Sony cameras are designed to work like photographers think and see. Working closely with photographers to understand what they want and need in a camera, Sony engineers constantly strive to incorporate a vast array of advanced technology and capabilities into every new model. The result is that there’s a lot of technology and customization you can set to make the camera a true extension of your eye. But finding and setting everything isn’t always easy, especially when you’re new to the camera.
With that in mind, Gary Fong has just launched a new app, Feature Finder for Sony α9. The app is much more than just a searchable manual, it’s interactive. Users can find features and function as well as report their descriptions of those features and functions. The app is a living tool that gives you full access to the power in the camera.
We spoke with Gary Fong to learn more about Feature Finder. “I made it because I know the α9 inside and out,” Fong says. “Whenever I would try to change a feature, even with the My Menu and customizing everything, it was easy to miss things. We thought ‘wouldn't it be cool if we had an index that you could just type it in, and that would also show you what the description of that feature does?’ That's what the app does. It's extremely simple, but I use it all the time when I'm shooting.”
The app also solves the problem of potentially lagging after a firmware update because of the user interactivity. Fong explains, “The app updates instantly because when users see changes, they just type in the change they’ve noticed and their suggestion. That goes to us and we look at it and see that there’s been a firmware update and we go through it and update the app. Because we've created an architecture that’s table oriented, it's super fast for us to change anything. That was a lot of the work behind the app. It looks like it's super simple, but it's not. The ability to change and adapt to any new firmware upgrades fast was a really big thing for us, and the user response is huge because we'll have thousands of hours of continuous use from photographers.”
Feature Finder for the α9 is currently available in the iTunes store for iOS and apps for the α6000, α6300, α6500, α7 II and α7R II are in the works.
For more information, check out this video.
