New A900

[Shelby Lewis]

What a great thread... it's like the a900 club having a meeting around the newly initiated.

Let me tell you something... I shot my second wedding with the a900 yesterday (as a second shooter). Unlike the first wedding I shot, this one was in very bright conditions and I am simply gobsmacked by the files. The whole day was ISO 640 and under... most at 400 or 200. I'm seriously considering postponing my foray into medium format for a bit longer and just investing in a bunch of great glass (and a new computer ) until I can afford an MF system with an appreciable resolution increase over the a900.

The files don't have quite the "bite" of even a 22mp db... but they definitely have the "look" at times.

Terry, I'm glad you've started this thread. It's nice to see discussions about everything from lenses, to UniWB, to arca plates.

As far as UniWb. I use is soley as a way to cram my histogram as far right as is possible in situations where exposure is critical. I had a situation yesterday where a bride had a llloooonnnngggggg walk to the alter... outside... and I took a quick uniwb shot with intelligent preview. I was then able to alter settings in manual and shoot the whole procession with as much ETTR as possible while still keeping detail in the dress. Again... just a means to an ends.

Anywho, I'm rambling on... but thanks to all for the contributions. I've had a great 3 weeks with my a900 and I can't wait to see where this all goes.

 

[Dale Allyn]

Dale,
[snip...]
Do you also attach a neck strap to you camera when L-plate is mounted? What I like about Camdapter is that both straps are on separate sides and neck strap just freely hangs when not needed and doesn't get in my way. Best solution for me would be completely (without any hanging parts left) and quickly detachable neck strap though - I'm trying not use them at all because my neck hates any kind of load and gives me headaches, but I need it as a shoulder strap sometimes.

Andrey, the RRS L plate doesn't offer a double-lug situation like the Camdapter plates. If I use a shoulder/neck strap I like the camera to be hanging horizontally (not like the Camdapter solution), so what I really need is an easily detached shoulder/neck strap that can share the top-right lug. One way is to have a split ring on the hand/wrist strap, but that's not perfect either. I'm thinking of sewing a slot in the top of the wrist strap webbing to accommodate attaching both when needed.

I like to completely remove the parts of the shoulder strap when I'm not wanting it. Rather than leaving straps hanging as in the Op-tech solution.

Hope that clarifies a bit.

 

[Dale Allyn]

What a great thread... it's like the a900 club having a meeting around the newly initiated.

And what's really great is that those of us who don't shoot this kit can feel welcome too. Thank you.

 

[dhsimmonds]

Hi Terry
I have come in late on this thread, as I was away over the week-end.

Congrats on your A900 and getting to grips with it so quickly. Like Jono, I like to keep things as simple as possible. The AEL toggle set up is great rather than just using it as a "press and hold" button.

I took Jono's advice and switched from using AWB to daylight for all outside and some inside shots.............it has made a huge difference.

I do use the vertical grip and find the hand strap perfect with this set up.....the batteries just seem to last for ever! I am also a "belt and braces type" so use it with the neckstrap attached as well!

The A900 not only produces great colour and image quality though, it is just such fun to use. The more I use mine the more I want to go and shoot with it again! I have never experienced quite the same feeling about using a cam before. perhaps the Leica D2/Panasonic LC1 came fairly close.

As others have said, this thread is the most informative and useful yet!

 

[ptomsu]

Another great thread in this forum!

I only can reiterate, this is so much helpful and so much fun to read and - you never could find this mood in the LUF

Thanks Terry for sharing all this info, I am already starting to consider to change my Canon gear with the A900 plus some Zeiss glass.

And maybe also wait for some time before I am really ready to buy into MF with a P65+ back or similar

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Are you sure when you shot this part of the fence on the right was not part of your frame

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Whoops one last bit on the 24-70 at 24mm my corners aren't perfect

Full shot shot at f8

View attachment 16745


Bottom left (i bumped up the exposure to show the example)

View attachment 16747

Bottom right

View attachment 16746

Bottom center

View attachment 16748

F8 is just not going to cut it here with almost any lens this wide and this close. Not sure of the wind either and you also may have some movement. This is something you may have to test with everything bolted down to concrete but F11 maybe the better answer. I would imagine this lens also has lens curvature and that also can be part of this.

 

[Terry]

Are you sure when you shot this part of the fence on the right was not part of your frame

The fence had abut 1/2" black iron bars. I think it was probably user error as I was at an awkward position to try and get rid of the road and not get a car in the shot.

On the 24-70 I will find a brick wall.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Terry asked me to look at some of this but other than these two issue things are looking very good. I'm more concerned about the top shot than the 24-70 that is more normal issue to me. Now looking again at it look at the flag on the right side. Thats movement going on and maybe you jerking the camera even though your at 1/2500. This just maybe a fluke and maybe need to keep a eye on it

 

[jlm]

maybe a diffraction effect caused by one of the iron bars in the close foreground...weren't you shooting through the gate?
looks like the entire right side has a darker tone

 

[Guy Mancuso]

That is exactly what I am thinking John is part of the gate was in the way

 

[Guy Mancuso]

The fence had abut 1/2" black iron bars. I think it was probably user error as I was at an awkward position to try and get rid of the road and not get a car in the shot.

On the 24-70 I will find a brick wall.

Now not sure about this lens per say but almost any zoom lens will have a weak focal length and usually it is either the widest or the longest. Most cases it is the widest and the 16-35 maybe a better performer at 24mm since it is in the middle of the zoom but maybe not so hot at 16 or the 35mm end. This may come down to testing a zoom to see it's good focal lengths and find out it's bad. Frankly this is pretty normal which i hate to say but optically it's hard to make a zoom perfect through the whole range especially in the wide zoom area. A lens like a 35-70 maybe a better chance at being good through the range because optically it is easier to make.

 

[Greg Seitz]

Terry asked me to look at some of this but other than these two issue things are looking very good. I'm more concerned about the top shot than the 24-70 that is more normal issue to me. Now looking again at it look at the flag on the right side. Thats movement going on and maybe you jerking the camera even though your at 1/2500. This just maybe a fluke and maybe need to keep a eye on it

Terry,

Congrats on your new camera - looks like you've been having a good time.

Another thing that might be going on here is that the image stabilization may be causing this. I've seen similar effects on image stabilized lenses so it could be the cameras stabilization impacting things. It would be interesting to try some shots with stabilization off and on to see how it effects the bokeh.

Greg

 

[douglasf13]

Im thinking it's an iron bar issue. I've taken pics with steady shot nearly always on for 3 years, and I've never seen that effect before.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I have had a few Iron Bar issues before myself , drink a few to many at the Iron bar and stagger on home. Things kind of look blurry. ROTFLMAO

 

[douglasf13]

yeah, no kidding!:ROTFL:

 

[cmb_]

About 1/5th of the right side of the image is considerably darker which would also indicate that something was obscuring the view.

 

[Terry]

Thanks. I easily accept user error!

I went back this AM and nothing strange going on with the 135.

More than 400 shots, and lots of messing around with the camera menus, etc. (that new camera stuff) and the battery is still chugging away.

Here are the efforts from this AM of course it was foggy. Yesterday we set a new record low for the high temp (got that ):

Started at the cemetery

Not total user error the trees aren't all growing straight

Then over towards the bridge - it took me a bit to realize what was going on in the center of the shot just to the right of the rocks.

Talk about dangerous currents rocks and such

And then I looked towards home to see it clearing ....I live by the Bay Bridge and now it is nice enough to sit by the pool and RTFM :ROTFL:

 

[Guy Mancuso]

USER ERROR

Needs more training. LOL

Just busting chops. I have done this before with fences

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Looking good, too bad you got caught between real fog and clear. But certainly some good detail.