weixuan: That is sweet!

achew: Scuffs on the rear element can and do show when taking bokeh shots; scuffs on the front element, if big enough, show as a slight haziness (supposing you take a picture of a pattern.)

Probably you won't see it because the lens does not focus near at all (1 meter). However, after trying, and finding the scuff doesn't show in pictures, go ahead (but ask for lower since it isn't as mint as it should be.)

sorry, need ask a very noob question, how to focus ppl eye for a sharp portrait? attach picture is the doubt in my mind. is it the right picture is consider focus human eye while left picture is not?

recently just have shoot in a ballroom dinner, the environment is pretty more on orange color, i am strugglering in the whole night when my snap with flash gun,, i get photo like direct flash (more white). ambient color is totally lose.

camera/flash setting:

flash with diffuser bounce backward 75 degree, A- dial, 50mm f2.2, flash 'auto mode' 1/2 power, WB, 5000K (refer to another alpha user in the dinner), STD creativity, multi-seg metering, AF-C, AF area - spot, ISO 800 and 400 (ohh damm, just aware, CPL filter attach...)

after due to getting lose ambient color, off the flash gun, all shot are blurring (object as far as 1.5 - 7 meters). almost dinner ending, mood getting down n down, try WB tungsten +4, found its work with flash gun and photo produce orange ambient color. dinner end, main prize lucky draw tak kena, have blur photo, go back hanging myself

besides, there is another fren holds 40D with 50mm f1.8, at any shot his camera output in term of color, sharpness are excellent. both of us testing using same ISO, no flash gun, same distance to object. is it i am too noob or is a300 capability reach...

sifu please advice.

This post has been edited by jimlim007: Nov 26 2009, 11:41 PM


Attached thumbnail(s)

For portraits, we should focus on the EYE for sharp features of the face.
Using f2.2 may create a shallow Depth Of Field (DOF), maybe you can increase it to get body shot equally sharp.

This post has been edited by ronnie: Nov 26 2009, 11:42 PM

in order to focus to the eye, it is like the right pictur ei draw right? but his kaki cant be cover? how ya?

Either zoom out to cover the whole body (head to toe)... or walk back a few steps away from the subject (if using a fixed focal length lens), then focus on the eye.
You could lock the focus on the eye (half shutter press) and re-compose to include the whole body.

disclaimer: this is tips from newbie also

'

LOL apuuuu, got sony centre summore, go there complain to them la. ask them send warning letter to that camerashop simply quote price... is wrong in consumer law u know,... u can even complain to consumer desk, and they have to give u the camera FOC, coz simply put pricing.

I have used the FDA-ME1AM about 1 month ago.
Frankly speaking, it is not much different while u install this thing but due to a3xx series has a very low magnifying (0.74x) compare to a2xx (0.83), you may get this for a little bit advantage while using viewfinder to shoot.

Somemore, the eyepiece is suitable for those fellows who wear spectacle(just like me... ), it will keep your lcd screen clean...

Image straight out from camera, no PP. only resized by imageshack when uploading - using roughly same method as mentioned above. Ambient light was pretty warm



This post has been edited by lwliam: Nov 27 2009, 12:27 AM

1 sentence, u LACK of experince.... so Nope, it is not the limitation.

but few thing i really wanna ask u,
1. why to u bounce backward for?!?!?
2. why do u use manual flash, i assume u are totally inexperince with flash, And camera.... u should just let TTL do thier job.
3. 5000k WB, sigh, if ur flash werent properly used, every photo will have diff WB color, due to the "white 5500k color" from flash arent properly bounce to the front/subject. and reach #4.
4. u have to know this. when apperture bigger then F2.8, all natural light in the surrounding will mostly overwrite the flash (5500k) color... thus u will get 40-70% more overwrite towards the natural light...
5. 40D is a mid level camera, u cant compare with A300, if u like, take out a A700 to compare dont bring a kancil to a sportcar race ler....

there are ways to overcome the problem, one of them is to learn properly the flash uses. then learn more bout white balance, and lastly, read up bout gel card and how it helps in WB.

juz get my drybox, how many %RH u guys set normally ?
im set it to 42 %RH , any problem with it ?

izzit necessary to put the flash in the dry box too ?

40-50 around is better..
ur condition is ok...

actually, is 40-45.

most ppl will set at 42.

the flashgun, no need, just lens with glass. flash grow fungus also no problem one. wont affect the photo quality

fungal spores are mostly inactive below 40%
its not necessary to put your flash in there.

This post has been edited by lwliam: Nov 27 2009, 12:37 AM

thx VincentCheun ,ieR , lwliam for fast reply and the info... appreciate it
new, safe home for my camera and lenses, lol

actually the higher %RH means more 'wet' ? and the lower means more 'dry' ?

understand. but will it the lighting starting drift (observed metering)..?

RH means relative humidity, so if the RH is high, there are more moisture content in the air, so it more'wet' and vice versa.

jimlim007: The answer is - you are too n00b.

- increase ambient exposure by using a slower shutter speed and higher ISO. Use Manual Exposure instead.
- don't ever put on a CPL filter unless you want to use it!
- objects are blur because you turned off the flash and it is using a slow shutter speed.
- you are metering for the background so you really do not have to keep adjusting it for every shot

Anyway, you can focus on the body if you want as you may find, it is in the similiar plane of focus. Anyway you can choose the AF point you want, yes?

The sifu is very straight forward indeed. LOL. Anyway was at Mardi Gras @ 1utama. Saw a photographer that really looked like kysham. LOL!

hmm bro, wanna comment on jimlim007 pic, seems like the flash really not reaching the face, would it help if he was using a lambency diffuser? and set flash to Auto and control his shutter speed accordingly?

ps. I put my flash in my drybox got still got space kekekek

hi lwliam, for this one not very understand "for precise focusing lock, use local area AF and select the points yourself", switch to local AF, how to select the the point?

the photo is warm. typically photographer will neutralize the ambient color?

This post has been edited by jimlim007: Nov 27 2009, 01:18 AM