tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30261369874425257832024-03-14T03:24:16.261-07:00Amitzi's Sony A99 blogBlog dedicated to my (right now future) Sony Alpha A99 SLT cameraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-15408194760096713852022-02-27T15:27:00.004-08:002022-06-04T18:58:38.020-07:00Moving to E-Mount!<p>The time has finally come. I've been on the Minolta/Sony A-Mount for about 20 years, starting with a chance Minolta film camera, when I knew absolutely nothing about stills, then through a bunch of Sony cameras and now switching to the A7 IV.<br />Still am two weeks from having it delivered to my doorstep, and I guess once I have it, I would need to perhaps create a new blog, for this brave new e-mount world. I've also been relying a lot on action cameras for my new work as a cycling videographer, so after a decade of writing this blog, I'm ready to move on to a whole different videography/photography world.</p><p><br /></p>Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-56702232387671139602021-09-02T06:14:00.003-07:002021-09-02T06:14:58.013-07:00Next Camera Update<p> I've been really close to actually already buying the Sony A1. Saw one for a good price on ebay and almost went for it. That said, I am pretty glad that I didn't. </p><p>Even though on paper it's almost the perfect camera, there are thing on the A1 I simply don't need. I don't really 20-30fps since I don't really shoot sports, and I don't need 8K. If I do ever need that, I could rent whatever camera Sony comes up with in the future. So had I bought it I would own an overly expensive camera with features I don't need. To be honest, I don't even need the 42MP I have right now on the A99ii and definitely not more MP. Few of my clients do large prints anymore and most just view photos on social media. I do enjoy making stitched photos with higher resolution, but any current camera would do for that. <br /><br /></p><p>So here we are thinking about getting the upcoming Sony A7IV when it comes out in a month or so. I already saved enough money to get it, and already purchased the LE-AE5 to be able to mount my current A mount lenses. With the much lower price I can start thinking of getting some e-mount lenses with it to replace some my current aging lenses.</p><p>So now my plan it to find a used Sony A7IV. Hopefully, someone will buy it to review and then decide to sell it soon so I'll be able to find one used soon after launch.</p><p>Once that's done, I'll close this blog and open a new one, or perhaps rename this blog, we'll see. </p><p><br /></p>Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-55282461846299639232021-03-05T16:03:00.001-08:002021-03-05T16:03:25.592-08:00My Next Camera<p> This is my second post about replacing my ageing A99ii. While I don't really do sports photography, I believe that the A99ii is one of the worst camera for tracking any moving subjects and way behind all current mirrorless cameras and some DSLRs.</p><p>This comes into play when I shoot a family with kids on swings. Sure, if you know the limitations of your camera, there are always workarounds, but I would rather be able to have a 100 photos with eye-AF spot-on to choose from, than one that somehow I was able to make work.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0np28cEMZJmxq9gjk3rzEjqbpDdxAcL0g-Szhq4nL9G-TFfivQUe0AZuUBQM-m1HC-3rOQPVwS7ABvi7PBD9ee8sUNlX8iN770AOvl9yuaSVVKBOIDwtLcHpjyrQsiQ2Yz-Ke2-MXYGI/s2048/DSC01510-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="2048" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0np28cEMZJmxq9gjk3rzEjqbpDdxAcL0g-Szhq4nL9G-TFfivQUe0AZuUBQM-m1HC-3rOQPVwS7ABvi7PBD9ee8sUNlX8iN770AOvl9yuaSVVKBOIDwtLcHpjyrQsiQ2Yz-Ke2-MXYGI/w630-h421/DSC01510-Edit.jpg" width="630" /></a></div><br /><p>As I mentioned before, the Canon R5 is a very tempting camera for me to think of ditching Sony altogether. As specs go, it is a great replacement to the A99ii. If it wasn't for the pandemic, I would have been tempted for sure. The downsides of jumping ship is needing to replace some Sony specific accessories that I already own, such as my Godox flash equipment. </p><p>Also, for environmental reasons, everything I buy is used. With Sony, there are so many lenses from various manufacturers that you can buy used on e-bay or FB. There are some Canon lenses available used, but they are definitely very expensive.</p><p>So what is my current plan? I really like the Sony A1. It just came out and costs twice as the A99ii. That said, it does everything I need and more. Spec-wise, it seems like it would last for many years as a perfect hybrid camera. I might not need 8K or 30fps, but at least I know that I have them in case they are needed a few years from now. <br />I would probably want to get the LA-EA5, also not really available much on the local used market right now. I would also need to get some CFExpress A cards, but they also don't have great availability right now.</p><p>So it seems that everything I would need to switch to mirrorless is out there, but that I will have to wait until next year to do it. For now, I can get by with the A99ii and perhaps rent out some mirrorless cameras for larger jobs like weddings. For now, I am avoiding event and wedding photography, due to the pandemic. I do have a wedding scheduled for September which I will probably shoot with rented A1 and mirrorless lenses.</p><p>So, it seems like there are two possible roads for me. If the pandemic will be over by summer and there will be an influx of photography work, I will possibly get the camera of my dreams sooner than expected. If I continue relying mostly on video editing work with some portrait photography on the side, I'll wait until next April to buy a bunch of great used mirrorless equipment that hopefully will last me a long while.<br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-5641875506581215472020-07-28T11:57:00.000-07:002020-07-28T11:57:12.315-07:00New Cameras - will I buy them?As I mentioned previously, I am planning on ditching the A-mount as new technology emerges, leaving my A99ii in the dust. For example, I really enjoyed using the A9ii's video AF to track a dancer walking up the stairs towards the camera. It wasn't perfect, but definitely a thousand times better than what the A99ii could do with its locked aperture at 3.5.<div>To be honest, the perfect camera for me right now is the 45MP Canon R5. A bit expensive, but it has everything I would want from an A99iii if Sony ever made one. Not too many megapixels, but enough to crop if needed. Sony came out with a 63MP camera, the A7rIV, but that one would just waste disk space for me. </div><div>That means that Sony doesn't currently make a camera that is perfect for my needs. I actually don't mind the overheating of the Canon R5 as the A99ii also overheats and I learned to live with it. I don't do a lot of long form videos and will just shoot 1080p 24p if I need to, a format that would work fine for most of my clients.<br />So why wouldn't I but a camera that is somewhat expensive but perfect for my needs? Unfortunately there is no converter/adapter from A-mount to the Canon RF mount, so I would have to but all new lenses, accessories and cards which would prove too expensive. Even just switching from A-mount to E-mount I might have to buy two adapters totaling around $500.</div><div>The good news is that I upgraded my editing workstation, so it's ready now for bigger photos in case I do decide to get the A7rIV. All my internal drives are now SSDs and I have more RAM too so I'm ready for non-choppy 4K editing.</div><div>I really like the improvements in the A7sIII that just came out. They changed the menu system! That's really great as even after four years with the A99ii I still struggle with its outdated menu system. That said, as I am transitioning into more video work, I still mostly need a solid hybrid video/stills camera with the ability to crop. Some of my clients still need to print a large A3 (or equivalent) size album for which even a 24MP camera might not be that great if you need to do any cropping.<br />As wedding season is practically non existing right now due to COVID-19, even with more money coming from my current documentary editing gig, I will hold off buying a new camera. All I want is for Sony to create a better camera that is exactly like the one I have but with much improved AF, video and menu system. If they don't, I will probably settle for the A7rIV at some point.</div>Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-79068482452803284502020-07-11T15:19:00.001-07:002020-07-11T15:24:39.106-07:00My Setup for SoundIn the good old days, I had a professional video camera with XLRs built in and a great preamp built in. If that wasn't enough I would hook it up to a portable XLR Mixer that the sound person would strap on themselves along with a boom mic.<br />
Now, ten years later, technology has advanced and I no longer put a lot of equipment into a beat up student car or a nice looking van borrowed from my parents. Instead, I bike around, with all of my equipment inside my supercharge touring bicycle.<br />
I'm also using a hybrid stills/video camera (still the A99ii) to shoot everything, at least until I can afford to switch to e-mount. The good news is that the A99ii has a terrific built-in microphone that is great in a pinch. Even if you're not planning on that microphone it provides better sound to allow Adobe Premiere Pro to sync the sound from the internal microphone with that of a better sound recorded from an external recorder.<br />
Most of what I do when recording sound on my current video gigs is interviews with people sitting or standing.<br />
The bad news is that the pre-amp on the A99ii is TERRIBLE. For a while I was recording to an external Zoom recorder I've had for 7 years and got good results, but had deal with syncing audio in post, and not forgetting to press record on both the camera and the Zoom.<br />
I was using a no brand lav mic for a few years, and had to deal with lots of PL 3.5 cables. It was also a problem when recording an interview with a person who needs to go to the bathroom.<br />
I got the <a href="https://wirelessgo.rode.com/">Rode Go Wireless Compact</a> system after getting strange noises on the <a href="https://www.sony.com/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras-microphones/ecm-w1m">Sony ECM-W1M</a> system and mediocre sound. The Rode Go is really small and easy to pack, seem to be one of those rare times where audio/video manufacturers remember that it is 2020 now and match the technology to that of smartphones. I got the Rode Smartlav+ microphone to go with it which is a solid lav mic but requires to also get the Rode SC3 3.5mm TRRS to TRS Adapter for smartLav because it was originally meant to connect to smartphones.<br />
Finally, I go the SR-AX100 audio mixer that sits on my camera, underneath the Rode Go's transmitter. Sure, it's a kind of a weird tower now, but now I can connect all this straight to the camera and not worry about an external recorder running out of battery or memory card. The <a href="https://www.saramonicusa.com/products/sr-ax100">SR-AX100</a> is one of those rare electrical machines that does NOT need a battery to operate. It will also allow me to connect another microphone and record stereo to two channels in case I ever do an interview with two people or still want to record some sound where the camera is along with sound coming from the lav mic.<br />
If you like your mixer under your camera you might get the <a href="https://www.saramonicusa.com/collections/camera-mixer-adapters-1/products/sr-ax101">SR-AX101</a> which is basically the same product but hooks under your camera, a setup I don't like and will avoid.<br />
<br />Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-82453738694002980352019-09-05T18:06:00.001-07:002019-12-19T12:40:26.949-08:00My Next CameraRight now I'm using the A99ii as my primary camera and the A99 as a secondary camera. The A99 is showing its years and doesn't really do well in low light situations.<br />
So, should I get another A99ii or should I start planning for the next camera? Do I even like the smaller e-mount bodies? To be honest if an A99iii came out tomorrow I might eventually be tempted to buy it. That said, no new A-mount camera will probably ever be made.<br />
Recently the A7rIV came out with a better grip, making it a cool camera to look to if and when I will make my new purchase. That said, not only don't I need the 61 Megapixels that it's packing, to be honest I don't even need the current 42 Megapixels that my A99ii has. Experience has shown that starting from ISO 800 it doesn't really matter that you have all these megapixels. It's just clogs out your hard drive without providing any actual benefits. The extra megapixels are useful to landscape and studio photographers that have the need for large prints. A lot of my clients don't even print at all.<br />
So, what would I spend my money on? Perhaps the future A9ii? Hard to tell. I definitely don't need 20fps. That means that if and when Sony comes out with a A7IV I might get that one after a while, even though it's the "low end" one. If it come with 36 Megapixels that would be perfect.<br />
For now this is all speculation and I will probably buy something after its been on the market for a while, perhaps get a good deal on a used body.<br />
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Update: Now aiming to purchase the A7rIV in late April to coincide with my birthday. Of course, that will depend on my ability to save money to buy it. Right now it seems like I would be able to pull it off, but life sometimes happens when you're making plans.<br />Of course I will need to buy some batteries and the LE-EA4 converter to be able to mount my current A-Mount lenses on it. Eventually I will want native lenses so will also have to start saving money for future lenses. Hoping that some video work will pay for all of this.<br />
I will probably also need to change the name of this blog, after years of shooting with the A99 and the A99ii. I think it will be good to have an e-mount camera so that my blog will appeal to more people.<br />
<br />Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-78778261015955009432019-04-13T10:51:00.001-07:002019-04-16T08:36:56.478-07:00PostI think it's time to talk a little bit about what I now use to process the images that I take with my trusty A99ii so that they will look their best when I eventually show them.<br />
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I currently am using Lightroom Classic CC for most of my processing needs, finishing some photos in Photoshop CC. I do try to NOT use Photoshop is possible but it does allow me to overcome some issues and improve on what the camera captures.</div>
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My previous posts showed me relying on Irfanview for culling, the process of initial selection of which photos to keep and which to reject. I still use that tool from time to time but once I got my new fancy workstation I sought to just use Lightroom instead, and even called support to describe to them what my needs were. We finally came to a method for culling that I really wish would have been easier to access and find but is definitely there!</div>
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What I wanted is a way to easily view photos full screen, and mark which ones I didn't want. Once marked, I wanted Lightroom to advance to the next one and not show unmarked ones anymore. It might sound petty but when you have 5000 photos from a wedding to go through, this is can be a real time saver. The other issue was that I wanted to go through all the photos quickly without the need to create tons of previews, a lengthy process when you have a lot of photos. Instead I wanted to use the jpg preview already built into the RAW files the A99ii generates. </div>
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To do that, when importing I chose <i>Build Previews: Embedded & Sidecar</i>.</div>
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I also generally choose Develop Settings: Creative - Warm Contrast, to apply my favorite preset to all the photos. I will describe how I use the preset later on.<br />
Now that I have all the photos in Lightroom, on the right lower side of the screen I will switch to the filter to <i>flagged</i>.As nothing is currently flagged, the view will show none of the photos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8hcYKdcOq4oOAZG59jw6c5AwrPPCYf2anZbFDPNOF3OKqiEavN4d3mH3pGx_r2n9JqmIZ9V1DkqFrir1Q9Pzl_HbfRxRsw3LRmjT6fdDZWfyfmMfqYBjPL4ad81AAjnMbSyCrPZDUxY/s1600/flagged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="623" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8hcYKdcOq4oOAZG59jw6c5AwrPPCYf2anZbFDPNOF3OKqiEavN4d3mH3pGx_r2n9JqmIZ9V1DkqFrir1Q9Pzl_HbfRxRsw3LRmjT6fdDZWfyfmMfqYBjPL4ad81AAjnMbSyCrPZDUxY/s400/flagged.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then I will click the middle flag. This will now show all the photos except those that have been marked for deletion. Having a 4K screen this process that I have to do each time is quite inconvenient but it works.</div>
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Now I press F on the keyboard to enter full screen mode. pressing the right key cycles through the photos while X marks photos you don't think you'll need. Once flagged for deletion you'll no longer see that photo and Lightroom will cycle to the next one. Sometimes I just want the best photos marked and leave some of the others just in case. In that case I mark for deletion (X) all the ones that are out of focus or otherwise unusable and press 5 on the keyboard to give a 5-star rating to the photos I really like.</div>
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Once done, Ctrl+Backspace will offer to delete all the photos marked for deletion. To see just the photos marked as 5-stars I switch the filter to rated and press the five stars button (also a bit small for my 4K screen.</div>
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What about editing? What do I commonly use?</div>
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As mentioned, I really only use the one develop setting: Creative - Warm Contrast. The reason why I like it is because it warms up any scene, adding some pleasant brown to it. I find that it works much better than simply warming up a photo by adjusting the temperature of a photo. That said, I almost never use it in the default setting of 100. Instead, I typically crank it down to 50. How much I actually use depends on the original photo. There are of course situations where I don't use it all like a scene lit by candles or fire and full direct sun scenes. The full benefit of this develop setting will show when shooting on overcast days.</div>
The downside of this develop setting is that it sometimes makes blue objects go green. If that happens you can change calibration settings to add some blue back.<br />
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That might alter the look of the photo in ways you might not like. Lowering the vibrance might help somewhat but in some situations you might need to finish a photo in photoshop, layering two instances of the photo, one with the develop setting and one without.</div>
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I really wish Adobe add a tool enabling selective use of develop settings to Lightroom so that blue objects could be excluded from it.</div>
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Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-44088571220404571352018-12-02T11:27:00.001-08:002018-12-02T11:27:40.607-08:00Godox TT350SI've been looking for a while for a solid small flash to add to my arsenal. After a few years of just using OCF (Off Camera Flash - radio controlled). I felt I needed some on-camera flash to supplement my OCF flashes like the AD200 with some light bouncing from the ceiling onto people's faces.<br />
I tried using My TT865s but it was too bulky and heavy for my style, especially when turning my A99ii sideways for vertical photos. Yes, I know some people have very large Canon/Nikon cameras with big flashes mounted, but I like to be very agile and flexible, especially in crowded events.<br />
Once I got the TT350S I actually fell in love with it. It's nice to only have to use two AAs, and it's light weight makes it perfect to mount anywhere, to put in my pockets, and to give it to people to hold.<br /><br /><br />
Here it is mounted on a railing above to provide a bit more subtle light.<br />
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Here it is fist bumping the AD200 for a new style of photos I'm trying out, developed out of my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.801006473263529&type=1&l=d685687a48">Heroines of Light</a> project.<br />
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And here is held in a demonstration/vigil in the Oregon Zoo.<br /><br /><br />
It just shows how versatile that small flash is, and surprisingly enough unlike many other small to medium flashes it also tilts to the side in case you want to bounce some light from the wall, which surely will be useful once weddings season starts.<br />
<br />Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-12193797478439326502018-11-25T22:55:00.000-08:002019-07-13T07:51:22.719-07:00Tips for Family and Portrait PhotoshootsA lot of what I do is portrait photography so I thought I might share some tips with y'all. I will update this post periodically as more tips come in :)<br />
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1. Don't put people in direct sunlight. It is too bright and people will be squinting. Some people cannot even handle ANY sunlight, even if it's backlighting them. You can try to tell them to close their eyes and then open them when you shoot, but for some people that doesn't even work, especially if they have narrow or sensitive eyes. In any session I would recommend taking at least some photos in the shade and if possible using flash strobes to augment your shot.<br />
2. Avoid shooting in weird shadows, like the ones produced by tree leaves. Otherwise you'll spend a lot of time in photoshop trying to fix it and often still having weird results. If you have too, use an off camera flash to even out the light on face. </div>
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2. Shoot in different apertures. That way you'll have different options for the final edit. For example, I just shot this man and the eyes and hair were in focus but the nose was slightly out of focus. Luckily I could easily paste a nose for other photos while still retaining a nicely blurred background.<br />
3. Small children tend to like putting their fingers in their mouth during photo sessions. To avoid that, ask the parents to bring a toy, a doll, a ball or anything that they would like to hold and be cute in the photo.<br />
4. Most children do NOT have a long attention span. If possible, set your camera to high frame rate mode and take as many photos possible at the start of any group photo that includes kids.<br />
5. When shooting more than one person, always switch sides and relative positions. That will help you immensely in editing in case someone accidently casts a shadow on the other person or if the light quality looks different for some reason.<br />
6. When shooting in forests, have people wear colors that stand out. I would especially recommend avoiding greys, greens, browns and blacks. Any red, purple or blue will stand out in that situation and probably in any location.<br />
7. Ask people to smile and then not to smile. If you do this a few times you might get a more genuine smile, just from them having to switch rapidly.<br />
8. Ask families to sing. It loosens them up sometimes, choose a main person in the family and have them sing to that person. If they don't know any songs, pick the "A B C" song.<br />
9. A lot of people tend to automatically put their hands in their pockets. Kids tend to put their hands in their mouth or worse, nose. One way of dealing with this is to ask people to clap before the shot is taken. This will sometimes also help with stiffness of body.<br />10. A lot of kids have oral fixations, which means that they put their hands or other objects in their mouth and do not want to pull them out. I've seen many parents pull their kids' fingers out violently. While that might work, the kids seem to be in a bad mood once that happens. Other parents start negotiating with their kids, even bribing. That also works sometimes but takes a lot of precious time out of the photoshoot time and other members of the family might lose interest at that time. One trick that I've used is to tell a posed family clap their hands. Hrd mentality seem to make kids magically pull their fingers out of their mouth and put down the stick they picked up that just doesn't fit in the photo. You don't necessarily have to take the photo where the family is clapping. With a bit of practice, tell the family to stop clapping and then take the photo.<br />
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Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-5106299593195256492018-09-17T09:10:00.002-07:002018-09-17T09:10:45.293-07:00The CompetitionSo, as you know I really like my A99ii and being able to crop from 42 megapixels really saved me a few times and really helps when you're only shooting with primes. That said, in some ways I am looking forward to switching to e-mount sometimes in the future as a-mount seem to be winding down and mirrorless seem to offer better features.<br />
That said, the e-mount camera that I would want does not exist yet. While the A7rIII is okay and will probably do, I will probably wait for its successor to be a year at least on the market before commiting to a purchase so it might still be two-three years in the future before I start considering a new purchase.<br />
I remember a few months ago we had a discussion on a Sony Facebook group about which camera would we buy if Sony didn't make stills cameras anymore. Nothing really good was available at that point, hitting the sweet spot in terms of price/features.<br />
However, now both Nikon, Canon and soon Panasonic are finally coming out with full frame mirrorless cameras packed with features.<br />
As the Internet is packed with reviews and opinions about the new cameras, I'm only going to be discussing one feature, the two slots. That feature was missing from early mirrorless cameras but of course was available in both the A99 and the A99ii. It is currently missing from both Nikon and Canon's offering and might not even come in a future model by these companies in the next two years. I am still hoping Panasonic will make it happen in it's upcoming release.<br />
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Why do we need it? People keep talking about what would happen if a card gets corrupted which is a valid concern, but there are actually more uses for dual slots:<br /><br />
1. Same day editing/slideshow - Sure you can setup Wifi or Bluetooth to transfer jpegs to a laptop or phone, but with current technology that might still be slow and prone to failures. Nothing faster than taking a fast SD card from your camera and putting it in the laptop slot.<br />
2. Second photography - There are a lot of second photographers are out there who as part as their contract are allowed to use the photos for their own portfolio and all of them would be served well by writing RAW files to two cards, one given to them by their employer, the other, their own to take home.<br />
3. Fast card switching - with current SD card sizes you don't need to fish in your bag for a change of card. Even if you need to switch right before an the throwing of the bouquet, it's much easier just switching to the other card than looking through your bag,<br />
4. Emergency card - even if you never ever ever will write to both cards, it is a comforting thought to know that you always have another card there in case your card fails on you, in case you forgot your card in the reader, really any sort of issue.<br />
5. Sorting - I honestly never used writing stills to one card and video to the other. That said, it is one of these features you never ever need until you have a project where it is needed.Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-86793818619061626992018-08-07T17:54:00.001-07:002021-09-21T12:26:58.076-07:00Shooting a promo with the A99ii and the RX10IVA recurring client asked me if I had access to a camera that does 240fps. He had this idea of doing an <a href="https://youtu.be/YTK1C36sugg">Avengers inspired promo</a> for a <a href="https://municipalbroadbandpdx.org/">Municipal Broadband</a> campaign that required some major slow mo running.<br />
The A99ii only does 120fps and I was tempted to a moment to just shoot 120fps and extend it to 240fps in Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects. There are also some specialized and pretty expensive pro slow motion cameras out there that I could rent. However, since the Sony Pro service allows me to get some loaner equipment to test (that they send through LensRentals) I decided to go with the RX10IV, one of the better point and shoots that Sony has made, kind of a go to camera if you need 600mm or 240fps in a small affordable camera.<br />
Because I didn't how how the RX10IV would work, just to be on the safe side, I also got a 70-400mm lens for my A99ii. Generally I don't use zoom lenses, but I wanted to try perhaps doing some zooms. That was a mistake as I soon realized that hand held zooming and focusing at the same proved impossible. Next time I will probably get an FS5 some other "true" video camera for this.<br />
That said, both cameras worked well. The RX10IV is really light and the 70-400mm lens is surprisingly easy to use on the A99ii and not heavy at all. All the shots were handheld to convey a sense of urgency and action so it was great to have something light but not too light to work with.<br />
I used the A99ii on 400mm for most of the non slow-mo shots of the people hanging in the park, switching to my 20mm prime lens to shoot the greedy corporation owners. I did use my 85mm lens for a few of the shots when necessary, like the chess game, because it had an Over the Shoulder aspect that I didn't want to lose.<br />
I used the RX10IV exclusively for slow motion shots, as Sony calls them, HFR (High Frame Rate) mode. It only shoots 4 seconds of quality 1080p/24fps that makes it 40 second shot for use in editing. Once you're finished with shot, it renders it out to file in front of your eyes. So you need to be well planned to shoot in this mode and wait a little between takes. A few good youtube videos about this helped be to be somewhat prepared for that. The footage though looks really really good, I guess that's the important part.<br />
Since it's summer here and the shoot was to be held between 11am and 4pm, we had to deal with some really bright sun and/or strong contrast. I decided to shoot in S-Log 3, also after watching a few videos about this. Both cameras have the same menus to activate this. These menus are poorly designed and difficult to figure out. MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Picture Profile] → PP8 should get you there though. You should also set MENU → (Setup) → [Gamma Disp. Assist] to S-Log3, so you could properly see what the end result could look like.<div>That said, S-Log3 works really well in contrasty shots. It forces you to shoot in ISO 800, but it looks good. That said, in situations where there is less contrast I would not advise you to shoot in that mode as it hinders the ability to focus, either manually o with Auto focus.<br />
Editing was kind of easy, I found <a href="http://45jo5o2sxknq2fucgi3kwxpa.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/NOAM_KROLL_SLOG3_LUT.cube_.zip">a free preset to use</a>. That said, color correction proved challenging at times as the bright colors provided by S-Log were sometimes really different from one another, depending on where we shot and what colors were in the scene.<br />
Would I but the RX10IV? Probably not. I hope usable 240fps come to the Alpha family soon, perhaps on the A7iii that is out soon? I also hope for better control of the camera while shooting slow motion, as the current RX10IV option is to be stuck on auto throughout the shot. I would also hope for something longer than 4 seconds, just in case it is needed.<br />
That said, the tools I were using were sufficient to make the promo. We complemented them with some drone footage to provide even more drama. I think at this point I still would rather hire a drone operator for these shots rather than buy one myself. I guess I am still in fear of crashing a drone :)<br />
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<br /></div>Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-91008032157947224122018-05-16T14:03:00.001-07:002018-07-22T14:47:43.291-07:00Adventures in 85mmI purchased my Sigma 85 1.4 lens second hand. At the time I wasn't doing much auto focusing, especially with tele lenses, due to to my specific cinematic style. Because of that I'm not sure if when I got it the AF was already broken or if it got that way later on. What is this cinematic style that I speak of? I guess it's a style that lets me in video change focus from one person to another or even choose to go from out-of-focus to focus if a shot requires it. Even on stills shots it allows you to select which person or what object will be in focus. I know some current cameras do it with touch screens, but these don't always work well for for focus pulling and I would rather change focus while using the viewfinder.<br />
So for a long time I was using my sigma lens only in manual mode, but it fast became my go-to lens. I spend a LOT of money to buy Zeiss 50mm 1.4 and used it practically for everything but soon after getting the 85mm I found myself more and more drawn to using it. As I mostly shoot people the 85mm seemed like a great solution for weddings in small to medium venues, producing "beauty" shots without the hassle that comes with shooting with the 200mm in a room with a large crowd. The 85nn just seemed perfect for isolating a person while still retaining a sense of the room that person is in and the people next to that person.<br />
I still use the 50mm if I want a few people in the shot and for formals. I also use the 20mm lens but RARELY.<br />
Even shooting in nature, where I know the 200mm is popular I would rather use the 85mm because I feel that I can get more of the actual nature rather than just a blur a person floats in.<br />
That said, since I got the A99ii I started experimenting with Eye-AF options. While not as great as in the latest Sony A7/9 models it is still worth using. However, it requires a working AF, so I waited for the right time to send my lens to Sigma.<br />
As I am a working photographer, I decided to get a loaner lens courtesy of Sony PRO services. It actually comes from LensRantals.com.<br />
At first they told me that due to their Kando 2.0 event that I wouldn't be able to get a loaner at the time I wanted it, but a few e-mails later they realized that they didn't actually need any A-Mount lenses so I could actually get the loaner. Sometimes it pays to be the underdog I guess. So I got the Sony Zeiss 85mm 1.4 lens that week and sent my Sigma 85 1.4 lens to Kurt's Camera Repair In San Diego, an authorized service center of Sigma, after confirming with them that they can fix it.<br />
Once it got there they realized that they didn't have the right equipment to fix A-Mount lenses. I guess sometimes it doesn't pay to be the underdog. So they sent it to the main Sigma lab in upstate NY. As to be expected it took a while for it to be shipped there and back so my two weeks with the loaner were over so I get left without the 85mm and had to to a family photoshoot with just the 50mm and 200mm lenses.<br />
The good news was that though I had no proof of purchase whatsoever Sigma decided to fix my lens for free. So I only had to pay around 60$ for shipment which was cool.<br />
The Sony Zeiss 85mm 1.4 was okay, and did the job on a small wedding where I used it extensively.<br />
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That said without and scientific or even extensive testing I find the Zeiss lens to be a kind of bland lens when compared to the Sigma lens that has better colors and bokeh as far as I could tell.<br />
So I was happy to finally, after three and a half weeks to get my Sigma lens back which I plan to use on Sunday for my next fire dancing photoshoot.<br />
<br />Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-2838545351486905552018-03-26T21:48:00.002-07:002018-03-26T21:48:34.742-07:00It's Video Time!I haven't done a lot video projects since I got the A99ii so I was excited to make <a href="https://youtu.be/tHzLTpYe1_k">this video</a> for the non-profit bike shop <a href="http://b4hpdx.org/">Bikes for Humanity</a>, promoting bike maintenance and use in the community.<br />
Sometimes the bike shop can be a bit hectic, busy with volunteers fixing bikes and having fun, so initially I thought that would be a good style for the promotional video, explaining about how they were moving next door. So I did an hour or so of test shooting using the auto-focus options of the A99ii, because I needed to also ask questions in the interview while handholding the camera and moving it around. I figured that manual focusing while doing all that would be a bit much. As you might now by now if you own the camera, it goes into P mode and locks the aperture to 3.5. It's not too bad if the lighting is okay but can be quite bothersome and inflexible in some scenarios. Auto focusing seem to work well at times, but miss the mark at other times, switching from a person's face to the computer monitor in front of him for example. Also i had some bike mechanics show me some equipment, bringing it forward, but the camera would not lock on it, always seemingly preferring a face.<br />
I realized that style wasn't really doing it for me, especially considering the limitations on the A99ii. So instead I decided to switch to a completely different style, inspired by the film director <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yx8rGa2TlQ&t=129s">Wes Anderson</a>.<br />
That involved putting the camera on a tripod and shooting very static shots. I also decided not to have the main shop operator talk to the camera but add his voice as narration which simplified both production and the post process. <br />
The movie was planned to be edited in 1080p but I did shoot the opening exterior shots with the new 4K capabilities. That allowed me to stand at the opposite side of the street, shooting two storefronts and having Andrew, the Bikes for Humanity administrator, walk from one storefront to the other while the "camera" is tracking him. Without 4K I would have had to rent an expensive dolly and spend a lot of time trying to make the movement perfect. Instead I just zoomed into the footage and did pan and scan instead in Premiere Pro CC2018, changing the position of the footage.<br />
This kind of trick shows the advantages of new technology. Sure, you could have made the same shot 40 years ago, but it would have been much more costly, requiring a crew of at least 6 people. Instead I could do this for no cost with just me and Andrew.<br />
For the rest of the shoot I really utilized focus peaking to manage how much of the frame is in focus and where it is. I set it to medium and the color to red, a color that really pops out, shooting in 1080p 60p, except for one shot that had a bike spinning where I used S & Q slow motion in 120p. I also took some drone shots with a non-Sony camera :)<br />
The trickiest shot for me was the one for the end credits. I wanted the feel of a dolly but didn't have one. So I used the Minolta 200mm 2.8 and just panned across the mural. I adjusted in post by scaling the shot a little bit and rotating it to compensate for the changing horizon. Pans are tricky shots, especially if you plan to add text in post by tracking the shot. I ended up shooting in 1080 120pfs with a shutter speed of 1/250. This meant I had double the amount of frames I needed to edit in 60p for smooth tracking which I did with Imagineer Mocha and After Effects. After tracking the movement (using the full 120fps) and attaching the text, I slowed the footage down. The important thing to remember is NOT to use frame blending or any other optical frame estimation in either After Effects or any software you might use. Your footage should already have extra frames to allow for smooth slow motion. <br />
I like the video in the A99ii much better than the so-so video that the A99 had. It is much cleaner with a better codec and improved bitrate. Though I wasn't really using the recorded sound, the internal microphone provided much better clearer usable sound than the original sound did in the indoor scene<br />
That said, the new specs on the Sony e-mount camera makes me wish I had one so that I could have things like video eye-AF, AF in M mode and higher frame rate slow motion.<br />
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<br />Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-33203262795530438322017-07-28T08:35:00.001-07:002017-07-28T08:47:37.598-07:00Ring ShotsWeddings are typically a high paced event. However, sometimes you have some free time on your hand because the makeup/hair process is late or let's say the same six people dance on the floor while you are waiting for the end of the party to do the sendoff.<br />
So what do you do with your spare time? You can rest, that is a valid option but frowned upon in some circles. You can take photos of details, signs, food, etc, or you can take photos of the rings.<br />
My specialization is portraits, and that is the main reason for why I get hired, but that said when approaching the rings I wanted to do the best I could, because I didn't want to be limited by what I am naturally good at.<br />
I got this recommendation to put the rings on a mirror, but I couldn't find one and didn't bring one with me. Luckily for me I brought a shiny dress to do this, a dress I used before on an artistic photoshoot because I liked how it looked when using a shallow depth of field in the sun.<br />
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I also brought with me a Tamron Macro 90 2.8 lens and a portable light tripod. For the lighting I had an assistant hold a Westcott IceLight for me. I put the ring on the dress, set the aperture to 8.0 or more and took the photos. It is important to know that you use a much more closed aperture setting that you would use for let's say closeup shots of a face if you want the rings to be in focus. A good tripod definitely would come handy here as you can set your shutter speed to a slow exposure so you wouldn't have to use high ISO for these shots.<br />
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I used the same technique to create the couple's save-the-date video using a different more velvety dress to create a more subtle in-camera effect.<br />
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The into the light effect is simply done by having my assistant wave the IceLight on top of the objects including the ring.<br />
I decided to use a different backdrop for my last rings photoshoot. My assistant brought her tablet with her and we placed the rings on it. At first i used a black background.<br />
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It kind of looks like a mirror. Then we switched to a white background.<br />
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I did like the IceLight reflection on the tablet and decided to use it.<br />
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Then we loaded some photos from the client's Facebook page to serve as a background.<br />
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It's important the clean the tablet before placing the rings, and also have something to wipe it between background changes because tablets are notorious for attracting fingerprints.<br />
You could probably also use a phone, especially if it has a large screen, and even your laptop, especially if it is as flexible as my HP Envy x360. Potentially you can also do this without a Tripod as long as your hands are stable, your shutter speed is around 1/200, your camera or lens has a good stabilizer and your camera handles high ISO well. <br />
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<br />Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-90980085534883824832017-06-27T11:26:00.001-07:002017-06-27T11:26:32.616-07:00Using technology to make different stylistic choiceThe A99ii is a very impressive camera, lots of pixels, good ISO and nice AF.<br />
My recent client was really impressed at the photos I was able to pull of a crowd in a corporate lecture, sitting mostly in the dark.<br />
I was using two remote flashes, using my latest favorite style of having a backlight and a side backlight to light people.<br />
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The dynamic range of the A99ii allows me to pull of this shots in a dark huge room.<br />
Then again, that is probably the style I would use with the original A99. Sometimes incremental changes can make a good technique in to a terrific technique.<br />
However, current Sony cameras are not just nice cameras, like the A900 was, with nice warm colors and good lenses. They also allow you to do things otherwise almost impossible in other cameras.<br />
The eye auto focus is a good example. While hardly as good an implementation as in the latest e-mount mirrorless cameras, it still allows you to create a unique style of photography that I tried for the first time for this event, but it might be relevant for weddings.<br />
Having good ISO (set to auto) for event photography means I can allow myself to shoot with a fast shutter and an aperture of 4.0-5.6 when shooting groups of people talking. I mostly use the great Zeiss 50mm 1.4 lens for that, knowing I'll get sharp and pleasant photos where people will not look all of a sudden wider if they stand at the edge of the frame as happens with most wider lenses.<br />
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This way I don't have to worry about people being out of focus or blurry hands when people talk with their hands or make a sharp movement for any reason.<br />
However, that limits you to a very specific style of photography. I did
use this "safe" style for a while and then I got bored with it and
decided to experiment with Eye-AF and the aperture set at 1.4. As this
lens is phenomenal I knew my photos would still be sharp where focused,
especially with the lower ISO. <br />
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As you can see this way of shooting goes a long way to create a blurred background in situations where you have to think quickly and still hit the perfect focus. I hope to use this style in an upcoming wedding when I come back from my upcoming vacation. Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-89407984277433184672017-06-18T21:38:00.002-07:002018-10-09T10:22:40.060-07:00Tips for Weddings and other major eventsI thought of taking a break from talking about technology and share my a few wedding photography tips from my years of expereience. These tips can also be useful in other events or photography genres.<br />
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1. Arrive an hour before the event starts. Yes, you are not getting paid for it, but that doesn't matter in the long run. It's good to have time to plug in your batteries, get a feel of the venue, catch some extra behind the scenes photos. I will probably repeat this but I always try to give my clients some extras. I know that the money doesn't matter as much as repeat clients and clients who will give you good reviews and recommend you to their friends and family.<br />
2. Dress sharply! It makes feel better and on many occasions I shared shirts, jackets and more with my male clients. In general, I try to feel less like a caterer (I know some photographers dress like that) and more like a party guest. I try to be close to my clients and get excited for them on their special day. Also , my last groom forgot to pack his dress shirt, so that definitely saved the day.<br />
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I love this photo of a cute couple and my own jacket :) <br />
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3. Know things about your clients, ask them about their hobbies, what they like to do in their spare time, what is their job, etc. You never know when that will come in handy.<br />
4. Tell your clients to do everything slowly, especially ring exchanges and cutting of cake, but also the walk down the isle. Politicians know this, they pose for ever and ever, shaking hands for a couple of minutes, Your bride and groom will probably not know this and being nervous will probably do things on overdrive unless told in advance.<br />
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5. Make sure there's enough time for posed shots, in a nice location. Tell them if they just want to do it in the hotel parking lot, or the ugly park nearby, they might regret it.<br />
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6. Never argue with the client. If they want a little more photo manipulation, do it. If they say there are not enough photos of anything, even if it's not your fault, agree and try to fix it as much as you can. Sometimes out of focus photos can be salvaged, photos can be cropped to fit a person and you should definitely get the videographer's info, as you might use a photo-shopped video still of some obscure aunt that you might have missed, to save the day.<br />
7. Photoshop is your friend. As a photographer I do wish all my photos were perfect. However, they are not, especially in group photos, where sometimes a person would blink, look aside or lose an adorable smile. Young children and babies are notorious for doing their own thing while everybody else is obediently smiling at the camera. A lot of the times I combine parts of different photos of the same shot. <br />
8. That said you should always strive to make the group photos better. Always make sure that people are looking at the camera. You would be surprised at how many times, even grownups who know what they are there for will stand there with all their friends and family and just look aside, looking lost at thought. I typically just look at the people before putting my eyes on the viewfinder or LCD and make sure everybody realizes what they should be doing.<br />
9. Even if you are testing some people's patience, try to take most photos at different aperture and exposures if possible. I set my aperture at 4 for most shots, cranking it to 5.6 when I have a group of people. Sure, some shots of a single person, or two people when one is out of focus could look very nice at 2.8 or even 1.4 and the shallow depth of field style has been proven quite popular, but I always try to take backup photos at more closed aperture, because there is nothing more annoying than a good shot that is somewhat out of focus, or a shot of more than one person where someone is out of focus.<br />
10. Have fun! Any job in my mind is not worth doing if you don't enjoy it, if you don't like it. Sure, holding a camera and running around might be stressful, even painful at times. The only way in my mind to justify such a vocation is not only liking the results but also enjoying the process, being with people, talking to people, experiencing emotions together with people you don't know and finding the uniqueness in each person.<br />
11. Talk to your clients about alcohol consumption. It's okay if they want to get hammered on their special day but I would recommend to lay off the booze until after the formals or any other posed photos. It makes it incredibly difficult for people to follow even the simplest instruction when they are intoxicated, especially trying to get a lot of people to stand without casting shadows on each other and looking at a camera. Also, some people, especially men gets flustered and their faces turn purple or red. Some people make faces that are decidedly not photogenic.<br />
12. Floral arrangements should need be higher than the people when they are sitting. It makes for awkward compositions and messes with any flash photography or any direct light like that of a sun setting down, creating unwanted shadow. While this should definitely be floral arrangement 101, it doesn't hurt to warn the couple about this at your consultation. <br />
13. When you take photos of people with pants, make sure people take their cellphones, wallets, lipsticks and anything else out so you wouldn't have to photoshop it out later on.<br />
14. Ask your clients about the parking situation. It seems like many clients don't think about the amount of cars that would appear in awkward places like behind the ceremony or the send-off. It's not always possible but maybe they could work on limiting where people park.<br />
<br />Amit Zinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392365100256558300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-10808567193604130842017-05-19T21:34:00.002-07:002017-07-15T15:02:49.756-07:00ISO 6400 is the new ISO 3200I think by now I've used the A99ii on two events where the low-light capabilities were tested. On the last event, a local election night coverage, I set it to Auto ISO but soon discovered that all the shots were in ISO 6400, so I set it manually to 6400. You can set the maximum and minimum ISO like this:<br />
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It doesn't go in smaller increments, so over 6400 you get 12800 rather than 8000. <br />
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The good news is that images look really great at ISO6400. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rVTvpQjN7mL3_asZN1aeKAp4h9hWV2M8X7TXXuwR69BRrgI0J0HEapUda9vCSJ7nsjlF0SWhV5uH7D2hK0uPFD4xJaQY9O8bmrssDGHirkVT8ybnmfk5W2L7NSj4rRiIcb5CUgf2C0Dm/s1600/DSC00068-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rVTvpQjN7mL3_asZN1aeKAp4h9hWV2M8X7TXXuwR69BRrgI0J0HEapUda9vCSJ7nsjlF0SWhV5uH7D2hK0uPFD4xJaQY9O8bmrssDGHirkVT8ybnmfk5W2L7NSj4rRiIcb5CUgf2C0Dm/s640/DSC00068-Edit.JPG" width="640" /></a>Color is nice, noise is barely noticeable. I did use some flashes this time to supplement the light coming from the window and the venue's brown lights. The lights were set to 1/16 or 1/32 so as to blend well with the ambience.<br />
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That said, as soon I went over 6400 ISO, photos were visibly degraded.
Color was smudged and brownish. Also, the pixel count does not really matter at that point. I wish the camera would just decrease the number of pixels at that point, to save on disk space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFAO1wqdHUhRJzN7gPoVxjiVUf7cQSeTNPS1yCUmXJizag2VTqM1DfbPMKKG8re0C7RchZ19-G8rW3o5mCdd618bDYWAstdnLFNEKbXDIEt-npCJCcOxKow7pHRTlGuHBXF0MhNB4nZuf/s1600/DSC09447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFAO1wqdHUhRJzN7gPoVxjiVUf7cQSeTNPS1yCUmXJizag2VTqM1DfbPMKKG8re0C7RchZ19-G8rW3o5mCdd618bDYWAstdnLFNEKbXDIEt-npCJCcOxKow7pHRTlGuHBXF0MhNB4nZuf/s640/DSC09447.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Due to compression you might not be able to tell but there is just no point for this photo to be 42.4MP. I have to admit that these photos are still usable, even though I might personally not like their quality very much. Sometimes your clients just want a documentation of what's happening.<br />
There are some good news though. The photos would look better in high ISO if the light is between 3200K and 5600K. It will look better if the contrast is good. Also, if you left the high ISO on by mistake, as in the A99 in a lot of cases the photo will NOT be overexposed. The camera will figure out that it has enough light for the pixels and will compensate.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-32365570074445323932017-05-14T13:06:00.000-07:002017-07-15T15:03:24.298-07:00Good news and Bad newsI had a little more time and real life experience to check the A99ii. The good news: high ISO as expected is much improved. This makes the A99ii in low light and even regular room situation a totally different camera than the A99. For the first time shooting inside a room that I didn't use ANY flashes and put the ISO to auto without worrying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY3C9rr7T-i1_ouB3Z0L7VIGRN7n6VBBIgNKVagy9dOcnirYjAr5-QNloXfXQNkGuaNZABLCxFedXYu6xkvee1rBk-H6gOXqJdX734UgqSEZPBZS4MXdtzbqqZqOm_j-SMG7wabBgV4mn/s1600/DSC05046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY3C9rr7T-i1_ouB3Z0L7VIGRN7n6VBBIgNKVagy9dOcnirYjAr5-QNloXfXQNkGuaNZABLCxFedXYu6xkvee1rBk-H6gOXqJdX734UgqSEZPBZS4MXdtzbqqZqOm_j-SMG7wabBgV4mn/s640/DSC05046.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokXyIdxSWJ99o9dJcnqXVqvgcU1pqHBXIdEcbmOECV77y8Bn19_Qf4v8vh2_Mt5bSrAdFvd8ltUND5-vwax8oEqqSXl75adryqUOYLXvHPbH8nWeKBpcT6NlS7kEDaz1Gcg3OcTuwHEu8/s1600/DSC05392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokXyIdxSWJ99o9dJcnqXVqvgcU1pqHBXIdEcbmOECV77y8Bn19_Qf4v8vh2_Mt5bSrAdFvd8ltUND5-vwax8oEqqSXl75adryqUOYLXvHPbH8nWeKBpcT6NlS7kEDaz1Gcg3OcTuwHEu8/s640/DSC05392.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also took one photo in real high ISO 16,000 and the results were so so.<br />
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The photo looks kind of okay as long as you don't look to closely realizing the woman's face isn't really all there. So I guess that is reasonable. The A99ii is NOT the A7s, but as long as your eyes can see something, the camera will also be able to see it well. That was definitely NOT the case with the first A99. Here is another sample from a church wedding, still no flashes employed, even though I had them with me.<br />
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I actually m now using the flashes more for outside shoots than for low-light shoots. The rationale as I mention in previous post is that I want to put my clients in the shade so they will squint less.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJy7FlBET_e81EJEOKb_TIwlkLLYPWkE0Nq7a4f3k2JNyhMdKNfOB2C6dZ1AVpeYQP0N8V9cqHl43ndOQ0_CI5K9TJajwJVYFZzP6svnHbgPgX5D97KDesGocOAlUeECVR_HpaZwKMTcFc/s1600/DSC08592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJy7FlBET_e81EJEOKb_TIwlkLLYPWkE0Nq7a4f3k2JNyhMdKNfOB2C6dZ1AVpeYQP0N8V9cqHl43ndOQ0_CI5K9TJajwJVYFZzP6svnHbgPgX5D97KDesGocOAlUeECVR_HpaZwKMTcFc/s640/DSC08592.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Now for some bad news: The inner RAW viewer on the A99ii probably creates a jpeg version of the photo taken that does not represent the final output really well. I wasn't really sure that the photo about of the bride in tears was in focus until I get home and offloaded the photos. Even zooming all in, I wasn't really sure. I guess I could have used Wifi to take a better look, perhaps I will try it next time. I am pretty sure now that I can't rely on the internal viewer, even when zoomed in, to tell me how good the photo would look later on. I do hope Sony will fix that, but I am not holding my breath as the previous A99 model didn't receive any update except for accommodating some lenses.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-88591838812114329122017-05-03T18:05:00.001-07:002017-07-15T15:03:49.896-07:00First impressionsOn Saturday, I had two photo shoots with the A99ii. The morning one was a maternity photo shoot with this nice couple I know. We drove out to Lewis and Clark, a very nice campus surrounded by trees. It is actually even too large for someone who doesn't know it very well. On the other hand it is totally free and allowed to shoot there unlike most places in Portland, including some public parks tat require you to have a permit and insurance or pay an entrance fee on some days.<br />
I knew I wouldn't see all the benefits during a daytime photoshoot where the A99 would probably be more than enough. The menu system on the A99ii is quite overwhelming, not that much better than the A99's but with more options, so more wondering around. The good news: You can utilize the custom buttons for the things you need. I programmed the one in front of the camera to eye-AF and the back lower one to "Live View Display", a vunery important option to me, to be able to switch between seeing what the camera sees or a brighter higher ISO display that makes it easier to focus manually in dark situations or see the objects when using flashes to light a scene. I did not end up changing that option until my second gig that day.<br />
So the A99 was kind of a slow camera in a lot of situations. You could do a burst but it was both very loud and slow to clear to the card. Even though the files are larger, they seem to clear faster to the card. That is a double edged sword as you might end up with more photos than you would actually want, having to go through them, store them and more.<br />
Other than that it didn't feel like a new camera. I did have to decide how to light the couple expecting the baby, and I tried a few things. In a few shots I let the sun light their faces.<br />
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As you can see the photo works as the sun is filtered a little bit by the tress, but the pregnant woman is squinting.<br />
Other shots, the scene was back lit by the sun and ambient light lit their face.<br />
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I also used a reflector in some shots, especially when it was just the woman.</div>
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As you can see she also squints in that one, even though I did try the trick of having eyes closed, counting down and then opening the eyes.</div>
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For the final couple shot I put them in the shade and used my Yungnuo YN560IV flash hooked to the Godox external PB8205 battery to light their faces. The flash had a softener and Chinese lantern on it to make the light as soft as possible while still using full capacity.</div>
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You can see that even though the light was softened since flash is pretty close compared to the sun, there is some easily fixable shadows on his face and on her chest.. That said, her eyes in this photo are wide open or at least as much as is possible when standing in bright day light.<br />
I guess instead of geeking out my new expensive camera, I geeked out on lighting, always the better choice. That said, in future events, the A99ii will let me use existing lighting to light a scene, perhaps with just a little help from LEDs or flashes.<br />
The night job I had that day was working a photo booth at a prom. Not a very exciting job, but it's good to get into the high school market any way you can. For the first time I was supposed to use the HDMI to show the photos to the kids whose photos i was taking, on a large screen. Unfortunately, the A99ii as well as other Sony still camera use a totally different HDMI connector than other pro cameras . So I ended up not using the screen and showing the photos on my LCD screen the old way. Zooming through the photos is much easier and more responsive on the A99ii, so that's a real plus in these types of situations. Ordered a cheap converter on e-bay for future use.<br />
The other photographer manning a similar photo booth with a Nikon pro camera was using OVF for taking all the photos reminding me how different the Sony brand is. I looked at the at my LCD and so had better more direct contact with my subjects.<br />
Coming up, an evening party at a school, using probably low light photography with available light and an afternoon Independence day party, so tune in for more blog posts.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-9543163066306937432017-04-25T18:51:00.001-07:002017-07-15T15:04:06.192-07:00Got the A99iiHoorah!<br />
The A99ii got here two days before deadline from The PIXEL Connection in Chicago.<br />
The box was surprisingly small which I liked. No more boxes that are too large!<br />
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Immediately selected the front button as Eye AF :)<br />
Two things I already wish Sony would have fixed from previous model: USB-3.0 support also meaning support for higher speed SD cards, like the A9 does, and video modes.<br />
I can't believe that after all this time, the mark ii sill uses the video mode to select M mode for video. This was a real annoyance on the jobs where I took both stills and video and often forgot to switch to video mode then realized it, stopped the recording and switched to video mode, creating unnecessary small video files and wasting time. Why not just press the record button and use whatever settings the regular dial is using for stills? Too easy? Not distracting enough from your work? To switch from stills M mode to the same M mode in video I have to take my eye off the eye piece and look at the top of the camera to make sure I get the dial to the right location. That is really uncomfortable when doing documentary work.<br />
Something else that is still weird. Looking at a photo I took at ISO4000 in camera, shows a LOT of noise, and higher ISOs even more so. That noise disappears when you look at it on my laptop. Does Sony cleanup some of the noise, or does the internal viewer reads the files wrong? Wish I had answers. That said, I am impressed in how the ISO 4000 version looks on the PC as useable as the ISO 12800 one. I don't want to upload the test photos, but will have three gigs on Saturday to test the camera in different settings.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-55527473762574891902017-04-14T10:07:00.001-07:002017-04-14T10:16:59.349-07:00UpdateYes, it's been a while since I posted. I was kind of busy moving to the US, where I now live in Portland, OR.<br />
I moved from relying on the Zeiss 50mm 1.4 to using the Sigma 85 1.4 and the Minolta 200mm 2.8 more and more as I like look that they give me. I only revert to the (rather expensive) 50mm when taking photos in receptions where I "pose" people together. Even then when I have room I will use the Sigma 85 1.4 because I like the look and I can stand away from people and disturb their conversations.<br />
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I still use remote radio flashes to operate my Yongnou flashes. As you can see in the above photo the flash is far away from the people and not mounted on my camera. This makes for pleasing soft shadows and kind of looks as if the light is coming from a window. I was actually using a cheap LED light for back light on this one because one of my flashes was acting up. <br />
I am starting to add external batteries from Godox that use Lithium-ion batteries instead the AA batteries that I have grown to hate. I did get a cheap AA battery run external battery but it was so awful I returned it. It didn't even tell me when the batteries were dead. Godox's prices are coming down and if I had a time machine I'd probably buy Godox flashes as well.<br />
Had some issues with my camera, problems with auto-focusing and some dirt on the sensor I couldn't get rid of. Luckily, Sony sent their technician here to one of the local stores for a special promotional day and I got my camera and Sony/Minolta lenses cleaned for free after biking there and waiting in the rain. Was so worth it! <br />
Oh and some "small" news - I just ordered a brand new A99mk2 for my birthday! I seriously like the A99 but truth be told, even with fast lenses, I still feel like I need to rely too much on flash photography. Sometimes you come into a room and the lighting is great, even if there is not a lot of it. I could try to recreate the same atmosphere with my flashes, but why bother if you have a good sensor? In that sense the A99 was seriously behind comparable cameras such as the Canon 5Dmk3, pretty old now but still does pretty well in high ISO with relatively little noise. Sure, the A99mk2 will not shoot in absolute dark like the A7s but it will definitely provide me with more artistic options and functional solutions for when my flashes run out of juice, overheat or get broken.<br />
I want to thank my parents for helping my finance this important purchase and my friend Ori Cohen for helping me to choose where to buy from. <br />
My A99mk2 should arrive by the end of the month from Amazon Canada. I hope to post more often and tell you what my experience with it is like.<br />
Also, my Instagram is now more active showcasing my work so feel free to follow me <complete id="goog_21725282">@zinmanamit</complete> <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-57568988365682058322015-08-10T13:13:00.001-07:002015-08-10T13:22:13.035-07:00The A7r III am still waiting for news about the A99 II, to be announced next month if the rumors are correct. However, the release of the A7r II is a real game changer, and I am seriously tempted to buy one along with the LA-EA4 converter. It will be seriously expensive, but this is the first time that I am tempted to cross over to e-mount territory.<br />
Here are the reasons:<br />
1. 5-Axis stabilization - I've been doing a fair bit of hand held video and this could be really useful for me, eliminating the cumbersome use of tripods and monopods.<br />
2. Eye tracking focus - I seriously would use this feature. As time goes by I find myself using more closed shutters, going up to 4.0 and even 5.0 with my 50mm 1.4 lens, for anything but studio or studio-like work where I have time to re-check photos and move a model. But with good eye tracking focus I could try going back to 2.8 or even lower and create some stunning well focused photos even in demanding environments.<br />
3. Shoot at near darkness - SLTs are not known for their ability to shoot at high ISOs. It seems that the A7rII creates really nice photos at ISO 6400 with barely any noise and has workable noise up to double that. The A99 has noticeable noise at ISO 1600 and gets really funky at 6400.<br />
4. More pixels - This will be quite useful for printing and for crops.<br />
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So, if the A99 does not have ALL of these which I really like and could boost my work, why should I spend all that money on it when I can get one mirrorless future proof camera that already has all I want and need?<br />
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I will keep you updated as to my decision in the upcoming month. I might wait to April (my birthday to make a final decision). Then again, I might not.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-58027833409963427282015-04-25T20:20:00.000-07:002015-04-29T22:22:10.446-07:00The importance of having an adjustable LCD screen<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">One of the better reasons for me to get the A99 instead of the Canon or Nikon competition is the 3-way adjustable rear 3-inch LCD. As you might know, the A99 is the only </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">full-frame digital SLR to offer a tiltable screen.</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"> This never fails to amaze me. Canon, for example, has a superb articulate LCD which is used on the 70D SLR which I used while my A99 was being fixed (along other cameras) which not only is adjustable but also is a touch screen, like your cellphone's.<br />Many photographers seem to agree with me.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px;"><b>Hetzer, for example, on the Canon rumor board wrote, "</b></span></span><span style="color: #3f4549; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">A fully articulating screen is brilliant for stills. Low-level work (macro etc), overhead, astrophotography and just anywhere you can't get you head directly behind the camera."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Open Sans, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">Apparently, for reasons of pride and </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial;">conservativeness, not only that there is no non full-frame model to offer this (I guess Sony technically has too, if you consider the A7), future models will probably also NOT get this feature because it is considered "amateurish", perhaps due to its origin in video camera models. </span><br /><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial;">All this is silly to me, as professionally speaking, I adjust the LCD all the time. It simply allows me to better compose high or low angle shots without having to contort myself or go look for a chair or an apple box. While my A99 was away I had to make due sometimes with the A900, a very good camera producing excellent colors, but I simply had to stop doing some of my favorite composition types, or just "guess" high angle shots, that is, hold camera high and hope the framing was okay and the moment was right.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial;">Let me give an example from last day's shoot. I was shooting a nice young woman, Dana Iungelson. During sunrise, I had the perfect lighting with my reflector well positioned and my external wireless flash in the back. She also managed a perfect smile, somewhat mischievous, but also full of warmth. So I took this photo:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYr_m1-mUwHME1kziGNQZHd2DNJYLqwkbw-9vNj0KP0kwlWCDjFOvoD8iCQXe5ca0P7t-f9JySNIXo-BweMWpgzBMuYY1WqbvmuOiob8qhhggX4Yt5Nt33nTNJGV-uZ5tZQ6TTKYmlgm6/s1600/DSC01084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYr_m1-mUwHME1kziGNQZHd2DNJYLqwkbw-9vNj0KP0kwlWCDjFOvoD8iCQXe5ca0P7t-f9JySNIXo-BweMWpgzBMuYY1WqbvmuOiob8qhhggX4Yt5Nt33nTNJGV-uZ5tZQ6TTKYmlgm6/s1600/DSC01084.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial;"><br />While looking good, I wanted more out of the image, so I flipped the LCD and perfectly composed a higher angle shot.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OObDQ39u2mmhVaKZOy5niBtDAQTUJ154T61P1Y_tefpg0cmObl-HHdHM_ZdXFhF6-PtAUThHBERlHwgsu9-u_HvV-T9BukGNYGgDBOdclAFU1IVaqWWxi_nZBKOEqz5X27p-_kU91luN/s1600/DSC01088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OObDQ39u2mmhVaKZOy5niBtDAQTUJ154T61P1Y_tefpg0cmObl-HHdHM_ZdXFhF6-PtAUThHBERlHwgsu9-u_HvV-T9BukGNYGgDBOdclAFU1IVaqWWxi_nZBKOEqz5X27p-_kU91luN/s1600/DSC01088.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial;"><br />This produced a more dynamic shot, with the eyes looking more slanted and the upper torso and long hair looking nice in the framing. I would not have been able to make this adjustment with any other professional grade top dog SLR on the market. Instead, I would have to guess the composition or go looking for something high to stand on while my subject is wasting away her perfect smile. Sure, I could also step back and re-compose, but that would have been, artistically, a very different framing.<br /><br />This is one of the reasons why, as long as Sony continue to innovate and incorporate features from consumer and prosumer models into their high end ones, I will continue to buy their SLRs. As I mentioned before, I would like MORE of these features, to be incorporated. If you don't like them and are a straightforward look-through-the-view-finder kind of a photographer, that is great, just don't use any of it, or better yet, buy some nice A900s, the are seriously cheap and produce great results. For other photographers, many of these features are something they can use to have more creative options in their work as a photographer.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.965881840109324.1073741865.425055450858635&type=3" target="_blank">For the rest of the session with Dana Iungelson</a><br /><br /><br />BTW: I am trying to get to 1000 likes on my Facebook page, so if you got the time, I would appreciate some nice liking'n sharing <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amitziart" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-6274519758630345662014-12-09T05:23:00.002-08:002014-12-09T05:27:15.510-08:00Wireless Flash solution #2<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on">
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So my shoot with the YN 560 III was sort of a disaster. I did get some nice shots out, but somehow I pressed the wrong thing on the flashes and they stopped working mid-shoot. So I raced home to get the old flash system and was a little late for the next shoot. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0duIqDjPMQVH3zSvCI54lbuUH7ZxJIhwp-7mRfsFpB8N07M0flnAuRbSv1yB7dJed9TDGfWC64FQg6OOacQTC8SeHB1MR5Etqg_iy15XoNkkPN5lpeUnqhyy5gk-kZ3FVQ0xc2aRsUB1Y/s1600/DSC09901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0duIqDjPMQVH3zSvCI54lbuUH7ZxJIhwp-7mRfsFpB8N07M0flnAuRbSv1yB7dJed9TDGfWC64FQg6OOacQTC8SeHB1MR5Etqg_iy15XoNkkPN5lpeUnqhyy5gk-kZ3FVQ0xc2aRsUB1Y/s1600/DSC09901.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>You can "feel" the flash providing some back light for this behind the scenes shot.</i></div>
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<i>and masquerading as the sun on this outdoor shot. </i></div>
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After some research it appears that a combination of something that you can accidentally can press could disable the radio on the flashes.<br />
Also, my A99 is still being repaired so I haven't shot since that last shoot :( Instead I went back to working on video projects, doing editing and motion graphics work for a living.</div>
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Other then that the flashes worked great. For some reason, by default, they make a totally annoying sound which you can disable quite easily. I am getting my A99 back this week, so I guess, more testing will follow.</div>
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That said, I am truly sorry that I didn't get the flashes made by <a href="http://www.godox.com/EN/Products_Camera_Flash_V860c.html" target="_blank">Godox</a>.</div>
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They do everything my new flashes do but work with batteries similar to those of cellphones, instead of the AAs which I hate so much. Seriously, I cannot stress how much I hate AAs. They constantly get lost, and take a while to change during a shoot. <br />
I still think that Wifi is a better technology to invest in than radio,
so that you could, for example, configure remote flashes using an app on
your camera or phone. Imagine that you have you are holding your A99II,
impressing your client with the biggest and best camera around, but
also have a discrete QX smart lens hidden somewhere for the wide shot or
alternative angle, all using same flashes on the same wi-fi network.</div>
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This seems to me a technology much easier to implement for Sony than some of the other amazing things that their cameras now do, like in shoot in nearly absolute darkness and provide 5-axis stabilization, do let's hope that they are reading my blog :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026136987442525783.post-72256564052512104112014-10-26T06:45:00.002-07:002014-10-26T06:45:18.423-07:00Wireless Flash solutionSo, after much pain in using Sony's own flashes and various flash triggers and a lot of failure, I finally managed to ditch my Sony HVL-F58AM (One is now broken) and Pixel Soldier wireless flash triggers (keep on breaking) for something better.<br />
As I don't use TTL, and manually set my flashes for projects such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.801006473263529.1073741851.425055450858635&type=3" target="_blank">Heroines of Light </a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.799314980099345.1073741850.425055450858635&type=3" target="_blank">FEMP</a>, I finally decided to ditch the ISO to Minolta connector (sometimes it gets disconnected and it can get lost) for a system that is made for Canon by Yongnuo. I tested it in some wedding, thanks to Tomer Foltyn and it worked fine.<br />I got on E-bay the RF-603C trigger and two YN560 IIIs. The advantages of this setup: no more Minolta connectors, no more radio receivers with AA batteries because radio capability is built into the flashes. I broke my Sony flash when it fell of the radio receiver. The YN 560 IIIs are relatively cheap so you can get a bunch of those and not have to take a bank loan if one breaks.<br />Tomer also tells me that they don't heat as much nor drain the batteries like the Sony flashes. You can also mount one on the flash trigger if you want and point it at the ceiling and the other at the side so you would have solid ambient light and good directional light.<br />
I am anxious to test it on my Tuesday shoots BUT my A99 is actually being serviced right now (stabilizer is broken) so I hope it get fixed by tomorrow. If not, I will use a friends' Canon 5D MkII, a solid camera though the colors are not as good as the A99.<br />
I will post photos of the results of using the new flash system soon.<br />
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BTW: Sony, where is the A99's replacement? I hope that the delay will just mean a better camera, well tested and with more features. For that I WILL go to the bank to get a loan.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974994807568438298noreply@blogger.com1