The A77 thread (cont'd)

Raccoon wrote: Which leaves one button, as the pop up flash button sits on the other side of the viewfinder.

Based on the A55, the one closest to the EVF would be an EVF/LCD toggle button.

vbpholaw wrote: For the reasons noted above, it's removal is not so logical. In my view, of course. :)

Not to mention that now there are lenses (from Sigma) with IS available for a-mount. It would be cumbersome to dive into the menus to turn off SSS every time you mount one of those lenses.

For all of you missing the SSS button so much, I think the "?" button can be programmed into an SSS on/off button.

I think that sony intentionally put the "?" button roughly around the place of SSS for this reason, to have it programmable, for those who doesn't switch the SSS on/off that much.

And, about looking at the button to check the status of whether SSS is on or off is not the correct way. Look through the VF or LCD's LV, and see if the bars of the SteadyShot is showing.

Just my 2c.

P.S. The picture is real IMO. Just some jpeg artifacts around bright sharp edges..... However, this can also be the A65.

Dave_Anderson wrote: Ishrar wrote: And, about looking at the button to check the status of whether SSS is on or off is not the correct way. Look through the VF or LCD's LV, and see if the bars of the SteadyShot is showing. Leaving aside the potentially contentious "correct way" statement, the external switch allows me to check/set this as I mount/remove the camera to/from the tripod. It does not require my eye to the viewfinder and if there is another adjustment I have to make having SSS in a menu slows me down - now I have to make two serial adjustments via the menu. I've you've never had the dedicated switch you may not miss it but to some of us it's pretty important.

Agreed. Having to menu dive to make such mundane changes would be an aggravation I would rather not have. The dedicated button for SSS on the A900, is VERY highly appreciated !

Having migrated from a KM5D (which did have the SSS slide button) through an A100, A700, A550 to the A580. I can say that the loss of the dedicated button is not missed at all.

on the A550 and A580 its on the very first menu page (at the bottom) and only takes a second to access and activate. If you're changing lenses or attaching to a tripod I'd guess that with a bit of practice you could easily manage changing SSS simultaneously during either process.

vbpholaw wrote: Removal of the switch from consumer/entry level cameras, which as a whole are far more menu driven than the higher end models (e.g., A700/850/900), does not mean Sony needed to remove it from the higher end cameras, which tend to have far more dedicated buttons and switches for faster operation.

It was on the 5D, the a200, a300. a350 - in fact all the cameras - until they removed it. It's existence and removal have nothing to do with whether the camera was marketed to hobbyists or casual users. Image stabilisation is not a feature that only hobbyist photographers use. It's existence was primarily for marketing purposes and as part of the button frenzy that Minolta cultivated to impress hobbyist photographers. As I say, it's demise was predictable, if lamented, and you're late to the funeral - it went in 2009.

Incidentally, the A77 is a consumer-level camera, as is the a700 and 7D. All of the 7 series cameras were. I owned a lot of them and many of them offered less in their day than the a580 offers now.

I never accidentally moved its position, but on any number of occasions wanted to access it quickly, such as going from tripod to hand-held shooting when switching lenses (e.g., my tripod mounted 600 to the 70-200/2.8 hand-held). I also like the ability to quickly glance at the switch to know if it's on or off.

You are a pro, I believe. Certainly anyone who owns a 600mm lens might be expected to have two bodies to cope with the situation you describe. Since one has to go into the menu to change the ISO or exposure mode I don't believe that the loss of the button is a hardship. That said if you use it a lot you will miss it, and that's not ideal, but I don't think any camera should have external switches without locks. I once shot 50 odd pictures at an event at IS0 3200, because the camera set itself to this whilst swinging on it's strap. Even a top plate LCD would have help me recognise the change, but a better solution is locks on the controls.

That's not going to work with a black rapid.