Wonderful presentation, both as to images and commentary. Very enjoyable and informative. Thank you.

I cannot give you a strict technical answer, but have 3 thoughts relating to your situation that I will share:

(1.) Why not put your camera in full automatic and attach your speedlite (ettl, I suppose) and fire away. The camera/light will probably deliver surprisingly good pictures. Practice beforehand with a subject, perhaps a large stuffed toy animal, and "chimp", or flash bracket to look for the best combination. Also, I do not know about the T6i, but todays, camera's have very sensitive ISO capabilities; try some shots without flash--you may not even need it. That way you would not have to worry too much about "overpowering" the ambient light and getting a totally dark Christmas tree. And while you are at it, you might check out the "Scene" modes on the T6i--possibly something like "night scenes" might offer some possibilities.

(2) On a variation of the foregoing theme, set up in your choice of aperture, shutter, or manual modes, use the lite in ettl mode, select the settings that you think will be close, and then chimp away. Bracketing can still be used as a form of chimping.

(3.) If you are really intent about this, you can tackle the manuals and literature, and probably solve the problem technically before time to shoot, but you may have other higher priorities right here in the holidays. As, mentioned by "CO", Peterson's 'Understanding Flash Photography" is, in my opinion, the best there is out there about flash photograpy with digital camera.

Good luck,

I agree. And in addition to getting better IQ on a shot to shot comparison of in-focus images, it is not unusual to find that the interchangeable telephoto lens will deliver an image, while the bridge camera will not even be able to deliver an in-focus shot, particularly if the lighting conditions are less than ideal or the subject is flanked by a dark/confusing/non-contrasty background, and that notwithstanding assiduous efforts to spot focus the bridge camera.

Hi, shughes,

I have the Sony @6000 and very much enjoy it. I think your question is about the best approach to becoming familiar with that camera for ease and proficiency of use. With your past film and digital experience, you clearly have knowledge of the principles involved in the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter, ISO), so you are far ahead of an absolute novice. For me, the biggest problem with the Sony was its menu system, which is not particularly intuitive. I think that I would largely disregard the Sony manual except for occasionally researching very specific questions that may arise. I have David Busch's Guide to the Sony a6000, which is much shorter and more readable than the Sony manual, but even that is probably not necessary. I think I would simply start shooting in the intelligent auto modes (A and/or A+) just to have some fun right off the bat, then move out to the "Scene" modes, or some of them as applicable, for a few shots, and then ease into shooting into any of the P, A, S, or M modes that interest you. Actual use of the camera is almost the only way to learn the menu system; do not expect to become a master in a mere few shooting sessions. In effect, use the camera, enjoy it, and let your knowledge and comfort zone expand while you have fun.

Best regards,

Avoid Abe's like the plague. Their high-end Canon cameras that they offer at lower prices than other retail businesses are grey market items. They remove the standard accessories (charger, cables, etc.) from the retail box (which most legit sellers will deliver sealed, complete, and unopened) and attempt to sell them and other "junk" accessories back to you at inflated prices. They are essentially a "bait and switch" operation. There are many previous unfavorable remarks about them in other UHH threads; I recommend that you do a brief search in UHH topics about them. I agree with "Pixelstan" that you should stick with B&H and Adorama vis-à-vis Abe's.

Also, you can probably save some money by buying used or refurbished. In addition to B&H and Adorama, you can buy used with confidence at KEH. And refurbished cameras from Canon Refurbished are considered by many to be better than new because they have been fully inspected and tested by Canon techs (more in depth than the standard quality control inspection for items coming off the assembly line) before being offered for sale through Canon Refurbished.

As of the date and time of this post, I see that Canon Refurbished is offering a 5D mark iv body for $2,599.00. Even if you have to pay state sales taxes on that amount--as would be the case for me here in Tennessee--it would still seem to be a good deal over Best Buy or a "new" purchase from Canon. And Canon Refurbished includes a full one year Canon manufacturer's warranty just like that on their new cameras.

Best regards,

Hi,

Last night I had my first experience with such problem. I have Lightroom Classic (non-cloud version) with an Android desktop running Windows 10. I was working in the Develop module attempting to export a jpeg version of a raw file that I had been working on. Suddenly the screen froze, and a dialog box from Adobe popped up advising that Lightroom had crashed, and requesting a "crash report" and permission to obtain data which might help to resolve the problem. I clicked on the box granting permission to "send" the "crash report". The dialog box went away, but nothing else happened. The screen remained frozen, I could not close it or maneuver away from it. Finally, by using the old "Control, Alt, Delete" maneuver, the Task Manager box came up, I was able to close Lightroom, and went on to other things for a while. Later, I launched Lightroom, it opened, and worked in the (apparently) normal manner.

I am perplexed and have no idea what to expect. It does make one wonder if we are not being surreptitiously herded toward the "Cloud" version with higher fees. If you or other UHH'ers obtain further information about this phenomenon, I would be interested to hear about it--along with any recommended precautions, fixes, or solutions.

I know that there are at least a few of you out there that have a Sony @6000 and use or experiment with adapting non-Sony lenses to this e-mount type camera. For whatever reason, practically all so-called "smart" adapters that undertake to provide electronic communication between the camera and the lens seem to be sort of hit-or-miss regarding the lenses that they will actually autofocus. As far as I can tell, that holds true even for the more expensive ones like the Metabones Mark IV and the Sigma MC-11. Recently, I obtained off eBay an older Viltrox EF--Nex II adapter and found, to my pleasant surprise, that it will enable my @6000 to autofocus with my Sigma 17-50 f/2.8, something that none of the three other "smart" adapters I have tried would do. Sigma pointedly omits that lens from its list of lenses compatible with its MC-11 adapter.

The Viltrox would even autofocus my Canon EF 85mm f/1.8, supposedly one of the most difficult Canon lenses for smart adapters to handle. To date, I have also found that it will autofocus Canon 50mm f/1.4 (of course--every adapter will autofocus that one), Canon 24-70 f/2.8 (original version), and Canon 70-200 f/4L. Indeed, there is always a delay, usually on the order of a couple of seconds, but autofocus was achieved with each lens, even in relatively low indoor light.

For all I know, this small success may be a freak of nature, and the adapter could fail to perform tomorrow or the next time it is mounted. But I was so delighted that I felt compelled to share this information in case anyone is interested. I suppose that, since this adapter seems to work with the @6000, presumably it would do so with other Sony e-mount mirrorless cameras.

My practice exactly, Jerry. This thread illustrates, I think, the universal application of the revered KISS rule!

I had the 100-400 MkI which I used on a 7d until they both were stolen over the Christmas-New Year holidays last. I then got a 7D Mark ii and the 100-400 Mk II lens which I have used since that time. I can only speak from my personal experience, but my personal opinions so closely parallel the foregoing remarks of 'robertjerl' that I see no need of further comment.

I bought a Pelican 1520 in which I keep my Canon 7Dii and accessories in my home. It has wheels and a handle and meets airline carry-on measurements. I like it, but it would be too small for all the gear which you mentioned. "Papa" mentioned the Pelican 1650 and I think it would be worth your while to look into that model. It can be had in various configurations respecting foam, internal padded dividers, etc., etc. Used models can be found on eBay, and replacement foam or dividers can be obtained if you are so inclined.

Best wishes,

What he said.

Others on this thread have, I think, answered your inquiry so I won't undertake to respond to your specific questions. However, within the past year I have also struggled with flash questions/issues and found Bryan Peterson's "Undestanding Flash Photography" to be the best material that I could find on the subject. I think it is well worth the money, even if one contemplates doing only occasional flash photography. More than any other source that I found, it helped me to overcome the "fear of flash".