The mailman kindly delivered a brand spanking new Sony Alpha 200 DSLR to me just a few moments ago, and while the battery charges, I thought I might ask a few newb questions.
1. Can the camera be stored with a lens attached? Not for long periods, but say, for a day or two between uses? And if not, why not?
2. Is there any particularly good height to carry the camera on a neck-strap? Depending on one's height, I'd imagine the comfort and ease of switching lenses might favor certain position, like just above the lowest rib, par example? (Hey, I'm a newb. These things might seem obvious to you... )
3. Coming from P&S photography and "4xZoom" etc, what kind of reach will certain mm's in lenses give me? Like the kit lense, that comes with the camera. 18-70mm, what kind of distances would such a zoom mean in meters? Or a fixed telephoto lense of 300mm? Can I take a picture of squirrel's whiskers at 100 meters? What if the squirrel is at 90 meters? Is there any "wiggle room" in focal length?
And, can you recommend a good walk-about bag/cover? In case of foul weather... Or will any plastic bag suffice?
I had a million questions running through my head while the camera was in transit, but now can think of only three. I'm sure more will surface. I hope you good people can provide me some answers/advice, or perhaps links to some noob-proof photography sites.
Thank you.
1. Can the camera be stored with a lens attached? Not for long periods, but say, for a day or two between uses? And if not, why not?
2. Is there any particularly good height to carry the camera on a neck-strap? Depending on one's height, I'd imagine the comfort and ease of switching lenses might favor certain position, like just above the lowest rib, par example? (Hey, I'm a newb. These things might seem obvious to you... )
3. Coming from P&S photography and "4xZoom" etc, what kind of reach will certain mm's in lenses give me? Like the kit lense, that comes with the camera. 18-70mm, what kind of distances would such a zoom mean in meters? Or a fixed telephoto lense of 300mm? Can I take a picture of squirrel's whiskers at 100 meters? What if the squirrel is at 90 meters? Is there any "wiggle room" in focal length?
And, can you recommend a good walk-about bag/cover? In case of foul weather... Or will any plastic bag suffice?
I had a million questions running through my head while the camera was in transit, but now can think of only three. I'm sure more will surface. I hope you good people can provide me some answers/advice, or perhaps links to some noob-proof photography sites.
Thank you.