Got a new camera!

[Eric Group]

Finally able to post some pics that weren't taken on a damn cell phone! Pretty pumped about it= Sony Cyber Shot DSC H-400. Did some research.. I kind of wanted the DSLR because I owned a film SLR for decades, have some photography training and a little "professional" experience shooting images for, editing and creating a magazine for the Arts commission I used to work for... Needless to say the iphone has a good camera for A PHONE, but wasn't dong what I wanted! took some convincing to make my wife understand... decided on this "bridge" model instead of the DSLR for convenience. In my experience it is a pain to have to tote around a bunch of lenses, filters... This camera I got has a 63X optical zoom on the built in lens and it will focus all the way back to about 1 CM from the lens, producing some nice macro shots! 20MP with the same image sensor they put in the DSLRs... this should do everything I want without having to haul around 3 lenses or having to change the lens every time I want to take a new shot.. If photography was my job (or even if it becomes a bigger hobby for me again), I'd get a good DSLR, for now I am happy with the production this one is giving me!

A few examples:

I plan on adding some updates to a few tree/progression threads in the coming days with better images. Let me know what you think of the shots! these were just snapped in the dark after we got home tonight... it does even better when there is LIGHT! LOL

 

[Poink88]

Congrats!

Sony have been coming out with great cameras lately. My son got a Sony (Alpha) a7s and it is compact but a BEAST! He's been shooting up to 51,000 ISO (it can go up to more than 400,000 ISO ) and the results are awesome. I bought his old Sony NEX-6 and I am happy with it.

Looking forward some new tree pics.

 

[fredtruck]

I agree that Sony has been coming out with some fine cameras. For me, the heart of the matter is the huge processor they use, which is the same processor used in many Nikon cameras.

I think your shots are very sharp and clear, qualities not easily maintained when posting to the web.

Keep those pictures coming.

 

[Eric Group]

I agree that Sony has been coming out with some fine cameras. For me, the heart of the matter is the huge processor they use, which is the same processor used in many Nikon cameras.

I think your shots are very sharp and clear, qualities not easily maintained when posting to the web.

Keep those pictures coming.

Thanks Fred and Dario! Agree about the processor... I was looking at a Nikon, but the lense on this one was just capable of doing more... Which seemed important for a camera where I cannot change lenses!

 

[barrosinc]

Congrats on the new camera!

By the way, I don't believe sony and nikon are using the same processors but Nikon is using sony CMOS sensors for example in the D800 series of 36MP.

But the Sony A7s is a camera for which I would trade my camera gear for. I just don't like the electronic viewfinders and the lack of variety of lenses.

 

[Poink88]

But the Sony A7s is a camera for which I would trade my camera gear for. I just don't like the electronic viewfinders and the lack of variety of lenses.

He got lens adapter and uses Canon prime lenses on it. Downside is the need to go manual on those though. He just purchased a Zeiss lens for it. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/925829-REG/sony_sal50f14z_50mm_f_1_4_carl_zeiss.html

 

[Eric Group]

Congrats on the new camera!

By the way, I don't believe sony and nikon are using the same processors but Nikon is using sony CMOS sensors for example in the D800 series of 36MP.

But the Sony A7s is a camera for which I would trade my camera gear for. I just don't like the electronic viewfinders and the lack of variety of lenses.

I was comparing the cybershot I bought to the Nikon Coolpix bridge cameras... Both use the CMOS image sensor, but the Nikons seemed to cap at 16.2 MP, this Sony I found has 20.1... Not a big deal unless I am blowing the pictures up to like poster size or larger perhaps, but I really bought it because of the lens. The zoom on this thing is pretty incredible! Much better than the telephoto lens I spent a hundred bucks on 18 years ago for the film SLR... I don't know that the image sensors are exactly the same, obviously one has higher MPs, but they are the same type of sensor, and both got great reviews for the price!

Still getting used to all the functions as I just got it, and haven't mastered the manual setting yet, but intelligent auto has worked incredibly well so far.

 

[Poink88]

I was comparing the cybershot I bought to the Nikon Coolpix bridge cameras... Both use the CMOS image sensor, but the Nikons seemed to cap at 16.2 MP, this Sony I found has 20.1... Not a big deal unless I am blowing the pictures up to like poster size or larger perhaps, but I really bought it because of the lens. The zoom on this thing is pretty incredible! Much better than the telephoto lens I spent a hundred bucks on 18 years ago for the film SLR... I don't know that the image sensors are exactly the same, obviously one has higher MPs, but they are the same type of sensor, and both got great reviews for the price!

Still getting used to all the functions as I just got it, and haven't mastered the manual setting yet, but intelligent auto has worked incredibly well so far.

Good move. Most new cameras now have so much more capability than an average user taps or knows how to take advantage of properly (me included). Mastering the manual settings will get you ahead than most.

 

[barrosinc]

Hi Dario, as I do this professionaly, use an adapter to manual focus 12hour day weddings is impossible.

To anyone buying a camera DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT MP, there is no need! I have a couple Canon 5D with 22MP and use it at 10MP and print out large 12x12 books with them. This is one of the reasons I was thinking in getting the A7s, 10MP Full Frame. For me I need good flash solutions and Sony does not have a canon 600EX-RT equivallent. But that is just me... the camera looks amazing and the new in camera stabilizer of the A7 II looks even better. (lack of optical viewfinder, flashes, no medium size RAW files and lack of tilt shift lenses kept me on canon).

In my opinion manual mode does not do much if you aren't thinking depth of field, hand shake (low light without flash), ISO noise and shutter speed to freeze or get movement. I either use my camera with Av (I change metering depending on the ambient)and heavily use exposure compensation or use manual if it is night time and I am using flashes.

 

[Poink88]

For me I need good flash solutions and Sony does not have a canon 600EX-RT equivallent. But that is just me... the camera looks amazing and the new in camera stabilizer of the A7 II looks even better. (lack of optical viewfinder, flashes, no medium size RAW files and lack of tilt shift lenses kept me on canon).

In my opinion manual mode does not do much if you aren't thinking depth of field, hand shake (low light without flash), ISO noise and shutter speed to freeze or get movement. I either use my camera with Av (I change metering depending on the ambient)and heavily use exposure compensation or use manual if it is night time and I am using flashes.

With the a7s...you may not need a flash.

My son have been taking pics in bars which are really dark and pics are coming okay IMHO. He is not even pushing the ISO yet like this was only at 1600ISO I believe (yes no flash).

This is compressed JPEG also, you should see the RAW file.

I've seen some pics he took at 51,000 ISO and can't see any noise, it is amazing.

 

[barrosinc]

Usually when using jpg, the camera uses noise reduction algorithms, camera manufacturers sacrifice resolution for noise. Usually ISO 1600 is easy for most full frame cameras, but the dynamic range and color depth at ISO 50,000 is hit hard!

Not saying this camera isn't awesome, but the noise reduction algorithms sony is using for jpg and video are extremely good, combined with a ver nice sensor gives you that. But don't expect the resolution you would get on a 5D mark III or D810.

But I don't think I would use over 6400 ISO on a paid job unless I really REALLY need it.

 

[Poink88]

Of course you only use that high ISO when needed . I need to send you a pic shot at 51,000 ISO but if you search online, you will see samples.

BTW, my son always shoot RAW so it is not altered. He does process them after.

Sorry for the thread hi-jack.

 

[Eric Group]

Hi Dario, as I do this professionaly, use an adapter to manual focus 12hour day weddings is impossible.

To anyone buying a camera DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT MP, there is no need! I have a couple Canon 5D with 22MP and use it at 10MP and print out large 12x12 books with them. This is one of the reasons I was thinking in getting the A7s, 10MP Full Frame. For me I need good flash solutions and Sony does not have a canon 600EX-RT equivallent. But that is just me... the camera looks amazing and the new in camera stabilizer of the A7 II looks even better. (lack of optical viewfinder, flashes, no medium size RAW files and lack of tilt shift lenses kept me on canon).

In my opinion manual mode does not do much if you aren't thinking depth of field, hand shake (low light without flash), ISO noise and shutter speed to freeze or get movement. I either use my camera with Av (I change metering depending on the ambient)and heavily use exposure compensation or use manual if it is night time and I am using flashes.

That's what I am saying- being as how I am not a professional, not planing to do this professionally, NOT even going to consider dropping thousands of dollars on a professional grade DSLR.. The DSLRs I was looking at were the Nikon D3100 or 3200.. Which do have almost the identical image sensor to the Nikon coolpix bridge models.. Which has almost an identical image sensor to what I bought... Well aware that once you get over about 10.0, MP are almost meaningless... Until you start blowing the photos up really large it makes almost no difference to the naked eye.

Hell, an iPhone pic we took over Halloween was blown up to full canvas size by my mother and looked FINE! Lol

you guys can tangent on about photography... I was just trying to see how my pics looked sized down for this forum. An aside- what is a good image hosting site to use? The attachment option is so glitchy here, I'd rather use the links.. Used to always us imageshackus but it is a pay site now! Any good free ones left? I found one but wasn't blown away...

 

[lordy]

I've been using Photobucket for years, but am approaching my storage limit . They keep sending me notes that I can upgrade to a larger size capacity for the sum of $4.99 per month. I feel like I have been held captive. I have hundreds of pics there and would love to remove them all and move to a different site that informs one of the rules up front. I'll keep an eye on this thread to hopefully learn where I might move them to.
I use a Canon 60D, btw, and find it's even upgraded lens a bit lacking. It, as others have mentioned here, is far more capable than I, even with decades of SLR experience and classical training.

 

[Eric Group]

I've been using Photobucket for years, but am approaching my storage limit . They keep sending me notes that I can upgrade to a larger size capacity for the sum of $4.99 per month. I feel like I have been held captive. I have hundreds of pics there and would love to remove them all and move to a different site that informs one of the rules up front. I'll keep an eye on this thread to hopefully learn where I might move them to.
I use a Canon 60D, btw, and find it's even upgraded lens a bit lacking. It, as others have mentioned here, is far more capable than I, even with decades of SLR experience and classical training.

The 60D looks like a great camera!

As for photobucket.. I was thinking that you had to pay for all levels of that service? I will have to go check it out again! Thanks!

Obviously I had heard of that one before, but it also seems like half the time people link an image there, within a couple months it disappears! I guess if you run into that storage limit, you have to delete photos or pay up, and most people just delete them. Hopefully we get a few more options presented.

As I started screwing around a little more again with imaging the past few weeks in anticipation of getting this camera... I noticed a reason why I haven't been doing much with it- iPads/ iPhones are a pain in the arse to do anything with photography beyond a basic "selfie" type of image! You have to download a dedicated app for it, decent quality photos will fill up an iPad in a second (if you can even GET decent quality images on the device at all) and all I had been using the past few years was my Ipad pretty much! If I wasn't watching a movie on my laptop, it was pretty much collecting dust! And I have a pretty badass laptop- Samsung with like 500 GB of storage, HDMI outputs, great video card... It is ready to go for photo editing! Even has a memory card slot on the front that I can slide the card from the camera straight into... Got Photoshop and everything... Seems like I should be ready to make some real nice photos... I have found myself moving back to that and away from this iPad. Now if they will just put Pirate Bay back up!!...

 

[Wee]

Start a blog at blogspot.com and just use it to post pics.....?

It's free and works pretty well....

Brian

 

[KennedyMarx]

Don't use photo bucket. Imgur.com is far superior. You can make an account if you want control of your images or upload anonymously.

And I don't understand the hate on phone cameras. Maybe if you're using an old phone they are bad, but my iPhone camera is better than some old point and shoots I have used. It might not be comparable to a DSLR, but it's fine for taking pics of trees.

 

[Eric Group]

Don't use photo bucket. Imgur.com is far superior. You can make an account if you want control of your images or upload anonymously.

And I don't understand the hate on phone cameras. Maybe if you're using an old phone they are bad, but my iPhone camera is better than some old point and shoots I have used. It might not be comparable to a DSLR, but it's fine for taking pics of trees.

The image quality isn't bad on the iPhones.. Superior to most old point and shoots. The hate comes in because there is no lens to speak of at all! Their low light pics are pixelated and awful looking, they spend all day in our pockets or phone cases and tend to get beat up, scratched up fogged up... There is no manipulation or filters that work, if you shot is over exposed and washed out, the next shot WILL BE TOO, and the one after that, and the one after that... The lack of a lens means every shot is just full focus, no selective focusing on a foreground subject while blurring the back ground, can't get close to your subject for a macro effect, zoom is pitiful and digital- as opposed to optical, again no lens- so you cannot get close to a far away subject... Oh and try to load a pic here- 50% chance it will load sideways for you! That always makes your tree look better, and you get the most welcoming and complimentary comments!...

Shall I go on? I could, but I am not pilling on or picking on you Kennedy... It is just frustrating to me, being a film major with some photography training and experience, it has frustrated me to no end spending the past few years without a camera! It is my own fault, I should have just bought myself one... But until recently having a kid and starting to get back into bonsai with a few trees I actually want to document... I never cared much. I SO wish I had this camera when I went to NY this past Spring!

 

[barrosinc]

The image quality isn't bad on the iPhones.. Superior to most old point and shoots. The hate comes in because there is no lens to speak of at all! Their low light pics are pixelated and awful looking, they spend all day in our pockets or phone cases and tend to get beat up, scratched up fogged up... There is no manipulation or filters that work, if you shot is over exposed and washed out, the next shot WILL BE TOO, and the one after that, and the one after that... The lack of a lens means every shot is just full focus, no selective focusing on a foreground subject while blurring the back ground, can't get close to your subject for a macro effect, zoom is pitiful and digital- as opposed to optical, again no lens- so you cannot get close to a far away subject... Oh and try to load a pic here- 50% chance it will load sideways for you! That always makes your tree look better, and you get the most welcoming and complimentary comments!...

Shall I go on? I could, but I am not pilling on or picking on you Kennedy... It is just frustrating to me, being a film major with some photography training and experience, it has frustrated me to no end spending the past few years without a camera! It is my own fault, I should have just bought myself one... But until recently having a kid and starting to get back into bonsai with a few trees I actually want to document... I never cared much. I SO wish I had this camera when I went to NY this past Spring!

I hate camera phones, because they only work with a lot of light. The sensor is so tiny depth of field is always so deep (expect when my mom takes pics, she can take any camera and get a 99% out of focus pics, i hate 24mm lenses except when I am taking party pics and next to where the stuff is happening (weddings here are on average 400 people).

I use my camera with a 50mm f/1.2 or a 135mm f/2 lens 95% of the time. I use my phone camera to take a pic of stuff I need to remember, but I don't consider it a camera of the family memories that I wish to perdure.

 

[Poink88]

My Samsung Galaxy S5 takes great pictures actually...no hating them