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Let's try this again... The Highly Anticipated Sony a1 and a9 III Firmware Updates Have Arrived https://petapixel.com/2024/04/24/the-highly-anticipated-sony-a1-and-a9-iii-firmware-updates-have-arrived/

For many years, I've had a serious wanderlust. I love to travel, explore, and see new things. I'm also a history buff in the date range of 1850-1950 in U.S. History, so when I got to do a short road trip from Chicago to Missouri and back, I jumped at the chance to see how much of the original Route 66 I could find along I-55 coming out of Chicago. I had a gas for sure! There are places along the route where the new road was placed right over the old one. This is such a spot where I-55 runs right next to Old Route 66. (20mm) While my focus was the road itself, there are many interesting things along the way like Honest Abe reading a book in the largest covered wagon in the world. It's just in a parking lot along Old Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois, of course. (23mm) Sections of the original road (right) run alongside of the modern and much wider version, but the double yellow and white lines can still be seen. (70mm) The bridges along the Old Route 66 are in bad shape, causing many of them to be closed to vehicle traffic, but you can safely walk or ride a bike along the old original road in hundreds of places. (32mm) Route 66 has changed in its history. There is excellent signage in IL showing you the original road from the 1920's vs. the newer road from the 1940's. This is a small section of the 1922 Route 66 that is no longer in use but has been preserved as, "Memory Lane." (36mm) (59mm) Much of the original road from both the 1920's and 1940's is now overgrown as sections ceased to have traffic since the 1960's or even earlier. (24mm) This is an extreme example of an original bridge from 1922 that is literally falling apart, with its concrete in terrible condition and steel rebar exposed. At the right, you can see the more modern bridge that replaced the original one. (21mm) Part of the 1922 road shows how nature always wins if given enough time... (64mm) A lonely flag pole watches as sentinel over the Route 66 with its rope torn and shredded from too much time and too many winters. (31mm) From 1922 to 1949, Illinois State Police patrolled Route 66 on WWI Harley Davidson Motorcycles. Equipped with Motorola radios, it was advanced law enforcement at the time. These days, they run Ford Explorers and they are everywhere along I-55 as well as Old Route 66. (70mm) (54mm) I had a great time out there shooting these images. it was a grey and overcast day, which always makes it a good time to shoot b&w instead of color. All these images were originally shot in the .HIF format and then they were processed in LR and exported as jpgs. I'd like to shoot the rest of Route 66 in the Midwest as I've worn out most of it along I-40 out West. Good thing I love to travel, right? I'll get it all eventually... My Sony A7CII is the perfect travel camera, allowing me the wow factor of it's full-frame sensor but with a body size and weight more similar to competitors' APS-C cameras. As for the Sony FE20-70mm lens, it's just a great way to go with that massive zoom range. When you shoot in overcast conditions like this, it's easy to over or underexpose, but with the wide dynamic range of the sensor from the A7IV, it's always an enjoyable experience to work the "stretchy and bendy" files.

Catch up on the AMA here:

Thank you all so much for the interest and for asking such thoughtful questions! I'm always happy to talk bees, flowers, and photography so if you think of anything else please don't hesitate to reach out to me via Instagram. So nice talking with you!

Thank you so much, Caroline! That means a lot coming from you.

I love the messaging of storytelling close to home!

Hello everyone, I've been a satisfied user of the Sony A7S III for two years now, but recently I encountered a troublesome issue during a shoot that I'd like to seek advice on. During my last recording session, everything started smoothly, but suddenly the camera began to shut down and restart itself approximately every +/- 20 seconds, without any warning or error message. This occurred both while recording and when the camera was inactive. The only time I got an error message was when the camera restarted while recording, and I received the message: "Writing to the memory card was not completed correctly. Recover data?" This was due to the camera shutting down during recording, rendering it unusable. I've tried various solutions, such as changing batteries and SD cards, disconnecting all accessories like microphones and monitors, but nothing seemed to help. Ultimately, I performed a full reset of the camera, which resolved the issue. However, I remain concerned that this may happen again in the future. Have any of you experienced this issue with your Sony A7S III or similar cameras? If so, what was the cause and how did you resolve it? I appreciate any insights and advice to prevent potential future problems. Thank you for your help!

love the last photo with stars

Hello I have question, have the A7iv Timecode option like the FX30 by multiport metadata? due the new firmware 3.0, I have the ECM-B1M microphone and the audio is very good, but at today the only way the get Timecode in the a7iv is using de 3.5 input jack.

Thank you for the recommendation Kevin! That Think Talk looks good! I will try checking if they have a hard case version. I reconfigured the packing of the Nanuk and I think it will work... I added in thin wrappers to cushion the lenses. Right now i think it meets international carry on reqs now

A key principle of iLCP's mission is to empower ethical conservation photography -- this means we regularly evaluate the ethics of community involvement, photo licensing, and even wildlife/photographer interactions. In our newest StoryMap, A Light Touch, iLCP Senior Fellow Doug Gimesy explores the ethics of photography with artificial light when photographing wildlife. Following a chaotic encounter with over-lit photography and the little penguins of Melbourne, Gimesy began to consider the impacts additional light could have on certain species. "What I saw that night started me thinking about the impact a photographer’s lighting could have on wildlife – whether using flash in the field or even on captive animals. Having been trained as a bioethicist, I really wanted to make sure I was doing the ‘right thing’." Check out the Story Map here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a2132c9f3a3945cc9fdbd8490338c291

You can catch up on the AMA here:

Thanks so much for your questions, everyone! I had a great time chatting with you 🙂 if you want to learn more from me, the best place to do that is on my YouTube channel and you can also follow me on Instagram 🤗 Also, if you want to receive my weekly email newsletter with tips and tricks for creators (plus the latest trending Reels audios you can use for your own content!) then sign up (it’s free!) here.

Titel: Rise The ascent of a dipper to its hidden nest. It is nice to see how the young birds stretch their necks towards their father. While the young birds in the picture look rather hidden. The male stands out strongly against the black background. The cropping makes the composition look holistic and shows the dipper in its natural habitat. i appreciate your constructive feedback and am impressed by the many spectacular shots in the community. kinde regrads Daniel Brockner

My wife competes in an equestrian sport called Combined Driving. She has been training hard all winter, leading up to the Live Oak International show in Ocala, FL. This is one of the premier driving shows in North America, and it's been a dream of hers to compete here. My role on the team is to be her personal paparazzi. The media team at the show was kind enough to credential me. I've had some challenges before because I "look" professional with that big white 100-400mm lens and a monopod. All due respect to the real pros covering the action - I'm not trying to compete with them. And we do support them at the shows I cannot attend. And at this event I helped them out and covered some stuff they were not able to. So that's a win-win I think. A Combined Driving event has three phases held over three days. The first is dressage. All competitor drive the same set pattern, and they are judged on precision, control of the horses, and proper gaits and movement in each portion of the test. Accuracy and elegance are the goal, not speed. Prior to the start of competition, the horses are presented and inspected by the show judges and veterinarian to ensure they are sound and capable of safely competing. The second phase is called the Marathon. The team will travel several kilometers over a cross-country course. They will face several obstacles which must be correctly negotiated. There is a minimum and maximum time that the course can be completed in. And each obstacle is timed as well. The fastest through the obstacles is the winner of this phase. It is a test of endurance, speed, and maneuverability. The third and final phase is Cone. You can see this better in the first photo. A course is laid out in the show arena with cones, and each cone has a ball balanced on top. Drivers must complete the course under a maximum time, and are penalized for each ball that is knocked down. Speed and control are of the essence - as well as memory, as they must remember the correct order to run each gate on the course. After the first two phases, my wife was in the lead with "two balls in hand" - meaning if she came in under the maximum time allowed, she could knock down two balls and still win the competition. She has been showing this pair for several years now. There are actually three horses in the team - two mares and a gelding. The gelding rotates in for the marathon phase, while the girls do dressage and cones. The gelding, named Altivo, is a Lusitano which is a breed originating in Portugal. The two mares are full sisters, born a year apart. They are Andalusians, also known as Pura Razs Español, which are a breed originating in Spain. Enough of that sidebar, you want to know if she won! Tears of a winner. Not only did she win, but it was the first time she had a double-clear round in cones with the pair. Meaning, she drove the cones course without error and didn't knock down a single ball AND came in under the maximum time. Giving the hugs in our good friend Cheryl, who rides along as a groom and navigator. Being the driver, my wife Jenni hold the whip - and that is the proper term for the person driving the carriage - she's "The Whip." So that was our big March adventure, and my big photo effort for the month. Photos were mostly shot on an a9 and 100-400mm G-Master and 24-105mm G series lenses. I had an a6000 and RX100 as backups. A Sony Tough Card in the a9 kept up nicely with my excessive use of high-speed drive mode. My wife would stay in Florida for a few weeks of additional training. I took the time to put together a collage of photos to surprise her with on her return home to our farm in Virginia. It turned out great, and I used the CollageWall product from MPix to produce it. https://www.mpix.com/products/homedecor/collagewall I was really impressed with how easy it was to mount on the wall and it turned out PERFECT. And it shipped and arrived several days sooner than I expected. I'll definitely be getting some more of these in the future. It made a great memento of this big milestone in her showing career. Learn more about the Live Oak show at their website https://liveoakinternational.com/ You can learn more about combined driving at https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/combined-driving

I used to combine ECM-G1 with my a6700 and ZVE-10, the auto volume function works great with those cameras, just contented G1 with MI-hot shoe, then the volume adjustment in camera will turn gray and G1 will take care of everything. Recently I've upgrade to A7C2, but when I connect G1 to A7C2 on the MI-hot shoe , the volume adjustment in camera still working, I‘m wondering if this means that the auto volume on G1 mic is not working with A7C2 and I've to manage the dB value by myself?

Here's a wrap up of some cool posts you may have missed here in the forums lately! We've had some great AMA's recently! Check out @Cristina Mittermeier's AMA: And @autpops and @NateintheWild's AMA: We also have an AMA coming up with @Katie Steckly next week! If you have any questions you'd like to ask her, pop them in this thread ahead of the event: We'd love to have you get involved in one of our photo challenges, too! We'll be picking winners for some of these challenges soon, it's not too late to show off your work! Or show us some of your recent work in our Photo Dump thread for March here: Thanks so much for being a part of this community!

You can check out @Cristina Mittermeier's AMA here:

I will be sure to support your projects as well!!!

The Sony ZV lineup of cameras has something for everyone. In this video, Sony Artisan @MiguelQuiles takes us through the highlights with video samples for each so you can find out which one is the right one for you. Watch as he takes a closer look at the Sony ZV-1F, Sony ZV-1 II, Sony ZV-E10 & Sony ZV-E1. Sony ZV-1F The Sony ZV-1F a big step up coming from a smartphone. “First things first, you’ve got a one-inch sensor which is much bigger than what you would find in a smartphone,” Quiles explains. “You’ve got a fixed 22mm f/2 lens. So really bright, great for shooting stuff outdoors. Great for shooting stuff in low light situations. Really, really nice camera to get you started if you’re coming from using a smartphone for shooting your vlogs and shooting your videos.” He continues, “Of course with this camera you also get Sony’s Eye Autofocus feature which is going to make sure that you, as the person who is being filmed, that you’re in focus, that you’re sharp. And so that’s one of the things that really shines in the Sony ZV family is the autofocus features.” Sony ZV-1F You can also use the Sony ZV-1F for livestreaming by plugging it into your computer or laptop to use it as a webcam. “That’s really going to step up the quality of your livestreams, of your Zoom calls,” he says. “So it’s a very versatile camera – you can use it for your vlogging and use it for your livestreams.” Another important highlight for the Sony ZV-1F is the ability to use S-Log3. “If you’re new to video, especially if you’re coming from a smartphone, S-Log3 is going to allow you to capture a flat looking video but then in post-production you could actually bring out the details in the shadows, bring out details in the highlights.” Having this ability in an entry-level camera gives you the ability to start working with that S-Log3 footage to get experience as you move up the ZV line. Learn more about the Sony ZV-1F HERE. Sony ZV-1 II Like the Sony ZV-1F, the Sony ZV-1 II has a one-inch sensor. It also has a 20.1 megapixel resolution for stills, but there is one major difference between it and the Sony ZV-1F. “Which is that you have an 18-50mm f/1.8-4 zoom lens,” reveals Quiles. “So now you have the ability to create some different compositions. You can get a lot wider than you can with the ZV-1F and you’re able to zoom in which is really great.” Another big difference with the Sony ZV-1 II is that it has a hot shoe on it, so you’re able to pair it with things like external flashes. “I will tell you that even though this is a vlogging camera, I love shooting stills with it,” Quiles says. “It’s one of my favorite everyday walkaround stills cameras, so don’t discount it just because it’s considered a vlogging camera because all of these cameras in the lineup are fantastic for shooting stills.” Sony ZV-1 II A major highlight you get with the Sony ZV-1 II is the built-in ND Filter. “If you plan on shooting at those wide open apertures, now you have the ability to be able to use the electronic ND that’s built into this camera to get you the correct exposure.” “I think if you’re looking for something that’s compact, that has flexibility in being able to get you different focal ranges – the ZV-1 II is going to be a fantastic option.” Learn more about the Sony ZV-1 II HERE. Sony ZV-E10 With the Sony ZV-E10, you’re stepping into a camera with a bigger sensor. “You get an APS-C sized sensor. It is 24.2 megapixels, which basically is going to mean that you’re going to get a much better looking image. You’re going to get much better looking stills. And with that bigger sensor you’re going to get better sensitivity in low light as well compared to that one-inch sensor.” The Sony ZV-E10 is a step up to a more professional vlogging camera, because it also gives you the ability to change lenses unlike the previous ones discussed with fixed lenses. Quiles likes to shoot with the Sony 10-20mm f/4 G PZ lens because not only is it great for vlogging, it also provides a compact setup when paired with the camera. Sony ZV-E10 The Sony ZV-E10 is also the first camera in the lineup that gives you a headphone jack in addition to the microphone jack, so you can monitor your audio while you're recording. “Another thing that’s notable here,” explains Quiles, “Is that this is the first ZV camera in the lineup that we’ve talked about today that has the digital audio interface. So with that multi-interface hot shoe that’s on top of the camera, you now have the ability to use some of Sony’s microphones. And what’s really great about these microphones is that you can put them on to the hot shoe, you don’t have to hook up any type of microphone cables or anything like that. You’re getting power through the hot shoe. It’s transferring the audio digitally through the hot shoe which is just fantastic. It’s really going to step up the audio in your videos.” With this camera, you also get a bigger battery. “Compared to the ZV-1 II and the ZV-1 F, you’re going to have the ability to shoot for a little while longer because you do have a much bigger lithium ion battery.” Learn more about the Sony ZV-E10 HERE. Sony ZV-E1 The Sony ZV-E1 is the top-of-the-line in the ZV lineup. “You’ve got a 12 megapixel full-frame sensor, very similar to the one found in the Sony Alpha 7S III. And as you already know, that camera is highly touted for its ability to shoot in low light. Amazing dynamic range. So in terms of low light capabilities, this is going to be the very best that you can get in the ZV lineup.” “But it doesn't end there,” Quiles continues. “You see now you’re stepping into high-quality video recording. You have the ability to shoot up to 4K 120p. You can do that with 4:2:2 10-bit color, which is unbelievable. Once again, if you’re trying to get that professional, cinematic look, you could definitely do it with those other cameras in the ZV lineup, but the very best quality that you could possibly get and the most versatility that you could get, is definitely going to be in the Sony ZV-E1." Another major feature of the Sony ZV-E1 is the inclusion of a dedicated AI-processing chip, which brings some really amazing AI features to the camera. This includes the ability for the camera to keep a wide variety of subjects, like humans, cars, trains, planes, insects, animals, in focus. You also have an AI Auto-Reframing feature. “So you can actually take the camera, put it on a tripod, you could walk around and it’s actually going to keep you in the frame. It’s going to follow you, it’s going to zoom in. And it’s going to make it look like you actually have somebody behind the camera. So it’s providing a little bit of an additional level of professionalism and quality to your productions without actually having to have someone behind the camera doing it for you.” Sony ZV-E1 Another big highlight of the Sony ZV-E1 is Dynamic SteadyShot, a fairly rare feature amongst Sony cameras. “You get this very smooth, gimbal-like quality to your shots.” Again, Quiles says this adds another layer of professionalism to your videos. The Sony ZV-E1 also gives you the ability to choose from a variety of full frame Sony lenses. In this video, Quiles pairs it with the Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ. “With this particular camera body, it actually has a rocker switch where I could actually control the zoom either on the lens itself or I can use the camera body to control the zoom.” The camera also has the bigger Z-series battery. “If you plan on going out for the day and you want to have a camera that’s going to give you the most battery life in the ZV lineup, without a doubt it is going to be the battery that is inside of the ZV-E1.” You also get the multi-interface show with digital audio capabilities, so you can use external microphones. “So the ZV-E1, I think, is the tippy-top of the line in that vlogging series of cameras. It basically does everything that a serious vlogger would want to do.” Learn more about the Sony ZV-E1 HERE.

In a new Behind The Shot series on the Alpha Universe YouTube Channel, Sony Brand Ambassador and Sea Legacy co-founder Cristina Mittermeier shares her experience photographing the marine iguana. In the video, you can see the challenges of photographing such quick and quirky-looking creatures. We wanted to hear more about the shoot and the conservation efforts behind the images and sat down with Mittermeier for more. Keep reading as she shares how she got the image by shooting what she and fellow Sony Brand Ambassador Paul Nicklen call “the extra 30%”. Imagery With An Impact Mittermeier and her SeaLegacy team were on a shoot to photograph the entire eastern pacific seascape – an area that includes the coastal region of Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica and Ecuador. These four countries were working to create the first interconnected system of marine protected areas. “Imagine a migratory swimway,” she explains. Her mission was to document stories of the importance of these protected areas. Photo by Cristina Mittermeier. The team had been to all three other countries and Ecuador was their last stop. They were off the coast of the Galapagos and were hoping to photograph species that are iconic to the region. They knew that by showcasing the animals that would benefit from these protected areas, they could help make an impact. The animals they focused on were the Magellanic penguin, the Flightless cormorant, and of course, the marine iguana. The Conditions For her work with SeaLegacy, Mittermeier often shoots far out to sea. She’s in open waters, around massive predators, and dealing with the stresses of those scenarios. On the contrary, this shoot was in shallow waters, close to the shore. “It was so much fun,” she explains, “You're not worried about a shark coming out of the deep. You're not worried about being carried out to sea. You can focus on the fun of it and the images you’re making.” Photo by Cristina Mittermeier. In terms of the images, as you’ll hear in the video, photographing these fast marine iguanas was no easy feat. Mittermeier says she’s grateful to have had reliable gear that could help her photographic process, rather than get in the way. “I have come to rely so much on Sony’s capabilities as I’m getting older. And so focusing, for example, I don’t even think about anymore because the camera does it so well and can recognize animals. It makes it a lot easier to actually capture something that’s in focus.” The Extra 30% Mittermeier is known for compelling and eye-catching imagery, with compositions and techniques that force a viewer to pause over a shot and take it in with awe. She explains that the type of photography she does, the extra 30%, a phrase she got from fellow Sony Brand Ambassador and co-founder of SeaLegacy, Paul Nicklen. In his Masters of Photography class he explains that in the first 30% of a shoot, you spend your time making a usable image. This means that the lighting is good, the composition is fine, it gets across all the information needed for the story. “That’s usually a very boring picture. And that’s where most people get stuck.” The next 30% of your time, you pull more tools from your photography toolkit. “This is where you think about a longer exposure, maybe adding a flash – you think about getting a different perspective. For this particular shoot, I was fascinated because iguanas come in and they hold on to the rock. And they have all this beautiful golden seaweed that's twirling around them and I was trying to get an iguana kind of enveloped in the seaweed. I wanted to create something that had a little more interest than just one sitting there.” Photo by Cristina Mittermeier. She goes on to explain that the final 30% is a Hail Mary. The time to try anything else weird or fun that comes to mind. “I was thinking, what happens if I go to a shutter speed of 120-sec.? That’s when things get really interesting, and what I was trying to capture in that last Hail Mary was the motion of the water and the violence of these surge. There's an iguana that’s still and so therefore she's in focus, but everything around her is moving. I got a couple of those and that was exciting.” “I always say to be a successful photographer you need to conquer fatigue, boredom and just complacency. A lot of photographers go take a couple of shots and they give up. To come up with a brilliant shot. You need to stay the course, keep getting back into the situation, come back when the light is different, withstand all the mosquitoes, the heat, the thirst, the hunger…to stay as long as you need to get the shot, something that's unique and different.” Conservation Wins On the last day that the team was shooting, a bunch of dignitaries arrived in the Galapagos to declare the expansion of the Galapagos Marine reserve. They created the first ever interconnected swimway for migratory species. Creating images and stories that connect people to wildlife is crucial for conservation. Without knowing about something, you can’t care about it and storytelling enables audiences to know and care for our environment. Photo by Cristina Mittermeier. When reflecting on conservation wins like this one, Mitttermeier says, “I tend to feel like it's a drop in the bucket of what we need to do because the challenge is so massive. But I have learned to not look at how far I have to go instead to look back at how far we've come. And I pat myself a little bit on the back and keep going.” You can learn more from Cristina in a live, text based AMA right here on the forums on April 10th at 2pm ET!

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This is a program similar to Eclipse Orchestrator and it has support for Sony on Mac OS X α9II α9 α7RIV α7RIII α7sIII α7III RX10IV RX100VI Solar Eclipse Maestro for MacOS X Version 1.9.0v1 http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/Solar_Eclipse_Maestro_Photography_Software.htm

On April 8, 2024, there’s going to be a solar eclipse that will be visible across much of North America during the day. Many Sony photographers are planning to head out to capture the event, and we want to help make sure you’re prepared and don’t miss the moment. We’ve put together a complete guide to help you prepare and photograph the upcoming eclipse. Check it out below and don’t forget to share your eclipse images in our Eclipse Photo Challenge here on the forums. When & Where To Photograph The Eclipse The eclipse will take place on April 8, 2024, but it’s important to plan out your timing and location prior to the event. An eclipse certainly doesn’t last forever (or even for three minutes), so you want to make sure you’re in the right place at the right time and ready to go. Note that it’s also important to pay attention to the weather and be prepared to be flexible. NASA is an excellent resource for finding out what time the event will occur in your location. Below you’ll find times that totality begins in some U.S. cities in the path of totality, and you can find a larger time table on NASA’s eclipse website. They also provide several visuals of where you can expect to see the 2024 total solar eclipse. City: Dallas, Texas Totality Begins: 1:40 p.m. CDT City: Little Rock, Arkansas Totality Begins: 1:51 p.m. CDT City: Cleveland, Ohio Totality Begins: 3:13 p.m. EDT City: Buffalo, NY Totality Begins: 3:18 p.m. EDT Graphic from science.nasa.gov. Another popular resource for establishing the best location to photograph events like this is PhotoPills. It allows you to easily scout out a potential photo, as well as calculate and manage the best time and place to get the shot you’re going for. Sony Brand Ambassadors and adventure photographers @NateintheWild and @autpops will be using the app to plan out their eclipse shots. It’s a great resource to use even beyond this event, and the two rely on it to plan out some of their most epic shots. “It allows you to see exactly where the sun will rise and set, where the Milky Way will be in the sky at any given place and time, and even where the eclipse will happen. I highly recommend it for all of your planning needs,” says Schrock. You can get more of their tips in the Solar Eclipse Photography Checklist and check out their recent AMA for more great tips. Photo by Autumn Schrock What To Pack When it comes to photographing the eclipse, you need some specific gear to create safe and successful imagery. You can’t just go out with your typical camera and lens setup pointed at the sun – you will ruin your gear. You also can’t just go out and look directly at the sun either, as you’ll ruin your eyes. Here we’ve put together a few of the items we think you should pack in your photo kit for capturing the eclipse. Camera Obviously your location, the gear you have and the types of photos you're trying to capture are all going to play a part in which camera and lens(es) you bring to photograph the eclipse. Pack the Sony Alpha camera you have and pay more attention to the focal range of your lens selection. This isn’t the best time to try out new gear – you want to use a camera you know well so you aren’t fumbling with settings. Lenses Again, this will mainly depend on the gear you have and what your plans are for photographing the eclipse, but telephoto zooms like the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master, Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G and Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II are excellent options. To really capture big detail in the corona and the sun itself, many Sony shooters choose to use a telephoto prime like the Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master or even the Sony 600mm f/4 G Master sometimes paired with the Sony 1.4x Teleconverter or Sony 2x Teleconverter. Longer lenses are better for capturing the diamond ring effect just before and after totality, while a slightly shorter focal length will ensure that you get the corona, which extends far from the solar disc, at totality. Think about what you want to capture and plan accordingly. Solar Filter You must have a good solar filter on the front of your lens while photographing the eclipse so you don’t damage your camera. It’s important that you purchase one from an authorized dealer to ensure it offers true protection and isn’t a counterfeit (yes, it happens). You can find a list of authorized dealers at eclipse.aas.org. Solar Eclipse Glasses When looking at the eclipse with your own eyes, you need to be wearing certified solar eclipse glasses so you don’t damage your vision. These will also help you better set up your camera in the right position for capturing the eclipse in frame. Like with the solar filter for your lens, make sure you get one from an authorized source for safe viewing. A list of approved manufacturers can also be found at eclipse.aas.org. You can also learn more about how to ensure eye safety in NASA’s Total Solar Eclipse Safety Guide. Tripod & Remote Shutter When the eclipse is in totality, you will be photographing in relative darkness and will want to approach it the same way you would twilight or night photography. This means having your camera set on a sturdy tripod and using a remote shutter if possible to avoid camera shake. The last thing you want is for everything else to go right, but your image is blurry from too much movement during a long exposure. Extra Batteries & Memory Cards It’s always a good idea to have extras of these items for any shoot. Since this is such a rare event, we would argue it’s even more important. You never know what might happen, and you just might get carried away and shoot more than planned. How To Actually Photograph The Event So you have your certified solar eclipse glasses ready, you’ve set up your Sony Alpha camera and Sony lens with your authorized solar filter on a stable tripod. Now what? With your camera set to shoot RAW, you’ll want to experiment with exposure times and apertures. You can test exposure times before the eclipse by photographing the sun at the same height in the sky as during the eclipse. Make sure that solar filter stays on your lens when photographing the sun and partial phases of the eclipse. By preparing your exposure settings ahead of time, you don’t have to worry as much in the moment. During totality, you can remove the filter, but you must make sure to put it back on during the remaining partial phases. In this Alpha Universe guide, Sony Artisan @Drew_Geraci provides more on how to capture stunning photos and/or timelapse of the event. Photo by Andrew Geraci Other Useful Eclipse Resources For Photographers From The Alpha Universe Remember the August 2017 solar eclipse that crossed the country? Well, a lot of the same applies to this one. Check out our previous article on What You Need to Know to Safely Capture the Solar Eclipse. How does a solar eclipse work? Is the weather going to cooperate? Learn more about how to answer these questions in Your Last Minute Foolproof Eclipse Guide. As photographers know, taking the photo is only a part of the process. After you have your eclipse images, you’ll want to be able to edit them to take them across the finish line. Learn more about how to properly do so in our article from Sony Artisan @MattK on Editing Eclipse Photos. Sony photographers Dan Marker-Moore and Mike Meyers traveled to Chili in 2019 with a massive plan on the different ways they wanted to capture it. Read more about their plan and the gear they used in Eclipse 2019: Capturing Totality and In Search of Totality: How A Pair Of Creatives Are Capturing The 2019 Total Eclipse. Sony Artisan @pm-r photographed a previous eclipse, and he explains his complete photography approach in A Long-Lens, Three-Camera Approach To The Eclipse. We look forward to you sharing your eclipse images in our Eclipse Photo Challenge!

Hi Chuck, Yes, the viewfinder is also a LCD. You will need a solar filter for your lens. Do not point your camera at the sun without a solar filter otherwise your sensor may possibly be damaged. Here is a good article about solar filters: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/lens-filters-for-solar-photography