Alphatracks

Note: This is the first of a series of photography tips that will be appearing weekly in Alphatracks. Watch for the a new tip each week.

Practice this technique and you will know at a glance which Compact Flash cards are free to use and which need to be uploaded to your computer.

Dec 5, 2008: If you are like me, you have a collection of memory cards. It’s great to have extra Compact Flash cards available, because you never know when an exciting photo situation may fall into your lap. If you have several cards on hand, however, it easy to loose track of which cards need to be transferred to more permanent storage and which can be erased and used for a new shoot.

To be honest, I actually learned about this trick a long time ago, and I cannot remember who I heard it from. So while I can’t credit the original author of this tip, I can tell you it has become my standard operating procedure for handling memory cards.

A case for every card, and every card in it’s case

Like many photographers, I keep my spare Compact Flash cards in their own carrying case. My choice is a Case Logic faux-leather case
that holds six memory cards zipped inside. By carrying cards inside a case, all my cards stay together and are easy to find. I don’t have to search through my camera bag to locate the relatively small Compact Flash cards; all I have to do is locate the zipper case and select the card I want.

Initially I simply stuck the cards face up in the case. Then I heard someone suggest that you could determine which cards were already filled, by inserting them face down in their storage pockets. Cards that are empty or which can be erased are inserted face up.

It may sound fairly simplistic, but you would be surprised how much time and aggravation this can save. It is especially helpful when you have more of one card of the same brand and type. I recently got a great deal on three identical 4GB Compact Flash cards. I already had a couple cards of the same brand, which means that I now have five cards that look similar. Had I not adapted this trick, it would more than a little difficult figuring which cards needed to be uploaded and which were available for use.

My procedure, which I adhere to without fail, is this. When I upload and backup my images from a CF card to my computer, the card is ready for reuse. I never erase or format the card on the computer, because I believe the camera is better at formatting a card for its own use. So when I determine a card can be reused, I simply insert it face up in any of the pockets inside the zipper case.

Available memory cards are stored face up

When I want to load a fresh card into one of my cameras, I can open the zipper case and select any card whose label is face up. As soon as the card is in the camera I either delete all images stored on it or format the card. This only takes a few seconds, and leaves the card empty and ready to store fresh images.

When I fill a card, or swap it out for a fresh card, I place the used card face down in the case. By following this procedure, I can tell at a glance which cards are available for use. When I return to my computer, I remove all the face down cards and start uploading them with my card reader. When I am certain that all the images are backed up, I return the cards to the case face up and the process starts all over again.

Did you or did you not archive the contents of that memory card?

There are other benefits to this procedure beyond knowing instantly which cards can be reused. Recently, I had several assignments back to back. About the third day, I grabbed a card from the case and noticed that it contained images from day 1. For a few anxious moments I tried to recall if I had already uploaded the files from that card. I couldn’t remember. I thought I had, but I was not sure. Then it occurred to me the card had been face up in its pocket. Because I never deviate from the practice of only placing cards that can be safely erased face up in the case, I knew the pictures had been backed up. I went ahead and formatted the card, secure that the existing images had been backed up, even though I couldn’t remember doing it.

Note that this only works if you are a fanatic about following this practice. I knew my files were backed up, because I never put a memory card face up into the zipper case unless it is free for reuse.

Don’t overlook orphan files on your Compact Flash cards

One other advantage to this trick is it prevents you from leaving orphan files on your memory cards. Many times I have filled up a memory card with a hundred photos or more, then shot a handful of images on a second card. If you shoot a lot, it is easy to overlook the small collection of images stored on the additional card, especially if you are traveling or working on a tight deadline.

Because my procedure is to remove all face down cards from the case and upload everything to my standard folder structure, nothing is overlooked. Even if there is a card with only 1 or 2 images on it, these images will be added to my library because I force myself to upload all the images from all the cards before putting them back in the case.

How about you? Do you have a procedure that helps keep things straight when you are in the field?

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DSLRs are technological wonders, but they don’t have to wreck your budget.

Dec 3, 2008: Christmas is the time of the year when digital SLR sales typically ramp up. Of course this year is anything but typical. The state of economy, at least in the US, is on most people’s minds. Many prospective dSLR owners are tightening their belts and holding off buying that new camera, lens or flash unit. I would never suggest spending money you don’t have on photo gear, unless you earn most or all of your income from photography. If you are a hobbyist, you may need to retrench and put off major purchases until the economy improves.

DSLR photography will always involve a substantial outlay of cash; that is the nature of the beast. You can’t eliminate that cost, but with a little creative planning, you can reduce it. If budget constraints are forcing you to postpone that new dSLR or lens purchase, these suggestions might help you stretch your photography dollars.

Choose a lower-price camera body

There is a famous old saying: “…if wishes were cameras, then we would all be shooting with the A900..” Or something like that.

If you have A900 tastes, but your budget is more along the lines of the A200, there is nothing to be ashamed of. The Sony Alpha A200 or A300 can produce excellent images, and both cameras offer a wealth of features. Don’t be afraid to start out with one of the less expensive models. Most professional photographers, if they are on a budget, will opt to cut corners on the camera so they have money to spend on what really matters: high quality lenses. A great lens on a inexpensive camera can create wonderful images, but even the best camera cannot overcome an unsharp lens.

If you are one of those people who only buy the best so it will last, remember the digital SLR market is still evolving. Only a few years ago, most professional dSLRs were 6 megapixel, APS-C sensor models. Today, full frame, 20+ megapixel dSLRs like the A900 are blurring the distinction between portable single lens reflex cameras and medium-format studio units. Live-view and video capabilities will soon be considered mandatory on any dSLR.

Today’s full-featured camera will undoubtedly fall short of the cameras of the near future. Don’t put off purchasing a camera while you save for a top-of-the-line model. Buy a dSLR that you can afford now and work hard to create great images.

Consider buying used equipment

Buying a used dSLR is an iffy proposition. I have bought two used high-end digital cameras that have worked flawlessly. That said, dSLRs are packed with miniaturized electronics and are sensitive to moisture, dirt, cold and heat. Problems can hide unseen inside the camera for weeks or months before they show up. Unless you know the seller and the history of the camera, I would be leery of buying a used dSLR unless it came with an ironclad warranty.

You can still save money with used equipment, however. Second-hand lenses, flash units and accessories offer a much safer opportunity to save cash. Do your homework and make sure you know what to look for in a used item. You can often save more than 50% by buying used.

Try your local pawn shop

Online auctions and used camera stores are popular places to seek pre-owned camera gear, but don’t overlook your neighborhood pawn shop. You can often find great deals, especially if you know what to look for. Pawn shops are no longer shady enterprises hiding out on the outskirts of town. Pawn shops have moved into the mainstream and now serve a respectable clientele. Pawn shops offer several advantages when buying used equipment. Unlike an online auction, you can actually see and handle the item before you buy. Even better, many reputable pawn shops will offer you a 24-48 hour trial. These shops will allow you to use and return an item within a certain period of time if it doesn’t perform correctly.

Rent camera equipment that won’t be used often

You might be surprised to discover that many pro photographers rent most or all of their equipment. A pro needs to consider the ROI (return on investment) of every piece of gear. If an item will be used infrequently, it is much better to rent it when needed, rather than drop a bundle of cash on something that will sit on the shelf most of the time.

You can use the same technique, even if you are just starting out. Short term (daily or weekly) rental prices can be quite affordable, even for high-quality lenses and flash units. Some rental operations rent camera bodies, so you don’t even need to actually own a dSLR to start taking great images. In addition to saving money, renting is a great way to preview a piece of equipment you are thinking of buying. Spend a week with an expensive lens or camera before you buy. You could save yourself from making an expensive purchase you later regret.

Until recently, it was difficult to find places prepared to rent Sony/Minolta dSLR gear. Alpha Lens Rental in Minnesota offers a very good selection of A-mount lens and equipment. They even have the Sony Alpha A900 (Yes the one with 24.5 mega-pixels) available for rental. They will Fed-Ex to your location within the USA. Hopefully, we will see more A-Mount lens rental operations in the near future.

Skimp on accessories, not the camera and lens

There are some things you shouldn’t compromise on, such as lenses. There are many other items that could offer temporary savings. It is nice to own a top-of-the-line camera bag, but the type of bag you use will not have any effect on your images. Make do with a padded cooler or gym bag until you can afford the real thing. You can shoot wonderful images with inexpensive “clamp-on” lights from the hardware. You can find free plans online for DIY light modifiers and camera stands.

Use your creativity and you will find many household items that can be pressed into service in place of higher priced photo gear.

Save money with manual lenses and flash units

While I don’t recommend wasting money on cheap lenses, my concern is with lenses that cannot produce sharp images. Don’t overlook the wide variety of manual aperture, manual focus lenses on the market. Some of these lenses have wonderful optics, but they sell for far less than a fully automatic lens of similar length and aperture.

You can find millions of very good M42 and T-mount lenses on the used market, some selling for only a few dollars. You will need an inexpensive adapter to mount them on your Sony Alpha dSLR, but if you choose wisely you can find some razor sharp bargains. They will require additional work on your part, but they will force you to develop your photography skills. You won’t be able to rely on your camera’s automatic settings with this equipment. Still, a few weeks of shooting with a manual lens will develop skills and techniques it would take years to learn shooting in the program mode.

How about it? Anyone else have suggestions for reducing the high cost of entering the dSLR market?

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I spotted a great image over in the SONY ALPHA DSLR-A200 Flickr group. It wasn’t taken with an A200. In fact the creator Sam Knox says he was shooting with a “pocket-sized point ‘n shoot” at the time he created this Photoshop masterpiece.

What is so great about the shot is he turned Big Ben into… well you have to see it to understand. Check it out at the Sony A200 discussion group.

If you shoot with an A200, you might want to join the group as well. You can sign up at Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 main page It appears to be a very active Flickr group open to all A200 shooters.

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F/9 at 28mm and extremely shallow depth of field? Only from the mind of Minolta

Nov. 25, 2008 A couple weeks ago my wife suggested we go apple picking. It has been a while since I last picked apples and as the last of the fall colors were still decorating the trees, I agreed immediately.

We chose the Apple Hill Orchard in Morganton, NC, about a hour and half drive.

Naturally I brought along a camera; the Sony Alpha A350 equipped with my trusty Minolta 28-85mm f3.5-4.5 zoom. Because this was an apple picking excursion, I didn’t want haul along a lot of extra equipment, and I wasn’t interested in changing lenses while traipsing around the groves. So I went with the 28-85mm because I expected it would provide sufficient versatility for the day’s shooting.

The aperture was a little slow for shooting inside the Apple Hill general store, but with a little care I got some excellent shots. Outside in the actual orchard, the 28-85 proved to be an excellent choice. On the A350’s APSC size sensor, the focal length is the equivalent to a 42 to 127.5mm zoom. I would have liked a little wider angle of view inside the cider mill, but otherwise the lens was perfect for my purposes.

The biggest surprise for me was how much I enjoyed using the macro mode of the 28-85mm. For reasons I don’t fully understand, Minolta designed the 28-85mm lens so that the macro mode can only be engaged at the 28mm focal length. This is directly opposite of most macro zoom lenses, which either provide their macro effect at the maximum telephoto focal length or else offer macro throughout the entire zoom range of the lens.

I have heard some photographers harshly criticize the lens because of its wide-angle only macro design.

It is a somewhat odd configuration, but I found it was great for creating the effect of very shallow depth of field. I could shift into the macro setting, focus on an apple or other subject and watch everything outside of my main subject turn soft and dreamy. I was shooting at f/9, which would normally cause nearly everything to be in focus with a 28mm focal length. Shooting in macro however, gave me a razor sharp subject against a soft background.

So maybe Minolta knew what they were doing when they created the 28-85 with a wide-angle macro. I guarantee you I will be shooting with this setting much more often in the future.

You can view the image gallery at Alphatracks visits the Apple Hill Orchard.

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“UGH!” (Smacks hand against forehead) “I should have used a lens hood!.”

Nov. 12, 2008 Spend time at any event where photography enthusiasts congregate and you will notice plenty of naked lenses…lenses without lens hoods. That’s rather strange, when you consider that nearly every quality lens ships with a custom designed lens shade made expressly for that lens. It isn’t a matter of being able to afford a hood; it is nearly impossible to buy a Sony Alpha lens without a matched shade. Most quality glass from other makers also include a hood with their lenses. So all those photographers already own lens shades; they simply don’t bother to use them. Too many photographers treat lens hoods as part of the lens packaging — something to be dropped back into the box and packed away into the closet.

There are certain situations where a lens shade is unnecessary, or even detrimental to making good images. I’ll discuss the specific conditions when you shouldn’t use a lens shade in a moment. First, however, I want to look at why you should attach a hood almost every time you take a lens out of your bag.

Kill the glare, stick a shade on it

Most photographers know that lens shades are intended to exclude glare and reduce hot spots. In addition, lens shades increase contrast, improve sharpness and retain color fidelity. Consider the fact that many photographers spend large sums on top-quality lenses because they know that excellent glass will produce better images. Yet many of these same photographers can’t be bothered to attach a hood, even though that hood is essential to getting the most from that expensive lens.

Lens shades come in a wide variety of shades and designs. The best hoods are designed expressly for the lens they are being used on.

Flare comes in two varieties

There are two kinds of lens flare. The first is obvious flare. It is often referred as ghosting because the appearance is akin to the images the paranormal investigators get excited about. It is characterized by distinct ghostly areas caused by light reflected off the interior of the lens. These reflections are usually visible in the viewfinder, although sometimes you won’t notice the flare until you process images on your computer. Most of the time this type of flare is deadly to your images, because it is nearly impossible to repair the effects of obvious flare.

The other type of flare is more subtle. Instead of a prominent ghostly area, the reflection occurs across all or most of the surface of the lens’ front element. The result is a subtle loss of contrast and color fidelity. You might not even realize that flare has affected your image, because the difference is so delicate. Yet, the difference exists. If you could eliminate the flare, the image would look sharper and richer.

Suppose a respected lab announced that a specific lens had five percent better contrast and sharpness than any other lens in it’s class. That lens would immediately become a highly lusted-after optic. Photographers would speak of it in hushed tones and be willing to spend huge sums of cash for the privilege of saying they shoot with that lens.

Yet, although we know that use of a lens shade can dramatically improve our photos, many photographers can’t be bothered to use one. Spend hundreds of dollars on a lens that provides sharper images with better color? Of course. Spend ten seconds to attach a lens hood to improve sharpness and color? Sorry, just can’t spare the time.

Hopefully, you already use a hood whenever applicable. What if your original hood is lost or broken? You have several options. If the lens is still in production, you can always order a new one from the manufacturer. This is often the best route, because you know the hood will be matched to the lens. Unfortunately, original replacement hoods don’t come cheap. In some cases, the list price of an original equipment hood might be twenty percent as much as a complete new lens — a fairly high sticker for a plastic cylinder or stamped piece of aluminum.

I lost my hood, now what?

You could look for a used hood on one of the online auction websites, but if the hood is for a popular lens, you may find it difficult to secure a second hand lens shade. That narrows your choice to one of the many aftermarket hoods available. Unfortunately, one size of hood definitely doesn’t fit all focal lengths. A longer shade will be more effective, but long hoods cannot be used with wide angle lenses because the hood will cause vignetting. Zoom lenses can be even more problematic, since it may be difficult to find a generic hood that offers sufficient sun protection without vignetting at all focal lengths.

Aftermarket hoods are available in metal, plastic and flexible rubber. A generic hood may not be as fully effective as one specially tailored to a specific lens, but the aftermarket shades are much more affordable.

One final source of replacement hoods are printable hoods that can be downloaded from the internet. Type “printable lens hoods” into your favorite search engine and you will find dozens of paper hoods designed expressly for a wide variety of lenses. Print them on stiff card stock, cut them out and attach them to your lens.

So when should you forgo a lens hood? There are times you might want to introduce lens flare as a creative element. Hollywood movies often go out of the way to show flare effects in establishing shots. You may want to include this technique in your own portfolio.

When shooting flash, use a hood with care

Finally, use care when using a lens shade with electronic flash. Lens hoods can block the light from a hot-shoe mounted flash unit or a built in popup flash. Generally this isn’t a problem with longer focal length lenses, but with a wide angle lenses, there is a real possibility that the shade will cause a dark shadow at the bottom of the frame. It is a good idea to check how your wide angle lens hoods perform with hot-shoe mounted flash units.

So do use your lens shade? Why or why not?

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The Sony Alpha hot shoe is the best in the business…but where is the radio trigger to fit it?

Nov. 6, 2008 Last time I discussed the A900’s lack of a popup flash and the need for a $500 HLV-F58AM flash unit if you want to trigger the Sony Alpha wireless flash system. The hope is that Sony may offer another method to wirelessly trigger remote flash units with the A900.

Sony could offer some sort of less expensive optical trigger, which would be capable of serving as a master for the Sony wireless system. But why optical? True, the Sony wireless system, derived from the original Minolta optical wireless system, is excellent. Maybe more than excellent. But optical flash systems have limits, which is why most top pros choose wireless radio triggers.

Radio triggers work at longer distances, don’t need to be in line of sight of the camera and work reliably in brightly lighted conditions.

Unfortunately, as as far as I am aware, there are no radio triggers that will attach directly to the Sony Alpha flash shoe. Nor are there receivers designed to attach directly to any of the Sony or Minolta dedicated flash units that are fully compatible with the Alpha dSLRs.

No radio trigger for the Sony hot shoe?

Most(all?) of the radio triggers on the market are designed to attach to the standard, old-style hot shoe employed by the majority of cameras not manufactured by Sony. The receivers either attach to the foot of the older style flash shoe, or plug into the old-style PC sync port. That leaves Sony Alpha users out of luck, unless they attempt to cobble up a home-brew solution utilizing adapters. Setting up a radio trigger system with adapters isn’t rocket-science and I always encourage users to experiment with modding their gear. Still, it is disappointing that no “off-the-shelf” radio trigger is available for the Alpha.

Am I the only one who is flummoxed that Sony hasn’t stepped up to address this deficiency? I mean, this is Sony we are talking about. How many radio engineers do they have on their payroll? They may not be the be-all and end-all when it comes to radio technology, but they come pretty close. Walkman personal stereos, clock radios, component stereo equipment, car receivers, boom boxes, cordless phones… you name a piece of radio equipment; and Sony has probably produced a version of it.

Except, of course, radio triggers to accompany their line of Alpha dSLRs.

It’s not that there isn’t a market out there. The A100 was said to sell 360+ thousand units in the six months it was available in 2006. I don’t have exact sales figures for 2007, but with an entire 12 months to work with and the introduction of the outstanding A700, I have to believe the numbers well exceeded 2006. We are still in 2008, of course, so figures aren’t available, but with the A200, A300, A350 and A900 all joining the A700, it wouldn’t be surprising if Sony dSLR sales easily exceeded both 2006 and 2007 combined. That is a lot of Alphas.

Then there are the Minolta Maxxum dSLRs. The Maxxum 5D and 7D sold well and most of them are still in service. Minolta also sold truck-loads of the non-dSLR Dimage 7 variants, which begat the similar Konica-Minolta Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) cameras; the A1, A2 And A200 (not to be confused with the Sony A200). These units share the same hot shoe and flash circuitry as the Minolta Maxxums, making them fully compatible with the latest flash units from Sony.

There are still millions of Maxxum film cameras hanging around. Film may be all but dead, but the Maxxum 9 film SLRS are still trading for well over $100 – $600 on ebay. Maybe those are being bought by collectors, but I have to believe at least some photographers are buying those used film SLRs to use, not sit in a display case.

Of course, not all of the owners of those millions of cameras are potential flash trigger buyers. Some photographers never use flash, especially off-camera flash. Others are satisfied with the current optical wireless flash available with the dedicated Sony flash units. Still others will fire their off-camera flash with sync cords, or use adapters to use standard radio wireless flash.

Even so, there are have to be a good percentage of users who would be eager to add a Sony brand wireless trigger on their Alpha or Minolta cameras. And don’t forget, Sony is in this dSLR thing for the long-haul. Which means millions more Alpha cameras will appear in the future. How many of those new Alpha owners will be looking for a radio trigger solution?

Radio flash triggers — why aren’t there any to fit the Sony Alpha?

Sooner or later, someone has to step up to the plate and offer a comprehensive radio trigger solution for the Alpha series. I don’t really care who it is…if the PocketWizard folks or Metz, Bowens, Quantum, MicroSync or someone else comes forward with a reliable solution, I would be happy.

But consider Sony’s clear advantages in this area.

In addition to the radio engineering experience I alluded to earlier, Sony owns all the specs, the pin-outs and the internal technology of the Alpha system. The third-party makers have to disassemble off-the-shelf cameras and flashes to determine this information, and they have to hope they don’t miss something significant.

Sony also has access to all the special components: flash shoes, dedicated sync connectors, etc. If you are a third-party vendor, you have manufacture your own components, since you can’t just order a package of components from a supplier somewhere.

Finally, Sony has a huge built-in advantage in brand recognition. When the third-party makers create a radio trigger for the old style flash shoe, they can sell the same basic unit to Canon, Nikon, Pentax and other shooters. If Nikon or Canon were to develop their own trigger, the third party vendors would still have plenty of other customers. If they develop an Alpha shoe radio trigger, the only people they can sell it to are Sony (and Minolta) shooters. That is fine…unless Sony steps up with their own branded solution.

Could any radio trigger maker compete with Sony?

If Sony enters the fray, how does a third-party trigger maker compete in the Alpha arena? Sony’s Alpha components are generally excellent, so you probably won’t be able to beat Sony on quality or performance.

Sony will probably also beat the third-party makers on appearance. True, the look of a radio trigger device has no impact on it’s performance, but you can’t argue that a trigger with a matching finish and a big orange Alpha logo won’t be more appealing to the majority of Alpha shooters.

That leaves price as the only way a third-party maker could compete against Sony. But here Sony holds all the cards. Sony generally prices their stuff on the high side, but if they wanted to compete against a third-party interloper. all they have to do is come in somewhere close to the other guy’s list price.

I don’t have any hard figures, but I would guess that if most Alpha users had their choice, they would buy a Sony brand trigger, even it it was ten or twenty dollars more expensive. Even if the Sony product was thirty or forty dollars more, Sony would probably still outsell it’s competitors. To compete against Sony in the radio trigger arena, you would probably have to price your trigger at least $50 less than Sony.

Sony, of course, is in the driver’s seat. They could bring their mythical product in at a price point where no high-quality aftermarket trigger could compete.

Of course, this is simply my own musing. I have no idea if or when Sony will offer an Alpha radio trigger. I don’t know if any of the third-party makers are really taking a look at offering a dedicated Alpha radio trigger.

Interestingly enough, two separate Alphatracks readers: Paulo Rodrigues and a reader named Dave, commented on my earlier post to explain how they rigged up a wireless radio flash system for the Alpha hot shoe. You can see their DIY flash trigger notes here. I have been considering an attempt at something similar. If I do, I will do a full report on Alphatracks.

I am convinced that the market is there and the A900, with it’s lack of a built-in optical trigger, creates a real need for this sort of product. Sooner or later, someone has to address the need.

Are you listening, Sony?

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Will Sony provide a way to trigger the wireless optical flash system other than with the HLV-F58AM?

Nov. 4, 2008: At long last, the A900 is starting to wind its way into the hands of eager photographers and it looks to be every bit as sweet a camera as we hoped. Of course it is hard to miss with a 24.6mp full frame dSLR, but it appears that Sony has exceeded most people’s expectations.

There are plenty of other sites discussing the A900, and I will be offering up my 2 cents as well. Today, however, I want to talk about options for triggering a remote flash with the A900.

This post came about because, as expected, the new A900 doesn’t not have a popup flash. Not a big concern, as the top level dSLRs from other makers don’t include a popup flash either. Pros seldom, if ever use flash units located directly above the lens axis, so why design a pro-level camera with a popup that will never be used? Besides, the flash might not fit so well with the A900’s impressive looking pentaprism.

There is just one fly in the ointment. All the past Sony dSLRs, as well as the dSLRs from Minolta were equipped with a popup flash. All these cameras use the popup as a trigger for the Sony/Minolta wireless flash system. It is a good thing those cameras had the popup, because until recently, the popup was the only way to trigger the wireless flash system. Some of the older external Minolta flashes could act as trigger for other flash units in the wireless mode, but that only worked with film cameras. In the dSLR arena, the only trigger for Sony or Minolta wireless flash units was with the built in flash. Which as I already mentioned; the A900 is lacking..

Fear not, the A900 supports wireless flash, when equipped with the brand new HLV-F58-AM flash unit. The 58AM can serve as a flash trigger for any flash in the Sony Alpha system.

The HLV-F58AM lists just south of $500, and since it is brand spanking new, you will probably have to pay the full sticker if you want the privilege of using wireless flash with your new A900.

That isn’t to say the HLV-F58AM isn’t worth the price, but who wants to shell out all that cash just to use that top-of-line flash unit as a lowly flash trigger?

Consider the poor guy who already has a collection of Sony and Minolta D series flash units. To use them wirelessly, he has to buy yet another flash unit. The kicker is the F58AM specs make it hands-down the best flash available for the Sony Alpha. If you use it a s a flash trigger, however, you don”t get the benefits of all that power and multi-jointed flexibility. With the Sony wireless system, if you use the trigger to fire two or more remote flashes, the trigger fires before the exposure so that the trigger’s light doesn’t spoil the lighting setup. That’’s all well and good, however, it means if you buy a HLV-F58AM to trigger multiple wireless flashes from your A900, your newest and very best flash can’t be used to light the scene. it can only be used as a trigger. Unless you are sufficiently well healed to be in a position to acquire an A900 and multiple copies of the F58AM.

Now I fully expect to hear from someone pointing out that: “If you can afford a new A900, I guess you have enough cash to add a F5AM or two.”

That isn’t how it works in real life. Sure, there will be some people who have a fat enough wallet that they can afford three A900s; one for the summer house, one for the winter house and another one to use while traveling between the two. But there are many shooters who have to scrimp and save to snare a copy of a A900, For these photographers, digging up another half-grand for a flash trigger represents somewhat of a hardship.

Of course pro photographers can shell out for any piece of equipment they need, right? In reality, pros have to watch their expenses just like anyone else. There is an old joke that “only wealthy amateurs can afford pro photography equipment.” It is simplistic statement, but there is more than a grain of truth there. Working professionals have a whole raft of stuff to spend their cash on. In addition to cameras and lenses, there are any number of things like computers, software, marketing, studio rent, lighting equipment and much more that can eat up the budget. What’s another five bills on top of that overhead? For some pros, it’s a lot.

It is possible that Sony could offer develop some optional, less-expensive way to trigger the wireless flash system, but for the moment it appears its the HLV-58AM or nothing.

Hmm… maybe there is another option. That will be the topic of my next post….

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We spent a couple of days in Winston-Salem (North Carolina) recently. One of the highlights was a visit to Old-Salem Village. Established by the Moravians in the 1700s, the village is an interesting mix of modern shops in a historical setting. Unlike most attractions of this type, the town is freely open to everyone, with no admission. A Ticket are required to enter some of the buildings, but you are free to wander about and enjoy the setting without paying an admission.

Old Salem Village Image Gallery.

We only had a couple of hours to spend in the village, but the light was grand for photography. I had the Sony Alpha A350 with me, and since there wasn’t much time I decided I didn’t want to lug around a camera bag. So I selected my Minolta 28-85mm lens, figuring it would provide the best combination of focal lengths for a quick tour.

There was no shortage of subjects to shoot, and even though it was late in the afternoon, I found the long autumn shadows were quite interesting.

I used between a half and one and half stops exposure compensation to open up the shadows many of the buildings. I shifted between aperture and shutter priority for most of the shots. Everything was shot in RAW.

The lens revealed the famous “Minolta Colors” in many of the images. All in all, I was pleased with what I shot. I was somewhat surprised, however that my favorite shot was the front of a couple of buildings lining a side street. There was nothing especially noteworthy about the buildings and I the resulting photo was pretty much a simple grab shot. When I first looked at the image on my Mac, I thought it was okay, with pleasing colors.

There is more to this building in Old Salem Village than meets the eye…

Then I looked closer and started to notice dozens of small, but interesting details. The architecture and construction drew me deeper and deeper into the photo. This has nothing to do with me as a photographer. Well, maybe a little..:). I did see the potential in the shot, but I never noticed the details while we were in Old Salem. My true appreciation of the building’s construction details didn’t come until several days later, sitting at my computer. An even then, it didn’t jump out at me as something special. It wasn’t until I went through the images in Lightroom a few times that I started to see the things that make the image special.

I’ve put together a small gallery images from my visit. You can view it here: Old Salem Village Image Gallery. As I said, all images were shot with the A350 and the Minolta 28-85mm lens.

As I said, we spent less than two hours at the village. My appetite has certainly been whetted to go back when I can spend more time. I am sure Christmas time would be an excellent time to return. I imagine tons of Moraivain stars everywhere, steaming cups of hot chocolate…and of course; Moravian cookies! Yes, Christmas time should be an excellent time to go back.

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I’m back….

I haven’t abandoned Alphatracks…although it probably seemed like I had.

In actuality, I have been wrapped up finishing the Sony Alpha DSLR-A300/A350 Digital Field Guide
 for Wiley Press. It was a lot of work, with many late nights and more than a few weekends spent rewriting text and editing images. I really enjoyed the process, however, and I am happy to say the completed manuscript is the printer and the book should be shipping by early December. My only regret is that I had to neglect this blog for so long. I hope to make up for lost time in the coming months.

The new book is part of the Wiley Digital Field Guide series, each of which focuses on a specific dSLR camera. As you may have inferred from the title, this particular book is for users of the Alpha A300 and Alpha A350 dSLRs. I found the A350 a truly fun camera to work with, and I attempted to convey that in the book.

Following the patten of all Wiley Field Guides, this book includes a full description of the A300 series, exploring the menus, controls and features of both cameras. The A300 and the A350 are nearly identical, the only difference being the A300 has a 10.2mp sensor, while the A350 utilizes a 14.2mp chip. Because files from the A300 are smaller, the Alpha 300 offers a slightly faster continuous frame rate, while the A350 cranks out massive 4592 x 3056 pixel images. Otherwise, the controls and operation of both cameras are the same, so this book covers both cameras in depth.

There are chapters on compatible lenses and flash units, including a look at compatible Minolta AF lenses. There are also chapters on basic photography, lighting, camera troubleshooting and image editing workflows. All the Digital Field Guides include a large section comprised of photo exercises designed to elevate your skills in a wide variety of photographic pursuits; including sports, travel, event photography, animal photography, portraiture and many other specialty disciplines.

My goal for the book to create a resource that can be tossed into your camera bag to provide help, instruction and inspiration when you are shooting in the field. That is the field guide portion of the book. At the same time, I hope readers might find it useful to curl up with these pages on a rainy day and immerse themselves in the operation of the Sony A300 and A350.

Sorry if this sounds like a commercial, but I have been living with this book for the last several months, so I have to talk about it here.

One final thing. The book won’t be available until December. It is however, available for pre-order on Amazon now. If you buy it in advance, Amazon will knock $6.40 off the list price, so you can get it for $13.59. That represents a 32% savings. After the book is published, Amazon will raise the price back to $19.99.  So, if you’re interested, you can save almost a third by buying in advance. The book qualifies for free shipping from Amazon, however there is a $25 minimum, so you will have to combine the order with something else to qualify.

If you’re interested, there is an Amazon link on the sidebar that will take you directly to the book’s Amazon page. It is also available through must online sellers; Books-A-Million, Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc. Once it is in print, you should be able to find it at most brick and mortar bookstores as well.

Although this book is aimed at the A300 series, Alphatracks will continue to look at all the full range of Sony Alpha and Minolta SLRs. If your camera uses A-mount lenses, you’re always welcome here!

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Sony has just announced their “flagship flash unit” the HLV-F58AM. You can’t buy yet, but it will be on dealer shelves in September.

We knew it was coming, but details were rather sparse. Now we know the new flash unit will have a guide number of 58 (when the head is zoomed out to 105mm).

Sony says the new HLV-F58AM will arrive in September.

Speaking of the zoom flash head, the new flash knows whether it is illuminating a full frame sensor (think Alpha A900) or a APS-C size sensor and will zoom accordingly.

The big display on the back looks easy to read, and there is a mini joy stick controller to change settings. Naturally it offers TTL, HSS and ADI, as well as manual settings. Sony says the High Speed Sync on the HLV-F58AM can use shutter speed os /500 to 1/4000 second.

The HLV-F58AM features Sony’s new quick shift bounce feature, which allows the entire body of the flash to orbit like a fan to the left and right, in addition to the usual bounce and swivel capabilities.

The flash also includes a modeling light and a stroboscopic setting that will fire multiple times during an exposure, creating an in-camera multiple exposure of moving subjects.

Sony also claims the new unit will recharge 55% more quickly than the older HLV-F56AM. There is also a claim that the electronic whine has been done away with. Sony apparently thinks that is a good thing, but I always relied on that high-pitched whine to know my flash was charging properly. I guess I will get used to it, but to me, that whine was a feature, not a bug!

Like all Sony flashes the HLV-F58AM supports wireless flash — and apparently it can serve as a controller as well as a slave. (More on that next time.)

Like the dSLRs it will be matched with, the new flash will have a large, easy to read LCD and a joy stick controller

Finally, Sony has also announced the price. Earlier this week I brought you news that the price of the older HLV-F36AM flash unit dropped to $199. Sony gives and takes it seems. The new flagship flash will be priced at $500 — not outrageous for a flash with all these capabilities — but much higher than the HLV-F56AM.

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