David Busch's Sony Alpha a6100/ILCE-6100 Guide to Digital Photography

by David D. Busch

Overview

David Busch’s Sony Alpha a6100/ILCE-6100 Guide to Digital Photography is your essential handbook for learning all the powerful – but easy to use — features of Sony's most advanced entry-level APS-C mirrorless camera.

This camera's new LCD swivels to face forward, making the camera excellent for self-portraits, vlogging, and other applications. The a6100 features a 24 megapixel sensor with 425 embedded phase-detect pixels for lightning-fast autofocus at up to 11 frames per second. With an electronic shutter that provides a silent shooting option, stunning 4K/UHD video capabilities, and new time-lapse photography features, the a6100/ILCE-6100 is a versatile digital camera that has simple operation yet boasts all the features you need to take great photos. With this book in hand, you will discover all the capabilities of the Sony Alpha a6100/ILCE-6100 as you explore the world of digital photography, develop your creativity, and capture the best photographs you’ve ever taken.

Filled with detailed how-to steps and full-color illustrations, David Busch’s Sony Alpha a6100/ILCE-6100 Guide to Digital Photography describes every feature of this sophisticated camera in depth, from taking your first photos through advanced details of setup, exposure, lens selection, lighting, and more. It relates each feature to specific photographic techniques and situations. Also included is the handy camera “roadmap,” an easy-to-use visual guide to the a6100/ILCE-6100’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 every 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 pushing the limits of your imagination, or are just out for fun. Start building your knowledge and confidence, while bringing your vision to light with the Sony Alpha a6100/ILCE-6100.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681985947
Publisher:	Rocky Nook
Publication date:	03/24/2020
Series:	The David Busch Camera Guide Series
Pages:	376
Sales rank:	521,541
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

With more than two million books in print, David D. Busch is the world’s #1 best-selling camera guide author, with more than 100 guidebooks for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, and Panasonic cameras, and many popular books devoted to digital photography and imaging techniques. His best-sellers include Digital SLR Cameras and Photography for Dummies, which has sold more than 300,000 copies in five editions, and Mastering Digital SLR Photography, now in its Fourth Edition.
The graduate of Kent State Universityis a former newspaper reporter/photographer, and operated his own commercial photo studio, shooting sports, weddings, portraits, fashion, architecture, product photography, and travel images. For 22 years he was a principal in CCS/PR, Inc., one of the largest public relations/marketing firms based in San Diego, working on press conferences, press kits, media tours, and sponsored photo trade magazine articles for Eastman Kodak Company and other imaging companies. His 2500 articles and accompanying photos have appeared inside and on the covers of hundreds of magazines, including Popular Photography, Rangefinder, and Professional Photographer.
For the last decade, Busch has devoted much of his time to sharing his photographic expertise, both in publications, and in seminar/workshops he hosts at the Cleveland Photographic Society School of Photography. He has been a call-in guest for 21 different radio shows nationally and in major markets, including WTOP-AM (Washington), KYW-AM (Philadelphia), USA Network (Daybreak USA), WPHM-AM (Detroit), KMJE-FM (Sacramento), CJAD-AM (Montreal), WBIX-AM (Boston), ABC Radio Network (Jonathan & Mary Show). He’s also been a call-in guest for one Canadian television show, and appeared live on Breakfast Television in Toronto, the Today Show of the Great White North.
With a total of more than 200 books to his credit, Busch has had as many as five books appear simultaneously in the Amazon.com Top 25 Digital Photography Books, and when Michael Carr of About.com named the top five digital photography books for beginners, the initial #1 and #2 choices were Busch’s Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies and Mastering Digital Photography. His work has been translated into Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Bulgarian, German, Italian, French, and other languages. Busch’s Web portal is www.dslrguides.com

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 Getting Started with Your Sony a6100 1

Your Out-of-Box Experience 3

Initial Setup 6

Battery Included 6

Final Steps 7

Formatting a Memory Card 10

Selecting a Shooting Mode 13

Getting Instant Help 16

Choosing a Metering Mode 16

Choosing a Focus Mode 17

Selecting a Focus Area 18

Other Settings 19

Adjusting White Balance and ISO 19

Using the Self-Timer 19

Using the a6100's Flash 20

An Introduction to Movie Making 21

Reviewing the Images You've Taken 22

Transferring Files to Your Computer 23

Wireless File Transfer 24

Chapter 2 Sony a6100 Roadmap 25

Using Cross-References 25

Front View 26

The Sony a6100's Business End 29

Using the Touch Screen/Pad 33

Directional Button Functions 36

LCD Panel Data Displays 38

Using the Quick Navi Function Menu 40

Going Topside 41

Underneath Your Sony a6100 42

Chapter 3 Camera Settings I Menu 45

Anatomy of the Menus 45

Improved Menu System 47

Camera Settings I Menu 48

File Format (Stills) 49

JPEG Quality (Stills) 51

JPEG Image Size (Stills) 52

Aspect Ratio (Stills) 53

Panorama: Size 54

Panorama: Direction 54

Long Exposure NR/High ISO NR (Stills) 57

Color Space (Stills) 59

Lens Compensation 62

Auto Mode 64

Scene Selection 64

Superior Auto Image Extract 65

Drive Mode 65

Bracket Settings 67

Interval Shooting Functions 67

Memory Recall 69

Memory 71

Focus Mode 72

Focus Area 73

AF Illuminator (Stills) 74

Face/Eye AF Settings 75

AF with Shutter (Stills) 77

Pre-AF (Stills) 78

Eye-Start AF (Stills) 78

AF Area Auto Clear 79

Display Continuous AF Area 79

AF Micro Adjustment 80

Exposure Compensation 80

ISO Setting 81

Metering Mode 82

Face Priority in Multi Metering 83

Exposure Step 83

Autoexposure Lock with Shutter (Stills) 84

Flash Mode 85

Flash Compensation 85

Exposure Compensation Settings 86

Wireless Flash 86

Red Eye Reduction 86

White Balance 87

Priority Setting in AWB 89

DRO/Auto HDR 90

Creative Style 90

Picture Effect 91

Soft Skin Effect (Stills) 93

Focus Magnifier 93

Focus Magnification Time 95

Initial Focus Magnification (Stills) 95

AF in Focus Magnification (Stills) 95

Manual Focus Assist (Stills) 96

Peaking Setting 96

Face Registration 97

Registered Faces Priority 98

Smile Shutter 98

Auto Object Framing (Stills) 99

Self-Portrait/-Timer 100

Chapter 4 Camera Settings II Menu 101

Camera Settings II Menu Entries 101

Exposure Mode (Movies) 102

Exposure Mode (S&Q Motion) 102

File Format (Movies) 102

Record Setting (Movies) 103

S&Q Settings (S&Q Motion) 104

Proxy Recording 105

AF Drive Speed (Movies) 106

AF Track Sensitivity (Movies) 106

Auto Slow Shutter (Movies) 107

Initial Focus Magnification (Movies) 107

Audio Recording 108

Audio Recording Level 108

Audio Level Display 109

Wind Noise Reduction 109

Marker Display (Movies) 109

Marker Settings (Movies) 110

Movie with Shutter 110

Silent Shooting (Stills) 111

e-Front Curtain Shutter 112

Release w/o Lens 112

Release w/o Card 113

Steady Shot 113

Zoom 114

Zoom Setting 115

DISP Button 118

Finder/Monitor 120

Zebra Setting 120

Grid Line 122

Exposure Setting Guide 122

Live View Display 123

Auto Review 124

Custom Key (Stills) 124

Custom Key (Movies) 127

Custom Key (Playback) 128

Function Menu Settings 128

Dial/Wheel Setup 129

Dial/Wheel Ev Comp 130

Function of Touch Operations 130

MOVIE Button 131

Dial/Wheel Lock 132

Audio Signals 132

Chapter 5 Network and Playback Menus 133

Network Menu 133

Send to Smartphone Function 134

Send to Computer 134

View on TV 137

Control with Srnartphone 137

Airplane Mode 137

Wi-Fi Settings 137

Bluetooth Settings 138

Location Information Link Settings 138

Bluetooth Remote Control 138

Edit Device Name 138

Reset Network Settings 138

Remotely Controlling Your Camera 139

Using PC Remote 139

Making a Wireless Connection 140

Camera/Device: NFC Connection 141

Camera/Device: Wi-Fi Connection 141

Using WPS Push 142

Registering Manually 143

Connecting with Bluetooth 145

Viewing Images on a TV 147

Sending Files to a Smart Device 148

Remote Control with Your Smartphone 149

Playback Menu 150

Protect 150

Rotate 151

Delete 151

Rating 152

Rating Set (Custom Key) 153

Specify Printing 153

Photo Capture 154

Enlarge Image 154

Enlarge Initial Magnification 155

Enlarge Initial Position 155

Continuous Playback for Interval 155

Playback Speed for Interval 155

Slide Show 156

View Mode 156

Image Index 156

Display as Group 157

Display Rotation 157

Image Jump Setting 158

Chapter 6 Setup Menu and My Menu 159

Setup Menu 159

Monitor Brightness 160

Viewfinder Brightness 160

Finder Color Temperature 161

Volume Settings 161

Tile Menu 161

Mode Dial Guide 162

Delete Confirm 162

Display Quality 162

Power Save Start Time 163

Auto Power Off Temperature 163

NTSC/PAL Selector 163

Cleaning Mode 164

Touch Operation 164

Touch Panel/Pad 165

Touch Pad Settings 165

Demo Mode 166

HDMI Settings 166

4K Output Selection (Movies) 167

USB Connection 168

USB LUN Setting 168

USB Power Supply 169

PC Remote Settings 169

Language 170

Date/Time Setup 170

Area Setting 171

Format 171

File Number 172

Select REC Folder 172

New Folder 172

Folder Name 173

Recover Image Database 174

Display Media Information 174

Version 174

Setting Reset 175

My Menu 175

Chapter 7 Nailing the Optimum Exposure 177

Getting a Handle on Exposure 177

Equivalent Exposure 182

How the a6100 Calculates Exposure 183

Correctly Exposed 183

Overexposed 184

Underexposed 184

The Importance of ISO 186

Choosing a Metering Mode 187

Multi Metering 187

Center-weighted Metering 188

Spot Metering 189

Choosing an Exposure Mode 190

Aperture Priority (A) Mode 190

Shutter Priority (S) Mode 193

Program Auto (P) Mode 195

Making Exposure Value Changes 196

Manual Exposure (M) Mode 197

Using ISO Auto 199

Exposure Bracketing 200

Continuous Bracketing 201

Single Bracketing 202

White Balance Bracketing 202

DRO Bracketing 202

Dealing with Digital Noise 202

High ISO Noise 203

Using Dynamic Range Optimizer and HDR 205

Auto HDR 208

Bracketing and Merge to HDR 209

Exposure Evaluation with Histograms 212

The Live Histogram 212

The Playback Histograms 213

Tonal Range 213

Histogram Basics 214

Understanding Histograms 216

Automatic and Specialized Shooting Modes 220

Auto and Scene Modes 221

Sweep Panorama Mode 223

Chapter 8 Mastering Autofocus Options 225

Getting into Focus 226

Contrast Detection 226

Phase Detection 227

Comparing the Two Hybrid Components 229

Focus Modes and Options 231

Focus Pocus 232

Adding Circles of Confusion 233

Your Focus Mode Options 235

Autofocus Magnified 237

Setting the AF Area 238

Tracking Subjects, Faces, and Eyes 241

Face Detection and Eye AF Overview 243

Making Your Face/Eye Detection Settings 244

Magic Autofocus-Set and Forget 246

Using Manual Focus 247

Back-Button Focus 249

Activating Back-Button Focus 250

Useful Menu Items for AF 250

Chapter 9 Advanced Shooting 253

Exploring Ultra-Fast Exposures 253

Long Exposures 256

Continuous Shooting 259

Customizing White Balance 262

Fine-Tuning Preset White Balance 264

Setting White Balance by Color Temperature 265

Setting a Custom White Balance 266

Interval Shooting 267

Interval Shooting Checklist 268

Settings Recap 270

Viewing Your Interval Sequences 271

Time-Lapse Movies 272

Star Trails 275

Chapter 10 Movie Making 277

Some Fundamentals 277

Choosing a File Format 279

Choosing a Record Setting 280

Choosing Metering/Exposure Modes 283

Choosing an Autofocus Mode 286

Using Frame Guides 287

Shooting in 4K 288

Tips for Movie Making 290

Composition 291

Lighting for Video 294

Audio 296

Lens Craft 297

Chapter 11 Working with Lenses 299

Don't Forget the Crop Factor 299

Choosing a Lens 301

The Sony "Trinity" 305

Third-Party Lenses 306

Zeiss Touit Lenses 306

Other Third-Party Lenses 306

Using the LA-EA Series Adapters 309

AF Micro Adjustment 312

Evaluate Current Focus 314

What Lenses Can Do for You 317

Categories of Lenses 318

Using Wide-Angle Lenses 319

Avoiding Potential Wide-Angle Problems 321

Using Telephoto and Tele-Zoom Lenses 322

Avoiding Telephoto Lens Problems 323

Chapter 12 Working with Flash 325

Why Flash? 325

Electronic Flash Basics 329

How Electronic Flash Works 329

Flash Modes 336

Flash Exposure Compensation 337

Red Eye Reduction 338

Using an External Electronic Flash 338

Guide Numbers, Hot Shoes, and More 339

HVL-F60M/RM Flash Units 341

HVL-F45RM Flash Unit 342

HVL-F43M Flash Unit 342

HVL-F36AM Flash Unit 343

HVL-F32M Flash Unit 343

HVL-F20M Flash Unit 343

Wireless Flash 344

Key Wireless Concepts 345

Setting Channels and Remote Groups 347

Setting Ratios 348

Radio Control 349

Off-Camera Flash 350

Index 351