Brian Matsumoto PH.D - The Sony Alpha NEX-6: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide

Dr. Brian Matsumoto is a retired research scientist who has worked for 30 years recording experiments with a wide range of film and digital cameras. He now spends his time photographing with a variety of cameras and lenses. He enjoys exploring how a cameras potential can be expanded by pairing it with specialized optics such as microscopes and telescopes. He carries a camera on all his hikes and enjoys photographing nature. In addition to the four books he has written for Rocky Nook, Dr. Matsumoto has published several articles and has had his photographs published in a number of periodicals. He is experienced in the technical aspects of photography and has taught courses on recording scientific experiments with digital cameras.

Carol F. Roullard has been an avid photographer since her high school years, where she first experimented with black-and-white artistic composition. Since then, she has continued photographing, mainly nature and architecture. Carol has used a variety of cameras covering a wide range of makes and models, from simple point-and-shoot cameras to complex professional-level cameras. Carol produces fine art photography and is utilizing her previous art business experience for her new online gallery.

As a former Project Management Quality and Compliance Engineer, Carol spent a number of years developing procedural and quality control methodology for IT projects. In addition, she has developed and conducted training sessions covering best practices for procedural and quality control, breaking down complex subjects into easy-to-use approaches to learning.

The Unofficial Quintessential Guide

Brian Matsumoto

Carol F. Roullard

Brian Matsumoto

Carol F. Roullard

Publisher: Gerhard Rossbach

Editor: Jocelyn Howell

Copyeditor: Hillary Danz

Layout and type: Jan Mart, Command Z

Cover design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.de

Printer: Sheridan Books, Inc.

Printed in USA

ISBN 978-1-937538-23-1

1st Edition 2013

2013 by Brian Matsumoto, Carol F. Roullard

Rocky Nook, Inc.

802 East Cota Street., 3rd Floor

Santa Barbara, CA 93103

www.rockynook.com

Distributed by OReilly Media

1005 Gravenstein Highway North

Sebastopol, CA 95472

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Matsumoto, Brian.

The Sony Alpha NEX-6 : the unofficial quintessential guide / Brian Matsumoto, Carol F. Roullard.

-- 1st edition.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-937538-23-1 (pbk.)

1. Sony digital cameras--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Mirrorless interchangable-lens cameras--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Photography--Digital techniques--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Roullard, Carol F.. II. Title.

TR263.S66M38 2013

771.3--dc23

2013013460

Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations appear in this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. They are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies, they are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

This book is dedicated to our daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth. Thank you for your constant support and understanding of the continued demands of writing a book.

Each of our camera books starts with a concept and a blank piece of paper. Writing the book becomes a labor of love. We spend months doing research, testing, discussing, writing, and rewriting. Nothing in this book was written without being tested, often more than once.

As with our previous books, we relied on several friends and business associates to supply feedback and inspiration. We would like to extend warm thanks to Eugene Nakano for his time working with the Sony NEX-6 and relaying his experience to us. He is an experienced Nikon photographer, and his perspective about using the Sony NEX-6 was an insightful view on how a knowledgeable photographer explores the ergonomics of this camera.

A special thanks to the Wildlife Learning Center in Sylmar, California, who granted us a unique opportunity to get close to their rescued juvenile and mature bald eagles, Denali and Dakota. Both eagles suffered permanent injuries in a storm and are now being provided a lifetime of care at the Wildlife Learning Center sanctuary.

In addition, we thank both Matt Parnell of Sony Electronics Inc. and Scott Dordick of Acratech Inc. who were very gracious in supplying product photos.

Last but not least, one of the continued benefits of publishing through Rocky Nook is being able to work with their team of experts. As with our previous books, the Rocky Nook team has been invaluable in helping us complete this book. Their friendship, encouragement, and professionalism in support of our goal has made this endeavor much more rewarding.

We have appreciated input and support from Gerhard Rossbach (Publisher, CEO), Jocelyn Howell (Production Editor), and Matthias Rossmanith (Project Manager). A special thanks goes to Hillary Danz (Copyeditor) and Jan Marti (Layout). Everyone has been wonderful at fielding our questions and working diligently toward completing the project.

As with our other books, a big thanks goes out to our families and friends for being patient and understanding when our time with them was limited and our conversations were often single-minded about the Sony NEX-6.

Brian Matsumoto
www.MatsuImaging.com

Carol Roullard
www.VistaFocus.net

The Sony NEX-6 is a remarkable and complete system camera packed into a compact size. It does so much, and does it well. Its fast focusing and easy-to-use settings enable us to capture pictures quickly and with minimal effort. We have also enjoyed the ease with which we can upload our pictures to our social media sites.

Throughout the writing of this book, we were excited by how much this camera can do. We have used it for everything from taking casual snapshots of our vacation to recording experiments in a research laboratory. The cameras diminutive size has transformed our photographic practices. We take it on all of our jaunts, and having a quality camera always at our side has increased the number of keeper photographs we have taken. We are sure you will feel the same way.

In this book, we start by encouraging the photographer to use the automatic settings. As you gain experience using the camera, we move on to describing how to use the manual settings. The capabilities and features of this camera are so extensive that as you grow in your photographic expertise, you will find that the camera will keep pace with your demands, allowing you to create unique images that reflect your artistic vision.