Hi all... Just got my Sony a200w kit in the mail and just looking for any hints for a first time DSLR user. It came with the 18-70 and 75-300 lenses and I'm excited to take it to the ballpark once baseball season rings in.
For baseball, you'll want to probably just bring the zoom lens unless you want to take wide angle shots (obviously) like shots of the entire playing field and such.. Some/most ballparks don't allow tripods in, so keep that in mind. Check the team's mlb.com page, click on the name of their park, and there should be some info there as to what they do and don't allow. You'll want to use a high ISO, large aperture, or combination of the both in order to get the clear freeze frame type pictures. Keep in mind that with a large aperture comes a small depth of field, so if your autofocus is slow you may have difficulty getting the focus how you want it in time.
Please remember to turn off the flash unless you are taking a close range interior shot (like of you and your friends). Even though it looks cool to see thousands of flashbulbs going off in the grandstands when a big star comes to the plate, I can't help but feel annoyed that all those people are killing their batteries and almost certainly getting underexposed pictures. Do you really think that a tiny little flash will light up something hundreds of meters away?
Anyway, congratulations on the DSLR! I know you will enjoy it!
Ha...thanks...I'll probably be dealing with the zoom lens unless I am sitting so close in the field box to make any zooming unnecessary. I appreciate the tips, I wouldn't want to waste my battery on a flash that will do little aside from distracting the nearest fan from drinking his/her beer.
Originally Posted by JonnyIce /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone else can help the n00b?
1. Take lots of shots.
2. Do lots of research on the internet.
3. Try to solve problems using the gear you already have. Don't throw money at everything. Knowledge is way more valuable.
4. Don't get frustrated. It takes a very long time to become a good photographer and even then, you'll still be learning. I've only been doing this for a week and I can see a amazing leaps and bounds in the shots I used to take.
Congrats on bucking the traditional Nikon/Canon trend, and going for a quality alternative! I purchased a used Konica/Minolta 7D last year and love it. Having image stabilization built into the body is a godsend - works with every lens.
Speaking of lenses, we have access to NOS Minolta Maxxum lenses, the Sony line, and some sweet (if expensive) Zeiss glass.
Try some forums out there that are specifically for photography. I don't know any specific Sony DSLR forums, but I know FredMiranda is a great universal photography forum and probably has tons of information about Sony gear. Also, I've noticed that a great way to really dig into photography is to pick one or two things that you're really interested in shooting. There is so much that goes into every type of photography, the only logistical way to get really good is to focus. I personally picked insect photography (as you can see in the Post Your Photography thread), got really into it, and eventually got much better than I expected.
In a nutshell, stay passionate, use your resources to their fullest potential, and have fun.
Congrats.... being a Nikon junkie...I don't see or keep track much of the other brands...
Post some pics ... I love to see what the other non Canon/Nikon shooters are doing...
Originally Posted by Isao /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congrats.... being a Nikon junkie...I don't see or keep track much of the other brands...
Post some pics ... I love to see what the other non Canon/Nikon shooters are doing...
Looking forward to seeing some pics.
I really wanted a Canon Rebel XTi or similar for a while, but came across this deal and couldn't pass it up. Built-in Image Stabilization is also great for my shaky hands! Some pics in the linky: Flickr: Photos & Video from Mr Jonathan Ice
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