HauteHippie Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Definitely an improvement. There are some nice EF-S lenses for the 1.6X crop bodies. I'd definitely get a couple if I weren't considering an upgrade to full frame. Take it easy on the sharpening, though.... I fall prey to the same thing myself. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 The Canon EF-S 55-250mm lens just arrived. So, finally, once again, I have a complete, working camera that does not require hand-holding a lens And there we go. Nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Definitely an improvement. There are some nice EF-S lenses for the 1.6X crop bodies. I'd definitely get a couple if I weren't considering an upgrade to full frame. Chief, do you shoot professionally (for profit)? Many years ago, after taking a photo class with my Contax, I almost got talked into going full frame. But I just could not justify the significant expense since I was (& still am) taking pics strictly for fun. Take it easy on the sharpening, though.... I fall prey to the same thing myself. ;-) Yes, always a compromise between natural clarity & artificial over-processing. I always try to remain conscious of that. Thanks, Chief. And there we go. Nicely done. Thanks Pug. I have a hardware problem/question - Minutes after taking the shot above, I started taking another set of indoor pics. As I clicked the shutter a few shots into the shoot, the LCD screen went black (as if my eye was still covering the sensor below the viewer) & none of the functions worked (including the shutter). Even the on/off switch failed to switch the camera off (even after sitting for nearly 30 minutes - so it could not have been a long exposure that was just taking time to finish). So, after pressing every function on the body, with no effect, I removed the battery. Then, I reinstalled the battery, switched the camera on & (in full auto mode) clicked the shutter again. Same thing happened. The shutter operated as usual, but then the LCD went black & I was unable to switch the camera off or get any response from any of the functions on the body. So I, again, pulled the battery & reinstalled it. This time, when I powered the camera on, I got a message that the battery needed recharging, so it is now recharging. My question is whether it is normal for a low battery to cause the camera to do the photographic equivalent of a Windows BSOD? Or, as I suspect, might the camera (or Sandisk Extreme III 8GB CF card) have a problem? Though, I guess I will find out once the battery is fully charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geo1nah2a Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Disclaimer: Please don't take this as any form of negative criticism, I know that some of the things I am writing below are not new to all posters in this thread Read on Usually dslr's report an 'battery low' before switching off. If you are on the first charge cycle it might be self calibrating/measuring the battery. Regarding the actual pics: you have a good eye for composing things and revealing the form of the subject. Going from the P&S to the dslr you have to learn to use a new dimension: you are in control of what is in focus. Selective focus is a blessing and a curse for the photographer: in the above posted pic only a small part of the watch is in-focus. The eye of the observer will enter from the left side, examine the dial, stop moving upwards since there is an off focus pearl, go down to the end links and feel a discomfort from the off focus bezel. One could find some more interest in the folded bracelet but you can only see one link with clarity. If you had taken this pic with a P&S then almost all of the watch would have been in focus. So, why get a dslr? In photos like this I would chose a smaller aperture to allow the observer a bigger area of exploration. Versus the P&S you get better sharpness, contrast, color, and higher usable ISO. What is of even bigger interest and contrast versus the P&S is the fact that you can lead the eye of the observer where you want with proper use of the focus. You have done this perfectly in this photo: The observer can read the whole logo (fragmenting this would create a frustration), and get to feel that this is what you wanted him to notice. The rest of the pic is providing a colorful backdrop, that actually is pleasantly pushing the eye back to the center of the pic. BTW The set up of the reversing of the lens is not easy to control and as soon as you get a macro lens and a tripod (so that you can use use f16+) you will be doing giant steps forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 BTW The set up of the reversing of the lens is not easy to control and as soon as you get a macro lens and a tripod (so that you can use use f16+) you will be doing giant steps forward. f16 will give the exact opposite to the selective focusing you talked about earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 UPDATE - After a recharge, the camera came back to life. I may be new to dSLRs (though not to digital p&s's or SLRs), but it does not seem logical that a low battery should result in the camera disabling all functions including the power (leaving the operator no other option than to remove the battery to power the camera off). Could the Sandisk CF card or battery be defective? geo1 - Thanks for your observations & recommendations. Good points all. I should clarify a bit - My last p&s cameras all had full manual options & most of my dof pics were purposely taken the way they were. I assume the viewer's eye will (generally) set, initially, on the brightest point within an image & I then try to guide it from there. At least, that is what is on my mind as I am composing an image. Especially, with the newer pic above, I wanted as shallow dof as possible so as to both defocus the background detail & draw the viewer's eye to the handstack area of the dial. Here is a pic I took last week with the 400D/75-300. After a few hundred shots, this represents the best image I was able to get out of that combination Here is a pic I just took with the 400D/55-250 combo that, instead of being the best I could get, represents the norm with this combination (what a difference a lens can make) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 f16 will give the exact opposite to the selective focusing you talked about earlier. Good point, Ubi - I think the higher f-stop (smaller aperture) will widen the dof, which is the opposite of what I am usually after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff g Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Great thread. Thanks for a lot of great information...and a lot of great photos. To me it isn't only about focus and color and apeture, more the art of the composistion. Freddy and Pug and Ubi, and others like them are presenting photos of beautiful watches like no other forum. Artist's everyone. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Thanks, Jeff. This 1's for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Now that's a cool shot Freddy! I love the the OTL-1 amp in the background! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Nice work, Redwatch - you definitely know your classic valve amps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 I think I am starting to get the hang of the new camera (The 4 b&w snaps are not real) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geo1nah2a Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 f16 will give the exact opposite to the selective focusing you talked about earlier. Correct But with a macro lens, when used in macro mode, f16 will generate a thin focus space. I use a sigma 150f2.8macro, and f16@50cm results in a depth of 0.75cm! That is selective focusing enough for me As a matter of fact full open @2.8 the depth of field is so slim (0.13cm) that it is either not usable or only suited for abstract pictures. Here is a nice calculator http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/technical/depth_of_field_calculator.do (I am sure most photographers have their own bookmark for this but this can serve a few new guys) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geo1nah2a Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 I think I am starting to get the hang of the new camera /snip (The 4 b&w snaps are not real) Well done. Nice photo and good photoshop skills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Good point, Ubi - I think the higher f-stop (smaller aperture) will widen the dof, which is the opposite of what I am usually after. Ubi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Ubi? Oops My apologies, Pug. I guess my brain reached its saturation point & lost a couple of bits during the musical-chairs parade of cameras & lenses I have been obsessing over during the past week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Oops My apologies, Pug. I guess my brain reached its saturation point & lost a couple of bits during the musical-chairs parade of cameras & lenses I have been obsessing over during the past week. I took it as a compliment anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Nice work, Redwatch - you definitely know your classic valve amps. Futterman's design was quite intriguing! I always wanted to hear one of those! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 I think I am starting to get the hang of the new camera (The 4 b&w snaps are not real) Very nice shot! This has been a great thread to learn from some of the great masters in photography! Thanks for all the tips guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Futterman's design was quite intriguing! I always wanted to hear one of those! Intriguing? Yes. Vacuum tubes without the output transformer (Futterman's was the 1st commercially design to do that). Each amp consumes about as much current as a commercial laundry drier & produces nearly as much heat (great for those cold, winter nights, but not so much during the summer months). But if you can afford the electricity/cooling bills, they will reward with truly beautiful sound (when mated to the right speaker). Very nice shot! This has been a great thread to learn from some of the great masters in photography! Thanks for all the tips guys! Ditto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Chief, do you shoot professionally (for profit)? Many years ago, after taking a photo class with my Contax, I almost got talked into going full frame. But I just could not justify the significant expense since I was (& still am) taking pics strictly for fun. I would never shoot professionally because, honestly, I'm never satisfied with any picture I take and wouldn't feel comfortable selling my work... Bottom line: I just don't think I'm that good. But I am interested in taking good quality pictures of my children that you only have one chance to take. With the crop bodies there are two main things I'm dissatisfied with: ISO noise and dynamic range. And as far as ISO noise go, the 5D MKII is simply out of this world. No prosumer level body even comes close. Dynamic range is still an area that needs to be improved with all bodies/sensors, but you do get something there for your money as well. But it's a lot of money, which is why I still don't have one. Eventually I will, though. I have a nice set of lenses already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 [...] the 5D MKII is simply out of this world. The 5D MKII is on my "lottery win" shopping list. Such a nice piece of kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 I would never shoot professionally because, honestly, I'm never satisfied with any picture I take and wouldn't feel comfortable selling my work... While I've sold a couple of photos, one paid for my 250mm lens, I'd always consider myself an amateur because that's what I shoot for. I take pictures to take pictures. If I had to do it for a living, I'd lose all interest in the fun side of it. I've lost enough hobbies to jobs as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 I suppose you can never spend too much when it comes to your kids. But, considering the high quality of the average p&s camera today, I have to wonder if you get to a point of diminishing returns when purchasing a full frame to shoot junior's 8th birthday party? Considering the quality of film cameras that were available when I was a kid, even my recently deceased 4MP A80 was light years ahead of what my parents had available to them (& my father was quite a photo hobbyist). Still, I do not think my memories would hold any more emotion had they been archived with the best full frame available instead of a competent p&s in the hands of a loving relative. And, while on the subject of family pics, here is 1 of the 1st pics I took with my brand new Fedella minutes after I received it as a birthday gift (brother holding the Fedella box). You cannot get much better provenance than this (though if he were holding the store receipt in his other hand..........) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 I think these two quotes are very appropriate here: "It's always better to spend your time and money on learning art and photography, not by spending it on more cameras." - Ken Rockwell "Buying a B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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