MattK

I agree with Caroline. Use something to stay on track. Think of it more of an outline than a script. Very few people can read a script and sound natural so it would definitely come across as not genuine. But if you have a short outline of talking points, to keep you on track, I think that's essential to any good vlog.

I used to find myself jealous of those people with a big gear bag and all of those "what's in my bag" photos with all of that gear. Now I find myself not wanting to ever bring more than one camera and one lens. I'm not a pro shooter, don't have clients, so I don't need a backup. So for me, less is definitely more. For most wildlife outings I go on I bring my a1 and 200-600mm lens and that does perfect. Sometimes I'll throw in the super light 24-105mm too.

That's a great combo!

Great shots. Love the eagle portrait. May I ask if you're blurring backgrounds in Photoshop? Some of them have that look, though still look great - but I was curious as I haven't been getting that depth of field with the 200-600mm no matter how far the background depth is. Thanks for sharing!

Ugh... so hard to pick my "best". It changes (in my view at least) every week. So I'll just post one of my favorites that people seem to like.

I got to take the new A7r5 out the other morning to a local beach for some bird photography. It was a pretty quiet morning so it's not the best bird photography you've ever seen, but if you're looking for some idea of the quality of the new camera these should help. I usually use the a1, but I have to say this camera performed perfectly. Didn't miss a shot and the auto focus was impeccable. All photos taken in Manual Exposure mode, lowest f-stop on the lens (f/6.3), varying shutter speeds and Auto ISO. (like all online photos, these are best enjoyed if you go full screen)

Yeah, Desoto is amazing. And there's a great eagle photography boat tour you can take 2 hours north of Tampa (dvwildlife.com). By far the best eagle photos I've ever shot. Feel free to reach out when the time comes.

Hi. For me, step up rings are easier than trying to keep track of different sizes of the filters.

Beautiful work! Owls are always tough to find or at least hard to find and get quality photos. The a1 and the 600mm are definitely my go-to for wildlife. Amazing combo! If you ever find yourself in the Tampa, FL area let me know. There are some great bird photography spots around here.

Great shot. Living in FL, it's always harder to find landscape spots to photograph. The swamp, and marsh areas can be beautiful. They're chaotic but there's beauty in that chaos if you can find it and show it the right way. Thanks for sharing!

Hi... A few thoughts... 1. Content is king. If the content is good then cinematic, epic, etc... become less important. 2. People care less and less about the camera and all of the b-roll and bells and whistles. I agree with you to use whatever tools you have. Again, if the story and content are good, I've always found that's most important. 3. Great that you don't care if you share it. That said, be prepared that (for most people) creating usually implies we share things too. "Pressure" as you called it, isn't always a bad thing. The pressure to be better, or make something better is often what helps us improve. Pressure to provide for my family and send my kids to college is what helped me succeed. Pressure to be better than the person next to me, is what helped me improve. Pressure can be good and 100% helps us get better. It's not required but that sharing process is usually how things grow and evolve. If you're okay that you never receive feedback, comments, thoughts, etc... then go for it. But most people I know that start something for themselves, and never share it or do anything with it, also usually never keep up with whatever that activity is. Just a thought. Either way, good luck.

I'm curious to know if anyone uses the preset buttons that some lenses have on them. I've set mine to switch to APS-C mode so it crops in. I don't usually shoot that way, but it's a quick way for me to get a closer look at wildlife if I'm shooting from far away. But I'm always on the lookout for other uses for them since your hand is typically right there while shooting. Thanks!

I don't have one anymore. I used to and I was often disappointed with the focus and my results. Once the a1 came out it instantly got better and I sold the r4.

Hoping to get to Alaska sometime soon for some eagle and bear photography. Some of the locations there get you so close to the action, I may actually NOT have to crop 70% of the photo away 🙂

Hi. Welcome to the Sony world! The "R" series is the high megapixel camera (61 mp). So the a7r5 is the successor to the a7r4, 3 and so on. The a7 series (no "R") is a similar camera, with less megapixels. Unless you need those megapixels for printing or really tight crops, I'd go with the a74. It's a wonderful camera. Great at everything and plenty of megapixels for nearly every type of photographer. Great at video, stills, portraits, landscapes and even wildlife. The ZV cameras are great vlogging cameras, and okay at everything else. If that's primarily what you're after then I'd go with one of those. Hope that helps.

Just got mine yesterday! Woo hoo!

I have both the a7r5 and that lens on and haven't had any issues with it. So I'd definitely contact Sony to see if something is wrong. Good luck.

Hi. I think overall it has a nice look to it. Technically everything is great, except as Tony mentioned it is crooked, so you'd want to straighten it. For me personally, it doesn't signify any connection with anything but a phone. I guess that's life, so if that's what you're looking to capture it does the job. But a photo of a person sitting on a bench looking at a phone, doesn't necessarily resonate with me. Thanks.

Great shots. I really like the ones with the rocks and water below.

Hi. If you're getting the 16-35mm I'd get the one Tony mentioned. I've had both the GM lens and the f/4 and to my eyes I really couldn't tell the difference. Good luck.

Hi and thanks for the kind words. To be honest with you it's not ever something I even think about. If I'm out at the beach, I just try to make sure my hands are free of sand. Besides the obvious things... if it's raining, dirt or debris flying around, etc... I just use my gear. It's a lot tougher than any of us give it credit for and most people don't even come close to misusing it. And if small debris does get in (it always will), Sony or your local camera stores can do sensor cleanings or you can do them on your own. It's really not that hard if you watch some videos. But again, I change lenses constantly and usually don't ever think twice about it. Good luck!

I find I can get lost in those places and wander around for hours. Great photos and really nice editing style! Definitely an interesting genre.

Hi DeShay. I primarily shoot wildlife and birds so hopefully this helps a little. First, I would suggest something full frame mirrorless. You want full frame because it generally does better with noise and has higher megapixels. You’re going to be using higher ISOs and cropping a lot so I’d start there. All of the recent Sony cameras have great AF so I wouldn’t worry about that. Honestly, bird eye auto focus is nice but I find I hardly use it. Focusing anywhere on the subject gives great results. And then frame rate is something to look at, but again… any recent camera will do in that area. I’ll leave you with a simple recommendation. Either get the Sony a74 or a7r5 (r5 is newer) and couple it with the 200-600mm lens and maybe the 24-105mm for wider landscapes. Both camera are excellent for nature and wildlife and those lenses are always on my camera. Feel free to swing by my website at mattk.com and click on “BIRDS” in the menu and you’ll see lots of examples and settings too. Good luck!

Does anyone have a custom button or custom setup on their camera that they swear by? I don’t change much but I did change the C3 button (a1 camera) to switch various Eye Af. I also have a custom recall setting for the AEL button that allows me to switch from my fast moving subject bird/wildlife settings (which are what the camera is usually set to), to slower moving or perched settings. Anyway change something that they can’t live without?

"I almost wish I was a working pro so that I could justify the cost" Be careful what you wish for... I was watching the news the other morning and "pro photographer" was listed as one of the top 5 worst jobs. As a hobbyist you probably stand a better chance at affording the gear you want, than many working full time pros. Just because it's a business expense doesn't make it free 🙂