Sony NEX-5: MF magnification doesn't work with peaking?

That is odd. I recall peaking worked just fine in MF assist mode on the original 3 -can't imagine why it wouldn't on the 5.

 

Peaking mode is working great with manual lenses but with E-mount lenses it's not so good.

I tried on both my "old" NEX-5 and my new NEX-5N, and they both have the same "problem": as soon you turn the focussing ring the display enlarges and make the peaking function useless and there's no way to disable that behaviour, that sucks!

 

It works for me.

On my NEX5n I don't have any buttons set for MF, but I do have focus assist turned on in the menu for two seconds. I just tried it with the kit zoom and it worked fine with peaking. I press the shutter halfway and turn the focus ring and I get the enlarged view with peaking as long as I am in good light. Peaking never works well for me in poor light, with or without Focus Assist. I don't remember this being different on the NEX 5.

 

The main interest of the peaking is not having to enlarge the view to focus.
The fact that the view enlarges as soon you touch the focussing ring sucks and there's no way to deactivate that behaviour.

 

Wrong. You deactivate the enlarged view by turning off Focus Assist in the Menu. Kindly learn how to use the camera before you make misleading statements in a public forum.

 

You obviously never use manual focussing.

There are times when the peaking mode isn't precise enough or won't work because there isn't enough contrast in the scene and you need the manual focus assistance to enlarge the screen to focus properly. If you turn off the MF assist in the settings you won't be able to use it at all, even when it's necessary in those moments.

So YOU are the one who should learn how to use your camera.

 

Janis and neodraig, we are all here to learn from each other. If you feel like you could help someone better understand something, then try to be polite about it as you explain it. There is no need to be rude. We are all here to share in our hobby and hopefully get better as photographers together.

 

I use the peaking to get close then use the 7X magnification or 14X if needs be, is that not what you want?

 

I use the bog standard NEX with other lenses. Once I'm done with the peaking bit I hit the button at the bottom right to get 7x image, and scroll to get the bit of the picture I want, then do my fine tuning. Hitting the same button again gives me 14x. Then a half press on the shutter bring it back to full size, click, one marvellous picture to wow all my friends at TalkNEX.

I'm not sure if it will do that with the E mount lenses or not, there must be a way to ask it nicely.

 

Nex-5

 

That's exactly how I use my NEX-5N (and how I used my NEX-5) but with legacy lenses.
You can't do that with E-mount lenses because as soon you touch the focussing ring the screen enlarges, defeating the purpose of the peaking mode.

@Poki
What option on the NEX-5N are you talking about?
I found that the settings for the manual focus assitance were the same in the NEX-5 and the NEX-5N, and if you turn it off you won't be able to use it at all even if you set MF assist as a short cut.

But maybe I haven't understood really well, my English isn't as good as I would wish.

 

The great thing about the adapter ring + lens of all sorts method is that they are sooooo much cheaper! I bought 2 of my favourite, just in case one gets damaged, and at £15 a go it doesn't break the bank. I don't even have the 18-55 as I haven't been able to justify the cost to myself. And of course you can get such a variety of lens types.

But for me, it's an odd mental thing about feeling like i'm "doing" photography properly. If I just point the camera at something and it autofocuses and takes the picture, I feel like a glorified tripod. I got an awesome camera so I could learn how to do stuff. I'm not learning very much if I let the camera do it all for me.

I know I'm mental. I'm cool with that.