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[Skel1ingt0n]

Need some camera advice from you guys. I've got the Olympus EM1 M2 with few good lenses (12,25,45,75mm). I'll state that this is my first proper camera so I don't have much knowledge about cameras.
I love the feel and size of the Olympus EM1 but I've been thinking with how expensive good lenses are, would be better for me to get another camera like perhaps one of the Sony full frame cameras.
I mostly shoot stills and would like some good video too but with how expensive the great olympus pro and panasonic M4/3 lenses are would it be smarter to buy a sony full frame and invest in that system instead.

Things I am looking for are, great quality stills, decent 4k video and small size.
The Sony A7 series cameras are great size wise but how are the lens sizes. I'd mostly want lesnes under 100mm.

First off - the EM1 M2 is an amazing camera - and an incredible starting point into the world of photography. That said, it's very "unique," and an odd choice for someone who doesn't know exactly what they want. M43 is more capable than a lot of hobbyists and prosumers give it credit for - and in the right hands, can very much be a professional rig. However, it's a strange beast in that it has VERY clear compromises - mainly a result of that relatively small sensor (weak bokeh, crazy crop factor, more noticeable lens weight), and yet costs $2K body-only. It has hyper fast sequential shooting... but where that would come most in handy, sports/birding, it doesn't really support amazing lenses for the genre or the AF to match. Works great for chasing kids if you do family portraits, though.

Knowing that - I guess I'm struggling to see what you feel like you're going to get out of going with, say, a Sony A7?

The OMD EM1 gives you what you're asking for:

- great quality stills
- decent 4k video
- small size

Sony lenses aren't necessarily a lot cheaper than what you're buying. And their glass isn't far an away superior, either. What allures you most about the A7? Full-frame?

 

[JadedWriter]

Need some camera advice from you guys. I've got the Olympus EM1 M2 with few good lenses (12,25,45,75mm). I'll state that this is my first proper camera so I don't have much knowledge about cameras.
I love the feel and size of the Olympus EM1 but I've been thinking with how expensive good lenses are, would be better for me to get another camera like perhaps one of the Sony full frame cameras.
I mostly shoot stills and would like some good video too but with how expensive the great olympus pro and panasonic M4/3 lenses are would it be smarter to buy a sony full frame and invest in that system instead.

Things I am looking for are, great quality stills, decent 4k video and small size.
The Sony A7 series cameras are great size wise but how are the lens sizes. I'd mostly want lesnes under 100mm.

If you don't like expensive lenses then don't touch Sony, since pretty much they're the most expensive ones. Pretty much you should probably stick with what you got and make it work for you since it sounds like you don't even know where to toss yourself specialty wise. EM-1 MkII is a great camera honestly and does already what you want. If anything your only other alternative in my opinion is to go Fuji.

 

[Radec]

Need some camera advice from you guys. I've got the Olympus EM1 M2 with few good lenses (12,25,45,75mm). I'll state that this is my first proper camera so I don't have much knowledge about cameras.
I love the feel and size of the Olympus EM1 but I've been thinking with how expensive good lenses are, would be better for me to get another camera like perhaps one of the Sony full frame cameras.
I mostly shoot stills and would like some good video too but with how expensive the great olympus pro and panasonic M4/3 lenses are would it be smarter to buy a sony full frame and invest in that system instead.

Things I am looking for are, great quality stills, decent 4k video and small size.
The Sony A7 series cameras are great size wise but how are the lens sizes. I'd mostly want lesnes under 100mm.

There are Sony FE Primes that are small and light like the 55mm and 28mm. But if you want those other Zeiss or GM lenses, those are huge.

FE's top lenses aren't cheap either btw.

 

[Ty4on]

Need some camera advice from you guys. I've got the Olympus EM1 M2 with few good lenses (12,25,45,75mm). I'll state that this is my first proper camera so I don't have much knowledge about cameras.
I love the feel and size of the Olympus EM1 but I've been thinking with how expensive good lenses are, would be better for me to get another camera like perhaps one of the Sony full frame cameras.
I mostly shoot stills and would like some good video too but with how expensive the great olympus pro and panasonic M4/3 lenses are would it be smarter to buy a sony full frame and invest in that system instead.

Things I am looking for are, great quality stills, decent 4k video and small size.
The Sony A7 series cameras are great size wise but how are the lens sizes. I'd mostly want lesnes under 100mm.

It's a tough question to answer.

On paper the Sony A7 cameras will have a lot better image quality. It's hard to find a lot of direct comparisons, but looking at Image Resource's the difference is pretty noticable. However that assumes you're already getting all you can from the Olympus and feel like you need less noise or sharper pictures. When I say image quality I just mean the techical stuff.

One big issue with the Sony A7 is the lens lineup. They have good lenses and some are good value, there are just a ton of holes. You have a 12mm, there's no 24mm prime for Sony, you have a 75mm, there are no primes longer than 90mm for Sony etc. It's down to personal preference. Zoom-wise they don't really have more than the 16-35 | 24-70 | 70-200 and the huge 24-240mm. The 28-70mm is good value, but still with a narrow zoom range.
Really tho, if you can find lenses that suit you for Sony and they're cheaper/better than M43 go for it. Just be prepared that ATM it's a lot more limited than M43.

Video wise you'd also need an A7r II for 4k, but that body is 3 grand. The A7 II doesn't have 4k video. The A7s II is also possible, but you'd give up the sharpness advantage from FF.

Edit: Completely forgot about Zeiss. They fill the wide end quite nicely tho at a premium. No bargains there like the FE 28mm, but you can't expect a lot of lenses like that in any system.

There are Sony FE Primes that are small and light like the 55mm and 28mm. But if you want those other Zeiss or GM lenses, those are huge.

FE's top lenses aren't cheap either btw.

FE 35mm f2.8
It got some poor reviews for vignetting and price, but it's pretty sharp (if you get a good one), really small and you can get it for 400-500 used.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

FE 35mm f2.8
It got some poor reviews for vignetting and price, but it's pretty sharp (if you get a good one), really small and you can get it for 400-500 used.

This is the one I use most often. I really like the photos I've taken with it and the size/weight cannot be beat.

The FE 28mm f2.0 by Sony is also a really good lens for the price. It's not huge or heavy, either, although it is definitely bulkier than the 35mm. It beats the 35mm in sharpness according to tests. The only real downside is that there is a lot of lens distortion in completely unprocessed images. I didn't find that to be an issue because it's not present in JPEGs and most fixed with Lightroom's lens profile even when editing in RAW.

 

[Lasthope106]

I just bought a Pentax-M 50mm 1.4 lens on ebay. Saw a few people on youtube raving about it. Can't wait to try it. This will be my first vintage lens, and the 3rd lens I've bought for my A6000.

I'm a complete noob to this photography business and I'm trying to learn as much as I can, but it's slow going. I've never used Lightroom software. All I've been doing so far is taking pictures with my gf, and uploading the best ones to my Instagram.

Anyone have tips for beginners on what to do next?


Edit: I was wondering if some kind GAFfers could help me out. I bought a Samyang 12mm lens last week. Had a fun time using it over the weekend. Fast forward to today and I'm inspecting the lens when I notice some weird looking dust inside the bac element. I had been reading about lens fungus so this has made worried that this is what the lens has.

If anyone here has a Samyang or Rokinon 12 mm and could check to see if your lens has this issue I would really appreciate it.

 

[openrob]

Hi guys, I don't know much about cameras, but basically I need a cheap 50 or 35mm lens for my D3100. I think I need an AS-F, and like a DX or something?

This is quite confusing for someone new to all this!

 

[JadedWriter]

Hi guys, I don't know much about cameras, but basically I need a cheap 50 or 35mm lens for my D3100. I think I need an AS-F, and like a DX or something?

This is quite confusing for someone new to all this!

Nikon makes a cheap 35mm 1.8 DX lens. People seem to like it a lot. There's no DX 50mm prime, just warning you now. The 35mm is usually less than $200.

 

[openrob]

Nikon makes a cheap 35mm 1.8 DX lens. People seem to like it a lot. There's no DX 50mm prime, just warning you now. The 35mm is usually less than $200.

Cool, ended up getting the 35mm!

I know, I was just replying to where you said there's no 50mm dx prime, pointing out that you can use the fx lens in case he didn't know.

Thanks for the advice. I was aware that the cropped frame makes the 50 narrower, so wanted to get the 35.
I've only had a limited time to play with the 35mm but it looks good

 

[opticalmace]

Nikon makes a cheap 35mm 1.8 DX lens. People seem to like it a lot. There's no DX 50mm prime, just warning you now. The 35mm is usually less than $200.

You can use the 50mm f/1.8G on DX though, and it's pretty cheap.

 

[JadedWriter]

You can use the 50mm f/1.8G on DX though, and it's pretty cheap.

It's not like I don't know this cause that was essentially my main lens on my D7100, but it isn't exactly 50mm on that thing. It's narrower.

 

[opticalmace]

It's not like I don't know this cause that was essentially my main lens on my D7100, but it isn't exactly 50mm on that thing. It's narrower.

I know, I was just replying to where you said there's no 50mm dx prime, pointing out that you can use the fx lens in case he didn't know.

 

[Radec]

So nikon just cancelled its DL cameras..

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

So nikon just cancelled its DL cameras..

Legit shock.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Need some camera advice from you guys. I've got the Olympus EM1 M2 with few good lenses (12,25,45,75mm). I'll state that this is my first proper camera so I don't have much knowledge about cameras.
I love the feel and size of the Olympus EM1 but I've been thinking with how expensive good lenses are, would be better for me to get another camera like perhaps one of the Sony full frame cameras.
I mostly shoot stills and would like some good video too but with how expensive the great olympus pro and panasonic M4/3 lenses are would it be smarter to buy a sony full frame and invest in that system instead.

Things I am looking for are, great quality stills, decent 4k video and small size.
The Sony A7 series cameras are great size wise but how are the lens sizes. I'd mostly want lesnes under 100mm.

You spent like 4k on your first proper camera and lenses...

43 is about quality vs size/weight compromise. Also insane video with the Panasonic bodies.

It's all about how comfortable you are lugging around a full frame set. There's websites where you can compare size and weight of different products... Use them.

 

[JadedWriter]

So nikon just cancelled its DL cameras..

Can't say I'm surprised by this. Hope this means they were working on a crop sensor mirrorless body and did this to not cut market share from it...yeah like that's fucking happening fucking embarrassing.

 

[Ty4on]

So nikon just cancelled its DL cameras..

Shame. The 18-50 looked quite interesting, but I guess the sales projections for the 24-85 weren't great. I loved the look of the two smaller models.

 

[RuGalz]

Edit: I was wondering if some kind GAFfers could help me out. I bought a Samyang 12mm lens last week. Had a fun time using it over the weekend. Fast forward to today and I'm inspecting the lens when I notice some weird looking dust inside the bac element. I had been reading about lens fungus so this has made worried that this is what the lens has.

If anyone here has a Samyang or Rokinon 12 mm and could check to see if your lens has this issue I would really appreciate it.

Hard to tell from the pic but it's probably dust/debri; get it exchanged if you can. Yes new lenses can have dust in it. Fungus don't look like that and shouldn't be an issue for a new lens.

 

[Art Teitlebaum]

I doubt it's fungus. Lens fungus looks more organic (sometimes like spiderwebs) like this:

 

[theepicoftyler]

I just bought a Pentax-M 50mm 1.4 lens on ebay. Saw a few people on youtube raving about it. Can't wait to try it. This will be my first vintage lens, and the 3rd lens I've bought for my A6000.

I'm a complete noob to this photography business and I'm trying to learn as much as I can, but it's slow going. I've never used Lightroom software. All I've been doing so far is taking pictures with my gf, and uploading the best ones to my Instagram.

Anyone have tips for beginners on what to do next?


Edit: I was wondering if some kind GAFfers could help me out. I bought a Samyang 12mm lens last week. Had a fun time using it over the weekend. Fast forward to today and I'm inspecting the lens when I notice some weird looking dust inside the bac element. I had been reading about lens fungus so this has made worried that this is what the lens has.

If anyone here has a Samyang or Rokinon 12 mm and could check to see if your lens has this issue I would really appreciate it.

I just took a look at mine and it doesn't have that going on. I have some dust on the rear element, but I think it's just from use and abuse by me. Might want to see if you can get it exchanged, but if it's not effecting image quality, it's probably fine.

Narrow the aperture and aim it the sky or something else very bright. You should be able to see any effects in the resulting images.

 

[Got]

Picked up a Fuji TX-2 today. Need a lens for it but I've dreamed of this panoramic camera for quite some time.

 

[VisceralBowl]

Picked up a Fuji TX-2 today. Need a lens for it but I've dreamed of this panoramic camera for quite some time.

Read that as X-T2 for a sec and thought wtf. I've always thought panoramic cameras were cool.

 

[Got]

Read that as X-T2 for a sec and thought wtf. I've always thought panoramic cameras were cool.

I have the X-T2 as well but yeah, panoramic's are great. I'd love a 617 but those prices are quite high.

 

[Sickboy007]

I'm loving my Panasonic G85/80, it's just so easy to use. Stabilized body, amazing video, great lenses, and I didn't have to spend a fortune.

 

[Lasthope106]

I have used my Samyang 12mm for E-Mount two times since I bought it. Today I was finally transferring the pictures to my computer and I noticed that all the pictures were really blurred. I immediately compared it to my other lenses and the difference in sharpness was quite significant.

Now I don't know much but I thought that if using a manual lens I could set the A6000 on the A mode, and it would take care of everything else for me. Is that not the case? Other people using this camera, what mode are you using?

I know just from theory that the longer the shutter speed, the more light that comes into the lens, so I performed an experiment at different shutter speeds. In the room I was in I tried 1, 2, 3, 5 seconds and the images got progressively more sharper with the longer the shutter stayed open.

From that I think the issue with the pictures I took was that the camera didn't use the correct shutter speed for the scene. What can I do to fix this? Just resort to adjusting the shutter speed myself, or is there something else I'm missing?

 

[Got]

I have used my Samyang 12mm for E-Mount two times since I bought it. Today I was finally transferring the pictures to my computer and I noticed that all the pictures were really blurred. I immediately compared it to my other lenses and the difference in sharpness was quite significant.

Now I don't know much but I thought that if using a manual lens I could set the A6000 on the A mode, and it would take care of everything else for me. Is that not the case? Other people using this camera, what mode are you using?

I know just from theory that the longer the shutter speed, the more light that comes into the lens, so I performed an experiment at different shutter speeds. In the room I was in I tried 1, 2, 3, 5 seconds and the images got progressively more sharper with the longer the shutter stayed open.

From that I think the issue with the pictures I took was that the camera didn't use the correct shutter speed for the scene. What can I do to fix this? Just resort to adjusting the shutter speed myself, or is there something else I'm missing?

There's a lot going on here. What aperture were your pictures at?

 

[Lasthope106]

There's a lot going on here. What aperture were your pictures at?

I read online that the lens is sharpest around F8 so that's where I had it. Set the camera to Aperture priority, and had it focused at infinity.

 

[Got]

I read online that the lens is sharpest around F8 so that's where I had it. Set the camera to Aperture priority, and had it focused at infinity.

f/8 is too small for inside that's why it's blurry is my guess. I'm guessing A mode on that camera is aperture priority, so the camera will meter for whatever the aperture is. when you are using aperture priority you need to pay attention to what the shutter speed is. the camera won't automatically take sharp pictures.

also iso plays into it.

you should probably do some reading up on the relationship between, aperture, iso, and shutter speed.

 

[StopMakingSense]

I have used my Samyang 12mm for E-Mount two times since I bought it. Today I was finally transferring the pictures to my computer and I noticed that all the pictures were really blurred. I immediately compared it to my other lenses and the difference in sharpness was quite significant.

Now I don't know much but I thought that if using a manual lens I could set the A6000 on the A mode, and it would take care of everything else for me. Is that not the case? Other people using this camera, what mode are you using?

I know just from theory that the longer the shutter speed, the more light that comes into the lens, so I performed an experiment at different shutter speeds. In the room I was in I tried 1, 2, 3, 5 seconds and the images got progressively more sharper with the longer the shutter stayed open.

From that I think the issue with the pictures I took was that the camera didn't use the correct shutter speed for the scene. What can I do to fix this? Just resort to adjusting the shutter speed myself, or is there something else I'm missing?

What is your camera support?

 

[Lasthope106]

f/8 is too small for inside that's why it's blurry is my guess. I'm guessing A mode on that camera is aperture priority, so the camera will meter for whatever the aperture is. when you are using aperture priority you need to pay attention to what the shutter speed is. the camera won't automatically take sharp pictures.

The pictures I transferred to my computer were all taken outside, at around 4 pm which is a lot of really good natural light in the area I'm from. You are correct, the A is aperture priority.

All the stuff I've been reading and the youtube videos I've seen don't mention that you have to adjust the shutter speed. I checked a lot of the pictures I took and they all had the speed at 1/60 which seems way too fast.

I was just trying to find out if this is the experience when using manual lenses.

What is your camera support?

What do you mean by support?

 

[Got]

The pictures I transferred to my computer were all taken outside, at around 4 pm which is a lot of really good natural light in the area I'm from. You are correct, the A is aperture priority.

All the stuff I've been reading and the youtube videos I've seen don't mention that you have to adjust the shutter speed. I checked a lot of the pictures I took and they all had the speed at 1/60 which seems way too fast.

I was just trying to find out if this is the experience when using manual lenses.



What do you mean by support?

1/60 is actually fairly slow. As far as adjusting shutter speed, your camera is choosing the shutter speed based on your iso and aperture as you have told it that you want to shoot at a certain aperture. the camera can only meter for the aperture speed so it's going to pick the shutter speed that matches and that's it. a faster shutter speed means less blur unless you are on a tripod but even then it can still produce blur. either you adjust the iso which will introduce grain/noise the higher it goes, or you adjust the aperture which will allow the camera to get a better shutter speed. as far as the experience when using manual lenses, that isn't really the issue per se. what you are experiencing, is the balance between iso, aperture and shutter speed.

 

[Radec]

The pictures I transferred to my computer were all taken outside, at around 4 pm which is a lot of really good natural light in the area I'm from. You are correct, the A is aperture priority.

All the stuff I've been reading and the youtube videos I've seen don't mention that you have to adjust the shutter speed. I checked a lot of the pictures I took and they all had the speed at 1/60 which seems way too fast.

I was just trying to find out if this is the experience when using manual lenses.



What do you mean by support?

You will still get blurred shots even at 1/60 if your hand is not steady enough.

I don't think lens sharpness is your problem though. Either you're too shaky, or it really is out of focus even at that focal length and aperture.

 

[StopMakingSense]

What do you mean by support?

Was this on a tripod? If so what kind.

 

[JadedWriter]

Anybody know how difficult it is to do time lapse on a D810?

I have used my Samyang 12mm for E-Mount two times since I bought it. Today I was finally transferring the pictures to my computer and I noticed that all the pictures were really blurred. I immediately compared it to my other lenses and the difference in sharpness was quite significant.

Now I don't know much but I thought that if using a manual lens I could set the A6000 on the A mode, and it would take care of everything else for me. Is that not the case? Other people using this camera, what mode are you using?

I know just from theory that the longer the shutter speed, the more light that comes into the lens, so I performed an experiment at different shutter speeds. In the room I was in I tried 1, 2, 3, 5 seconds and the images got progressively more sharper with the longer the shutter stayed open.

From that I think the issue with the pictures I took was that the camera didn't use the correct shutter speed for the scene. What can I do to fix this? Just resort to adjusting the shutter speed myself, or is there something else I'm missing?

Are you taking pictures of moving things at 1/60th of a second? If so the stuff is blurry cause it's moving and too slow for moving subjects. If they are not moving and you are hand held then 1/60th might be too slow to cancel out the shutter shake or just overall hand shake depending on how you are holding the camera. Also don't rely on aperture priority to do shit for you. I very rarely use that setting, at best that's a starter setting unless you're shooting fast moving sports or something, even still that's where shutter priority comes in.

 

[opticalmace]

Anybody know how difficult it is to do time lapse on a D810?

Dunno, but try this:
http://terrywhite.com/shooting-time-lapse-with-the-nikon-d810/

 

[JadedWriter]

Dunno, but try this:
http://terrywhite.com/shooting-time-lapse-with-the-nikon-d810/

Some of the examples looked slick as snot, cool.

 

[Lasthope106]

Was this on a tripod? If so what kind.

For the pictures I took I didn't use a tripod. :/



To everyone that responded. Thank you. I'm happy I can count on this community to learn all kinds of stuff.

From now on I will use manual and set my own shutter. I will also use a tripod when using the Samyang 12mm lens.

 

[Got]

For the pictures I took I didn't use a tripod. :/



To everyone that responded. Thank you. I'm happy I can count on this community to learn all kinds of stuff.

From now on I will use manual and set my own shutter. I will also use a tripod when using the Samyang 12mm lens.

just curious, but why, after what we said, would you limit yourself and your equipment and how you'll use it? that approach won't really address your issues entirely

 

[JadedWriter]

For the pictures I took I didn't use a tripod. :/



To everyone that responded. Thank you. I'm happy I can count on this community to learn all kinds of stuff.

From now on I will use manual and set my own shutter. I will also use a tripod when using the Samyang 12mm lens.

You only need the tripod at really long shutters. Pay attention to your shutter speeds and keep in mind, you're using a manual lens. Always a good chance your focus is off.

 

[Lasthope106]

just curious, but why, after what we said, would you limit yourself and your equipment and how you'll use it? that approach won't really address your issues entirely

I don't plan to limit myself. I want to understand how my camera and lens work. I will use the tripod because the pictures I want to take are mostly landscapes, night photography, architecture. Maybe there will be times where a tripod isn't available so I'll have to make do with my hands alone.

As for using manual. So far it provides more flexibility than letting the camera pick the shutter speed for me. I don't see how that is limiting. On the contrary, letting the camera pick everything but the aperture and focus, and not taking pictures that I liked was limiting.

You only need the tripod at really long shutters. Pay attention to your shutter speeds and keep in mind, you're using a manual lens. Always a good chance your focus is off.

I keep seeing stuff about the focus being off, but I don't really see how I could mess that up. If I'm taking photos of a landscape I should be focusing at infinity right? Which is done by focusing on a very far object and focusing on that. Isn't that how that is done?

 

[Got]

I don't plan to limit myself. I want to understand how my camera and lens work. I will use the tripod because the pictures I want to take are mostly landscapes, night photography, architecture. Maybe they'll be times where a tripod isn't available so I'll have to make do with my hands alone.

As for using manual. So far it provides more flexibility than letting the camera pick the shutter speed for me. I don't see how that is limiting. On the contrary, letting the camera pick everything but the aperture and focus, and not taking pictures that I liked was limiting.



I keep seeing stuff about the focus being off, but I don't really see how I could mess that up. If I'm taking photos of a landscape I should be focusing at infinity right? Which is done by focusing on a very far object and focusing on that. Isn't that how that is done?

I think the biggest issue your facing is your lack of knowledge in general. I'm sure I'll come across as an asshole, but really you should be looking at learning the basics. It seems like you jumped in feet first with this and aren't really that knowledgeable. You should get the book Understanding Exposure that's in the first post of this thread.

You actually are limiting yourself by going fully manual. Especially because at fully manual you have to understand the relationship between the various things that go into a properly exposed photo. A camera has multiple features like Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, and full Auto. Each one has a various function and addresses various situations you may encounter so knowing what function suits a situation expands your abilities and removes the limits you place on yourself by going fully manual before you even know how to use your equipment.

For example. When you are indoors, you may want to set the camera to Aperture Priority and put the lens at a low f-stop. You'll need those low f-stops in most interior shots as lighting is limited even if it seems very bright to your eye. Having the camera at Aperture priority means you can set the f-stop low and the camera will give the best shutter speed. ISO also helps as you can crank up the ISO inside at the risk of losing fine detail and introducing more gain but you get a proper exposure.

So, yes, if you say you are only going to shoot manual (nothing wrong with that if you understand the basics) and use no other functions on your camera, you are in fact limiting yourself and your equipment.

I mean your response to stuff being out of focus, is that infinity will fix it but that just isn't true which shows you don't quite understand that either. Put together with your other posts like 1/60 seems fast etc, leads me to believe your extremely limited knowledge is hampering your abilities to get the photos you want.

Also, you should post one of the photos you took that you're not happy with and include the metadata. We may be able to evaluate from there and help you a bit more.

 

[opticalmace]

Just picked up a new Sony A6000 camera with kit lens on a good discount (about $650 CAD). I love it!

 

[Killer Queen]

question: What kind of equipment/editing/settings do people use to take pictures of like, stars and the moon and stuff?

 

[JadedWriter]

I don't plan to limit myself. I want to understand how my camera and lens work. I will use the tripod because the pictures I want to take are mostly landscapes, night photography, architecture. Maybe there will be times where a tripod isn't available so I'll have to make do with my hands alone.

As for using manual. So far it provides more flexibility than letting the camera pick the shutter speed for me. I don't see how that is limiting. On the contrary, letting the camera pick everything but the aperture and focus, and not taking pictures that I liked was limiting.



I keep seeing stuff about the focus being off, but I don't really see how I could mess that up. If I'm taking photos of a landscape I should be focusing at infinity right? Which is done by focusing on a very far object and focusing on that. Isn't that how that is done?

I know nothing about landscapes. I usually pick a single focal point and shoot around that. For example some rocks, a street light, sign post, anything, Just not the open nothingness so I'm not an expert on that one.

 

[Lasthope106]

I think the biggest issue your facing is your lack of knowledge in general. I'm sure I'll come across as an asshole, but really you should be looking at learning the basics. It seems like you jumped in feet first with this and aren't really that knowledgeable. You should get the book Understanding Exposure that's in the first post of this thread.

You actually are limiting yourself by going fully manual. Especially because at fully manual you have to understand the relationship between the various things that go into a properly exposed photo. A camera has multiple features like Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, and full Auto. Each one has a various function and addresses various situations you may encounter so knowing what function suits a situation expands your abilities and removes the limits you place on yourself by going fully manual before you even know how to use your equipment.

For example. When you are indoors, you may want to set the camera to Aperture Priority and put the lens at a low f-stop. You'll need those low f-stops in most interior shots as lighting is limited even if it seems very bright to your eye. Having the camera at Aperture priority means you can set the f-stop low and the camera will give the best shutter speed. ISO also helps as you can crank up the ISO inside at the risk of losing fine detail and introducing more gain but you get a proper exposure.

So, yes, if you say you are only going to shoot manual (nothing wrong with that if you understand the basics) and use no other functions on your camera, you are in fact limiting yourself and your equipment.

I mean your response to stuff being out of focus, is that infinity will fix it but that just isn't true which shows you don't quite understand that either. Put together with your other posts like 1/60 seems fast etc, leads me to believe your extremely limited knowledge is hampering your abilities to get the photos you want.

Also, you should post one of the photos you took that you're not happy with and include the metadata. We may be able to evaluate from there and help you a bit more.

Thanks for your responses, but I think you are assuming that I'm more lost than I really am. My reasons for my posts was 1 lens out of several I have, not showing the sharpness I expected. So I was trying to understand if I had a bad lens or if that was the common experience of using that particular lens.

I will look into the book, which I honestly didn't see when I read the OP. I think it might have been because the link is broken.

You are right. I am limited by my knowledge hence why I am staying past 2 am posting on here to try to figure out how stuff works. I could just be content and never worry about wanting a better image.

As for posting images, I will do that in the future when I have pictures that I think are good. So far all the ones I've taken aren't that interesting

 

[Got]

why do I even bother? good luck.

 

[Lasthope106]

Just picked up a new Sony A6000 camera with kit lens on a good discount (about $650 CAD). I love it!

Now you need some more lenses

 

[opticalmace]

Now you need some more lenses

Ha, I'm already eyeing up the 30mm Sigma f/1.4 (or maybe the Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS).

I have several A-mount lenses but I don't think I'm going to bother getting an adapter. I like how compact this camera is, so so much.

 

[jongkookie]

why do I even bother? good luck.

Lmao, you're absolutely right though so I'm seconding this asshole lolol.

Infinity focus doesn't mean shit unless it's above f/11. Hell even at f/16 or f/22 some subjects can still be out of focus.

If you really want us to help you figure it out then post the pictures with full metadata(I recommend Flickr). Otherwise your posts are sorta meaningless coz we can't really see what's going on.

 

[Lasthope106]

Ha, I'm already eyeing up the 30mm Sigma f/1.4 (or maybe the Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS).

I have several A-mount lenses but I don't think I'm going to bother getting an adapter. I like how compact this camera is, so so much.

I just made that decision this week. I went with the Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS. I have the 50mm but it's a pain to shoot indoors.

I also got a Pentax-M f1.4 that I got on ebay with an adapter. That's the lens I've been using the most lately. I paid $80 for that one and would highly recommend it if you want to play around with vintage lenses.