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This is what i shoot with, can you suggest something to make it better

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WOW just read david buschs book (pages 135-141) i already ha it in my library apparently, focus makes sense now a bit more, seems like if the little "red" line sensor was not in the right area it would have focused somewhere else

I am going to go outside and shoot a windsock in the various focus modes, (auto, manual, continous, spot, wide, local) and see the difference, i will upload the photos to a gallery called focus

maybe this will help get to the bottom of things,
 
"One concern I have is that you'll upgrade piecemeal, one lens, then another, find the body is insufficient, upgrade that, and next thing you know, have $2000 into gear that would have been better spent differently. For instance, the 16-80 is really an excellent lens. An a350 with a 16-80 isn't really a great sports kit. "

I would like to say im a bit smarter then that, i think with time and knowledge and education i can get what i want out of this body for now, also remember i am primarily interested in "models" and "landscapes" and occasional sports, sports is not my MAIN theme

The trip i am going on will be for landscape only (well maybe SOME modeling)

I would be happy to have three lens, one for good wide landscapes (like my panoramas) one for prime like for shooting models (people models lol) and maybe one for sports or quick photos?

is this sound like something that can be done?

Ok im off to do the windsock photos!
 
http://www.friedmanarchives.com/alpha350/index.htm

If you don't have this ebook, get it and read it cover to cover ... and practice. I'd given advice about checking out focal lengths before, but hadn't seen your galleries or even read the posts from those who could see operator errors. Ultimately it doesn't take all that long to learn about your camera and learn some of the basics; Gary's ebook is probably your best source for an education that's comprehensive enough to add some joy to your experience and results. Happy learning!

--
Rich

http://philosurfer.zenfolio.com/
 
Rich

red garys ebook awesome read

davids looks more involved, but im hoping the photos in the "focus" photos that i uploaded help diagnose
 
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
I would like to say im a bit smarter then that, i think with time and knowledge and education i can get what i want out of this body for now, also remember i am primarily interested in "models" and "landscapes" and occasional sports, sports is not my MAIN theme
Click to expand...
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
I would be happy to have three lens, one for good wide landscapes (like my panoramas) one for prime like for shooting models (people models lol) and maybe one for sports or quick photos?

is this sound like something that can be done?
Click to expand...
That should all be very manageable.

Given the emphasis on landscapes, I think the 16-80 is a gem of a lens. I've owned a few midrange zooms (18-70, 28-85, 28-75/2.8, 17-35/2.8-4, 28-70G, 17-35G) and I love the 16-80 for its range, sharpness and pretty quick autofocus. It will handle people just fine, too, but sometimes you'll want a fast prime for shallow DOF or low light.

Then try the 55-200 some more and see if you need anything else for sports.

The A350 may not be the ideal sports camera, but from what I recall of the reviews, it should be an exceptional landscape camera.
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
Ok im off to do the windsock photos!
Click to expand...
Good luck !
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
 
Hello Everyone

the "Focus" Test is up in the gallery, if anyone cares to provide feedback, i used a moving object to simulate the issue i am having with sports, all contrast, saturation, sharpness levels were fully ramped to +3 on the test
 
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
Hello Everyone

the "Focus" Test is up in the gallery, if anyone cares to provide feedback, i used a moving object to simulate the issue i am having with sports,
Click to expand...
You shoot a fast moving target with the kit lens at 70mm wide open at 5.6 which already has enough DOF to have both the wind bag and the first background items in focus. In some shots with the bag in center, it appears as in focus, but the slow shutter of 1/640 allows the colored ribbons and the white ropes tied to the bag to still be blurry enough by motion to make it hard to determine if the focus was spot on. ISO 200 would have bumped your shutter to beyond 1/1000 sec to freeze motion better.

Some of the shots show the bag in focus. The last shot with the bag close to the ground shows the house way back in focus , which begs for the question: Which focus area did you select? Wide (which includes all sensors seeking for something to lock on, spot (with only the center sensor) or a select sensor (your choice)?

The low bag would clearly allow the cam to autofocus behind it. Lots of things behind the low bag to focus on. How is the cam suppose to know what it is to focus on? And as a result, in the last shot the house looks quite sharp, ruling out a defective lens or camera error as the root cause for soft pics in general.
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
all contrast, saturation, sharpness levels were fully ramped to +3 on the test
Click to expand...
Why that? I am afraid to say that the pics come out surprisingly well for such an overdone (IMHO) internal camera setting - you said before you shoot VIVID to boot.

This makes me think your monitor might be set up with too low a contrast and too high a brightness, consequently making your shots appear washed out on screen. to rule out the monitor, how do prints look from such overcooked jpegs?
What kind of monitor do you use?
--
Ralf
http://RalfRalph.smugmug.com/
 
CameraGuyBoyMan is seems a bit of learning the A-350 is needed. I agree with the lens selection of adding a Tamron 17 -50 to your collection. But I have a buddy that shoots the A-350 and his photos are amazing with the same lenses you have. Might I suggest auto ISO for you until you get used to setting what you want on your own(If not already). Your setting for vivid with +3 across the board should be plastering your colors, but they are not. Take your time and start over in learning this hobby, your equipment is good enough to get you what you want. Then later should you outgrow or need better equipment, progress as you need to. But the A-350 is a great tool to begin photography with. Good luck in your learning! :-) Some of your shots look pretty good! You've been getting good advice! ;-) You should check and see if there are other Sony shooters in your area. :-)
--
Glenn

I'm kinda partial to video, but I'm hangin!
 
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
I shoot with the following

Looking at getting clearer crisper and brighter photos, been told the glass is junk

can anyone with knowledge on sony cameras recommend an affordable upgrade in the glass, i know there is some real good glass for good prices, but im a bit lost on all the techno stuff like (f numbers, speeds, af/mf, iso)

thanks again

Sony A350 14.1 MP
18-70mm 3.5-5.6
55-200mm 4-5.6
Click to expand...
Show us some of the photos you aren't satisfied with because you should be able to get pretty good results with the gear you have. If we see your photos we can see if it is a problem with your gear or with your use of the gear.

You will be much better off if you truly identify the causes of your problems rather than just grasping at straws. Then when the root causes of the problems are identified you can work to solve them.

--
Henry Richardson
http://www.bakubo.com
 
Henry

"Show us some of the photos you aren't satisfied with because you should be able to get pretty good results with the gear you have. If we see your photos we can see if it is a problem with your gear or with your use of the gear. "

They are in the gallery titled FAILS

Dennis

When i did those focus tests it was all over the map i used all sorts of focus settings

tomorrow ill redo the test and write down each one on the shot so we can see which ones are which

Jeslookn

"But I have a buddy that shoots the A-350 and his photos are amazing with the same lenses you have."

Does your buddy have a link i can look at some of his shots at, so i can see what he is getting for quality, that would be great

I want to thank everyone for the time they are putting in, i believe some of this is my error with not knowing the focus points on my camera (education) and i also think some different lens wouldnt hurt at all either, i think someone said earlier that the lens may be one of the "bad ones" that sony made in its kit line, maybe i got a lemon lens, though i am not blaming that as of yet.

Later i will put up a good shot i took this summer for review, it is of a model on a staircase, i think it came out well.

Thanks again everyone, we will revisit this tomorrow
 
Lol i know i should have written it down, we will do it again tomorrow, is the windsock the best thing to be testing on? Any help you can give me will allow me to show the best photos to get solid feedback
Dennis said:
I don't know how you varied your focusing technique across the series, but #2 & 5 look to be focused on the windsock; the others on something in the background as far as I can tell.
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
Click to expand...
 
take the 55-200 zoom at min. 100-150 mm focal length to see DOF and focus against a blurry background, and try pre-focussed Manual focus in the mix.
Most importantly ... don't get run over!
--
Ralf
http://RalfRalph.smugmug.com/
 
i will try that tomorrow, we have a storm coming and the light has faded!

I wont get run over ralf, thanks for the heads up, also one thing that occured to me today is IT POSSIBLE that the actaul camera is somehow defective, i dont want anyone thinking i am saying its not me thats the issue. But i looked back and saw TONS of crisp photos with my previous cameras!

Anywho here is a link to the output of that Exposureplot program

 
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
i will try that tomorrow, we have a storm coming and the light has faded!

I wont get run over ralf, thanks for the heads up, also one thing that occured to me today is IT POSSIBLE that the actaul camera is somehow defective, i dont want anyone thinking i am saying its not me thats the issue. But i looked back and saw TONS of crisp photos with my previous cameras!

Anywho here is a link to the output of that Exposureplot program
Click to expand...
Others might read it differently, but I would say:
  • set ISO to 200 or 320
  • get a 30mm or 35mm prime
  • stop down a bit f3.5 or f4, and when possible maybe f8
Try to use ISO 400 when you use the 55-200mm.

Then compare with your previous photos.

--
.... really, matter of fact it's all dark.
 
CameraGuyBoyMan said:
I shoot with the following

Looking at getting clearer crisper and brighter photos, been told the glass is junk

can anyone with knowledge on sony cameras recommend an affordable upgrade in the glass, i know there is some real good glass for good prices, but im a bit lost on all the techno stuff like (f numbers, speeds, af/mf, iso)

thanks again

Sony A350 14.1 MP
18-70mm 3.5-5.6
55-200mm 4-5.6>
Click to expand...
Dump the 18-70, the 18-55 is much much better, that will really help and it wont cost too much, the A350 was not my favourite but some like it and I only ever used it with the 18-70, I would consider to trade the A350 body for any one of the following...A200, A230, A330 (forget the A380) or even an A100 and you should get better results, TBH, I had the A350/18-70 combo and I really disliked it, it was the only Sony that I have ever felt bad about
 
Are you telling me to STEP BACKWARDS in technology to improve my photos?

vaughanB wrote:

I would consider to trade the A350 body for any one of the following...A200, A230, A330 (forget the A380) or even an A100 and you should get better results, TBH, I had the A350/18-70 combo and I really disliked it, it was the only Sony that I have ever felt bad about
 
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