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Posts for: Low Budget Dave
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Aug 4, 2020 08:23:04   #
That sounds like a win/win to me. Not only do you get the benefit of your wife taking the pictures when on family vacations, but it frees you up when Sony releases the next version.

I can't really imagine what Sony will put in the next one, but judging from the new A7S series, my guess is a better touch-screen menu.
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Aug 4, 2020 08:16:40   #
Because of the current economic and political conditions, hundreds of new factories are being built in China right this moment. Some of these factories, (not all, but some) will produce low quality, unauthorized copies of consumer electronics that will eventually be sold at low prices through overseas retailers with no real return policies.

An important question to ask yourself is: Why is the price so low?

If the camera was in perfect condition, then there would be no need to lower the price.

Camera manufacturers have a very specific formula that they use to determine how many cameras can be sold at discount each year. The exact number is a secret, but it can't be many. Otherwise the "full price" retailers would complain, and they have the strongest voice in pricing decisions.

No. If you buy a camera for 33% off what it is selling for on Amazon (for example), then there will be something wrong with it. You might get lucky, and it will just be a used one sold as if it were new. But just as likely you might get one that was broken to start with, (or you might get a knock-off that was cobbled together with "overstock" parts, or you might get a earlier model of the camera that was put in a newer box, etc...).
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Jul 15, 2020 08:18:15   #
The A6000 and A6500 will be fairly similar for all the features commonly used, and the less-common features (I think) she will find that she will set them up differently anyway. Because Sony tends to bury some features in the menu system, people with two cameras tend to use one for tripod / landscape / macro, and the other for everything else.

They both have custom settings and memory settings, of course, so she can use each one as the back-up for the other, as long as she doesn't mind spending time setting them up.

The main differences are in the details, which she may not ever use anyway. The Sony A6000, for example, has the C1 button right next to the shutter, and by default, it changes the focus mode. I found that not particularly usable, but I never bothered to change it.

The A6500 has a C1 and a C2 button, but they are back next to the camera mode dial, which I find more convenient. The C1 changes White balance by default, and the C2 changes Focus mode. If you are used to the old way, you can switch them, but most people I know just train themselves that a button in a slightly different place will do a slightly different thing.

If she doesn't use the C1 button at all, then no harm done. If she does us it, then suggest that she set it to "focus Magnifier" to see if she like that better. Over the course of a few years, the A6000 and A6500 will both grow on you to the point where the menu system does not seem all that cumbersome.
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Jul 15, 2020 07:40:31   #
There are a lot of good answers here. It seems like you were asking if it is *worth the money* to get a certification. The general rule is: "Don't spend money on anything that doesn't make more money than you spent on it."

If the designation comes with a built-in way to help market yourself, then maybe yes. If it is just a sticker that you can add to marketing that you have to do on your own, then maybe just keep that money and call it "profit".

The same rule can be applied to almost everything about your business. If you are looking at new equipment, for example, will it make MORE money than the equipment cost, or LESS money than the equipment cost? (And even if it helps you make money, will you have made the money anyway?)

I met a photographer once who had some nice lighting gear. My guess is that he carried around about $2000 in studio strobes, reflectors and so on. His cameras, on the other hand, were older models that you could pick up for about $100.

His reasoning was simple: He only bought equipment that increased his net profit.
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May 20, 2020 10:00:19   #
I like the shapes in your photos. In this case, the photos do not need to tell any other story. If you posted these on the wall as decorations, they would be better than most.

I would be careful not to use too much color, though. Even ordinary rust can look too bright in the wrong light.
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Mar 6, 2020 08:19:34   #
I have an off-brand version of the Nicole, so I can't help you much. I think one feature that mine is missing that the Nicole has is the quick release. I don't miss it all that much, but occasionally a quick release would be nice.

I don't think the Breathe Sport offers a quick release either.
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Feb 21, 2020 09:21:07   #
Most of the people who reply say something to the effect of "save your money"

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/search-topic-list?q=arsenal&sectnum=1&username=
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Jan 31, 2020 10:11:04   #
I live near Disney, and I rarely shoot in the heat of the day. The light is harsh, (and not particularly flattering), and the humidity is not great for the camera.

We had a whole month last year where it was 94F (about 34C) most every day, and over 90% humidity. In the afternoon, though, the temperature falls into the 80's, the breeze picks up, and the sunlight starts to make my subjects look romantic instead of wrinkled.

I agree with the person who suggested that you take a nap at noon, and then plan your "golden hour"
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Jan 27, 2020 08:15:17   #
I think they used 35mm just because there were a lot of lenses already available. As to the aspect ratio, remember that the image that the lenses project is almost always round. So if you increase the height, you have to decrease the width, or the corners will be dark. Almost all the major camera manufacturers went with 3:2 (or 4:3) because that is what people were used to, and people kind of liked the look.

Remember that if someone had put a square sensor behind the same lens, then you would have gotten more "height" from the image circle, but you would have given up "width".
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Jan 21, 2020 08:22:15   #
Remember that if you take a bunch of pictures, and then go back and delete the ones you don't want, Sony "frees up" that photo number to be re-used.

So if you take pictures number 0001 through 0899 and then go back and delete 0008 in camera, the camera will name the next picture 0008.
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Jan 17, 2020 08:23:29   #
My experience with the Sony A6000 and Canon lenses was so bad that I would not recommend it. I don't want to insult any particular lenses or adapters, because it may have been my fault, but I found the combination to be slower, less reliable, slightly larger, only about as sharp as the inexpensive Sony 50mm 1.8. In addition, I lost the "better than nothing" image stabilization.

On the "Newer Generation" Sony cameras (like the A6600 or whatever), the adapters are supposed to work much faster, but on the A6000 it was annoying.
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Jan 13, 2020 08:39:05   #
The last three shots in particular are pretty dark. Since you have RAW files available, you should be able to bring the brightness up and add more impact to the colors. You don't need any fancy software for that, most every program will allow you to fiddle with the brightness and contrast until you get what you want.

If you want to do even more fine-tuning, there are a lot of inexpensive programs that let you dig into the color curve (and etc.)
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Jan 13, 2020 08:00:11   #
I tried a few phone cases, and was usually disappointed. The touch-screen usually gets hard to use (or stops working completely), and you end up having to use the volume buttons to take pictures.

I would go for the Olympus tough camera. You will be surprised how good the image quality is, and you will find the buttons easier to use than a phone.
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Jan 8, 2020 08:08:34   #
frankraney wrote:
I assume you are asking " what camera is good for TAKING portraits".

Basically any one. My grand daughter makes a living with a D3400. It is more the lens than the camera, and lighting.
The 85mm 1.8 would be a great lens for portraits.


This is what I was going to say. Portrait photography requires a good lens, good lighting, and good knowledge of posing. The camera that you use is not as important.
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Jan 2, 2020 15:35:21   #
In that price range, I usually recommend a Sony a6000 and the kit lens. Once they get comfortable, they can get a better lens, and each new lens will provide a new learning experience. It is one of the most popular cameras of all time for a good reason. The A6000 is a good combination of small, cheap, high quality, and widely used.
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