Q: Hi Brian, I’m a Hallmark grad who just moved to Miami. With the NEX cameras, do you still shoot tethered, or have you ditched the digitech completely? Also, what’s your take on video with DSLRs? Will they do to still pictures what digital did to film? – adyus
A: My workhorse camera is the Sony a900, I’ll tether on big shoots so the clients can see, but most of the time shoot to card. I’ll be shooting tethered at WPPI this week with some really cool accessories from Tether Tools. The whole point of the NEX-5 is it’s small size, so I use it much more for street photography and travel than on big productions.
As for the second part of your question, I’m very impressed with the quality of the HD video from the NEX-5 and a77. They’ve both got big sensors so they blow the doors off traditional camcorders. Video won’t replace the still photograph – it’s another tool for story telling.
Q: hey BRY how are you doing? Do you know any one who is using the IPAD for a tool with photography? I NEED TO upgrade to a better way of sending stuff to clients. THANKS – dudelooks
A: The main thing I use iPad for is to have a portfolio with me at all times such a times I get seated next to a potential client on a plane. I still send out a print portfolio book, though if your portfolio includes motion, the iPad clearly rocks. My favorite iPad portfolio app is Foliobook.
Tagged as:
Foliobook,
iPad,
Portfolio,
Sony a77,
Sony a900,
Sony NEX,
Tether Tools. tethering
Q: Do you always have a camera with you? Even if you are running out the store? Or do you only shoot when you have an assignment?
A: Well, now that an iPhone is considered camera category, I’d have to say yes I do. Beyond that I tend to either take along a Cybershot or Sony’s sweet little compact Sony NEX-5 with me when I don’t want to carry something bigger. Here’s what I’m talking about. The most surreal experience I’ve ever had was walking onto the red carpet at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner between Marlon Wayans and Adrian Grenier. Given the company, it’s an enormous understatement to say that no one was there to see me. But it did give me an opportunity to see things from a different point of view. So with my handy and discreet Cybershot I captured the red carpet the way the stars see it.
Mingling with the stars is best done without calling attention to yourself. Instead of a big camera and flash, my tiny Cybershot was just the thing to snap a couple frames of Tracy Morgan looking all Presidential in The New Yorker’s hospitality suite. As the saying goes, the best camera you can own is the one you actually have with you.
Tagged as:
Camera,
Cybershot,
iPhone,
Marlon Wayans,
Red Carpet,
Sony NEX,
The New Yorker,
Tracy Morgan,
White House Correspondent's Dinner
This is beyond surreal…Much L-O-V-E to everyone at X Factor and Sony for my prime-time debut photographing celebrity portraits of the X Factor Finalists with SONY NEX-5N then passing the cameras out to all the contestants so they could see how easy it was to get great professional results with a camera small enough they can take it with them everywhere.
To all the finalists for welcoming me to their show this week – you guys rock!
To Steve Sommers and Kayla Lindquist of Sony…thanks for believing!
To my personal fashion stylist, my lovely wife Fazia, I love you baby!
EQUIPMENT:
SONY NEX-5N
SONY NEX Electronic Viewfinder
SONY NEX Camera Mount Adapter LA-EA2
SONY 24mm/1.8 E-Mount Lens
SONY CZ 85/1.4
SONY CZ 24-70/2.8
LIGHTING:
K5600 800w Joker HMI Crossover Kit
Profoto 7′ Silver Parabolic Umbrella Style Reflector
STACY FRANCIS was one of my faves. Sorry to see her go but I'll always remember her in the spotlight!
STACY FRANCIS
CHRIS RENE
JOSH KRAJCIK
MELANIE AMARO
MARCUS CANTY
LAKODA RAYNE
LEROY BELL
DREW
ASTRO
Tagged as:
Astro,
Celebrity portraits,
Chris Rene,
Drew,
Josh Krajcik,
Lakoda Rayne,
LeRoy Bell,
Marcus Canty,
Melanie Amaro,
portrait,
Rachael Crow,
Sony,
Sony NEX,
SONY NEX-5N,
Stacy Francis,
X Factor
by Brian Smith on September 8, 2010
in Gear
by Brian Smith on July 20, 2010
in Gear
by Brian Smith on July 14, 2010
in Gear
Sony has launched it’s E-mount NEX-VG10E camcorder, the worlds’ first consumer-grade HD camcorder with interchangeable lenses. Although appearing under Sony’s Handycam brand, rather than Alpha, it retains a lot in common with the Alpha NEX series. It features the same 14.6MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor but is capable of recording 1080i video at a higher, 24mbps, bitrate. The NEX-VG10E also features an electronic viewfinder and ‘Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone’ that uses four microphone elements to provide better channel separation and cancel unwanted noise. In every other respect it is essentially a NEX 5, featuring the same user interface (though with more external controls) and both SD and MemoryStick storage. It will sold as kit with image-stabilized E18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens and will be available a suggested retail price of $2000.
* 14.2 effective megapixel ExmorTM APS HD CMOS sensor (19.5 times larger than conventional camcorder) for stunning HD movies with beautiful background defocus
* Accepts E-mount interchangeable lenses plus A-mount α DSLR lenses (via optional adaptor)
* High quality audio with Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone and external mic input
* 7.5cm (3 inch-type) Xtra Fine LCD and electronic viewfinder
Tagged as:
Camcorder,
Camera,
E mount,
Sony,
Sony NEX,
Video
by Brian Smith on May 21, 2010
in Gear
Sony NEX-5 with 18mm/2.8 lens
I finally got my hands on the new Sony NEX-5 digital camera this morning, when FedEx showed up with a pre-production model. Though I saw prototypes at PMA this year, it’s shocking to hold it your hand and try to figure out how Sony was able to fit an APS sensor into such a small a package. The NEX-5 has the same size sensor that’s in Sony and Nikon APS-C DSLRs and it’s actually larger than sensor in Canon 7D, yet it easily fits into the palm of your hand like a cybershot – making it the smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera in the world and the first APS-C camera in the world to offer Full HD video recording with continuous auto-focus.
I love this camera because it’s small enough that I can carry around all the time. It won’t replace my DSLRs, but I can keep it with me all the time for a grab shot that I might have otherwise missed. Best of all, for street photography it allows you to shoot without attracting attention. This camera really raises the game.
Sony NEX-5 with 18-55/3.5-5.6 zoom
Next-5 Skull Candy Remix
Tagged as:
digital camera,
Sony,
Sony Alpha,
Sony NEX
