Calling all Sony Alpha users! (Part 3)

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MagicMynx said:
is it just me or do sony alphas really not cope with high iso very well?
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hi nattelie

sony cameras perform pretty much on par with their competitors offerings in a like for like sense..ie: A300 <------> 500d etc....

unfortunately,the A350 performs less well than the A300,A200..at the higher ISO's because of the 14.2mp on the cropped sensor,which adds more noise as opposed to the 10.2mp of the A300 and A200.i would like to add that i found shots taken at ISO800 were useable,and at ISO1600,generally had to be run through noiseware.
 
MagicMynx said:
ahh ok Thanks Mark. That explains alot. So...realistically, if I was going to shoot a gig without flash and needed a higher ISO, it would be advisable to buy/borrow/somehow aquire an A200 for it?
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to be honest,the difference between the A200 and the A350 is negligable i would imagine.i don't know what lens you have,but something like a 50mm F/1.7[F/1.4 even better] would be an advantage for shooting gigs in low light,enabling you to achieve decent shutter speeds using lower ISO's,and a worthwhile investment if you intend shooting a lot of low light stuff (y)
 
stan the man said:
unfortunately,the A350 performs less well than the A300,A200..at the higher ISO's because of the 14.2mp on the cropped sensor,which adds more noise as opposed to the 10.2mp of the A300 and A200.
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I have an A300 and A350 which I've compared with identical settings and lenses, and personally I couldn't see any noticeable difference when viewed at 100%.
In fact if I resize the A350 images to an equivalent of 10mp, it seems a wee bit better (still very hard to notice much difference though).

I try to use ISO 100 as much as humanly possible to avoid noise. 200 and 400 are usually fine if I don't need absolute quality.

Saying all that... I have had completely noise-free shots at ISO 800 when I used a very fast shutter speed. A particular image I'm thinking of hasn't got a hint of grain and it was ISO 800 and 1/800s in very good light.
 
MagicMynx said:
TBH once I go over about 600/800 there's no point taking the image, they come out awful.
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shooting RAW or JPEG & how processing?

The A350 uses a CCD sensor which is excellent for lower ISOs but CCDs will never be able to do the high ISOs as well as a CMOS.
On the other hand you'll also find that many people prefer the look of a CCD sensor image at low ISO to that from a CMOS (e.g. compare the same shot from an A350 v an A700 [CMOS]).
 
shooting both RAW & JPEG

the reason I'm asking in all fairness is cause I have a "feeling" I'm gonna be talked into taking some wedding pics this summer (don't really want to but if I'm asked, unless I wanna start WW3 I'll kinda have to). The venue isn't the greatest either and if I'm honest it plays havoc with my visual disturbances making me spasm so that should be fun....not!

I took a couple of pics the other day in town as the sun was going down, of some buskers, just used the kit lens, no flash and a highish ISO (1600 I think) and they're awful! Not too bad B/W but in colour hideous!
 
If your kit lens is something like the 18-70 it's not very fast and is part of the problem. You might try a 50mm prime, the Minolta f/1.7 version has fallen in s/h price to around £80-90 recently after Sony launched the f/1.8.

Other thing to consider is alternative raw processing software, DxO v6 has been talked positively of for high ISO processing (haven't tried it myself as yet).
 
MagicMynx said:
ahh ok, will try some higher ISO with different glass.
I like my 50mm prime but TBH I need a zoom if I do end up doing it, cause I can't really move around much, well not discreetly and making aload of noise :LOL:
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your prime lens[50mm 1.7-1.8?]is going to be your best bet at getting decent shutter speeds per ISO because of it's wide aperture[provided you don't stop down].although zoom lens offer more flexibility,they are not as wide an aperture[or as fast]as prime lens,so you will need to crank up the ISO to compensate.
 
onomatopoeia said:
Other thing to consider is alternative raw processing software, DxO v6 has been talked positively of for high ISO processing (haven't tried it myself as yet).
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I bought DXO a few weeks ago, I wouldn't normally spend that kind of money on a software package when there are free ones available but the results it produces are extremely good so i feel it was worth it.

DXO Processed RAW files are way better than the JPEGS direct from the camera, the chief benefits being lack of noise and the way it 'auto optimises' colour/ saturation etc. I'm one of those people who doesn't like spending time adjusting settings, I want the program to do everything for me as far as possible.
 
TurnipFarmer said:
guys

just wondering if anybody can suggest a decent wide angle lens for architecture shots?

At the moment I have the beercan 70 - 210mm f4 lens and 50mm 1.7 prime oh and the the kit lens.

Also are filters worth getting for my camera? If so which?
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the general concensus is either the sigma 10-20,tamron or sony 11-18 will do the job.i have the sony 11-18 DT,and i'm more than happy with it.

it depends why you would want the filters,as they all perform differently.
 
Deasy said:
I bought DXO a few weeks ago, I wouldn't normally spend that kind of money on a software package when there are free ones available but the results it produces are extremely good so i feel it was worth it.
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That's good to hear - just moved it up my "to buy" list quite a bit.
 
TurnipFarmer said:
guys

just wondering if anybody can suggest a decent wide angle lens for architecture shots?

At the moment I have the beercan 70 - 210mm f4 lens and 50mm 1.7 prime oh and the the kit lens.

Also are filters worth getting for my camera? If so which?
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Sig 10-20 (non-HSM) I have experience of and is very good. Others like the Tamron / Sony 11-18.

I tend to leave UV filters on my lenses if they are regularly used outside, I tend to be standing as close as I can to fast moving vehicles so I'd rather any flying stones impact a £10s filter than a £100s lens.
 
I have heard some good things of this little lens and was considering replacing my sony kit lens with it. Has anyone got one of these, in particular on a sony, and what is your opinion. Most retail and internet outlets offer it out at around £240 - £250 and if I save really really hard, could maybe just afford it in next couple of months.

Thank you in advance (y)
 
afaik it's supposed to be pretty good.
You might have to be fast though as I believe that it's discontinued in favour of the dearer OS version & there may not be an awful lot of stock in MAF/Sony mount left in the UK.
 
Some snaps from my recent New Zealand trip, Sony A900:



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all of my sony gear might be up for grabs after seeing the results a nikon D700 gives :love:.got a trade in price from LCE for £3,200(they saw the condition of the kit i had with me,and the rest is the same)but would rather sell privately,as i should hopefully get nearer £4,000........so,who wants some sony gear..:D

p.s great set of shots andy :clap:
 
heidfirst said:
seen what an A850/A900 gives?
A850 £1500@ Amazon
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had a play with one this morning in jessops oxford street,london...liked the feel of it.only i believe is that i won't get the same results shooting high ISO's as a D700 would give,plus i don't realy have any spare cash[perhaps a few hundred quid] so i'd have to sell my existing kit just to get a D700 plus a 24-70 nikkor plus 1 other lens.i'm not sure as yet wether this will happen,or when.

i need to think about a few things before making a final decision....
 
stan the man said:
so i'd have to sell my existing kit just to get a D700 plus a 24-70 nikkor plus 1 other lens.i'm not sure as yet wether this will happen,or when.

I need to think about a few things before making a final decision....
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you've got 3 very good FF lenses +TC in MAF/Alpha & even your crop lenses are usable on an A850/A900. Plus your flash etc.
If you down res the 24Mp Sony file to equal the D700's I don't think that there is a big difference at high ISO?

Mind you I believe that Nikon are just about to announce something new very shortly.
 
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