News lens for Sony Alpha k

[masternm]

I am new to photography and need some guidance. I m shooting mostly portraits, Glamour with a 10.2 Sony Alpha k with the kit lens that came with it. The lens is a Sony DT 18-70mm 3.5-5.6. I am not getting the "crisp" detail from it that I would like and see on G1. I would obviously want to get from the original shot as opposed to over sharpening in CS3. Can any suggest a good economical lens that will work well for my purpose, budget and camera? Thanks!

PS When you shoot Glamour, do you use AF and image stabilization? I usually shot from a tripod but some shots are hand held. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[jimmyd]

I shoot hand-held, auto-focus, with the IS turned on. I set the AF to center-point focusing and focus on the eyes, then compose. Please note, if you're unaware of this, don't focus and then change the focal length, i.e, don't zoom in or out after you've focused.

[masternm]

Thanks! Can you recommend a decent lens for this type of shooting?

[jimmyd]

well, the lens you're using can work for glamour altho i'd try to keep the focal length on the longer side.

[randy1]

Hey JimmyD , I've always been told to shoot manual with strobes , are you on to something here with AF with strobes ?

[jimmyd]

Originally Posted by randy1

Hey JimmyD , I've always been told to shoot manual with strobes , are you on to something here with AF with strobes ?

AF = Auto Focus (not auto-exposure)