David Busch’s Sony Alpha a7R II/a7 II Guide to Digital Photography

David Busch’s Sony Alpha a7R II/a7 II Guide to Digital Photography

by David D. Busch
Released December 2015
Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
ISBN: 9781681980621

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Book description

David Busch’s Sony Alpha a7 II/a7 R II Guide to Digital Photography is the much-anticipated comprehensive resource and reference for two of the hottest cameras on the market today. Sony’s advanced 24-megapixel mirrorless Alpha a7 II and the ground-breaking 42-megapixel Alpha a7R II combine high-resolution imaging and remarkable low-light performance in the world’s smallest full-frame package. Both cameras have fast sensor-based phase detect autofocus and 5-axis in-body image stabilization that adds powerful SteadyShot anti-shake vibration reduction to Sony E-mount and adaptor-mounted A-mount and third-party lenses. With this book in hand, you will explore the world of digital photography, develop your creativity, and take great photographs with your a7 II or a7r II.

Filled with detailed how-to steps and full-color illustrations, David Busch’s Sony Alpha a7 II/a7R II Guide to Digital Photography covers every feature of this mirrorless tandem in depth, from taking your first photos through advanced details of setup, exposure, lens selection, lighting, and more, and relates each feature to specific photographic techniques and situations. Also included is the handy camera “roadmap,” an easy-to-use visual guide to each camera’s features and controls. Learn when to use every option and, more importantly, when not to use them, by following the author’s recommended settings for each menu entry. With best-selling photographer and mentor David Busch as your guide, you’ll quickly have full creative mastery of your camera’s capabilities, whether you’re shooting on the job, taking pictures as an advanced enthusiast exploring full-frame photography for the first time, or are just out for fun. Start building your knowledge and confidence, while bringing your vision to light with the Sony a7 II and a7R II.

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Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. About the Author
  7. Contents
  8. Preface
  9. Introduction
  10. Chapter 1 Meet Your Sony Alpha a7R II/a7 II
    1. Vive Les Différences
    2. What’s the Fuss about BSI?
    3. Your Out-of-Box Experience
    4. Initial Setup
      1. Battery Included
        1. Charging the Battery
      2. Final Steps
        1. Mounting the Lens
        2. Turn on the Power
        3. Adjusting the Diopter Setting
        4. Inserting a Memory Card
      3. Formatting a Memory Card
    5. Selecting a Shooting Mode
    6. Choosing a Metering Mode
    7. Choosing a Focus Mode
    8. Selecting a Focus Area
    9. Other Settings
      1. Adjusting White Balance and ISO
      2. Using the Self-Timer
    10. An Introduction to Movie Making
    11. Reviewing the Images You’ve Taken
      1. Switching between Still and Movie Playback
    12. Transferring Files to Your Computer
      1. Wireless File Transfer
  11. Chapter 2 Your Camera Roadmap
    1. Front View
    2. The Sony a7R II/a7 II’s Business End
    3. LCD Panel Data Displays
      1. Using the Quick Navi Function Menu
    4. Going Topside
    5. Underneath Your Sony a7R II/a7 II
  12. Chapter 3 Camera Settings Menu
    1. Anatomy of the Menus
    2. Camera Settings Menu
      1. Image Size
      2. Aspect Ratio
      3. Quality
        1. JPEG vs. RAW
      4. RAW File Type
      5. Panorama: Size
      6. Panorama: Direction
        1. Vertical Orientation for Horizontal or Vertical Pans
        2. Shooting Panoramas
      7. File Format (Movies)
      8. Record Setting (Movies)
      9. Dual Video Record
      10. Drive Mode
      11. Bracket Settings (a7R II Only)
      12. Flash Mode
      13. Flash Compensation
      14. Red Eye Reduction
      15. Focus Mode
      16. Focus Area
      17. Focus Settings
      18. AF Illuminator (Stills)
      19. AF Drive Speed (Movies) (a7R II Only)
      20. AF Track Sensitivity (Movies) (a7R II Only)
      21. Exposure Compensation
      22. Exposure Step
      23. ISO
      24. ISO Auto Minimum Shutter Speed (a7R II Only)
      25. Metering Mode
      26. White Balance
      27. DRO/Auto HDR
      28. Creative Style
      29. Picture Effect
      30. Picture Profile
      31. Zoom
        1. Using Zoom
      32. Focus Magnifier
      33. Long Exposure NR/High ISO NR
        1. Context-Sensitive
      34. Center Lock-On AF
      35. Smile/Face Detection
      36. Soft Skin Effect
      37. Auto Object Framing
      38. Auto Mode
      39. Scene Selection
      40. Movie
      41. SteadyShot
      42. SteadyShot Settings
      43. Color Space
      44. Auto Slow Shutter
      45. Audio Recording
      46. Audio Rec Level
      47. Audio Out Timing
      48. Wind Noise Reduction
      49. Memory Recall
      50. Memory
  13. Chapter 4 Custom Settings Menu
    1. Custom Settings Menu
      1. Zebra
      2. MF Assist
      3. Focus Magnifier Time
      4. Grid Line
      5. Marker Display
      6. Marker Settings
      7. Audio Level Display
      8. Auto Review
      9. DISP Button
      10. Peaking Level
      11. Peaking Color
      12. Exposure Settings Guide
      13. Live View Display
      14. Display Continuous AF Area
      15. Phase Detect. Area
      16. Pre-AF
      17. Zoom Setting
      18. Eye-Start AF
      19. FINDER/MONITOR
      20. Release w/o Lens
      21. Release w/o Card (a7R II Only)
      22. Priority Set in AF-S/Priority Set in AF-C
      23. AF w/Shutter
      24. AEL w/Shutter
      25. Silent Shooting (a7R II Only)
      26. e-Front-Curtain Shutter
      27. Superior Auto Image Extraction
      28. Exp. Comp. Set
      29. Reset EV Comp
      30. Bracket Order (a7 II Only)
      31. Face Registration
      32. APS-C Size (a7 II), APS-C/Super 35 (a7R II)
      33. AF Micro Adjustment
      34. Lens Compensation
        1. Shading
        2. Chromatic Aberration
        3. Distortion
      35. AF System (Stills) (a7R II Only)
      36. Video Light Mode (a7R II Only)
      37. Function Menu Set
      38. Custom Key Settings
        1. Basic Functions
        2. Other Buttons
        3. A Special Case
        4. Other Useful Key Definitions
      39. Dial Setup
      40. Dial Ev Comp
      41. Zoom Ring Rotate
      42. MOVIE Button
      43. Dial/Wheel Lock
  14. Chapter 5 Wi-Fi and Application Menus
    1. Making a Wi-Fi Connection
      1. Using WPS Push
      2. Registering Manually
        1. Selecting an Access Point Manually
      3. Wi-Fi Settings
    2. Wi-Fi Functions
      1. Sending Photos to a Smart Device
      2. Wi-Fi Transfer to a Computer
      3. Viewing Images on a TV
    3. The Application Menu
      1. Application List
      2. Introduction
      3. Working with Applications
        1. PlayMemories Camera Apps
        2. Application Management
        3. Downloading Apps
        4. Downloading Applications
      4. Current Sony Apps
      5. Near Field Communications (NFC)
  15. Chapter 6 Playback and Setup Menus
    1. Playback Menu
      1. Delete
      2. View Mode
      3. Image Index
      4. Display Rotation
      5. Slide Show
      6. Rotate
      7. Enlarge Image
      8. 4K Still Image PB (a7 II Only)
      9. Protect
      10. Specify Printing
    2. Setup Menu
      1. Monitor Brightness
      2. Viewfinder Brightness
      3. Finder Color Temperature
      4. Volume Settings
      5. Audio Signals
      6. Upload Settings
      7. Tile Menu
      8. Mode Dial Guide
      9. Delete Confirm
      10. Display Quality
      11. Power Save Start Time
      12. NTSC/PAL Selector
      13. Cleaning Mode
      14. Demo Mode
      15. TC/UB Settings
      16. Remote Control
      17. HDMI Settings
      18. 4K Output Selection (a7R II Only)
      19. USB Connection
      20. USB LUN Setting
      21. USB Power Supply (a7R II Only)
      22. Language
      23. Date/Time Setup
      24. Area Setting
      25. Copyright Info (a7R II Only)
      26. Format
      27. File Number
      28. Select REC Folder
      29. New Folder
      30. Folder Name
      31. Recover Image Database
      32. Display Media Information
      33. Version
      34. Certification Logo (Non-U.S./Canada Models Only)
      35. Setting Reset
  16. Chapter 7 Shooting Modes and Exposure Control
    1. Getting a Handle on Exposure
      1. Equivalent Exposure
    2. How the a7 II Series Calculates Exposure
      1. Correctly Exposed
      2. Overexposed
      3. Underexposed
    3. The Importance of ISO
    4. Choosing a Metering Method
    5. Choosing an Exposure Mode
      1. Aperture Priority (A) Mode
      2. Shutter Priority (S) Mode
      3. Program Auto (P) Mode
      4. Making Exposure Value Changes
      5. Manual Exposure (M) Mode
        1. The Basic M Mode Technique
        2. Long Exposures
        3. Adjusting Exposure with ISO Control in M Mode
      6. Using ISO Auto
    6. Exposure Bracketing
      1. Continuous Bracketing
      2. Single Bracketing
      3. White Balance Bracketing
      4. DRO Bracketing
    7. Dealing with Digital Noise
      1. High ISO Noise
        1. Long Exposure Noise
    8. Using Dynamic Range Optimizer
    9. Working with HDR
      1. Auto HDR
      2. Bracketing and Merge to HDR
    10. Exposure Evaluation with Histograms
      1. The Live Histogram
      2. The Playback Histograms
      3. Tonal Range
      4. Histogram Basics
        1. Contrast, Too
      5. Understanding Histograms
    11. Automatic and Specialized Shooting Modes
      1. Auto and Scene Modes
      2. Sweep Panorama Mode
  17. Chapter 8 Mastering Autofocus Options
    1. Getting into Focus
      1. Contrast Detection
      2. Phase Detection
      3. Comparing the Two Hybrid Components
      4. Focus Modes and Options
    2. Focus Pocus
      1. Adding Circles of Confusion
      2. Your Autofocus Mode Options
        1. Single-Shot AF (AF-S) Mode
        2. Continuous AF (AF-C) Mode
        3. Automatic AF (AF-A) Mode
      3. Setting the AF Area
        1. Face Detection and Eye AF
        2. Center Lock-On AF
        3. Lock-On AF
      4. Using Manual Focus
    3. Back-Button Focus
      1. Activating Back-Button Focus
    4. Useful Menu Items for AF
    5. Autofocus Summary
  18. Chapter 9 Advanced Techniques
    1. Exploring Ultra-Fast Exposures
    2. Long Exposures
    3. Continuous Shooting
      1. The Buffer and Frame Rates
      2. Autofocus and Continuous Shooting
    4. Customizing White Balance
      1. Fine-Tuning Preset White Balance
      2. Setting White Balance by Color Temperature
      3. Setting a Custom White Balance
    5. Using Creative Styles
  19. Chapter 10 Movie-Making Basics
    1. Some Fundamentals
    2. Preparing to Shoot Video
      1. Steps During Movie Making
    3. More About Frame Rates and Bit Rates
      1. Frame Rates
      2. Bit Rates
    4. Stop That!
    5. Tips for Movie Making
      1. Composition
      2. Lighting for Video
        1. Illumination
        2. Creative Lighting
        3. Lighting Styles
    6. Audio
      1. Tips for Better Audio
    7. Lens Craft
      1. Depth-of-Field and Video
      2. Zooming and Video
  20. Chapter 11 Advanced Video Features
    1. More on Sensors and Crop Factors
      1. Sensor Size
      2. Crop Factor
        1. How Can 1440 × 1080p Be Widescreen?
      3. Frame Guides
    2. HD or UHD (a7R II Only)?
    3. Time Codes and User Bits
      1. Picture Profiles
      2. Gamma, Gamma Ding Dong
        1. S-Log2
  21. Chapter 12 Choosing and Using Lenses
    1. Don’t Forget the Crop Factor
      1. The Crop Factor and the a7 II Series
    2. SteadyShot and You
      1. How It Works
    3. Choosing a Lens
      1. Sony FE Lenses
      2. A-Mount Lenses
      3. Zeiss Loxia Lenses
      4. Zeiss Batis Lenses
      5. Other Third-Party Lenses
      6. Using the LA-EA Series Adapters
      7. Other Lens Options
    4. Fine-Tuning the Focus of Your A-Mount Lenses
      1. Lens Tune-Up
        1. Evaluate Current Focus
    5. What Lenses Can Do for You
    6. Categories of Lenses
    7. Using Wide-Angle Lenses
      1. Avoiding Potential Wide-Angle Problems
    8. Using Telephoto and Tele-Zoom Lenses
      1. Avoiding Telephoto Lens Problems
  22. Chapter 13 Working with Flash
    1. Why Flash?
    2. Electronic Flash Basics
      1. How Electronic Flash Works
        1. And Now for Something Completely Different . . .
        2. Avoiding Sync-Speed Problems
        3. Ghost Images
        4. Slow Sync
        5. Determining Exposure
      2. Flash Modes
      3. Flash Exposure Compensation
      4. Red Eye Reduction
    3. Using an External Electronic Flash
      1. Guide Numbers, Hot Shoes, and More
        1. Guide Numbers
        2. Hot Shoes
        3. Cable Connections
      2. HVL-F60M Flash Unit
      3. HVL-F43M Flash Unit
      4. HVL-F36AM Flash Unit
      5. HVL-F32M Flash Unit
      6. HVL-F20M Flash Unit
    4. Wireless Flash
      1. Key Wireless Concepts
      2. Setting Channels and Remote Groups
        1. Setting the HVL-F60M
        2. Setting the HVL-F43M
      3. Setting Ratios
        1. Ratios with the HVL-F43M
        2. Ratios with the HVL-F60M
  23. Chapter 14 Essential Tips for Your a7R II/a7 II
    1. Troubleshooting and Prevention
      1. Upgrading Your Firmware
      2. Protecting Your LCD
      3. Troubleshooting Memory Cards
        1. All Your Eggs in One Basket?
        2. What Can Go Wrong?
        3. What Can You Do?
        4. Cleaning Your Sensor
        5. Dust the FAQs, Ma’am
        6. Identifying and Dealing with Dust
        7. Avoiding Dust
        8. Sensor Cleaning
    2. Add-ons That Don’t Cost an Arm or a Leg
      1. Battery Grips
      2. Tripod Plates and L-Brackets
      3. Flash Shoe Adapters
      4. LED Video Lights
      5. Filter Accessories
      6. Remotes
      7. Macro Gear

Product information

  • Title: David Busch’s Sony Alpha a7R II/a7 II Guide to Digital Photography
  • Author(s): David D. Busch
  • Release date: December 2015
  • Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
  • ISBN: 9781681980621