Haha, I guess phones are hard to beat for quick pics.
Phone cameras are really limited to what you can control, unfortunately. It comes down to the sensor size mostly. Anything less than Ideal lighting conditions and you’ll have a blotchy mess with all the noise reduction going on.
But with the Sony cameras, even in RAW, you can shoot up to 3200, even 6400 ISO if you really need to and get a usable image.
Also, I absolutely LOVE shooting Fuji cameras. I’ve owned about 6 or 7 of them over the years and I’ve loved every single one honestly. But I wouldn’t recommend a Fuji for someone just looking to pick a camera and shoot. Their focusing system hasn’t been the greatest. Sony, however, has the best focusing system on the market and it’s been that way for a while.
I’ve always said the one thing you can’t change after the fact is your focus. If you’re a professional, go nuts with whatever brand you like the most, but if you’re just doing it for fun, go with a camera you can trust 100%.
Aka, Sony.
Actually the sony phones are the rare ones that DO offer you quite a bit of customization and it is emulating their own full sized cameras.
ISO ranges from 25-6400
Shutter speed from 30 (seconds I think) to 1/8000
White balance can be adjusted not only from cold/warmth but also with AB:y GM:x
I also almost never use RAW as JPEG is so much easier and for most scenarios more than Just good enough.
I shoot JPEG+ RAW and only use the RAW files for very very lowlight shots which almost never happen and i mostly get away with my JPEGs without sacrifing Image quality.
Maybe it’s also because my RAW developing skills suck and the JPEG engine does always look better than my creation
You don’t feel like editing now but trust me you might want to invest a few clicks for your JPEGS and make them look much nicer in future.
Sometimes the standard auto adjustment of DxO Photolab (for example) is already a much better Image. It removes vignette, adjusts lighting and does some minor tweaks and that’s only by loading the Images into the software and click process.
If you want a cheap prime have a look at Sigma 19mm f2.8 it was my very first prime lens and i liked it quite a bit
Super sharp and i liked using it for close ups but was also shooting a lot of landscape with it.
You should be able to get it below 100€
Another favourite was the Sigma 16mm 1.4 …this is probably the best you can get out of shooting with an APS-C camera.
The Sigma 30mm 1.4 is also a great lens but was lacking at close up capabilities for me (iirc)
The Sony Macro SEL30M35 also does a decent Job and can be found pretty cheap
Totally agree with you on the phone cameras! The limitations are real, especially when lighting isn’t ideal. Sensor size makes such a huge difference in those situations. I do think Fuji has its charm though, especially if you love the color science and the retro feel.
Also a Fuji user but completely agree with what you said on their pros and cons - for point and shot I end up using Lumix micro 4:3 cameras far more.
Those Lumix cameras were pretty dope back in the day. Glad to see someone still rocking one.
For my point and shoot needs, I still use my X100T but the focusing system lets me down constantly, especially in lower light. It makes me want to pull my hair out lol
True, I have zero knowledge in that area lol.
So to me it feels like playing around with PEQ without knowing anything which is pretty terrible.
That does sound cool, anything like that on android or linux?
Im not sure what focal length I prefer which is one big perk with that stock kit lens (16-50) since i should be able to play around with different focal lenghts and find out which i prefer?
At least on my Xperia 5V I am pretty much always on the stock 24mm and use 48mm for my macro shots.
If you use JPEG as base it´s not that hard to edit pictures, i learned it just by playing around and maybe watching a few youtube videos.
For basic optimizations you could try Snapseed on your phone but some gallery apps also have one click optimization.
Snapseed
Are we talking about photographing IEMs or is there anything else you wanna do with the camera like landscape or so?
Yes it´s probably a good idea to buy a zoom lens and find out which focal length suits you best but downside is not every lens has close focusing capabilities so maybe you like 50mm a lot on the kit lens but not as a prime lens because it does not allow you to get close enough.
I have always been a fan of macro lenses because they are so versatile.
The 35mm sony Macro could be perfect for you as you can capture a whole scene even indoors and it allows you to come very close to your subject.
It does not have the fastest autofocus but that really does not matter for your usecase that i am assuming.
Plus its cheap and a lens that you could sell again pretty easy because it´s a typical beginner´s macro lens for people who want to dip their toes into macro territory
I bought and resold quite a few lenses and never made a big loss, that´s the only good thing about the otherwise money pit of photo equipment
Yeah, mostly just for taking pics of small stuff like iems.
Will see how it goes with the stock 16-50mm lens before I even consider spending more lol.
I remember how i started having no idea but wanted to have my first prime lens.
I went all in and just bought the 90mm macro from sony for 1000€ at that time and that was the best decission as it really ignited that creative spark.
Afterall photography is a creative process and can be learned by just trial and error with a little background info.
Unless you want to become a professional…but even a professional starts that way.
Maybe you can try to borrow a lens from somewhere?
If you have any questions along the way of exploring photography don´t hesitate to ask, I´m happy to help!
Haha that is way too much money to me. The pics I have seen with the stock lens is already good enough for me, the only thing im uncertain about is its macro performance though.
I doubt I use it that much to spend that much as well.
In that case you can also buy a cheap closeup lens that you screw in front of the kit lens, might already be enough!
Do you use back button focus?
It’s the same principle yes
There are screw on options but also one with a clamp.
You can get really cheap ones but i would not buy the cheapest.
Raynox DCR-150 is well regarded in the macro scene aswell as DCR-350.
Also the Nisi closeup lens.
I got all three of them lol
Such a cheap set might be good enough aswell but i don’t have any experience with those. AliX is also full of it
https://www.amazon.de/Close-up-Nahlinsen-Fotover-teiliges-Makrolinsen/dp/B07HNTN94B?th=1&psc=1
It’s probably a good starting point to play around.
The Set which would fit the kit Lens (40.5mm Filter thread) is super cheap so really worth checking out
Yes I do. Why do you ask?
I’ve never heard of these before… I might give these a shot. I don’t have a macro lens atm but I’ve been itching to pull the trigger on one. This might hold me over for the time being…
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008099632624.html
Looks like it.
Are these the same thing? (probably not since one is cheaper)
https://www.amazon.se/-/en/Fotover-40-5mm-Filter-Olympus-Cameras/dp/B07P7KPXLS
https://www.amazon.se/-/en/40-5mm-Filter-Fotover-Accessories-Olympus/dp/B07HNTN94B
The first one is a star filter that make highlights appear to have a star shape so def not the same thing. There’s also pro mist filters as well that give your images a dreamy effect… they’re dope af. My buddy uses one. I sometimes will add the effect in post after wards for my wedding photography.