Canon offering a chargeable “guide lines” feature

[AlphaWorld]

We saw announce a “guide lines” feature for the A7IV (now expanded to other models) as a chargeable firmware addition. There was some reaction against it. My own reaction was more along the lines of it encouraging “cookie cutter” photography by underpaid kids in elf costumes in shopping centre Santa setups.

Now Petapixel reveals that Canon has followed suit, but theirs requires you to send the camera in to them (or buy one with it pre-installed in their online store).

I’m amused, and curious why Canon requires the camera sent in - maybe some hardware protection against copying it?

What do you think?

 

[iamdlewis]

I’m amused, and curious why Canon requires the camera sent in - maybe some hardware protection against copying it?

What do you think?

How else are they going to fit the bed in there for the little guy that has to draw the lines on the frame?

 

[AlphaWorld]

The Canon offering appears to concentrate on their cheaper cameras, which might be a better fit for the “shopping centre Santa setups” - I doubt they use high end cameras for that. For other uses, maybe Sony’s approach is smarter?

Honestly, I don’t think I’d ever be in the market for a feature like this.

It just intrigues me that multiple manufacturers have thought that there is enough demand for them to make it and announce it. I won’t be surprised if Nikon comes out with their own spin on it soon - maybe Nikon will make it available for free, just to one-up Sony and Canon.