shootkk, kysham, the Sony A230/330/380 all have the AF/MF switch on the body.

This means that it has an internal screw drive because the Nikon D50/80/90 all have the AF/MF switch also on the body while the D40/40x/60/5000 don't (and so, they don't have an internal screw drive motor.)

alpha_company, here's an interesting idea to reduce weight;

Get the Nikon SC-17 flash cable, and wire it to a flash which is mounted onto a cap on your head. The flash will always point upwards so it's like bounce flash with no need to turn the flash head! That way the flash won't add weight when shooting weddings.

alpha_company, your D60 pop-up flash cannot wirelessly trigger an off-camera Nikon flash with TTL autoexposure *. So you will have to go with the cable method.

I do want to hook up my Nikon SB-28 via PC Sync to do this, though... and I will take a picture.

* You can buy those unreliable China-made radio triggers but the flash will be in manual power only. Tried them in a shoot in Bangsar and when a car alarm went off, one of the flashes would keep firing non-stop. Bad first impression.

To fulfil the quota of talking about Alpha in an Alpha thread in this post, I'd state that even the A200 pop-up flash can trigger an off-camera Sony flash.

As for SSM, same reason why Nikon used to be all screw-drive and then added SWM - screw drive was not quiet and did not allow for full-time manual focus override. Screw drive was not as powerful as it was today though - even between a D200 and D300 or an A100 and A700 the speed is very different. Note that there are some screw drive lenses that are as fast or faster than the sonic-motor versions.

chiggy, LOL!!!

alpha_company, no, the Phottix PT 04II cannot use TTL as it is compatible with many brands.

The problem is, every brand has a different pin layout. For ISO 518 based hotshoes, only the center pin and one pin on the right side inner part are used to trip the flash - the other pins will pass aperture/ISO/power settings to the flash, to be used for TTL. Since the trigger is generic there is no way for them to program pins for all brands (and if they did it would not be cheap!)

Olympus: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images345x345/238212.jpg (3 pins behind the big pin)
Nikon: http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-...NIKON/sc-17.jpg (2 pins behind the big pin, 1 in front)
Canon: http://www.jessops.com/ce-images/PRODUCT/P...CA211020705.jpg (4 pins behind the big pin)
Pentax: http://images.aandhmarketing.com/bigpics/DotLine/rs0447.jpg (4 pins behind the big pin)
Sony:

(4 pins)

Originally the hotshoe was not even meant for flashes, it was meant for external accessory viewfinders for rangefinder cameras.


This is the top of a FED-2 rangefinder. They call it a cold shoe these days.

Here is an article by Herbert Keppler (RIP) who wrote about hotshoes:
http://keppler.popphoto.com/blog/2007/01/shoe_fetish.html

kev da man, the range of the wireless flash depends strongly on how much infrared light is in between - in bright daylight, infrared is abundant and your wireless range is shortened. In the dark however I have no idea how far it can go!

If you really want to use radio triggers, get the China-made hotshoe adapter (not reliable either!) and then a bunch of cheap RM100 strobes from Digicolor.

You should always carry two bodies when shooting important paid events, or have 2 photographers each with one body and flash. Also helps if one photographer can hold a flash for you to shoot a tricky situation with wireless TTL (as setting a light on a stand is risky.)

A former Nikon tech once said that they would laugh at people who send in their cameras and say "I need it back tomorrow I'm a working professional." If you're a working professional you should already have a backup body.

This post has been edited by albnok: May 12 2009, 07:01 PM

sidewinderz, I currently have one digital A-mount body and one film A-mount body. Of course, in important non-repeatable events, there will always be 2 photographers to both serve as backup and as a second set of eyes.

I have 2 flashes though, the F42 and F58 - the F58 like the SB-900 has a temperature sensor which detects when the batteries are too hot, and does not let you shoot until it has cooled down. When I do encounter that (rare, usually only once in a whole day event) I quickly dismount the F58 and mount the F42. Feels just like reloading a handgun heh.

porkchop, the kit lens has Distance Integration for ADI flash support. If the lens has 8 pins, it supports ADI.

5za9, the other end of the cable must be in focus to identify it, as it's not the common USB Mini-B but the USB Micro-B.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Types-usb_new.svg

The yellow side is called a RCA jack, yellow for video, white and red for each channel of audio.

Closest I could find that is sold is http://www.cwc-group.com/niavcaplusbc.html.

signither, nice shot!

Now waiting for somebody to take a detailed in-focus shot of the black end of it, as that's more important to make sure you have the right cable.

juyut, that lens is alright though I would prefer the Sony 55-200mm F4-5.6 DT.

signither, changing batteries supposedly helps but I don't have time to change batteries during the action-packed parts LOL. Much faster to swap flashes (and the second flash helps as a wireless slave.)

signither, wow the speedloader is cool!

I tape my leftover alkaline AA batteries with masking tape. I then number them, 0 being the next to deplete:



This is quite hard to align though.

AlphaBeta, I have seen 2 copies of the Tamron 28-105mm F2.8 for A-mount personally:


This is hanafinoor's copy.

It is big like the 24-70mm F2.8 lenses, with a more convenient 105mm for events. I would not mind this lens for full-frame really - if I wanted a F2.8 standard zoom, I could really use a 28-105mm F2.8 more than a 24-70mm F2.8.

Right now my standard range zoom is a Minolta 24-105mm F3.5-4.5, a much more compact zoom, as pictured on the right:



The Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 is not stabilized; neither is the Canon 24-70mm F2.8.

Of course the Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC HSM and Tamron 28-105mm F2.8 has stabilization on an Alpha yo!

achew, that is correct - you get a wider angle of view with a bigger format e.g. full-frame, and so, you move closer to the subject, and depth of field becomes shallower.

I do feel my 50mm F1.4's limit of 45cm very obviously when using full-frame.

signither, if:

Matching distance, aperture, focal length BUT different angle of view
1) 50mm F1.4 on full-frame focused to 3 meters
2) 50mm F1.4 on APS-C focused to 3 meters

- bokeh is the same shape, it is not creamier or smoother just because it is on full-frame. If a lens has ugly bokeh on APS-C it will still have ugly bokeh on FF
- the depth of field is the same
- the angle of view is different

Matching aperture, focal length BUT different distance and angle of view
1) 50mm F1.4 on full-frame focused to 2 meters
2) 50mm F1.4 on APS-C focused to 3 meters

- the depth of field is different
- as a result, the bokeh is more apparent on 1)
- the magnification is the same; the object is the same size in the frame
- the background is more magnified on 2) due to different perspective and angle of view

This post has been edited by albnok: May 13 2009, 01:10 AM

achew, try filling the frame with the same object and shooting with both 16mm and 80mm ends of your Zeiss. Major difference!

Also try extending your palm and putting it next to your monitor. Then walk far away and do the same thing - your palm will appear much bigger than the monitor! This is all perspective.

Anyway, shots from Monday's TT!


Shot with the Minolta 35mm F1.4 at F8 on the A900.

From left to right:
Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA, Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA, Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM on the Sony Alpha 900, Sony Carl Zeiss 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM on the Sony Alpha 700.


Shot with the Minolta 50mm F1.4 at ISO3200 on the A900.

This post has been edited by albnok: May 13 2009, 01:42 AM

alpha_company, there are two parts to AF speed:

1) recognizing what to focus on and how far to turn focus (helped by a brighter lens e.g. F2.8)

2) turning the lens to the focus point (depends on lens or body motor, focus group weight, focus range and focal length)

However, some lenses have a slow in-lens motor e.g. the Canon 50mm F1.2 and 85mm F1.2. So even though it can detect focus fast, it doesn't get into focus as fast. Now the slow motor isn't a bad thing, as it needs accuracy when focusing.

bysquashy, it is the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM.

SpOOkY, it's not known for sure if the Sony sensors are rated F5.6 though for some reason they work with the F6.3 of the 18-200mm/18-250mm and the F8 of the 500mm F8. The 500mm F8 is modified however to be compatible with a bigger baseline sensor. The A700 and A900 have a F2.8 sensor in the middle plus 2 cross-type sensors for 5 times the AF performance in the center.

AlphaBeta, the Nikons do not have F2.8 sensors at all, not even the D3x.

SpOOkY, shops are hardly a good verifiable source of information - sit at one for an hour and you will hear all sorts of things being said by the salespeople.

noprob: Yes, the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 will perform better on the A700 center AF point compared to the A200/300/350.

More from the Monday TT!


This is the Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM, shot with the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA on the A900.


HitManSnr, shot with the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA on the A900.


cdqtech mounting the Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM on the A900 for the very first time. I told him not to! Shot with the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA on the A900.

This post has been edited by albnok: May 13 2009, 06:08 PM

ae8za, I did not try the Zeiss 16-35mm... this round. It is still very sharp at F2.8 - when shooting candid shots at a TT, the people in focus were so sharp they pixelated (aliased) on my LCD. Zeiss is excellent at wide-angles and this is an excellent example of that.

noprob, if the lens can do F2.8, it will focus more accurately on a camera equipped with a F2.8 sensor. Even if you set the aperture to F5.6, focusing accuracy is still better.

Braynumb, you could shoot the flash wirelessly on the football. This is an excellent example of perspective!

mufasa, honestly, the Nikon accessories and lenses will cost you the same with the exception of the SB-900 which is RM15xx (while the Sony F58AM is RM10xx.)

Also, you have all the lenses most people need already. You're just missing an ultra-wide angle lens.

Finally, borrowing lenses is a hassle to both the owner and the borrower. Most people need their lens back on a certain day. If your friend has a cheap Nikkor AF-D 75-300mm F4.5-5.6G and a Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm F2.8G VR SWM, he can lend you the 75-300mm... but this is something you could already buy on your own. (Not to be confused with the premium Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G VR SWM.)

But would he lend you a lens that goes for over RM5K?

Would you lend your lens that costs over RM5K to a friend?

If your friend has a RM5K lens, either:
- he needs it to shoot photography jobs
- he is a rich collector

If I had both a 75-300mm and 70-200mm F2.8, and you wanted to borrow either, and I needed to shoot the same day, I'd certainly lend the 75-300mm but not the 70-200mm.

I would very highly recommend you get your own lenses and flashes. If you needed to borrow a flash for a job tomorrow and you arranged to meet a friend, then the friend couldn't make it, what are you going to tell your client? "Eh sorry boss I couldn't borrow a flash."

noprob, the Canon and Nikon battery grips feel like bricks screwed onto the bottom of your camera.

The Sony battery grip feels just like your main camera grip, with the shutter release lower to align with your eye level and give better balance with a lower center of gravity. And on the A700 and A900 ones you get the full set of buttons. I would pay for a full set of buttons instead of getting a pirated A700 grip with 2 buttons.

shukrie, nice!

tanjq87, use anywhere between 2500-3200K.

Green gel is around 4500K M6.

Blue gel is for sunset when the sky gets very blue, or for special effect.

dingenius3, correct!

tanjq87, the ones I found at Studio Zaloon lately are too strong green. Maybe 4500K M9 will do the trick.

I can't find my old Lee filters - that one was really just right.

alpha_company: Flourescent light is actually green... refer to the front page of the Alpha thread. By the way the SB-800 and SB-900 come with the correct, accurate flash gels, just like the Lee ones I use.


Personally I do not like too much tungsten in my pictures - I like to be able to see skintones and color tones. Shot at 2800K.

Interesting thing about skintones and greens, is the CFA (Color Filtration Array) used;



Taken from here.


I also would not shoot too wide - stand back instead and zoom in for a more classy look. This was at 60mm (40mm, for those on APS-C.)


Of course, you can go without flash for the effect. This was Auto WB.


I loved this spot! Always worth scoping the area for such photogenic spots.


I'm quite glad that the house was consistently lit all over with tungsten light. The vignetting comes naturally with close focus and a full-frame Sony A900.


Here, I should've used the flash without gel, because the background light was still daylight. So I tried exporting 2 JPEGs from the RAW, one corrected for tungsten the other daylight and merging it, but it did not look as catchy as this 2800K-only version.


So what can 24.6 megapixels do for you?


This 100% crop right here.

This post has been edited by albnok: May 15 2009, 02:52 AM

amadeo: Yes it was my first engagement ceremony!

A Monday I would actually look forward to:

SinnerBuyer, yes correct - 1 stop is 3 clicks of a dial.

tanjq87, the orange gels at Zaloon look correct. Didn't try them though. Bounce flash for green.

The A100/A200/A300/A350 base sensitivity is ISO100.

The A700/A900 base sensitivity is ISO200. Any other ISO is a amplification of the base sensitivity. This applies for all dSLRs by the way.

So if you shoot at ISO800 with 0 EV on the A700, it's actually ISO200 with -2 EV... and the camera amplifies it to 0 EV levels.

If you want, you can shoot at ISO200 with -2 EV on the A700, and amplify it by +2 EV in the RAW processor. The difference is, one is done in camera, the other in RAW.

If you use the A700/A900 at ISO100, the camera loses a bit of dynamic range.

There's nothing wrong with underexposing at ISO200 and then bringing up the EV in RAW - you might like the look of it better than if you let the camera do it! Personally I find it has a different look especially when it comes to highlights.

You can also overexpose; you will definitely get less noise this way.

achew, glad to hear you're not turning into a gearhead! I hope others pick up on this. Creativity and composition first!

lanusb, I used daylight-to-tungsten flash gel; inside the house it was tungsten light, outside the house it was daylight, hence the bluishness. I originally exported at 2800K and 5500K (can merge in Photoshop) but I preferred the 2800K version.

Also, whenever in bounce mode, ADI cannot be used and the camera switches to Pre-flash TTL automatically.

hokc77, great sports captures!

Braynumb, I like the switch shot though I'd rather it be off first.

chiggy, that car shot looks familiar. I'd pop a flash on the side of the car also.