Sony A330 DSLR

kevsan

UV filters are used to reduce haziness created by ultraviolet light and tend to be used as protection for the lens to remove the possbilities of damage. Certainly get one (or a clear filter) for this purpose as a matter of course.

jackieblack

Thanks Kevsan
Do you mind if I ask a couple more things?

Would a UV filter reduce glare on a very bright day (eg I had alot of problems photgraphing a white building on a very sunny day?)

What does a skylight filter do?

Also, do I really need a flashgun? - I'm thinking probably not as the camera will be mainly used for scenic/outdoor photography (I know the camera has a small built-in flash)

kevsan

To reduce glare you would ideally want a Polarizer filter, and try taking photos with the sun to your left or to the right of you ( that is at a 90 degree angle from the sun)
or when the sun is directly above ( midday) that's when your polarizer is MOST effective at reducing glare. It does however reduce light coming into the lens so you wouldn't want it on all the time. You can leave a UV filter on always - but its neglible as to how much extra benefit you get. In some circumstances people find that uv filters can increase glare.
A skylight filter is a colour correction filter, designed to correct the slight blue cast that results from shooting under an open blue sky. - Sometimes it will be a pale magenta filter. Magenta filters green. If your subject is bathed in green reflected light from foliage a skylight filter can help balance the light. However, it can really mess with skin tones.

I don't know - do you need a flashgun?.. only you can answer that!! Maybe not straight away, but if you start to do things indoors or low light, and the intergral flash doesn't cut it, then you might need one!

I have two, and haven't used them this year, but then most of my photo's have been outside. who knows what might happen next....

jackieblack

Thanks kevsan, I think I'll leave the flashgun for now (was only considering it now because it's a bit cheaper if purchased in a package with the camera... but that's not really a saving if I don't use it!), I'll see how it goes.....
So, if I'm understanding correctly, as part of the initial purchase with the camera body and basic lenses I'll just need a couple of clear/uv filters to leave on all the time for lens protection, and maybe a polarizing filter for really very bright sunny days?

ukcarper

I have the Tamrom 70-300mm and to be honest it's not that great a lens. It has to be stopped down a bit to get good results so you need a lot of light. One advantage the Sony might over over the Nikon I use is that I believe it has an anti shake system in the camera.

jackieblack

Do you think I'd be better off going for the Sony 75-300mm f4.5-5.6 A Telephoto Zoom lens instead then?
It's only £25 more than the Tamron lens (£175 - £50 cashback http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/35807/show.html)

Sorry to keep asking what might seem like daft questions, but it's a long time since I last owned an SLR and I think I've forgotten most of what I knew back then!

ukcarper

I don't no much about the sony lens. I'm not saying the Tamron is a bad lens just that at 300 it needs to be stopped down a couple of stops so with the the higher shutter speed required to hand hold at 300mm it needs to be quite a bright day. The image stabization of the sony camera should give you a couple of stops though.

jaybee

I prefer to keep have lenses which are the same make as the camera. Just a personal choice, but I feel that they should be totally compatible. Probably just me! My partner has different makes of lens for his camera and doesn't complain.

patman99

I bought a Sony A200 when they were the latest model, at the time niethr Nikon or Canon could touch them for picture qualty, however, technology moves-on and Nikon and Canon now make a better camera. The big plus for the Sony is that it takes any Minolta AF lens, so has a huge range of second hand ones available.

Personally speaking, I won't be upgrading just yet as all the DSLR's now made use the flimsy SD/HC cards which have a terrible data transfer rate (20Mb/sec max), rather than the more robust and much faster CF cards (up to 600Mb/sec, and getting faster).

ukcarper

I have a Nikon which can use old lenses but cheaper Nikons can't, not sure about Sony and Minolta. Must admit I got feed up waiting for Minolta to bring out DSLR and bought a Nikon. I have used a Sony DSLR and thought it was OK.