Sony and Zeiss lenses – making sense of all the options

In this lesson we’ll take a look at the options available by Sony and Zeiss, specifically for the Sony E-mount. First of all, for a complete list of all Sony-branded lenses specifically made for the E-mount, and compatibility with the a7R II and a7S II, click here. The link tells you which features are supported … Read more

How I chose my lenses

I made this video for the Sony a7S, on how I originally chose my Nikon primes: Download Video Note: I say ‘multiply’ when talking about the bokeh factor, but I really meant ‘add’. Bokeh Factor = Aperture + Crop factor  E.g., here are how my lenses stack up (All of this is approximate, but it’s … Read more

Thumb Grips

In this quick video I’ll go over a cheap thumb grip I bought, and some thoughts: Download Video Purchase links: Thumb grip I bought (not recommended) CamDesign thumb grip (better option) Advantages: Supposedly gives you a better grip, a place to rest your thumb. Disadvantages: Not really necessary with the a7R II, a7S II and … Read more

ClearImage Zoom and Digital Zoom for Video

In this lesson we’ll go over the ClearImage Zoom and Digital Zoom options, and whether they are a viable option for video. What is ClearImage Zoom and Digital Zoom? Under menu B3 > Zoom Setting, you have the following options: Optical Zoom ClearImage Zoom Digital Zoom Optical zoom restricts your zoom to the lens you’re … Read more

ClearImage Zoom and Digital Zoom for Video

In this lesson we’ll go over the ClearImage Zoom and Digital Zoom options, and whether they are a viable option for video. What is ClearImage Zoom and Digital Zoom? Under menu B3 > Zoom Setting, you have the following options: Optical Zoom ClearImage Zoom Digital Zoom Optical zoom restricts your zoom to the lens you’re … Read more

How to mitigate rolling shutter in the Sony a7S II

There isn’t much you can do to get rid of rolling shutter artifacts, but there are a few tricks that can help ease the pain. Here’s the video: Download Video Takeaways Remember, rolling shutter is not bad, it’s the slow sensor readout that causes the skew or artifact. Follow these steps to mitigate rolling shutter … Read more

How to mitigate rolling shutter in the Sony a7R II

There isn’t much you can do to get rid of rolling shutter artifacts, but there are a few tricks that can help ease the pain. Here’s the video: Download Video Takeaways Remember, rolling shutter is not bad, it’s the slow sensor readout that causes the skew or artifact. Follow these steps to mitigate rolling shutter … Read more

Quick Guide to Autofocus for Stills

For explanations on the options for AF, please refer to the next lessons. This is a quick guide to how I recommend you use AF for stills. We’ll divide this into two parts: The quick and easy method for beginners For pros looking to shoot action or sports The quick and easy method for beginners … Read more

Detailed Guide to Autofocus for Stills and Video

This is my detailed guide to all the settings relating to autofocus on the Sony a7R II, for both stills and video: Download Video Notes: Phase Detection AF doesn’t work for f/9.0 and beyond. The area isn’t displayed for APS-C mode and Video mode, though it works for both. I missed Eye AF. This works similar … Read more