Tourist of Light blog by Ross Hamamura: Beginners Guides to SONY DSLR shooting

Today I was at a SONY Event.

Some wanted a LINK to some Basic DSLR information.
So, what I am trying to do here is consolidate some info and LINKS very quickly to start.

LINK to Photography TERMS: PHOTOGRAPHY TERMS: http://www.dpreview.com/glossary

Rev. 4/23/14

Sony ALPHA TIP # 149:

SONY Alpha Learning Portal, Packed with information : http://aportal.sony-asia.com/#/learn

On the Portal Shooting Techniques :

On this Tutorial you need to click on each of the Numbered TIPS

Click each number to see the TIP, and click again to get out and click on the next number

http://aportal.sony-asia.com/shooting-techniques

Article Index : http://aportal.sony-asia.com/learn/articles

Videos: http://aportal.sony-asia.com/learn/videos

Rev. 2/8/14

Sony ALPHA TIP # 84: NEW Organization on the SONY USA Support site:

There is also a SEARCH that you can get SPECIFIC INFORMATION (and Manual) of your Camera Model.

http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/select-system.pl?PRODTYPE=76

Beginners Guides to Digital SLR Photography by Mark David

Easy-to-read primers

Teaching people individually has shown me the areas beginners struggle with. These primers explain them.

Easy to read explanations ... Highly Recommended reading :)

http://www.mdavid.com.au/photography/photography.html

What is Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes

http://digital-photography-school.com/aperture-and-shutter-priority-modes

And some TIPS & Techniques and more here:

http://www.sonydigitalimaging.com/

This is a nice video tutorial that is easy to understand.
Here is a SONY Asia LINK:
http://www.sony-asia.com/microsite/aportal/#/learn

SONY Tutorials
http://sonyalphalab.com/tag/tutorials/

http://illuminate.sony.com.sg/

http://www.lightandcomposition.com/

www.lightandcomposition.com

Olympus tutorial site with some very good General Info: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/oima_learn_center.asp

Canon's site EU: http://www.canon-europe.com/youconnect_newsletter/tutorials/

Sony Features LINK , and Why SONY: http://www.sony.net/Products/di/en-us/products/lenses/advantages/#n13

Focal Length, Angle of View, and Perspective

This Page actually has some informative "Interactive" examples.

And it is nice how they added how Telephoto Lens is not just for Magnification. But, can usefully used for Telephoto Compression (with a nice example).

http://www.sony.net/Products/di/en-us/products/lenses/basics/focalLength.html

What CIR POL and ND do: http://www.sony.net/Products/di/en-us/products/lenses/accessories/

GREAT e-Books that you can Download that is SONY camera specific (but not Free)
http://friedmanarchives.com/ebooks/

There is more General Links below , at the end of the blog.
All of these are links contributed by other very helpful photographers.
Have not looked at them all myself. Right now I am just trying to get them all up on this page.
Once I look thru them I will try to put them in some kind of order :)

* First I would like to say ... SONY's Superior AUTO mode seems like the best solution to me. Even though admittedly I have never actually used it. :)

* After that I would say ... A , Aperture Priority ... in Auto ISO , iso limit at iso6400 if you are not going to do a big Print with it , which I doubt. (my guess is 4x6) Anything that will be sized down to a Facebook page imho can be shot with a SONY RX100 and Up .. with the iso6400 limit on Auto ISO. in general. Remember , talking Face Book 800px on the wide end , and 4x6 inch prints.

As feedback comes in , I reserve the right to change this Blog. LOL
I will also update this page with more Beginners LINKs as more are contributed to me by other photogs.

This is my at home play around suggestion that I narrowed down to from being out at that event.

When you are ready to move up from SONY's Superior AUTO.

* Learn how to shoot A mode ( Aperture Priority ) + Exposure Compensation (off a dial) + Auto ISO , with a iso6400 limit ... particularly during the day, that should be the go to.

SONY Metering Mode= Multi (matrix) ... this is my go to mode because it meters the whole image. Basically ending up being the Background on the wide end of the Zoom. also makes it easier to balance the Forward subject with a flash in TTL, but that's another story. :)
Once you use Multi (matrix) enough , you can meter anything with it ... even more so in Live View. For Live View Exposure I only use Multi , imho all you really need on a modern computer like Live View camera.
The more you PLAY with it in "Live View", the more you will understand what it is doing.

1) Configure the Camera to A mode , and configure a exterior dial for quick access to Exposure Compensation. preferably close to your thumb. RX1 has a Perfect position, and a heavenly smooth click action on the comp stops. fyi I am just saying. :)

Like setting up the SONY camera to DMF (if your camera and lens supports it) ... and Focus Peaking in LOW . and RED. MF Assist = ON (so it "Zooms In" when you move the Manual Focus Ring after a AF)

2) Once it is set up ... try this at Home. Use Live View off the LCD. Start with wide open f2, f2.8, f4 whatever is your lowest Aperture Number for your lens. If on a zoom , go to the widest Focal Length on the Lens (zoom out - W) - At that Focal length it will probably be where you can set the Fastest A f - stop.

This little exercise "might" help you SEE what the Aperture changes do:

* have a LINE of WORDS on poster ... on a table ...
* Move your AF point to the far Right , maybe on the 1/3 line.
* Take a 45 degree angle shot to the poster ... your Far Right AF point being closest to the closest word on the Poster. Hmmm, wonder if that is being clear? Yuk, I am so bad at this LOL
For those that saw me do this, you know :)
* Looking at the Live View in the LCD ... now change your A (Aperture) Slowly one Click at a time ... while looking at how more and more letters start becoming CLEAR
Each camera is different how it changes A (Aperture).
* As you go from f2 thru f22 more and more becomes Clear on the Line of Words ... basically Near to Far.

That is Setting the Aperture. on a RX1 Optimal is f4 "as a starting point" for general use. Optimal and CHOICE is different. fyi: in AUTO the RX1 tries to do f4 and 1/80 and floats the ISO to comp.
But, honestly I do not care what Auto does, just wish RX1 had a Auto ISO , Shutter Speed Minimum you could SET. (ala Nikon and Canon)

3) Once you got your favorite Starting Point A (Aperture) set. Now we move to deciding the exposure. How Bright or Dark you expose the image. note: it is a creative CHOICE. there is no real right or wrong. only what you LIKE.
But, here is a starting point to practice.
Have a PERSON be your subject. Point AF on there Face with a half press (let go of the shutter for now) ... then, USE the EXPOSURE COMPENSATION dial to Move it UP or DOWN from Zero (0) and make the FACE look natural in the LCD , to your taste.

PLAY with it .. SEE that changes in the LCD ... SEE how that effects the exposure (Light and Dark) in the Background.

* Expose for the Skin of your subject ... so , at this point you have ... SET the A (Aperture) and SET the Exposure via the Exposure Compensation Dial.

At this point you could just , Half press , lock your AF and Shutter ... Done.

But, here is a feature I love about SONYs Focus Peaking and Zoom Manual Focus with a DMF setting and DMF lens.

4) With the Focus , DMF settings above. You can now Half Press the shutter and AF on a Face.
IF you have a a99 Focus peaking will show up as RED along the edges of there Eyes and Hair (depending on your f stop).
IF you have a RX1 , when you move the Focus Ring ... it will Automatically ZOOM in and you will SEE Focus Peaking RED somewhere (hopefully) ... Now, what you do is move the Manual Focus Ring to Focus on the eyes, the RED will show up on the contrast areas between the whites of the eyes and the lids.
(depending on f stop and peaking strength settings)

The GREAT thing about this practice is it also teaches you where the CONTRAST in a subject is. and indirectly teach you WHERE you can put your PDAF AF focus point to get a FAST AF in Low light.

You can also use this to AF on a GOOD Contrast area, for FAST AF in low light ... and with good control of your A (aperture) DOF (Depth Of Field) you can INDIRECTLY have "other" parts of the Subject Focus Locked ... AND you will see it in FOCUS PEAKING.

Another way I use it is if I cannot get a AF lock at all, in Low Light ... I just use Manual Focus with DMF, and auto Zoom ... and hopefully see something with a touch of Peaking, for the AF lock.

Just as a side note: a99 has Focus Peaking only at the Normal View ... and RX1 only has Focus Peaking when you ZOOM in to manual focus. ALL new SONY's should have BOTH as a Feature that you can Turn Off or On in the Menus. That is on my wish List. :)

*** Ok, want to know my favorite way to shoot during the Day with the new Sony A7r , A7, RX1/r cameras with the Exposure Compensation Wheel on the TOP Right?
What I call "EXPOSURE COMPENSATION PRIORITY" ... Link here explains:
http://tourist-of-light.blogspot.com/2013/12/sony-alpha-tip-priority-this-is-my-tip.html

HERE is MORE Beginners LINKS:

http://thebeginnerslens.com/digital-photography/dslr-for-dummies-part-1.html

http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners/

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

http://www.nyip.edu/photo-articles