Looking for Experiance Photographer

Hey there,

I need someone to re-enlighten me what I forgot after photography class 3 years ago. Now that I have my DSLR I realized how much I have forgotten, and all the questions and guidance about lens and certain settings that I have. I have a Sony DSLR A330, and I know the basics, there's just a few questions I have. You don't really have to have experience with Sony's, but it may help. I'm pretty sure most of my questions apply to all camera brands.

Thanks!
-Jess

Come ON. I know there are some on here. ;)

i bet i could help you out a bit...what kind of info are you looking for? if you take a look at my sig there's a link to my flickr account, and there are a bunch of snake photos there if you're interested.

but, fire away with the questions, i'll try to help as best i can!

Im sure if you just asked the questions, they would be answered....kinda like if you build it....they will come kinda deal.

Alright, well I'll just post some of my questions here then.

This is the camera I have.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665887570

Now, a few questions I have about the Camera itself. I know what aperture and shutter-speeds all mean and how they work, but I had previously assumed that aperture range was the same as the f-number, and that's where I got confused.

Here's the lens that comes with the camera itself.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665887592
The aperture range that I am capable of with this lens on is F4.5-F29. So what does the f/3.5-5.6 mean on the lens?

Also, I want to potentially buy more lenses for zoom and macro purposes. I assumed getting them from Sony is the best option, but are there also other choices that I could look into?
Also, when it comes to Zoom and Macro lenses, I wanted to know exactly how the 'mm' applies to each. I figured that (for example, my current lens is 18-55mm) is the range at which it can zoom. I don't know how to convert them or apply them to Macro (the macro I want is http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId=11039114 ) or apply them to Zoom (the zoom I want is http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId=11035733 ).

Do you have other recommendations?

Thanks!
-Jess

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Also, I want to potentially buy more lenses for zoom and macro purposes. I assumed getting them from Sony is the best option, but are there also other choices that I could look into?
Also, when it comes to Zoom and Macro lenses, I wanted to know exactly how the 'mm' applies to each. I figured that (for example, my current lens is 18-55mm) is the range at which it can zoom. I don't know how to convert them or apply them to Macro (the macro I want is http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId=11039114 ) or apply them to Zoom (the zoom I want is http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId=11035733 ).

Do you have other recommendations?

Thanks!
-Jess

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to start, the macro lens that you want, is what you call a PRIME lens. that means, you can't "zoom" in or out. it is a fixed focal length, you ALWAYS be shooting at 50mm with that lens.

the zoom lens you want, is (obviously) a ZOOM lens. it means you can shoot at 75mm, or zoom all the way out to 300mm.

those are the two types of lenses. prime lenses, and zoom lenses.

you don't HAVE to buy lenses made by sony, there are 3rd party companies that make lenses for your camera, i'm sure. like Sigma and Tamron.

as for your other question

"...Here's the lens that comes with the camera itself.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665887592
The aperture range that I am capable of with this lens on is F4.5-F29. So what does the f/3.5-5.6 mean on the lens?"

the f/3.5-5.6 means that at your MINIMUM focal length on that lens, you can shoot with an aperture of 3.5. HOWEVER, when zoomed all the way in, the maximum aperture you can use is f/5.6.

it's what we call a "variable aperture." prime lenses do not have this, as they have a fixed aperture.

i hope that clarifies some things...i'm really crappy at explaining things, so here's a link for oyu explaining fixed and variable apertures.

fixed/variable apertures

another place you might want to check out is Digital Photography School. DPS is the most wonderful photography site i know of, if you look on their home page (which i've linked to) you can click on the "Forum" link. their forums are ran by the same software as the ball-pythons.net forums, so it shouldn't be too hard for you to figure out. you can literally post and ask ANYTHING, and there are thousands of photographers on there, ranging from beginner, to full fledged professional, and they should be able to explain things better.

Thank you, you've helped me out a lot.
So that just leaves one question.

How do you convert mm zoom into feet or any metric conversion.

i assume you mean, how many feet closer can you get with a 300mm zoom, for example?

that i don't know

Quote:

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Originally Posted by katia

i assume you mean, how many feet closer can you get with a 300mm zoom, for example?

that i don't know

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Yeah, exactly how to be able to tell how far a 200 or 300mm lens will zoom in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Yeah, exactly how to be able to tell how far a 200 or 300mm lens will zoom in.

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A LOT.

i don't know the conversion, but if you take a picture from all the way out and one all the way in with some type of ruler in the image i may be able to figure out magnification.

300mm lens are used to photograph stuff that is far away. Over the summer i picked up a 300mm tameron lens from a guy off CL . he had the nikon mount for it too. I do a lot of birding when its warm so that 3oomm lens was a real help. Before that i was birding with a 105mm :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

A LOT.

i don't know the conversion, but if you take a picture from all the way out and one all the way in with some type of ruler in the image i may be able to figure out magnification.

300mm lens are used to photograph stuff that is far away. Over the summer i picked up a 300mm tameron lens from a guy off CL . he had the nikon mount for it too. I do a lot of birding when its warm so that 3oomm lens was a real help. Before that i was birding with a 105mm :(

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Would you say that the zoom is significant?
Do you know how the mm applies to a macro lens? Like if it's a 50mm macro, does that just mean how zoomed in it will be for up close pictures?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Would you say that the zoom is significant?
Do you know how the mm applies to a macro lens? Like if it's a 50mm macro, does that just mean how zoomed in it will be for up close pictures?

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the lower the mm the closer you will be able to get to your object. I've used 12 and 15mm thimble lenses and you can get EXTREMELY close to your subject. Just remember, that as your mm lowers so does your effective focusing plain. (smaller the mm, the less of your image you will have in focus). you will literally, with some lenses have one vertical millimeter of perfect focus in your image. Ill see if i can find an example later for you.

Like with that 300mm lens you'll have to be VERY far from your subject, but you will be able to get much more of your object in the frame.

There is a lot more to lenses than just the focal length though. You want to look at what the lenses are made of (coated glass is the best, un-coated glass, then coated plastic, then plastic). Over time plastic lenses will break down and become uneven. Plastic really just isn't a good lens material, but if you're on a budget than do whatever works.

I have to get to work, but i'll post more on this later.

Hey I am just going to pipe in here. Macro lenses focus close, how close it is not related to focal length but reproduction ratio. With a full frame digital (or 35mm film) a lens might be a 1:2 ratio.

That means if you photographed a ruler as close as the lens goes you could see the 0-2 inch marks in the frame. Stated differently if you shot it with file and laid the same ruler on the processed negative the 1 inch mark on the photo would fall at the 1/2 inch mark on the ruler its self. A 1:1 lens would fall at exactly the same size as life. Ok so is that clear? Keep in mind a 1/2 size sensor causes doubling of the optics, so a 1:1 becomes a 2:1!! 2 inches on film (digital sensor being the same for this) is one inch in life loosely 1/2 inch will fill a frame in camera (if the viewfinder was a inch long as I said loose here folks).

A 55mm 1:1 lens focused as close as it can maybe say 2 inches away from the subject a 100mm 1:1 lens with the exact framing (all things being the same which the never are) would be about 4 inches. A 300 mm lens that has say a 1:4 ratio would allow you to be farther away but the same subject is much smaller in the frame. Generally true macros (1:1 ratio lenses) are in the 50mm to 300mm I can't recall any longer than this The majority being mm 50 to 200mm. Photographing snakes and such I'd go for the longest I could I am a nikon person I have 3 personally an old 200 macro a 60mm macro and a 105mm macro. The 200 is great but is Manual so as I age I am using the 105 for snakes and the 60 most other things (I make my living as a photographer and I teach photography in a university) I hope this helps some!
Alex