Alpha 6000 screen

[Normski4ash]

Transfering from Canon DSLR {4 of them} to mirrorless. Have bought an A6000 to see how I like it before moving on to A7 series.

I went out on Saturday with both the A6000 (my partner had it) and a 5d MkIII. We didn't use the back screen as it was so bright you couldn't see it, turned it off in settings. Managed to take 146 pictures during the day (well half of it) before the battery expired.

The Canon however took over 900 shots and was still going strong when we headed home after a full day.

My question is, is there any way to turn the screen off to preserve battery, or do I have to buy 2 or 3 more batteries to cope with a full days shoot.

If more batteries is the case then the small light option I have gone for is not much smaller or lighter than the Canon with all the extra batteries I will have to carry.

No point in changing all my gear if that is the case ! OK there are features on it that are better than the Canon, but there are several that aren't. For instance I have programmed C1 for the AF mode so my partner can switch to face detection, (shame the Eye AF isn't in that bit with or instead of smiley face gimmick) and C2 to turn the back screen on and off to preserve battery. But have to go wading through thousands of menu items to get to manual focus if the AF is focusing on the wrong thing, which I have found very annoying after only one week. Intelligent auto focus, Dumb would be a better word, I've gone back to centre spot, like I use on the Canon.

Sorry to be so negative, but I am sure that Sony could alter this so you can turn off the back screen completely if you want to, through a firmware update. Which I am reading won't work on OS X Yosemite. Come on Sony catch up...

Thnx,  Normski

[Portmixus]

Hi Normski!

Welcome to the forum.

You already found the custom setting to turn off the screen, you also use the auto stand-by mode I presume? I set it to 1 minute or so. Wake-up is fast enough for me. Do keep in mind that if you activate the remote in the menu, standy-by mode is deactivated.

I find autofocus to be great and intelligent, but I do not like object tracking and I miss a touchscreen to tap on a subject for focus. Because of the lack of touchscreen, I use local area focus points quite often. 

You don't have to go into several menus for AF/MF, you can configure 12 settings to the Fn button, one of them could be AF/MF...pretty fast. You can set the focus area too in this menu.

A spare battery is a must nevertheless 

[Normski4ash]

Configure the Fn button for AF/MF didn't know you could do that, thnx, will look tonight when home. There are a few on there I can live without...

Auto stand by mode ? something else to look for tonight, does this turn the screen off completely ? as I said it was useless in the bright sun so was just using the view finder. I think if the picture goes away, the screen is still active and running the backlight. You are saying let the camera go to sleep, then by depressing the shutter button half way it will wake again, something else to try,

The touch screen I would find a nuisance, I find that everytime you get hold of the camera ( I use a sling so it is over my shoulder) I touch the screen and it does silly things, (Canon eos 100d I tried for smaller camera, took about 400 shots and sold it )

 Thnx Normski

[Portmixus · Accepted solution]

I don't know if you use the AEL button for AEL, but you can see that as a c3 button too  Also for AF/MF!

Yes, it's silly that "deactivate monitor" let's the backlight active...

There is a lot to customise on the A6000, I'm quite sure you can make it work the way you like it to!

BTW: touchscreens can be deactivated on sony cameras to avoid accidental presses on it

[Normski4ash]

Hi, OK so had another frustrating play with it. Shame there is a limitation to the items you can put on the Fn menu, however now found AF/MF is easy enough to set on there. Set the sleep time to one minute, yes it is pretty quick to awaken, however IMHO any delay is a bad thing, difference between getting the shot, or missing it.

Been looking at Battery grips, can't see any by Sony, mixed reviews on third party ones, however the ability to have two batteries in it seem worth it. The battery is a lot smaller than my Canon ones so can't expect the same longevity I suppose.

Keep on plodding, will get there one day, Thnx for all your help and advice,

Normski:smileythumbsup:

Spoiler

[Portmixus]

You might then want to set the AEL button toe "AF/MF toggle"?

This can also be set up in the menu under "custom key settings".

Also useful MAYBE, is the option "FINDER/MONITOR". It allows you to use one of both or (by default) both screens. If you choose finder, the back screen will be black, also the finder will be black unless you put your eye against it.

Might be worth giving it a try...

Also, in practice, I don't find it troublesome to put the camera in standby-mode, if you half press while raising the camera to your eye, it is usually already awake. Also make sure you have the newest firmware installed! One of the last menu items is "version". Check you have version 2.00!

[Normski4ash]

Thnx for the continued support, I kind of like the AEL as it is, I have used this feature on my Canons for ages, I like to expose for the highlights, recompose and shoot. I always shoot raw, so can tweak the darker areas in post if need be, rather than let the camera decide my exposure over multiple points. It has served me well for years. I now have the camera in spot metering and centre focus, just like I do with the Canons, it works for me, slow maybe, but it works.

Using finder makes the back screen black, but the backlight is still on, draining battery. Give me an on/off option, google it, there are hundreds of people out there winging about this, would be easy to implement in the firmware I am sure.

About to update to version 2, however the battery is at 14% after taking 50 or 60 shots walking to and from work yesterday. Will leave it on charge and update it tonight.

Have ordered 4 new batteries and a double charger, see they even make a charger that will charge 2 batteries at once because they don't last very long...

Again thnx, you have been most helpful,  Normski

[Portmixus]

Sorry! I have a A7RII on loan and on this camera changing from auto to finder only makes the screen black, but black like in "totally turned off"!

So it exists on A7RII...not sure we'll see a firmware update for this!

[Portmixus]

Just to be sure we are talking about the same thing, the setting is in the menu is called "FINDER/MONITOR" also written in capital letters. Was it this one that does not turn off the screen entirely? It won't solve your problem as you can ONLY use the finder (or screen), but it might help in some situations. I'm very well aware of this complaint btw  

I don't use AEL since I use EVF or live-view...I set the rear thumb dial for exposure compensation (super handy!) and rely on my eyes to exposure on e.g. the sky. Being a bit off is no problem with these Sony sensors. Careful calibration initially of how the file eventually looks like and the EVF or screen is required though (and done by experience and visual evaluation).

[Normski4ash]

Hi Portmixus, I think my wife is begining to suspect, only kidding... we never got round to the wedding bit !

OK so turning off the FINDER/MONITOR as you suggest would appear to turn off the screen completely, without turning off on full battery see how long it lasts, re charging the battery doing the same again with the screen deactivated, see how long it lasts... Too much like hard work.

Trouble is by doing it that way, you cannot view pictures on the back screen, only through the EVF. Might as well go back to film camera... Don't think I will ever be as happy with this as with the DSLR's, new tricks, old dogs syndrome. With the new batteries in my pocket think I will live with it. After all they aren't that big or heavy, and they will fit the A7 if or when I upgrade.

Not delved in to setting the EVF or the back screen, (didn't know I could ! learning all the time) the EVF seems a little too bright, where did I download that manual too ? Rubbish on TV there's tonights entertainment, Thanks, I think...

Sidetracking a little here, have you any experience with the metabones adaptor so the Sony will take Alien lenses. Reading that they don't focus as well as the Sony lenses direct... So they are as slow as what ? the Canon I already have and am used to... I can live with that until my ship comes in and I can afford a full set of Sony lenses.

Seen one today made by Yongnuo, (type into ebay Yongnuo Sony Adapter) for £56, got to be worth £56 to try it.

My bag is Macro ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/normski4ash/sets/72157650040376480 ) Could waste days looking for bugs, gonna have to have some extension tubes and a macro lens to try out on the A6000, any experience with the Sony 90mm mind you at £1000 may look elsewhere, Sigma maybe,

Thnx,  Normski