How I create images – Part 1 : the search for good light

I always found it interesting to read or hear how other photographers create their images and to learn about their workflow.
The two books which have influenced my photography the most are Ansel Adams’ Examples: the Making of 40 Photographs and “First Light” by Joe Cornish in which both authors talk about their image making process.

WintermorgenHD_4

Over the years my gear has improved quite a bit but what has improved even more is my photographic process and I am sure that this is much more important. If I had to use the Konica Minolta Dynax 7d with that Minolta 2.8-4/17-35 today, which was my first serious camera the results would be much better than those my 18-years-old self took back in 2006, because since then I have learned a lot about light, improved my composition, can operate a camera by intuition and know when to use which setting.
My post processing has improved as well, back in the day I shot raw because I had read that raw is superior to jpg and that every serious photographer shoots raw, not because I had any idea how to really work with a raw file.

I don’t think that my 18-years-old self would have taken significantly better images with a Sony a7 because my photography was trial and error, sometimes I got a decent image but neither would I have recognized most photo opportunities nor could I have reliably turned the image I saw in front of me into a decent photograph.

What I really want to say that gear isn’t the key to better photographs, mastering the photographic process is much more important. And I hope to help other photographers to become better photographers and also to learn about other people’s workflow, there are many photographers out there which are much better than I am and I still have a long way to go.

Continue reading How I create images – Part 1 : the search for good light

Sony LA-EA4 Adapter Review

The LA-EA4 makes it possible to use Sony A-mount lenses like the mighty ZA 1.8/135 on E-mount bodies like the Sony Alpha 7 or Nex-6 with full AF support and aperture control.

In this article I want to give an overview about its functionality and share my experience with it.

This adapter was loaned to me by Sony for this review.

Technical Data

Dimensions (approx. mm, W x H x D): 78.5 x 86.5 x 44.5
Weight (approx.): 160g
Price: $349.99 in the US (check on Amazon.com), around 250€ € in Germany (check on Amazon.de)

The Adapter

LA-EA4

The Adapter is much bigger than adapters for manual lenses because it has to include an AF module, an AF motor and a second motor to control the aperture.

It replaces the older LA-EA2 which wasn’t full-frame compatible and it can be used with APS-C cameras like the Sony Nex-6 or a5000 as well as with full-frame cameras like the Sony a7.

The LA-EA4 uses Sony’s SLT technology, so a semitransparent mirror redirects a some of the light coming from the lens  to a AF sensor. This makes it possible to have liveview and fast phase detection AF at the same time. The cost for this is that 1/3 stop of exposure is lost so you have to compensate with a longer shutter speed or higher ISO.

The adapter is compatible with almost every A-mount lens made by Minolta or Sony from 1985 until today, the only exceptions are most Xi lenses and the Macro-Zoom, Sony  Australia has a list of incompatible lenses. 

It won’t work for older fully manual lenses which carry the MC or MD name tag. For those lenses check out my manual Minolta lenses post.

Carl Zeiss Distagon 2/24 | LA-EA4 | Sony a7 Continue reading Sony LA-EA4 Adapter Review