New SonyAlpha User

[cherietxzta]

Hi there, I just found your forum after doing some on-line research.

I'm very happy with my new camera. This is my third Sony camera and it takes the best pictures by far. I've enjoyed how easy it is to use.

I'm somewhat new to "real" photography; I've been an "auto" user for years. I'm taking the next big step and taking a photography class to learn how to actually use all the cool things this camera has to offer.

I have two questions though...

First of all, when you set the Shutter priority setting, the numbers are confusing to me; after the 3 (which I know is 1/3), the next settings are 0"4, 0"5, ... 1"6, 3", ... Ok, where are we in those settings in relation to aperture? (First big class assignment, shoot 100 RAW pics in S setting). I'm confused!

And second, I have the two lenses which came with the camera kit; 3.5-5.6/18-70 and 4.5-5.6/75-300. I take alot of indoor hockey pictures and baseball and lacrosse kid pics. What would be the next level lens to take these pictures a little more efficiently without taking out a second mortgage on my house?

Thanks for ANY help you can give!

Cherie

[Photo-John]

Cherie-
Sorry no one replied to your post yesterday. Glad you like the new camera. I did our pro review for it and I was very, very pleased with the camera. So much that I decided to keep it for the office. Please post a review for your A100. We need your review!

Read and write Sony A100 reviews >>

Now, to help you with the shutter priority mode on your camera...

These particular numbers - 0"4, 0"5 - confuse me, too. They're some fraction of a second, longer than 1/3. But the next ones you listed are in seconds. 1"6 is 1.6 seconds and 3" is 3 seconds. How they correspond to the aperture will depend on how much light is available and what your ISO is set at. The longer the shutter speed, the smaller the aperture you will be using, in order to limit the amount of light reaching the sensor. A faster shutter speed will require a larger aperture. And vice versa. You should probably take a look at our basic exposure guide >>

I hope that helps. Let us know if you have more questions. You've got a great camera. You just have to practice and learn the mechanics of exposure. You're on the right track

[payn817]

Sorry I didn't see this before. I don't have the Sony, but the KM 5D, which is very similar (a friend has the Sony). After reading the manual, basically what I have found is that as you stated the 3 is 1/3 the 0"5 would be 1/2 sec.

I have come to this conclusion as 1"5 = 1 1/2 secs. My manual also states that for shutter speeds 1/2 second or slower, a quote mark is used to denote whole seconds.

As for your second question, you can try opening up the lens, and raising the ISO. If you still cannot get the results you are after, perhaps a fast prime is in order. You can pick up some good used primes in the mount under the KM/Minolta brand for good prices.

I hope this helps.

[cherietxzta]

Thanks so much for the help. It makes sense now. I just needed a starting point.

I will keep practicing! I'm really glad I decided to take the class because it gives me the incentive I need to get out there and take pictures.

I will keep visiting the forum, there's lots of great questions and answers here. In the mean time I'll be out shooting my next 100 pictures. This week: APERTURE mode.

[Photo-John]

Use the Photo-Critique forum here, too. People there will give you good advice and the more feedback you can get, the better.

I saw you just posted a review for you camera. Thanks for that!

[cr_mmurillo]

Hi there, I just found your forum after doing some on-line research.

I'm very happy with my new camera. This is my third Sony camera and it takes the best pictures by far. I've enjoyed how easy it is to use.

I'm somewhat new to "real" photography; I've been an "auto" user for years. I'm taking the next big step and taking a photography class to learn how to actually use all the cool things this camera has to offer.

I have two questions though...

First of all, when you set the Shutter priority setting, the numbers are confusing to me; after the 3 (which I know is 1/3), the next settings are 0"4, 0"5, ... 1"6, 3", ... Ok, where are we in those settings in relation to aperture? (First big class assignment, shoot 100 RAW pics in S setting). I'm confused!

And second, I have the two lenses which came with the camera kit; 3.5-5.6/18-70 and 4.5-5.6/75-300. I take alot of indoor hockey pictures and baseball and lacrosse kid pics. What would be the next level lens to take these pictures a little more efficiently without taking out a second mortgage on my house?

Thanks for ANY help you can give!

Cherie

Glad to have you on this thread. Seems like Sony Alpha Users are growing. This is a great camera. Keep practicing and keep posting them on the gallery. Post some of your pictures when you are ready.

[Clemmie]

And second, I have the two lenses which came with the camera kit; 3.5-5.6/18-70 and 4.5-5.6/75-300. I take alot of indoor hockey pictures and baseball and lacrosse kid pics. What would be the next level lens to take these pictures a little more efficiently without taking out a second mortgage on my house?

Thanks for ANY help you can give!

Cherie

Hi, Cherie - and Welcome Aboard! Looks like they've got you going on interpreting the shutter speed readouts, so I'll tackle the lenses.

The 18-70 (I have the Sony-labeled one that came with my Alpha) and the 75-300 (I have the latter-day Minolta-labeled one, which is the same as your Sony one) are both good lenses - aside from the bottom end of the aperture range not being 'all the way down there'. The Alpha will allow you to easily compensate for that, however, and get great results.

For your Sports shooting situation, I would recommend locking in the sensitivity at ISO 800. (Set the left top dial to ISO - use the command wheel in front of the shutter button to highlight 800 on the display - then click the button in the middle of the left top dial to lock it in.) This gives you good working latitude on the low-light end, while still retaining good sharpness. (Going to 1600 would add another f/stop of low-light capability, but sacrifices a noticeable amount of sharpness in the process.)

Coupled with this, keep the Super SteadyShot turned ON - this will help counteract any blurring from camera shake when the shutter speeds get low, and this is just the type of situation in which it really shows off its capabilities. Then, I would use the 'P' (Program) exposure mode - which us longtime Minolta shooters, not at all jokingly, refer to as "P for Professional" mode. This will usually give you the best 'situation sensitive' balancing of shutter speed and aperture.

One final tweak which you may find necessary, depending on the lighting, is a touch of Exposure Compensation. If the lighted playing area is particularly brightly colored (i.e.: highly reflective), you may find that the players come in just a touch on the dark side. I find that +0.3 on Exposure Compensation usually takes care of that problem, without totally blowing out the brighter areas.

Like learning ANY camera, the Alpha just takes some time and experimentation. It is a highly capable camera, which you will quickly develop a good 'feel' for with regular use.
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Now, if you ultimately decide you just MUST have a larger aperture lens, you don't necessarily have to take out a second mortgage to get it.

The next step 'up' is actually going back several years, to one of the finest lenses Minolta ever made for the consumer market - the 70-210 f/4 - produced from 1985 until the late 1990's. It is a very sharp lens, but also somewhat larger and heavier (a few inches longer and about 3 times heavier) than your 75-300. With the f/4 maximum aperture across the whole zoom range, it adds 1/2 to 1 stop advantage on the low-light side. They have gone up quite a bit in price, however. In 2004, when Minolta was seriously out of favor in the marketplace, I bought two excellent examples of this lens, for $41 and $57. Two weeks ago, in a critical cash pinch, I parted with one of them for $200 - which is now the 'going rate' in excellent condition. (And NO, I will not part with my other one.)

The next step beyond that one, is one of the White 'pro grade' lenses that Minolta produced - the 80-200 f/2.8 . This adds one more f/stop of low-light advantage, with some extremely sharp optics. It is extremely rare to find one of these on the Used market, as those who have them tend to keep them (I certainly would!) Last one of these I saw on eBay, a few months back, fetched nearly a thousand bucks Used (compared to $600 a year or two before). I recall that around the time Minolta left the business last year, B&H Photo was listing the New ones at around $1600, so any dealer who might still have one in stock is probably looking for that much or more.
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I think the prices on the vintage Minolta glass will eventually head back down a bit, as Sony expands their Alpha-branded lens lineup (picking up production of some successful older Minolta designs) and gradually bring the Sony-Zeiss lineup (new designs) to market - and competitive pressures will eventually take care of the super premium prices they have been asking on those introduced thus far. Within the next year, Sony is gearing up to offer a range of about 40 different lenses, as compared to a half-dozen or so right now - and that expanded selection will also serve to put some downward pressure on prices.

So the best thing for You - as well as myself and many others - to do right now, is to take advantage of the camera's capabilities to get the most out of the lenses we have now, start saving up some money for when 'the day' comes, and allow some time for Sony's lineup and pricing to get better attuned to the overall realities of the marketplace. It's time to remember an old Minolta user's motto - "Good things come to those who Wait."

[cherietxzta]

Actually, I saw an earlier recommendation about that 70/210 lens and I was able to outbid a gentlemen on E-Bay. For what I was able to get the lens for, I think it will be a nice lens to add to my collection. I know just enough to be dangerous!

I took lots of hockey pictures this weekend- I have three boys who play. I'm not nearly ready to post those for review/critique, but just practicing with different apertures, shutterspeeds and ISO's is giving me some great foundations. Hockey is a difficult sport to shoot, so if I can get any pictures at all right now I'm happy.

Thanks for the advice! I am so pleased with my camera overall. It's really nice to have a place to come and read up on other people's experience.

[Chickenhawk]

Hi Cherie and welcome. Good to see another Sony Alpha user.