Sony A6000

[Turtles06]

Totally normal for a Sony camera to produce and save 2 images.

 

Thanks! Clearly, I had a senior moment! :)

[shootr]

Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 on Amazon Lightning Deal at 5:00 AM PST tomorrow, Monday August 3.

 

 

Just sayin'

 

 

Dave

 

Hmmmmm. evil you are...

 

Do they release the price or only at sale time? Our prime is under the missus' account so I don't see the emails - how convenient!!!:D

 

I've been watching an auction on eBay for a NEX3 with the Rokinon 12mm - it was at 250.00 but in the past few hours jumped up to where I'm sure it will be more than the Amazon sale tomorrow. Good timing Dave.

Edited August 2, 2015 by shootr

[shootr]

IT'S NOT A PURSE! (It's an expedition pack)

 

Going to try this for carrying the kit:

 

When I want the camera handy I'll use the Peak clip

 

With the long at the bottom, the smaller on top of it, the camera with a lens rests on top just perfectly

 

 

The compartment has a rain cover to keep out the weather just in case.

 

Lots of pockets for filters, wipes, mini tripod, etc.

Edited August 3, 2015 by shootr

[Turtles06]

Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 on Amazon Lightning Deal at 5:00 AM PST tomorrow, Monday August 3.

 

 

Just sayin'

 

 

Dave

 

Just bought it; $269.99! Will have it on Wednesday! :)

 

Thanks again, Dave, I truly appreciate your alerting us!!!

[shootr]

Well crap...

[Turtles06]

Well crap...

 

That's terrible, shootr. Sorry! :( This was my first time buying a "lightning deal." I guess they really do limit how many they sell.

[shootr]

Did it go live early or was it really sold out in 2 minutes? When we're you able to lock it in?

[pierces]

Did it go live early or was it really sold out in 2 minutes? When we're you able to lock it in?

 

I think the deals are limited to stock on hand. During their super-duper sale day, I was shut out of eight deals that I tried to get and with most of them I clicked seconds after the start time.

 

The bright side...? Even at $319, it's a bargain for what you get.

 

Dave

[Turtles06]

Did it go live early or was it really sold out in 2 minutes? When we're you able to lock it in?

 

It did not go live early. I logged onto their web site about 10 minutes in advance, and they had a clock counting down the minutes and seconds under this deal. When it hit 00:00, the deal came up and I immediately clicked on it, so exactly at 8 AM EDT/5 AM PDT. (I did try clicking earlier, just to see, and it was showing the non-sale price.)

[shootr]

Oh well, just Karma telling me to be happy with what I have already - which I am!

 

...and was told this just last weekend:

 

 

 

I'm glad you scored though!

 

EDIT - Almost forgot! My extension tube set should be here this week, so I got that little package of joy to look forward too.

Edited August 3, 2015 by shootr

[m*u*g*]

Not sure why you think Canon is the only brand that lets you charge the battery outside the camera. They pretty much all do. The batteries for all of my Nikons can be charged outside the camera, same for the batteries for my Panasonic Lumix. The issue is not whether you can charge the battery outside the camera, it's whether an external charger is supplied by the mfr when you buy the camera. In the case of the Sony a6000, it's not.

 

Sony supplies a USB cable for in-camera charging of the battery by connecting it to a computer or, better yet, to a wall outlet via the also-supplied A/C connector. BUT you can also BUY an external charger that will allow you to charge the battery outside the camera (like you,my preferred method).

 

So when I bought my a6000, I also bought this Watson external charger:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/837444-REG/watson_c_4228_compact_ac_dc_charger_for.html

 

When I'm not shooting and don't need the camera, the in-camera charging cable provides a means for me to charge two batteries at once (one in-camera and the other externally). So yes, you don't need a computer to charge the a6000 batteries (even if you don't buy an external charger).

 

My objection here is that more and more mfrs are not supplying external chargers with their cameras, requiring the purchase of yet another "accessory."

 

 

I got this charger for my Nikon D7000/D800 batteries. The cool thing is there are interchangeable plates for most battery types (I use the gopro, A6000, Nikon J3 plates). So if you have multiple battery types, this comes in handle. It's a bit bulky for travel but worth it in my opinion, Plus it has a display to show percentage of charge for each battery.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/837349-REG/watson_d_4228_duo_lcd_charger_with.html

Edited August 3, 2015 by m*u*g*

[shootr]

I like them. I have a Digital Survival KIT that includes Sensor Swabs and a small bottle of Eclipse solution for times when I get a bit of "clingy" crud on the sensor. It comes in a nice little pack and travels well. A bit more care involved in using it than the Arctic Butterfly brush, but they work very well. Note that the swabs come in different sizes for full-frame and APS-C.

 

For general dust removal, the Arctic Butterfly is hard to beat.

 

Dave

 

Got the kit, watched some video's, held my breath - and all is right with the world now. Nary a spec in any image from fully closed to fully open aperture's!

 

What are the packaged wipes and the packaged cloth's for? I imagine lens glass but there were no instructions with the kit so they were not touched yet.

[pierces]

What are the packaged wipes and the packaged cloth's for? I imagine lens glass but there were no instructions with the kit so they were not touched yet.

 

The e-wipes and the pec pads can be used for lintless, heavy duty lens cleaning and the pec pads can be wrapped around a used wand to clean the sensor (old school since they pre-date the wands). Personally, the type 2 wands are relatively cheap enough that I have never tried the wrap-and-pray method.

 

When you run out of pec pads for the lenses, get a box of these Zeiss Wipes. The work on all optics and are also perfect for removing the film from eyeglasses and sunglasses.

 

Dave

[pierces]

IT'S NOT A PURSE! (It's an expedition pack)

 

 

Is your new "purse" from Maxpedition? If so, which model. I looked at them before I got my PacSafe but couldn't decide if things would fit. Looks like it works pretty well!

 

Dave

[shootr]

Is your new "purse" from Maxpedition? If so, which model. I looked at them before I got my PacSafe but couldn't decide if things would fit. Looks like it works pretty well!

 

Dave

 

It's been a running joke between me and the missus since I got it about 6-7 years ago. I can't find a model tag on it anywhere, pretty sure it's the Fatboy Versipack:

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/Fatboy-Versipack-29p31.htm

 

 

I like this for cords, batteries, etc - maybe the sensor swabs - stuff like that. It can be velcro'd to the shoulder strap for a little extra odd-sized storage.

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/Cocoon-Pouch-13p175.htm

[Turtles06]

I'll bet that collectively (maybe even individually! :) ) we could stock a small store with all the camera bags we own.

 

My personal favorite in recent years has been the Think Tank Retrospective Five. Works well when I schlep the DSLR around, and works well now with the a6000. It's only drawback is that it's relatively heavy even when empty.

 

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/retrospective-5-pinestone.aspx

 

BTW, when I ordered the Rokinon 12mm lens yesterday, it was supposed to arrive in two days, but Amazon has overnighted it, so I should get it today, as along as UPS shows up before my office closes. :)

[pierces]

The best bag for all situations.....is the next one.

 

:o

 

Dave

[Turtles06]

Questions please for Dave (or anyone else who can help):

 

The good news is that Amazon delivered my new Rokinon 12mm lens overnight. :) The unexpected news (to me) is that when I mounted it on the a6000, I got an error message that the lens was not attached correctly (it is, of course, there's only one way to mount it), and a similar error message when I tried to take a photo; the shutter would not release. I did some quick internet research, and I've now enabled the shutter "release w/o lens" function, and that has allowed me to take photos.

 

So, are those error messages normal, and was the "release w/o lens" the proper solution? (This is my first time using a MF lens.) If not, any suggestions?

 

Anything else I should know about using this particular lens on the a6000 that might be quirky?

 

Thanks!!

 

(And darn, it's raining outside!)

[pierces]

Questions please for Dave (or anyone else who can help):

 

The good news is that Amazon delivered my new Rokinon 12mm lens overnight. :) The unexpected news (to me) is that when I mounted it on the a6000, I got an error message that the lens was not attached correctly (it is, of course, there's only one way to mount it), and a similar error message when I tried to take a photo; the shutter would not release. I did some quick internet research, and I've now enabled the shutter "release w/o lens" function, and that has allowed me to take photos.

 

So, are those error messages normal, and was the "release w/o lens" the proper solution? (This is my first time using a MF lens.) If not, any suggestions?

 

Anything else I should know about using this particular lens on the a6000 that might be quirky?

 

Thanks!!

 

(And darn, it's raining outside!)

 

You nailed it! Release without lens is the proper setting.

 

Set your camera on "A" mode and it will auto adjust both the shutter and ISO (if you have auto-ISO set). Focus peaking is a must and remember, it is NOT stabilized. Wide angle is very forgiving but a steady hand will let you use all of the lens' potential.

 

It is a rectilinear lens (distortion corrected) but ultra-wides exaggerate perspective as part of their nature. Be aware of converging lines and play with tilting up and down to see what looks best for you.

 

Don't forget to focus! Because of the wide view, things may look like they are all in focus, but a quick check with the magnifier helps to get the tack-sharp results.

 

Configure the A6000 to move the focus magnifier to Custom Button 1 so it is right next to the shutter release. Mucho handy!

 

HAVE FUN!

 

 

Dave

[Turtles06]

You nailed it! Release without lens is the proper setting.

 

Set your camera on "A" mode and it will auto adjust both the shutter and ISO (if you have auto-ISO set). Focus peaking is a must and remember, it is NOT stabilized. Wide angle is very forgiving but a steady hand will let you use all of the lens' potential.

 

It is a rectilinear lens (distortion corrected) but ultra-wides exaggerate perspective as part of their nature. Be aware of converging lines and play with tilting up and down to see what looks best for you.

 

Don't forget to focus! Because of the wide view, things may look like they are all in focus, but a quick check with the magnifier helps to get the tack-sharp results.

 

Configure the A6000 to move the focus magnifier to Custom Button 1 so it is right next to the shutter release. Mucho handy!

 

HAVE FUN!

 

 

Dave

 

Thanks so much, Dave! It's quite a relief to know (1) there wasn't something wrong out of the box, and (2) I figured it out! :)

 

Also thanks for the additional tips. I'd already put "move focus magnifier to a custom button" on my weekend to-do list. Between that and focus peaking, the a6000 certainly makes manual focus as easy as a camera can make it.

 

I have used an ultra-wide before (thanks to a friend who gave me her Nikon 12-24mm). I've always liked this photo I took in Salsbury Cathedral (with that lens on my D7000); I don't know if the lines work for everyone, but I enjoy them; as you said, have fun!

 

[pierces]

You unconsciously stumbled on the formula for awesome photos. The awesome ones are the ones you like!

 

Congrats on the new tech-baby!

 

Dave

[shootr]

Boooooo...

 

My extension tube set is MIA, USPS can't find it. What is it with me and shipping??? The UPS lost package claim should have concluded yesterday - no word yet on reimbursement for that.

[pierces]

Boooooo...

 

My extension tube set is MIA, USPS can't find it. What is it with me and shipping??? The UPS lost package claim should have concluded yesterday - no word yet on reimbursement for that.

 

Funny timing on that...I just read an article about LensRentals' Canada division closing down and liquidating their stock. One of the reasons mentioned was extraordinarily "lost" parcel rate from items shipped by Canada Post.

 

USPS is catching up?

 

Dave?

[shootr]

Funny timing on that...I just read an article about LensRentals' Canada division closing down and liquidating their stock. One of the reasons mentioned was extraordinarily "lost" parcel rate from items shipped by Canada Post.

 

USPS is catching up?

 

Dave?

 

We don't want to be second to those Canucks for ANYTHING!!!;)

[shootr]

Then again, they didn't murder Hitchbot...:(

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/hitchbot-robot-beheaded-philadelphia-feat/