David Busch's Sony Alpha a68/ILCA-68 Guide to Digital Photography

Book description

David Busch's Sony Alpha a68/ILCA-68 Guide to Digital Photography is your best resource and reference for Sony’s new entry/mid-level single lens translucent (SLT) digital camera. With this book in hand, you will quickly master this camera’s exciting features as you explore the world of digital photography, improve your skills, develop your creativity, and take great photographs with your a68/ILCA-68.

It features Sony’s new “4D Focus” system that delivers pin-point predictive focus accuracy through 79 AF points – even when capturing action with continuous shooting at up to 8 frames per second. With in-body image stabilization to provide sharper images when shooting with telephoto lenses and slower shutter speeds, the a68/ILCA-68 has excellent low-light performance at up to ISO 25,600, and it can shoot full HD movie

Filled with detailed how-to steps and full-color illustrations, David Busch's Sony Alpha a68/ILCA-68 Guide to Digital Photography covers every feature of this camera 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 a handy camera "roadmap" chapter, an easy-to-use visual guide to the 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 or for fun, or you’re an advanced enthusiast exploring full HD movie making for the first time. Start building your knowledge and confidence, while bringing your vision to light with the Sony a68/ILCA-68.

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Table of contents

  1. Preface
  2. Introduction
  3. Chapter 1 Getting Started with Your Sony a68
    1. Your Out-of-Box Experience
    2. Initial Setup
      1. Battery Included
      2. Final Steps
      3. Formatting a Memory Card
    3. Selecting a Shooting Mode
    4. Choosing a Metering Mode
    5. Choosing a Focus Mode
    6. Selecting a Focus Point
    7. Other Settings
      1. Adjusting White Balance and ISO
      2. Using the Self-Timer
      3. Using the Built-In Flash
    8. An Introduction to Movie Making
    9. Reviewing the Images You’ve Taken
    10. Transferring Photos to Your Computer
  4. Chapter 2 Sony a68 Roadmap
    1. Front View
    2. The Sony a68’s Business End
    3. What You See, and What You Get
      1. LCD vs. EVF
      2. Choosing Your View
      3. Tilting the Screen
    4. Going Topside
    5. Underneath Your Sony a68
    6. Lens Components
  5. Chapter 3 Camera Settings Menu
    1. Anatomy of the Menus
    2. Camera Settings Menu
      1. Image Size (Stills)
      2. Aspect Ratio (Stills)
      3. Quality (Stills)
      4. Panorama: Size
      5. Panorama: Direction
      6. File Format (Movies)
      7. Record Setting (Movies)
      8. Drive Mode
      9. Flash Mode
      10. Flash Compensation
      11. Flash Control
      12. Power Ratio
      13. Red Eye Reduction
      14. Focus Mode
      15. Focus Area
      16. AF Illuminator (Stills)
      17. AF Drive Speed (Stills)
      18. AF Track Sensitivity (Stills)
      19. AF Track Sensitivity (Movies)
      20. Exposure Compensation
      21. Exposure Step
      22. ISO
      23. Metering Mode
      24. White Balance
      25. DRO/Auto HDR
      26. Creative Style
      27. Picture Effect
      28. Zoom
      29. Focus Magnifier
      30. Long Exposure NR/High ISO NR (Stills)
      31. Center Lock-on AF
      32. Smile/Face Detect.
      33. Soft Skin Effect (Stills)
      34. Auto Object Framing (Stills)
      35. Auto Mode
      36. Scene Selection
      37. Movie
      38. SteadyShot (Stills)
      39. SteadyShot (Movies)
      40. Color Space (Stills)
      41. Auto Slow Shutter (Movies)
      42. Audio Recording
      43. Audio Recording Level
      44. Wind Noise Reduction
      45. Memory
  6. Chapter 4 Custom Settings, Playback, and Setup Menus
    1. Custom Settings Menu
      1. Zebra
      2. Focus Magnifier Time
      3. Grid Line
      4. Audio Level Display
      5. Auto Review
      6. DISP Button
      7. Peaking Level
      8. Peaking Color
      9. Exposure Settings Guide
      10. Live View Display
      11. AF Range Control Assist
      12. AF Area Auto Clear
      13. AF Area Points
      14. Flexible Spot Points
      15. Wide AF Area Display
      16. Zoom Setting
      17. Eye-Start AF
      18. FINDER/MONITOR
      19. Release w/o Lens
      20. Priority Setup
      21. AF w/ Shutter
      22. AEL w/ Shutter
      23. SteadyShot w/ Shutter
      24. e-Front Curtain Shutter
      25. Superior Auto
      26. Exp. Comp. Set
      27. Bracket Order
      28. Face Registration
      29. AF Micro Adjustment
      30. Lens Compensation
      31. Function Menu Settings
      32. Custom Key Settings
      33. Dial/Wheel Setup
      34. Dial/Wheel Ev Comp
      35. MOVIE Button
      36. Dial/Wheel Lock
    2. 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 Playback
      9. Protect
      10. Specify Printing
    3. 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. Power Save Start Time
      11. Cleaning Mode
      12. Demo Mode
      13. HDMI Settings
      14. USB Connection
      15. USB LUN Setting
      16. Language
      17. Date/Time Setup
      18. Area Setting
      19. Format
      20. File Number
      21. Select REC Folder
      22. New Folder
      23. Folder Name
      24. Recover Image Database
      25. Display Media Information
      26. Version
      27. Setting Reset
  7. Chapter 5 Shooting Modes and Exposure Control
    1. Getting a Handle on Exposure
      1. Equivalent Exposure
    2. How the a68 Calculates Exposure
      1. Correctly Exposed
      2. Overexposed
      3. Underexposed
      4. Metering Mid-Tones
    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
    6. Exposure Bracketing
    7. Using Dynamic Range Optimizer
    8. Working with HDR
      1. Auto HDR
      2. Bracketing and Merge to HDR
    9. Exposure Evaluation with Histograms
      1. Tonal Range
      2. Histogram Basics
      3. Understanding Histograms
    10. Automatic and Specialized Shooting Modes
      1. Auto and Scene Modes
      2. Sweep Panorama Mode
    11. Dealing with Digital Noise
      1. High ISO Noise
      2. Using Creative Styles
  8. Chapter 6 Mastering the Mysteries of Autofocus
    1. Getting into Focus
      1. Phase Detection
      2. Contrast Detection
      3. Adding Circles of Confusion
    2. Components of Autofocus
      1. Focus Modes—Begin/Stop
      2. Area to Focus On
      3. Lock-On, Object Detection, and Tracking
    3. Manual Focus
      1. Focus Peaking
    4. Autofocus Summary
      1. Focus Stacking
  9. Chapter 7 Advanced Techniques for Your Sony a68
    1. Exploring Ultra-Fast Exposures
    2. Long Exposures
      1. Three Ways to Take Long Exposures
      2. Working with Long Exposures
    3. Continuous Shooting
      1. Tele-Zoom Continuous AE
    4. Setting Image Parameters
      1. Customizing White Balance
      2. Setting White Balance by Color Temperature
      3. Setting a Custom White Balance
    5. Image Processing
      1. Using Creative Styles
    6. Picture Effects
  10. Chapter 8 Shooting Movies
    1. Basic Settings
      1. File Format
      2. Record Setting
    2. Exposure Settings
      1. Movie
      2. Zebra
      3. Auto Slow Shutter
    3. Audio Settings
      1. Audio Recording
      2. Audio Recording Level
      3. Wind Noise Reduction
    4. Other Settings
      1. AF Track Duration (Movies)
      2. SteadyShot
    5. Recording Video
    6. Steps During Movie Making
    7. Tips for Shooting Better Video
      1. Stop That!
      2. Lens Craft
      3. Keep Things Stable and on the Level
      4. Shooting Script
      5. Storyboards
      6. Storytelling in Video
      7. Composition
      8. Lighting for Video
      9. Audio
  11. Chapter 9 Working with Lenses
    1. But Don’t Forget the Crop Factor
    2. Sony’s Alpha-bet Soup
    3. Lens Mounts and Motors
    4. Your First Lens
      1. Buy Now, Expand Later
    5. Your Second (and Third . . .) Lens
      1. Your Wide Angle/Normal Options
      2. Longer Lenses
      3. What Lenses Can Do for You
      4. Zoom or Prime?
    6. Categories of Lenses
    7. Using Wide-Angle and Wide-Zoom Lenses
      1. Avoiding Potential Wide-Angle Problems
    8. Using Telephoto and Tele-Zoom Lenses
      1. Avoiding Telephoto Lens Problems
      2. Telephotos and Bokeh
    9. Add-ons and Special Features
      1. Lens Hoods
      2. Telephoto Extenders
      3. Macro Focusing
      4. SteadyShot and Your Lenses
    10. Fine-Tuning the Focus of Your Lenses
      1. Lens Tune-Up
  12. Chapter 10 Making Light Work for You
    1. The Elements of Light
    2. Continuous Lighting—or Electronic Flash?
    3. Continuous Lighting Basics
      1. Daylight
      2. Incandescent/Tungsten Light
      3. Fluorescent Light/Other Light Sources
      4. Adjusting White Balance
    4. Electronic Flash Basics
      1. How Electronic Flash Works
    5. Using the Built-In Flash
      1. Setting Flash Modes
      2. Flash Exposure Compensation
      3. Flash Control
      4. Red Eye Reduction
    6. Using the External Electronic Flash
      1. Guide Numbers, Hot Shoes, and More
      2. HVL-F60M Flash Unit
      3. HVL-F58AM Flash Unit
      4. HVL-F43M Flash Unit
      5. HVL-F36AM Flash Unit
      6. HVL-F32M Flash Unit
      7. HVL-F20M Flash Unit
    7. Wireless and Multiple Flash
      1. Channels
      2. Groups (RMT and RMT2)
      3. Radio Control
    8. More Advanced Lighting Techniques
      1. Diffusing and Softening the Light
      2. Using Multiple Light Sources
      3. Other Lighting Accessories

Product information

  • Title: David Busch's Sony Alpha a68/ILCA-68 Guide to Digital Photography
  • Author(s): David D. Busch
  • Release date: November 2016
  • Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
  • ISBN: 9781681981680