Proof of concept

I made a test. I took somebody who had never used a "real camera". Exposure, aperture, ISO and focus modes were like a cryptic language to this guinea pig. She had only used a cellphone or a point-and-shoot camera and by that represented the majority of people today. So I lured her to travel to Kenya with me. This was phase one. Next I gave her my Sony NEX-6 camera with the 18-200mm kit lens. Look here, zoom that, press this. Simple? Yes.

Even the baboons look nice in a right light ;)

The pic above and right are taken by my girlfriend - who had never used a dslr. This wrote this post to demonstrate that you don't need to be "a photographer" or own an expensive gear to take emotional and memorable photographs. It's more about being in a right place at the right time and to know what to do.

I was pretty focused and deep into my filming with the FS700 so I didn't know what was captured with my little Sony until her the second day in the park. Most of the animals were dead on center framed, so I guided the her to try different compositions. Few days later she asked me how to take panoramas. Then how to adjust(lock) the exposure. And next was a lecture about the focus points and modes. The pics got better and better.
Now when I saw the pictures that came through the Lightroom, I had to do a little comparison. I won't show it here, 'cos it doesn't put me in a good light :) But these pictures from an complete amateur are better than mine from my first trips. And I was serious hobbyist at least with a deep understanding about techniques and cameras/optics!!
So what has changed? Where does the difference come from? Well, I think that 6 years ago I just didn't know what to look for. I had all the gear and knowledge, but I couldn't "see" it. But those trips were necessary 'cos they showed me what not to do. So the good news are that if you come with me, you'll get to the good stuff right away ;)

My favorite photos from our trip on Google+ page. Credits to my amateur girlfriend ;)

What's in your bags?

I got the last items for the trip Friday and tested them yesterday, so now it was time to see how they fit in my bags. I have a Lowepro Pro Roller Lite 250 AW as my carry-on camera bag and a Peli case as my luggage. All the tech gear fits in my Lowepro and the tripod, monopod, slider and 2 fluidheads takes a half of my Peli leaving just enough room for my cloths etc.

Here's the list:

Cameras:

• Sony NEX-FS700
• Sony NEX-6

Lenses:

• Sony 18-200mm
• Sony 10-18mm
• Sony 16-50mm
• Nikkor AI-S 24mm f/2.8
• Nikkor AI-S 50mm f/1.8
• Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8
• Nikkor AI-S 300mm f/2.8
• Nikkor TC-14B

With these shall I capture the beasts!

Sony FS700 will be mounted on a rig that has a follow focus for some lenses and a support for the bigger lenses. I'll try to demonstrate the usage of the rig with video once I get to the savanna.

Next post from Kenya...

A new view

I coming back to the topic I wrote last time: taking a different picture of the well known subject. In wildlife photography it's harder to take a new "angle" to things because the models are... well... how do I put it.. wild? :) But every now and then something new emerges. Here are two great examples:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1253935/Photographer-captures-amazing-images-lions-watering-hole-submerging-months.html

http://blog.pocketwizard.com/?p=4968

It takes an innovative attitude or a hell lot of courage to pull off there kind of photos. But the thing that these photographers have is passion. Passion to see your objects differently.

My goal has always been to do or use something new on my next trip to Kenya. 2011 I shot with Hasselblad H4D-40 and this year I used my cellphone with binoculars :) Next year it will be Sony NEX FS700 vs GoPro. I've also thought about using the the AR.Drone 2.0

But now that I have the Sony NEX-6 I'm thinking the possibilities to use the build-in WiFi control feature. This would allow me to lower or stick up the camera and simultaneously see the viewfinder on my phone and trigger the shutter. Imagine a giraffe photographed at eye level with a wideangle lens. Or grass level shots of the small animals. Just put the camera on a monopod and compose using your smatphone. Simple but effective.

Here's in pictures what I'm talking about:

Sony NEX-6 triggered via WiFi by Samsung Galaxy Note II

Here is the same view behind both devices

The first one is a mind-bottling, right? :D

I'm gonna take some time off from my studio work now when the holidays are almost here, but I keep testing my NEX-6 and the new wideangle Sony 10-18mm f/4 (here's a good review) so I'll keep posting here...

My thoughts on Sony NEX FS700 and NEX-6

This year I started to rethinking my photo gear. I've been a Nikon shooter all my life. I had a Panasonic GF1 for a year 'cos I needed a pocket camera to capture some of the changes I had in my life at that point. I use my Nikon D3 for most of my studio portraits and it's been a true reliable workhorse for 4 years now and still keeps clicking with no service needed :)
I think Sony as a new kid on the block. They came into the DSLR markets late, just few years ago, but they have done some good to all camera consumers. Sony have shook the industry with a new perspective to making cameras. The STL cameras allow better frame rates and constant autofocus. The NEX lineup seems to be the most sold mirrorless system today and I think in a few years the mirror flapping is going to be a distant sound from the past.
My eye was first in the NEX-7 which would be very nice combination of highres photo and quality video. But then came the FS700 with its highspeed frame rates. I tried to loan the camera for my trip this summer, but Sony wasn't interested. Finnish representatives didn't have a demo and the international PR-people from Sony didn't even bother to answer.
So I bought one. And a full bag of old MF Nikkors to fit the FS700.
This week I got the brand new NEX-6 so my gear for Kenya 2013 is shaping up. I can use the same lenses(or adapter) in both cameras. The sensor in NEX-6 is better than my D3 in every way, so I just might end up selling my Nikon gear in the near future.
Here's some snapshots I took the first night out with NEX-6. No post processing, straight out of camera.

And here's my first test footage with FS700.

...more to come with some pic of different lens setups for the cameras.