Sony Alpha DSLR A100: A Better Manual

Section 7: Advanced Shooting

At this point, you may already feel that you're an expert. Well, maybe you are. On the other hand, the A100 is full of handy bonus settings and capabilities you'll want to know about. After you're practiced all these tricks, you'll never have a chance to be bored with oversimplified settings choices.

Using the Viewfinder

The Sony A100 has a somewhat larger viewfinder than most DSLRs, with sensors that have a 1.5:1 size ratio to a regular 35mm film frame. The result is that you get a better-than-usual and very bright view of the image you're about to shoot.

Focus Points:

If you choose wide focus, the camera makes its own decision about what, within these brackets, will be most in focus. The focus point that the camera chooses lights up in red. If you don't like that choice, keep tapping the shutter button until the choice you like lights up. (You set the focus type by turning the Function Knob to FOCUS, and then choosing the type of focus you want.)

You can also choose a local focusing spot in advance. To do this, turn the Function dial to FOCUS and press its center (Fn) button. The Focus menu appears on the LCD monitor. Use the Controller's up and down arrows to choose the AF area menu, then the left and right arrow to go to the focus selection. Press the center (AF) button to confirm your focus area selection. On the LCD monitor, choose the autofocus spot ...