ISO 200 • 1/400 sec. • f/7.1 • 35mm lens · 2014. 9. 4. · 13: PIMP MY A7 / A7R 13-5 I advise using the best-quality ND filter you can find, because once again, a cheap filter

ISO 200 • 1/400 sec. • f/7.1 • 35mm lens

13-1

13Pimp My A7/A7RAccessories to Expand Your Camera’s Creative Potential

If you bought your camera with a lens, then you basically have everything

you need to begin shooting with your A7/A7R. I took great care to ensure

that almost all of the techniques in this book can be utilized with your

basic camera setup. But depending on the type of photography you’re

doing, there are some accessories that can really come in handy.

Other accessories aren’t necessarily essential, but they will improve the

look of your images.

Let’s start with some must-have accessories for your photography.

13-2 S O N Y A 7 / A 7 R : F R O M S N A P S H O T S T O G R E AT S H O T S

External Chargers and Batteries

My first suggestion, way back in Chapter 1, was to

buy an external charger and carry extra batteries

with you. Sure, you can always plug the cord that

came with your camera into an electrical outlet to

charge your camera battery, but it’s pretty hard

to shoot when you’re doing that. Much better

to purchase a Sony BC-TRW travel charger and

an extra battery or two and take them with you

when you’re out shooting (Figure 13.1). If you

have W-battery chargers from NEX, they will work

just fine, but the new one adds nice features like

battery charge indicator lights and a USB terminal

that allows you to charge another accessory (like

your phone).

Vertical Grips

Sony’s VG-C1EM vertical grip (Figure 13.2)

holds two batteries, which allows you

to double the battery life of the camera.

When the first battery runs out, the

camera automatically switches to the

second. The grip also adds a second

shutter release button positioned for

vertical shooting. The grip adds a bit of

heft and gives you more to grip when

shooting with longer, heavier lenses.

Figure 13.2 The VG-C1EM vertical grip has a second vertical release button and allows you to double your battery life.

Figure 13.1 BC-TRW travel charger and spare NP-FW50 W batteries

1 3 : P I M P M Y A 7 / A 7 R 13-3

Filters

There are several kinds of filters you’ll probably want to keep in your camera bag. In the

film days, I used to carry a whole set of pale orange “warming” and pale blue “cooling”

filters to adjust the color temperature of the scene. But now I simply adjust the color tem-

perature in-camera or in post. Here are a few filters you’ll want to consider.

UVI won’t tell you not to protect expensive lenses with a UV filter, but you should realize

that protection comes at a price. I’ve seen far too many examples of the image quality of

great lenses ruined when someone put a cheap piece of glass in front of them, so just make

certain it’s the highest-quality filter you can find—not a $10 add-on you got hooked into

buying when you ordered your camera.

PolarizingThis one ranks right up there at the top of

the list of must-own photography accessories.

You won’t find many landscape photogra-

phers who don’t have at least one polarizer

in their camera bag. Sony’s own circular

polarizing filter is a great choice because it’s

made with the same glass and coatings used

in your Zeiss lenses (Figure 13.3).

Light travels in straight lines, but the prob-

lem is that all those lines are moving in

different directions. When they enter the

camera lens, they are scattering about, creating color casts and other effects. The polar-

izer controls how light waves are allowed to enter the camera, letting only certain ones

pass through. So what does that mean for you? With a polarizing filter, blue skies will

appear darker, vegetation color will be more accurate, colors will look more saturated,

haze will be reduced, and images can look sharper.

Figure 13.3 Sony’s circular polarizing filter is made with the same Zeiss glass and coatings as your Zeiss lenses.


Most polarizers are circular and allow you to rotate the polarizing element to control

the amount of polarization that you want. As the filter is rotated, different light waves

will be allowed to pass through, such as those from a reflection on a lake. Turn the filter

a little and the light waves from the reflection are blocked, making the reflection disap-

pear. Another benefit of the filter is that it is fairly dark, so when used in bright lighting

conditions, it can act as a neutral density filter (you’ll learn more in the next section), allow-

ing you to use larger apertures or slower shutter speeds. The average polarizing filter

requires an increase in exposure of about one and a half stops. This won’t be an issue for

you since you will be using the camera meter, which is already looking through the filter

to calculate exposure settings. You should consider it, though, if your intention is to shoot

with a fast shutter speed or use a small aperture for increased depth of field.

Neutral Density (ND)Sometimes there is just too much light falling on your scene to use the camera settings

that you want. Most often this is the case when you want to use a slow shutter speed but

your lens is already stopped down to its smallest aperture, leaving you with a shutter speed

that’s faster than you want. Maybe you want to make moving water look “smooth” in

bright sunlight, or you want shallow depth of field when shooting video and there’s simply

too much light, even for ISO 100.

The way around this problem is to use a

neutral density (ND) filter to make the

outside world appear to be a little darker.

Think of it as sunglasses for your camera.

ND filters come in different strengths

(Figure 13.4), labeled as .3, .6, .9, and so

on. They represent a one-stop difference

in exposure for each .3 increment. (Some

ND filters can be labeled 2, 4, and 8 for

the same exposure increments.) If you

need to turn daylight into dark, the .9

(or 8) ND filter will give you three extra

stops of exposure. Figure 13.4 ND filters come in varying densities, or darkness values, so you can select how much light gets through for the the effect you desire.

1 3 : P I M P M Y A 7 / A 7 R 13-5

I advise using the best-quality ND filter you can find, because once again, a cheap filter

can ruin the quality of a great lens. As their name implies, good neutral density filters

should truly be “neutral” in color. Avoid ones that have a color cast.

A great choice is Tiffen’s variable neutral density filter, which lets you vary the amount of

density from two to eight stops. Since variable ND filters aren’t cheap, I’d advise buying one

in the largest filter size you need and using inexpensive step-up adapter rings on your

smaller lenses. Using a step-up ring to an oversized filter also helps prevent vignetting

when shooting with extremely wide-angle lenses.

Graduated NDAnother favorite of the landscape photographer, the

graduated ND filter has the benefits of the standard ND

filter but graduates to a clear portion (Figure 13.5). This

allows you to darken just the upper or lower portion of

your scene while leaving the other part unaffected. This

filter is most commonly used to darken skies that are too

bright without affecting the ground area. If a regular ND

is used, the entire area will get darker and there will be

no visible change in the brightness ratio between the sky

and the ground.

You can purchase the graduated ND as a screw-on filter,

but many photographers prefer to use the larger 4x5-inch

(100x125mm) version, which allows them to control exactly

where the filter transitions from dark to transparent.

There are many different options in graduated ND filters,

such as the density factor (number of stops) and how gradual the transition is from dark

to clear. A hard grad filter has a very distinct line where the filter goes from dark to clear.

This is usually the better choice when there is a flat horizon line to work with, like where

the sky meets the ocean. A soft grad filter has a more gradual change from dark to clear,

with the darkest area at the top and then a very gradual change to the clear area of the

filter. This is the better choice if you have uneven horizon lines like you might find when

photographing a mountain range.

Figure 13.5 A 4x5-inch two- stop graduated ND filter allows you flexibility in placing the horizon line.


Tripods

If you buy only one accessory for your photography, do

yourself a favor and make it a tripod. In general, any tripod

is better than no tripod at all. A tripod helps you take

sharper photos and lets you shoot in any lighting condi-

tion. So how do you go about choosing the right one for

you? The main considerations are weight, height, head,

and of course, cost.

The weight of your tripod will probably determine whether

or not you will actually carry it along with you farther

than the parking lot. Many different types of materials are

used in tripods today. The lightest is carbon fiber, which

is probably the most expensive as well (Figure 13.6). More

than likely, you should consider an aluminum tripod that is

sturdy and that has a weight rating that is suitable for your

camera and lenses.

Make sure that the tripod extends to a height that is tall

enough to allow you to shoot from a comfortable stand-

ing position. Nothing ruins a good shoot like a sore back.

Taller tripods need to be sturdier to maintain a rigid base

for your camera. You will also want to consider how low

the tripod can go. If you want to do macro work of low-

level subjects such as flowers, you will need to lower the

tripod fairly close to the ground. Many new tripods have

leg supports and center column mechanisms that allow

you to spread the legs very wide and get the camera low

to the ground.

The other determining factor when purchasing a tripod is

the type of head that it employs to secure the camera to

the legs. There are two basic types of tripod heads: ball

heads and pan heads. Ball heads use a simple ball joint that

allows you to freely position the camera in any upright

position and then clamp it down securely. Ball heads are

flexible and quick to use, especially if they include quick-

release clamps, as the Acratech GP does (Figure 13.7). You

can find them at www.acratech.net.

Figure 13.6 The 3 Legged Thing X1.1 Brian Evolution 2 carbon fiber tripod system extends to 78.7 inches, yet folds to a com-pact 16.5 inches.

Figure 13.7 This Acratech GP ball head has a quick-release clamp for ease of use and efficiency.

1 3 : P I M P M Y A 7 / A 7 R 13-7

Quick-release plates and L-bracketsThe biggest pain of using a tripod is tighten-

ing and loosening the tripod threads into the

camera baseplate. That’s where quick-release

plates come in handy. The Arca-Swiss dovetail

has become the industry standard quick-release,

so you’ll find a wide range of compatible quick-

release plates and L-brackets. My favorites are

from Really Right Stuff (Figure 13.8). You can

find quick-release camera plates and L-brackets

for the A7/A7R at www.reallyrightstuff.com.

Remote Commanders

In Chapter 10 we talked about using your self-timer. Sony’s RM-VPR1 remote control with

multi-terminal cable, or Sony’s Smart Remote Control app for your smartphone or tablet,

allows you to trigger long exposures without touching your camera.

Another remote trigger that comes in handy is Sony’s RMT-DSLR2 remote commander

(Figure 13.9). This wireless release triggers your shutter by sending an infrared signal to

the camera’s remote port, ensuring that you don’t shake the camera as you fire it.

Macro Photography Accessories

Extension tubesExtension tubes are like spacers between your lens and your camera. The tubes are typi-

cally hollow, and their sole purpose is to move the rear of the lens farther away from the

camera body.

A lens can get only so close to a subject and still be able to achieve a sharp focus. This

is because as the subject gets closer, the focal point for the lens moves back to a point

where it is behind the image sensor. Using an extension tube lets you move that focal

point forward by placing the rear of the lens a little farther away from the camera sensor,

thus letting you get the lens closer to the subject and enlarging it in your picture.

Figure 13.8 Really Right Stuff quick-release plate

Figure 13.9 Sony’s wireless RMT-DSLR2 remote commander allows you a hands-off approach to trigger- ing a tripod-mounted camera or achieving extra-long exposure times.


Although Sony does not manufacture extension tubes, third-party manufacturers like Kenko,

Pro Optic, and FotodioX do. Kenko and Pro Optic extension tubes are built with electronic

contacts that support autofocus and automatic exposure, and they’re sold as a set of two

tubes for E-mount lenses: a 10mm tube and a 16mm tube, which can be used individually

or stacked together. The longer the tube is, the greater the magnification factor. The tubes

are best used with lenses that are 35mm in focal length or longer. (A wide-angle lens

will have such a short focusing distance that you will be right on top of your subject.)

FotodioX makes no-frills manual extension tubes at a bargain price. They can be config-

ured in eight lengths, from 14mm to 65mm (Figure 13.10).

Figure 13.10 The FotodioX manual extension tube set allows you to select from a wide range of lengths.

Close-up filtersAnother way to jump into macro photography is by using a close-up filter. They’re avail-

able in varying magnifications but tend to be a little more expensive than extension

tubes. This is because they are usually made of high-quality glass that works in concert

with the lens. The filters and lenses can have some advantages over tubes, too. Because

they screw onto the front of your lens, they don’t interfere with any of the communica-

tion functions between the lens and the camera body. They also result in less loss of light,

so exposures can be slightly shorter than when you’re using extension tubes. They do,

however, work similarly to tubes in that they allow you to shorten the minimum focus

distance of your lens so you can move closer to your subject, thereby increasing the size

of the subject on your sensor. Close-up lenses usually come in magnification factors like

+1, +2, +3, +4, and +5. They can also be stacked, strongest to weakest, to increase the

magnification factor. Quality close-up filters aren’t cheap, so buy one for the largest filter

thread you need and use step-up rings for your other lenses.

1 3 : P I M P M Y A 7 / A 7 R 13-9

When comparing extension tubes to close-up filters, I prefer extension tubes. I’m always

hesitant to put another piece of glass, no matter how high quality it is, in front of the

glass in my lens. Extension tubes do not contain any glass, so there’s no potential flaw to

hinder the quality of my image.

Hot-Shoe Flashes

The A7/A7R includes a new multi-interface hot shoe, which allows the camera to be

paired with many new accessories for stills and video production. Sony makes three

flashes that fit directly into the multi-interface shoe: the HVL-F20M, the HVL-F43M, and

the HVL-F60M (Figure 13.11). The HVL-F20M is perfect when you want a soft fill of flash

up-close or when you want to wirelessly trigger another Sony flash. The HVL-F43M is

nicely balanced in size to the A7/A7R. The HVL-F60M tops out this trio with a guide num-

ber of 60, for when you need maximum power. Figure 13.11 These Sony flashes will add power and flexibility to your flash photography.


Flash Triggers

Flash triggers like PocketWizards (Figure 13.12) are the

best way to fire studio flashes with the A7/A7R. The

transmitter fits right into your camera’s multi-interface

shoe to trigger the receivers placed on your strobe

packs. PocketWizard III transceivers offer 16 channels

plus multiple zones. If you don’t need that many chan-

nels, you can save a few dollars with their scaled-down

version, the PocketWizard X.

Reflectors and Diffusers

The easiest way to shape light is with reflectors and

diffusers. Reflectors bounce light back onto your sub-

ject from a solid surface of white, silver, or gold. White

is the softest, whereas silver and gold have a bit more

snap and contrast. Diffusers are semitransparent mate-

rial, usually white, that you place between your light

source and your subject. The fabric does as the name

implies: It diffuses the light, spreading it out

into a soft, low-contrast light source that makes

any subject look better. You could make your

own or buy one of the many commercially

available versions. Photoflex LiteDisc 41x74"

oval reflectors (Figure 13.13) come in white/

silver, white/soft gold, high-contrast silver/gold,

and diffusion. Westcott’s 6-in-1 reflector kit

includes two diffusion panels of varying trans-

parencies, and it also has a reversible reflective

cover that slips over either of the diffusion

panels so that you can bounce some fill light

into your scene. Best of all, the entire system

is collapsible, so it fits into a small package

for traveling.

You’ll find more information on Photoflex

at www.photoflex.com, and on Westcott at

www.fjwestcott.com.

Figure 13.12 Sony A7R with the Pocket Wizard III

Figure 13.13 The Photoflex LiteDisc folds down to a third of its open size for travel.

1 3 : P I M P M Y A 7 / A 7 R 13-11

Camera Straps

Your camera came with a strap. It might be exactly your

style, but if it’s not, you have lots of options. There’s

no camera accessory we come in closer contact with

than the strap. You can find virtually any strap your

heart desires online, so if you’re in the mood for a

hot-pink ostrich-leather camera strap, you’ll probably

find it. One of my favorite shops for leather camera

straps is Annie Barton in Hong Kong. That’s where

I got my braided leather wrist strap (Figure 13.14).

You can find them at www.barton1972.com.

Camera Bags

I like to travel with my photo gear, and typically my travel involves flying. This means

that all my camera equipment will be traveling in the cabin with me, not in the luggage

compartment. I can’t emphasize this enough: Do not pack your camera in your checked

luggage! Thousands of cameras, lenses, and accessories are

lost or stolen from checked luggage every year. The best

way to ensure that it doesn’t happen to you is to bring your

equipment onboard and place it in the overhead storage.

I like to bring my laptop as well, so I have found a couple

of camera bags and backpacks that allow me to fit a camera

body, several lenses, some accessories, my laptop, and even

some snacks into a bag or backpack that still fits in any over-

head compartment.

One of the great advantages of the Sony A7 and A7R is that

you can travel with your photo gear without it weighing you

down. So you don’t want the bag you carry it in to weigh

you down either. Fortunately, there are a few great options

that won’t weigh down your shoulder—or your wallet.

My favorite walk-around bag is Sony’s LCS-SB1 sling bag

carrying case (Figure 13.15). It’s a slim, body-hugging bag

that doesn’t scream, “Steal me, I’m worth thousands!”

Although it weighs virtually nothing, it holds a lot. It can fit

everything I need for a day out shooting; even a 70–400mm

lens with the LA-EA4 fits neatly inside.

Figure 13.14 Barton braided leather wrist strap

Figure 13.15 The Sony LCS-SB1 carrying case


If you want to pack a bit more for a trip, like maybe a tablet or laptop, you’ll want to give

Lowepro’s Urban Reporter shoulder bags a look. They come in three sizes depending on your

needs. The smallest, Lowepro Urban Reporter 150, will hold a couple of camera bodies

and a couple of lenses plus a 10" tablet. The largest is the Lowepro Urban Reporter 350

(Figure 13.16), which can hold an entire mirrorless system plus a 15" laptop. If you’re also

a DSLR shooter, you’ll be able to carry two different kinds of camera systems in it as well.

Figure 13.16 Lowepro’s Urban Reporter 350 will transport a mirror-less kit and your 15" laptop.

1 3 : P I M P M Y A 7 / A 7 R 13-13

Figure 13.17 The Sony LCS-BP3 backpack easily holds three mir-rorless bodies with lenses, a flash, and a 15” laptop.

If you prefer a backpack that you can sling over your

shoulder, leaving your hands free for other luggage,

Sony makes a couple of backpacks that might be

perfect for your needs. Sony LCS-BP2 backpack is

nicely sized for a couple of mirrorless bodies, lenses,

and accessories. Or you can step up to Sony’s

LCS-BP3 backpack (Figure 13.17), which holds three

mirrorless bodies and four or five lenses plus a 15"

laptop, making it great for most of my travel needs

for the past few years. While it might be a bit

large for the A7/A7R and a few lenses, I like to

pack as few bags as possible when traveling,

and the laptop compartment and extra space

allows me to pack chargers, cords, and hard drives.

Figure 13.18 Sony’s XLR-K1M adapter and microphone kit Video Accessories

SoundIn Chapter 11, we talked about Sony’s ECM-XYST1M

stereo microphone. But if you‘re looking to add XLR

terminal inputs and audio level controls for a pro external

audio input, Sony’s XLR-K1M adapter and microphone

kit is just the thing (Figure 13.18). It gives you two XLR

inputs and comes with a high-quality shotgun mic.


Video monitorsYour A7/A7R offers Live View video through your EVF

and LCD, but there are times when shooting video that

a larger monitor comes in handy. Sony’s CLM-V55 video

monitor gives you more surface area, making it easy to

compose your shot (Figure 13.19).

Video rigsVideo rigs and rails help you attach all the accessories you use

on a video shoot. They have threaded holes that allow you to

attach monitors, focus rails, batteries, and anything else you

might need (Figure 13.20). The best and priciest are from

Zacuto and Redrock Micro, but many budget-priced alterna-

tives exist in case you’re self-funding your indie opus.

Figure 13.19 The Sony CLM-V55 offers you a bigger area to frame your masterpiece.

Figure 13.20 The Kamerar TK-3 tank video cage and the MAX-1 matte box

1 3 : P I M P M Y A 7 / A 7 R 13-15

The Small Stuff

Finally, there are a few small items I always pack in my camera bag when I travel.

SD card casesNothing’s worse than searching around

your camera bag trying to find a tiny

SD card. Delkin Secure Digital card cases

(Figure 13.21) can make quick order out of

that chaos. To better keep track of which

cards I’ve shot, I turn the cards face down

once I’ve used them.

External hard drivesHard drives are really, really cheap. Get a pair of external

hard drives for redundant storage (Figure 13.22). Use the

second as a backup for the first. When you fill them up,

buy two more—one day you’ll thank me.

Air blowersNever, ever, ever use canned, compressed air to

blow dust off your sensor. The cans will release

fluid when they are tilted, and that’s the last

thing you want to get on your sensor. For this

reason, I always use my Giotto’s Rocket Blaster

(Figure 13.23). This funny-looking device is

great for getting rid of dust on your sensor.

It uses a clean air path so that the dust that you are blowing away

doesn’t get sucked back into the ball and re-deposited on your

equipment the next time you use it. Always point your camera down

when blowing off the sensor. That way, any dust you dislodge falls

out of the camera.

Figure 13.21 The Delkin Secure Digital 8-card carry-ing case

Figure 13.22 Seagate 1TB external hard drive

Figure 13.23 Giotto’s Rocket Blaster dust-removal tool


Sensor brushesIf the Rocket Blower can’t dislodge the dust, I move on to a VisibleDust SL-788 Arctic

Butterfly sensor brush (Figure 13.24). This negatively charged brush helps pull dust particles

off the sensor instead of just moving them around. This version includes an LED light so

you can see what you’re doing.

LensPenFor really stubborn smudges on my lens, I pull out my trusty LensPen (Figure 13.25). This

nifty little device has a soft, retractable dust removal brush on one end and an amazing

cleaning element on the other that uses carbon to clean and polish the lens element.

More information on LensPen products can be found at www.lenspen.com.

Microfiber lens clothsA good microfiber lens-cleaning cloth (Figure 13.26) comes in handy for getting rid of

those little smudges and dust bunnies that seem to gravitate toward the front of my lens.

I keep a few of these in my camera bag; they can even double as lens wraps in a pinch.

Updates on A7 / A7R accessoriesNew accessories keep coming out; I’ll post updates to this chapter at briansmith.com/gear.

Figure 13.24 VisibleDust SL-788 Arctic Butterfly with LED light

Figure 13.25 The LensPen NLP-1 lens cleaning tool

Figure 13.26 Microfiber cleaning cloth

Documents

ISO 200 • 1/400 sec. • f/7.1 • 35mm lens · 2014. 9. 4. · 13: PIMP MY A7 / A7R 13-5 I advise using the best-quality ND filter you can find, because once again, a cheap filter