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Forums > Back > Spending 1500+€ for a camera doesn't entitle you of having a decent manual
#1
Cameras are more and more packed with options, many are also sophisticated, but the manual (and the online help) often doesn't contain anything more than the setting name, just reworded in a complete statement, but without providing further information. For instance:


Quote:Phase Detect. Area
[Image: stl.png]
Sets whether or not to display the Phase Detection AF area.
  1. MENU → [Image: s_menu_focus.png] (Focus) → [Focus Area] → [Phase Detect. Area] → desired setting.
Menu item details
On:Displays the Phase Detection AF area.
Off:Does not display the Phase Detection AF area.

LOL. A short paragraph follows about the fact that not all lenses support this feature, but nothing more. At least a picture with the lookout of the display would be fine (I had to search through the internet to find a screenshot, it's a pair of brackets) and possibly a hint about how to use the feature in practice would be welcome.
stoppingdown.net

 

Sony a6300, Sony a6000, Sony NEX-6, Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS, Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS, Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS, Sigma 150-600mm Æ’/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary, Samyang 12mm Æ’/2, Sigma 30mm F2.8 DN | A, Meyer Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm Æ’/2.8, Samyang 8mm Æ’/3.5 fish-eye II | Zenit Helios 44-2 58mm Æ’/2 
Plus some legacy Nikkor lenses.
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#2
Fully agree. I noticed this with both my Fuji cameras manuals and now Sony (I just purchased a Sony A7cII).
Their manuals are utterly useless.
The manual is simply a paper version of what you see in the menus. There is absolutely no additional info. Such info would be very valuable as many entries or settings are quite cryptic and difficult to understand.
--Florent

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#3
The Sigma CEO also criticised that cameras are too expensive and too complicated.
I'm a rather simple guy who doesn't change my settings too often, so I'm not all that stressed about complicated menus.
I'm more stressed about getting headaches when changing camera systems and facing a new ergonomic philosophy whenever doing so. ;-)

I still enjoy the X-H2's handling and set up the most—it is a very underrated camera (with overrated lenses).
Chief Editor - opticallimits.com

Doing all things Canon, MFT, Sony and Fuji
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#4
(06-06-2024, 09:56 PM)Klaus Wrote: The Sigma CEO also criticised that cameras are too expensive and too complicated.
I'm a rather simple guy who doesn't change my settings too often, so I'm not all that stressed about complicated menus.
I'm more stressed about getting headaches when changing camera systems and facing a new ergonomic philosophy whenever doing so. ;-)

I still enjoy the X-H2's handling and set up the most—it is a very underrated camera (with overrated lenses).

Yes, I'm a plug-and-forget about it person myself. Spend a few evenings setting it up. Then a few days shooting to find out where I misunderstood the directions. 

At least cameras allow you to set the most used settings to one of the function buttons. 

I remember being in Japan and the express trains got you to the next stop fast.......
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#5
Quote: I'm a rather simple guy who doesn't change my settings too often, so I'm not all that stressed about complicated menus.

I'm more stressed about getting headaches when changing camera systems and facing a new ergonomic philosophy whenever doing so. ;-)

Yes, that's the point. Having three camera bodies, I'm striving to keep them as consistent as possible — when I shoot fingers should go automatically to the proper places for most common operations, I don't want to stop and think (this is obviously mostly related to moving objects and AF tracking, landscape is always simple). Of the triplet a6600/a6300/a6000 the last one was the most inconsistent because of its old menu system; phasing it out didn't reduce the entropy as hope, because the a6700 has yet another menu system, and Sony also moved some custom buttons around...
stoppingdown.net

 

Sony a6300, Sony a6000, Sony NEX-6, Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS, Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS, Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS, Sigma 150-600mm Æ’/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary, Samyang 12mm Æ’/2, Sigma 30mm F2.8 DN | A, Meyer Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm Æ’/2.8, Samyang 8mm Æ’/3.5 fish-eye II | Zenit Helios 44-2 58mm Æ’/2 
Plus some legacy Nikkor lenses.
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