suchap69: Film is not sensitive to IR. You need to buy special IR film, which is honestly harder to find than an IR filter for a dSLR.

You do not need to convert your dSLR but the unconverted dSLRs will have very long exposures in order to use a IR filter.

wingster: The aperture is changeable in Manual Exposure mode and Speed Priority. It does not, however, re-focus or re-meter in between shots - that's how it can do 7 FPS.

bikeking: Ah, then you are set for FF.

tanjq87: Interesting to see - I don't remember noting that it was terribly mismatched. I also know of others who are also considering the same unit heh!

mcline_007: Perhaps if they smiled it would look more matching to the festiveness. Also a slight +EV for skintones would be nice.

Seng_Kiat: That is sharp enough. Remember, you can shoot portraits at F8-F11. There isn't a rule that says you have to shoot wide open.

marauderz: Personally I am very happy with the A550's ISO3200 notwithstanding DPreview's higher expectations.

If it works for you, screw what DPReview or (predictably) DCM Magazine has to say. Most of us here are enthralled with the noise performance.

It is a CMOS versus the A350's CCD. Did you try comparing the A550 and A350 side-by-side? The answer would be obvious.

Not sharp?

jimlim007: The F20 does have its purpose as a light pop-up flash (have you tried carrying a A900 + Zeiss 24-70mm?) Some times you really don't need a big bounce flash.

A850/A900 wireless flash requires either a F58 or F20 on the camera.

So would you waste one F58 on camera? That F58 can be used to add light in the scene, if you had a F20.

You can shoot lwliam's avatar using two cars parked opposite each other, with their headlights on. Then he just needs to kneel down.

marauderz: I would go F58 first, then F20; if not people will end up blaming the F20 when they find it doesn't have enough power. (Of course, a high ISO and bright aperture helps.)

I sent my F56 pouch for modification - added a belt strap. No problem!

Seng_Kiat: Flashes are portable don't you forget that. However studio lights have modelling lamps which can be turned on all the time. That's really all the difference there is to me.

v1rtual:

The diffuser is always halfway so that there is still some surface area in the 75 degree position (forwards is considered 0 degrees.) If you bought the original Stofen, it would come with a piece of paper that tells you to always put it up 45, 60 or 75 degrees (forgot which).

It is underexposed in direct mode because your camera is set to ADI (flash power is based on lens focus distance.) You need to change it to Pre-flash TTL (flash power is based on whether the pre-flash is too weak or too strong.)

Kul | Mo0: I wonder if jimlim007 meant the Sony 300mm F2.8G SSM. Hmmm, primes are technically constant aperture! Though not truly constant because it can go from F2.8 to F4 to F5.6...

There is only one true constant aperture lens, if you take the meaning literally - the Sony 500mm F8 AF Reflex lens. It's F8, and it can't stop down.


Sony 300mm F2.8G SSM versus Sigma 300mm F4.0 APO Macro.

Uzumaki NaruTo: I sent it to a cobbler/keymaker shop. Should be under RM25.

However if you have the F58 you'd know that the pouch already has the belt strap.

tanjq87: That was during the A200 launch in the center of Midvalley. Sony had just brought in 2 units of the 300mm; the next time it was publicly seen was at the 2008 Alpha Convention, I think.

ianho: OMG yeah! I forgot about that!

The 300mm had a dent at the Alpha Convention:

ianho: No idea; George probably has the full story.

eddybeh: If you ever shoot in portrait orientation, the F58 is very worth it.

Seng_Kiat:

Modelling lights are on ALL the time. Whereas with flashes there is no light unless you tap the AEL button on camera to trigger the modelling mode.

Also, studio lights do not support TTL, so you'll have to adjust power ratios at the studio lights manually. (If you want one light to be more powerful than the other.) To adjust both you just change aperture or ISO.

On the A700 with the F58 on, you can control one F58 and one F42 with separate power ratios for both. Here's how:

- turn on WL mode
- press Fn repeatedly until RMT blinks then press left/right until it selects CTRL
- press Fn again and turn on Ratio
- adjust the 3 groups (CTRL:RMT:RMT2)

CTRL is the power ratio on your camera. You can change this to "-" to effectively turn off light from the F58 on camera. Then the other F58, you turn on WL mode and press Fn and change it to RMT2. On the F42 you cannot choose RMT2 group so it's always in the RMT group.

jimlim007: If the flash is too white compared to the orange background, you need a Color Temperature Orange flash gel:



1/32th power is sometimes too powerful if you have a high ISO and bright aperture.

ieR: The SB-800 and SB-900 have modelling light buttons on the flash (which is pretty much like our Test button.) There are previous models with it too but I don't remember which.

lencent: Is the background important in this picture?

shootkk: I agree with SpOOkY - if you've metered for the background, TTL will expose correctly filling the foreground. Heck you can press use Spot Meter AEL on the background in Aperture mode and use TTL flash.

achew: As long as you can hold down the button. On the F58 we can choose Test1 (1 flash), Test3 (3 flashes) and TestM (modelling light is on for 4 seconds.)

ronnie: No, not at all - either lens will be superb depending on what you use it for.

v1rtual:

Refer here on how to restore tones in the reds:
http://www.glaringnotebook.com/default.asp?id=1313

You can export the RAW with slight -EV compensation, then pull the tones out of the reds.

braindead_fr3ak: Awesome!

v1rtual: In the dress. Yes that's how you do it! If you feel like you're not used to the look on the left, lower the opacity of the new layer. Some people like the skin tones very pink (like on the left.) If you want you can still increase saturation.

jimlim007: They are gelatine filters, or gels in short. Yes similiar to tanglung material. You must get the orange one though - yellow is not accurate.

Uzumaki NaruTo: Studio Zaloon or Digicolor (but often, out of stock.) I also make pre-cut gel holders; if you want one come for the next TT whenever that is!

leeshock: The pirated battery grip for the A850/A900 is such a downer - it doesn't have all the buttons and the joystick of the VG-C90AM.

This post has been edited by albnok: Dec 15 2009, 10:35 AM

signither: I would love the Sigma 20mm F1.8 for APS-C. It can focus to 20cm close, real handy!

If you want something more normal-ish the Sigma 24mm F1.8 also does the job - it has the highest magnification of the Sigma 20/24/28mm F1.8 trio. All these lenses go for under RM2000.

lwliam: Have you seen Ewin's third-party A700 grip? Very potong stim.

Also, for ultra-wide angle lenses, when shooting direct, remember to pull out the wide-angle panel. Otherwise I don't have any problems with it especially in bounce mode where the spread is bigger anyway.

lwliam: Well, your flash only goes to 24mm (on FF) wide. If you put the Stofen diffuser on, you will not be able to pull out the wide-angle panel.

So, don't use the Stofen and direct - there is no point in using a Stofen direct as the surface area of the light is the same. Take it off and use the wide-angle panel!

Ewin's grip is much cheaper-feeling than the third-party VG-B30AM copies. It's this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BATTERY-GRIP-FOR-SONY-...=item335844ab09

Nope, there is no front or rear dial much less the AEL or AF/MF buttons. Even the shutter release is in an unergonomic position (the default one, as opposed to Sony's lower shutter.)

The shop is Leos Trading on the 1st floor next to the escalator.

readone_sapi: The first one.

Kul | Mo0: No idea man.

lwliam: Yes, definitely needs the wide-panel diffuser pulled out and flipped on the flash.

braindead_fr3ak: You can use an A700/A850/A900 to trigger a Pocket Wizard using the PC Sync port. Ted Adnan did this.

If your Alpha does not have a PC Sync port, you can get the cheap Seagull SC-5 adapter.

kurzit: Your problem is that F2.8 gives a shallow depth of field. Try F5.6 or F8 to get everybody in focus.

Mikeshashimi: Nice how the bokeh is the same size as the beads. However I'd have used a cooler WB.

ieR: Congratulations!

cjlai: The Peleng is a circular fisheye for FF. The Sony/Minolta 16mm F2.8 is a diagonal fisheye for FF. Diagonal meaning 180 degrees from top-left to bottom-right corner, and circular meaning 180 degrees from left-most to right-most edge.