Got an Alpha 350 about two months ago......

[ECam]

......and I am delighted with the camera. I am especially happy with the Super Steady Shot feature. I took several shots inside, with limited light and a slow shutter speed and got no blurring of the picture due to camera shake. I also used my Minolta 105mm - 210mm zoom lens outside in sunlight, hand held at the maximum magnification, and got a great shot with no blurring due to camera shake. This may be old hat to most of you, but to me, it's quite remarkable. It is the equivalent of getting a clear shot, with a regular camera (without Super SteadyShot), hand held, using a 315mm lens.

My old camera is a Minolta Maxxum 3xi, which is a film camera. I also have a Minolta 35mm - 105mm wide angle zoom in addition to the telephoto mentioned. When I bought the A350, I also bought the new Sony 18mm - 55mm kit lens (I heard that it was much better than the 18mm - 70mm old kit lens). The camera was $500, on line, and the lens $200. I bought a couple of circular polarizing filters (two different size lenses) and 4 gig CF card (Sandisk Extreme III), and a book. Just over $800. I got all this stuff together, took a deep breath and dove in.

The book I got was David Busch's SONY (Alpha) DSLR - A350/A300/A200 DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY. The book has been really helpful.

I am presently learing about and trying to decide how to deal with white balance issues. I have been experimenting with setting the "custom white balance" on the camera, using a target (a Melita coffee filter) set up for the lighting being used. I have gotten great results and it has become obvious to me that setting the white balance of the camera, in synthetic lighting conditions, is a must if you don't want your pictures to be color cast. (I shoot in JPEG and don't want to have to deal with shooting in RAW and then spending a lot of time correcting the white balance of the photos.) The Automatic White Balance of the camera, in the sun, seems to work quite well.

I don't like using a target to calibrate white balance, and I've been looking at some of the WB lens caps on the market. Some are high dollar and others, that appear to be just as effective, are around $5. Has anyone had any experience using the WB lens caps? One, that I have read about, is a Mennon and from what I've read, it works quite well. I would be interested in any information anyone might have about these lens caps.

Happy shooting all......

[Dr. Harout]

Congratulations ECam.
One of the main reasons (if not the principle one) was the steady shot (Anti Shake) for switching from Nikon (film). Had to switch to digital. I had 2 options with steady shot, either Pentax or Sony. Sony came out with the A100 quicker...
I still have great and utmost respect to Nikon, but with SSS Sony is different. Not to mention Minolta colors (impressionistic, I would say).

[ECam]

Congratulations ECam.
One of the main reasons (if not the principle one) was the steady shot (Anti Shake) for switching from Nikon (film). Had to switch to digital. I had 2 options with steady shot, either Pentax or Sony. Sony came out with the A100 quicker...
I still have great and utmost respect to Nikon, but with SSS Sony is different. Not to mention Minolta colors (impressionistic, I would say).

Dr. Harout, Thanks for the reply to my post. I think the Super Steady Shot feature is going to result in many more Sony DSLR converts, at least until the other big name DSLR makers come up with a comparable system.

Have you done any experimenting with any of the white balance lens caps on the market? What do you use to calibrate white balalce?

ECam

[bossel]

Welcome Ecam! We're eagerly waiting to see some of your pics!

Concerning WB, I am shooting RAW+JPG these days so if WB is off, it's easily corrected in the RAW converter.

[Dusty]

Welcome Aboard, Ecam!

I also thought the SSS was a real value when deciding between Sony and Canon. I went with the 350 and my biggest complaint in no x-sync socket, so I'm finally going to buy a Minolta/Sony flash shoe to standard flash shoe converter.

Dusty

[Dr. Harout]

...Have you done any experimenting with any of the white balance lens caps on the market? What do you use to calibrate white balalce?

ECam

No, not a white balance lens cap, but you can do almost the same with a pure white napkin instead. I don't know if the A350 has the mode to take a white balance within the menu.

[ECam]

...Have you done any experimenting with any of the white balance lens caps on the market? What do you use to calibrate white balalce?

ECam

No, not a white balance lens cap, but you can do almost the same with a pure white napkin instead. I don't know if the A350 has the mode to take a white balance within the menu.

The A350 has several pre-set white balance settings: Sunlight, shade, cloudy, incandescent light, fluorescent light, flash (when mixing flash with ambient light), setting the actual Kelvin temperature for a specific color mix, and the custom white balalce setting, which allows you to shoot a neutral white target to measure and set the proper white balance for that lighting condition. I have been using a Melita coffee filter as my WB target (Why Melita? I haven't a clue, except that I read another photographer used one with good results.). I think, ideally, I should be using an 18% gray card. I have not used the pre-set white balance settings very much as yet, but I have experimented with the custom white balance setting with very good results. The Auto WB setting seems to work fine outdoors in sunlight. I am anxious to get my hands on a WB lens cap to see how well they work. I'm planning to order one in a few weeks. I have read two articles of photographers who have tested these len caps with positive results. I hope I too get positive results because putting a lens cap on the camera and pointing it at where you wish to shoot seems like a very convenient way to customize white balance.

As soon as I can check one of these out, I'll post what I find.

[ECam]

Welcome Ecam! We're eagerly waiting to see some of your pics!

Concerning WB, I am shooting RAW+JPG these days so if WB is off, it's easily corrected in the RAW converter.

Hi Bossel,

It will be a while before I post any pics because I really don't have much to shoot right at the moment. I will in a few weeks.

Shooting RAW and correcting white balalce afterward is certainly a way to go. I shoot in JPEG and for me, I would rather try and get the shot as good as I can to avoid having to "tweek" it on the computer later. I'm sure that, in some instances, I will have to do just that, regardless of how carefully I set the white balance, but I would like to keep that to a minimum. Of course, I am just beginning this digital photography journey. In a few months I may be shooting exclusively in RAW. But for now, it's JPEG.

[stevecim]

I like my A350 has well, I really like the results I get outdoors, great colors, but I'm having lots of trouble in indoor flash shots

[ECam]

Welcome Ecam! We're eagerly waiting to see some of your pics!

Concerning WB, I am shooting RAW+JPG these days so if WB is off, it's easily corrected in the RAW converter.

[ECam]

I like my A350 has well, I really like the results I get outdoors, great colors, but I'm having lots of trouble in indoor flash shots

Hi Stevecim, I have only taken a few shots with the flash on the camera, indoors and they have come out OK. I don't have an external flash unit as yet, but I would be interested to know how you solve the probelm with your indoor flash.

I have taken a few shots outside and I too really like the clarity and accurate color rendition of the camera. As soon as I come up to speed with it I plan to post a few shots. Hope to see some from you too.

[alphaomega]

I liked my A350 as well but after passing it to my better half I thought I would purchase an A550. I got put off by the lack of program shift on P, the lack of ISO100 and the reports about ISO200 variable quality. Essentially I am a low ISO photographer 95% of the time and can use my new A700 for those times when I need to raise the ISO stakes. So I had a hard think and decided that there is really nothing wrong with the A350 and it will continue to do well in tandem with the A700. Consequently I purchased a nearly new one still under warranty on ebay this evening for £300 delivered. I will now be a happy A350 owner again. Sorry Sony but at nearly £300 below the A550 street price and probably £700 below the A750 (if it materialises) I think I have got a good deal for an excellent camera I am already familiar with. Prefer CF anyway as they are not as "fiddly" as the SD variety.