Solved Camera to Pc linked communications?

DoctorZen wrote: I love all your photos Jeff - beautiful colours.
The seedling shots and red peppers :woohoo:

When I get to the USA one day, I would love to visit your farm!

It would be our pleasure, but you will have to like ATV and hayrides along miles of the river bank, fishing, tubing and meal cooked over the open flame fire pit.

Oh and by the way we live in the barn, lol how cool is that? Cheers

Sounds like my kind of place
I was born in Sydney, but have spent most of my life living in the country. Outdoor living is what I dream of.

Derek

Jeff, my compliments. You folks have done a great job with your farm. The before and after shots illustrate how extreme your property DIY project is. I say 'is', because I recognize homesteading a farm is a never ending improvement project.

Hi everyone, been a while.
Tried a few things to make the camera that I have work to no avail, the worst part is that the I have to manually download the pics to the laptop and the output to the monitor for real-time shooting only has a res. of about 480 which is total rotten and unacceptable.

There are so many camera's now on the market it just makes my head spin trying to figure this out.

Just thought I would do an update and ask if the camera in this link will fit my bill, a little dirty but. Hmmm

Ready to buy and really frustrated with research.

If any of you are camera nuts maybe you could take a minute to look here and see if anything stands out as far as a good deal. this is local pickup for me.

Thanks in advance!! Cheers - Jeff

Hi Jeff,

I not familiar with the SLT-A77 so my opinion is based on the specs of the camera and the bundle you reference. 1st, the camera specs are impressive. I like the 9ev dynamic range (should be very helpful in studio lighting). The battery life seems adequate. Available lens (used or new, Sony and Konica-Minolta) should offer a budget advantage. The three axis LCD will also be nice during table top sessions. Although not a DLSR, the specs on the viewfinder are impressive. There are some restrictions between the manual exposure and auto-focus in movie mode, but your primary use is still photography so that should not be a burden. The 18-70 mm lens should be good for your studio, although I would prefer a bit faster than the f3.5, again in your studio where you can utilize lighting this should not be a major drawback and very adequate for daylight outdoor use.

I cannot determine by the eBay photos of the objective lens if the smears in the photo are on a filter or the lens surface. The seller does offer a 7 day trial and a satisfaction warranty. I would still be suspect of the lens surface and ask for clarification. I don't see anything in the camera specs about this being Wi-Fi capable, which is one of the features I thought you were seeking, to streamline your studio workflow.

If my primary purpose was stills with occasional video, I would probably lean towards a DSLR (most likely mainstream Nikon or Canon). If the purposes were reversed I would trend to option for a mirrorless. However, with that said, I'm not experienced with this SLT design, but for my purposes (primarily video) I would keep this camera as a contender depending on the budget, as stills are secondary to me and I don't have a use for the Wi-Fi connectivity for real-time bigger screen preview.

If I was going to do real-time preview, I would probably shoot in RAW, which the SLT-A77 does, and then I would be required to view the photos in a raw interpreter such as PhotoShop or PaintShop on the PC screen, which I would find helpful for making photo corrections on the fly during the studio shoot.

Then there is the brand. You have a Sony PC and a Sony camera. I'm sure you are happy with both, just want to upgrade. Having faith in a brand is an important aspect not to be overlooked. So, if you favor the SLT-A77 because it is also a Sony, I respect that....I would most likely fit in this category, as I favor sticking with brands I have used in the past before switching out systems.

Going back to the start of your post, I don't understand why your preview is only providing 480 resolution. Your PC monitor is 1920x1080 and your photos from your DSC-H50 is 8.1 megapixel. You should have better resolution during viewing.....is there something I have missed?

Nonetheless, I understand your desire to upgrade your camera and the workflow you would like to achieve, and agree, the right camera should do what you would like with better capability than your current DSC-H50.

UPDATE: To my previous post. Reading it over, it may have leaned a bit on the negative side and I wanted to follow-up to clarify that was not my intension. If there were six cameras on a table to choose from, for me do to so a job today, and the Sony SLT-A77 was one of them.....I wouldn't hesitate to use it. After using and handing it a few times, it could very well be my choice over all the others, considering they were all in the same relative price range.

I'm looking forward to others who have had experience with this camera, as I'm also looking at Sony's higher end mirrorless cameras for a possible future purchase as a 2nd video camera.

Hi Jeff

What is your maximum budget for a camera ?

I almost bought a brand new Sony A77ii last year, but instead spent the extra money and got a Sony A7s instead.
I love researching before buying anything electronic and finding out all the differences between makes and models.
Once I know your maximum budget, I will give you my shortlist.

Regards
Derek

Hey George and Derek,

budget is around $800 US

So far here are my choices from my additional research after reading and re-reading George's replies.
Nikon:
D5500 - built in wifi touch screen LINK
D5300 - built in wifi no touch screen. LINK
D7100 - no built in wifi LINK but this is extremely exciting and exactly what I'm looking for in an app, scroll down and watch the short vid. I have 3 android tablets; all capable.

Note on the Nokia: Nokia offers a free app for their wifi but could not find anything in detail so far. Would I have the same control (with a tablet from Nokia's app) that is offered with the stand alone plug in wireless remote tethered LV transmitter? That is the question. Not that I want another object plugged in to the camera.

Cannon:
Canon EOS Rebel T6i - built in wifi; but at this point; have no idea if they offer an app for total autonomy.

Sony:
From what I found most Alpha Class are out of my price range including the NEX series, except the:
A6000 - built in wifi ......... but to be perfectly honest, I don't like the look of it, just boxy and cheap looking.
If considering the Cyber Shot series there are a number of wifi capable models but now I'm getting out of the DLSR camera's.

George, Thank you very much for your input, honesty and negativity are exactly what I am looking for here. Yah the A77 is a decent camera but not capable of the conductivity features I was looking for. You took some real time on your reply and that coaxed me into doing lots more research. And to answer your Question, the DSC H50 has great res on the attached lcd screen but does not have the capability of sending the same hi res to a monitor in live view. If viewing pics already taken then yes; full res. Sad but true. lol What can you expect from old tech and SLR wanabee.

I may be wrong on these choices and I sure they are not the only ones, so please set the record strait if you disagree!!

Keep in mind when adding to list for me to choose from; that this camera will be used exclusively on a tripod with artificial light.
Some of the features we are looking for are:
wifi especially connecting with an app to and android for complete control of adjustments and shutter.
Previously I just wanted hi res live View on an external monitor and would make the adjustment on the camera and download the pics without removing the memory card, but now with lots more research; found out there are options to do this all remotely with a touch screen tablet.

Cheers - Jeff

O yah, if Nokia ends up on my tripod This is the lens considered, Yes/No?

Spicy_Chicken wrote: O yah, if Nokia ends up on my tripod This is the lens considered, Yes/No?

Hi Jeff,

I think we recognize that all aspect of photography are important, and depending on the type of photography, the order of importance will change. When considering table top/product photography we could boil it down to three main categories, lighting, lens, and cameras features/capabilities. And that is the order of importance I would rate them.

Beyond the quality of the lens to capture the scene, we should consider focal length, speed (light gathering), and controls. And, all those considerations have to fit into the budget! In the 35mm format camera, I think the two lens most appropriately used for product photography would be the Nikkor 85mm f2.8 PC, or the Canon TS-E 90mm f2.8. These are both prime lens (like the 50mm you list) but here is the rub.....they will run from $1,200 - $1,800 new! Both of these choices are well outside our budget, but what we can use is the same focal length range. They both have a tilt feature and both can be used with extension tubes.

Although the speed is important, I wouldn't want to sacrifice speed for focal length and death-of-field (DOF) control. I would strive for f2.8 with f3.5 being the slowest. Again, f1.8 or faster is nice, but it just drives the lens price out of the ball park.

The normal 50mm lens provides a normal prospective for the 35mm format, but for product photography, the long DOF would not provide enough control for my liking. I like the ability to throw some parts of the scene out of focus. Somewhere between 70mm - 140mm will be a sweet spot. The longer focal length also allows for more room to situate the lights and manipulate the table top display without tripping over the camera gear.

Back many years ago, back in my studio days, I had a large array of prime lens to choose from. Now days, with a small monthly budget, I lean towards zoom lens. They fit within my budget and offer far more flexibility and reduce the number of lens I need. And, although they are not for the purist, modern zoom lens have a quality near to the prime lens.

my choice today would be something in the 28-125mm range. That could be a 35-80mm, a 18-105mm, or maybe 50-150mm. If I could get macro that would be a plus. If not I would like at least a 1.5 foot minimum focusing distance and the ability to use extension tubes would be a big plus.

However you have been shooting table top for some time and would be the best judge to determine what your normal range is. That is, how far is your camera normally set from the product and what focal length are you commonly using, and are you comfortable with this setup.

Considering you have been shooting this for a while, you may have, and be satisfied with your lighting setup. On the other hand, with a new camera and lens, you may want to consider upgrading your lighting setup as well. Lighting for me is the key to great photography, like sound is the key to great filming.

Back in the day I had a warehouse full of lights. But when shooting portraits there is a rule and it has applied for a hundred years and will apply for another hundred years. We need a main light, a fill light, a key light and a back light......that's it....just four lights! How big the lights, the type, the distance, and the balance are all aspects of fine tuning them. When lighting a subject I could guess that I had a good arrangement, but using a spot meter allowed me to reduce the guess work and fine tune the highlights and shadows. Providing enough light assured I was working with the dynamic range of the film being used.

Product photography lighting has a similar type rule, but instead of playing the shadow/highlights to blend the beauty of the subject, the shadows and highlights are set to emphasis the detail of the subject. My guess would be, there are 10 times more crucial aspects when shooting table top, than when shooting portraits, and often a softer more even light is more desirable than dynamic shadows. Many of my lighting setups when shooting products started with a ring light and then adding side, back, and key lights.

Today I would tend to have more LED smaller lights and cluster them together for stronger lighting if required, but having more would allow greater flexibility while keeping the investment down. The important part to LED lights is assuring they are pretty close to daylight balance (not all LED lights are equal!).

From the start of your quest, you have now injected the Android into the mix. I understand the advantages, but I have never owned an Android and most likely never will, so I will resist my comments, other than I understand the principles and the advantages. Other members here I'm sure are far more qualified to comment.

For the camera, I should qualify my opinions. I'm what I would refer to as a spec-a-holic, but not a spec-a-maniac! That is, I consider the specifications of any gear I purchase, but don't necessarily have to have a product with the absolute best specifications. I am brand loyal to those products which have served me well in the past. But, I'm also always open to other brands/models, which may provide a better way, or suffice my requirements at a better price.

Spicy_Chicken wrote: Hey George and Derek,

budget is around $800 US

So far here are my choices from my additional research after reading and re-reading George's replies.
Nikon:
D5500 - built in wifi touch screen LINK
D5300 - built in wifi no touch screen. LINK
D7100 - no built in wifi LINK but this is extremely exciting and exactly what I'm looking for in an app, scroll down and watch the short vid. I have 3 android tablets; all capable.

I think any of these models would work well for you, provided you get it worked out that your final selection will fulfill your real-time display and Android requirements.

Spicy_Chicken wrote: Cannon:
Canon EOS Rebel T6i - built in wifi; but at this point; have no idea if they offer an app for total autonomy.

This Canon is currently on my list as a possible 2nd camera....great features, great price.

Spicy_Chicken wrote: Sony:
From what I found most Alpha Class are out of my price range including the NEX series, except the:
A6000 - built in wifi ......... but to be perfectly honest, I don't like the look of it, just boxy and cheap looking.
If considering the Cyber Shot series there are a number of wifi capable models but now I'm getting out of the DLSR camera's.

I'm really interested in Derek's list, as he has direct experience with Sony cameras.

Spicy_Chicken wrote: Keep in mind when adding to list for me to choose from; that this camera will be used exclusively on a tripod with artificial light.

Some of the features we are looking for are:
wifi especially connecting with an app to and android for complete control of adjustments and shutter.
Previously I just wanted hi res live View on an external monitor and would make the adjustment on the camera and download the pics without removing the memory card, but now with lots more research; found out there are options to do this all remotely with a touch screen tablet.

Although I understand the Android app advantage, I myself would probably prefer to make the adjustments on the camera. However, with that said, an app may be more advantageous if the intereface would reduce the number of menu layers required at the camera. Or, because of the camera control locations, the app made it far more efficient to perform on the phone tethered or remote, rather than at the camera. (...even old timers can recognize times change and embrace advantages......that is sometimes!!!!)

One feature of the small camcorders and 35mm cameras, that to me are both an advantage and crippling disadvantage, are all the extra setting and feature, which require an extensive menu system to find and use! With bigger camcorders and larger format still cameras (especially those which still use film) a bunch of controls are on the sides, front, back, top of the camera, and on the lens...easy to get to and fast to adjust. If an Android with the appropriate app, would allow easier manipulation of camera controls, otherwise embedded in a 2-3 tier menu, then I would probably quickly jump on the bandwagon and drink the cool-aid!

I apologize, I had no intension of writing a book! Hope some of this may be of help. I'm sure most, or all, of what I have said you already know. (this may be an example, that I like to hear myself talk!!!!)