Calling all Sony Alpha users! (Part 3)

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I was in PC world, checking what offers they had on for printers etc.

Unfortunately i ended up walking out the door with their last A700 :)
 
hey i need a lens hood for my alpha a300 kit lens. I need to reduce lens flare, i am using a UV filter aswell, any help on which type and make to buy?
 
rasmusrok1 said:
hey i need a lens hood for my alpha a300 kit lens. I need to reduce lens flare, i am using a UV filter aswell, any help on which type and make to buy?
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An over simplified explanation but lens hoods are pretty specific to the lens for which they are designed. Too short and they dont do anything, too long and they appear in the frame. The shape of the hood is directly related to the functions of the lens as well, a petal hood on a wide angle zoom lens for example, only works if the front element doesnt rotate so that the hood stays in the same position all the time. If you have lost your lens hood for the kit lens its worth looking on the sony website to order a replacement. If you are using the hood that came with the kit lens and are having problems then try looking at how your photos are lit and see how changing, for example, the position of the sun affects the flare. A UV filter may prevent some reflection if taking photos through glass but is generally used by some to protect the front element from scratches, do you a circular polariser as this also will cut down on the light scatter in bright sunny conditions.
 
I don't know whether it's the v4 firmware, but the high ISO performance on the A700 is very impressive

I've just been taking some photos around the house and even at 6400 ISO the uncropped pics are just fine :)

Any other A700 users find this?
 
Zebedee101 said:
An over simplified explanation but lens hoods are pretty specific to the lens for which they are designed. Too short and they dont do anything, too long and they appear in the frame. The shape of the hood is directly related to the functions of the lens as well, a petal hood on a wide angle zoom lens for example, only works if the front element doesnt rotate so that the hood stays in the same position all the time. If you have lost your lens hood for the kit lens its worth looking on the sony website to order a replacement. If you are using the hood that came with the kit lens and are having problems then try looking at how your photos are lit and see how changing, for example, the position of the sun affects the flare. A UV filter may prevent some reflection if taking photos through glass but is generally used by some to protect the front element from scratches, do you a circular polariser as this also will cut down on the light scatter in bright sunny conditions.
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Ah i see, i never had a lens hood, mine didnt come with it. I just want one that will maybe reduce the chance of lens flare if posible. i dont have a circular polarisor.

if it's the 18-70 kit lens,then i may have a spare lens hood here for it...let me know if it is,and i'll get it sent off to you.
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Thanks a lot, that would be great! PM sent :thumbs:


I have another question, i have finished reading understanding exposure and i was wondering how do i set my sony alpha a300 an 18-70 kit to infinity focus, where everything in the frame is focussed. The auther of that book uses it a lot and i dont know how to do it.
 
rasmusrok1 said:
I have another question, i have finished reading understanding exposure and i was wondering how do i set my sony alpha a300 an 18-70 kit to infinity focus, where everything in the frame is focussed. The auther of that book uses it a lot and i dont know how to do it.
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All you need to do is put it into manual focus then rotate the focus ring anticlockwise (if you're looking through the viewfinder) until it stops. That's it set to infinity :thumbs:
 
rasmusrok1 said:
Ah i see, i never had a lens hood, mine didnt come with it. I just want one that will maybe reduce the chance of lens flare if posible. i dont have a circular polarisor.
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Just a small thing, but this had come up before with this lens. The hood for the 18-70 is quite shallow and usually comes attached to the lens in reverse and a number of people have assumed that it was part of the manual focus ring. Is it possible in this instace? The lens SHOULD come with a lens hood.
 
rob_t said:
All you need to do is put it into manual focus then rotate the focus ring anticlockwise (if you're looking through the viewfinder) until it stops. That's it set to infinity :thumbs:
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i just tried that in my bedroom, looked through the viewfinder turned the focus ring anticlockwise as you said but not everything w as in focus. DOes infinity not meen the whole frame is in focus?

Just a small thing, but this had come up before with this lens. The hood for the 18-70 is quite shallow and usually comes attached to the lens in reverse and a number of people have assumed that it was part of the manual focus ring. Is it possible in this instace? The lens SHOULD come with a lens hood.
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That isnt the case for me. It was apparently the last one in the shop and so it doesnt surprise me...you know they sent it to me without a charger...jessops service as usual!
 
rasmusrok1 said:
i just tried that in my bedroom, looked through the viewfinder turned the focus ring anticlockwise as you said but not everything w as in focus. DOes infinity not meen the whole frame is in focus?
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Infinity means that the furthest thing away is in focus. How much is in focus depends on the aperture (The smaller the aperture, the more kis in focus).
 
MarkydeSad said:
I don't know whether it's the v4 firmware, but the high ISO performance on the A700 is very impressive

I've just been taking some photos around the house and even at 6400 ISO the uncropped pics are just fine :)

Any other A700 users find this?
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Really? I find too much noise getting into the images after ISO 400 or so, even with V4
 
really? I think ISO 800 is fine, ISO 1600 is pretty good and ISO 3200 is usuable - yes there is smearing but for decent size prints etc its not too bad

ISO 3200

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31198217@N02/3760812185/sizes/o/

ISO 800

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31198217@N02/3759068923/sizes/o/in/photostream/

If you are pixel peeping then yes the higher ISOs have some noise, but that is always going to happen. The A700 is far better than the A200 in that regard and pretty similar or superior to other crop sensor cameras afaik
 
JPS said:
Really? I find too much noise getting into the images after ISO 400 or so, even with V4
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:thinking: May have something to do with the setting you have for noise... there are now a number of noise 'reduction' options with V4 - which you probably know about . I'm just guessing as I don't have too much problems with my a700.
 
YorkieBen said:
really? I think ISO 800 is fine, ISO 1600 is pretty good and ISO 3200 is usuable - yes there is smearing but for decent size prints etc its not too bad
...<SNIP>...
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What would you term 'decent size'? :) Not having yet printed off 'large' sizes [other than A4] I'd like some idea of what others term 'decent size' :)
 
Austringer said:
:thinking: May have something to do with the setting you have for noise... there are now a number of noise 'reduction' options with V4 - which you probably know about . I'm just guessing as I don't have too much problems with my a700.
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I shoot in RAW but I have turned OFF the noise reduction in the menu as Firmware V4 now gives that option. Any noise reduction I will control myself in post production. So maybe I am seeing my images completely RAW and some other people have their noise reduction turned on. Then again, surely shooting RAW will not be altered by having the noise reduction on or off? I don't know :shrug:
 
JPS said:
I shoot in RAW but I have turned OFF the noise reduction in the menu as Firmware V4 now gives that option. Any noise reduction I will control myself in post production. So maybe I am seeing my images completely RAW and some other people have their noise reduction turned on. Then again, surely shooting RAW will not be altered by having the noise reduction on or off? I don't know :shrug:
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As far as I'm aware, in camera noise reduction has no effect on raw files
 
just ordered a sigma 18-50 F/2.8 EX DC macro from WHE...and it should be with me tomorrow :woot:.only trouble is,is it worth me keeping my 24-70 as all i'll be missing is between 50mm and 70mm,which doesn't really bother me...plus if i sell it,and my A350...i'll be able to get a 2nd A700 :naughty:
 
stan the man said:
just ordered a sigma 18-50 F/2.8 EX DC macro from WHE...and it should be with me tomorrow :woot:.only trouble is,is it worth me keeping my 24-70 as all i'll be missing is between 50mm and 70mm,which doesn't really bother me...plus if i sell it,and my A350...i'll be able to get a 2nd A700 :naughty:
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Think you might have answered your own question there stan. ;)
 
Hi Guys,

looking for a flash bracket & sync cord to move the flash off the hotshoe, either to the side of the camera and/or above (A700+ HVL58) - what you guys using...any recommendations?
 
a couple of quick test shots taken with the 18-50...:love:

DSC02417.jpg



DSC02416.jpg
 
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