Sony Alpha

The difference between the Sony a6500 and a6300

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 17, 2017 | 0 comments

Despite being a year old, quite a few of you were happy to see the video review piece on the a6300, a fantastic mirrorless camera by all accounts. Still, there is even a better camera in my opinion that doesn’t break the bank, but offers a whole lot more – the a6500. Released nearly 6 months after the a6300, the a6500 offers subtle improvements in all categories, including design. Here is Matt Golowczynski from digitalrev:

The two models have a very similar form, with the a6500 just being a touch heavier and thicker (which appears to be at least partly down to a new image-stabilisation system, covered below).

The a6500’s grip has been restyled, while the shutter release button appears to be slightly larger too. The a6500’s command and mode dials now also share the same finish around the sides, which wasn’t previously the case.

Another change that’s not as easy to appreciate is that the eyecup on the a6500 has been redesigned to be slightly softer than the one on the a6300.

There’s also been a small shift in the physical controls on the newer a6500. The customisable C1 and C2 buttons, which on the a6300 were found on the top and rear plates respectively, are now both found on the a6500’s top plate.

Additionally, and a third C3 button is twinned with the delete button, exactly in the same place as the a6300’s C2 button.

Though perhaps all minor tweaks, for serious photographers and videographers (which I’m not), placement of buttons and how they feel can be the difference of being able to use the camera for countless hours and being continuously frustrated by it.

Sony a6300 review by The Wedding Filmer

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 15, 2017 | 0 comments

Just a few days ago, I was forwarded an interesting review on the Sony a6300. Now we’ve all read plenty about the mirrorless camera and, I’m sure, have seen a fair share of videos as well but this video by The Wedding Filmer is a bit different and the kind of reviews that I like – from people who actually use the products day in and day out.

Humorous Sony 24-70mm GM Hands-on Review

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 21, 2016 | 3 comments

You know what the British have on us Americans? Humor. Dry, dry humor and it’s absolutely one of the best things. Maybe I’m just anticipating the return of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May to Top Gear, I mean The Grand Tour, but when I ran across this video review of the Sony 24-70mm GM with pure British charm, I couldn’t help but post it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, because between the nuggets of humor are some outstanding pieces on what the massive lens can offer – and it’s brilliant.

Sony Product Feature Video Highlights Flagship a99 II Camera

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 26, 2016 | 0 comments

For those with an affinity for the finer things in life or who simply need unparalleled shooting capabilities, there exists the Sony a99 II which was announced last week. As a recap, the full-frame 42.4-megapixel A-mount camera features:

high-speed high-precision Hybrid Phase Detection AF, AF/AE tracking in 12fps continuous shooting, body-integrated 5-axis image stabilization, and advanced 4K movie functions.

To go along with the camera’s reveal, Sony has a new product feature video which highlights what the camera offers.

Teardown of the FE 24-70 mm G Master Lens

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 5, 2016 | 2 comments

A while back, Sony released a series of new E-mount lenses under a new branding dubbed G Master Lens which have been called exceptional by most reviewers. Now Sony wants to give you a peek at what’s underneath one of these pricy pieces of glass.

Ever wonder what pieces make a lens? Here’s your chance to see what’s inside the FE 24-70mm G Master Lens. Watch now!

So if you’re into tech teardowns or lens guts, this video should treat you just fine.

Sony a6300 Firmware Update 1.10 Arrives

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 5, 2016 | 0 comments

Those lucky enough to own the highly awarded Sony a6300 need to make note of firmware update 1.10. The just-released firmware is pegged around 255.22 MB so make sure you set some time aside to download and install. According to Sony:

Sony Launches New Radio-Controlled Lighting System

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 11, 2016 | 0 comments

Some cool news for you photographers out there. Sony has announced a new radio-controlled lighting system which, in short, allows you to control your flash wirelessly from Alpha cameras.

Designed for compatibility with Sony’s α interchangeable lens cameras and external flash units, the new lighting system will include the FA-WRC1M wireless radio commander as well as the FA-WRR1 wireless radio receiver.

Sony Cautions Against Camera Firmware Hacks

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 30, 2016 | 1 comment

This should be a no brainer and I’m not sure why somebody would want to do this on an expensive camera. Zoltan Arva-Toth writing for Photography Blog:

10 Bit vs 8 Bit – Sony FS5 vs. a7S II vs. a7R II – Is 10 Bit Always Better?

by Sohrab Osati | May 27, 2016 | 0 comments

A title that’s a mouthful, I know. So instead, let’s have Dave Dugale explain:

You know how everyone says 10bit is better than 8bit when it comes to heavy grading, today I am finally testing that. It makes sense but I wanted to see it. Anytime I’m curious usually something unexpected happens.

Tests not about detail/sharpness, not about the codecs or subchroma. Not talking about rolling shutter, etc.

I compared the Sony a7Sii to the Canon C100, Sony FS5 and the Red Scarlet Dragon.

Sony a7 II Gets $200 Official Price Drop

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 27, 2016 | 0 comments

Today is the day of price drops. First Amazon lowered pre-order pricing of the Xperia X and Xperia XA line and now Sony has their own official price drop. Those interested in the mirrorless body only Sony a7 II can scoop one up for $1,498.

With Sony killing their retail and online stores, you’ll have to make the purchase from Amazon or B&H Photo with the latter of the two able to have the camera at your house by Friday for Prime users.

4K Time Lapse: Houston After Dark, Shot on Sony a7R II

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 27, 2016 | 0 comments

Sony_ a7R_II_Time_Lapse

I have to say, I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to time lapse videos. Working routinely on a 5K display also tends to make even 1080p videos look lacking so adding 4K to anything makes me that much happier. Jonathan Irvin:

This is my first attempt at turning a time-lapse sequence into a little feature. I really love doing them and I hope you enjoy!

And for the equipment and gear, Jonathan used

the Sony A7Rii and the 24-70 f4. I used the Sony Time Lapse app in camera in custom mode to output raw files. I edited in Lightroom and LRTimelapse. Final edits were made in Final Cut Pro.

Perhaps most impressive about the time lapse is how fantastic the night scenes look. The blacks are pure black and the brights are simply gorgeous, thanks to the camera pulling in all available light. The video can be seen after the jump.

Sony a6300 vs a6000 Comprehensive Comparison and Review

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 14, 2016 | 0 comments

The Sony a6300 is shaping up to be a camera that punches well above its price limit. Writing for Engadget, Edgar Alvarez had this to say about the camera during his review:

Sony has done a tremendous job with the A6300. It’s small, sleek, fast and, most importantly, captures impressive photos and video. Paired with the right lenses, the A6300 has no trouble matching up with its more expensive Alpha relatives or even some mid-tier DSLRs.

But before the a6300, there was the a6000 which was also well received. In fact, seeing how different the two cameras are in some ways, Sony for the time being is opting to sell both. Better yet, with the introduction of the new camera, you can find some pretty great prices on the a6000 which begs the questions, what are the differences between these two E-mount cameras?

After the jump, a video by Maarten Heilbronn which highlights some key differences between the two.

How Face Registration Works on the Sony a6300

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 14, 2016 | 0 comments

A longtime part of Sony’s camera legacy, face detection brings with it the ability for the camera to focus on faces and prioritize them over anything else in the photo/video. Taking that feature one step further is Face Registration on the mirrorless E-mount Sony a6300, with which you can teach the camera up to eight faces. With this feature enabled, the camera not only focus on faces, but prioritizes those it’s learned, perfect for large group photography and videography where different people can come and go in your shot.

As someone who regularly attends different cons and events, being able to have the camera know my face or Allegra’s would make a huge difference in ensuring our videos are always in focus. This is especially true at CES where herds of people come and go with little care to what others are doing around them. But it’s not hard to imagine this being a killer feature for many professionals, like wedding videographers.

After the jump, an in-depth video from Gary Fong showing off the feature that’s frankly part magic.

Sony A- to E-Mount Adapters – Making the Right Choice

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 1, 2016 | 0 comments

One of the great things about Sony’s Alpha lineup is the ever growing number of lenses and the versatility that’s allowed. Because of adaptors, Sony Alpha owners can not only use Sony’s own A-Mount and E-Mount lenses, but also lenses from Canon and Nikon. However, even when sticking to Sony, it can get a bit confusing to differentiate between the two different lens types and which adaptors (LA-EA4, LA-EA3) might be best.

Luckily, Mark Galer, a creative community for Sony Alpha owners, has another great video which helps explain the difference between the two adaptors which might be best for you. That video is after the jump.

Sony a7R II 4K Video – Daytime Japan

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 16, 2016 | 0 comments

Just yesterday, we talked about how the Sony a7R II was able to win the camera of the year award. One key reason has been its sheer technical specs that’s dazzling photographers and videographers, like its ability to record 4K video. From Sony:

You can see how the α7R II is optimized for recording 4K (QFHD: 3,840 x 2,160) movies, particularly in Super 35 mm format, as it processes readout data from every pixel without pixel binning, to effectively suppress jaggies and more. The resulting footage exhibits visibly sharper, finer, more subtle detail than typical 4K movies. Also, as the first full-frame camera that can record movies at 4K resolution in the 35 mm full-frame format, the α7R II extends your power to express qualities of vision that the newly developed, back-illuminated full-frame image sensor makes possible.

We’ve already seen what the a7R II can with 4K video at night. After the jump, some daytime shots of 4K video.