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

[KEITH-C]

I strongly suspect that the problem lies with the 18-70mm kit lens rather than the camera body.

Just out of interest I tried the 18-70mm with an A900 & tried to improve it with micro focus adjustments & I found that this lens stood out from all the others which I calibrated in that it needed widely different adjustments at either end of the zoom range.

This suggests to me that the focusing capabilities of this particular zoom are a result of a set of compromises which means that the middle range ( around 45mm) is probably where this lens focuses the best with the two extremes giving less than ideal focus. The CZ lens is much better but also much more expensive , many have found the Tamron lenses mentioned a good compromise.
--
Keith-C

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

Lol i bet, i would NEVER be able to get that clean shot with my camera, did you use a kit lens, curious as to what glass was on the front of that

Don't diss the A350

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

Of course that means changing lens, i want to do some test with the current lens to make sure its not the "stupid guy" behind the lens, we have a pretty good weather maker coming through right now, i think ill do my foucs tests in the snow since it is a moving object,

Ill post the new results shortly

also ill make notes in the mix and try ralfs ? suggestion with manual as well

I will use the 18-70 and 55-200 so we can see whats what, leaving everything else equal, now i just have to find a subject

I strongly suspect that the problem lies with the 18-70mm kit lens rather than the camera body.

 

[OldClicker]

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>

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

You just dumped 1/2 of the reasons to buy a Sony - Fast Focus Live View. Without that option, I would look elsewhere. - TF

 

[Kodakrevisited]

I strongly suspect that the problem lies with the 18-70mm kit lens rather than the camera body.>

Agreed, the lens is probably most of the problem, for some reason though, that 14mp sensor didnt seem to work very well for me in the A350, I didnt ever try an A380 which used the same sensor, that would have been interesting to see if I liked it any better, the 10.2mp sensor in the A200, A230, A330 was to my liking though....hence my suggestion

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

Well alrighty then

I did venture out into the storm, and i found a good subject, a very large front laoder with a plow clearing a parking lot, i tested all focus and focus areas and types, with both lens,

I will post the results later,

thanks again for all the advice.

FYI: this is why i suggested buying a d200 (i am aware it steps back in sensor technology, but it was a better faster camera)

REMEMBER all i want to do is find out WHERE the downfall is in my setup, if i go on a trip in april and find out that the photos i thought were "grand" turn out flat and not so focused, im going to be quite dissapointed.

So its either

the glass (lots seem to agree)
the camera (different opinions on that)
the photographer (lol i wont go there)

Or a combo of the two or even all of them, maybe once i post the shots from today it will become clearer, i took them all in RAW + JPEG as well, im guessing i just open the raw and convert it to JPG as is, then that will send them to the gallery as good as possible, im not doing any touchup,

ok ill get to this later!

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

FROM THE HORSE MOUTH

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra350/page31.asp

Conclusion - Cons

• Soft JPEGs with poor low-contrast detail
• Smallest viewfinder to appear on an APS-C DSLR
• Screen obstructs use of viewfinder
• Image quality suffers above ISO 400 (from both noise and excessive noise reduction)
• Long exposure noise reduction turns hot pixels black
• Slower and less responsive than its contemporaries
• Poor continuous shooting rate
• Most convenient button on body given least useful function

" Unfortunately, the A350 is a slow camera by modern standards. The continuous shooting speed is some way behind the models it will share retailer shelf space with, but the bigger problem is the general lag while waiting for the review image to appear after each shot. Waiting around for the camera to start displaying a shooting screen (either the status screen or the live view preview), further distances you from the shooting experience in a way that will be unfamiliar for DSLR users.

The biggest reservations we have about this camera, though, relate to its image quality. On paper and when shooting resolution charts, the A350 is an impressive performer but that prowess doesn't always hold up when you step outside the studio. The default JPEG output from the A350 is distinctly soft (and this is exacerbated when coupled with the rather below-par 18-70 kit lens), though detail is being recorded and can be recovered if you're willing to shoot in RAW and post-process. We also see the traditional trade-off between tightly-packed pixels and high-sensitivity performance, with the sensor producing a lot of noise and smearing it away to an extent we're not used to seeing in cameras of this type."

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

ok im going to move those photos to the gallery once they have been tagged and marked, maybe it will be enlightening!

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

Photos should be done soon,

All shots were taken in full manual mode, manual white balance, and the shots are marked with text explaining the focus parameters.

The shots without text were all achieved using full manual focus by performing the following

1 zoom to max range and focus
2 zoom back out
3 recompose
4 take photo

Some of the photos in this series are part of an excercise that i had to perform in one of my photography books i am currently reading, but i included them in this album because i noticed the focus was SHARP, oh btw i noticed CONSIDERABLE more detail in the 55-200mm lens today

Ok time to review the photos

 

[Kodakrevisited]

FROM THE HORSE MOUTH

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra350/page31.asp >

I have to agree with the DPR review, when I bought the A350 and rejected it, this review hadnt been published, there was a huge fuss on this forum with many saying I was incompetent and had no idea what I was talking about. However, I tested the A350 extensively and my biggest problem was just the images, they were just horrible, I didnt care for the general "look" of the JPEGS at all and much prefered my Kodak bridge camera...... cameras based on the 10.2mp sensor (A200/300/330 etc) were all great, but for me, the A350 is the worst of the Sony DSLRs to date, the much criticised A230/330 were lovely image makers by comparison (I steered well clear of the A380 as it used the A350 sensor, but it nmay be OK). Match the A350 with that 18-70 lens and....YUK!!

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

Even though it was already said the decision now comes to either

A. Spend money on new lens, and hope that is the best approach

B. Step back in sensor (and effective megapixels) technology to get a "better camera)

C. Sell the A350 to someone else and use the money to go "forward" to a higher level camera.
D. Keep talking about all of this lol

What to do lol

FYI: If i could get away with a camera that could take "better" photos with a lesser megapixel count i would settle for that, even at 810 i dont think i ever needed 14.1 MP and they have such BIG file sizes, but then again this part is a bit lost to me. I will upload a photo in my gallery, it is a pano of boston at night, the resulting print is over 4 feet wide by 2 feet high, i am not sure using a 10Mp camera would allow that to happen any longer,

what to do lol

 

[Ralf B]

Even though it was already said the decision now comes to either

A. Spend money on new lens, and hope that is the best approach

As said numerous times before, for landscapes at base ISO the a350 is good enough at least in its IQ. Handling and fun - well up to you to decide if a different camera 'feels' better and more capable.

B. Step back in sensor (and effective megapixels) technology to get a "better camera)

if you only change the body and keep the lenses you have, you keep the crappy copy of the 18-70 and keep all those issues. No matter what you do in the camera department, that very lens has to go. Even if you decide to switch to Canon or Nikon, good lenses there don't come cheap as well. The latest crop of kit lenses (the typical 3.5 - 5.6/18-55) from all makers runs circles around your copy of the Sony 18-70.

C. Sell the A350 to someone else and use the money to go "forward" to a higher level camera.

See B. It is the lenses that take the picture.

D. Keep talking about all of this lol

No.

What to do lol

Well, just TRY something different: If there is a camera rental near you, rent a Canon or Nikon 'pro' gear kit for at least two days and put that through the paces?

if you get better results, you know what to do even if this means to start from scratch, if not, you know that you can stay with Sony and build up incrementally on what you have (add CZ16-80, a 50 prime lens, a flash, etc. etc.)

I will upload a photo in my gallery, it is a pano of boston at night, the resulting print is over 4 feet wide by 2 feet high, i am not sure using a 10Mp camera would allow that to happen any longer,

Imagine that pano shot with BETTER glass, less MP actually do not prevent great panos.

what to do lol

Take more pictures like this one:
http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/2035004754/photos/937422

and think how the details on the stairs would look like with less CAs in them....let me show you how my copy of the 18-70 spoiled a frame shot in the italian Alps with only 6MP (motor cycle tour, travelling light shot with the KM5D):



Here is a crop of the crap:



the same CA effects are in all your 18-70 shots, visible more or less. this crap is in your pano as well. Toss it (the lens, not the pano).

--
Ralf
http://RalfRalph.smugmug.com/

 

[Ralf B]

You got quite the snow storm there. Shooting something predominantly white, you need to compensate exposure into the + 1 up to +2 EV area, as every cam (not only your a350) exposes against an 18% grey standard - snow is brighter than that, black is darker. Shooting black objects means you need to dial in - EV's.

Google 18% grey card for more background info.

Given all these snow flakes, hard to tell a sharp shot from the other. The street scenes at night look sharp enough. Apparently nothing wrong with your gear in the focus department in static or slow moving scenes. sports are a different game (pun intended).
--
Ralf
http://RalfRalph.smugmug.com/

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

Ralf

I cant win on the focus tests, i thought the ones in manual were all CRISP

I agree the 18-70 lens is a POS, lol

oh btw these were both taken with NON DSLR and i LOVED the shots

Just wanted to share this with everyone

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

I always bump the EV on snow scenes, i was just trying to keep everything "equal" in the tests

I am familiar with "18% grey" its a very interesting concept, though not always helpful in the real world department

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

OK Everyone

wih all the great info i have received here (and i CANNOT thank everyone enough for the input) here are my three paths to take, but before i show these i want to share a quote i got from a LOCAL camera shop for my gear lol, as you can see its the same old "pawn shop syndrome" buy it cheap then charge for it double and reap profits from both the new customer, and the guy who sold it off.

I have kept the shop secret to avoid any issues,

" Thanks for the inquiry,

Here are the estimated values you requested.

Sony A350 $100.00

Sony 18-70 $50.00

Sony 55-200 $70.00

We assume that the merchandise is in good working order.

Digital cameras and video cameras should contain all original accessories including instruction manual and box.

Estimates are based on fair market resale values.

Please be advised that the figure(s) listed above are only an estimate.

A firm price can only be set after a complete examination of the equipment.

Estimates are valid for 30 days from sent quote.
"

Ok once that has been taken care of here is my final 3 paths to choose.

Path 1

buy new lens, sell old ones, keep camera body, this way if the camera does not improve with new lens i can upgrade the body and still stay with sony and not be out money on the new lenses.

Path 2

Sell everything for a decent price, re enter the camera game with either a setup from Nikon, Pentax, Or Canon. Get Advice here on what to pick for what i want to do.

Path 3

Sell everything and either "Step back" in sony technology, or look for a "lightly used" model of a nikon or canon, i was talking to someone today and he said " i dont know why we would ever need over 10.5 MP, it seems like such a waste. He was shooting with a Nikon D700 (VERY FAST RAPID FIRE SHOTS) and i am unsure of the MP of that model, but i would love to ahve one!

Ok so thats where im at, with exhausting care and patience with manual focus and only using my 55-200mm i would probably be ok keeping my setup, but htats not how we get better or learn from a bad choice,

FYI: just wanted to give everyone who owns A350's heads up, you might have had better experiences with your A350 and i am so glad, however mine has been "sub par" to NON DSLR cameras i have owned, something that SHOULD NOT have happened. Oh and also i realized today no matter what camera i see in the field, it is NEVER the kit lens, its always a tamron or aftermarket lens, no matter what brand, i see why now!

THanks again for all the help

Jay

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

WOW,

I just looked at the photos from today snowboard comp, and some of them are RAZOR sharp, (what i did today was with my 55-200mm lens i zoomed all the way in at a place where i thought the boarder would be, then i manually focused in that spot, then i zoomed back out, you can see in SOME of the photos that the auto focus was on and failed miserably, i know these are not as good as some images, but i was super impressed.

If i can find me a body and lens that can get me these images (without all the manual) id be set for life!

I know its overkill but i had to share, ill post the images later

 

[Kodakrevisited]

OK Everyone

FYI: just wanted to give everyone who owns A350's heads up, you might have had better experiences with your A350 and i am so glad, however mine has been "sub par" to NON DSLR cameras i have owned, something that SHOULD NOT have happened. Oh and also i realized today no matter what camera i see in the field, it is NEVER the kit lens, its always a tamron or aftermarket lens, no matter what brand, i see why now!>

Your experience is the same as mine was, if you were shooting with even a lowly A200 with the newer 18-55 kit lens, you would be much happier....trust me, I know what you are saying because I have been there. 10.2mp is actually plenty in most circumstances

Personally I really like Sony cameras and I would not switch....I did not however loike the A350 at all

Check out these ALL 18-55 kit lens...ALL A330 (10.2mp)....there is no way that your setup would have given me these, but every other Sony would
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35161694@N03/sets/72157622495084386/

 

[OldClicker]

Personally I really like Sony cameras and I would not switch....I did not however loike the A350 at all

I totally disagree on the A350. With an A350, A700 and A900; my go-to camera is still the A350. (I have never used the kit lens so ???)

A couple of shots that happen to be in my gallery.









TF

 

[CameraGuyBoyMan]

nice photos, unfortunately these images dont stand up against industry reviews and customers who have had issues (such as me) maybe a lens change is in order, tell us what type of lens you have on your A350 (i doubt these are from the kit lens!)

But they are great photos btw, love the bird image!