Sony a6300 Archives

Autumn Multiple Exposures

Lately because of the COVID restrictions I have had less opportunity for street photography. I don’t want to travel on a train to London, and I have decided that pubs and restaurants are off limits for me at the moment.

So I have been looking for different outlets for my photography. My first love, landscape photography is restricted because long road trips and overnight stays are out. So it is difficult to visit the Lake District and Scotland.

So I am going to go a bit abstract.

An Impression of Autumn

It is just coming into Autumn. The most beautiful time of year IMHO. The next six weeks or so are going to be just so amazing. What I want to do is photograph the leaves and the trees and the sky and capture the mood. The feeling of darkening days, and ripe fruit. Hunkering in, log fires, smoky chimney pots, mellow mists and the foreboding of winter. I want to create an impression of the Autumn I see.

As Joel Meyerowitz says:

‘Once you have a camera in your hand you have a license to see.’

Abstract allows a creative control. Some would say too much. However, the end result is unique to you. It may be crass, but it is your kind of crass. A camera can give you the license to see, but abstraction gives you the freedom to feel and express emotion.

Multiple Exposures

One of the most accessible ways of going abstract is to find the multiple exposure function on your camera. With this, you can create stunning abstracts in camera.

There are numerous videos that go into the technicals of ‘how to’ like this one.

You take several different images. These multiple exposures are then stored in the camera and merged to create a final image. Sounds complicated and technical, but it is not that difficult. Just have a go and experiment. Take 2, 3 or more images stacked on top of one another. See what works and carry on.

The most difficult part is finding Multiple Exposure on your camera’s menu!

The example above was taken in my local park. There are three exposures. Lengthening shadows on a white wall, autumn leaves and pine needles.

I think I will print my Autumn Abstracts. Stick them on a wall and then the next six weeks will be with me all winter

To see what you can achieve with this technique. Look no further than the work of Valda Bailey If you really want to get into Multiple Exposures then the Bailey Chinnery workshops are well worthwhile.

Now let’s get out there and enjoy the Autumn.

Sony a6400 Review

by John Gough

Sony a6400

Were Sony pushed or did they jump? We were expecting the launch of the A7000 which Sony claim would be an APS-C version of their top of the range, full frame flagship the A9. Instead, they have given us the Sony a6400, which they describe as an entry level camera to replace the popular Sony a6300.

No doubt, Sony saw the launch of the excellent Fujifilm X-T3 and thought they just had to respond.

Specification

It is no wonder then, that the a6400 is a camera with an impressive specification. I must at this point declare an interest. I love the a6300. Most of the images on this site have been taken with it, but is the Sony a6400 a worthy replacement?

The Sony a6400 has a 24.0MP APS-C CMOS sensor coupled with the latest BIONZ X processor. The new processor is fast. Capable of shooting bursts at 11 fps with continuous AF. Furthermore, the camera’s buffer will now accommodate up to ninety nine JPEGs, and forty six RAW files in one go. Small buffers have for a long time, been the bugbear of small mirrorless cameras.

There is 4k video recording, but with no in body stabilization it could be a bumpy ride.

The autofocus system is all new. Featuring 425 phase detection points with ‘Real Time Tracking’ of moving subjects, and ‘Real Time Eye AF’, which will amazingly work with animals as well as humans. Does that mean all types of animal? Unfortunately, we will have to wait for a firmware upgrade later this year, before this feature is implemented and can be tested on tree frogs.

Most cameras these days claim the world’s fastest AF lock on. The a6400 is no exception. At 0.02 seconds, it is faster than the blink of an eye.

There is a neat new tilt screen which flips over the top of the camera so that vloggers and selfie fanatics can frame themselves. A touch of the screen moves the focus point.

Entry Level?

This is a £1000 camera, described as entry level by Sony. If so then Sony are redefining what an entry level camera is in two ways.

Firstly, there are a ton of advanced features on this camera, so it is not entry level as we know it. What in reality Sony are doing, is setting up this camera as the base level for their new series of APS-C cameras.

Secondly, £1000 is a lot of money for your first step up from selfies on your smart phone. However, we should expect that as the new range of APS-C cameras are introduced and existing a6xxx cameras are withdrawn, the price of this camera will likely fall, creating an entry point to their new range of cameras.

What I say is bring it on.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because of their exceptional customer service. I once returned a camera after 30 days, and the next day they called to return my money to my account. Their prices are always competitive and they offer good prices on the trade in of your used gear

My Commute

by John Gough

My Commute / John Gough / Sony a6300

I am delighted that the BBC have just used this image in their England Big Picture Series

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

Street Photography Standing Still

by John Gough

End of the Pier Show / John Gough / Sony a6300

Norfolk is a photography location with beautiful beaches, wonderful seascapes, the Norfolk Broads and seaside resorts. However, I headed for Great Yarmouth with street photography in mind.

Street Photography

I went there to add to my Square Nation portfolio. This is street photography in Great Yarmouth with my Sony a6300.

Usually, I stride about a location looking for scenes to photograph. However, I am learning that rather than walking about looking for opportunities, find a location, stop wait and let the opportunities come to you. This is street photography standing still. It is all about some planning in advance and exploring the space around you. Finding a location where the action is, and having enough confidence to stay put even though you may think it is kicking off somewhere else.

Standing Still

Being stationary does not draw attention like going up to a stranger and poking a camera in their face. The photograph above, I love because it is natural, and up close. I would normally never dare to invade space so intrusively. However, I sat on the pier at Great Yarmouth and tried to blend into the background. This is ambush photography. I have seen wildlife photographers do the same, but they sit in a hide on the banks of a watering hole in the Serengeti, waiting for a crocodile to lunge forward and grab a wildebeest. Street photography standing still is less dramatic but requires the same stealthy skills.

I was on a workshop with Matt Hart earlier in the summer. Matt was on a frenetic search moving quickly through the streets of London, and this approach worked well, we found some terrific situations. However, I wonder whether Martin Parr’s Last Resort included some street photography standing still because there is in his photography, that sense of our inclusion in the scene.

I am excited and off to try this technique again. Watch this space.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

This Image was Taken on a Sony

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300

by John Gough

Leica M10

The Leica M10 is a serious camera. It comes from a pedigree that stretches back decades and has a name that is synonymous with quality and heritage. The Sony a6300 is, by comparison, the grubby kid from the other side of the tracks, working hard and pulling itself up by its bootstraps. Photographers are prepared to spend thousands on that little Leica red spot. Which is as well because the Leica M10 costs around £6000. The Sony a6300, on the other hand, costs less than £1000. So is it a fair to try and compare both cameras. Afterall the Leica at six times the cost of the Sony, so it should just blow it out of the water.

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300: Features.

Both are mirrorless cameras, the Leica has a 24-million-pixel full-frame CMOS sensor, vs a cropped APS-C sensor in the a6300. However, both offer a different ethos, optical viewfinder and screen on the Leica vs an EVF and tilting screen on the Sony. No video capability vs 4K etc. The Leica is a thing of beauty with a heavy magnesium chassis and top and bottom plates that are milled from solid brass blocks. The Leica is made to be handed down through the generations. Whereas the a6300 is more transient. It has already been supplanted by the a6500, and the a6700 is on the horizon.

On the surface, this makes the Leica sound more like a fashion statement than an enthusiasts camera. Furthermore, its lack of features makes it seem like a Betamax in a streaming world. However, the Leica does quality like no other camera. So is the lack of technology, and hefty price tag made up for with stunning images?

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300: Image Quality.

So how do they compare regarding image quality? The Leica used to be the street photographer’s camera of choice, and was/is used by many professional photographers today.

DXOMark has just completed their analysis.

Leica M10: A classic reinvented

DxOMark tested the Leica M10 sensor, the key to image quality. It shows that the Leica M10 full frame sensor falls considerably behind the latest and best full frame sensors launched this year, by Sony and Nikon. The Leica scored 86 compared to the Sony A7RIII and Nikon 850 which both scored 100. The M10 was found to be at least a 1 stop worse in both colour depth and dynamic range. Both these full frame cameras cost half the price of the Leica.

It would seem then that the Leica full frame sensor, is more on par with the smaller APS-C sensors, in cameras that cost far less. In fact, as DxOMark points out, the Leica sensor image quality is virtually the same as the APS-C sensors, seen in the Sony a6300 and the Samsung NX500.

The Leica has a full frame sensor, which is no better in image quality terms than the APS-C sensor in the Sony a6300.

Leica M10 vs Sony a6300: Conclusion.

So we return to the original question: Leica vs the a6300. The Sony is technically more advanced and feature rich, with comparable IQ. It is also a fraction of the price of the Leica. Whereas the Leica is a stills camera, in the tradition of Cartier-Bresson. It has breeding and legacy and is built to be cherished and shown off. So why spend so much more on a Leica when let’s face it, it is no longer the best camera money can buy.

I guess it just comes down to that little red dot and the joy of owning a piece of history.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

Sony a6300 Setup

by John Gough

The Meeting / John Gough / Sony a6300

I recently purchased a Sony a6300 because it seems ideal for street photography. I have been setting it up and changing settings for a few weeks, but it is now good to go. The picture above was one of the first using the a6300 setup as described. From what I can see the a6300 settings are similar settings to the Sony a6500.

These notes are also going to be used as my checklist. So often I change a setting for a different circumstance, but do not remember to revert back to my original setup.

The Sony a6300 and Sony a6500 Setup

Cameras are now so configurable that it is worth sitting down for an afternoon to turn your camera into the one you want. Then go out and take a few shots, and change again until it is right. Lets start at the top.

Sony a6300 Aperture

Aperture Priority

The big dial on the top plate of the camera is the mode dial, where Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual or one of the Auto or Scene modes can be set. Many street photographers recommend Program mode, which is essentially an automatic setting for RAW files. However in Program mode, the Sony algorithm seems to move the shutter speed lower without moving the ISO higher, so I shoot Aperture Priority. It gives control over the aperture using the dial on the right hand side of the camera. This is a function dial, which when in Aperture Priority mode changes the aperture. Now to fix the ISO, and the camera will do the rest.

Sony a6300 top

ISO

Whether you are on the New York streets or taking a picture of your family in the park, you want sharp pictures. As the light fails, move the aperture down to the widest for the lens you have attached. On the kit lens supplied with the Sony a6300 that is f3.5. It is surprising especially in a UK winter, how quickly that buffer is reached. It is also tempting to let the shutter speed get lower, when after all, the lens has image stabilisation. But more of my picture are blurred through a low shutter speed and consequently camera shake than any other reason. So a high ISO is required to give some flexibility.

Reading the reviews, high ISO’s are possible with this camera without compromising image quality. It is personal, high ISO’s lead to more noise. How much is acceptable is up to you. Try it out. Is a high ISO better than a shaky shot. Again it is personal preference.

I usually shoot at ISO640

The quick route to changing ISO is to use the Fn or Function button on the rear of the camera, which brings up some often used controls

Fn>ISO or Menu>Camera>4>ISO or Control Wheel>right.

Sony a6300 Back

Sony a6300 Drive

Drive Mode

I usually leave the drive mode as single shot. The continuous shooting is so fast that before you know it you have hundreds of images to post process.

Fn>Drive>Single Shot or Menu>Camera>2>Drive Mode>Single Shot or Control Wheel>left>Single Shot

Set the C1 Custom Button to Drive Mode

There are circumstances where the continuous mode is useful. I therefore set the Custom 1 button on the top of the camera, to bring up the drive mode menu.

Menu>Wheel>7>Custom Key(Shoot)>Custom Button 1>Drive Mode

Silent Shutter

This is a completely silent shutter, definitely useful in situations where you don’t want to cause a stir.

Menu>Wheel>5>Silent Shooting On

Personally I prefer to risk the shutter sound. I can be sure then that I have the picture.

Sony A6300 Metering

Metering Mode

Metering technology is pretty much taken for granted, but when you realise how much time used to be spent with light meters, it is really special. Choose a metering mode. The multi mode seems to work the majority of the time

Fn>Metering Mode or Menu>Camera>5>Metering Mode

White Balance

White balance is used to get colours as true as possible. Auto seems to work well. In the rare circumstance that the camera does not handle it correctly, it can be fixed in post processing.

Fn>AWB or Menu>Camera>5>White Balance>Auto

Sony A6300 Focus

Focus Area

There are various options:

Wide

Focuses automatically on a subject in all ranges of the image. When you press the shutter button halfway down in still image shooting mode, a green frame is displayed around the area that is in focus.

Zone

Select a zone on the monitor on which to focus. A zone consists of nine focus areas, and the camera selects a focus area on which to focus.

Centre

Focuses automatically on a subject in the middle of the image. If you half press the shutter or use AF lock it is possible to hold the focus and recompose the shot.

Flexible Spot

This allows you to move the focus frame to where it is required on the shot.

Expand Flexible Spot

If the camera cannot find focus within the focus frame it will focus on points around the flexible spot as a secondary priority area for focusing.

It is worth understanding how mirrorless cameras differ from DSLRs in terms of focusing, and how the Sony a6000’s hybrid focus detection works.

My choice is the flexible spot focus area. It is also possible to select how big the focus area should be. Small, Medium or Large. I recommend running some test shots and see which is best for you. Following my testing I chose the large focus area. It seemed to me that the camera was struggling to find focus when set to Small

Fn>Focus Area>Flexible Spot>Large or Menu>Camera>3>Focus Area>Flexible Spot>Large

Focus Mode: AF-S

Focus Mode (not to be confused with Focus Area) changes how the focus adapts to different scenarios. In AF-C, which is ideal for continuous shooting the camera will reattempt to focus every time a subject moves. AF-S locks the focus despite the subject’s movement. Ideal for single shot shooting.

Fn>AF-s or Menu>Camera>3>Focus Mode>Single Shot AF

AF Illuminator

This is a beam of light which assists the camera focus in low light. However this camera copes admirably in difficult lighting, therefore is is best to switch off and avoid being given away by a red beam of light. Especially useful when covertly shooting on the street.

Menu>Camera>3>AF Illuminator>Off

Pre AF

When Pre-AF is on the camera will continuously focus, even without half-pressing the shutter button. This can be draining to the battery, so I set to off.

Menu>Wheel>3>Pre AF>Off

Priority Set in AF-S

This setting allows the release of the shutter even when the subject is not in focus, when Focus Mode is set to Single-shot AF. There is a setting, AF which prioritises focusing. The shutter will not be released until the subject is in focus. I only want to take pictures that are focused correctly, so that is the setting I use.

Menu>Wheel>5>Priority Set in AF-S>AF

AF with Shutter

Selects whether to focus automatically when you press the shutter button halfway down. Leave this switched on to focus.

Menu>Wheel>5>AF w/shutter>On

AEL with Shutter

Determines whether the exposure and focus are both set when the shutter is pressed half way down. Leave on Auto

Menu>Wheel>5>AEL w/shutter>Auto

Centre Lock-On AF

This feature will track the subject at the centre of the image and is useful in e.g. sports photography. For single shot I switch off.

Menu>Camera>6>Centre Lock-On AF>Off

Smile / Face Detect

This is a clever feature on the Sony a6300, because there is a setting to register faces. This for example could be used at a wedding, to register the bride and grooms’ face. These will then be held in memory and automatically brought into focus in a any scene. Up to eight people can be registered. However I just want to switch on face detect, which is both useful in general photography and street photography.

Menu>Camera>6>Smile / Face Detect>On

Eye Detect

Eye detect is another powerful feature on the Sony a6300. I have it setup so that the AEL button activates eye detect. NB the AEL button must be held down to maintain focus on the eyes.

Menu>Wheel>7>Custom Key Shoot>2>AEL Button>EyeAF

Summary AF

This guide from Sony provides a comprehensive review of the AF function on the Sony a6000, which also applies to the Sony a6300 and 6500.

Sony a6300 Screen and Viewfinder Settings

EVF / Screen

I have this set to auto, so that when you put your eye to the viewfinder, the screen switches off. The problem is that the detector on the view finder is very sensitive, so that when you hold the camera at waist level to use the flip out screen, the screen switches off. There is a custom setting to toggle between finder and screen, but in my experience it does not work consistently. Therefore I use this setting.

Menu>Wheel>4>FINDER / MONITOR>Auto

The solution I have come up to desensitise the finder detector, involves glue and sticking plaster, using a product called Light Dims. These are little inexpensive, stick-on pieces of a neutral grey shading material which are actually made for putting over LED’s that are too bright.

Simply cut a 3mm x 5mm piece of this material and apply it over the left half of the EVF sensor. The sensor continues to function perfectly, and the LCD remains on even in very low light. The EVF then still switches on again automatically, when the camera is held up to your eye.

Sony a6300 Other Settings

RAW

I will be shooting RAW. This is set:

Menu>Camera>1>Quality / RAW

Grid Line

Useful tool for composition:

Menu>Wheel>1>Grid Line>Rule of 3rds Grid

MR Setting

To save these settings to 1 on the mode dial on the top plate of the camera

Menu>Camera>9>Memory> 1

Summary Setting Up the Sony a6300

The Sony a6300 is an amazingly versatile camera. The settings may be bewildering, if that is the case then set the camera to Auto and get great results. But to get even better results dive in and understand the settings and make the camera your own.

Right now the Sony a6000 is the best camera without doubt for under £500. The a6700 will likely be launched early 2018, so get in while you can, and please use my link as I receive a small affiliate payment. Many Thanks

Where to Buy Your Equipment

Silver Efex Moody Monochrome

by John Gough

Coffee at The Mitre / John Gough / Sony a6300

I was out and about in Cambridge yesterday with my camera, and I was accosted by an elderly lady. She thought that because I was carrying a camera, I must be a snoop from the council. That is just one of the hazards of street photography. Had I been carrying a big DSLR, she would have assumed I was a proper photographer. However, a small camera like the Sony a6300 can unfortunately make you seem like a furtive fellow.

The picture above was taken there. The couple look delighted to have been caught on camera. I was having a good day!

The Google Nik Collection including Silver Efex Pro2

I created the moody monochrome image using Silver Efex Pro2, from the Google Nik Collection.

The Google Nik Collection is the best free resource for photographers available on the web. In 2016 when Google decided not to support the software further, it went on to provide the software free to photographers. This was both good and bad news. The software was free, but it was never going to to be updated. However, a month or so ago it was agreed that DxO acquire the Nik Collection, and fortunately they plan to continue to develop it. A revised version will be available mid 2018.

It is still possible to download the existing software, including Silver Efex for monochrome post processing here.

Silver Efex Pro2

This is a note to myself about how the image was processed.

Lightroom

In Lightroom, there are the usual workflow: exposure, sharpness and white balance adjustments to process from RAW. The image was then desaturated to -31, the vibrance taken down to -29 and the clarity pushed up to +71. Reducing the colour to provide a dark and moody presence. I also added a shallow tone curve and imperceptible vignette.

Photoshop

Removed the reflection of myself and used the burn tool to tone down the interior of the pub, reducing lights and reflections.

Silver Efex

Processed to mono using preset 23 Wet Rocks and film type Agfa APX Pro 100.

Conclusion

To achieve that look, without Silver Efex would be impossible for an amateur retoucher like myself. Furthermore, in the distant analogue days it would have taken hours of work in the darkroom to achieve the same results.

Learn more:

Sony a6300 Review of Reviews

by John Gough

Sony a6300 with Sony Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS

The Sony a6300 seems like a good candidate as a great street camera. I have pulled together the best reviews and drawn some conclusions.

DPREVIEW

Likely that Sony have retooled to create the a6300, because although it looks like the a6000, it has a more substantial-feeling magnesium alloy construction compared to the composite materials in the a6000 which it supersedes.
The menu system is complicated and is beginning to be overwhelmed by the number of functions it contains.
Can successfully shoot at 11fps and 8fps with a simultaneous live view
Constrained by a relatively small selection of lenses.
The AF point can be difficult to position.
RAW files have good dynamic range.
‘The a6300’s image quality is excellent – as good as any we’ve seen from an APS-C camera of any type, from any manufacturer’.
‘dynamic range and noise performance of the sensor are as good as things get in an APS-C camera’.
‘If you’re looking for a camera with great image quality, excellent autofocus and top-notch video, it’s the strongest all-rounder’.
‘Overall, then, the [Sony] a6300 is a camera where you benefit from putting in the work required to get the best out of it. It’s worth it, though, since it’s probably the most capable stills/video camera I’ve ever used. If the lenses you want are available, unless you really need a specific feature of one of its rivals, it should be at or very near the top of your list’.

Ken Rockwell

‘I love its EVF, speed, tiny size, tough build and great looking pictures in any light — as well as its completely silent operation’
The EVF works flawlessly whatever lighting condition.
The silent mode is a considerable benefit
‘Once you get the camera set it works very fast, but getting it set can be maddening since important menu options are carelessly spread all over its arbitrary menu system. Expect to wade through the entire system every time you want to find something. It takes a long time to learn this camera’.
If you dont get a sharp image with this camera it is because you are doing something wrong.

TechRadar

‘425 phase-detect AF pixels that reach almost to the peripheries of the frame. This is the highest number of phase-detect points we’ve seen on an interchangeable-lens camera to date, and this density, together with 169 additional contrast-detect points, is said to enable the camera to focus on moving subjects in as little as 0.05 seconds’.
‘Dynamic range in raw files starts at a reasonable level, although by ISO400 this starts to slip, and at the highest settings performance from the Panasonic GX8 and Olympus Pen-F is considerably stronger’.
‘In the absence of any significant failings, it’s only really a handful of smaller shortcomings that let the A6300 down. The screen feels somewhat underpowered; some of the controls aren’t quite as accessible as they could be; and the lack of in-camera raw processing is a shame. Furthermore, while the tiltable LCD is great, it’s shame it’s not a touchscreen’.
‘Sony A6300 represents an exceptional value for a camera which offers so much in such a compact package. It packs one heck of a punch in both features and performance, and undoubtedly gets two thumbs up as a Dave’s Pick‘.