digiscope09
Well-known member
Been using this combo for some months now and have taken countless bird photos. I find the A77 extremely sharp in excellent light and where there are no impinging objects, but the combo falls away in less than ideal light and gets very noisy.
One issue I have found is that when trying to take shots of birds in thickets, undergrowth where leaves and twigs can be a problem to autofocus, switching to manual and using peaking does not seem to totally overcome the focus issues as even in spot focus mode, the central focus area seems to be too broad/large i.e. the peaking highlight captures both the object and some surrounding areas detracting from the central image sharpness. My Swarovski 80mmHD scope and Canon S95 combo have no such problems in these situations capturing consistently sharp images however shutter speed is an issue and partly the reason, I thought I would give the Sony combo a go.
I also find that the camera has problems with backlighting and there is a marked difference between what is shown in the viewfinder and what the actual taken image shows - usually very overexposed. I have lost many sharp shots through this problem.
The fast burst speed is very good for BIF and I have had a lot of fun with the combo however I am finding it to be a bit too inconsistent in IQ for me and lacking a bit of focal distance even with the APS-C sensor 400mm lens.
I use the combo both handheld and on a tripod with remote.
Currently considering a Kowa lens/850mm combo.
I have found DP Review to be a good point of reference for advice on the Sony A77 for those interested but bear in mind there are some people out there who get a bit precious about "their" brand.
finno
One issue I have found is that when trying to take shots of birds in thickets, undergrowth where leaves and twigs can be a problem to autofocus, switching to manual and using peaking does not seem to totally overcome the focus issues as even in spot focus mode, the central focus area seems to be too broad/large i.e. the peaking highlight captures both the object and some surrounding areas detracting from the central image sharpness. My Swarovski 80mmHD scope and Canon S95 combo have no such problems in these situations capturing consistently sharp images however shutter speed is an issue and partly the reason, I thought I would give the Sony combo a go.
I also find that the camera has problems with backlighting and there is a marked difference between what is shown in the viewfinder and what the actual taken image shows - usually very overexposed. I have lost many sharp shots through this problem.
The fast burst speed is very good for BIF and I have had a lot of fun with the combo however I am finding it to be a bit too inconsistent in IQ for me and lacking a bit of focal distance even with the APS-C sensor 400mm lens.
I use the combo both handheld and on a tripod with remote.
Currently considering a Kowa lens/850mm combo.
I have found DP Review to be a good point of reference for advice on the Sony A77 for those interested but bear in mind there are some people out there who get a bit precious about "their" brand.
finno