“Repetition is a mother of learning”

Russian Proverb

“Live for a century, study for a century”

Russian Proverb

re learning about shutter speed & depth of field

A while back, I bought a Sony NEX 6 (Amazon). I have been learning the in and outs of it with sample photos. Or maybe I should say that I am relearning old truths that have been forgotten.
The first truth is that it is better to have a high ISO with some grain or noise than it is to have a soft or blurry picture. The top picture here of scarves is the crispest one of a set, and it is still too soft and blurry. I would have done better to increase the ISO decrease the shutter speed. In this case ISO 800 shutter 1/6 sec. Since I was in walk about mode, there was no tripod.

The on camera flash for the NEX 6 reminds me of ET. It does not work very well with the lens that I have on the camera.

Sony Nex -Lens blocking flash

That big black blob in the bottom left is the lens blocking the flash.  I need to add an external flash . And from the awful (at left) pic of my lovely wife, that on camera flash is AWFUL.

The next truth that I am re learning is that smaller sensors have greater depth of field, which sometimes you don’t want ! An aperture of 7 needed to be much more open.

I very much do appreciate the higher dynamic range of the NEX 6 compared to the Point and Shoot.

Finally, re learning, that all cameras and all photography are a set of compromises.  Each camera, each lens involve their own sets of compromises and that part of the learning / re learning is to become aware of these.

What have you forgotten that you need to re learn?