Monday 7 October 2013

A New Toy



It's an ebay bargain - upwards of ten years old, but has seen little use and has been well looked after. I haven't owned an SLR camera since my 35mm film days, so once I have got my head round all the buttons and menus, I am hoping that some of my photography may take on a slightly more creative slant. But I won't be lugging this monster onto the hills - my trusty little Canon compact will continue to fill that role. I'll post some pictures from it once I have found out how to turn it on...


...update... took it out with me for yesterday evening's doggie walk. Certainly not the best weather, and facing a steep learning curve with the camera... goodness me, they can certainly pack a lot of technology into a small space, can't they!!

However - even though it was a dull evening, I am pleasantly surprised by the results of my first few of shots with the new toy - each taken on completely different settings.
Dunvegan Castle car park - we take a path from here into the woods.
Cupar knows the way!
It was getting quite dark by the time we came out from the trees.... 
... so I started playing - click on this to see it full-size. I will admit to a tweak or two in Photoshop with this one!

6 comments:

Billy Blue Eyes said...

Just had a look at a new Canon DSLR today at over 1K to replace my old one. If I'd been in the market to get a new kit I'd be considering the SONY

Richard Dorrell said...

Hi Bill, I read a lot of reviews then looked at a lot of DSLR cameras on ebay and Gumtree. I bought the Sony because it was being sold by someone who was obviously a camera enthusiast, and the price was right. There were Nikons and Canons at around the same price (I paid £115) but being sold by dealers, or with descriptions that made me dubious about the condition of the camera. The Sony I bought looks like it has hardly been used at all - a genuine bargain.

Worcestershire Turnip said...

Congratulations on your Sony. I think it may be younger than you think, possibly from 2007. So I think you got it for a good price. Hope you have a lot of fun with it and don't forget to take some photos of Cupar!

Richard Dorrell said...

Thanks Pete, Good to hear from you. Not sure how much use I will give the Sony. First thoughts are that it is too big and cumbersome to use for Geopgraph photography, but I do intend to upgrade some of the pictures on our cottage websites, especially the interior shots, where the wider angle lens will be useful, plus I plan to use HDR techniques to show both room interiors AND the view, which is pretty much impossible to achieve with a 'point and shoot' camera.

Worcestershire Turnip said...

I must admit it took me some time to get used to using a digital SLR for Geograph but now I use it most of the time, except when photographing is incidental to a shopping trip or similar, or I am in a dodgy urban area where I need to be as discreet as possible. I have found the higher quality you get from an SLR can pay off, particularly if you have to crop the photo a lot, for example with pub signs. I usual keep mine in a photographic shoulder bag.

Richard Dorrell said...

I will take the Sony with me when I make my next trip south - I always make some time to take pictures for Geograph among the lanes and footpaths in Devon, and I think I'll cope with the bigger camera then - I have bought a shoulder bag for it. But for hill walking, I already carry hiking poles and a rucksack, so I think coping with a camera bag as well will be just too much - then there's the hassle of trying to work the camera while wearing thick gloves, as I do in winter...!