Preparation
Among the most essential actions a wedding photographer can do prior to a wedding is prepare themselves for all eventualities. Firstly this means meeting with the bride and groom and setting in concrete what it is the couple want and don’t want so there could be no confusion down the line; this will also be the time to establish a fee and contract with the clients.
Next you need to go to the ceremonial venue and reception venue a week or two ahead of time to mentally place where the romantic portraits and group shots can be taken. Take into consideration where the light will be coming from at the time of day you’ll be shooting (hence why you do not wish to do a reconnaissance mission too far ahead of time) and also have a contingency plan if the area does not function for whatever reason, also as having an indoor backup if it rains.
The day prior to the wedding, mentally run through everything the couple wants as well as any ideas you envisaged throughout your pre-shoot scout. Totally charge the camera and flash gun batteries and format memory cards. Insert these into your equipment the night prior to and take a few test shots to make sure every thing is working as it should be. Prime your camera with the settings you expect to use at your first shoot - which will most likely be the bridal preparation.
Kit considerations
Even though you’ll wish to take a range of accessories for every eventuality it is a great concept to travel light. The minimum a photographer should pack in a medium size camera backpack is: a favourite DSLR and back up DSLR, a flash gun with diffuser, a reflector, a number of memory cards each holding a capacity of around 2-8GB, lens cloth, raincover or carry bag to safeguard your camera in the rain along with a lightweight tripod. When you have the room, strength and skills you may also wish to take a selection of lighting equipment, filters, a laptop, pocket wizards, remote controls and props.
Lens options
When it comes to lenses you will find three kinds that we would suggest are essential for a wedding, but if you are doing this as a favour for a friend or for your own portfolio then you’ll be able to get by utilizing one or two zooms that cover a wide focal range - for example 18-200mm would be ideal. Nevertheless if you're looking to exert a much more professional edge you should most likely invest in a wide-angle lens for the group and location shots - ideally something like a 16-80mm zoom lens will probably be ideal and covers a range of bases.
It’s a great idea to invest in a prime lens for portraits and images of all the smaller yet hugely significant items such as: the rings, party favours, flowers, bridal accessories etc - so a 35mm, 50mm or 80mm could be perfect. Finally a healthy telephoto zoom lens will permit you to capture those spontaneous ‘moments’ that individuals treasure simply because they show the subject as being ‘real’ . Using a telephoto such as 55-200mm will permit the photographer to ‘snipe’ shots from a distance without being detected, therefore the subjects are completely relaxed and the result will be totally natural.
Camera Settings
There are no hard and quick rules to adopt when it comes to learning what aperture/shutter speed combination to make use of for which occasion, as it'll largely depend on what high quality and quantity of light is accessible at that time, as well as focusing much more on the ‘moment’ instead of getting the right technique.
However as a guide, numerous photographers usually prefer to use a few of the following apertures as a rule of thumb, but you shouldn’t be afraid to try some thing different if it suits the style and purpose of what you would like to achieve.
Church and indoor ceremonial establishments can tend to lack sufficient natural light and as most venues won’t permit flash push the ISO as a lot as feasible prior to it starts to degrade image high quality and if suitable think about using a tripod (just remember to turn the VR off in the event you do). Opt for a quick lens and do not be afraid to use a wide aperture even as low as 1.4 or 2.8 to create the most of what light is there. Use the same aperture for the small yet significant items such as the rings and bridal accessories, therefore softening the background but generating enough depth of field to render the subjects nice and sharp.
F5.6 for candid shooting and the romantic portraits will again keep the subject in focus yet blur distracting background detail. However there are occasions whenever you may prefer to slip into shutter priority, for example to capture the bride throwing the bouquet or children chasing every other around the venue - for these occasions (depending on the light) a speed of 1/250 will lend itself for making some charming results.
Depending on the number of guests that the couple want to appear within the formal group shots, you’ll be greatest utilizing an aperture of between f8 and f11 to keep everybody pin sharp - depending on the high quality of your lens this may mean pushing the ISO or incorporating a tripod. For pulled back compositions of the couple within the venue grounds and location shots in general you’ll need an aperture of between f9 and f11 to keep everything in sight in focus.
Lastly for those end of the night dance images either use a long shutter (with some form of stability) to generate movement inside the photo and for capturing waves of light from the DJ’s lighting rig, or employ a flash to freeze the action utilizing an aperture of your choosing to compliment the effect you wish to accomplish.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Wedding Guide Part II
Part I of my guide is HERE.
Lighting
To truly master photography, not just the wedding genre, you will need to discover how light affects everything. Invest time in reading, training and experience to ideal methods as on the day of the shoot you won’t have time to stop and think about what settings you need - you’ll need to understand the basic principles also as the set up of your DSLR like the back of your hand.
Not only will the subject’s grow impatient but you could discover yourself missing those all essential ‘moments’ simply because you had been too busy fiddling around in the settings menu.
Backing up
When you have time and the equipment on hand - back up your images onto a storage device, laptop or use built in wi-fi technologies or a wi-fi card (such as the Eye-Fi memory card) to beam the images to your desktop. Whatever you do don’t format the cards until you have edited your frames and ensured everything is securely backed up across a handful of hard drives.
To limit the risk of losing files or shooting on a corrupt card on the day, take a number of medium capacity (2-8 GB) cards, perhaps even marking each for relevant parts of the day, for example: bridal prep, ceremony, reception and evening.
Your style and manner
Rather than be a jack of all trades it is advisable and maybe even more lucrative to attempt and carve out a recognisable style and niche that shows what you are not only capable of but also enjoy doing. If your work is good and your style attractive, couples wish to book you for their wedding day. You may require to alter this slightly as fashions change but usually stick to what you enjoy creating and shoot in a style and manner that suits you.
Be up front about your style and your manner when the client books, but to make that sale you may also wish to consider being flexible if the couple wants something which is outside your normal ‘remit’. Have every thing you are supplying the couple down in writing prior to the big day, set a fee with payments guidelines and deadlines - never forget this is a business transaction.
On the day be unobtrusive - this is their wedding - you're just there to record it and not ruin it. There are millions of wedding photographers available but the ones who are truly effective preach about the significance of politeness and respect. Yes be assertive and you'll need to be as wedding photography is among the most stressful jobs know to man, but do it with manners.
Keep in mind the little things
As well as capturing the essential stages of the day such as: bride and groom preparation, the ceremony, romantic portraits, candids, group shots, speeches and also the initial dance, you need to use any time between these events to record the smaller - however hugely substantial details; in essence - anything the bride and groom have spent time and cash on choosing for their big day.
On your hit list ought to be: bridal accessories (such as jewellery, shoes, bouquets, bags, headwear as well as underwear), table decorations, the cake, flowers, party favours, the seating plan, location settings, as well as the bows tied to the seats utilized at the ceremony and reception venues. For making a soft effect use a wide aperture like f4 or 5.6 and crop in close utilizing a quick lens.
Post production
As soon as you get back to your office, load the images straight into your computer and back them up on to the computer’s tough drive as well as several other portable external tough drives and on-line storage sites.
Utilizing an editing suit such as Photoshop, Lightroom or one of the other thousand choices accessible, delete any images which don’t meet the grade whether or not that be simply because they're out of focus, blurred, incorrectly exposed - beyond redemption, the subject is pulling an unattractive face or has their eyes shut etc. Next start cleaning the image, tweaking exposure, brightness and contrast and/or adding filters you may like to use.
It is possible to run edits on multiple images at as soon as, so check your software’s manual for guidance. Load the final edit to an on-line library at low resolution for the couple to select their favourites. With choice made make albums and send the couple the proofs. Administer any modifications and then send the result off to the suppliers, which can then be returned to you or straight to your client. Most photographers estimate that following the wedding, the couple should receive their album inside four to six weeks, however this ultimately depends on the volume of customers the photographer has, how rapidly the suppliers can turn around items and how long the couple take to decide which frames they want.
Breaks
Wedding photography is hugely demanding mentally and physically, and it may be likely which you could wind up working 12 hours with out a break. Try to take five minutes when you can and get a soft drink to recover. Pack a few cereal or power bars and even a little tub of pasta to see you through the lulls as its unlikely you’ll get fed.
Insurance
If you are getting paid for your work you need to certainly have adequate insurance in case something goes wrong. Not only will this cover you if your equipment is damaged, lost or stolen but will also safeguard you in case a third party injures themselves because of your equipment or because of a scenario you've asked them to obtain into. What's more indemnity insurance will safeguard you and your businesses from claims of negligence, breach of duty of care, infringement of intellectual property, loss of information and client dishonesty. See our weblog on Insurance for much more info on this.
Lighting
To truly master photography, not just the wedding genre, you will need to discover how light affects everything. Invest time in reading, training and experience to ideal methods as on the day of the shoot you won’t have time to stop and think about what settings you need - you’ll need to understand the basic principles also as the set up of your DSLR like the back of your hand.
Not only will the subject’s grow impatient but you could discover yourself missing those all essential ‘moments’ simply because you had been too busy fiddling around in the settings menu.
Backing up
When you have time and the equipment on hand - back up your images onto a storage device, laptop or use built in wi-fi technologies or a wi-fi card (such as the Eye-Fi memory card) to beam the images to your desktop. Whatever you do don’t format the cards until you have edited your frames and ensured everything is securely backed up across a handful of hard drives.
To limit the risk of losing files or shooting on a corrupt card on the day, take a number of medium capacity (2-8 GB) cards, perhaps even marking each for relevant parts of the day, for example: bridal prep, ceremony, reception and evening.
Your style and manner
Rather than be a jack of all trades it is advisable and maybe even more lucrative to attempt and carve out a recognisable style and niche that shows what you are not only capable of but also enjoy doing. If your work is good and your style attractive, couples wish to book you for their wedding day. You may require to alter this slightly as fashions change but usually stick to what you enjoy creating and shoot in a style and manner that suits you.
Be up front about your style and your manner when the client books, but to make that sale you may also wish to consider being flexible if the couple wants something which is outside your normal ‘remit’. Have every thing you are supplying the couple down in writing prior to the big day, set a fee with payments guidelines and deadlines - never forget this is a business transaction.
On the day be unobtrusive - this is their wedding - you're just there to record it and not ruin it. There are millions of wedding photographers available but the ones who are truly effective preach about the significance of politeness and respect. Yes be assertive and you'll need to be as wedding photography is among the most stressful jobs know to man, but do it with manners.
Keep in mind the little things
As well as capturing the essential stages of the day such as: bride and groom preparation, the ceremony, romantic portraits, candids, group shots, speeches and also the initial dance, you need to use any time between these events to record the smaller - however hugely substantial details; in essence - anything the bride and groom have spent time and cash on choosing for their big day.
On your hit list ought to be: bridal accessories (such as jewellery, shoes, bouquets, bags, headwear as well as underwear), table decorations, the cake, flowers, party favours, the seating plan, location settings, as well as the bows tied to the seats utilized at the ceremony and reception venues. For making a soft effect use a wide aperture like f4 or 5.6 and crop in close utilizing a quick lens.
Post production
As soon as you get back to your office, load the images straight into your computer and back them up on to the computer’s tough drive as well as several other portable external tough drives and on-line storage sites.
Utilizing an editing suit such as Photoshop, Lightroom or one of the other thousand choices accessible, delete any images which don’t meet the grade whether or not that be simply because they're out of focus, blurred, incorrectly exposed - beyond redemption, the subject is pulling an unattractive face or has their eyes shut etc. Next start cleaning the image, tweaking exposure, brightness and contrast and/or adding filters you may like to use.
It is possible to run edits on multiple images at as soon as, so check your software’s manual for guidance. Load the final edit to an on-line library at low resolution for the couple to select their favourites. With choice made make albums and send the couple the proofs. Administer any modifications and then send the result off to the suppliers, which can then be returned to you or straight to your client. Most photographers estimate that following the wedding, the couple should receive their album inside four to six weeks, however this ultimately depends on the volume of customers the photographer has, how rapidly the suppliers can turn around items and how long the couple take to decide which frames they want.
Breaks
Wedding photography is hugely demanding mentally and physically, and it may be likely which you could wind up working 12 hours with out a break. Try to take five minutes when you can and get a soft drink to recover. Pack a few cereal or power bars and even a little tub of pasta to see you through the lulls as its unlikely you’ll get fed.
Insurance
If you are getting paid for your work you need to certainly have adequate insurance in case something goes wrong. Not only will this cover you if your equipment is damaged, lost or stolen but will also safeguard you in case a third party injures themselves because of your equipment or because of a scenario you've asked them to obtain into. What's more indemnity insurance will safeguard you and your businesses from claims of negligence, breach of duty of care, infringement of intellectual property, loss of information and client dishonesty. See our weblog on Insurance for much more info on this.
My Wedding Photography Guide Part III
Function with what you're given
You are able to prepare for every thing and every eventuality for a wedding, but the one factor you can’t control will be the weather.
The optimum conditions for a wedding shoot is a slightly overcast day; producing bright, however even light, which will not only flatter your couple along with other subjects but permit you to record as a lot ambient light as possible, therefore lowering ISO and resulting in sharper, cleaner frames. However, as controlling the weather is out of your hands, wedding photographers should learn to adapt to shoot in any environment.
Sunny day
Although the guests will adore a bright blue sky and hot sunny day, the photographer might secretly be praying for cloud cover. If you are confronted with a harshly lit day, bear in mind the very best light will come in the morning and evening, so it could be a great concept to set off even earlier to obtain the bridal prep and location images in great light and if possible leave some of the romantic couple portraits until the sun lowers within the sky.
There are several other tricks 1 can also use to counteract the harsh light, for starters move in closer to your subject, focus on details and if you can shade the subject in some way this may help to avoid shadows. Don’t be afraid to head in doors and position the couple next to a clean and ideally - veiled - window for softened light and even consider the use of a polarizing filter to cut out reflections and decrease contrast or flash to fill within the shadows when frames are backlight.
Furthermore, you are able to really produce some emotive silhouettes when shooting into the sun, simply position the couple between you and also the sun so they appear in totally in shadow, this might mean that you need to move lower or to the side to obtain the very best position. An additional trick is to have the sun behind you and have the couple walk away hand in hand - perfectly lit. Keep in mind to set a white balance based on the light conditions, or even bet learn to set it manually for completely accuracy and to recover details in a blown-out white dress when this will be the focus of your frame underexpose the image by a stop or two.
Rainy Day
If it rains on your wedding day (as it often does when doing Wedding Photography in Yorkshire) it's said to be lucky, but attempt telling that to a disappointed bride. As with harsh sun, you will find several methods around the rain and after a downpour it can even lend itself for naturally creating saturated colours and magnify details, which could be teased to greater effect with a polarizer - so as soon as there's a break in the shower grab your couple and quickly get those frames in the bag.
This is where your pre-shoot recce pays off, as hopefully prior to the shoot you visited the venue and identified locations where you could photography romantic portraits and the all important group shots should this scenario arise. Look for large windows indoors to position your couple next to and capture some evenly lit frames.
Use a flash for indoor captures, employing a diffuser to soften the harshness of the beam and also incorporate some if the ambient light. Finally in the event you do shoot outdoors in the rain, whilst your couple are positioned under the safety of a porch for example, use a raincover or at the least a plastic carrier bag, to safeguard your camera and lens and if it is windy utilise a tripod ideally pulled down with your camera bag or a bag full of rock for additional stability. You could also ask a willing guest to hold the reflector and bounce any available light onto the couple for that extra degree of improvement.
Snowy Day
Working in snowy conditions and cold temperatures will rapidly deplete your camera and flash batteries so make certain you pack a few fully-charged spares and keep them as close to your body when not in use.
Whilst a snow-dappled churchyard will undoubtedly make for a stunning setting, getting the proper exposure could be a nightmare; underexpose and you’ll have a grey canvas, overexpose and you’ll lose those all important details. Take several trial shots to correctly identify what settings work using the histogram for guidance, or bracket exposures.
Always set your white balance manually prior to you start and it is advisable to shoot in RAW if your camera allows it as this may provide you with more scope for adjustment at the post-production stage. Whenever you and also the couple are finished shooting outdoors, have a second camera already waiting for you indoors as the 1 you have just been using will have to be left in a secure area by the entrance - gradually becoming moved into the creating in stages to allow it to warm up slowly to avoid condensation.
Check out my part II guide coming soon.
You are able to prepare for every thing and every eventuality for a wedding, but the one factor you can’t control will be the weather.
The optimum conditions for a wedding shoot is a slightly overcast day; producing bright, however even light, which will not only flatter your couple along with other subjects but permit you to record as a lot ambient light as possible, therefore lowering ISO and resulting in sharper, cleaner frames. However, as controlling the weather is out of your hands, wedding photographers should learn to adapt to shoot in any environment.
Sunny day
Although the guests will adore a bright blue sky and hot sunny day, the photographer might secretly be praying for cloud cover. If you are confronted with a harshly lit day, bear in mind the very best light will come in the morning and evening, so it could be a great concept to set off even earlier to obtain the bridal prep and location images in great light and if possible leave some of the romantic couple portraits until the sun lowers within the sky.
There are several other tricks 1 can also use to counteract the harsh light, for starters move in closer to your subject, focus on details and if you can shade the subject in some way this may help to avoid shadows. Don’t be afraid to head in doors and position the couple next to a clean and ideally - veiled - window for softened light and even consider the use of a polarizing filter to cut out reflections and decrease contrast or flash to fill within the shadows when frames are backlight.
Furthermore, you are able to really produce some emotive silhouettes when shooting into the sun, simply position the couple between you and also the sun so they appear in totally in shadow, this might mean that you need to move lower or to the side to obtain the very best position. An additional trick is to have the sun behind you and have the couple walk away hand in hand - perfectly lit. Keep in mind to set a white balance based on the light conditions, or even bet learn to set it manually for completely accuracy and to recover details in a blown-out white dress when this will be the focus of your frame underexpose the image by a stop or two.
Rainy Day
If it rains on your wedding day (as it often does when doing Wedding Photography in Yorkshire) it's said to be lucky, but attempt telling that to a disappointed bride. As with harsh sun, you will find several methods around the rain and after a downpour it can even lend itself for naturally creating saturated colours and magnify details, which could be teased to greater effect with a polarizer - so as soon as there's a break in the shower grab your couple and quickly get those frames in the bag.
This is where your pre-shoot recce pays off, as hopefully prior to the shoot you visited the venue and identified locations where you could photography romantic portraits and the all important group shots should this scenario arise. Look for large windows indoors to position your couple next to and capture some evenly lit frames.
Use a flash for indoor captures, employing a diffuser to soften the harshness of the beam and also incorporate some if the ambient light. Finally in the event you do shoot outdoors in the rain, whilst your couple are positioned under the safety of a porch for example, use a raincover or at the least a plastic carrier bag, to safeguard your camera and lens and if it is windy utilise a tripod ideally pulled down with your camera bag or a bag full of rock for additional stability. You could also ask a willing guest to hold the reflector and bounce any available light onto the couple for that extra degree of improvement.
Snowy Day
Working in snowy conditions and cold temperatures will rapidly deplete your camera and flash batteries so make certain you pack a few fully-charged spares and keep them as close to your body when not in use.
Whilst a snow-dappled churchyard will undoubtedly make for a stunning setting, getting the proper exposure could be a nightmare; underexpose and you’ll have a grey canvas, overexpose and you’ll lose those all important details. Take several trial shots to correctly identify what settings work using the histogram for guidance, or bracket exposures.
Always set your white balance manually prior to you start and it is advisable to shoot in RAW if your camera allows it as this may provide you with more scope for adjustment at the post-production stage. Whenever you and also the couple are finished shooting outdoors, have a second camera already waiting for you indoors as the 1 you have just been using will have to be left in a secure area by the entrance - gradually becoming moved into the creating in stages to allow it to warm up slowly to avoid condensation.
Check out my part II guide coming soon.
Monday, 4 April 2011
What to look for in a Wedding Photographer
Hi guys, one of the most popular questions I get asked is how to choose a wedding photographer. Let me tell you its no simple process, and its not something you can afford to get wrong either. This is why I have put together a brief step by step guide to getting the right photographer, enjoy!
- Unless you or your close friends and family know a local wedding photographer then chances are you'll have to search for one. My advice - search in Google for a comprehensive list of Wedding Photographers in your local area, ie wedding photography yorkshire
- Judge a book by its cover - be sure to check out the gallery pages of the wedding photography websites you find, the proof is always in the pudding.
- Message your 3 favourite companies for a quote - prices can vary massively between wedding photographers so get an idea on the prices that best suite your budget.
- Organise an introduction - when I was a wedding photographer I always met up with my prospective customers to find out what they wanted from me. This always put their mind at ease and gave me a chance to show them my portfolio. (The internet wasn't around when I was a wedding photographer!)
- Have a pre wedding shoot - sometimes its great to trial out the photographer beforehand and having a pre wedding photo shoot is a great way to test the water. Ensuring they know the style you're after is absolutely crucial to the success of your wedding photography.
Hope you found this useful, if you have any queries please don't hesitate to get in touch!
Tess
Tess is on Twitter!
Hi guys, thought I would drop a quick update informing you of my transition onto Twitter. Judging from all the mentions it gets on the TV and in those wedding photography magazines I presume its the big deal on the web now? Anyways, for those who want to drop me a quick message, here I am: www.twitter.com/tesscrawford11
Happy Tweeting,
Tess
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Wedding Photography for Beginners
There is plenty to consider when embarking on the world of wedding photography - from the images that you capture, right through to the way in which you are going to present these images to the client. Never and I mean never, underestimate how much is involved in photographing a wedding from start to finish and the responsibility that you have to the bride and groom to get it right. You only get one chance to capture those precious moments, the moments that the happy couple and their family and friends will treasure for a lifetime, so it is crucial to be prepared and organised.
The key to achieving this is to gain experience, as much as you can and wherever possible and from those who you admire. Start buying bridal magazines, create a scrap book of inspiring images as this will form the backbone of how your own style as a photographer starts to develop. An additional suggestion, one which can have a considerable impact on your creativity and give you a detailed feel for what is happening within the industry, is to attend the designer wedding show in Leeds "It's amazing!".
Go to the designer wedding show this May, soak up the atmosphere, and study all that is there and how the consumers are reacting to what they see. Watch to see which stands are busy and why, what is this year's must have for brides and grooms? Take a short while to people watch - study all that you are seeing and take notes as these will be a great reference for later.
Who is attending the show, who have they gone with and why? This information will help your approach when you really start to build the business. Visit all of the stands and introduce yourself - go early though as this is when those exhibiting will have more time to share their knowledge and expertise with you. Be open and let them know you are a photographer - honesty is the best approach and you will be more natural and relaxed. Let them know you are new to the industry and are there to gain knowledge and learn.
And my last tip while at the show, take time out to watch a catwalk show as you need to gain an insight into what your brides might be wearing, what styles are about to appear as this will really strengthen your conversation when talking to potential brides and grooms.
Thanks for reading - Tess x
The key to achieving this is to gain experience, as much as you can and wherever possible and from those who you admire. Start buying bridal magazines, create a scrap book of inspiring images as this will form the backbone of how your own style as a photographer starts to develop. An additional suggestion, one which can have a considerable impact on your creativity and give you a detailed feel for what is happening within the industry, is to attend the designer wedding show in Leeds "It's amazing!".
Go to the designer wedding show this May, soak up the atmosphere, and study all that is there and how the consumers are reacting to what they see. Watch to see which stands are busy and why, what is this year's must have for brides and grooms? Take a short while to people watch - study all that you are seeing and take notes as these will be a great reference for later.
Who is attending the show, who have they gone with and why? This information will help your approach when you really start to build the business. Visit all of the stands and introduce yourself - go early though as this is when those exhibiting will have more time to share their knowledge and expertise with you. Be open and let them know you are a photographer - honesty is the best approach and you will be more natural and relaxed. Let them know you are new to the industry and are there to gain knowledge and learn.
And my last tip while at the show, take time out to watch a catwalk show as you need to gain an insight into what your brides might be wearing, what styles are about to appear as this will really strengthen your conversation when talking to potential brides and grooms.
Thanks for reading - Tess x
Camera Review: Sony A55
Hi guys, thought it was about time I reviewed a camera. I've been playing with the idea of buying a Sony A55 camera so thought I would try it out before buying. Luckily I know a fantastic independant camera shop in West Yorkshire who offer a 'try before you buy' purchase option. How cool? Anyways, read on to see what I think of it.
Introduction
The Sony A55 is an interchangeable lens camera that uses Translucent Mirror Technology to offer high-speed shooting and a smaller body size. Compared to a conventional DSLR camera, Translucent Mirror Technology utilises a fixed, translucent mirror that splits the optical pathway between the main image sensor and a separate phase-detection autofocus sensor, and offers a simplified mechanical design that enables the camera to be smaller. The 16.2 megapixel A55 features up to 10fps burst shooting, built-in GPS tracking, 1080i HD Movies with continuous autofocus during shooting, 15-point phase-detection autofocus system, Quick AF Live View, a 3-inch free-angle LCD, a Tru-Finder (Electronic Viewfinder) with 100% coverage, 3D Sweep Panoramas, Auto HDR and Multi-frame Noise Reduction. The Sony A55 costs $749.99 in the US and £599.99 in the UK for the body only, and about $849.99 / £699.99 for the body and 18-55mm zoom lens.
Specification
Summary
The company has rejected the traditional DSLR design and instead created a hybrid that, like a compact camera, is from the ground up built around live view, but one that is also capable of offering full-time DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus. The combination means they can offer features such as phase-detection AF during movie recording and extremely fast continuous shooting rates (10 frames per second on the A55), previously unthinkable at this price.
Rating
Looks: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Introduction
The Sony A55 is an interchangeable lens camera that uses Translucent Mirror Technology to offer high-speed shooting and a smaller body size. Compared to a conventional DSLR camera, Translucent Mirror Technology utilises a fixed, translucent mirror that splits the optical pathway between the main image sensor and a separate phase-detection autofocus sensor, and offers a simplified mechanical design that enables the camera to be smaller. The 16.2 megapixel A55 features up to 10fps burst shooting, built-in GPS tracking, 1080i HD Movies with continuous autofocus during shooting, 15-point phase-detection autofocus system, Quick AF Live View, a 3-inch free-angle LCD, a Tru-Finder (Electronic Viewfinder) with 100% coverage, 3D Sweep Panoramas, Auto HDR and Multi-frame Noise Reduction. The Sony A55 costs $749.99 in the US and £599.99 in the UK for the body only, and about $849.99 / £699.99 for the body and 18-55mm zoom lens.
Specification
Lens Mount
| Sony α mount | YES |
| Compatibility with A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta | YES |
Lens Compatibility
| All types of Sony α lenses | YES |
| Minolta & Konica Minolta α/MAXXUM/DYNAX lenses | YES |
Image Sensory
| Image sensor type | CMOS Sensor |
| Image sensor colour filter | R, G, B, Primary color |
| Size (mm) | 23.5 x 15.6 (APS-C size) |
Camera
SteadyShot INSIDE | Total sensor Pixels (megapixels) | Approx. 16.7 |
| Effective Pixels (megapixels) | Approx. 16.2 |
| Automatic White Balance | YES |
| White balance: preset selection | Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash |
| White balance: custom setting | YES |
| White balance: types of color temperature | 2500 - 9900 k with 19-step Magenta / Green compensation |
| White balance bracketing | 3 frames, Selectable 2 steps |
| ISO Sensitivity Setting | ISO100 - 12800 equivalent |
| System: Sensor-shift mechanism | YES |
| SteadyShot INSIDE scale (in viewfinder) | YES |
| Camera-Shake warning (in viewfinder) | NO |
| SteadyShot INSIDE capability | Approx. 2.5 EV - 4 EV decrease in shutter speed (varies according to shooting conditions and lens used) |
| SteadyShot INSIDE compatibility | All Sony DSLR lenses and A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta |
| *SteadyShot INSIDE was previously known as Super SteadyShot |
Summary
The company has rejected the traditional DSLR design and instead created a hybrid that, like a compact camera, is from the ground up built around live view, but one that is also capable of offering full-time DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus. The combination means they can offer features such as phase-detection AF during movie recording and extremely fast continuous shooting rates (10 frames per second on the A55), previously unthinkable at this price.
Rating
Looks: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
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