Alpha in the Studio?

[srblopes]

Is SOny a100 a good camera for use in studio since it doesn´t have a pc sync conector.

 

[alruiz]

I have used it with relative success.

I bought a standard hot shoe adapter on ebay to top it with my pocket wizard.

Then, sice the lighting stays constant I just need to meter for my first shot.

Studio: Two soft boxes or umbrellas metered f/8-f/11

Lens: Minolta 35-70 3.5~4.5 stepped down to f/8-11

Ale

 

[shaocaholica]

Yes it does:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1037&message=22578826

 

[shadowhawk70]

I am in the process of replacing my Nikon system with the Sony system and this was the one thing that really disappointed me!

FYI... I did call SonyStyle.com yesterday and they don't know anything about this yet nor do they have a solution for connecting to a studio. Also spoke with both Adorama and B&H and neither had a solution.

I just "read" that link. I don't understand the language but from what I can make out, it is a component that will be available in July 2007.... I guess we need to wait a few more months for it!

I just ordered something on ebay that looks like it should work (do a search for "Flash Hot Shoe Adapter f/ Minolta/Sony Alpha as FS-1100") but will likely need to switch over once the real connector is available just to be on the safe side.

 

[Nico VG]

The FS-1100 is a Sony/Minolta shoe to Hot-Shoe adapter!

The Sony FA -ST1 AM is a "Voltage Regulator ( Reducer )" like the Wein Hot shoe 5 volts reducer. It protects the electronic camera circuit for more then 5 Volts.

The Sony FA -ST1 AM has no Hot-Shoe on it. You can't mount a infra red or radio trigger on it!

There is connector on for a PC Cable.

--
http://www.pbase.com/anserum/benelux_minoltians_society

http://www.pbase.com/anserum

 

[Greg Morrison]

Alpha is no different than my 5D, which I use with monolights and shoe mount flashes off camera. FS-1100 adapter and cheap wireless triggers off of ebay and you're set. There is absolutely no impediment to using the A-100 in a studio situation. There are also hot shoe to pc sync adaptors that will work on top of the FS-1100 if you want to use a sync cord instead of wireless. There are also many cheap optical slaves sold on ebay that can be used to trigger additional flashes.

 

[Sheldon Koehler]

I own an older Novatron 4 head system for studio lights and Novatron has a fix to drop the PC cord voltage to a safe level for digital cameras (the newer ones are shipped this way). That said, I will buy the cheap $14.95 aftermarket unit on Ebay before paying Sony $180 for thiers! There do not seem to be too many PCT-100's available either.

The lack of a PC connector was one of my two complaints of the A100, the second being no vertical grip option.
--
'I take orders from no one except the photographers.'
– Harry S. Truman

 

[Dave Redmann]

I have handled this in two ways with my Maxxum 5D:

(1) attach an FS-1100 to the hot shoe and then an ISO hot shoe-to-PC adapter to that, and then just plug in the PC cord (only if you know that your strobe's voltage is low enough!); or

(2) use the built-in flash with -2 EV flash exposure compensation, or a shoe-mount flash firing away from the subject, to trigger an optical slave (a Wein Peanut will work if you use a shoe-mount flash that does not have pre-flash, but with the built-in flash, you need a 'digital' optical slave).

Note that reportedly SOME versions of the FS-1100 have a PC connector built in.

Last but not least, as others have stated, a radio-based system to mount on the hot shoe is probably better, but I'm a cheapskate.

 

[srblopes]

Thank you all for the info. I Just got my a100 today.