Friday, November 15, 2013

My New Toy!!!

It finally happened!!! I got my new baby! Ok, confession. I've actually had it for 2 weeks now, but there has been little time for me to sit down and actually announce the arrival of my new bundle of joy. But, today, I'm doin it!

Meet my new baby:

Isn't it beautiful!?
After a little hiccup with it, last week, where I had to take it back into the Sony store, and they so patiently helped me out, all is well, and I have been loving every minute that I get to shoot with it! Oh my gosh! It's night and day, from  my last camera. Sarah calls my new camera the daddy camera, and my old camera the baby camera. HAHA! Everything about this camera is just.........it's amazing.

For all of you spec fanatics, and cute nerds, here is all of the info about the camera:

Software

    • Operating System Compatibility : Windows XP 7 SP3, Windows Vista 8 SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Mac OSX (v10.3-v10.8)
    • Supplied Software : Image Data Converter SR (Windows & Macintosh) Image Data Lightbox SR (Windows & Macintosh) Remote Camera Control (Windows & Macintosh) Picture Motion Browser (Windows only)
  • Advanced Features

    • Image Stabilization : SteadyShot INSIDE™ in-body image stabilization. Compensation effect: Equivalent to approx. 2.5 to 4.5 steps in shutter speeds *Varies according to shooting conditions and lens used. Type: For still images: Image Sensor-Shift mechanism, For movies: Electronic
    • Audio Level Display : Yes
    • Face Detection : On/On (Regist. Faces)/Off (face registration, face selection). Max. 8 faces detectable.
    • Smile Shutter™ technology : Yes
    • Embedded GPS : Yes
    • Tracking Focus : Yes
  • Auto Portrait Framing

    • Still images : Yes
  • Camera

    • Camera Type : Sony A-mount interchangeable-lens digital camera
    • Lens Compatibility : Sony A-mount lenses, operation with Minolta/Konica Minolta lenses confirmed
  • Clear Image Zoom

    • Still images : Approx. 2x
    • Color : Black
  • Convenience Features

    • Still Image Playback Options : Single, 4/9-frame index view, Enlarged display mode, Auto Review (10/5/2 sec, off), Image orientation (On/Off selectable), Slideshow, Panorama scrolling, Folder selection, Delete, Protect
    • Video Playback Options : Forward/Rewind (Movie)
  • Drive System

    • Continuous Shooting Speed : Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE: approx. 10/8 fps selectable; Continuous (Hi:35mm full frame: approx. 6 fps APS-C: approx. 7 fps; Lo: 35mm full frame: approx. 2.5 fps APS-C: approx. 2.5 fps)
    • Burst Buffer : w/ SD (UHS-I compliant) memory card: Cont. shooting Hi: Extra FINE 15, FINE 24, STD 29, RAW 15, RAW+JPEG 12 Tele-zoom Cont. Advance Priority AE (8 fps): Extra FINE 20, FINE 28, STD 31, RAW 19, RAW+JPEG 18 Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE (10 fps): Extra FINE 20, FINE 26, STD 28 w/ Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo: Continuous shooting Hi: Extra FINE 14, FINE 18, STD 20, RAW 13, RAW+JPEG 11 Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE (8 fps): Extra FINE 17, FINE 20, STD 24, RAW 17, RAW+JPEG 16 Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE (10 fps): Extra FINE 18, FINE 22, STD 24
    • Flash Sync Speed : 1/250 sec.
    • Shutter Speeds : Still images: 1/8000 to 30 sec, Bulb Movies: 1/8000 to 1/4 (1/3 step), up to 1/60 in AUTO mode (up to 1/30 in Auto Slow Shutter mode)
    • Self-timer : 2-sec. or 10-sec. delay
    • Shutter Type : Electronically controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type
    • Drive Mode : Single-shot, Continuous shooting (Hi/Lo selectable), Self-timer (10/2 sec delay selectable), Bracket (Continuous/Single/WB/DRO), Remote commander (RMT-DSLR2)
  • Exposure System

    • Auto Exposure Lock : Yes with AE lock button (AE also locked when focus is locked in a multi-segment metering mode).
    • Exposure Compensation : 5 shots at 0.3EV/0.5EV/0.7EV, and three shots at ±1EV/±2EV/±3EV
    • Exposure Settings : AUTO (iAUTO, Superior Auto), Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M), Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE, Movie (Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A) / Shutter-speed priority (S) / Manual (M) selectable in manual focus mode)
    • Scene Mode(s) : Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night View, Handheld Twilight
    • Metering Modes : Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot
    • Metering Sensitivity : -2 to 17 EV (at ISO 100 equivalent with f/1.4 lens)
    • Metering : 1200-zone evaluative metering
    • ISO : Still images: Auto (ISO 100-6400, selectable lower limit and upper limit), ISO 100-25600; Movies: ISO 100-6400 equivalent; Auto (ISO 100-3200 equivalent)
    • Noise Reduction : Long Exposure NR: (On/Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 second) High ISO NR: (High/Normal/Low/Off)
    • Creative Style : Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, Black & White, Sepia (Contrast (-3 to +3 steps), Saturation (-3 to +3 steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3 steps))
    • Color Temperature : Manual (5 steps)
    • White Balance Mode : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent (Warm White, Cool White, Day White, Daylight), Flash, Color Temperature (2500 to 9900K) & color filter (G7 to M7, A7 to B7) / Custom (3)
    • Exposure Bracketing : Bracket: Cont./Bracket: Single, 3/5 frames (2.0 EV, 3.0 EV : only 3 frames) selectable
  • Flash

    • Flash Bracketing : 0.3/0.5/0.7/2.0/3.0 EV steps, 3/5 frames (2.0/3.0 EV : only 3 frames) selectable
    • Flash Metering System : ADI; Pre-flash TTL
    • Flash Compensation : +/- 3.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps)
    • Flash Modes : Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Hi-speed sync., Red-eye reduction (on/off selectable), Wireless, Off
  • Focus Control

    • Focus Features : Predictive control(AF-A, AF-C), Focus Lock, Eye-start AF
    • AF Illuminator : Built-in, LED type (range approx. 3.3 to 23 ft (1-7m))
    • Focus Sensitivity : EV -1 to 18 EV (at ISO100 equivalent, with F2.8 lens attached)
    • Focus Area : Wide (auto,19 points)/Zone/Spot/Local selectable
    • Focus Points : Detector 1: 19 points (11 points cross type), Detector 2: 102 assist points
    • AF Modes : Single-shot AF (AF-S), Automatic AF (AF-A), Continuous AF (AF-C), Depth Map Assist Continuous AF (AF-D) selectable
    • Focus System : TTL Phase-detection AF (CCD line sensors and Focal Plane Phase Detection sensors)
  • Imaging Sensor

    • Pixel Gross : Approx. 24.7 megapixels
    • Color Filter System : RGB primary color filters
    • Effective Picture Resolution : Approx. 24.3 megapixels
    • Anti Dust : Charge protection coating on low-pass filter and image sensor shift mechanism
    • Imaging Sensor : "Exmor" CMOS sensor (35.8 x 23.9mm)
  • Interface

    • Vertical Grip Connector : Yes
    • DC IN : Yes
    • HD Output : HDMI mini connector (Type-C) BRAVIA Sync (link menu) PhotoTV HD
    • Accessory Shoe : Yes (Multi Interface), Alpha Auto-lock with supplied ADP-MAA adapter
    • USB Port(s) : MiniB, Hi-speed USB (USB2.0) (Mass-storage (Multi LUN), MTP, PC remote
    • Multi Interface Shoe : Yes
    • Headphone Jack : Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack)
    • Microphone Input : Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack or Multi Interface)
  • LCD Display

    • Peaking : Yes (Level setting: High/Mid/Low/Off, Color: White/Red/Yellow)
    • Real-time image adjustment display : Yes(On/Off)
    • LCD Type : 3.0" (7.5 cm) TFT drive (1,228,800 dots). Focus Magnifier: (35mm full frame: 5.9x, 11.7x APS-C: 3.8x, 7.7x)
    • Angle Adjustment : Tilt angle: 140 degrees upward and 180 degrees downward Rotation angle: 180 degrees clockwise and 90 degrees counterclockwise
    • Brightness Control : Auto, Manual (5 steps between -2 to +2), Sunny Weather
    • Customization : Graphic Display, Display All Info., No Disp. Info., Digital Level Gauge, Histogram, Shooting Info
  • LCD screen

    • WhiteMagic : Yes
    • Quick Navi : Yes
  • Lens compensation

    • Lens compensation : Peripheral Shading, Chromatic Aberration, Distortion
  • Movie function

    • Audio Rec Level : Yes
    • Auto Slow Shutter : Yes
    • HDMI Info. Display : Yes (On/Off)
  • Optics/Lens

    • Smart Zoom® Technology : M: approx. 1.5x, S: approx. 2.3x
    • Digital Zoom : Still images: 4x Movie: 4x
  • Other Features

    • Clock Function,Setting : Yes
    • Area Setting : Yes
    • Eye-Fi ready : Yes
    • Shop Front Mode : Yes
    • Help guide : Yes
    • Help guide : Yes
  • Power

    • Battery Type : InfoLITHIUM® NP-FM500H (7.2V)
    • Power Consumption (in LCD Screen Operation) : approx. 3.6W (still images, with SAL2470Z lens)
    • Number of Still Images : Still: Approx. 410 shots with viewfinder, 500 shots with LCD monitor (CIPA measurement) Movies: Approx. 155 min with viewfinder, approx. 155 min with LCD monitor
    • Power Consumption (in View Finder Operation) : approx. 4.2W (still images, with SAL2470Z lens)
  • Recording

    • Panorama Still Image Size : Wide: Horizontal 12,416 x 1,856 (23M) Vertical 5,536 x 2,160 (12M) Standard: Horizontal 8,192 x 1,856 (15M) Vertical 3,872 x 2,160 (8.4M)
    • Audio Format : Dolby Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC, 2ch
    • Video Format : AVCHD Ver. 2.0 (Progressive), AVCHD, MP4
    • Video Mode : AVCHD: PS - 1920 x 1080/60p@28Mbps FX - 1920 x 1080/60i@24Mbps FH - 1920 x 1080/60i@17Mbps FX - 1920 x 1080/24p@24Mbps FH - 1920 x 1080/24p@17Mbps MP4: HD - 1440 x 1080/ 30p@12Mbps VGA - 640 x 480/ 30p@3Mbps
    • Color Space : sRGB, Adobe RGB
    • Still Image Size 16:9 : 35mm full frame L: 6000 x 3376 (20M) M: 3936 x 2216 (8.7M) S: 2640 x 1488 (3.9M) APS-C L: 3936 x 2216 (8.7M) M: 2640 x 1488 (3.9M) S: 1728 x 976 (1.7M)
    • Still Image Size 3:2 : 35mm full frame L: 6000 x 4000 (24M) M: 3936 x 2624 (10M) S: 2640 x 1760 (4.6M) APS-C L: 3936 x 2624 (10M) M: 2640 x 1760 (4.6M) S: 1728 x 1152 (2.0M)
    • Still Image Mode : JPEG (Standard, Fine, Extra Fine), RAW, RAW+JPEG
    • Media Type : Memory Stick PRO Duo™/Pro-HG Duo™ media; SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card
    • Microphone/Speaker : Built-in stereo microphone or ECM-ALST1 (with supplied shoe adaptor) / ECM-CG50 / XLR-K1M (sold separately). Built-in, monaural, Volume settings in 8 steps between 0 and 7.
    • Dual Record : Simult. Rec (Still,Movie), Simult. Rec (Still/Movie), Sort (JPEG/RAW), Sort (Still/Movie), Copy
    • Still Image File Format : JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver. 2.3, MPF baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format), RAW & JPEG
  • Shutter

    • Electronic Front Curtain Shutter : Yes (On/Off)
  • Smart Teleconverter

    • Smart Teleconverter : Approx. 1.4 x / 2x
  • Viewfinder

    • Type : 1/2" (1.3 cm) electronic viewfinder (color) (2,359k dots). Display:Graphic Display / Display All Info. / No Disp. Info. / Digital Level Gauge / Histogram. Brightness control: Auto/Manual (3 steps between -1 and +1) Eyepoint: Approx. 27mm from the eyepiece lens, 22mm from the eyepiece frame at -1 diopter (CIPA standard)
    • Field of View : 100%
    • Magnification : Approx. 0.71 x (with 50mm lens at infinity, -1m-1)
    • Diopter Adjustment : -4.0 to +3.0m-1
  • Weights and Measurements

    • Dimensions (Approx.) : Approx. 5 7/8 X 4 1/2 X 3 1/8" (147 x 111.2 x 78.4mm) (WxHxD)
    • Weight (Approx.) : Approx. 1 lb 9.9 oz (733 g) (body only) Approx. 1 lb 12.7 oz (812 g) (with battery and memory stick)
  • White balance

    • AWB micro adjustment : Yes (G7 to M7 (15 steps), A7 to B7 (15 steps))
The first time I held it, it fit like a glove. It was so comfortable in my hands. I didn't like how the Canon's or the Nikons sat in my hands, probably because I've only used Sony. HA! After getting it home, and after buying 3 new lenses for it, I didn't touch it.....HAHA! It sat, in the box, on the counter. I was scared to death of it! I reverted back to that undeserving feeling. Then combine it with the lenses, and everything else that we got for it, and it's just too much money. That camera is so much money! I felt guilty about how much money we spent on something, just for me.....for something that I'm not planning on charging any money to do! For a hobby and service, basically!  I always have that hang up. But, it was magnified even more by a few comments that the salesman made to me at the Sony store, when he was trying, after an hour of debating on whether or not to buy it, to push me to the a77, instead, because he thought that was a "more reasonable camera for what you need, and you won't have to buy new lenses".....although, he never asked me what I was doing with this camera. It's ok, though.....now.

I kept my old camera ready to go, sitting right next to my new one. I couldn't get rid of it. It was my security blanket. I kept thinking of all of the neat things I've gotten to do with that camera. What kind of person I have become, while holding that camera. All of the things I have learned with that camera. There are a lot of Saturdays that that camera felt like it was glued to my hands, because I never put it down! I don't want to get rid of that camera. It's silly, but the thought of selling it........makes me a little bit sad.

One day, we went to a new park in town, and I took my new camera with me. I was hesitant at first, but once I got to the park, I wanted to try everything with it! Allan knew I was nervous about it, so he stood next to me, and suggested a few things here and there, and then I was off and running....sometimes literally. HA!

This one is my favorite

Taylor was obsessed with the giant bunny, and we thought this was pretty darn funny.

Yup, I looked like a moron, laying down on the ground, in front of the walkway. But, I don't care, cause I got exactly what I wanted!
I got home, and looked at the shots from our park visit, and thought to myself, "This is exactly what I needed! I feel so much better! I feel so much more confident in shooting what I want to! There is nothing holding me back now, but me!" I just felt so excited!

I still don't feel deserving of this amazing gift. I remember when I told Allan that I had reservations and guilt about buying it, one night, he said, "You DO deserve it. You deserve so much more. I want you to have it. I don't care if you make money doing this. It makes you happy, and that's what I want." (I have an amazing hubby.) I may not get any Christmas gifts, or Valentines gifts, or any gifts for the next year, HA! But, I'm totally ok with that!

I'm still a bit overwhelmed with my new baby, but I am so excited to continue my journey in photography, with this amazing new tool. I can't wait to learn it's little quirks. I can't wait for it to feel like home, like my other camera. I can't wait to see what new stories I get to tell with this camera. It should be a fun journey!

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