[A7RV Issues]

Consider RESETTING the camera.

1. Save your settings first 

ILCE-7RM5 | Help Guide | Save/Load Settings (sony.net)

2. Reset the camera

ILCE-7RM5 | Help Guide | Setting Reset (sony.net)

 

 

 

[The Flower, Nature Macro and Garden Photography Thread! (Caroline Jensen)]

Bee on a Purple Coneflower.

ICLE-1 FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS with 2X Teleconverter
712 mm f/13 1/500 sec ISO 2500

 

[Photography Composition Rules]

It depends on the subject and what I want to say about it.

[EXIF Data in this forum?]

Is there a way to share EXIF data with our photos automatically in this community?

[What's your preferred time of day to shoot?]

Half an hour after sunrise today.

200 mm f/5.6 1/2000 sec ISO 1250

[Share a picture from your favorite place!]

My favourite place, at least for today. 5:43 am, Crescent Beach, Canada

ILCE-1, FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS,
200 mm f/5.6 ISO 100      

[Where are my garden/flower photographers?]

Here's a tiny fan of the flowers above a couple of days later.

A1 with FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS 
f/6.3 1/4000 sec ISO 12800

[Where are my garden/flower photographers?]

A1 with FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II and 2X Teleconverter. 
I didn't need the 2X Teleconverter for these shots, but I had it on the lens at the moment I decided to take these. 

[How many lenses do you own?]

FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G - landscape, environmental portraits, family events

FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS - travel, street, landscape

FE 50mm f/1.2 GM - low light situations, but otherwise I use my zoom lenses

FE 70-200 mm f/2.8 GM OSS II - my favourite for daily walks in nature. I carry the 2.0X teleconverter in case I need more reach for distant wildlife or candid shots

FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 OSS - wildlife, especially birds in flight

 

[The Flower, Nature Macro and Garden Photography Thread! (Caroline Jensen)]

Borage (Starflower)
Which do you prefer (f/6.3 or f/2.8)

First image 
ILCE-1 200 mm f/6.3 1/100 sec ISO 200 
 

Second image
ILCE-1 200 mm f/2.8 1/500 sec ISO 200

[What Is Your Favorite Lens For Landscape Photography?]

On 6/27/2023 at 7:27 PM, CarolineJensen said:

I'm kind of weird and love intimate landscapes. I love the 100-400GM.

What's an intimate landscape? Share a photo?

[The Flower, Nature Macro and Garden Photography Thread! (Caroline Jensen)]

Bee with pollen pellet in a poppy.

 

ILCE-1
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II (SEL70200GM2) + 2X Teleconverter (SEL20TC)
400.0 mm ƒ/5.6 1/4000 sec ISO 5000

[What's your first GM lens and why did you choose it?]

First GM lens

70-200 F2.8 OSS GM II
I just got it a few weeks ago, and I've been ecstatically happy with it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the 2x teleconverter I had planned to get with it - until today. I picked it up late this afternoon and plan to check it out tomorrow. 
Here's an example of why I wanted the 2x teleconverter. I would have liked to fill the frame with these photos, but I couldn't crop that much without degrading the results. Taken two days ago. All at 1/2000-1/2500, F2.8, 200 mm, ISO 100.

History - what I used to shoot with
I had used the FE 24–105mm F4 G OSS Lens (SEL24105G)  as my daily all-around lens for about five months, and I was very happy with that. I also got the PZ 16-35 F4 for some environmental portraits, landscape and some video. I walk outdoors daily, and lately, there has been more wildlife, but most of those creatures were beyond the reach of the 24-105. And since I often walk in the early hours, I wondered about how much more I could photograph with a wider aperture.

Why did I choose the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II?

See the list below of the lenses I considered. I have shown the features that mattered most to me. 

• Weight and, to a lesser extent, size
  • I have to be able to carry it for 10 miles
  • Use it hand-held
• Versatility 
  • widest to the narrowest field of view 
    • Wildlife and landscapes
  • fastest aperture
• Performance
  • All three lenses below get great reviews
  • Autofocus speed
  • Image quality

I considered 

1. FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II (SEL70200GM2) with 2x Teleconverter Lens (SEL20TC) 
   1045 + 207 = 1252 grams / 88 x 200 mm + 62.4 x 42.7 mm (total length 242.7 mm)

   • This combination would give me a fast zoom
     • F2.8 for 70-200
       and with the teleconverter
     • F5.6 for 140-400 
   • Reviews of this combination suggested that I should get comparable results at 400mm to the FE 100-400 F4.5-5.6 GM below 
   • Internal zoom
   • All the latest GM II features (announced 2022)
     • XD Linear Motors
     • Aperture ring
     • 3 mode OSS
   • Shortest minimum focus distance 0.4–0.82 m

2. FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM) 1,395 grams / 93.9 x 280 mm at 400 mm

   • Older GM design (announced 2017)
     • Linear motor and Direct Drive SSM
   • External zoom
   • Minimum focus distance 0.98 m/3.22 ft

3. FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G) 2,115 grams / 111.5 x 318 mm

   • Not GM 
   • Announced 2019
   • Minimum focus distance 2.4 m
   • Internal zoom
   • Too heavy to carry for the duration of my long walks, and I'd probably need to carry
     • a tripod or monopod
     • a second lens for more typical landscape shots
   • I had a chance to try this lens on my camera today. It was challenging to hand-hold it at 600 mm.

A quick update to my post above. 

I got the Sony FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G) 13 days ago and despite my reservations above

• It's a fine lens (G is still great vs. GM)
• While the minimum focus distance is 2.4 meters, it's not as big an issue as I had imagined
• The internal zoom is great, and the 1/4 turn to go from 200-600 mm is terrific
• I'm getting used to the weight, and I have carried it at least 7 km for 12 of the past 13 days

Here are a couple of shots.

 

[The early bird get's the... light?]

Hi, Drew,

I hope it's okay to drop in some photos in your thread.

I often walk before dawn - my favourite time of day (but not great for photographs). This is from a couple of days ago.

As the sun was just about to rise 

At about the same time, facing the opposite direction you could see that pre-dawn light reflected in the buildings 

and a glimpse of the moon as the sun was rising

[Is "Auto" setting on pro bodies still necessary?]

The green "Auto" setting was handy recently. I was at an event with a friend (a visual artist). I handed them my A1 with 24-105, showed them how to use the zoom ring, and they were all set.

 

 

[What's your first GM lens and why did you choose it?]

First GM lens

70-200 F2.8 OSS GM II

I just got it a few weeks ago, and I've been ecstatically happy with it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the 2x teleconverter I had planned to get with it - until today. I picked it up late this afternoon and plan to check it out tomorrow. 

Here's an example of why I wanted the 2x teleconverter. I would have liked to fill the frame with these photos, but I couldn't crop that much without degrading the results. Taken two days ago. All at 1/2000-1/2500, F2.8, 200 mm, ISO 100.

History - what I used to shoot with

I had used the FE 24–105mm F4 G OSS Lens (SEL24105G)  as my daily all-around lens for about five months, and I was very happy with that. I also got the PZ 16-35 F4 for some environmental portraits, landscape and some video. I walk outdoors daily, and lately, there has been more wildlife, but most of those creatures were beyond the reach of the 24-105. And since I often walk in the early hours, I wondered about how much more I could photograph with a wider aperture.

Why did I choose the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II?

See the list below of the lenses I considered. I have shown the features that mattered most to me. 

• Weight and, to a lesser extent, size
  • I have to be able to carry it for 10 miles
  • Use it hand-held
• Versatility 
  • widest to the narrowest field of view 
    • Wildlife and landscapes
  • fastest aperture
• Performance
  • All three lenses below get great reviews
  • Autofocus speed
  • Image quality

 

I considered 

1. FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II (SEL70200GM2) with 2x Teleconverter Lens (SEL20TC) 

   1045 + 207 = 1252 grams / 88 x 200 mm + 62.4 x 42.7 mm (total length 242.7 mm)

   • This combination would give me a fast zoom
     • F2.8 for 70-200

       and with the teleconverter

     • F5.6 for 140-400 
   • Reviews of this combination suggested that I should get comparable results at 400mm to the FE 100-400 F4.5-5.6 GM below 
   • Internal zoom
   • All the latest GM II features (announced 2022)
     • XD Linear Motors
     • Aperture ring
     • 3 mode OSS
   • Shortest minimum focus distance 0.4–0.82 m

2. FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM) 1,395 grams / 93.9 x 280 mm at 400 mm

   • Older GM design (announced 2017)
     • Linear motor and Direct Drive SSM
   • External zoom
   • Minimum focus distance 0.98 m/3.22 ft

3. FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G) 2,115 grams / 111.5 x 318 mm

   • Not GM 
   • Announced 2019
   • Minimum focus distance 2.4 m
   • Internal zoom
   • Too heavy to carry for the duration of my long walks, and I'd probably need to carry
     • a tripod or monopod
     • a second lens for more typical landscape shots
   • I had a chance to try this lens on my camera today. It was challenging to hand-hold it at 600 mm.

[What's your favorite lens??]

I just got a 70-200 F2.8 GM II, and it's been a revelation. I put the 24-105 on my first camera about six months ago and loved it. I took it on my daily walks and enjoyed the versatility of being able to go wide to mild zoom in a quarter turn. I only took it off to use my PZ 16-35 F4 G for occasional landscapes, but mainly for environmental portraits and some video of musicians at recurring community event. 

Here is one of my first shots with the 70-200.

On the beach in the rain yesterday.

And today on a street near that beach

 

 

[Pets & Wild life Photography]

Here's a shot I got at an off-leash dog park a couple of days ago. I had no idea this is what dogs at play look like when frozen in time. Despite the ferocity, it was all in fun, and no harm done.

[What's the most underrated lens?]

The 24-105 F4 was my first lens, and it has been a wonderful companion for nearly six months.  

I don't think it's underrated, though. It gets stellar reviews.

 

[What's in your bag?]

You're so smart. Your bag does not scream, "I'm full of camera gear!"

[What photography accessory can you not live without??]

Most valuable - my camera hip bag/holster plus shoulder sling

I'm a belt and suspenders kind of person.

I've found the only way I can carry my A7IV or A1 with a 70-200 GM II for my two-to-three hour daily walks, is a holster bag on a padded belt. If I carry the camera bag on my shoulder, or in a backpack, or carry the camera in my hands, my back gives me grief. 

The holster bag/belt is a now discontinued LowePro model. It's deep enough to (barely) fit the body and 70-200 with the lens hood in place. It's ready to shoot as soon as I pull it from the bag. I keep the camera in the bag as I hike around. The camera only comes out to shoot photos. This way, the camera is not exposed to the elements and is not vulnerable if I trip and tumble or brush up against something.

I also have a shoulder sling attached to the bottom of the camera (tripod mount). The sling is loose so there's no weight on my shoulder. Its only function is safety in case I lose my grip on the camera.

Today, the worst case happened. I had caught a fold in my rain jacket in the closing snap for the belt holster. Two kilometers in, I moved my arm and tugged at the rain jacket in just the wrong way. With that, the belt holster released.  The belt, holster and camera headed toward the ground, but the shoulder sling strap saved the camera leaving it dangling at my hip. Otherwise, the camera would have hit the ground, landing on the lens hood. Even in the bag, well, I wouldn't want to guess at the damage.

So, that's why the belt and suspenders (shoulder sling) approach and why I can't live without these two items (belt/bag and shoulder sling).

[What photography accessory can you not live without??]

A fanny pack. I used to lose lens caps like crazy, but I started wearing a runners fanny pack while I'm doing a session and I haven't lost one in a while. 

Great tip.
I just replaced a lost lens cap and camera cap. Together with shipping those two pieces cost nearly $50 CDN from Sony.

[New G-Master "PERSPECTIVES" episode - Paul Nicklen. THOUGHTS?]

That was wonderful. Thank you.

[Fierce Beauty - Kilauea Eruption Jan, 5 2023]

Thank was breathtakingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[On Average, How Many Times Do You Photograph Per Week?]

it is rare that I do not take pictures. favorite genre is anything I find of interest when I ride my bicycle

Hi, glb,

How do you carry your camera when riding your bicycle? How do you protect it?