finejava: Oh yeah about the carrying cash concern - I have a debit card. I only load money in when I know I need to buy something. Though, the BankCard facility (where you can use your ATM card to directly pay) is probably more used.

And hey, congratulations on your 3rd Zeiss!

I guess I've never gotten those premiums so I am not going to spend for the sake of getting enough points. Ultimately the idea of a credit card is that it's money that you don't have (yet?)

Braynumb: The other wonderful thing about saving up for camera stuff is, you should learn how to use what you have in the meantime.

fansoption, if you want to shoot product macro (very different in angle to insect macro) then I strongly recommend the Sony 30mm F2.8 DT Macro SAM. The angle of view is better for food.

finejava: That's where the BankCard thing comes in for paying for the Zeiss one shot. Also the maximum withdrawal limit per transaction at say an RHB is RM1000; your daily total withdrawal can be set with a phone call. (It is usually higher than RM1500 though.) Of course if you wanted to take out RM2200 you'd have to enter your card three times lah (and usually, you don't budge from your place in the queue). The disadvantage is there but I don't buy these kinds of things everyday.

For hospitals they accept BankCard as well as medical insurance cards innit?

finejava: Good points, and funny how we go deep into other topics LOL. I guess I don't like the idea of temptation sitting in my wallet.

freddy manson: Yeah man! When I buy expensive items I usually bring a few friends and they convoy with me from the ATM to the shop.

destfull: The Sigma 30mm F1.4 is comparable. There is a rare Minolta 35mm F2.0 which is sharp wide open but you probably won't see it around here. Personally I am waiting for the Samyang 35mm F1.4, supposed to come out second half of 2010.

finejava: Nothing also. Just hot weather and heavy rain in the evening.

Fighteden: Welcome! A bit more below would be nicer.

cjlai: SWEEET!

achew: There is a saw mod - cut off the metal hood and you get a full circular fisheye.

Though, I'd much prefer a diagonal fisheye now, having a circular fisheye it's not as easy to use. The diagonal fisheye can be used in more places and more angles.

hazril: No idea, you have to order. Though there's an approximate price on the front page!

Kul | Mo0: I thought you said you weren't into tele much and were gonna sell your beercan? What's it gonna be?

augustinestyle: SWEEET!

soket: Depends on the lens.

Sony SSM and Sigma HSM lenses in AF, body in AF: lens can be manually focused, half-press does AF
Sony SSM and Sigma HSM lenses in AF, body in MF: lens can be manually focused, half-press does not AF
Sony SSM and Sigma HSM lenses in MF, body in AF: lens can be manually focused, half-press does not AF
Sony SAM lens AF, body in AF: lens cannot be manually focused, half-press does AF
Sony SAM lens AF, body in MF: lens cannot be manually focused, half-press does not AF
Sony SAM lens in MF, body in AF: lens can be manually focused, half-press does not AF

Thus SSM can always be manually focused no matter what condition (Full-Time Manual Focus). Sigma HSM generally has FTMF but some newer, cheaper Sigma HSM lenses may not have it - none of these lenses have really come here yet (Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 OS HSM in A-mount for example.)

ReasonOfThanatos: That exception happens for the A230/A330/A380; I don't remember if it happens for the A550 or not.

grotesk: Yes, in Live View the Live View sensor looks at your viewfinder.

jcjk: A-mount digital SLRs with DOF Preview button:

Konica Minolta 5 Digital
Konica Minolta 7 Digital
Sony Alpha 100
Sony Alpha 700
Sony Alpha 850
Sony Alpha 900

ieR: Where got "eye has own DOF"?

It's all due to the focusing screen installed.

The default Type-G screen only shows a DOF as shallow as F3.2. When you shoot at F1.4 the picture has shallower DOF than what you see. This is because of the focusing screen, not your "eye's DOF".

The Type-M screen shows a DOF of F1.4 in the viewfinder if you are using a F1.4 lens. Type-M screens are changeable for the A700 at the Sony Service Center for a fee. Type-M screens are user-changeable for the A850/A900, if you can find it outside Malaysia.

The "2 flipped focusing screen" is called a split prism. Around it there is a donut-shaped ring called a "microcollar". Outside, the rest of the viewfinder is called a "ground glass matte". Usually, these manual focusing screens will show a DOF of F1.4 like the Type-M screens do.

lugiamcg: The A450/A500/A550 has the same user-friendly GUI. I think you might like the A450!

Kul | Mo0: Sounds like a daytime TT; the one in TTDI was too dark for the F2.8 lenses.

Ksano: Yes it has MF Check LV (like the A500/A550) but no Quick AF LV.

lencent: That's right, same 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor.

hokc77: Nice #2 (though is she running after the train in #3?)

neo_lam: Looks a bit gothic, if that is your intention.

ieR: Look for ament - he can hook you up with a split-prism screen.

Banzai_san: Yes it's true. Am waiting for cjlai to chip his Opteka 85mm F1.4!

cjlai: I have to say that going in Quick AF Live View with the A550, it does not seem too accurate - however MF Check LV is very accurate. That is one way to avoid having to have a split prism.

destfull and finejava: Sorry to hear that!

Banzai_san: Yes, the Nikon FE2 has a split-prism focusing screen. It only improves manual focusing, and confirms whether your camera's AF is accurate. However, if your sensor is not in alignment to your viewfinder and AF unit, the viewfinder will appear to be in focus, and the AF unit will confirm AF, but the actual picture will be misfocused. I had this problem with my A700 and so a split-prism didn't help at all since I cannot tweak my sensor distance, only the AF unit distance!

marauderz: I mean misfocus using the Opteka 85mm F1.4 and Quick AF LV with the 2x Smart Teleconverter. I do appreciate that the Quick AF LV has a bit of sharpening to help you see what is in focus.

bysquashy: That seems about right, about the same in Malaysia. Best you buy it there if you can find stock. However make sure you can get international warranty!

zeipher: The shutter speed sets to 1/60s slowest, and depends on focal length.

Alphas have ambient light and shutter speed priority when in flash. So, supposing you are in very bright light in in A mode:

1) It lowers the ISO to the lowest if in Auto ISO
2) It picks as fast a shutter speed to avoid overexposing the background
3) If the flash is in direct position, it can use HSS (up to 1/8000s on the A700/A850/A900)
4) If the flash is not in direct position, it cannot use HSS and is limited to the flash sync speed (1/125s with SSS on on most Alphas, 1/160s with SSS off on most Alphas, 1/200s with SSS on on A700/A850/A900, 1/250s with SSS off on A700/A850/A900)

Then, there is the other condition where you are in unsufficient light.

If your focal length is 40mm or shorter it will pick the slowest shutter speed of 1/60s. Still, the ambient light would be underexposed, so it will increase ISO to the maximum that Auto ISO allows.

If your focal length is 70mm (105mm on FF) then the camera picks 1/105s... but then there is no such speed so it goes to 1/125s straight. This probably happens on the beercan since it starts reporting the widest focal length as 75mm!

Thus, wider lenses will let you get 1/60s with flash in A mode, while longer lenses cause the body to pick 1/125s-1/250s. Of course if you point your flash forward, you can get much faster shutter speeds.

Based on this same ideology I hope you understand why the S mode with flash works the way it does.

Ksano: Whoa the spider has boxing gloves!

This post has been edited by albnok: Jan 12 2010, 02:08 AM

Seng_Kiat: Nice #2! A wider crop (16:9) would be nice.

Seng_Kiat: Nice #2! A wider crop (16:9) would be nice.

finejava: OMG! That is violent! On Friday night I was a passenger for a seemingly minor corner-hits-corner in slow traffic but even then the bill for that was quite grand. I simply cannot imagine how much this would cost!

What is that reddish color in #4?

Oh dear goodness. Hope she recovers!

Kul | Mo0: Why yes, they do - the white Minolta 80-200mm F2.8G HS APO, Minolta 500mm F8 AF Reflex, Minolta 28-75mm F2.8 (so-so copy), Minolta 100-300mm F4.5-5.6, etc.

finejava: Well said. Thanks for helping since you're capable.

Kul | Mo0: Somewhere near RM4K if I remember correctly.

freddy manson: Are you a medical officer?

kmarc: The A550 is body only. You can ask us if anybody is selling the kit lens (it is quite likely!)

The following suffixes identify what lens:

G = Sony 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DT
K = Sony 18-70mm F3.5-5.6 DT
L = Sony 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 DT SAM
P = Sony 16-105mm F3.5-5.6 DT
Q = Sony 28-75mm F2.8 SAM
W = Sony 18-70mm F3.5-5.6 DT + Sony 75-300mm F4.5-5.6
X = Sony 18-70mm F3.5-5.6 DT + Sony 55-200mm F4-5.6 DT
Y = Sony 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 DT SAM + Sony 55-200mm F4-5.6 DT (2) SAM
Z = Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 DT ZA

amadeo: Can you add this to the front?

amadeo: Can also update the price lists?

Sony A380 + 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 DT SAM = RM21xx
Sony A380 + 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 DT SAM + 55-200mm F4-5.6 DT SAM = RM24xx

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Added on January 13, 2010, 1:36 amAlso, spotted:



The sleek black Sony A500 (dunno why nobody has a picture of it yet) and the Sony A380 (pardon the misfocus with the Opteka...)

This post has been edited by albnok: Jan 13 2010, 01:36 AM

bkwu: You'd be better off buying the twin kit set as the 55-200mm F4-5.6 DT (2) SAM normally sells for a lot more than the price difference between the single kit and twin kit sets!

The extra pixels also mean a bit more noise when you use higher ISOs in low light. However it means more detail in good light.

So do you want Quick AF Live View? Then the A330, A380, A500, A550 are your options.

Do you want a solid, big grip and cleaner high ISO images? Then the A450, A500, A550 are your options.

Do you want 14 megapixels? Then the A380, A450, A550 are your options.

Do you want 7 frames per second? Then the A450 and A550 are your options.

The one that fits in all these criterias, is of course the A550 - it's also the only one with the 3" 640x480 screen. The others all have lower resolution 2.7" or 3" 320x240 screens. (This generalization omits the A700/A850/A900.)

freddy manson: Haha I just asked amadeo to update the prices (in a post above.)

Seng_Kiat: I like #2 and #3.

shootkk: My sentiments exactly to touristy pictures!