p.1 #1 · Took the plunge in - A1ii ordered! Good videos or guides to start with?
I went for it and am trying out a Sony A1ii tomorrow. After over 25 years with Canon and I'm excited to give this a shot (no pun intended), Fingers crossed. My first lens to try it with is a 35mm 1.4 GM. Any good videos or set up guides to point me to as I give this a try? Thanks!
p.1 #2 · Took the plunge in - A1ii ordered! Good videos or guides to start with?
For setup guides I would go with Mark Galer. He has a patreon for $10/mo, he recommends you join download all the stuff you want from his site and then end the subscription before the first month is over. You also get a camset file with that to setup the camera as he describes. It is a good default and you can tweak it from there and save the camset after you are happy with the setup.
p.1 #3 · Took the plunge in - A1ii ordered! Good videos or guides to start with?
mattchu wrote:
I went for it and am trying out a Sony A1ii tomorrow. After over 25 years with Canon and I'm excited to give this a shot (no pun intended), Fingers crossed. My first lens to try it with is a 35mm 1.4 GM. Any good videos or set up guides to point me to as I give this a try? Thanks!
Welcome to Sony! You need to exercise patience when trying out a new and obviously different camera system than what you are used to. Don't try to go too much into depth the first time around. In other words, don't try to cram in too much and don't get bogged down with too many settings in the beginning. As long as you get the basic steps initially, that should be fine. After a while, you get more and more familiar with the set up and things will get easier and before too long you will be able to figure out how or what settings would be needed to get what you want the camera to do for you. Lastly, enjoy photography since that is what this is about.
p.1 #5 · Took the plunge in - A1ii ordered! Good videos or guides to start with?
We all tend to approach things in different ways. As a (retired) engineer, I prefer to see the big picture and then design an infrastructure that is responsive and flexible to my various needs.
My approach is to watch videos from experts like Mark Galer, then consider exactly how I plan to use the camera (portraits, landscapes, low-light, BIF, nature, studio, etc.), then spend an afternoon carefully combing through the full menu system. When I run into questions, I use online AI queries to better understand each function.
In the end, I find that approaching the process, globally, allows me to better program/optimize Buttons, 'Function Menu’s', 'My Menu’s', Custom Dial Settings, so that iterative ongoing changes do not become necessary or confusing. With simple dial/menu setting changes, I can now quickly go from optimized settings for landscape, nature, sports, BIF to studio/strobes, etc.
If you prefer a more cautious, measured approach, I would recommend Mark Galer’s content and also take advantage of his Setup file to use as a good starting point. Of course, there are other expert photographers' materials to choose from.
David Busch and Gary Friedman also publish great user guides for Sony cameras.
I was initially intimidated by the extensive menu system, but now, I am really grateful to have the ability to setup my cameras on such a granular level.
p.1 #9 · Took the plunge in - A1ii ordered! Good videos or guides to start with?
mattchu wrote:
I went for it and am trying out a Sony A1ii tomorrow. After over 25 years with Canon and I'm excited to give this a shot (no pun intended), Fingers crossed. My first lens to try it with is a 35mm 1.4 GM. Any good videos or set up guides to point me to as I give this a try?
Congratulations! I too transitioned about 2 years ago, and I just recently finished selling my last L-glass. If you want to hang on to some of your EF lenses for sentimental or other reasons, you may want to look at the Sigma MC-11 adapter. It's not perfect, but you will get reliable and precise autofocus in AF-S mode.
And generally, the biggest positive change isn't the bodies. Once the novelty wears off, the lasting appreciation for the platform comes from the lenses, specifically their IQ-to-size ratio and ergonomics. Individually they are not always a top choice, but when you have a hiking backpack to fill with glass, you'll appreciate the E-mount. Prepare to fall in love with proper aperture rings too!
Speaking of tutorials, I honestly have no idea. I spent maybe 3 hours reading the online manual with the camera on the table. It's all just boring trivia. Click on a menu item, read the page explaining the function. If unclear, ask AI or Google and move on to the next item. Even 3 hours is probably an exaggeration. You'll be done sooner and you'll be an expert. I genuinely don't understand why you'd want a middleman with their own mental limitations standing as a filter and a source of noise between you and the manual. Statistically there's a 50% chance of a YouTuber being dumber than average - why take the risk?
