What is Flange Focal Distance? The simple textbook answer is FFD represents the distance from the lens mount (the flange) to the film plane. (The vertical plane of the sensor.)

If your eyes are starting to glass over, don’t worry. It is nowhere as complex as it sounds.

The Film Plane

Inside every interchangeable lens you will find elements designed to project the view from the lens onto a fixed vertical plane. This vertical surface is known as the film plane. The lens expects the film plane to be a precise distance from the rear element, although this distance varies by manufacturer and lens line.

Photographic lenses consist of a complex collection of elements that gather light rays and focus them at a specific location. The sharpness of the lens is dependent on how well it is able to concentrate a focused image on the film plane.

If you examine the top of any camera, you will most likely find a symbol consisting of a circle with a line intersecting it. The line indicates the exact location of the film plane. This symbol is a useful aid for those creating extreme close-up photographs, but most photographers will never require this information. Still, it is worth understanding where the film plane lies.

A digital camera’s sensor is located on the film plane. In the same way, the film in an analog camera is arranged so it lies on the film plane. The measurement between the lens mount and film plane is called the Flange Focal Distance, which can vary for each camera manufacturer.

dSLR Cameras require a wide Flange Focal Distance

On a dSLR the Flange Focal Distance must be large enough to include the mirror box.

With no need for a mirror box, evil (mirrorless) cameras can be designed with a much smaller Flange Focal Distance.

A dSLR camera will require a large FFD because the mirror and ground glass occupies the space between the lens mount and the film plane. The film plane can be placed much closer to a mirrorless camera’s lens mount, but even mirrorless cameras need some separation between the lens and the sensor. So E-Mount cameras have an FFD, although it is considerably smaller than that of a dSLR.

dSLR and SLR cameras require a large FFD to allow room for the mirror box

Mirrorless Cameras have a small Flange Focal Distance

Are you with me so far? A sharp photo can only be obtained if the light rays from the lens merge directly on the film plane. If the light rays converge on a location other than the film plane, the images cannot be sharp at infinity.

Every manufacturer settles on an FFD for their lenses. In the case of Minolta, the original Rokkor (SM Mount) lenses are designed to focus correctly at an FFD of 43.50 mm. All SM Mount lenses were created to have a point of convergence at that distance.

SR mount cameras require a FFD of 43.5 to allow for the mirror box.

E-Mount and NEX cameras only require an 18mm FFD.

When Minolta introduced the A-Mount cameras, the auto-focus mechanism required additional space. Thus, the FFD of the A-Mount lenses was increased to 44.50 mm. When Sony acquired Minolta in 2006, they retained the A-Mount, which meant the Sony dSLRs also maintained the 44.50 mm FFD.

The 18mm FFD of the Sony E-Mount Simplifies Adapting SLR Lenses

Since the NEX and subsequent E-Mount Sony cameras do not use a mirror and ground glass, the engineers were free to reduce the FFD to a mere 18mm. In addition to making the cameras lighter and more compact, the smaller FFD made it ridiculously simple to adapt a variety of dSLR lenses to the new evil cameras.

Because dSLR lenses were created with a much larger FFD, they can be easily fitted to E-Mount cameras. As long as the adapter holds the lens at the expected FFD, the lens will deliver quality photos.

A Rokkor adapter needs to be exactly 25.5 mm thick. This distance added to the ‘s built-in 18mm will suspend the lens at exactly at 43.50. This will allow the lens to focus perfectly at infinity.

Obviously, an A-Mount adapter will need to be 26.5 mm thick, in order to hold the lens at the required 44.5 mm distance from the film plane.

You can perceive why E-Mount lens adapters for vintage dSLR lenses have proliferated. Because of the mirror box, all vintage dSLR lenses have a large FFD. Older manual-focus Canon FD (42 mm), Nikon F (46.5 mm), and Pentax K (45.46 mm) lenses only need a simple adapter to attach the lens to the E-Mount at the proper distance.

You Cannot have a Negative Flange Focalplane Distance

Things get trickier when you attempt adapting lenses designed for a smaller FFD to a camera with a thicker FFD. You can’t very well design an adapter to have a negative FFD. The lens would have to move inside the lens mount.

A classic example would be adapting a Rokkor lens to an A-Mount camera. No matter how you configure it, there is no way the Rokkor SR Mount can project a sharp image onto the A-Mount’s film plane. Even if you could design an adapter with zero thickness, the Rokkor lens would project a sharp image at 43.5mm, but the A-Mount’s film plane is located at 44.5. The result would be soft images when focusing at infinity.

The only practical solution is to add an additional lens element inside the adapter. This extra lens refocuses the light path from the Rokkor lens so it projects the image correctly at exactly 44.50 mm.

Naturally, adding a new lens element could affect image quality. Although the additional element does not have the same lens coating as the original Minolta lens, I have not encountered any serious quality issues with the MD to A-Mount adapters that I have used.

Most adapters are built and sold by small third-party manufacturers. These firms may or may not have the ability to design an internal lens that measures up to the quality of the lens you are attempting to adapt.

One final note about Rokkor to A-Mount adapters. The internal lens is only required when you need to focus at infinity. You can encounter adapters without the internal lens; often these are marketed as “glassless” adapters. These will most likely give you soft images at infinity, but they will allow you to do excellent macro and close-up work.

Just to be clear, the preceding several paragraphs only apply to Rokkor to A-Mount adapters. Adapting 35mm lenses to E-Mount cameras does not require any added lens elements.

Because of the large FFD of various dSLR lens lines, you should be able to find an E-Mount adapter for almost any vintage 35mm lens. These lenses cover a full 35 mm film area, so they can be used on both the full-frame A7 series as well as the APS-C A6000 and NEX cameras.

The thrust of this post is aimed at explaining Flange Focal Distance and how it impacts adapting lenses from one camera to another. This article does not explore autofocus adapters or focal reducers that will modify a lens’ effective focal length. I will discuss those advanced adapters in a future post.

Wikipedia Chart of Standard Flange Focal Lengths

M42 Lens Specifications

The post Understanding Flange Focal Distance and Lens Adapters appeared first on Alphatracks.

TIPA members selected gear, software, and services in forty photographic categories for 2022. The awards for cameras and lenses are likely to be of most interest to Alphatracks readers

Sony captured four of the twenty-three combined camera and lens awards.

BEST FULL FRAME EXPERT CAMERA

The Sony Alpha 7 IV was selected as The BEST FULL FRAME EXPERT CAMERA. The judges praised the A7 IV’s backlit 33MB sensor, the 15 stops of dynamic range, and low light performance. They were equally struck by the camera’s ability to record one hour of continuous video.

BEST VLOGGER CAMERA

The Sony ZV-E10 scored another gold star for Sony, as it was judged the BEST VLOGGER CAMERA. This wasn’t a huge surprise, as there isn’t much competition in the Vlogging space.

The judges were enamored by the 3-inch flip-around touch screen, the directional mic, and the variety of shooting modes. The judges also highlighted the E-10s array of ports and external connections. Additionally, they cited the E-10’s compatibility with the full complement of E-mount lenses as a major benefit.

BEST FULL FRAME STANDARD ZOOM LENS

Speaking of lenses, the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II was judged the BEST FULL FRAME STANDARD ZOOM LENS. The panel highlighted the myriad ways the GM II outperforms the original FE 24-70mm. The judges liked the fact the GMII is smaller and lighter and features quicker focus tracking.

BEST FULL FRAME TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS

Another second-generation lens, the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II, received the nod for BEST FULL FRAME TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS. The panel recognized this 70-200mm focal range is most likely the most popular tele zoom across the board.

Choosing the Sony 70-200 as the “Best” is a testament to how this lens stands out in this crowded focal range. Sony has built this lens with 4X quicker AF speeds while at the same time making it almost 30% lighter than the previous model. The jury also lauded the quiet AF and reduced focus breathing.

Third-Party Lenses also scored Awards

Canon and Nikon optics did receive awards for other focal lengths. Of course, Sony E-mount photographers cannot make use of these lenses directly. Of more interest were third-party optics from Tokina, Sigma, Voigtlander, Laowa, and Tamron. Each of these manufacturers scored a Best award for a particular focal length. Tamron and Sigma were ranked Best in multiple focal lengths.

You can see the entire list of 2022 TIPA awards winners on the association’s website.

There was a time Sony wasn’t considered in the same league as Canon and Nikon. Sony’s ability to excel in the TIPA awards proved those days are long past.

The post No longer an Underdog, Sony cameras and lenses win multiple categories at TIPA 2022 World Awards appeared first on Alphatracks.

How does a twelve-year-old dSLR compare to the modern crop of mirrorless cameras? This time around, I will be comparing a dSLR from 2008 to a modern Evil camera. Spoiler alert, unlike the movies, Evil wins this one.

While creating sample images for my Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 review, I found myself shooting test shots of a high-energy worship service with my aging Sony A350 dSLR.

Trying to focus in the faint light proved quite challenging. I recall obtaining excellent photos with this camera in the past. Same camera, same lighting conditions. The images from 2010 were sharp and clear. Why did I have so much difficulty in 2022?

Then I realized that when I shot with the A350 a decade ago, my lenses of choice were Minolta A-Mount autofocus lenses. Sporadically, I would use an adapter to mount one of my old Rokkor lenses. But generally, I would only break out the Rokkors in good lighting. When the lighting started to fade, I would switch back to an autofocus lens.

The rise of the E-Mount and EVF

I bought my first E-Mount camera, a Sony NEX-5n, in 2012. I never expected it would become my primary camera.  I had no idea at the time that the E-Mount mirrorless designs would eventually evolve into Sony’s top-of-the-line cameras.

My idea was to experiment with the new mount. I was especially keen on reusing my old Rokkor lenses on the new “evil” camera.

Fast forward ten years and I couldn’t recall when I‘d last used a dSLR, including the A350. I have nothing against dSLRs, but mirrorless cameras are much more useful, especially when using my old manual-focus Rokkors.

Why an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) is More Desirable for Manual Focus Lenses.

My current main camera is the Sony A7s and I carry an A6000 as a backup. Thanks to the Electronic Viewfinder on both, I can easily compose and focus with all of my old manual-focus lenses, even in poorly lit situations.

I have customized a button on my mirrorless cameras to instantly magnify the preview in the viewfinder. This allows me to effortlessly rack the focus to obtain needlelike sharpness. Focus peaking is always enabled as well. The combination of magnification and focus peaking makes my ancient Rokkors compare very favorably with modern lenses.

It is second nature for me to use these EV tools to obtain great results. The fact the EV can also increase the brightness of the preview is another major advantage in murky light.

I had forgotten just how much I had depended on these focus aids. It was nearly impossible to focus the A350 in the lackluster illumination.

I truly missed my A7s with its bright, easy-to-magnify electronic viewfinder.

Modern cameras also feature great ISO performance

Of course, the A7s, with its high ISO capabilities, provides another major advantage. An ISO of 800 is about the top of the A350‘s useable sensitivity, and I am more comfortable with 400. Image noise is unacceptable at any higher ISO settings. In contrast, with the A7s I can shoot at ISO 3200, confidently knowing noise won’t be a factor.

Of course, a higher ISO won’t affect the brightness in a dSLR viewfinder. But a higher ISO permits extra depth of field, which increases the chances of getting the subject in decent focus.

I struggled to get acceptable photos with the A350 in the meager light available to me. With the A7s, I can magnify the focus to clearly discern details such as eyelashes and fine hairs. The lack of light in the auditorium made it next to impossible to find focus with the A350.

I don’t remember ever being as frustrated as a photographer as I was that day. Attempting to make adequate images with my manual focus lens was a discouraging ordeal. It was especially dishearting to capture a stunning facial expression only to discover the overall image was shapelessly soft.

As you might expect, I saw a huge decrease in the number of satisfactory shots taken with the dSLR. Once I imported them onto my computer, a disappointingly high number of the images just missed being acceptable. My eyes hurt as they tried to resolve edges that were almost, but not quite, sharp.

I was able to salvage a handful of photos. Some were actually in sharp focus, more by luck than skill. I was able to manipulate some of the near-misses into tolerable photographs using Lightroom’s Sharpening and Noise Reduction filters. I trashed most of the rest.

You shouldn’t interpret this as a blanket condemnation of using an adapter to mount Rokkor images on older dSLRs. I captured a number of tack-sharp photos in good light. It was only when the light started to fade that the number of acceptable results from the A350/Rokkor combination faded as well.

In the current digital camera landscape, the A350 is a dinosaur. It is still usable, but its capabilities are easily outstripped by any modern dSLR. Even so, I suspect that the latest ground-glass and mirror cameras would struggle with manual focusing in mediocre light. When it comes to seeing in the dark, dSLRs cannot compete with modern electronic viewfinders.

I am still a big proponent of shooting with classic manual focus lenses on modern cameras. A-mount dSLRs are tricker because the Rokkor adapter requires an extra internal lens element. But that hasn’t stopped me from creating lovely images with this combination.

Ordinarily, I am usually comfortable shooting with either a mirrorless camera or a dSLR. When the lights go down, however, I have learned a mirrorless camera has some distinct advantages.

The post Mirrorless vs dSLR Cameras in poor Light: the EVIL avantage appeared first on Alphatracks.

The following images are representative of the type of photos the MC Rokkor – PF 58mm f/1.4 lens can deliver on various camera bodies. I have used post-processing on most of the RAW images. Some may have been cropped and some may have had sharpening and noise reduction applied.

Click here for an in-depth review of the Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 lens.

You can expect similar results if you mount the Rokkor 58mm on Sony A-Mount and E-Mount cameras with an adapter. Naturally, the lens yields excellent photos on Minolta film SLRs as well.

Click on an image to see a larger sample.

Rokkor 58mm Samples with a Sony A7s

Full Frame E-Mount Sensor with Adapter

Rokkor 58mm Samples with a Sony A6000

APS-C  E-Mount Sensor with Adapter

Rokkor 58mm Samples with a Sony A350

APS-C A-Mount  Sensor  with Adapter

Rokkor 58mm Samples with a Minolta SRT-MC

35mm Film Camera — Native Minolta SR Mount

• #Rokkor58mm
• #minoltalens
• #fastprimelens

Click here for an in-depth review of the Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 lens.

The post MC Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 Sample Images appeared first on Alphatracks.

For a gallery of Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 images, Click Here!

Officially known as the MC Rokkor – PF 58mm f/1.4, I’ve shot with this Minolta prime lens on 35mm film cameras, APS-C digital cameras and full-frame digital cameras. The resulting photos have never disappointed me.

The MC Rokkor – PF 58mm f/1.4 lens is a fast, inexpensive prime lens that can be easily adapted to Sony Mirrorless cameras. I have also employed an adapter to shoot on Sony A-Mount cameras, with favorable results.

About the MC Rokkor – 58mm f/1.4 Lens

The MC I version of the Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 was introduced in 1966. My copy is the updated MC II which Minolta began selling in 1969. Although the lenses are similar, the general consensus is that the MC II is the superior optic.

MC stands for meter coupled, which means this lens can relate f/stop information to the camera’s light meter. The camera cannot physically adjust the aperture, but the meter can tell what f/stop has been selected. Back in 1966, this was a big deal.

According to Minolta’s internal code, the PF designation represents a lens with 6 elements in 5 groups. The body of the lens is all metal, no plastic here.

Similar to the majority of Minolta’s early SR mount lenses, the body is black, while the mount and the aperture are silver. The Minolta designers probably thought that a silver background would make it easier to read the f-stop markings in dim light.

Since the 58mm f/1.4 dates to 1966, it is a purely mechanical lens. There are no electronic connections, which means this lens lacks autofocus and electronic aperture control. Hardly surprising, since these features weren’t available on Minolta SLRs until many years after this lens was discontinued.

At 10.2 ounces, it is a relatively heavy lens, which is partially the result of the previously mentioned metal construction. Personally, I like the heft of this lens. The overall weight of my photo gear isn’t a big concern for me. I understand that photographers value lightweight baggage. A camera bag full of gear isn’t much fun to lug around. But in use, weighty cameras and optics can go a long way toward dampening vibration. Given the option, I would always choose sharper images over a few tired muscles.

There is no imprint indicating my copy is the MC II version. Minolta never labeled these lenses as MC I or MC II. There are two primary ways of telling the two versions apart.

The first is the serial number. According to various online sources, the MC II version of this lens starts at 5064519. Thus, a lens with a lower serial number will be an MC I version, while anything greater will be the MC II.

A quicker method of identifying the MC II version is to glance at the focusing ring. The superior MC II has what is known as a “hills and valleys” design, where the metal grip undulates with high and low areas. The MC I features a circular grip with knurled areas and a band that has a constant height throughout its circumference.

I haven’t shot with an MC I lens, so I can’t really comment on the actual differences. I can say I love the results I obtain with my MC II 58mm, and the easy to grasp wavy grip is an added bonus.

I am not a pixel peeper. I seldom fritter away much time analyzing charts and graphs taken with a particular lens, since I’m not in the habit of photographing charts or graphs. Corner sharpness and edge fall-off are crucial aspects, but what I really care about is the look of the images delivered by a particular lens.

While I avoid lenses with egregiously undesirable characteristics, I am most concerned about whether a given lens can produce sharp and clear images. My MC II version of the Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 consistently produces great images for me, on 35mm film, digital APS-C and digital full-frame cameras.

In testing, the lens is slightly soft at its maximum aperture. Stopping down to f/2.8 improves sharpness, and the lens is razor-sharp at f/4 and above. This is based on examining images taken under controlled conditions. When making actual photographs, I haven’t detected any lack of sharpness when shooting wide-open.

In testing, I also noticed corner vignetting when shooting wide open. Once again, the darkened corners were visible in testing, but didn’t seem to affect any of my real-world images. In any case, the vignetting is absent at f/4 and smaller apertures.

Smooth focusing with the 58mm f/1.4.

Another reason I love this lens is the feel of the focusing ring. The ring conveys a precise tactile impression. The focus action on my copy is velvety smooth. Whenever I twist the ring on this lens, it radiates quality.

Maybe I just got lucky, because other reviewers claim their version has a scratchy focusing ring. My lens provides the smoothest focus of any manual focus lens I own. Despite the effortless focusing, the focus stays where you put it, without the focus shifting caused by a sloppy ring.

Flare

Most, if not all, vintage lenses exhibit flaring when shooting into the sun or intense light. My copy is not particularly horrible in this regard, but you do need to take care to prevent flare. I acquired my copy used, and it came with a collapsable rubber hood. I use this hood almost all the time, indoors and out. Minolta specified the D55NA metal hood as the standard shade for the 58mm f/1.4. I have found the rubber hood does an excellent job, and it is easier to fit in my gadget bag, so I have never bothered replacing it.

The Rokkor PF 58mm f/1.4 on Minolta SR Mount Film Cameras

Naturally, this lens was designed for film cameras and it is right at home on a manual focus Minolta such as the SRT series. Practically any 50-60mm prime lens from this era will yield excellent results because the engineers had so much experience in this area. More complicated optics, such as zooms, wide-angles, and telephotos require more care in the design. However, the “normal” lenses of 50-60mm focal lengths were a lens maker’s bread and butter. Hence you would expect this lens to work well on 35mm film cameras, and it does.

It was a different world in the 1960s, and camera makers lavished great attention on the “kit” lenses for their SLRs. Today’s kit lenses are usually merely adequate; camera makers expect buyers to purchase from their top-tier lens lineup if they want excellent image quality. The kit lens is frequently treated as a throwaway compared to the much more expensive “professional” optics.

In that bygone era, manufacturers treated the lens that came with the camera as the foundation of their camera system. The kit lens was considered an example of other lenses in the lineup, so nearly all of the base “normal” lenses were very high-quality.

Of course, the 58mm f/1.4 was never the base lens. To justify its existence in the Rokkor line, it had to be superior to the already first-class Minolta standard 50mm.

Adapting the lens to the Sony E-Mount

I use a cheap — by that I mean inexpensive — metal adapter to attach this lens to my Sony E-Mount cameras. All Minolta SR mount lenses have a flange focal distance (FFD) of 43.5mm. In contrast, the Sony E and FE mount cameras ( all the mirrorless models ) have a flange focal distance of 18mm.

Why do we care about this? All interchangeable lenses are designed to focus on a specific plane located at an exact distance from the mounting flange. This is known as the Flange Focal Distance. If the FFD of the lens is different than the FFD of the camera, it becomes impossible to focus the lens properly at infinity.

Without spending time on a physics lesson, it is easy to see that if we use an adapter that is 25.5mm thick (18 + 25.5 = 43.5), it will hold our Rokkor SR mount lens perfectly at 43.5mm from the film plane. Thus, we will have no problem focusing.

Because there are no additional lens elements employed in this type of adapter, they are simple to manufacture. As long as the lens is held exactly 25.5mm from the mounting flange and there are no light leaks, any adapter will produce excellent results.

Adapting to Sony APS-C Cameras

On an APS-C camera like the A-6000 series or the NEX models, the smaller sensor creates a focal length of 87mm. This makes for a great portrait lens.

Some full-frame lenses lose quite a bit of character when mounted on a smaller sensor. The Rokkor 58mm f/1.4, however, still produces wonderful bokeh on APS-C cameras when opened to maximum aperture.

In addition, wide-open sharpness improves on an APS-C sensor because you are effectively cropping away the outer edges of the photo and only utilizing the center image.

Adapting to Sony Full-Frame Cameras

One of the advantages of adapting a lens like this to a full-frame camera such as the A7 series is the lens is designed to cover a full 35mm frame. This lens produces first-class results when used in full-frame applications.

Under careful full-frame testing conditions, I was able to detect a slight amount of light fall-off at the edges at f/1.4. The vignetting is fairly mild and I never noticed it in my day-to-day photos. It may seem like I am making excuses for this lens, but that is not the case. I never noticed vignetting until I ran an in-depth test. Like the soft corners, the light fall-off completely disappears at f/4 and smaller apertures.

Don’t tell the nay-sayers, but I think the results from using this old lens on a full-frame Sony are on par with the top-tier modern glass. Naturally, you have to forgo autofocus and shutter priority exposure. But aperture priority works and in many cases focus peaking is more than adequate to achieve pin-sharp focus.

I am not saying I don’t occasionally miss autofocus. In certain cases, like birds in flight, autofocus is nearly mandatory. But for the majority of my shooting, manual focus is more than sufficient.

Adapting to A-Mount dSLRS and SLT Cameras

On an A-Mount camera, adapting this lens — or any SR lens — is a different proposition. A-mount cameras have an FFD of 44.5mm, a distance 1mm greater than the 43.5mm design specification of the SR lenses. Because of that extra millimeter, a simple adapter cannot be used to mount an SR lens to an A-mount camera. The lens could be used for close-ups, but it could not focus at infinity.

Physics dictates you cannot make an adapter that would hold the lens closer than 44.5mm. The mirror box of an A-Mount camera is too thick. The adapter would need to move the lens inside the camera; a physical impossibility.

There are adapters that can make this possible, but unlike the simple E-Mount adapters, the MD to A-Mount adapters incorporate a close-up lens inside. This lens recasts the light so the image will converge properly at 44.5mm from the flange.

Purists argue that introducing an additional lens element into the light path will degrade quality. They are particularly troubled when these adapters are not made by major camera manufacturers. Most of these adapters are sold by small Asian vendors. How could these tiny operations develop an internal lens that won’t downgrade a sharp Rokkor lens? They point out that these off-brand sellers can hardly be expected to grind an element that could match Minolta’s standards.

There may be some truth to this concern, especially if you are a pixel peeper. In my own experience, I see very little difference between images shot with a Minolta film camera and the same lens adapted to an A-Mount Sony APS-C dSLR. I can’t comment on how well these adapters perform on full-frame Sony cameras because I have never used an SR lens on a full-frame A-mount camera.

At any rate, unless you are producing 30 X 40-inch prints, I doubt you will detect much difference.

One interesting note: In your quest for MD to A-Mount adapters, you may come across glassless adapters without an internal lens. As you have learned, these lenses cannot focus to infinity. But they can focus properly at closer distances, particularly if you are shooting close-ups. If you have a yen to do some Macro photography, these glassless adapters are perfectly suited to mounting an old SR Macro lens on an A-Mount dSLR.

Video Applications

I am primarily a still shooter, so I haven’t used this lens with video very often. The wide aperture, nice bokeh, smooth focusing and low cost suggest that this lens would be a wise investment for any video content creator.

Buying a used copy of the Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 Lens

The Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 has been out of production for decades, so if you are buying one of these lenses, it is almost certainly an “experienced” optic. Fortunately, Minolta sold a ton of these lenses, so they are relatively easy to come by. You’ll find them on eBay, used camera stores, pawnshops and flea markets. At the time this is written, prices range from $20 to $100. A careful shopper should have no trouble locating a nice example in the $50-$60 area.

With its metal body and solid construction, reliable working copies of this lens are readily available. Flaws are few, but they do exist.

Watch for dents and other evidence of being dropped. This lens can take a lot of punishment, but dropping any lens can cause a host of problems, including rough focusing and dented or unusable filter rings. In extreme cases, the lens may suffer misalignment of the optics after a fall, leading to degraded optical quality.

Many older lenses suffer from sticky aperture blades. This isn’t a concern if you are using the lens with an adapter, because adapted lenses don’t make use of an automatic aperture anyway. For film shooters, however, you want to be sure the aperture blades snap closed as they should.

Haze and Fungus

Haze and fungus are the by-products of improperly stored optics. Some people buy moldy lenses hoping they can clean away the fungus and get a bargain. This calls for some solid camera repair skills, as the lens will require dismantling.

More importantly, fungus is a living organism that can eat away the surface of the glass. This will destroy any special coatings applied to the lens elements. In extreme cases, the fungus can permanently etch the glass.

With plentiful copies of this lens available at attractive prices, I would steer clear of any that exhibit fungus and look for a variant with pristine optics.

From the tone of this review, it should be obvious I highly recommend this lens whether you are shooting with a Minolta film SLR or adapting it to a Sony digital camera. It isn’t in the same class as the legendary Rokkor 58mm f/1.2, but you can expect to pay five or six times as much for the f/1.2 lens. That is if you can find one. For everyday shooting, the fast, inexpensive f/1.4 warhorse will serve you well.

Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 at a Glance:

• #Rokkor58mm
• #minoltalens
• #fastprimelens

For a gallery of Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 images, Click Here!

The post Old Glass: The Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 Prime Lens. Star Performer. appeared first on Alphatracks.

You can also turn Super Resolution off. When Super Resolution is disabled, Adobe refers to the menu item’s action as Raw Details. In this mode, the image remains the same size, but Adobe claims Raw Details provides “more accurate renditions of edges, improves color rendering, and also reduces artifacts.”  

Sound good? You won’t want to use it on every image, but it really helps when you want to enlarge an image or magnify a cropped area to a decent size.

Getting Started with the Enhance feature

I find Enhance works best on clear photos with fine detail. Before applying Enhance, I perform all my color correction and image manipulation first. The one exception is sharpening. I think it is better to implement sharpening on the photo after it has been enlarged.

Once you have the photo looking the way you want, click on the Enhance menu, as shown in the top photo.

The Enhance Dialog

A dialog box will appear with a highly magnified section of the image. Here is where you decide if you want to implement Super Resolution or just Raw Details. The Raw Details enhancement is always applied when you select Super Resolution. Clicking on the magnified section will display the magnified area without enhancement. Moving the cursor off the area will show how it will look with Enhancement.

Above you can see the area with Enhanced applied (left) and without. (right). Because of the great magnification, neither area looks wonderful, but you can clearly see the wire and the fins on the valve cover are much sharper on the left. The fin edges in the original image have jagged stairsteps, and the orange wire is blotchy and rough. When the image is rendered at a normal size, it is obvious the Enhanced version will look sharper and offer superior definition.

Real-World Super Resolution

To give you an idea of a real-world application of the Super Detail feature, I selected this photo of a “rat rod.” Display sizes vary, so you may not notice much difference when viewing the following photos on phones or other small screens. To appreciate how well Enhance works, you should view the following three photos on a large screen.

After color correction and slight straightening, the original photo weighed in at 11.2 megabytes. In order to display the full image here, I reduced the dimensions so it would fit the basic template.

The first image below reveals a cropped portion of the image at 100 percent actual size. It looks fairly sharp, but there is some visible noise. To create the very best image, I probably would use software to reduce or eliminate the noise before proceeding.  Still, when examing the image from a decent distance the noise isn’t very apparent.

The Magic of Super Resolution

The second image is a sample after applying Super Resolution. Obviously, it is much larger, and the noise has been magnified. But it is still sharp, and I am confident I could use noise reduction software to make the image look great. After applying Enhance, the second photo weighs in at 30.3MB; nearly three times the original.

For the third and final image, I took the original image and simply enlarged it in Photoshop to be the same dimensions as the Super Resolution image. Compared to the Enhanced image, this is a true mess. The noise is rampant and likely couldn’t be corrected without inducing horrible blurring. Notice the ragged edge on the blue shock absorber. Even without applying noise reduction, you can clearly see that the enlarged image is noticeably softer than the enhanced one.

Original and Super Resolution Comparison

Where will you use Raw Details and Super Resolution?

I will use the Enhance command in two instances. The first is when I need to make large, oversize prints. Enhancing an image can allow you to print photos at a much larger size without losing detail.

Secondly, there are times when I simply need a higher-resolution photo. My Sony A7s only has a 12MB sensor. That is the reason it is so good in dim light and why it can produce usable images at extremely high ISO settings. Most of the time, 12MB is sufficient for my needs. Still, there are instances where there is no substitute for more resolution, particularly in cases where I want to use a small cropped subset of an image. I’m not sure using Super Resolution will allow my A7s to compete against cameras with 48MB chips, but it definitely levels the playing field.

I also have hundreds of older photos taken with cameras equipped with even smaller sensors. My old Minolta DiMage 5 only packed a 3.3MB sensor! And lets not even talk about cell phone images, many of which were captured with six and eight megabit sensors. I can’t go back and reshoot old images with more modern cameras, but the Enhance feature allows me to convert my old photos into higher-res photos.

Results can be Hit or Miss

Having said all that, I have to admit that the Enhance feature doesn’t work on all images. On some photos, particularly those that aren’t razor sharp, I did not see much improvement. Strangely, some softer images did look better after using Enhance, while others didn’t. As of yet, I can’t reliably predict which images will respond well to Enhance. It is hit or miss, but fortunately there are more hits than misses.

As the name implies, Raw Details can only be applied to RAW files. There are some other limitations. Adobe specifically notes that Raw Details does not work with Sony pixel-shift ARQ files.

While Raw Details is automatically applied whenever Super Resolution is applied, I have successfully increased the resolution of many different non-raw files, including JPEG, PNG, and DNG files. In most cases, the resulting higher resolution files seemed more detailed than those created by simply enlarging the file.

If you have never tried the Enhance feature, run it on some of your favorite photos. You might just fall in love with certain images after they have been Enhanced, and it just might save your tail when trying to achieve the best results from a low-res image.

• #Super Resolution

• #Camera

• #Adobe Lightroom

If you want to learn more about Enhance, Raw Details and Super Resolution, check out this Photoshop User Guide article.

Adobe also provides a Super Resolution Tutorial.

https://ebay.us/kXBwPn

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Like Boy Scouts, photographers must prepare for the unexpected. During a recent shoot, I discovered that I was rapidly running out of fresh batteries.

I am never without sufficient NP-FW50 batteries because I always carry plenty of them. However, a perfect storm of events interrupted my usual routine of rejuvenating my batteries after I returned from a shoot.

It wasn’t a complete disaster; I had sufficient photos from early in the day so I was covered. Still, I wanted extra photos to enhance my report of the event.

No access to AC power

The event was outdoors, and I had no access to AC power for my charger. My truck was on hand, but I had no adapter that would allow me to charge NP-FW50 batteries with my vehicle.

I started to conserve my shots, trying to eke out the power in my last remaining cell. That really isn’t my style, however. Long ago, I learned to shoot anything that seemed remotely interesting and then discard any unwanted images afterward. Sometimes these random shots turn out to be my best images from an event.

That’s when inspiration struck. I had a portable power bank jump starter in my truck. It was designed to jump-start vehicles, but it featured a pair of USB ports.

Using an A6000 as a boondock Sony NP-FW50 charger

I have never used a USB cord to charge a battery in the camera. Instead, I have always used a stand-alone charger so I could continue shooting while I was charging my spare batteries.

Without a charger that could be used with a USB cord, I had no way to charge my depleted batteries. Yet I did have my Sony A6000, which I carried as a backup to my Sony A7s. Both cameras use the same NP-FW50 battery cell. Would it be possible to use the A6000 as an improvised battery charger?

Digging through the selection of cords I always carry, it didn’t take long to find a 12-inch long USB-A to USB Micro cable.

Can you charge a Sony NP-FW50 battery cell with a power bank?

I plugged the USB-A end into the Power Bank, then the Micro USB connector into the A6000. My hope of resurrecting my Sony NP-FW50 batteries shifted to disappointment when nothing happened. Frustrated, I was about to abandon this idea, but then I noticed the two USB outlets on the power bank were marked with different colors. I shifted the USB-A power cord to the second outlet marked in black. Immediately the A6000 charge lamp lit up. Apparently, the black outlet provided sufficient power to recharge an NP-FW50 battery, while the other outlet did not.

Of course, you shouldn’t go around plugging strange cables into expensive cameras. But I had no choice. Sony intended users to charge the battery in-camera with a power cord. While I cannot say for sure, I assume Sony builds their cameras with circuitry which would limit incoming voltage and amperage to a safe level.

I also felt confident that the outlets on the power bank were designed to be safe for equipment like cell phones, iPads, and video lights. It seemed tame enough to rely on the power bank to charge a battery in-camera.

Yes, a Sony A6000 can act as a battery charger

With the battery charging in the A6000, I roamed around using up the last of the juice in the battery in the A7s. When it expired, I returned to my impromptu charging station and discovered the battery in the A6000 had charged to 78 percent. I transferred the battery to my A7s and had sufficient power to cover the rest of the event.

Neither my A6000 nor my NP-FW50 batteries suffered any harm in this stunt. Still, you need to use caution if you attempt to duplicate this idea. The original charging block supplied with the Sony A6000 outputs 5v at 0.5 amps. Again, I assume the Sony engineers designed the camera not to exceed a safe voltage/amperage limit.

While I managed to get through this event, I wanted to prevent a reoccurrence in the future. I needed a charging solution that could be powered by my truck’s cigarette lighter. While looking for a car charger on Amazon, I realized there were a host of chargers that connected to AC power with a USB cable.

Planning for future Sony NP-FW50 battery emergencies

Most newer vehicles have built-in USB outlets. Nearly every older vehicle features a 12-volt cigarette outlet. Adapters which allow you to convert a cigarette lighter port to a USB outlet are readily available.

I already owned a small charger that could be powered by a micro-USB or USB-C cable. As a test, I plugged it into a USB adapter on my truck and found it charged perfectly. I intend to purchase an inexpensive charger powered by a USB cord. This charger will live in my truck, so if I experience a dying battery situation in the future, I will have the means to charge my cells while in the field.

Of course, my makeshift solution used a big 2000 amp car battery jump starter. What about the more common cell phone power banks? Could one of these have enough energy to cope with a camera or battery charger?

My Anker 1300 milliamp external battery lives in my camera bag so I can keep my cell phone topped off in the field. I plugged my USB battery charger into it and it began charging the batteries. It probably won’t be as fast and won’t have the capacity of the big 2000 Amp automotive jump starter, but now I know it can juice up my batteries.

One tried one additional test. I plugged a USB cord into my MacBook Air and attached the battery charger to it. Once again the batteries began to charge. I didn’t test this procedure long enough to determine how quickly the laptop’s internal battery would be discharged, but at least I know that my laptop can charge my camera batteries if needed.

Be prepared with a plan to keep your Sony NP-FW50 Batteries topped off

I am sure many of you already knew you could charge your camera with a power bank and that you can power a USB charger through your vehicle’s USB port. But some might have been unaware or never thought about how to go about topping off your cells without access to AC power.

If this describes you, I suggest you experiment with different charging methods to find one that works for you. That way, if you ever need to charge your batteries without an AC outlet, you’ll be ready.

Even the finest digital camera is useless without battery power. By being prepared for a sudden battery emergency, you can save yourself from missing irreplaceable shots.

Find NP-FW50 batteries on eBay!

https://ebay.us/tcXTbx

The post Sony NP-FW50 Batteries: Charge ’em without AC Power appeared first on Alphatracks.

The original design spec for the Sony Mirrorless cameras called for them to be small and exceptionally light. The heaviest part of any digital camera is the battery pack, so the Sony engineers complied by equipping the new breed of cameras with the featherweight NP-FW50 battery. Although less robust than larger camera batteries, NP-FW50 is still powerful for its size and weight.

Photographers loved the scaled-down camera bodies and their near weightlessness. They were less enthusiastic about the NP-FW50’s lack of stamina. Probably the biggest complaint against the new EVIL cameras was how quickly the battery died.

This isn’t an issue for me. Yes, the batteries go flat more rapidly than the larger, beefier cells of other digital cameras. But it takes almost no time to switch out an NP-FW50 for a fully-charged one, so this has never impacted my photography. I carry several NP-FW50s in my camera bag, and I have never found myself in a situation where lack of a fresh battery was an issue.

Where is that Battery Hiding?

That is unless I can’t find a fresh battery. Did I mention the NP-FW50 is very small? Like all minuscule things, the NP-FW50 has the ability to burrow deep into the bottom of a camera bag, hiding amidst the filters, sync-cords, lens caps, and other paraphernalia I carry in my bag. Hey, they don’t call ’em gadget bags for nothing.

I carry five or six NP-FW50s in my bag, but I quickly discovered it was a chore to find a fresh battery when I needed one. When I dug a cell from the nether regions of my bag, I couldn’t tell whether it was charged or expired. As I said, it takes mere seconds to switch batteries on a Sony Mirrorless camera. If you have to perform this maneuver several times to find a working battery, however, it is no longer quick and easy.

Amazon Strikes out

Obviously, I needed a way to find my charged batteries instantaneously. I started checking Amazon for battery cases. I found some hard cases that were designed to hold a few batteries as well as memory cards. I rejected these for two reasons. First, they only held only two, or at the most three power cells. Secondly, I already have an excellent Pelican memory card case integrated into my workflow. 

Amazon had some soft pouches designed to hold batteries but didn’t care for them. There were enough compartments for all my batteries but the NP-FW50s would swim inside the large pockets. They simply weren’t an elegant solution.

So I went searching beyond Amazon. I found exactly what I was looking for on Etsy. Yes, Etsy. 

I always thought of Etsy as a craft site, a place to find soap dishes made out of pine cones or stylish leather vests that look like they were worn by a timber baron from the 1800s. It certainly wouldn’t be a place to look for digital camera accessories.

SplashNcolor on Etsy had just what I wanted

How wrong I was. I discovered you can find nearly anything on Etsy, including used cameras and lenses. Regarding the matter at hand, I discovered a seller called SplashNcolor. 

SplashNcolor uses a 3D printer to produce elegant, perfectly designed battery magazines for the NP-FW50. This was just the item I was searching for. The compact no-nonsense clip holds four NP-FW50 cells. The cells fit tightly in their individual chambers. Each chamber has a tab that prevents the battery from sliding out into the bag or your pocket.  

When you want to extract the battery just push down on the tab and the battery pops out into your hand.

To identify whether a cell is fresh or discharged, I place freshly charged batteries in the magazine with the contacts facing away. When I take a flat battery from my camera, I insert it into the clip so the contacts are visible. This way, I can grab the clip from my bag and tell at a glance how many charged batteries are available. 

When I return home from a shoot, I can immediately tell which cells I need to recharge.

This Battery Magazine is with me on Every Shoot

The clip usually lives in a specific pocket of my backpack. Sometimes, I don’t need to carry all my gear, so I switch to my smaller messenger bag. It takes no time to transfer my battery clip and my memory card case to the messenger bag, so I don’t arrive at a shoot without the necessary accessories.

When I am in the field, I sometimes leave the camera bag in a safe location and range around with just a camera and a lens or two. While it is a little bulky, the battery magazine fits easily into the pocket of my jeans, so I know I won’t find myself a half-mile away from my gear staring at a message on my LCD informing me “battery exhausted.”

Of course, if you lose the magazine, you lose four batteries at once. With that in mind, I coughed up a couple of extra bucks to have SplashNcolor print my magazine in bright red. The default ones are printed in black, but for a slight upcharge, you can have your magazine printed in various bright colors. I figure red makes it easier to find in the gadget bag, and if it should fall out of my pocket in the woods, the shiny red color will be easy to spot.

The red-orange color also matches the Storacell AA battery holder I use.

I was a little concerned with how well the magazine would hold up. Would the 3D-printed plastic become brittle and crack? What if I dropped it on a hard surface with a full complement of batteries? Would the plastic lock tabs break over time?

My Battery Magazine has held up well

I needn’t have worried. I have toted the battery magazine around for several months in all kinds of weather conditions. I’ve dropped it and tossed heavy camera gear on top of it. It still looks brand new and there is no suggestion that the magazine will fail to provide service for many years to come.

It took me about a week to get my battery magazine because the special color had to be printed on demand. Apparently, the black ones are printed in advance and can be shipped immediately.

If you shoot with a camera that relies on the NP-FW50 battery, I cannot recommend this magazine enough. I would never want to be on a shoot without it.

Click here to buy the Sony NP-FW50 battery holder at SplashNcolor’s Etsy shop.

The post Never worry about your Sony Batteries Again with this Battery Magazine appeared first on Alphatracks.

Most Sony Alpha Mirrorlesss Cameras have the option to display Zebra Patterns in the viewfinder and rear LCD panel. And until recently, I ignored this feature.

I first encountered the Zebra option when I rented a Sony A7S about five years ago. I didn’t fully understand their function, and when I inquired about them I was told they were for videographers. At the time I was more concerned with still photos than video, so I didn’t explore the Zebra feature further. Big mistake. Zebras are extremely useful for both still and video shooters.

What are Zebra Patterns?

Essentially, photographic Zebra Patterns alert photographers to clipped highlights in the viewfinder. The camera will display a pattern of black and white stripes over any region in the image that lacks visible detail. Naturally, the Zebra patterns are only displayed in the viewfinder or rear LCD. They do not appear in the final photograph.

Photographers refer to this lack of detail as blown highlights. Despite the advances in software editing applications, no app can restore information that doesn’t exist. If your image lacks critical detail in the highlights, those areas will appear as white or gray blobs. Short of hand painting structure and elements into the highlights, there is little you can do.

Almost all digital cameras offer some form of clipped highlight warning on the rear LCD. While this is better than nothing, many cameras only alert you to a problem after an image is recorded. The classic case of locking the barn after the horses have escaped. If the highlights are blown out, you can adjust your settings and shoot another image. This is appropriate for landscapes, still-life and portraits. It isn’t very practical for action or something unrepeatable.

Typically, the warnings are only on the LCD. If you primarily use the viewfinder, you won’t have access to this information on a dSLR.

Beyond the Histogram

The average dSLR camera is equipped with a mirror and ground glass, which doesn’t offer the opportunity to add information overlays. With the introduction of mirrorless cameras, Sony engineers found they could display much more information to photographers. No longer constrained by the analog limitations of earlier cameras, designers are free to present an array of new tools in the viewfinder. Among these are live histograms and zebra patterns.

I know many photographers who rely on histograms to nail exposure. If this works for you, great. When I am capturing an event, however, I seldom have time to adjust my settings based on the histogram. I need to grab the shot and recompose for the next activity. The pace is such that I am not at liberty to spend time reacting to the histogram.

There is also the issue that most histograms will only signal that there are areas in the photo which lack highlight detail. Histograms won’t tell you which areas in the photo will have clipped highlights.

Enter Zebra Patterns. A quick glance will not only warn about clipping; but will also identify exactly where the clipping is occurring. I find that invaluable.

Sometimes I don’t care if an area of the photo contains blown highlights. An example would be a night scene with bright lights in the background. Other times I don’t mind if clouds lose highlight detail. The important thing is the Zebra stripes show me where any detail will be lost before I make an exposure. I can quickly evaluate the scene and decide if the detail loss is acceptable. If it isn’t I change the exposure, usually by stopping down the lens.

Manual Aperture Rings are an Asset

I shoot primarily with old Rokkor manual focus lenses. If I see Zebras, I can quickly turn the aperture ring (stopping down) until they disappear. Of course, this only works if you are shooting in manual. In any automatic mode, the camera would simply adjust the exposure for the new aperture setting; which so the the highlights would still be down out. In manual mode, however, stopping down the lens reduces the exposure. Shutter speed and ISO won’t change, so you quickly and easily eliminate highlight damage.

If you are using a more modern lens, you’ll have to take time to use your menus to adjust the aperture, shutter speed or ISO. This might take more time than spinning a physical aperture ring, but the results will still yield superior images. If the situation allows, you could also use the exposure compensation dial.

Zebra Patterns Warn of Lack of Detail

If you examine the dog photo at the top, you’ll notice that his face and much of the chair are covered in Zebra Patterns. That means there is no detail remaining in these areas. Without using the Zebras, I might mistakenly assume there was sufficient information in the highlights. I would shoot the photo expecting post-processing software could restore these areas. When I finally open the shot on my computer I would find the highlights lacked any discernable texture.

Thankfully, the Zebras immediately tell me that the marked areas lack information and unless I change the exposure, no amount of post-processing could save this image.

The second photo shows the same scene after I adjusted the aperture to eliminate the Zebras. Now, the dog’s face and fur have detail, but the mid-tones look muddy and the shadows are too dark. But I know I can use a program such as Adobe Lightroom to open up the shadows and create a useable image. We want to preserve the highlights because software can salvage overexposed shadows.

I recently shot a local car show on a very bright sunlit morning. The conditions were ripe for clipped highlights. Take several dozen brilliant, candy-painted vehicles and polish them to the nth degree. Next, arrange these cars at noon on a brilliant sunny day with no clouds or shade. Without careful attention, blown highlights are nearly guaranteed. Maintaining detail in both the highlights and the shadows will stress out the dynamic range of just about any camera.

Assuming you are shooting in RAW, the answer is to set the exposure to maintain detail in the highlights. This is likely to cause the shadow and mid-tone areas to look dark and muddy in the captured image. When you preview your image on the LCD, you may think the photo is seriously overexposed. Thankfully, there are a host of software tools that we can use to open up the shadows and mid-tones and create a great image.

We don’t want the bright areas to be pure white

If I relied on the meter reading to judge the exposure, the highlight areas in the resulting image would be pure white, with no detail. Since I exposed for the highlights, there should be decent detail in these areas. But the shadow areas will appear too dark straight from the camera. I can use software to lighten the shadows and show any information hidden there. The result will be a nicely exposed image that reveals texture in both the highlights and shadows.

You can see a gallery of images from the 2021 Charlie Craig show here. You’ll notice almost all of the highlight areas retain form and framework, while you can still discern character in the shadows.

I couldn’t spend too much time on each vehicle, so the Zebras were a great asset. I composed and focussed, then adjusted the aperture ring until no Zebras were showing. Then I made my shot, which as mentioned above, looked dark and muddy when I reviewed the images on the LCD screen.

Once I brought the images into Lightroom, I quickly adjusted the shadows and mid-tones to look bright and appealing. The highlights were already properly balanced, so I was quite pleased with the final photos.

Sony Image Ambassador Mark Galer has an informative Youtube video explaining how he uses Zebra patterns in his work. If you’ve read this far, you”ll want to check out Galer’s Zebra Pattern video. Mr. Galer uses a slightly different approach than I do because he uses more modern lenses and auto exposure. The newer cameras Galer uses also offer more Zebra adjustments. My cameras only offer a high setting of 100+, so that is the setting I use.

I have enabled Zebra patterns on all my Sony Mirrorless cameras. This option is turned off in the default settings. Turning Zebras on is a simple menu option. Some people may find the black and white stripes annoying. For me, when I see Zebra stripes I immediately adjust the exposure so they vanish. So the only time I see Zebras is when something in the image is overexposed. Rather than being an annoyance, they’re a helpful tool to avoid blown highlights.

Since turning on Zebras, I have noticed a strong uptick in the number of “keeper” shots I create. As long as I have access to cameras that offers this feature, I will never shoot without Zebras again. They are that useful.

The post Zebra Patterns: Every Mirrorless Photographer Needs Them! appeared first on Alphatracks.

Vampires, monsters, zombies, dropping your camera. When it comes to horror, watching your camera slip from your hands has to outrank anything conceived by Hollywood.

Big Hands, Small Cameras. What Could Go Wrong?

As cameras get smaller and lighter, they are also have become more tricky to hold. My old Minolta SLRs, even those without a built-in grip, always felt solid and secure in my hands.

Enter the Sony mirrorless cameras, especially the A6000 and A7 models. I love the small size, but I am uneasy handling them. Unlike my older Sony dSLRs, there simply isn’t enough space to clasp the camera in my right hand. With one finger over the shutter button, and two fingers clutching the body against my thumb, my little finger is left curling into nothing but air.

You get used to it after a while, but confession time: I sometimes feel nervous holding my camera, especially when I have a heavy (and expensive) lens attached.

I don’t mean to suggest that it is difficult to hold Sony mirrorless cameras. They are comfortable, and most of the time I never consider the value of the object I am carelessly waving around held only by a couple of digits.

That is the heart of the problem. When I am in the middle of a shoot, I am not thinking about the grip on my camera. Exposure, focus, and composition occupy my mind, leaving no room for thoughts of a camera disaster. Which is how accidents happen.

The risk intensifies in a crowd. You’re carrying equipment whose value exceeds that of a good used car. Jostled and jolted by bodies crowded around you, it only takes a second to lose your grip. The next thing you know, your beloved gear has had a great fall. And all the Sony Engineers and all the Alpha Repair Men can’t put your camera back together again.

A Simple Wrist Strap is the Answer

There are always neckstraps, but I don’t like having a strap permanently attached to my camera. Yet, the specter of smashed electronic gear smeared all over the ground haunts me. So, I went looking for a wrist strap.

There are plenty of wrist straps on Amazon, but I chose the WMWL Amazon Choice strap. It looks good, offers solid protection and costs less than ten dollars. What more could you ask for?

The strap attaches to the lug by the camera’s grip. Once in place, it only takes a moment to slip your hand through the loop, then you are ready to shoot.

The loop portion of this strap is made of parachute cord (paracord). Paracord is light and flexible, an excellent choice for a wrist strap. Thin leather sewn to the paracord attaches to a split ring in the side lug.

Some reviewers on Amazon have objected to the lightweight leather, suggesting it isn’t sturdy enough to secure a camera. I am not really concerned about this. I primarily use the strap as cheap insurance, and I am confident that should my cameras slip from my hand the leather would be sufficient to prevent it from crashing to the ground.

That being said, I find myself occasionally allowing the camera to dangle from my wrist. The leather has offered more than adequate support. For the most part, I still hold the camera in my hand with the strap serving as a fail-safe backup. There are times, however, when it is convenient to just let the camera dangle.

Paracord for the Win

The paracord loop is soft and nearly weightless. When I am shooting, I forget it is there. There is a cinch piece you can use to tighten the loop around your wrist. I usually don’t bother with this as just looping the paracord around my wrist feels nice and secure.

The strap comes in a variety of colors. I thought the silver-white version looked great, but Amazon said it would take a week to ship, while the black one was available for free overnight delivery. I wanted the extra protection ASAP, so I opted for black.

I may order a silver-white one for my A6000.

Will a wrist strap help you create better photos? Not directly. But a strap ensures that a moment of carelessness won’t leave your camera in pieces. And with that worry eliminated, you can concentrate on capturing the best images your mind can conceive. In that manner, a wrist strap could improve your photos.

Get it on Amazon for under Ten Dollars

You can get the strap here. As an Amazon affiliate, I will get a small commission if you buy it through my link. But even if you buy it elsewhere, buy one. Horror is fun on the silver screen, but not so much when you are staring at the corpse of a prized camera.

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