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by bayindirh 426 days ago
Use a proper RTOS kernel with a good UI layer, and see all the developers complain loudly because they can't use the latest mobile phone stacks on that robust platform.

Sony boots a RTOS Linux system on their cameras in 3 seconds flat, and the firmware is arguably mission critical for that camera. It can be done for an infotainment system.
2 comments
throwanem 426 days ago
Three seconds is a long time. What's it doing to justify that lag? Or is there some kind of cold/warm boot distinction?
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bayindirh 426 days ago
The booting process is dominated by checking SteadyShot's state (move sensor a bit, center and lock).

However, you don't notice that three seconds. Because when you flick the switch and raise the camera, and it's already ready to shoot.

There's powersave after a minute (configurable), which can be considered as S3 sleep, and returning from that is faster.

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throwanem 426 days ago
Seems complicated. IBIS would be nice to have, but the two stops or so I get from my lenses' stabilizers usually works out to be enough.
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bayindirh 426 days ago
Actually, there's a distinct level up in camera sensors starting with Sony A7-III and onward (incl. Fuji, Canon, Nikon). Having IBIS with a standard lens (like 28/2) allows you to take unbelievable shots at dusk and night.

Moreover if you have a stabilized lens, they work in tandem to improve things even further.

Many shots you think which would gonna be blurry comes out perfect. e.g.: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zerocoder/49047642802/in/photo...

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teslabox 426 days ago
Apparently the low light performance of the full-frame Sonys is a combination of IBIS (mechanical in-body image stabilization) and Back-Side Illuminated (BSI) sensors. The Sony A6600 (APC) has IBIS, the A6700 adds BSI. Other camera manufacturers also offer BSI sensors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-illuminated_sensor

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throwanem 426 days ago
Oh, my D850 has one of those. It does perform very well in low light, but those extra stops of dynamic range in my view count most when they're yielding more contrast in an adequately lit scene - admittedly a privilege, and one I can more often afford myself with the kind of shots I like to take. I do print my work, though, and there's nothing else like that to show the limits of even a very good display.
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throwanem 426 days ago
That's quite good for handheld at 1/30. I could imagine you wouldn't need to hold your breath or consider your stance and motion at all.

I don't really use Flickr and a new personal website remains as yet on my list for this year, but here's something from back in 2020, one of the few really good shots I got that year: https://web.archive.org/web/20230513030226/https://aaron-m.c...

Not the soul of technical perfection, I freely grant, and I'm obviously adding a fair bit of light. But this was the second or third time I'd strayed even as far as my own backyard, after a covid dose earlier in the year had me knocked back for a few months. I suppose it could be sharper, but I had a hard time catching my breath that day, and I'm not actually sorry that a little human frailty should show through in a work where impending death and the onset of life are quite literally belly to belly.

In any case, it was really switch-to-shutter lag I was curious about. Three seconds there would be an eternity, so I appreciate knowing that's not the case.

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nyarlathotep_ 426 days ago
> Sony boots a RTOS Linux system on their cameras in 3 seconds flat, and the firmware is arguably mission critical for that camera. It can be done for an infotainment system.

Is stuff like this documented anywhere? This is one software topic I find endlessly fascinating but can't find any resources on.

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