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34 votes

How many pictures can you take with a Sony mirrorless camera before the sensor fails?

Unlike a mirrored camera, there is little likelihood of the sensing system in a mirrorless camera suffering a catastrophic failure so it is really up to your "taste" to determine when a sensor is too ...
PhotoScientist's user avatar
18 votes

How should I approach deer to photograph them?

The only ethical ways to get closer is to either use a lens with a longer focal length ("more reach"), or to view them in captivity, such as in a zoo. Trying to get closer to wildlife will only ...
scottbb's user avatar
  • 32.3k
15 votes
Accepted

How sharp are RAW photos before processing?

Are RAW images by nature slightly blurry prior to processing? If I open them up in Lightroom and zoom into the photo, my photos are not tack sharp but a bit blurry. Once I process, it comes out ...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 143k
14 votes
Accepted

What's causing this blow-out of neon lights? (SL2 vs a7c)

Tl;dr: The Sony exposed less, reducing bloom. The Sony's lens plays in a different league. A larger sensor helps. The first thing to note is that the exposures are not equivalent. The reason the ...
Peter - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
11 votes
Accepted

What exactly does DRO do, and how does it work?

DRO stands for Dynamic Range Optimization. It is designed to fit more dynamic range into images. A single exposure is still taken so you are always limited to the sensor's latitude. However, from what ...
Itai's user avatar
  • 103k
10 votes
Accepted

What are STF lenses?

STF stands for "Smooth Transition Focus", and is a Sony-specific* term indicating that the lens includes an apodization filter to create smooth bokeh (out-of-focus blur) — and smooth bokeh is ...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 143k
9 votes

How should I approach deer to photograph them?

Short version : you need more shutter speed. Crank up ISO, use widest aperture and trade both for shutter speed. they still either naturally wander off or hop and run away whenever I get within ...
StephenG - Help Ukraine's user avatar
9 votes

Is there any compact full-frame mirrorless camera?

I don't think you'll find what you're looking for, because: bigger things are bigger than small things. Full-frame cameras are bigger than APS-C cameras Medium format cameras are bigger than full-...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 143k
8 votes

First time - Night Club Photography - what gear do I need?

You're asking for a "quick tip" or two on how to shoot one of the most challenging assignments a photographer can draw. Photography is the recording of light. The less light there is to record, the ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
8 votes
Accepted

Sigma's for Sony can be calibrated with Sigma Docker. What about Sony lenses?

The Sigma dock only works with select Sigma lenses. The lens needs to have the needed firmware to respond to the commands sent by the dock. Even Sigma lenses that are not part of their 'Global Vision' ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
7 votes
Accepted

Can I adapt/use a crop lens on an full frame body without vignetting?

It's not an "effect". It's an actual vignette, because the lens's image circle is too small to cover the larger sensor. No adapter in the world will fix this and still maintain the same light ...
inkista's user avatar
  • 51.4k
6 votes

What can I do when I accidentally powered a Sony A7s II with 20v instead of 9v?

I think you really know the answer here in your heart. You broke it. Pretty much the only place that can fix it is the vendor — Sony. The electronics are fried. Someone needs to figure out what ...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 143k
6 votes
Accepted

Can I convert a regular digital camera so the R-G-B channels actually represent different infrared bands?

Not really. If you want to take a hack at it, the first thing you'll need is the transmittance curves of your (presumably Bayer) color filter. Then,if you're lucky, there's an NIR wavelength at ...
Carl Witthoft's user avatar
6 votes

How can I automatically convert Sony RAW (ARW) to JPEGs as good as the camera creates itself?

Have you tried using Sony's "Imaging Edge" software? Most manufacturers' raw developing software opens raw images with the in-camera settings at the time the image was captured applied by default. ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
6 votes
Accepted

Did sensors improve in the last 10 years?

Did sensors improve in the last 10 years? The best sensors available now are better than the best sensors that were available ten years ago. The sensors in most consumer grade¹ interchangeable lens ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
6 votes

How can I preview exposure and autofocus with flash in a low light studio?

You simply cannot preview the exposure of light that does not exist at that moment. You had modeling lights on, which is about the best you can do. You do not have to use such a dimly lit studio ...
Steven Kersting's user avatar
6 votes

Which is a good lens to add to a beginners collection?

Lenses are a very personal decision. Only the new photographer can truly answer which lens they would rather have at this point in time. Why not give them a gift card to B&H or Adorama, and let ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
5 votes

Which will produce a shallower depth of field: 50mm f/1.7 or 70-210mm f/4?

Depth of field calculation depends on multiple factors: captor size focal length aperture and last but not least: subject distance Using a Depth of field simulator (http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs....
Olivier's user avatar
  • 4,163
5 votes
Accepted

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each shutter mode of my Sony α7R II?

The silent mode (only electronic shutter) is as it stated, silent. It makes no noise. The drawback of this mode is that the A7R II (and almost all other cameras) do not have what is called global ...
Hampus Nilsson's user avatar
5 votes

How many pictures can you take with a Sony mirrorless camera before the sensor fails?

The sensor on a digital camera is a solid-state device, and while theoretically degradation is possible, in practice, they last basically forever. Don't worry about it. On the other hand, the ...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 143k
5 votes
Accepted

Why does A7R II overheat? Is it solved?

All information below is general in nature and may or may not be specifically applicable the the Sony α7R II. Why does α7R II overheat? Any electronic device overheats because it generates heat ...
Michael C's user avatar
  • 175k
5 votes

Switching gear from Canon to Sony

Don't. All those youtubers you've been watching are either directly or indirectly sponsored by Sony. Don't buy into the hype. If you were to buy a new system, you could just go Sony. But switching "...
hjf's user avatar
  • 335
5 votes
Accepted

Sony NP-FH40 not charging well

The answer is probably very simple: The battery is dead. Lithium-Ion batteries lose some charge when they are stored. The self-discharge rate typically stated by manufacturers is around 1.5–2% per ...
Kai Mattern's user avatar
  • 4,099
5 votes

What does the T* written in orange refer to?

T* refers to Zeiss T* anti-reflective coatings applied to the Electronic View Finders on Sony Cameras. I believe it first appeared on the Sony A7R II in 2015. NEW SONY ALPHA A7R II The EVF gets an ...
Mike Sowsun's user avatar
  • 12.2k
5 votes
Accepted

Why do my photos have such poor quality?

I think the issue is explained by the first four lines of the EXIF information: Exposure Time 1/2000 F Number 5.60 Exposure Program Program AE ISO 3,200 Sensitivity Type For this particular photo ...
Saaru Lindestøkke's user avatar
5 votes

Which is a good lens to add to a beginners collection?

Easy: A fast prime A 210mm focal length won't enable a shot that the 135mm can't get with cropping. It's also 50% redundant coverage with the kit lens. Basically, it only bonuses a dim 135-210mm zoom ...
dandavis's user avatar
  • 412
5 votes

Why is my Godox V860 III-S showing a weird WL/circle symbol?

It means you need to turn WL off on your camera to use the V860 III-S as an on-camera transmitter unit. The WL setting is for Sony's own proprietary "smart" optical/radio system signalling. ...
inkista's user avatar
  • 51.4k
4 votes

Do I need an adapter to mount a Maxxum 75+300mm to a Sony Alpha 3000?

The Sony A3000 utilizes the Sony E-mount. Looks like the Minolta lens uses the older Minolta / Sony alpha mount. It's slightly confusing because the body is called a "Sony Alpha" but the mount isn't ...
lidocaineus's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

How to use Focus Magnification on Sony A7 with adapted lenses?

Alright, guess I was mistaken because Focus Peaking works by default but the Focus Magnification doesn't work with adapters. However, I found online a workaround and just set it up to test - worked ...
RyanFromGDSE's user avatar
  • 2,447
4 votes

Is it possible to switch the Sony bayonet mount on a Tamron lens to Nikon?

Highly unlikely. It's technically possible to convert a lens to work with another brand body, but it involves a lot more than "just" changing out the bayonet flange. The internal electronics of the ...
jwenting's user avatar
  • 4,949

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