Howdy! Digital Camera Newbie Here

[gracie]

Hi shutterbugs!
I have had my Sony a6000 for several years and have tried a few times to take pics, but get frustrated and put it away. Found this group by chance and thought I'd finally come learn to use my camera. I don't have a clue what I'm doing, so on the positive side, I don't have any bad habits to unlearn.

Gracie

 

[Jeff A]

Welcome Gracie. We look forward to seeing your progress. What lens or lenses do you have for your a6000?

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Welcome! The a6000 is a great place to start.
You can use a camera or a phone to start learning the basics of composition and there are many youtube videos on the subject. Keep your camera in Auto if you want to focus on that for now.
If however you want to dive into how to use manual mode or understand Aperture priority or Shutter priority modes, may I suggest you start searching for videos on "The exposure triangle"

But you know what? I'm getting ahead of myself. What do YOU like to take pictures of? You also mentioned getting frustrated; what part gives you the most frustration?

 

[gracie]

Welcome Gracie. We look forward to seeing your progress. What lens or lenses do you have for your a6000?

I don't even know what I have This is my baby..

Welcome Gracie. We look forward to seeing your progress. What lens or lenses do you have for your a6000?

Welcome Gracie. We look forward to seeing your progress. What lens or lenses do you have for your a6000?

 

[gracie]

Welcome! The a6000 is a great place to start.
You can use a camera or a phone to start learning the basics of composition and there are many youtube videos on the subject. Keep your camera in Auto if you want to focus on that for now.
If however you want to dive into how to use manual mode or understand Aperture priority or Shutter priority modes, may I suggest you start searching for videos on "The exposure triangle"

But you know what? I'm getting ahead of myself. What do YOU like to take pictures of? You also mentioned getting frustrated; what part gives you the most frustration?

Sorry if this is cross posting, copy & paste from another conversation.

I use my Pixel phones for pics right now. If I had to pick just one type of photography I wanted to do, it would probably be macro photography. I love getting up close & personal with details, especially nature. Night photography is something I can't capture well with my phone, but I'd love to learn.

But I love taking pictures of so many things, nature, sunrises, sunsets, clouds, reflection photography, street photos, architecture, things that make me laugh.

I think I see things a little differently than some. My sons say I take pictures of the weirdest things...and I do, but it's because I see details or perspectives I think are interesting.

Right now I have 24k pics in my Google photo account. I take pictures EVERYWHERE.

I'd love to dig deeper into the how's and why's of photography. I've been told I have a good eye for composition, I know a smidge about the rule of 3s for composition.

What frustrates me is crappy pics. I am frustrated that right now using my camera doesn't feel intuitive like using my phone does. I am frustrated with myself for not exploring and learning to use my camera so that it does feel natural...and instead shove it back in the bag and in a drawer until I'm feeling brave enough to try again.

 

[Clix Pix]

Welcome! If you are like me and learn better by reading or by taking courses, there are books available which provide good overall coverage of digital photography in general. There are also some online courses available, too, and I think probably also a few books. Or, local community colleges or adult education programs offer basic photography courses, plus also courses in using editing software as well.

If you are interested primarily in learning specifically about your Sony A6000 and its features and functionality plus how to take best advantage of them, there are probably online ebooks as well as printed guides to the camera. These usually go into much more detail and explain things more clearly than a typical user manual provided by the manufacturer.

And, yes, as Chris mentions above, it would be helpful to us to have an idea of what you like to shoot, the kinds of images you want to shoot but haven't quite figured out yet, etc. Ask questions and there'll be someone around to help you with answers!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Sorry if this is cross posting, copy & paste from another conversation.

I use my Pixel phones for pics right now. If I had to pick just one type of photography I wanted to do, it would probably be macro photography. I love getting up close & personal with details, especially nature. Night photography is something I can't capture well with my phone, but I'd love to learn.

But I love taking pictures of so many things, nature, sunrises, sunsets, clouds, reflection photography, street photos, architecture, things that make me laugh.

I think I see things a little differently than some. My sons say I take pictures of the weirdest things...and I do, but it's because I see details or perspectives I think are interesting.

Right now I have 24k pics in my Google photo account. I take pictures EVERYWHERE.

I'd love to dig deeper into the how's and why's of photography. I've been told I have a good eye for composition, I know a smidge about the rule of 3s for composition.

What frustrates me is crappy pics. I am frustrated that right now using my camera doesn't feel intuitive like using my phone does. I am frustrated with myself for not exploring and learning to use my camera so that it does feel natural...and instead shove it back in the bag and in a drawer until I'm feeling brave enough to try again.

Good on ya for getting all the relevant info in one post.

Yeah that's the kit lens, 16-50. Its cheap, and its usually the first thing people swap out, but its not terrible.
Pros: Cheap, lightweight, OSS (Optical Steady Shot) helps to reduce blurry photos.
Cons: not the sharpest piece of glass, Variable aperture (Meaning it has a maximum aperture of f3.5 on the wide end, and f5.6 on the zoom end).
The biggest problems you will have with that lens are: not suitable for macro (as it doesn't have a particularly short focusing distance), and not great for night photography (you would want a lens with an aperture that can go as wide as f2.8 or better). If you want lens recommendations, I can help, but I don't want to encourage you to spend hundreds of dollars if you aren't yet sure if you want to invest in the hobby.

Funny coincidence, I gave my mom my old a6000 and the kit lens because she wants to get into photography... She's used it ONCE and instead does everything on her Samsung S20 instead. She claims ergonomics and over-complication as her reasons for not using the camera. I admit that she may be in the early stages of arthritis, so yes the phone is lighter, but I suspect she is just spoiled by the convenience of using a smartphone which allows her to instantly appreciate her photos by sharing to Facebook LOL. She also doesn't realize that the smartphone camera is adding more than a bit of saturation and AI editing to the pictures she takes.

Seems to me that part of appreciating a camera over a smartphone is having total control over your settings and enjoying the process of taking and editing your photos to get the best possible results. Smartphone users typically don't care to enjoy the process and just want the end result. That's me making fun of my mom, not you! I digress...

I hope understanding the craft a bit more will help you enjoy your camera. This is one of my favorite starters for people getting into photography:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

^There are some good explanations there for ISO, Aperture and exposure time.

 

[gracie]

Good on ya for getting all the relevant info in one post.

Yeah that's the kit lens, 16-50. Its cheap, and its usually the first thing people swap out, but its not terrible.
Pros: Cheap, lightweight, OSS (Optical Steady Shot) helps to reduce blurry photos.
Cons: not the sharpest piece of glass, Variable aperture (Meaning it has a maximum aperture of f3.5 on the wide end, and f5.6 on the zoom end).
The biggest problems you will have with that lens are: not suitable for macro (as it doesn't have a particularly short focusing distance), and not great for night photography (you would want a lens with an aperture that can go as wide as f2.8 or better). If you want lens recommendations, I can help, but I don't want to encourage you to spend hundreds of dollars if you aren't yet sure if you want to invest in the hobby.

Funny coincidence, I gave my mom my old a6000 and the kit lens because she wants to get into photography... She's used it ONCE and instead does everything on her Samsung S20 instead. She claims ergonomics and over-complication as her reasons for not using the camera. I admit that she may be in the early stages of arthritis, so yes the phone is lighter, but I suspect she is just spoiled by the convenience of using a smartphone which allows her to instantly appreciate her photos by sharing to Facebook LOL. She also doesn't realize that the smartphone camera is adding more than a bit of saturation and AI editing to the pictures she takes.

Seems to me that part of appreciating a camera over a smartphone is having total control over your settings and enjoying the process of taking and editing your photos to get the best possible results. Smartphone users typically don't care to enjoy the process and just want the end result. That's me making fun of my mom, not you! I digress...

I hope understanding the craft a bit more will help you enjoy your camera. This is one of my favorite starters for people getting into photography:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

^There are some good explanations there for ISO, Aperture and exposure time.

Thanks for the resource. BTW, I have a strong dislike for FB. I get stuck in IG scrolling through pics, have to set strict limits for myself.

I'd love lens recommendations. Definitely not rolling in the dough, so inexpensive options would be great.

 

[gracie]

Welcome! If you are like me and learn better by reading or by taking courses, there are books available which provide good overall coverage of digital photography in general. There are also some online courses available, too, and I think probably also a few books. Or, local community colleges or adult education programs offer basic photography courses, plus also courses in using editing software as well.

If you are interested primarily in learning specifically about your Sony A6000 and its features and functionality plus how to take best advantage of them, there are probably online ebooks as well as printed guides to the camera. These usually go into much more detail and explain things more clearly than a typical user manual provided by the manufacturer.

And, yes, as Chris mentions above, it would be helpful to us to have an idea of what you like to shoot, the kinds of images you want to shoot but haven't quite figured out yet, etc. Ask questions and there'll be someone around to help you with answers!

I have purchased some inexpensive courses for different photography subjects on Udemy, we'll see how helpful they are.

Thank you for your help.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I'd love lens recommendations. Definitely not rolling in the dough, so inexpensive options would be great.

Right on!
So, for most people, the perfect lens doesn't exist, you know "Jack of all trades, master of none." I'll make a few suggestions to start you off.

If you want more zoom in a compact package that won't break the bank: Sony 18-135mm. Its lightweight and has OSS, but not the brightest lens as the aperture doesn't get any wider than your kit lens. In fact, the a6400 was sold with this lens as a bundle (which is how I got mine). you might find this cheaper than new on amazon, keh.com, or in a local sale.

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens

Buy Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens featuring E-Mount Lens/APS-C Format, Aperture Range: f/3.5 to f/36, 27-202.5mm (35mm Equivalent), Maximum Aperture Range: f/3.5-5.6, Two ED Elements & One Aspherical Element, Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization, Linear Autofocus Motor, Minimum Focus...

www.bhphotovideo.com

If you want a compact lens that does roughly the same zoom as you have, but opens wider for better low light performance, consider the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8. No OSS, but its bright and lightweight. I believe it has a short focusing distance too. A little too new to find too many deals on used.

Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E

Buy Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E featuring E-Mount Lens/APS-C Format, 27-75mm (35mm Equivalent), Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22, Minimum Focusing Distance: 4.8", Three Aspherical Elements, Special Low Dispersion Element, Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm, Dust- and Splash-Proof...

www.bhphotovideo.com

If you want to do portraits or photos in darker conditions, you may want to consider a prime lens in the future. These lenses have no zoom but usually have superior glass and wider apertures. You may want to hold off on this until you have a better idea of what focal length suits you best. Prices range from affordable to stupidly expensive. Here is an inexpensive example:

Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 E Lens (Sony E, Black)

Buy Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 E Lens (Sony E, Black) featuring APS-C | f/1.4 to f/16, 35mm (Full-Frame Equivalent), Two ED Elements, Two HR Elements, HD Nano Multi-Layer Coating, STM Stepping AF Motor, Integrated USB Port for Firmware Updates, 9-Blade Diaphragm. Review Viltrox null

www.bhphotovideo.com

BTW, the most popular primes are the Sigma trio: 16mm, 30mm, 56mm and all 3 lenses open as wide as f1.4. The 16 is a great night sky and landscape lens, the 30 is a nice all rounder, and the 56 is widely accepted as the best portrait lens for our cameras. The downside is the expense of buying multiple lenses and none have OSS, so you would need to learn to keep your shutter speed high enough to minimize blur.

Gotta get some sleep, to be continued!

 

[gracie]

You're awesome! Thanks! Gotta recharge my batteries too.

 

[Clix Pix]

Buy yourself a macro lens. You will love exploring things with it! When I made the switch from Nikon to Sony a few years ago number one lens on my list was the 90mm f/2.8 macro lens, and it is still one of my top two favorite lenses today. It all but jumps right on to my A7R IV and we make a great team, the three of us: the camera, the lens, and me....as we approach a subject and investigate it from various angles and perspectives. I love to shoot macro because I can get up-close and personal with a subject, but also I can go beyond that and get off the beaten path by taking an abstract view of a subject. I shoot objects or parts of objects, I shoot flowers and growing things, though -- not into bugs and such.

Yes, the 90mm is not an inexpensive lens and there are ways to approach macro without buying a macro lens, such as using extension tubes or putting a close-up filter on a regular lens. Other manufacturers make macro lenses, and I've got a couple of manual-focus-only Voigtlander, but time after time after time I reach for that beloved Sony lens....

I have other lenses which I use for other purposes but for me, macro/closeup photography really is a true love. You may or may not feel the same, but the best way to find out is to get your hands on a dedicated macro lens and spend some time with it..... Sony also makes a 50mm macro lens as well. I should mention that both of these, the 90mm and the 50mm, are full-frame and since you have a camera with an APS-C body that will give you a little bit more perceived distance and focal range while shooting, which can be advantageous in some situations.

 

[gracie]

Buy yourself a macro lens. You will love exploring things with it! When I made the switch from Nikon to Sony a few years ago number one lens on my list was the 90mm f/2.8 macro lens, and it is still one of my top two favorite lenses today. It all but jumps right on to my A7R IV and we make a great team, the three of us: the camera, the lens, and me....as we approach a subject and investigate it from various angles and perspectives. I love to shoot macro because I can get up-close and personal with a subject, but also I can go beyond that and get off the beaten path by taking an abstract view of a subject. I shoot objects or parts of objects, I shoot flowers and growing things, though -- not into bugs and such.

Yes, the 90mm is not an inexpensive lens and there are ways to approach macro without buying a macro lens, such as using extension tubes or putting a close-up filter on a regular lens. Other manufacturers make macro lenses, and I've got a couple of manual-focus-only Voigtlander, but time after time after time I reach for that beloved Sony lens....

I have other lenses which I use for other purposes but for me, macro/closeup photography really is a true love. You may or may not feel the same, but the best way to find out is to get your hands on a dedicated macro lens and spend some time with it..... Sony also makes a 50mm macro lens as well. I should mention that both of these, the 90mm and the 50mm, are full-frame and since you have a camera with an APS-C body that will give you a little bit more perceived distance and focal range while shooting, which can be advantageous in some situations.

I absolutely LOVE macro and capturing different angles! Abstract! Yep! I love a lot of different pics I've taken for various reasons, but my macro shots are just breathtaking. I can't post all my faves, but here's a couple of sky pics I like also. These were shot with my phone.

 

[MrFotoFool]

The best way to learn is to just start using your camera. You need to just get out and shoot with it, even if (as someone suggested) you have to use it on automatic. In my opinion, there is no point in buying another lens until you have used it for a while and know what you want or need. Then you can say, for example, I can't focus close enough to my subjects so I need a macro lens. Or, perhaps, my subjects are always too far away so I need a telephoto lens. Or, maybe, I like to shoot at night but my photos are always blurred from shake, maybe I need a lens that lets in more light (which would be a large aperture like f/1.4 ). Once you have decided what you need (if, in fact, you even need something else), this forum is a good place to seek advice. Don't call a camera store, as many of them will just try to sell you the most expensive lens they can talk you into buying.

 

[MrFotoFool]

You're awesome! Thanks! Gotta recharge my batteries too.

You need to regularly use and recharge the batteries to make them last. If they just sit for long periods they will lose their power.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I absolutely LOVE macro and capturing different angles! Abstract! Yep! I love a lot of different pics I've taken for various reasons, but my macro shots are just breathtaking. I can't post all my faves, but here's a couple of sky pics I like also. These were shot with my phone.

From what I can see, with the exception of the macro shots (bee/wasp, and water droplets), you can take comparable/better shots with your a6000 and kit lens. Start watching or reading that learning material, and have the camera in hand so you can practice at the same time. If there is a picture that came out blurry or not to your liking, I bet the group can offer tips on how to improve your shots, we don't bite!

 

[Clix Pix]

I absolutely LOVE macro and capturing different angles! Abstract! Yep! I love a lot of different pics I've taken for various reasons, but my macro shots are just breathtaking. I can't post all my faves, but here's a couple of sky pics I like also. These were shot with my phone.

You have a good eye for composition and yes, a dedicated macro lens would suit you just fine! Most macro lenses can also be used to shoot other things as well, including portraits (in the case of the 90mm). I agree that it is time to set down the phone and get out the camera and just start shooting with it. The more you use it and become familiar with it when shooting different scenes under different lighting conditions the better off you will be. As mentioned, that will also give you an idea of which lenses would work best for specific scenes and types of shooting.

When I bought my A7R IV I was getting back into photography after a hiatus and was definitely feeling rusty. I did know, though, based on previous years of shooting, which lenses I would want from the get-go. When buying a new camera I always go with body-only rather than being saddled with a kit lens that I probably would never touch. That said, kit lenses these days seem to be be better than they initially were in the early days of digital photography.

However, I think probably one reason you are so frustrated right now is that kit lens on your camera. At 3.5-5.6 variable apertures, it looks to me to be a pretty slow lens, which makes it difficult to get good images in not-so-great light, and also that it is a power zoom, which can have limitations, too. If trying to shoot something really quickly sometimes the power zoom doesn't move quickly enough and the subject has disappeared by the time it is ready to focus. In terms of focal lengths, at 16mm-50mm APS-C this lens also covers mostly a wide to "normal" range, which can restrict one's options if macro, portrait, telephoto and other types of shooting are what the user prefers to shoot. It is also difficult to get that nice soft blurry background (often called "bokeh") that so many people find desirable in a lot of photos. Smartphone cameras are able to kind of simulate this to a certain extent in their "portrait" mode.

I traded in all my Nikon gear to go with Sony and while I was making up my mind about this, I also took the time to think about which lenses I had used the most, and loved, and just why..... That guided me in the process of starting all over again with new lenses from Sony. I started out with both macro lenses (50mm and 90mm, both f/2.8) plus the 135mm f/1.8 so that I'd have my beloved macros plus a longer lens which also is quite fast and has a pretty good close-focusing distance as well. After about a month or so of getting used to the new gear I then went back to the store and got another lens which I wanted for shooting the wildlife around the small lake where I live. That 200-600mm lens is pretty heavy, though, and I do better with it on a tripod. In the spring I took another drive to the store and bought the 100-400mm for a walk-around lens. It rapidly became my second-favorite lens. After that as time has gone on over the past couple of years I've added other lenses as the need arose for a specific focal length or speed of lens. Sometimes a wide-angle lens is really needed, while at other times I want to just get right up close and personal with my subject(s).

So as you're shooting think about all of this, too, while assessing the kinds of situations in which you find yourself and like to capture. I really would urge that you get your hands on another lens -- Sony's 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/2.8 macro and other lenses are fairly reasonably priced and will give you a better idea of what you can really do with your camera.

 

[gracie]

The best way to learn is to just start using your camera. You need to just get out and shoot with it, even if (as someone suggested) you have to use it on automatic. In my opinion, there is no point in buying another lens until you have used it for a while and know what you want or need. Then you can say, for example, I can't focus close enough to my subjects so I need a macro lens. Or, perhaps, my subjects are always too far away so I need a telephoto lens. Or, maybe, I like to shoot at night but my photos are always blurred from shake, maybe I need a lens that lets in more light (which would be a large aperture like f/1.4 ). Once you have decided what you need (if, in fact, you even need something else), this forum is a good place to seek advice. Don't call a camera store, as many of them will just try to sell you the most expensive lens they can talk you into buying.

Thank you for the wisdom, makes sense.

From what I can see, with the exception of the macro shots (bee/wasp, and water droplets), you can take comparable/better shots with your a6000 and kit lens. Start watching or reading that learning material, and have the camera in hand so you can practice at the same time. If there is a picture that came out blurry or not to your liking, I bet the group can offer tips on how to improve your shots, we don't bite!

Definitely have homework I need to do, and I'm just gonna force myself to start shooting with the camera. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all this great guidance, but excited to put it to use. You guys are awesome!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I know I said I wouldn't encourage you to spend money, but I came across this video and you can bookmark it for when you want to look at lens options:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[gracie]

I know I said I wouldn't encourage you to spend money, but I came across this video and you can bookmark it for when you want to look at lens options:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

Thank you kindly!

 

[gracie]

Some of you asked what I like to shoot, I posted some more samples from my phone in the section forMobile Photography. Thanks @Timothy Mayo for sharing this link with me.