05
I’ve always had an appreciation for photography and those shots you see in glossy mags and for me in particular EVO car magazine. Sadly up until now that is where it stopped for me, I appreciate the end result but never delved into the world of Photography. Things have just changed however as I collected my first DSLR yesterday! Well, not exactly a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera, but a new Digital Single Lens Translucent (SLT) in the shape of the much raved about Sony Alpha A35. I won’t go into detail as would not be qualified to do so, but the very helpful chap at my local independent camera store assured me that the A35 is a fantastic camera, packed with features and more than a match for the ‘have-a-go’ photographer that I claimed to be.
Having arrived at the shop and asked for his best deal on the Nikon D3100 and having already discounted the Canon 1100D, then to walk out with a Sony, came as something of a shock. You may have gathered that I can’t compare or comment on the others, but took the advice of someone ‘in the know’. Not only I am confident I have the best in class camera, it was also very refreshing to learn that Sony have an exclusive agreement with independent retailers such as Bristol Cameras where they can be assured of competitive pricing in the market, taking on the likes of Tesco, Jessops, Argos etc and beating them on price. Local service with real people serving real customers and the best price I could find anywhere online. Win win.
Anyway, having had a quick play with the A35 last night, the early signs are as expected. There is no comparison between a compact ‘point and push’ and a ‘proper’ camera. For an aspiring photographer such as myself, the Sony A35 appears to offer everything I could ever need and more. The best function I have found so far is a toss up between the 7 frame per second ‘burst’ shooting or the Panorama facility. Catch action with up to 7 frames per second, or stand still and ‘sweep’ taking multiple shots of the horizon and the little A35 will compile a nice panoramic automatically, saving hours of photoshop ‘cut and pasting’.
You probably want some sample pics, for now I am getting to grips and haven’t downloaded any yet but I’ll be sure to get some up soon. Now what can I photograph to show off my new toy?!