South Africa 2012

Portraits

Magic

Playtime

Girlfriends

Street Smart

Southampton Boat Show 2011

So, a momentous thing has come to pass. I have finally taken a step forward and purchased my first digital SLR camera. I have upgraded my tools and now have a camera of my very own. Instead of borrowing from my partner or still shooting on film, I have completed the arduous task of choosing my preferred creative weapon with which to step out on the streets and shoot. In this task I even managed to surprise myself. I immediately started looking at Canon cameras because that was what I knew. That is what I was comfortable with. I spied a Canon 50D which looked nice and seemed to do everything I wanted it to do. The price was right so I made the decision that this would be my first DSLR. It was easy. Go to the shop or the online retailer and purchase the camera with some savings I had worked hard to accumulate. Simple. How surprised I was when a few weeks later I bought myself a Sony A35. What?
When I look back at this decision I guess I betrayed my beliefs somewhat. In the moment that I chose the Sony I became a traitor. I could hear professional photographers booing and jeering at me and for a second I even thought they may be right. But the reasons for choosing the Sony camera were obvious. Firstly, all my other equipment was Sony so everything would be compatable. Secondly, the features on the Sony seemed to be better than on the other cameras (especially considering the price). Not only the stills features but also for moving image. The camera could shoot in very reliable HD mode. there was also built in steadyshot which is always good. Thirdly there was a new internal system which I was intrigued by. In normal cameras the light is reflected by an in-built mirror. In the Sony camera the mirror has been removed. the light shines directly into the lens. I'm not sure on the technics of all this, but what it in effect means is that instead of having to focus, the camera remains in a state of constant focus. The second you point at something and shoot, the camera should already be focussed. In fact the camera itself is not even called an SLR, it is called an SLT.
After mulling it over for a week or so I decided that I would go for the Sony A35. My decision was also swayed by a package deal which included a 55mm-200mm lens as well as the usual lens on the camera. I took the camera on holiday and took some great photographs. As I explored the menu I really started to be amazed by what the camera could do. The next thing I shot with it was the Southampton Boat Show. The pictures are above so you can view the results from a Sony as opposed to Canon or Nikon. Personally I think it is a great piece of kit.