My experience yesterday

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Margie28
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My experience yesterday

Unread post by Margie28 »

Hi everyone,

I really appreciate the input I received with my question about the Sigma 50mm Macro lens for the Sony Alpha 100

It happens that yesterday I had to take photos at a favor wedding and I didn't manage to buy the macro lens ( the store needed to place an order for that lens).

I had a hard time shooting in low light at the ceremony and I had to use the fill flash and lower the ISO to 200 and sometimes to 400.

Do you have the same experience?

Thanks for your input
Margie
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Sony Alpha 100, Sony lens 18-70mm, F3.5-5.6, Sigma lens 70-300DG MacroSigma 50 mm Macro
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Omega892
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Re: My experience yesterday

Unread post by Omega892 »

Margie28 wrote:Hi everyone,
I had a hard time shooting in low light at the ceremony and I had to use the fill flash and lower the ISO to 200 and sometimes to 400.

Do you have the same experience?

Thanks for your input
I would not consider a macro lens to be of the most use at a wedding, unless one wanted to take close ups of the bouquet etc., in which case a zoom lens with macro would work.

The conventional use for a proper macro lens is set for exposure and magnification with the whole camera then being moved along the camera to subject axis to focus. To be sure such as the Minolta 100mm Macro D f/2.8-32, and doubtless the Sigma 50mm example, can be used to get that wider f/2.8 aperture and focused at any distance but many pro’ wedding photographers tend to use a limited number of wide maximum aperture prime lenses and perhaps a single zoom.

I know this is the set up that the photographer (Shootinghip) at my son’s recent wedding (see Verity & Carl Langrish House if you look it up at http://www.shootinghip.com/weddings.asp) used on his Canons, primes being preferred for this type of work he did not use flash indoors. This photographer, who remarked, tongue in cheek, ‘Not often I am outgunned by the groom’s father’, professed to be an ex-Minolta user who changed when tired of waiting for a DSLR. I wonder if Minolta would still be around if they had been quicker off the blocks with one such. Maybe not, some signs were already there that the market was skewed.

I wished that I had the Minolta HS AF 80-200mm APO G at the time of that wedding, but there were occasions when a wide field, in close was required and my 14mm Sigma EX f/2.8-f/22 came in handy there.

I have a Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro with a proper macro facility but only up to 1:2. The macro works by operating a mechanical interlock slider when the focal length is set at 300mm, the focus ring can then be used to extend the barrel which is graduated 1:3.5, 1:3, 1:2.5, 1:2. This Sigma, even at 1:3.5, focuses closer than the Minolta AF zoom 75-300mm 1:4.5 (32) – 5.6 D but then the Sigma’s barrel extends for a considerable distance which gives it a better claim to having a macro facility.

I am still evaluating the Sigma, a SH purchase, which could make a handy addition to a minimalist bag – my physical health is no longer able to cope with too much load for even a moderate duration (I just love it when some insist you must always use a tripod :x ).

Your remarks about upping the ISO to 400 makes me smile. I recall trying to catch Phantom aircraft as they caught a wire on Ark Royal in the early 1970s (I was an airframes/engine technician, artificer in the RN, on the Phantom squadron) using manual focus, exposure and wind-on with Kodachrome II transparency film of 25ASA (as the film sensitivity scale was then known outside of Germany), on a Minolta of course. :)

Kodachrome II has proved the longest lived emulsion of the four that I tried at that time, Kodachrome II of 25ASA, Agfa CT-18 of 50ASA, Fujichrome (from 1971) of 100 ASA (thought this was fast at the time) and Ektachrome which had an ASA rating of greater than 100, 160 I think, but I cannot recall exactly, there was also a variant with 64ASA.
Last edited by Omega892 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
'Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.' - Benjamin Franklin
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pakodominguez
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Re: My experience yesterday

Unread post by pakodominguez »

Margie28 wrote: It happens that yesterday I had to take photos at a favor wedding and I didn't manage to buy the macro lens ( the store needed to place an order for that lens).

I had a hard time shooting in low light at the ceremony and I had to use the fill flash and lower the ISO to 200 and sometimes to 400.
It seams that you are looking for a low light lens -not a macro. If that is the case, try to get a Minolta 50mm 1.7 on ebay (about US$ 70) and with the change, buy an external flash, cuz extra light is always wellcome.

If you insist working withouth flash, you'll probably need to rise the ISO to 800 or more. Alas, the A100 isn't really well know for it performance on Hi ISO -you can always fix it whit your favorite software.

Another trick (...) is using DRO, that will try to recovery detail on the dark zones. On the A700 is even better, but noisy.
Pako
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Margie28
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Unread post by Margie28 »

Hi Franklin,

What you wrote is so informative! The weddings are all so beautiful!

I've some awesome photos from the wedding from last Sunday that the couple invited me over for this Sunday where they want me to take more photos from the parents from both the bride and the groom. They will organize a special brunch event where they will dress up specially for the photo session before the brunch. :D

I was really amazed with this invitation and happy at the same time! :D

I will let you know how it went. :D
Margie
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Omega892
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Unread post by Omega892 »

Margie28 wrote:Hi Franklin,

What you wrote is so informative! The weddings are all so beautiful!
Heh! Heh!

My name is not Franklin, what you have taken is the last name of that famous person who is reputed to have made the quote cited in my SIG. :wink:

PS I think my son's wedding was the most photographed yet, in this family at least. :P
'Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.' - Benjamin Franklin
Margie28
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Unread post by Margie28 »

Oh Omega I saw the Franklin and didn't realized that it was from the quote...I'm sorry, didn't mean to do that, but I've to say this.....that was real funny! :lol:

Oh well, the couple, are so gorgeous. Those are really beautiful photos! :)

Thanks for sharing. :wink:
Margie
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Sony Alpha 100, Sony lens 18-70mm, F3.5-5.6, Sigma lens 70-300DG MacroSigma 50 mm Macro
Margie28
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Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:13 pm

Unread post by Margie28 »

Hi everyone,

I printed about 30 photos from the wedding and gave them about 10 photos and they werereally happy with the outcome! :D

They were impressed with the vivid colors and the way the photos were taken. All this thanks to all your great advices and tips that you share here on the forum. :D Thank you so much. :D

I'm going to practice more with the Aperture priority mode, because I see that by using this mode there are also more great ways to take interesting photoshots. :)

Have a nice day. :)
Margie
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Sony Alpha 100, Sony lens 18-70mm, F3.5-5.6, Sigma lens 70-300DG MacroSigma 50 mm Macro
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