The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

ukaskew said:
Bit of both! Love the Panasonic for Live Comp and love the Sony for the Tamron 35-150, so they make a strange but perfect (for me) combination for what I like to shoot, which is a bit of everything. The range is pretty much perfect for a walkaround for me, I only ever go wider than 35mm when doing star trails etc, so day to day it's all I need.

I absolutely love the Tamron, it goes in my relatively small rucksack attached to my a9 along with my Mavic Mini, not much I can't shoot with that rucksack :) I was thinking yesterday how bonkers it would have seemed 10 years ago to have that my coverage and speed on a full frame camera, AND a decent photography drone, in what is essentially a school rucksack.
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Hmmm.... I'm still very tempted by trying two lens setup with 16-35mm+35-150mm.

But the issue is for a walk around lens I prefer something like 24-105mm range more than 16-35 or 35-150mm.
 
Jase said:
Not a chance, it's like the queues on top on Snowdon in the Summer....which is why I go to places like that in the winter.
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It's a nice enough view, I suppose, that Japanese one, but it's not something I'd go out of my way or queue to photograph. I've been to famous places a few times and thought I wasn't bothered about photographing them but sometimes I've done it because I thought I was expected to :D
 
LeeRatters said:
4 blended images...... A7 & 20G

Not the image I wanted actually. I wanted Orion to the side of the Cathedral face on but got here too late because I went to Burnham lighthouse first for an 20:10 spring high tide.....

Vicar's Close, Wells, Somerset.


*** by Lee, on Flickr
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Is it just me that finds the street light really off putting. Could you not mask out the light so it's not as bright.
 
For your viewing pleasure.


It'd be interesting to see if the close up performance improves with a close up lens fitted and the lens focus ring set to focus well away from minimal focus distance.
 
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LeeRatters said:
Yeah, I was in two minds over that. But I wanted that left hand window......
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I meant saying as you say you did 4 exposures why not mask out the street light so only the darkest of those shows.
 
I don't think it spoils the picture, the light was there and on and it is what it is but it's still a nice picture. Maybe it'd look different if taken with a lens with straight blades giving a star effect.
 
woof woof said:
I don't think it spoils the picture, the light was there and on and it is what it is but it's still a nice picture. Maybe it'd look different if taken with a lens with straight blades giving a star effect.
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Was shot wide open for the stars so you'd never got the star burst effect would you?
 
snerkler said:
Was shot wide open for the stars so you'd never got the star burst effect would you?
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It was just an observation on what could make a different picture with a different lens whilst keeping the light in the frame but as you've asked...

AFAIK the 20mm f1.8 doesn't give nice star effects until stopped waaaay down to f8 or so, no real nice stars AFAIK at f1.8-f2.8 or so, so a different lens would be needed. With a wider aperture lens maybe stopping down to f1.8 might give a star effect without a longer shutter speed? If not f1.8 then f2 or f2.8 might and might not be the end of the world.

A star effect might change the picture. It was just an observation. As I said back up there, as it is the light doesn't really detract from the picture as it is for me.

PS.
I don't normally do night time shooting as I don't get the chance with everything at home as it is but I did take a picture the other night with my Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 at f2 and the sunstar effect is quite nice. I'll have to see what it's like at the settings between f1.4 and f2 one day/night, ditto my other Vigtlanders. 35mm isn't 20mm but I'm sure you get my point as there may be wides out there with straight blades at f1.8 or so.

Thinking about this, I think it'd be nice if more lenses gave the choice of straight or rounded blades at different apertures. My Voigtlander 50mm f2 does this and I think another Voigtlander does too but I don't know of any other lenses that give you the choice of straight or curved by selecting different aperture settings.
 
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woof woof said:
It was just an observation on what could make a different picture with a different lens whilst keeping the light in the frame but as you've asked...

AFAIK the 20mm f1.8 doesn't give nice star effects until stopped waaaay down to f8 or so, no real nice stars AFAIK at f1.8-f2.8 or so, so a different lens would be needed. With a wider aperture lens maybe stopping down to f1.8 might give a star effect without a longer shutter speed? If not f1.8 then f2 or f2.8 might and might not be the end of the world.

A star effect might change the picture. It was just an observation. As I said back up there, as it is the light doesn't really detract from the picture as it is for me.

PS.
I don't normally do night time shooting as I don't get the chance with everything at home as it is but I did take a picture the other night with my Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 at f2 and the sunstar effect is quite nice. I'll have to see what it's like at the settings between f1.4 and f2 one day/night, ditto my other Vigtlanders. 35mm isn't 20mm but I'm sure you get my point as there may be wides out there with straight blades at f1.8 or so.

Thinking about this, I think it'd be nice if more lenses gave the choice of straight or rounded blades at different apertures. My Voigtlander 50mm f2 does this and I think another Voigtlander does too but I don't know of any other lenses that give you the choice of straight or curved by selecting different aperture settings.
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I went out to shot stars hence the 20G. Looking back now, with shooting more of a street scene theme, I would have ideally had the CV21/3.5 on me. Again though, we make decisions on kit and unfortunately can't carry everything :)
 
Re-edited one of my photos from our trip to Wales last year, looks a bit better I think.


A9_04018 re-edit by TDG-77, on Flickr
 
woof woof said:
This made me smile...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBTdsiXaFQI

With that queue, would you bother? Me = No. :D
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Someone I know quit his (both did) job so him and his wife could go traveling.
She wanted to be a travel blogger/ influencer
She had places picked in each country before they even left and it was all planned around this by the sound of it.
when we talked to him he was telling us how crap it was as they spent most the day in queues like that waiting to get pics for her and that’s what most there trip ended up being, even if the pics were good don’t think it’s worth it.
If that was my wife I would have left her in another country.
 
pmac said:
Someone I know quit his (both did) job so him and his wife could go traveling.
She wanted to be a travel blogger/ influencer
She had places picked in each country before they even left and it was all planned around this by the sound of it.
when we talked to him he was telling us how crap it was as they spent most the day in queues like that waiting to get pics for her and that’s what most there trip ended up being, even if the pics were good don’t think it’s worth it.
If that was my wife I would have left her in another country.
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I would like to go to Japan one day. Places that I've been lead to include a spot in Belgium which I was told was the most romantic and often photographed and a famous face in a tree in Thailand which the Mrs pointed me at. TBH I'd have past these and others by without getting my camera out of the bag :D Thankfully there were no real queues although we did have to wait for one couple to move at that spot in Belgium.
 
From another place...

"During 1963 American Tobacco Company said: "Us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch!"

This long time (1993) Canon user sees no reason to switch. On my 21.5" iMac I can't see any difference between a real camera and my 2016 first-generation iPhone SE. I would prefer fighting to switching to a 61 megapixel Alpha 7R IV.

By staying with Canon SLRs I can keep using my present EOS lenses. What a good, and inexpensive, idea."

Can't see the difference between a real camera and a 1st gen iphone on a 21" screen? I wonder what the real camera was. Reading that I didn't know if I should laugh or cry but after a moments bafflement I decided that if he's happy then all's good with the world. A good picture doesn't need to be technically perfect and I suppose the worlds greatest ever photograph could be taken with a pinhole camera if it's interesting or thought provoking or emotion generating enough but I think talking about seeing differences is a different thing.
 
woof woof said:
From another place...

"During 1963 American Tobacco Company said: "Us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch!"

This long time (1993) Canon user sees no reason to switch. On my 21.5" iMac I can't see any difference between a real camera and my 2016 first-generation iPhone SE. I would prefer fighting to switching to a 61 megapixel Alpha 7R IV.

By staying with Canon SLRs I can keep using my present EOS lenses. What a good, and inexpensive, idea."

Can't see the difference between a real camera and a 1st gen iphone on a 21" screen? I wonder what the real camera was. Reading that I didn't know if I should laugh or cry but after a moments bafflement I decided that if he's happy then all's good with the world. A good picture doesn't need to be technically perfect and I suppose the worlds greatest ever photograph could be taken with a pinhole camera if it's interesting or thought provoking or emotion generating enough but I think talking about seeing differences is a different thing.
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Not quite 1st generation iPhone but first iPhone SE which is on the lines of iPhone 6.
My wife still uses one of these because she likes it's small form factor. IMO this is the first generation where phone cameras started being somewhat decent alternative to point and shoots.

My missus has indeed got a few nice shots with it that I have enjoyed. But even she doesn't think it's a replacement for an ILC.
 
nandbytes said:
Not quite 1st generation iPhone but first iPhone SE which is on the lines of iPhone 6.
My wife still uses one of these because she likes it's small form factor. IMO this is the first generation where phone cameras started being somewhat decent alternative to point and shoots.

My missus has indeed got a few nice shots with it that I have enjoyed. But even she doesn't think it's a replacement for an ILC.
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I saw the SE but I don't care :D That may be the one Mrs WW has as I think she got it about that time and it's smaller than the current ones. Although I'm not interested in phones and don't like taking pictures with them people I know buy phones on a whim and I'm bombarded with pictures every day from them and Mrs WW's family and friends and some of them are lovely but the differences between these and a "real camera" are there to be seen and the fact that someone posting on a photography forum can't see them on a 21" screen seems... noteworthy, admirable even I suppose as he doesn't seem to care about image quality but I don't know what real camera he's used to.
 
When I was at Richmond Park in September, after shooting deer, I also took a couple of people shots. Someone feeding a deer and a couple that seem to be getting or have gotten married.
Roll on summer, I think we've probably all had enough of this weather!


Wedding Couple by Merlin 5, on Flickr


You hungry, my deer? by Merlin 5, on Flickr
 
nandbytes said:
Not quite 1st generation iPhone but first iPhone SE which is on the lines of iPhone 6.
My wife still uses one of these because she likes it's small form factor. IMO this is the first generation where phone cameras started being somewhat decent alternative to point and shoots.

My missus has indeed got a few nice shots with it that I have enjoyed. But even she doesn't think it's a replacement for an ILC.
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Pretty sure Sony beat Apple there. K800 for instance.
 
robj20 said:
Pretty sure Sony beat Apple there. K800 for instance.
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Meant only for iPhones. May be there were better cameras from other manufacturers.

In fact I had the Panasonic DMC-CM1 in 2015-16 which had a 1" sensor camera.
 
Merlin5 said:
When I was at Richmond Park in September, after shooting deer, I also took a couple of people shots. Someone feeding a deer and a couple that seem to be getting or have gotten married.
Roll on summer, I think we've probably all had enough of this weather!
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It's not too bad here, it's not raining and there's some sky! I went out but I didn't take a camera. Met several people I hadn't seen for a while.

Lovely pictures :D
 
woof woof said:
It's not too bad here, it's not raining and there's some sky! I went out but I didn't take a camera. Met several people I hadn't seen for a while.

Lovely pictures :D
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Thanks Alan. Yes, I was really tempted to go out with the camera today as it was also very sunny earlier. :) But I was out for a few hours yesterday and got a few possible keepers so decided to relax at home. A couple of weeks ago I bought some proper walking shoes. Fairly cheap ones to be honest, Karrimor from Sports Direct, reduced to £30. I was getting pain under the ball of the left foot from wearing canvas shoes with flat rubber soles that had become thin and flimsy and I could feel every bump on the pavements and roads. With the amount of walking I do with the camera, it made sense to get decent footwear. So much better now, good tread underneath and very comfortable and waterproof. Though time will tell if I'll need to buy more expensive ones, all depends how the waterproofing and tread holds up. Do you and anyone here wear specific walking shoes?
 
Merlin5 said:
Thanks Alan. Yes, I was really tempted to go out with the camera today as it was also very sunny earlier. :) But I was out for a few hours yesterday and got a few possible keepers so decided to relax at home. A couple of weeks ago I bought some proper walking shoes. Fairly cheap ones to be honest, Karrimor from Sports Direct, reduced to £30. I was getting pain under the ball of the left foot from wearing canvas shoes with flat rubber soles that had become thin and flimsy and I could feel every bump on the pavements and roads. With the amount of walking I do with the camera, it made sense to get decent footwear. So much better now, good tread underneath and very comfortable and waterproof. Though time will tell if I'll need to buy more expensive ones, all depends how the waterproofing and tread holds up. Do you and anyone here wear specific walking shoes?
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I have some Salomon shoes I've had for a very long time, the tread is almost gone but I'm still wearing them. I got them years before I left the 9-5 and that was over 11 years ago. I also have some Regatta boots which I haven't worn for a long time, Mrs WW wears them occasionally. Other than that I have a pair of cheap trainers I bought off a market stall and a pair of good quality steel toe cap trainers from when I worked, I remember wearing them to Kazakhstan. I'm overdue a pair of good walking shoes. I don't have any ordinary shoes now. I wore a pair on our wedding day coming up 5 years ago and that was the last time.

Trousers are a problem at the mo as I bought a few pairs of multi pocket types but they're rubbish and wear really quickly. I'll have to look for something better.
 
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Footwear needs to fit your feet properly, which is why i go to places like Cotswold Outdoor etc and get my feet measured properly and then try on several boots / shoes and see which one fits the best and is the most comfortable within my budget.
The exact brand does not matter one bit, they need to be comfortable especially considering the miles that they will cover in the lifetime of the boot / shoe.
 
sjh2008 said:
Footwear needs to fit your feet properly, which is why i go to places like Cotswold Outdoor etc and get my feet measured properly and then try on several boots / shoes and see which one fits the best and is the most comfortable within my budget.
The exact brand does not matter one bit, they need to be comfortable especially considering the miles that they will cover in the lifetime of the boot / shoe.
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One thing to keep in mind for some people is socks, thickness wise, but I never bother with the thicker winter ones.

I had a bad foot a couple of years ago which gave me a lot of pain and was diagnosed as a bone spur and the Doc recommended a shoe insert but changing my exercise routine to include some tendon stretching seems to have just about cured it. I think if I buy some new shoes I might consider inserts or socks though, as I'm getting older :D
 
Back in my Munro Bagging days, it was always Scarpa boots that I wore because they seemed to be the most popular.
I always ended up with blisters and sore tired feet.
Once when I wore out a pair, I went to replace them with another pair but the sales girl measured my feet and said that Scarpas were no use to me.
I now wear Salomons and I've never had a blister since.
I normally get 2-3 years wear from my boots but my last pair of boots only lasted 10 months.
Luckily Salomons come with a 2 year warranty so I now have a brand new pair.
I wore them in the Cairngorms on Friday and they were so comfortable and no "breaking in" was required.

Moral of the story is - It always pays to get your feet professionally measured.
I learned this too late :rolleyes:
 
Mammut
mstphoto said:
Back in my Munro Bagging days, it was always Scarpa boots that I wore because they seemed to be the most popular.
I always ended up with blisters and sore tired feet.
Once when I wore out a pair, I went to replace them with another pair but the sales girl measured my feet and said that Scarpas were no use to me.
I now wear Salomons and I've never had a blister since.
I normally get 2-3 years wear from my boots but my last pair of boots only lasted 10 months.
Luckily Salomons come with a 2 year warranty so I now have a brand new pair.
I wore them in the Cairngorms on Friday and they were so comfortable and no "breaking in" was required.

Moral of the story is - It always pays to get your feet professionally measured.
I learned this too late :rolleyes:
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Scarpa were no good for me either, they use fairly narrow lasts.
Mammut seem to fit my feet the best of the ones I've tried. Pair of boots generally last me a couple of years.
It's a Shane manufacturers aren't more open with which size last they use you could then easily order then by just size instead of trying them on every time.
 
robj20 said:
Mammut
Scarpa were no good for me either, they use fairly narrow lasts.
Mammut seem to fit my feet the best of the ones I've tried. Pair of boots generally last me a couple of years.
It's a Shane manufacturers aren't more open with which size last they use you could then easily order then by just size instead of trying them on every time.
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A few months ago, we went to Pitlochry in the motorhome and stupidly I left my boots at home.
I bought a cheap(ish) pair of Regatta shoes to tide me over and they are so comfortable!!
Normally I wouldn't dream on buying these but I was pleasantly surprised.
Thinking of buy a pair of their mids for everyday use
 
mstphoto said:
A few months ago, we went to Pitlochry in the motorhome and stupidly I left my boots at home.
I bought a cheap(ish) pair of Regatta shoes to tide me over and they are so comfortable!!
Normally I wouldn't dream on buying these but I was pleasantly surprised.
Thinking of buy a pair of their mids for everyday use
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If I ever get a pair of boots that really fit perfectly I always buy a few pairs.
I don't water my money on Goretex either these days, full leather if I want waterproof. Never had a Goretex boot that's stayed waterproof for long.
 
woof woof said:
I have some Salomon shoes I've had for a very long time, the tread is almost gone but I'm still wearing them. I got them years before I left the 9-5 and that was over 11 years ago. I also have some Regatta boots which I haven't worn for a long time, Mrs WW wears them occasionally. Other than that I have a pair of cheap trainers I bought off a market stall and a pair of good quality steel toe cap trainers from when I worked, I remember wearing them to Kazakhstan. I'm overdue a pair of good walking shoes. I don't have any ordinary shoes now. I wore a pair on our wedding day coming up 5 years ago and that was the last time.

Trousers are a problem at the mo as I bought a few pairs of multi pocket types but they're rubbish and wear really quickly. I'll have to look for something better.
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Salomon for me too, very comfortable with the orthotic insole, plus good grip and hard wearing. Cost a small fortune but well worth it for the type and amount of walking we do (y)
 
Had to use mechanical shutter on the A9 today at a party due to that LED lighting issue again and black bands. Mechanical shutter sucks.
 
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