# Choosing a new DSLR: Advice warmly received!



## Krispy

I'm thinking of making the leap into 'proper' cameras while the sales are on.

I was originally going to go for the Sony based on reviews and extras like wifi (and the good price it's currently selling at) but the guy in the shop said it would be restrictive in terms of lens choices in the future. He said the Canon is best value due to the 2 lens package deal they are currently doing. He also said the Canon and Nikon would perform better in lower light than the Sony - can't remember why though?!

I'd go for quality and ease of use over optional extras. Anyone have any experience with these and, if so, any pros or cons to consider? All advice gratefully received.

*Canon EOS1200D*

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras-and-camcorders/digital-cameras/dslr-and-compact-system-cameras/canon-eos-1200d-dslr-camera-with-18-55-mm-f-3-5-5-6-zoom-lens-75-300-mm-f-4-5-6-telephoto-zoom-lens-22001915-pdt.html










*Nikon D3300*

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras-and-camcorders/digital-cameras/dslr-and-compact-system-cameras/nikon-d3300-dslr-camera-with-18-55-mm-f-3-5-5-6-ii-ed-zoom-lens-black-10135135-pdt.html










*Sony A5100*

http://www.johnlewis.com/sony-a5100-compact-system-camera-with-16-50mm-oss-lens-hd-1080p-24-3mp-wi-fi-nfc-oled-3-tilting-touch-screen/p1761633?colour=Black


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## ShaneR

I bought the d3300 back when it first came out and it is a great camera that punches above its price. The reason that I chose this one was after a long search of all the reviews which basically led me in circles, I went into the shop and tried it out. It was the one that felt best in my hand and the menu appeared to be the most straight forward for me.

I would say say go and have a look. Have a play. Everyone likes their own brand but only you will know what feels right. I personally like the Nikon lenses and now have a d7200 as well!


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## mattbeef

Out of the two it would be either Canon or Nikon, simple for the fact that there are plenty of options.

I know some die hard Canon fans have recently switched to Nikon so as Shane did go and physically try on out. If you can at an independent or small jessops


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## Krispy

Thanks chaps. I did try the Nikon and Canon out today but it was hard for me to really tell the difference between them!


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## Faze

Does any of your options have "focus peaking"? It's on my Sony a6000 mirrorless and is great for macro shots.

Also if the internet is to be believed, professional Nikon and Cannon shooters are moving over to the Sony mirrorless systems.


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## Krispy

I haven't a clue what focus peaking even is...something else for me to research! I need to read what all this mirrorless stuff is about too!

For macro's, wouldn't I also need an additional lens to the stock 18/50mm they seem to come with?

The fella in the shop said there was nothing wrong with Sony lenses except they were harder to find people who stock them and were more expensive?



Faze said:


> Does any of your options have "focus peaking"? It's on my Sony a6000 mirrorless and is great for macro shots.
> 
> Also if the internet is to be believed, professional Nikon and Cannon shooters are moving over to the Sony mirrorless systems.


 I'm leaning towards the Nikon at the mo and it appears it doesn't have focus peaking...

http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/nikon/d3300/vs/sony/a6000/

But seems the Sony does...

http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/sony/a6000/vs/sony/a5100/


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## Faze

Krispy said:


> For macro's, wouldn't I also need an additional lens to the stock 18/50mm they seem to come with?


 Only if you go supermacro I think, but then you can get good results with extension tubes



Krispy said:


> But seems the Sony does...
> 
> http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/sony/a6000/vs/sony/a5100/


 Will be a bit dearer than your original choices.

Have you seen this thread?

http://xflive.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?/topic/95331-sony-a6000-the-once-and-furure-camera/&do=embed


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## Krispy

Seems the A5100 has image peaking and can be had for £299 from John Lewis at the moment.

Sites like this - http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/nikon/d3300/vs/sony/a5100/image-quality - is how I end up loosing hours! It lets you compare any 2 cameras and has near identical sample pics for both.

This is the Sony...










And this is the Nikon










Buggered if I can tell the difference! (Except the 2 strips in the 1st photo!)



Faze said:


> Only if you go supermacro I think, but then you can get good results with extension tubes
> 
> Will be a bit dearer than your original choices.
> 
> Have you seen this thread?
> 
> http://xflive.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?/topic/95331-sony-a6000-the-once-and-furure-camera/&do=embed


 No I hadn't seen that thread, thank you. Some great pictures in there. Now I'm even more torn!


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## Faze

Krispy said:


> Seems the A5100 has image peaking and can be had for £299 from John Lewis at the moment.
> 
> Sites like this - http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/nikon/d3300/vs/sony/a5100/image-quality - is how I end up loosing hours! It lets you compare any 2 cameras and has near identical sample pics for both.
> 
> This is the Sony...
> 
> 
> 
> And this is the Nikon
> 
> 
> 
> Buggered if I can tell the difference! (Except the 2 strips in the 1st photo!)
> 
> No I hadn't seen that thread, thank you. Some great pictures in there. Now I'm even more torn!


 The colours look stronger on the Sony picture. I'm on the laptop at the moment, but might look different on the PC or phone.


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## William_Wilson

I'm a bit of a fan of the Sony a6000, so keep that in mind. :wink:

Here is a picture of my Sony a850 full frame 24mp camera with my Sony a6000 APS-C 24mp camera:










I can't stand lugging the DSLR around now that I've been using the a6000, and I prefer the photos I've been getting with the smaller camera. Sony has a reasonable basic lineup of lenses for the mirrorless cameras as well as more expensive Zeiss designed and coated lenses. The Zeiss company also offers a 12mm ultra-wide angle, 32mm standard and a 50mm macro for the Sony mount. I have a 20mm Sony standard wide angle lens that is very shallow and great to carry when you want the camera as compact as possible. I also have a 30mm Sony macro which seems to do pretty good work. My standard lens is a 32mm Zeiss f1.8 which is rather good.

Later,
William


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## William_Wilson

Just for fun, here are three shots from the a6000...

20mm Sony wide angle, 1/250th of a second at f11 ISO 100.









30mm Sony macro, 4/5s of a second at f22 ISO 3200.










32mm Zeiss standard, 1/60th of a second at f16 ISO 800 cropped straight from original image without resizing.









Later,
William


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## xellos99

I wasted so much money of photography, I could have bought a Rolex.

Dslr are the king if you use full manual mode but not entry level ones.

If you use auto mode full time then I would get the best mirrorless camera I could afford.

They are much lighter, much more discreet and have lovely pictures.

I'm sure Sony and Fujifilm have afew good options in mirrorless at sub £500.

If you still want dslr and you want to get into full manual mode then get used Nikon d7000.


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## dobra

None of these cameras are third rate, but sometimes product allegiance can get in the way of objectivity. One negative point is the problem with so-called kit lenses. Quite often, they are just good enough optically when compared with their stablemates.. Also, some lenses have plastics mounts, rather than stainless fittings. If you are going to change lenses often, then wear and tear can shorten the life, and give optical accuracy problems.

Only have one DSLR - an ageing SonyA330. I also have two Minolta x700's and Dynax 700si film cameras. The latter's lenses are compatible with the A330. Minolta were one of the few camera companies to make their own glass and lenses, hence my choice of the A330 at the time.

In conclusion, what are the critical applications of your new DSLR - social, landscape, makro, portraiture? Pro or amateur? Used hi-spec DSLR or new consumer?

Mike


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## wotsch

When my old Canon gives up the ghost I'm pretty sure I'll be going to a Sony a7. With an adapter they seem to be able to use Canon and Nikon lenses too, which eliminates the lens limitations your photo bloke was talking about.

Here's s good site for reading reviews etc.: http://www.dpreview.com

-wotsch


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## andyclient

I have used Nikon for around 30 years so I would lean towards Nikon .

To be fair there is probably very little between Nikon Canon or Sony in terms of photo quality build quality etc etc

The only thing i will say about Nikon is that they have maintained the same F mount system since their first Slr camera probably dating back to the 50s, so believe it or not they will still fit and work on their latest Dslrs ok auto focus stop down metering etc doesn't work but they still fit and will take a picture in manual setting.

I,m still using my 1970s 105mm micro Nikkor on my D300 Dslr , but if you are starting from scratch i guess it doesn't matter that much but i did have a few Nikkor lenses already , so thats why i've stuck with them.


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## Krispy

Thanks for all the advice, really appreciated as are the sample pics.

I'm about to order the Sony A5100 over the Nikon D3300 - unless anyone changes my mind! My only niggle is I assume that the Nikon stock lens is better than the stock Sony? I doubt I'd be upgrading the lens for a while, should it bother me??


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## Faze

Google says the A5100 takes an e-mount lens, which is the same as my A6000.
I use a Sigma 19mm 1:2.8 DN for all my watch shots,

https://www.parkcameras.com/p/G242245L/sony-lenses-e-mount/sigma/19mm-f28-dn-sony-e-mount-silver??utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=pricecomp&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKEAiAh560BRDu-aD93r-J_zoSJACrxZG2hcpIWzXk6E29kl496_wxc-3510ubXNQNzCwuZIn1lRoCJIHw_wcB

Taken this morning and just lightened up in Googles Picasa


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## Krispy

5100 ordered and waiting in Waitrose for me tomorrow :thumbsup:


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## xellos99

Don't need to change lens.

If you want to get anything else then a tripod is the best tool for photography.


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## William_Wilson

Krispy said:


> 5100 ordered and waiting in Waitrose for me tomorrow :thumbsup:


 The kit lens isn't fantastic, but kit lenses never are. It is good enough as a general purpose lens though. If you think you need a macro, the Sony macro isn't very expensive (usually on sale in Canada for $250) and does a surprisingly good job. Here is an example:










The end of the lens was two and a half to three inches from the watch. Shot at 3/10ths of a second at f22, ISO 3200. I'm quite happy with this lens. If you feel the need to step up to a better general purpose zoom at some point, Sony has a good selection of E mounts to choose from.

Later,
William


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## Krispy

Thanks William, I'll learn how to use the camera and then see about upgraded lenses. It seems you can get adapters for other brands of lenses too?


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## William_Wilson

Krispy said:


> Thanks William, I'll learn how to use the camera and then see about upgraded lenses. It seems you can get adapters for other brands of lenses too?


 Yes, there several different makes and quality levels available. If you have a different brand or mount of lens on hand this may be viable. The drawback to these adapters is the fact they introduce another set of mounting surfaces between the glass and sensor. This reduces the precision of the lens to sensor alignment, and alters the specs of te lens a little bit.

I had a lot of Minolta lenses and found I only really needed a couple of them. I used a macro for watches and a wide to medium zoom for real estate and general purpose shooting. I find with the new mirrorless that the three I have bought cover almost everything I need. I will get a wide to medium Sony/Zeiss zoom someday when I have some extra cash or a deal comes along I just can't refuse. The Zeiss 32mm standard lens I picked up was on sale 30% off, so I couldn't say no. :laugh:

Later,
William


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## xellos99

Krispy said:


> Thanks William, I'll learn how to use the camera and then see about upgraded lenses. It seems you can get adapters for other brands of lenses too?


 You need lenses that have their own autofocus motor built in. The d3000 and d5000 range do not have their own autofocus drive system like a d7000. Should be ok with modern lenses but you need to check older lenses or if buying lenses from other brands with a converter.


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## bowie

Krispy will you you let me know how you get on with the touch screen,looking at one my self but think i would prefer the a6000 with knob on top to turn to auto, scn mode ect and the viewfinder would be a big bonus, it's just the price for me.the a51000 is a lot cheaper.


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## Krispy

bowie said:


> Krispy will you you let me know how you get on with the touch screen,looking at one my self but think i would prefer the a6000 with knob on top to turn to auto, scn mode ect and the viewfinder would be a big bonus, it's just the price for me.the a51000 is a lot cheaper.


 I will do indeed. Apparently, the price of the A5100 goes back up to £450 on 17th Jan, if John Lewis are to be believed.

http://www.johnlewis.com/sony-a5100-compact-system-camera-with-16-50mm-oss-lens-hd-1080p-24-3mp-wi-fi-nfc-oled-3-tilting-touch-screen/p1761633

After Waitrose let me go home with Mr Willis' kettle by mistake, I have since returned to store and come home with this. Tidy up, spot of dinner then I'll have a play with the new toy....


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## bowie

Krispy said:


> I will do indeed. Apparently, the price of the A5100 goes back up to £450 on 17th Jan, if John Lewis are to be believed.
> 
> http://www.johnlewis.com/sony-a5100-compact-system-camera-with-16-50mm-oss-lens-hd-1080p-24-3mp-wi-fi-nfc-oled-3-tilting-touch-screen/p1761633
> 
> After Waitrose let me go home with Mr Willis' kettle by mistake, I have since returned to store and come home with this. Tidy up, spot of dinner then I'll have a play with the new toy....


 Thanks for that goes up on my birthday.


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## Krispy

bowie said:


> Krispy will you you let me know how you get on with the touch screen,looking at one my self but think i would prefer the a6000 with knob on top to turn to auto, scn mode ect and the viewfinder would be a big bonus, it's just the price for me.the a51000 is a lot cheaper.


 Oddly, it seems the touch screen is only active when in shoot mode to select something to focus on. The menu is driven by the jog wheel and button no matter how hard or often you press the screen!


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## bowie

Krispy said:


> Krispy said:
> 
> 
> 
> Oddly, it seems the touch screen is only active when in shoot mode to select something to focus on. The menu is driven by the jog wheel and button no matter how hard or often you press the screen!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I will do indeed. Apparently, the price of the A5100 goes back up to £450 on 17th Jan, if John Lewis are to be believed.
> 
> http://www.johnlewis.com/sony-a5100-compact-system-camera-with-16-50mm-oss-lens-hd-1080p-24-3mp-wi-fi-nfc-oled-3-tilting-touch-screen/p1761633
> 
> After Waitrose let me go home with Mr Willis' kettle by mistake, I have since returned to store and come home with this. Tidy up, spot of dinner then I'll have a play with the new toy....
Click to expand...

 Thanks for that can you just set it to automatic and how do you do that.


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## Krispy

bowie said:


> Thanks for that can you just set it to automatic and how do you do that.


 That's easy enough but slightly more cumbersome than having a dedicated dial.



Press button in centre of jog dial (right of the screen)


Use dial to select mode


Press button again to select


Like my RX100 it has 2 auto modes - Intelligent and Superior.


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## bowie

Krispy said:


> Krispy said:
> 
> 
> 
> That's easy enough but slightly more cumbersome than having a dedicated dial.
> 
> 
> 
> Press button in centre of jog dial (right of the screen)
> 
> 
> Use dial to select mode
> 
> 
> Press button again to select
> 
> 
> Like my RX100 it has 2 auto modes - Intelligent and Superior.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I will do indeed. Apparently, the price of the A5100 goes back up to £450 on 17th Jan, if John Lewis are to be believed.
> 
> http://www.johnlewis.com/sony-a5100-compact-system-camera-with-16-50mm-oss-lens-hd-1080p-24-3mp-wi-fi-nfc-oled-3-tilting-touch-screen/p1761633
> 
> After Waitrose let me go home with Mr Willis' kettle by mistake, I have since returned to store and come home with this. Tidy up, spot of dinner then I'll have a play with the new toy....
Click to expand...

 Thanks for that

thank you for all answers


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## Krispy

No problems. I've literally only had it on for 5 mins so will let you know what else I discover.


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## Krispy

Thanks to everyone who pushed me towards the Sony. Very impressed so far.

I've connected it to my PC over WiFi easily enough and it works a charm - so much less hassle than plugging it in. Does anyone use the Android app for remote control - is it worth it? I've downloaded the app but can't connect it to the camera as the QR reader doesn't seem to pick up the QR code on the phone. Is QR the only way of connecting and is it worth doing?

I also didn't realise that NFC had it's own icon these days, I can't tell you the sense of joy I had when, for a second, I thought the logo on the box meant it was compatible with Nespresso pods...


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## Faze

Looks like a then Sony a6100 is soon to be released, which should mean good savings on the a6000

http://cameratimes.org/sony-a6100-will-feature-36mp-sensor-shipping-march/


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## Krispy

You tell me now! artytime:


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## Will Fly

I bought two Canon EOS 70D bodies early last year, plus a kit 18mm-135mm lens and a non-professional 55mm-250mm lens. I have to say that the 18mm-135mm kit lens is excellent, and the build quality of bodies and lenses is excellent. The kit lens has image stabilisation and the bodies have a pull-out, touch-sensitive back screen - which I don't believe Nikon has (though I could be wrong here). I also don't think there's much to choose between the various makes. I bought the Canon stuff because there was a good deal going on it at the time at Jessops!


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## bowie

Faze said:


> Looks like a then Sony a6100 is soon to be released, which should mean good savings on the a6000
> 
> http://cameratimes.org/sony-a6100-will-feature-36mp-sensor-shipping-march/


 that's good news to me btw i'am a tassimo pod man myself


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## Faze

Krispy said:


> You tell me now! [IMG alt="artytime:" data-emoticon="true"]http://1.1.1.1/bmi/www.thewatchforum.co.uk/uploads/monthly_2015_05/partytime.gif.fce9776f700f7c555939a7ba8de9913f.gif[/IMG]


 So sorry, it was only reported late lastnight.


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## Faze




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## wotsch

Krispy said:


> Does anyone use the Android app for remote control - is it worth it?


 On my RX100-M3 I've used it for making stop-motion films with the kids, with the camera on a tripod. The app allowed me to trigger each new picture without touching the camera and almost certainly moving it. It was a lot of fun and it's amazing what the kids have come up with (usually involving toy car crashes).

The best thing for me about the Android app is being able to beam photos over from the camera to be able to view them and do some basic cropping and corrections on a decent screen right after I've taken them. Doesn't substitute a bit of proper work in photoshop later, but it's great to see the results more or less immediately when I'm out and about.


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## William_Wilson

wotsch said:


> On my RX100-M3 I've used it for making stop-motion films with the kids, with the camera on a tripod. The app allowed me to trigger each new picture without touching the camera and almost certainly moving it. It was a lot of fun and it's amazing what the kids have come up with (usually involving toy car crashes).
> 
> The best thing for me about the Android app is being able to beam photos over from the camera to be able to view them and do some basic cropping and corrections on a decent screen right after I've taken them. Doesn't substitute a bit of proper work in photoshop later, but it's great to see the results more or less immediately when I'm out and about.


 Another thing to consider is the one of the Sony remotes.










Also, further to what wotsch was saying about beaming images to a remote location for full screen, the Sony a5100 qualifies for a Sony only download of Capture One Pro 9 at a price that has been reduced greatly. COP9 allows you to tether the camera to a laptop or desktop and perform image preview and editing prior to actually taking the picture. I just used to use Capture One Pro 8 for Sony and have now installed Capture One Pro 9 for Sony with the license costing $50 U.S. I think it is a reasonable price for a high level graphics programme.










later,
William


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## Krispy

Thanks @wotsch and @William_Wilson

I've downloaded a trial version of Capture One - how do you get the reduced price?

Also, what am I doing wrong when trying to connect the app with the camera via QR code (there's no other way of doing it that I can tell)? The QR reader in the app reads larger QR codes, like on the back of the manual, but doesn't seem to read the small one on the base of the camera?


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## William_Wilson

Download the free limited Sony version and install. After you register it you should then have an upgrade option that allows you to move up to Pro for $49 instead of $299. The Pro version allows tethering shooting.

https://www.phaseone.com/en/Download-Sony.aspx

Later,
William


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## wotsch

Don't know about the QR code, but NFC makes it easy. With my RX and the android app installed, NFC triggers the app to open and automatically connect to the camera via a direct wifi connection. Very easy.

The alternative is to set up the wifi hotspot SSID and password on the camera, connect to it once manually from the phone and after that the app manages the rest.

BTW, off topic, Sony seem to have really nailed NFC. I have a Bluetooth speaker from them and I just hold the phone on the speaker for second and bluetooth is started, the speaker and phone is paired (if not paired already) and the connection made automagically. It makes it all so easy.


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## Krispy

wotsch said:


> Don't know about the QR code, but NFC makes it easy. With my RX and the android app installed, NFC triggers the app to open and automatically connect to the camera via a direct wifi connection. Very easy.
> 
> The alternative is to set up the wifi hotspot SSID and password on the camera, connect to it once manually from the phone and after that the app manages the rest.
> 
> BTW, off topic, Sony seem to have really nailed NFC. I have a Bluetooth speaker from them and I just hold the phone on the speaker for second and bluetooth is started, the speaker and phone is paired (if not paired already) and the connection made automagically. It makes it all so easy.


 Thanks Wilf, haven't managed to get them hooked up via NFC but have sussed out connecting via wifi - I hadn't realised the camera becomes a hotspot which you connect your phone to.

I think the remote app is great - it lets you view the shot in real time and adjust most settings from your phone as will as triggering the shutter...I'm very impressed so far...


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## Krispy

William_Wilson said:


> Download the free limited Sony version and install. After you register it you should then have an upgrade option that allows you to move up to Pro for $49 instead of $299. The Pro version allows tethering shooting.
> 
> https://www.phaseone.com/en/Download-Sony.aspx
> 
> Later,
> William


 Which is the best (correct) option to select - am I locked on after selecting?


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## William_Wilson

Choosing Pro for Sony should get you a 30 day trial, from the programme's menu, Help will offer you access to the license screen where you can purchase a license for $50 U.S.

I don't use Capture One for many of the simple things, but it is the best thing for RAW. The Capture one programme makes the basic Sony RAW utility pale by comparison. Capture One is compatible with many of Sony's modern cameras, I use it with my a850 as well as the a6000.

Later,
William


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## Krispy

William_Wilson said:


> Choosing Pro for Sony should get you a 30 day trial, from the programme's menu, Help will offer you access to the license screen where you can purchase a license for $50 U.S.
> 
> I don't use Capture One for many of the simple things, but it is the best thing for RAW. The Capture one programme makes the basic Sony RAW utility pale by comparison. Capture One is compatible with many of Sony's modern cameras, I use it with my a850 as well as the a6000.
> 
> Later,
> William


 Thanks very much, I'm up and running. Looks like a great application and, like you say, a bargain for $50 (or £34). Lots to learn about in there too.

This will be my first experience with Raw - I fear I may become somewhat of a pest over the next few weeks!


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## Krispy

Dear lord, before I wake, I pray for some kind Canadian to tell me just how on earth do I connect my camera to Capture One so it'll be tethered...?

I cant figure it out for the life of me and the online 'help' isn't very 'helpful'.

Amen.

http://help.phaseone.com/en/CO9/Tethered%20Capture/Tethered-Shooting.aspx#item1


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## William_Wilson

Ok, the quick version to get you started. Don't connect your camera to the computer. Now follow the initial instructions in your link about starting a new session. Turn your camera on and go to the menu and in the settings section change USB mode to "PC Remote". Plug your camera into the computer.










In the second row of icons on the upper left is a little camera, this is where the camera settings and shutter button is. I found the shutter button doesn't work on single or motor drive with my camera yet, but it does work on two second timer. You can push the shutter manually or use a remote control of course. Your photos will save directly to your computer. Take a picture and make various adjustments, these adjustments will carry over to successive pictures. It is a lot easier to see what your photos look like on a laptop or monitor than it is on a three inch screen. :wink:

Later,
William


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## Krispy

Thanks William, I really appreciate all your help. Will give that a go later and order an extra long USB cable!


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## Krispy

All hooked up. Seems the A5100 doesn't support Live View in the Capture One application, which is a shame. It allows you to remotely set and trigger and then view the image in the app after you've shot it though.


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## William_Wilson

Yes, I'm hoping this will be resolved. Version 8 didn't have the shutter button or support for it. Phase One keeps sorting issues out as they get more feedback (just like Windows :laugh: ). When I get a moment, I might try finding out Phase One's plans on their user forum.

Later,
William


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