Sony A7 / A7R: From Snapshots to Great Shots

Sony A7 / A7R: From Snapshots to Great Shots

by Brian Smith
Released March 2014
Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
ISBN: 9780133761290

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Book description

Now that you’ve bought the amazing Sony A7 / A7R, you need a book that goes beyond a tour of the camera’s features to show you exactly how to use the camera to take great pictures. With Sony A7 / A7R: From Snapshots to Great Shots, you get the perfect blend of photography instruction and camera reference that will take your images to the next level! Beautifully illustrated with large, vibrant photos, this book teaches you how to take control of your photography to get the image you want every time you pick up the camera.

Follow along with your friendly and knowledgeable guide, Pulitzer Prize—winning photographer Brian Smith, and you will:

  •  Learn the top ten things you need to know about shooting with the Sony A7 / A7R

  • Use the Sony A7 / A7R’s advanced camera settings to gain full control over the look and feel of your images

  • Master the photographic basics of composition, focus, depth of field, and much more

  • Learn all the best tricks and techniques for getting great action shots, landscapes, and portraits

  • Find out how to get great shots in low light

  • Learn the basics behind shooting video with your Sony A7 / A7R and start making movies of your own

  • Fully grasp all the concepts and techniques as you go, with assignments at the end of every chapter


    • And once you’ve got the shot, show it off! Join the book’s Flickr group, share your photos, and discuss how you use your A7 / A7R to get great shots at flickr.com/groups/sonya7-a7rfromsnapshotstogreatshots.

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Copyright Page
    3. Dedication
    4. Acknowledgments
    5. Contents
    6. Introduction
    7. 1. The A7/A7R Top Ten List
      1. Ten Tips to Make Your Shooting More Productive Right Out of the Box
      2. Poring Over the Camera
      3. Poring Over the Camera
      4. 1. Charge Your Battery
      5. 2. Turn Off the Auto ISO Setting
      6. 3. Set Your JPEG Image Quality
      7. 4. Configure Your LCD and Viewfinder
      8. 5. Set Your Autofocus Area and Mode
      9. 6. Set the Correct White Balance
      10. 7. Set Your Color Space
      11. 8. Know How to Override Autofocus
      12. 9. Review Your Shots
      13. 10. Hold Your Camera for Proper Shooting
      14. 11. Bonus Tip for Spinal Tap Fans
      15. Chapter 1 Assignments
    8. 2. First Things First
      1. A Few Things to Know and Do Before You Begin Taking Pictures
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Choosing the Right Memory Card
      5. Formatting Your Memory Card
      6. Updating the A7/A7R’s Firmware
      7. Cleaning the Sensor
      8. Using the Right Format: RAW vs. JPEG
      9. Lenses and Focal Lengths
      10. Understanding Exposure
      11. Motion and Depth of Field
      12. Chapter 2 Assignments
    9. 3. Full Auto Modes
      1. Get Shooting with the Automatic Camera Modes
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Intelligent Auto Mode
      4. Scene Selection Modes
      5. Sweep Panorama
      6. Why You May Never Want to Use Full Auto Modes Again
      7. Chapter 3 Assignments
    10. 4. Advanced Modes
      1. Taking Your Photography to the Next Level
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Picture Effects
      5. P: Program Auto Mode
      6. S: Shutter Priority Mode
      7. A: Aperture Priority Mode
      8. M: Manual Mode
      9. How I Shoot: A Closer Look at the Camera Settings I Use
      10. Chapter 4 Assignments
    11. 5. Portrait Photography
      1. Settings and Features to Make Great Portraits
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Automatic Portrait Mode
      5. Using Aperture Priority Mode
      6. Metering Modes for Portraits
      7. Using the AE Lock Feature
      8. Focusing: The Eyes Have It
      9. Classic Black and White Portraits
      10. The Portrait Creative Style for Better Skin Tones
      11. Using Face Detection and Registration
      12. Portraits on the Move
      13. The Rule of Thirds
      14. Tips for Shooting Better Portraits
      15. Chapter 5 Assignments
    12. 6. Moving Target
      1. Tricks to Shooting Sports and Action
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Stop Right There!
      5. Using Shutter Priority (S) Mode to Stop Motion
      6. Using Aperture Priority (A) Mode to Isolate Your Subject
      7. Keeping Them in Focus with Continuous AF and Autofocus Area Selection
      8. Keeping Up with Continuous Shooting Mode
      9. Manual Focus for Anticipated Action
      10. A Sense of Motion
      11. Tips for Shooting Action
      12. Chapter 6 Assignments
    13. 7. Landscape and Streetscape Photography
      1. Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get the Best Landscapes and Streetscapes
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Sharp and In Focus: Using Tripods
      5. Selecting the Proper ISO
      6. Using Noise Reduction
      7. Selecting a White Balance
      8. Using the Landscape Creative Style
      9. Shooting Beautiful Black and White Landscapes
      10. Golden Light
      11. Shooting Compelling Sunrises and Sunsets
      12. Making Water Fluid
      13. Composing Landscapes and Streetscapes
      14. Where to Focus
      15. Easier Focusing
      16. Using Manual Focus Assist
      17. Using DMF Focus Mode
      18. Shooting Panoramas
      19. Looking for the Unexpected
      20. Chapter 7 Assignments
    14. 8. Mood Lighting
      1. Shooting When the Lights Get Low
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Raising the ISO: The Simple Solution
      5. High ISO Noise Reduction
      6. Using Fast Glass
      7. Stabilizing the Situation
      8. Focusing in Low Light
      9. Shooting Long Exposures
      10. Using Flash
      11. Compensating for the Flash Exposure
      12. Flash Modes
      13. Using an External Flash
      14. Taming Flash Reflections
      15. Chapter 8 Assignments
    15. 9. Creative Compositions
      1. Improve Your Pictures with Strong Compositional Elements
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Depth of Field
      5. Working the Angles
      6. Point of View
      7. Patterns
      8. Color
      9. Contrast
      10. Light and Shadow
      11. Leading Lines
      12. Frames within Frames
      13. The Simplicity of Black and White
      14. Chapter 9 Assignments
    16. 10. Advanced Techniques
      1. Take Your Images to the Next Level
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Poring Over the Picture
      4. Spot Meter for More Exposure Control
      5. Manual Mode
      6. Avoiding Lens Flare
      7. Using the Sun Creatively
      8. Macro Photography
      9. High Dynamic Range Photography
      10. Using Dynamic Range Optimizer
      11. Wireless and the A7/A7R
      12. Tethering Your A7/A7R
      13. Chapter 10 Assignments
    17. 11. Lights, Camera, Action!
      1. Getting Professional-looking Video from Your A7/A7R
      2. Poring Over the Camera
      3. It’s All about the Lenses
      4. Accessories for Video
      5. Getting a Shallow Depth of Field
      6. Giving a Different Look to Your Videos
      7. Tips for Better Video
      8. Watching and Editing Your Video
      9. Chapter 11 Assignments
    18. 12. Adapt My A7/A7R
      1. Lens Mount Adapters to Expand Your Camera’s Lens Choices
      2. Sony Alpha Lens Mount Adapters
      3. Canon EOS Lens Mount Adapters
      4. Activating Focus Peaking and Manual Focus Assist
      5. Leica M Lens Mount Adapters
      6. Nikon Lens Mount Adapters
      7. Pentax K Lens Mount Adapters
      8. Legacy Lens Mount Adapters
      9. Chapter 12 Assignments
    19. 13. Pimp My A7/A7R
      1. Accessories to Expand Your Camera’s Creative Potential
      2. External Chargers and Batteries
      3. Vertical Grips
      4. Filters
      5. Tripods
      6. Remote Commanders
      7. Macro Photography Accessories
      8. Hot-Shoe Flashes
      9. Flash Triggers
      10. Reflectors and Diffusers
      11. Camera Straps
      12. Camera Bags
      13. Video Accessories
      14. The Small Stuff
    20. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Sony A7 / A7R: From Snapshots to Great Shots
    • Author(s): Brian Smith
    • Release date: March 2014
    • Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
    • ISBN: 9780133761290