Sony a200 DSLR - Second Review

Sony a200 DSLR

In my first review I outlined the features, price and performance of the a200 for a fair overview of the reader. In this review I am also providing links for comparison and how the a200 stacks up compared to other models. This second review will delve a little deeper and will not cover what I have previously discussed earlier.

Lens performance: Clearly the new generation electronic autofocus lenses are nothing on the old manual focus lenses in any aspect, neither in build, optical quality nor the actual output and that’s irrespective of the brand. The kit lens of the a200 is just a kit lens, though fine, it’s not a superb performer or anything. It’s just like any other kit lens, nothing bad or nothing good. Truth be told, you need to invest some money in additional Minolta lenses (or m42 or others). Why Minolta? Because Sony lenses are actually a bit costly at this point of time.

Since a few days I was actually suspicious that there was something wrong with the camera lately. The pictures were coming out very dull and lifeless. I changed the settings a thousand times, but still no use.

One night while fiddling with manual settings on the camera, I came to the realization that presently India is going through the Monsoons. Days are always cloudy and there is little to no light(gloomy). I wasn’t using flash for indoor shots and that explains all the dull pictures. To test the camera I shot some pictures with flash on and viola, rich tones and superb colors are back.   

Third party lenses on Sony DSLRs: with a proper adapter a wide variety of lenses can be used on Sony DSLRs. Since the Minolta lens prices are also increasing and catching up with the Sony ones, its better to look at other options we have. I personally have some K mount lenses that I am planning to use with an adapter. I read somewhere that M42 lenses work excellently on Sony DSLRS. Old manual focus lenses of various mounts are widely available on ebay and Amazon and should be easy to find at affordable prices. Minolta’s MC and MD mount lenses can also be used on Sony bodies with a proper adapter as also K and PK mount lenses.  

Price: Since the a200 model is discontinued, its not available brand new, but I am sure there are plenty available on the used market. (Also the later versions 230, 290, 300, 380, 500 are all available for a bargain online.) The advantage of Sony is that, they don’t have that much resale value like Canon and Nikon (which is a good thing, believe me) so with a fair bit of research online and some bargaining you can have a good enough piece for under $300 and even less if you look further.  

Performance: Remember you are not buying a Nikon D4 or a Canon 5D etc. The a200 is an entry level camera, that’s all. That said it stacks up high in comparison to other entry level cameras of its class. Oh you have a problem with entry level cameras? Ok. They are not all that bad believe me. I have a friend who has his own photography business and he uses an entry level Canon 350D (which was introduced during the stone age) as his primary camera with a lot of good (pricey) canon lenses. Heck, it doesn’t even stack upto the a200. What do you have to say to that? It actually means that you are in good hands. Photography is not all about camera bodies but the lenses. The better lenses (not necessarily pricey) you use, the better output you get.  

ISO Performance: Like any other camera judging a camera by its ISO performance is a bit tricky. Most cameras do not measure up in ISO performance and the a200 is no exception. I test shot some pictures at ISO 3200 (max) while strolling around in the neighborhood and the pictures were un-usable. They actually looked excellent on the LCD, but when I saw them on the computer; it was a whole different story. A badly done, watered down, water color painting, but hey I don’t need any superior ISO performance, I don’t even shoot pictures in the dark at all. My honest advice is don’t go over ISO 800 and stick with that rule.                                         

Here is how the a200 stacks up with other cameras :

Comparison with Nikon Cameras

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D100

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D200

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D40

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D40x

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D50

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D60

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D70s

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D80

Sony a200 Vs Nikon D3000

Comparison with Canon cameras

Sony a200 Vs Canon 10D

Sony a200 Vs Canon 20D

Sony a200 Vs Canon 300D

Sony a200 Vs Canon 350D

Sony a200 Vs Canon 400D

Sony a200 Vs Canon 1000D

I will also post updates to this second review as and when I can. Cheers.

 

©Viisshnu Vardhan. All rights reserved.

                     

Want to go analog and shoot only on film from now on?

Pentax K1000 - Power to the people 

 

This is what you need to know. It’s going to be a long read, so you better have time.

Congratulations on choosing to shoot film. This can be the single cleverest cost-effective decision you will make in recent times regarding your photography. I want to assure you are stepping into a better dimension where your lifestyle as a photographer isn’t going to become a costly proposition. In this present article I will try to give you a fair idea on the scope of film photography and the resources you need to continue your quest for quality. 

Comparison – Film and Digital

To begin with, I have to tell you, a cheap point and shoot film camera can beat the most high end DSLRs like Nikon D4 or Canon 5D Mark II, III etc in not just one aspect but many. Film cameras are extremely cheap and available widely on and off line (power to the people), the accuracy, color depth, dynamic range are all top notch. Whereas high end DSLRs these days are using CMOS sensors, which are horrible at making images. They make low quality pictures than CCD sensors. CMOS sensors are very cheap and the explanation of DSLR manufacturing companies usually give for using these supposedly advanced (low quality) CMOS sensors is ‘they are better in low light photography’. My question is - are you making cameras only for low light photography?????. 

 

At zoom levels the colors from CMOS sensor images look like they are washed and bleached (ya ya go ahead and see for yourself).  In their process of cutting corners these DSLR manufactures are also cutting the quality of photography. They are using synthetic glass (plastic) in lenses and using cheap inexpensive CMOS sensors. Do you know where CMOS sensors are used? In low-end security/CC TV cameras. Yes, that’s why your photos suck and not because of your skill. The most high-end Canon or Nikon or Sony or Pentax or Olympus or Fujifilm cannot beat the quality of those big 8X10 or 6X4 full format cameras from the 20s and 30s.  As the technology of cameras is increasing, the quality of photographic output is sliding down. The big question is, why?????

Currently, the Nikon D4 actually costs INR 5,24,000 which is equal to the price of a brand new car in India, whereas a brand new Kodak point and shoot film camera (no frills) is available for less than $10 (INR 499). Additionally the Kodak has a fixed wide angle lens. How good is that? Comparatively for a DSLR you have to additionally buy a wide angle lens separately, which is extremely expensive. All wide angle lenses for DSLRs are expensive (irrespective of brand). 

An acquaintance of mine from my photo club uses a Tamron 10-24 and it costs somewhere around INR 25,000 to 29,000. That’s a typical average monthly salary of a qualified IT professional at this side of the world. And how are the image details from the lens? Blurry, colorless, no depth, no detail and mostly like a bad water color painting. Where the hell are we heading?

Film Cameras

This probably is my single most favorite subject to date haha. Don’t fret if I am going on and on. I personally have  4 film cameras with me a Pentax K1000, Minolta XG-M, Chinon CP-7m multi program and a Yashica point and shoot (I suspect it’s a fake, but not sure. Irrespective of that it takes great pictures). The Pentax I took it away from a family friend who also happens to be a professional photographer (with a studio and all) as he was not using it. The Minolta XG-M, I bought from a vendor at a local market for a great price, the Chinon was gifted to me last year June or July by an ex-colleague out of goodwill along with two great Sears lenses (3 lenses on the whole along with the Auto Chinon lens on the camera), the Yashica point shoot was bought by my father from a neighborhood photo studio for around may be $20 or 25.                                                     

Due to the advent of digital cameras, film has certainly taken back seat and currently is almost a purist hobby. There is nothing to worry though. Go to YouTube and flickr and type ‘film photography’, you will find a million resources, groups and there you will find tons and tons of people who are still shooting film and proudly so. A lot them have actually transitioned from digital to film, ditching their digital gear and actually living the film lifestyle. Right from buying a film camera and loading the film into it there are also thousands of tutorials on how you can process your film on YouTube. Isn’t that great?

 

 There are plenty of film cameras both offline and online. Your local classifieds can be a good source too. If you are living far away from proper urban civilization, you can start enquiring from your friends and relatives or photo studios in your area, most studios have a bunch of equipment lying around that isn’t being used. Its always better to buy stuff where you an physically inspect before buying. Additionally these studios also have accessories like flashes, lights, tripods and other sundry which can also be had at great prices.  

 

You have any particular camera model in mind? Good. If not you can go to Camerapedia or Camerawiki which have a lot of information regarding film cameras and camera companies. The site also has useful articles related to lenses and photography in general which will be very useful to you as you begin your journey in film photography. You can also compare models and choose the one that best fits your budget and style of photography.

So now you have your camera. What is next?

Film Processing

Firstly, when you are doing film photography you have to know that you are in the minority. So it is extremely important to be resourceful and self sufficient. You cannot always depend on the corner photo shop for processing and scanning your film. Even if you do there is no guarantee of the quality. So what you need is a processing set up, scanning apparatus and archival equipment.   

Processing at home is probably the easiest way to get great images and also save tons of money. How? The chemicals used for processing negatives are very cheap. All you need are – a developer, a stop bath, a fixer, photo flow (to finally wash off all the chemicals) and a thermometer. Last time I checked there were also videos showing the development of film with everyday items like coffee and lemons. Yes surprising indeed. You can view thousands of videos related to the topic here.  

Dark Room

Usually with the kind of money hobby photographers usually have, it’s not easy to build a full fledged dark room. But there are a lot of alternatives to a full fledged dark room. There are thousands of people worldwide who use their bathrooms, kitchens etc. as dark rooms. Also, it is not at all hard to build your own portable dark room from collapsible plastic or fabric walls. It is especially useful if you are living in a rented place. All you need in this dark room is a sink with a tap (or lots of water with draining facility), a table and enough space to put all your chemicals safely. Remember to bring a red bulb too. If you can’t find one, wrap a heat resistant red polymer/fabric/sheet on a normal bulb.

Scanning Your Negatives

This is a fairly simple job. There are a lot of scanners in the market today that will perfectly scan your rolls without any loss in quality whatsoever. You can choose to scan at your own pace and at a resolution suited to you, but remember, higher resolution means bigger storage space. So save the scans as high resolution tiffs and also low resolution JPEGs or as per your requirement. The most popular scanners in the market today are Epson Perfection range, 500, 600 and 700 models, Nikon cool scan, which is a dedicated film scanner and there are also many others. Hasselblad also makes drum scanners called Flextight, but they are extremely expensive. Both the flat bed scanners and dedicated film scanners use CCDs and it is important to check the bit depth. The higher it is the better. Generally it is somewhere between 12 and 16. Make sure yours is not less than 12 bits. 

If you are really interested in very high quality photographic output and have a little bit more money, you can buy a used Drum Scanner for a few hundred dollars from ebay. Drum Scanners capture images through Photo Multiplier Tubes (PMTs) rather than CCD arrays that are employed in consumer grade flatbed scanners. Also the output quality of drum scan is far better than that from a flatbed scanner.  

Bottom line is read the reviews before buying. Also buy film holders separately if they aren’t included with your scanner. 

Archival Of Scanned Negatives/Storage

Store the data on DVDs rather than CDS or hard drives. The lifespan of CDs tends to be just 5 years after which they become unresponsive and hard drives usually crash or become victim to viruses and other technical problems. DVDs have a life span of 30-100 years, so if you store them well you can show your masterpieces to your grand children too. Another way of storing is Google Drive where you can store your pictures online without any hassle and they will be there as long as Google is there, which seems almost forever. 

FYI:

                                                  

• Remember most wide angles during the film era came in 28mm only, which is wide enough for a full frame film camera. Additionally there is no crop factor or other blah so what you see is what you shoot.  
• If you are worried about wasting film during your learning to shoot film, you can use a very inexpensive digital point and shoot camera (or even your cell phone) to test shoot images first to gauge the look and feel and only then shoot. This will give you a fair idea on what will end up on your film frame.
• Scan your negatives right after processing. That way you won’t have a huge stack of negatives to process on the weekend. And the stress from scanning will be gone if it is only 2 or 3 rolls. I happened to read on somewhere about a guy who had 3,00,000 rolls and he wanted to scan them and asking people how to do it. Some commented that it will take a minimum of 1-3 years to scan all of them and that too if he treated it as a full-time job working 8 hours a day and taking only the Sunday off. Moral of the story: Scan negatives right after processing. Shoot pictures only after scanning previous negatives.  

All prepped up? That’s very good. I hope this article was useful to you. Cheers and good luck. 

--Viisshnu--

                                                                                                                 

Manual Focus, Manual Focus Lenses On DSLRs, Exposure And Shutter Speed

A couple nights ago, I was reading up on some photography stuff and wondered how would my Sony a200 and the DT 18-70 fare with all manual controls, if so how would my camera work with a manual focus lenses. So I switched both the lens and camera in manual mode and starting shooting stuff on my computer table (which is a mess) with the kit lens. Surprisingly enough the exposure reading on the LCD was blinking. Some times under exposed and sometimes over. [Generally speaking, in low light conditions (fluorescent light in the room) I have to say DT 18-70 lens will not perform that good in shutter priority but in aperture priority the output is on par and it would work excellently for macro]  

So for people intending to use old manual focus lenses on their DSLRs, you should be aware of the limitations of them. From another perspective they are not really limitations. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn about what shutter speed will work for indoor/outdoor and a variety of other lighting conditions and how you can expose your pictures properly. All this effort, trial and error will only make you a better photographer. If you are a hobby photographer, you can always try this, as you got nothing to lose. 

For a specialist kind of photography like sports, fashion and journalism, this whole idea is invalid as they demand very high precision, on time delivery, you cannot go into a corner and keep fiddling with your settings when your crew and assistants are waiting for you. It just wouldn’t work.  If there is enough time and if the deadlines can be relaxed a bit, manual lenses can do wonders for both your skill as a photographer and also the actual photographic output.

This is just a heads up: You should also be aware of a predicament, which is when you are shooting in manual mode and correcting shutter speed to match the exposure, sometimes the shutter speed will be right at 1/3 or ½ or 0.3” or 0.4” then in that case it is extremely important to keep the camera stable or else you will end up with a blurry shot. Thankfully Sony DSLRs have steady shot in them and they will somehow compensate, but it’s also important to not depend on the camera entirely. You either have a tripod, or put the camera in self timer mode and put on it your bike or car or a boulder or use something like a pen and thread stabilizing system or be absolutely still when taking pictures which is not too difficult. How did you think people took great pictures before the 1950s? Go figure. 

When using old manual focus lenses on DSLRs, the camera has no way of communicating with the lens to know the exposure or aperture. So after focusing, and setting the aperture, you have to lock the exposure on the correct reading and then shoot. If it’s outdoor, the exposure difference between different shots is very less, so you can mostly continue shooting without changing the shutter speed. If its indoor you should probably change it many times as you have additional lights. Don’t worry, with time you will get used to it and it will become second nature. It’s the least you can do for quality and the associated ease from the cost factor. Look at the bright side, with every shot you are becoming a better photographer, judging the exposure, shutter speed and focus distance, isn’t that great?  

Wondering why you should go through all this trouble? Yes I too feel the same sometimes. It is not your mistake. We are living in an age where everything is automatic, easy and fuss free.  We want shortcuts to everything and bypass anything that involves effort, to learn, to work. It is not a good thing. Learning with hard work and on your own strength will definitely make you a better artist. A self acquired wealth of wisdom is unbeatable by any means and I am not talking just about photography. Cheers and good luck. 

--Viisshnu--

                                                       

Ameenpur lake

I was long overdue visiting this lake which is very near to where I live. Until recently I never had the opportunity to go visit. Like every other lake and water body in my area this lake too is fast becoming a victim to growing real estate and toxic dumps from the surrounding industries. The shore is dotted with dead cat fish which gave me a semi fright. I usually avoid conditions like that, but the place was too vast and the sky light was mesmerizing. It was mixture of both pleasant and unpleasant. It was supposed to be a fishing trip but my friend only happened to catch one small pomfret fish which was soon thrown back into the water, but not before taking its picture.      

--Viisshnu Vardhan--

Using old manual focus film camera lenses on Sony alpha DSLRs

                                                                Sony a200 DSLR

                                                           (image courtesy Wikipedia)

Let me guess. You just bought a Sony DSLR and contemplating on the high prices of Sony lenses and flustered by the rising prices of Minolta lenses, right? Dont worry, its perfectly normal. As a Sony shooter myself, I assure you, you are in good hands. You can congratulate yourself  that you didnt go with the flock and if you are here then it is by no means an accident. Its destiny. haha.

You better have time because this is going to be a long read.

Now lets get into the details. 

When I bought my Sony A-200 DSLR  there was huge outcry from my peers, seniors and friends, like I just murdered Christ. They were horrified at me for not choosing either a Canon or Nikon. They told me a thousand reasons - not many lenses, high lens prices, not so strong body. How could I tell them that I was cash poor and couldnt afford those brands? I didnt.

I was first impressed with Sony when I saw pics of the DSLR on flickr. I was astounded by the clean lines and dimensions which were a far cry from cameras by other manufacturers.

So coming back to the lenses part. Sony doesnt have many lenses? There are only a few lenses to choose from? Fine. How many lenses would you buy for your DSLR in your lifetime? 1? 2? 3? 5?10? An average photog needs just 3 lenses. A wide angle, a normal and a telephoto, not much else is needed. Ofcourse if you are a pro even 20 lenses might not be sufficient. Just figure of speech.

When I bought my Sony a200 I didnt have that many big plans to increase my inventory but, in the last few months I discovered during my photowalks that a kit lens wasn't a sufficient option for challenging tasks. Something crucial was missing. Or is it just me?

I started to research Minolta lenses and to my horror realized that the prices have already climbed up. Thanks to Sony's rising popularity as a DSLR brand. Good for them. Bad for me. Even on fleabay, they are overpriced. The sub $50 lenses are all gone and the beercan is going for somewhere between $150 and $300 and I am not in a position to buy something at that price.

This whole finding lenses ordeal seemed like a dead end. UNTIL NOW.

If you cant afford what they have that's not a problem. Now together lets get creative.

If Nikon and Canon are likened to religions, then where does that leave us? To help save our secular vision, some good folks out there made Adapters (ofcourse you know about adapters already). Lens Mount Adapters really open the door and into probably another dimension where only the sky is limit. How? With a proper adapter any lenses can be used on any DSLR body. Buuut, no, I am not pulling you down but...there are a few limitations. Relax no big deal. You just have to compromise on a few conveniences, but isn't that a fair trade off??? Here is why you don't need an auto-focus system in your camera: 

So I was in no way ready to buy new lenses for my Sony DSLR and was researching alternate options. I realized I had four K mount lenses in pristine condition in my shoe box which can be readily used. How can they be used on my Sony body?. Then I found adapters in fleabay that can be used to mount my K, PK mount lenses on my Sony DSLR body, viola, I am all set now. How much does the adapter cost? Just $6. 

The lenses I have are: 

1) Auto Zoom Sears Multi Coated 1:4.0 80-200mm telephoto lens (made in Korea)

2) Auto Sears Multi Coated 1:2.8 28mm prime lens (made in Korea)

3) Auto Chinon 1:1.9 50mm prime lens (made in Japan)

4) SMC Pentax-A 1:2 50mm prime lens (made in Japan? China? Korea?)

Though these lenses don't cost much, they have top billing in performance, optical quality and photographic output.

How I got these lenses is another story altogether. May be another post for another time. 

Remember no matter what mount, a lens is a lens. Some are exceptional, some normal and some not so good. There are also photogs who make great pictures even with bad lenses. Lenses are just tools, only what you want to see in your picture is more important. 

Here is why old manual lenses are better than your $1000 lens

K, PK  Mount Lenses For Sony DSLRs

K, PK lens mount was proprietary for Pentax and was introduced in 1975.

With a K, PK mount adapter you will now have access to a huge pool of manual focus lenses that are available extremely cheap both online and offline. Most of the major lens companies have made atleast some lenses in K mount. Companies like Vivitar, Sigma, Agfa, Kiron, Sears, Chinon, Soligor, Quantaray, Takumar have all made K mount lenses and they are all floating out there for the taking. At one point in history Carl Zeiss actually hired Sigma to make lenses for them in the K mount. Such was the popularity of K mount lenses in their era. There are also hundreds of lesser known companies like Beroflex, Kalimar, Cimko and Hanimex, that have made ultra performing but underrated K mount lenses. So figuratively you have thousands of extraordinary lenses to choose from.

But if you want only Minolta lenses and Minolta class optical quality, but cant afford the Minolta alpha 'a' mount lenses, you can look into some MC and MD lenses from Minolta. They are available at a little bit lesser price and sometimes at a very lesser price than 'a' mounts. You can use a appropriate adapter for the lens to mount it on your Sony body. Remember there is no auto-focus on MC, MD mounts. I personally have a 135mm 1:3.5 MD Rokkor prime lens which is sturdily built. It came with my Minolta XG-M. The optics on this lens are legendary. When I look through the viewfinder and focus on the subject it feels so magical.

The greatest and probably the best thing about manual focus lenses is that all of them are full frame. Ok you have APS-C sensor, fine, but doesn't it sound good that you have a full frame manual focus lens?. The depth of field is same as on full frame (35mm film) cameras albeit with the crop factor, which obviously cant be helped. On these manual focus lenses additionally there is no electrical frill and the probability of lens malfunctioning is almost zero because of that. Once the glass/barrel is cleaned and oiled, manual focus lenses run for decades without any hassles. Can anyone guarantee the same for the latest DSLR automatic/auto-focus/auto whatever lenses??? 

Adapters with glass elements

It is widely assumed that adapters with glass elements don't perform well. Well, that seems true as many people I have inquired both online and offline have said the same thing. The only thing they seem to be good at is macro, but then again the quality of photographic output is reportedly not so good. So better stay away from them.    

Chipped Adapters

Chipped adapters come with a fixed focal length programmed into the chip. It cannot by itself auto-focus but, when you manual focus and the subject is in focus it beeps, so you know when to click the shutter. 

Actually you can do without auto-focus. You want to become a better photographer? Ditch your auto-focus system. Instead learn to focus manually. Yes, I am telling you, you don't need it.

M42 Screw Mount Lenses

As the name suggests, this mount is built to be screwed into the camera body. Probably there are tons and tons of these lenses floating around both online and offline. The best feature of these lenses is that infinity focus is available on them. With an adapter for your Sony body, your creative options are actually limitless with M42 lenses. These days the M42 lenses are going for anywhere from $5 to $20. Some acclaimed names in M42 lenses are Olympus Zuiko, Fujinon, Helios, Carl Zeiss, Mamiya/Sekor (Sekor for Sekonic, a light meter manufacturing company later acquired by Zeiss). For M42 lens database click here.

Its not all hunky dory though. There are some points to ponder before buying lenses, mounting them on your camera and clicking pictures.

·                     Remember there is small percentage of lenses that cannot be used on your camera body. Adapters are not available for those lenses.

·                     Read the reviews before you buy any lens.

·                     Try to avoid the fleabay.

·                     You don't have auto-focus with manual lenses (you don't need it anyway)

·                     T mount is not the same as M42 mount. There's a difference in the size of the threads.

·                     You need to almost always shoot in manual mode (Which isn't so bad as you can use your brain for a change

·                     Match the aperture on the lens to what you are shooting. Check the exposure. Shoot at the widest aperture with the smallest f number or as per your convenience.

·                     Lenses can get stuck on camera bodies, so be careful while mounting and dismounting.

·                     M42 lenses cannot be used with Nikon DSLR cameras (as far as I know).

·                     The actual photographic output will depend on a variety of variable factors like lens condition, camera condition, available light, temperatures etc.  So if you make a bad picture, don't sulk. It probably is not your doing.

·                     Some older lenses have been manufactured using radio-active (no, no, not Hiroshima-Nagasaki, nothing nuclear) coatings, so better not open them or use them carelessly.

·                     Always buy clean fungus-free/dust-free lenses or you can seriously damage your DSLR. If you happen to find good lenses at cheap prices but has fungus, then first get them cleaned by a professional and only then use.

·                     Google 'flange distance' first and find your lens's. Hint: mirror mirror on the wall.

·                     Evil/Compact/Mirror-less/ cameras like NEX, Sony SLT cameras, Olympus OMD-5 are brilliantly compatible and perform excellently when used with old manual focus film camera lenses. Yes, its true. Mazeltov.

·                     Remember this whole article is intended for the poor/non-pro photographer who doesn't have much money to spend on jingbang lenses. If you can afford gear then you can go ahead and buy 'em.    

[A lot of time, energy, research (not to mention eye strain) and some money was involved in preparing this article. So on that note I would like to know if you liked this article. I don't need anything from my readers, just some acknowledgment by way of feed back or comments. I just want to know if this was useful to you in any way. That is all. Fair enough? Thank you. Have a good day.]