mean, my old Canon 1D Mark 2 had AI Servo autofocus way back in the early 2000s. It's not like using AI in autofocus systems is new or anything.
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Please, don't confuse the people. Canon's AI Servo AF had nothing to do with AI as Sony mentions it. So despite true that using AI in a form of the algorythm to identify the optimal focus point like eye, for example, is not particularly new, but expanding it to people\animals\insects postures and even some types of non-living objects excites me a bit.
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Well, okay ..... but if Sony's AI autofocus is completely different than Canon's AI autofocus, then shouldn't the article have explained the differences so that the readership would know that they are different?
Perhaps if one is writing an article on Sony's new AI autofocus, a main point of that article should be explaining how it is different than the AI autofocus that we all have been using for years and years. Otherwise, people WILL be confused.
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The naming convention is NOT equivalent to the actual use case. Canon wins with hype when the actual execution of technology was lacking. IMHO they've cut corners and Sony's making them pay for years and years of rationing photographers robust camera features.
I suspect "AI Autofocus" is just the new spelling of "Autofocus".
It is not.