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pski73

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Thanks to all the info in these forums I was able to make a correct choice of buying a a57 camera. This is my first DSLR and got some stuff to learn but with the auto modes in this camera, it is giving me some of the best pictures I have ever taken. Love the fact that it shoots HD video with a fairly fast focus.

Thought I would experiment with some of the other modes and took this using the P mode. Comments, suggestions on using other modes are welcome.

I have got David Busch's book on the a57 on order from amazon and can't wait to learn all I can....OBTW what do you think of my new dog Dexter?? Could I have gotten this to look any sharper or better? ( this was straight out of the camera )



 
dexter is cool!!(i love dogs) great camera and if i could suggest a great way to learn almost everything or at least the foundations and principles of photography is to check out at your library a college level photography book...have fun and good luck with your camera and your new 'best friend',brian.
 
pski73 said:
Thanks to all the info in these forums I was able to make a correct choice of buying a a57 camera. This is my first DSLR and got some stuff to learn but with the auto modes in this camera, it is giving me some of the best pictures I have ever taken. Love the fact that it shoots HD video with a fairly fast focus.

Thought I would experiment with some of the other modes and took this using the P mode. Comments, suggestions on using other modes are welcome.

I have got David Busch's book on the a57 on order from amazon and can't wait to learn all I can....OBTW what do you think of my new dog Dexter?? Could I have gotten this to look any sharper or better? ( this was straight out of the camera )



Click to expand...
-- You asked if you could get this shot any sharper....

Again , you asked for some help.... the last person I tried to help, and offered some gentle and constructive criticism told me to go F---K Myself. But Not everyone is as rude and childish as that kid was....

Ok let me offer this... On the shot.... when you shoot any animal, be it a human or a dog... the point of aim should be the eyes... everyone looks at the face and expects it to be in focus. Rather than giving you a total critique of the shot... let me use this shot to help you get a sharper photo... because you asked

You have the dog... so you can use him ( cute dog ).... and try to get this shot sharper... set the camera to spot focus, and focus on the dog's eye... every change you make in ISO, will effect exposure.. every change you make in shutter and aperture will effect the focus and sharpness and depth of field.

Also one other thought is that motion blur can cause a sharp photo to appear to be soft... so even with super steady shot, you can blur the photo will too much hand motion .. you need to learn some camera hold discipline.. making sure your shutter speed is fast enough to over come any camera hold motion or shutter release movement. A good place to start would be at least 1/125 sec. Only because you are new to this... 1/15 of a sec is very slow to be hand holding this camera and lens.. minimum shutter would be 1/60 sec. Anything slower would put you in danger of motion blur.

Bill aka EO
 
I can relate as I bought my first DSLR to take pictures of my dog and cats. I'd say my pets gave me a lot of opportunity to learn and improve.

I would try to get to the dogs level as much as possible. You're actually not too far off but don't be afraid to lay down on the floor if needed. Also I would think about cropping your photo to portait style and focus on just the dogs head, front paws and the bowl. That's really the focus of the photo.
 
Bill, I think you are bang-on with your comments and suggestions. I looked hard to see if anything was in focus (assuming the AF may have picked the wrong target), but it is really hard with ISO 3200 and the resulting noise. The closest thing to sharpness appears to be the carpet edge, but that's not a very good object from which to evaluate image sharpness. The "vertical-running" crack between the tiles in front of the dog's hind leg also hints that the focus was probably beyond the dog's eyes. However, I think the biggest culprit in the lack of sharpness is the slow shutter speed. Given the ISO and f-stop (probably max aperture on the 18-55 kit lens when at max zoom) the only help would have been flash, also with the chance of a less than ideal outcome given the composition of the photograph.

psk73, keep at it. You have a very capable camera system. One of the other responses suggested getting lower to the dog's level; the flip-down screen makes low angle shots a lot easier than lying on your belly and looking through the viewfinder.

JF
 
Welcome.

As both the owner of a dog and an A57 I think you have made a couple of good choices.

I agree with Bill's comment on focus, I would use spot focus on the eyes.

In terms of shutter speed I agree that 1/15s is too slow but because of Dexter's movement. In my experience dogs don't sit still for long unless they are asleep. In this case you are already at ISO 3200 so it's a trade off between a sharper picture and more noise. Generally my approach would be to limit the motion blur as there is very little that can be done to correct it in pp, but the noise can be mangled, particularly if you shoot raw. Opening up the lens to say f/4 and pushing the ISO to 6400 would have let you decrease the shutter speed to 1/60s for the same exposure.

In terms of composition I would have got closer and lower to Dexter so that he fills more of the frame.

My other comment is that Dexter's face is a bit dark but there's probably not much you could have done about adding some fill. Here’s a shot of a friend's puppy Toro taken with bounce flash. Her eyes and nose are a bit underexposed but there's a balance because her coat is so light.

Good luck with your new camera and your new best friend.

Karel
 
I'll have another go with the link.

Toro





Karel
 
pski73 said:
Thanks to all the info in these forums I was able to make a correct choice of buying a a57 camera. This is my first DSLR and got some stuff to learn but with the auto modes in this camera, it is giving me some of the best pictures I have ever taken. Love the fact that it shoots HD video with a fairly fast focus.

Thought I would experiment with some of the other modes and took this using the P mode. Comments, suggestions on using other modes are welcome.

I have got David Busch's book on the a57 on order from amazon and can't wait to learn all I can....OBTW what do you think of my new dog Dexter?? Could I have gotten this to look any sharper or better?
Click to expand...
Indeed:
  • 1/15 sec is too slow to freeze Dexter's head as he obviously got distracted while you took the shot. Get a dedicated flash to bounce of the ceiling. Many will also suggest a faster lens. While this will get you faster shutter, it will also have less depth of field (DOF) so composition and focus accuracy will add to the challenge.
  • White balance seems to be off. Sony Alphas (like most DSLRs) are a bit challenged in AWB mode when shooting in artificially lit rooms. Check your indoor shots in other WB modes, actually you can see the effect instantly in the EVF and on the LCD.
  • The shot looks a tad underexposed.
Great looking dog! Show us some shots in daylight, the 18-55 kit lens that came with your a57 is only limited by the available light in this shot you posted. In good light it will satisfy you a lot more.

I hope this helps,
cheers,
Ralf
http://www.ralfralph.smugmug.com
 
Great dog, great camera!

Others have given you some good tips. It takes practice so don't be afraid to experiment. Looking forward to seeing lots more.
Here is one of my recent shots taken at a festival in my village:



--
Busch

Take the scenic route! Life is too short to do otherwise.

http://www.pbase.com/busch
 
Welcome.
If I may add a hint, consider using continuous-AF with moving dogs.

As pictures of dogs are added in this thread, I'll add my wallpaper:



Though I find the composition unbalanced, I see this as a presentable picture. It has been taken with A300. This camera I found unfit for moving dogs in a shaded forest. I could not make it work, got a keepersrate of something like 1 out of 10. With A77 this is something like 7 out of 10. I think this is the way to look at the performance of the camera.

O, there is a story behind this picture. It has been taken in the Peak District. We were hiking. When we got to a stile we lifted the dog over it. When we walked towards this one (with steps) we were talking about who would lift her and give her over.The second we started this conversation she spontaniously went over the stile. It is a proud dog we see here.
Good luck with the camera. Enjoy it.

Peter
 
pski73 said:
Could I have gotten this to look any sharper or better? ( this was straight out of the camera )
Click to expand...
As Bill (EvilOne) suggested, 1/15s is pretty slow. At 55mm, you should be able to get down to 1/15s reasonably well (assuming you're not seeing subject motion blur), but you need to "help" the image stabilization system out. The first thing I had to learn with my first stabilized camera (KM 7D) was that I couldn't pick up the camera, put it to me eye, and shoot at a slow shutter speed. The IS system lags a bit and is still adjusting to me picking up the camera quickly. Same if you're holding the camera, turn quickly and shoot. Give it a second to "settle". (On a camera with stabilization "bars" in the viewfinder, you see them spike as you move quickly, then settle down). And then just practice solid handholding technique. But if the subject moves, it's going to be blurry.
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
 
ftp: ftp.xmsnet.nl/tmp/4394h-small.jpg
remove the three spaces.
without the "-small" you have the 1920x1200 version.
 
The reason, I mentioned only trying to get the shot sharper, is because you specifically asked if it could be done.. But In photography, the total set up is what makes or breaks the shot... Knowing where the sweet spot for everything makes for a great shot.. so rather than point to extremely high ISO, and extremely low shutter speed... And trying to teach you photography in one thread.. Ive also taught people to tackle one thing at as time... in this case focus on the eye is the first step towards being a Pro.

There is a lot of choices here by members... there is a lot of good experienced help to be had here... most people are more than willing to help.... Some unfortunately will try to show you just how great they are... when in fact they are way too full of themself to really care about you....

If you post a picture and allow us to critique that particular photo, you will get an Idea about how all this works.... Ive been doing this for 50 years , and I'm still learning every day... but more than willing to share my experience with anyone.

AS was said, if you need ISO 32000 and still cant get acceptable shutter speed you need better light, or a flash...

New shooters need a little faster shutter speed, and experience photographers, this is one of the main reason your shot is soft... You want to get enough shutter speed to overcome your camera hold discipline and fast enough to stop the actual motion in the shot..

OK that's enough for now.. So you can see there are lots of willing photogs here to help you ramp up your shots... Once you start to understand how it all works... you will want to get out and shoot everything.

--
Bill aka EO
 
Great looking dog! Pretty exciting..new camera AND a new buddy. I'm sure, in no time, you'll have racked up thousands and thousands of shots of your new, most willing model :)

You're getting some great feedback, so I really don't have much to contribute. The best advice I can give you is just to shoot, shoot, shoot and above all else...HAVE FUN!!

Cheers!
 
Thanks Evilone and everyone that responded as I learn this new art of photography

I am sure it will get better after I figure out shutter speed , lighting conditions , aperture
settings, etc.
Many good comments here.
 
pski73 said:
Thanks Evilone and everyone that responded as I learn this new art of photography

I am sure it will get better after I figure out shutter speed , lighting conditions , aperture
settings, etc.
Many good comments here.
Click to expand...
--Don't think for one minute that any question is a dumb question....if you are apprehensive about asking something you can contact me or anyone you feel comfortable with via private message.

Also its a lot to learn.. it wont come over night.. you will make many mistakes but every mistake can be a learning experience..

Bill aka EO
 
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