dSLR thread

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by LunarMist

Are you using proper AF technique?

"All I know about photography I learned on Storage Forum"

I had it on AF tracking, full-auto at f1.8. It spent quite a bit of time searching for focus.

[Handruin]

My 50mm F1.4 can also spend additional time searching for focus. Mine and yours probably aren't the speediest of AF lens which could be part of the problem, but their price also reflects that.

[Stereodude]

What AF point were you using?

[ddrueding]

Center.

[Handruin]

This cheap Ikea $30 dolly looks like fun for whoever might be into the video. Once I get into it, I'll probably try making this.

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by LunarMist

An f/1.8 lens should be decent even in that light. Are you using proper AF technique?

Originally Posted by Handruin

I'm curious...what is a proper AF technique?

Lunar, have any wisdom you care to share?

[LunarMist]

I don't know about sports but I do some wildlife. Tony could probably help you, too.

I use the * for AF, keeping the AF mode always in AI servo. (IIRC some of the lower bodies have three AF settings, one is a funky auto mode that never works right.) I move the focus point around quite a bit to preserve composition, but always use one (MK III series) or at most two AF points (MK II series). AF expansion is a double-edged sword and you really need to see if it fits the subjects. I found it to cause more misses than it was worth.

In your case the center AF should be best, so there is not much else you can do besides try a better camera. I do keep the AF on when subjects are moving and follow them as smoothly as possible.

[ddrueding]

Yeah, the 7D and 135/2 are calling to me at the moment...

[LunarMist]

Originally Posted by ddrueding

Yeah, the 7D and 135/2 are calling to me at the moment...

I tried the one 7D last year and it was not good. I may try again this summer, and the prices will be less. Make sure to test the body carefully and that there is a good return policy.

135/2 is a rather odd lens on EF-S. What lenses do you have now?

[Handruin]

I love my 135 F/2 but I don't know if I'd use it for sports. I may just be the odd case, but given its somewhat odd length, I tend to use it for personal/artsy/walk-around photography than for anything else. It's razor sharp, but might not be long enough for sports.

[LunarMist]

Yes, and it makes even less sense at 1.6 crop than at the 1.3 crop. 135 is always a portrait lens to me.

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by LunarMist

I tried the one 7D last year and it was not good.

Can you elaborate on that? The 7D is certainly the most expensive body I could get away with, so the competition would be 50D or T1i.

Originally Posted by LunarMist

135/2 is a rather odd lens on EF-S. What lenses do you have now?

Using the 135/2 with a 1.6 crop body makes it a 216mm equivalent, seems pretty sane to me. Zoom lenses are nice, but I can't afford zooms that are fast/sharp enough at these lengths. 90% of my shots are using the 35/2 or 50/1.8, just because they are sharper and faster than my zooms (10-22, 18-55, 75-300).

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by Handruin

...but might not be long enough for sports.

Depends on the sport I suppose, and what your access is. I had complete access to that football game, so long as I stayed out of the ref's way. The 50/1.8 was almost fine for that, unless I wanted sweat on someone's brow, or the kick and the reception. It would be OK for motorsports, if you could camp the corner. I also have a 2x extender around here somewhere that would make an interesting combination.

[LunarMist]

I still don't understand your objective. Are those family members/friends playing sports that should be identifiable, or are you trying to capture the play formation? Do they play games during the day on weekends?

At the very least the first lens you should get for EF-S sports is a 70-200/2.8. They are around $1000 used in good condition.

[ddrueding]

I take pictures of whatever I feel like or am asked to take pictures of. So far, I get the most enjoyment from walking in the woods or in the mountains. In addition, I've been asked to shoot 3 weddings, 2 football games, 3 parties (confirmation, birthday, batchelorette), a bunch of portraits, some construction sites, some buildings, and some tractors.

On all these assignments, I make sure that if they want a specific shot or list of shots, they tell me in advance. Otherwise it is at my discretion.

So it isn't that I want to shoot sports, or anything else in particular, I just like taking pictures. The 100/2 is so cheap, I might just get one coming and play with it. I really like the fast lenses.

[udaman]

dSLR's sure R boring. Nothing new with enough performance increases @prices I want to even look @.

New Nikon 900/700s/x supposedly will come out next month, 24.5MP yawn, too big, heavy, expensive.

What would really be great is a FF Rebel body for <$1k...I'll be dead b4 that happens it seems. Look @the old 5D, still ridiculously expensive, it's the cheapest FF body U can get? Pathetic.

Take a 500D and drop a FF sensor, bigger pentaprism in there, what would that cost? should be able to produce a $1k FF body (500D body is down to $650), just would canaibailize all the other underachiever, profit margin units

R my I's in need of repair?

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/page15.asp

Raw noise images on dp, 500D, look at the sculpture> the band of the crown? (on the head), as well as the 'hair' wave lines which would cover the ears.

dp says Nikon is better with more detail yet the hair waves are less distinct/softer to my I's, no?

Actually @iso3200 even the Oly e-620 looks better than the D5000

Then go look @ 7D comparisons of raw noise @high ISO:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos7d/page15.asp

The 50d is the worst of 4 compared, but if you open up a window side-by-side of the 2 links above, the 500D looks *better* than the 50d @same high iso, wtf? D300s is certainly better than the D5000 @ISo 3200, but all 4 are pretty decent, but move up to 6400 and the D300s gets soft around that hairwave, better than the 50D but the 7D looks better still? K7 isn't holding much detail, but neither is the 50D.

Just thinking a FF sensor, 12MP, $1k body Rebel would smack all above silly in IQ @6400+, would be the poorman's D900 (poorer build quality, lesser AF, much smaller/lighter weight...yay!, slower continuous fps...like a 5D , could have 1080p HD vid too like a 5DmkII .

Meh, I'll be dead or near that b4 I see the light of day on such an easily produced *practical*dSLR. FF digital Oly OM-1, would of course be better still , if Leica can do it, Y not Oly?


Maybe Nikon will produce a 4/3rds, or some large sensor compact, soon?

http://nikonrumors.com/2010/01/20/in...suro-goto.aspx

• On Micro 4/3 & Nikon: “If we follow this type of equipment, we change our frame (mount). The new frame will provide new opportunities or provide access to new technologies and to use targets smaller and lighter”.

• Large sensor compact camera: “We study this way. You’ll know soon enough.”

^PMA 2010 please, 5x min. zoom starting @24mm too. *must* fit into pocket/clutch (that's a skinny purse, 4U grrlie guys)

[LunarMist]

Originally Posted by ddrueding

I take pictures of whatever I feel like or am asked to take pictures of. So far, I get the most enjoyment from walking in the woods or in the mountains. In addition, I've been asked to shoot 3 weddings, 2 football games, 3 parties (confirmation, birthday, batchelorette), a bunch of portraits, some construction sites, some buildings, and some tractors.

On all these assignments, I make sure that if they want a specific shot or list of shots, they tell me in advance. Otherwise it is at my discretion.

So it isn't that I want to shoot sports, or anything else in particular, I just like taking pictures. The 100/2 is so cheap, I might just get one coming and play with it. I really like the fast lenses.

I don't know what more to say. If trial and error is your method it will work out eventually.

[ddrueding]

I enjoy the trial and don't mind the errors, but I also appreciate any advice thrown my way. I try to incorporate as much of it as I can.

[ddrueding]

In addition to the 100/2, a 50/1.4 kinda fell into my lap.

(traded a (broken) remote controlled helicopter for it)

[LunarMist]

I was disappointed by the 50/1.4. It's not sharp until 2.5 and not the greatest at f/8 either. Yet there were not many other good options then. Now there are better 3rd party options.

[ddrueding]

The 50/1.4 is a massive step up from my 50/1.8. The focus is much faster and more accurate, and it is much sharper at 1.4 than the other is at 1.8. At 2.5 it is one of the sharpest lenses I own.

I do value your opinion and advice, Lunar. But quite often it seems to translate to the following: I wasn't impressed with $$, because $$$$ is much nicer. Not that I don't agree with you, just that it isn't really a fair comparison.

[ddrueding]

New Toy.

[Stereodude]

Is that the Sigma Bigma?

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by Stereodude

Is that the Sigma Bigma?

Very close. Sigma 170-500. Super cheap, quite used from B&H.

[LunarMist]

How stable is that setup? It looks kind of scary.

[ddrueding]

Fully extended it is a little front-heavy, but not bad at all. Right now I have it set up looking significantly down from maximum extension, and each leg has quite a bit of weight on it. Just testing maximum magnification and minimum focus distance.

[LunarMist]

The head looks oddly curved in the cell-phone photo above and barely attached to the foot. A 500 mm lens should have much better support.

[ddrueding]

Better support internally? Or am I doing something wrong?

[ddrueding]

What happens when you're stuck in the office for a long time with a new telephoto lens? 88MP HDR pano images of stuff in the lobby (like a tractor).

[Pradeep]

Truly a thing of beauty (though you may want to link to the "Large" version instead).

Need to borrow one to carve out an ATV track in the back acres.

Love the dug up floor showing it's devastating trail of destruction.

[Pradeep]

http://translate.google.com.au/trans...n&hl=&ie=UTF-8

"Mr. Tetsuro Goto: Yes, perhaps we will. Si les clients attendent plus de pixels, alors nous répondrons à cette demande. If customers expect more pixels, then we will respond to this request. Cependant, il faut le faire prudemment : avec l'accroissement de la définition nous perdons parfois des choses importantes comme la sensibilité ou une plage dynamique élevée. However, it must be done cautiously with the expansion of the definition we sometimes lose important things like the sensitivity or dynamic range.

Focus Numérique : Pour Nikon quels sont les points clés de la qualité d'une image ? Digital Focus: To what Nikon are the key points of the image quality? La définition, la sensibilité, la plage dynamique ? The definition, sensitivity, dynamic range?

M. Tetsurô Gotô : Pour Nikon, la gestion du bruit est le premier facteur de qualité d'une image. Mr. Tetsuro Goto: For Nikon, noise management is the primary factor in image quality. La demande pour une définition supérieure est importante, mais nous ne devons pas aller trop loin. Demand for higher resolution is important, but we must not go too far.

Focus Numérique : Justement, dans des cas comme celui-ci, votre politique est-elle de faire la meilleure qualité d'image possible ou de suivre la demande des clients ? Digital Focus: Exactly, in cases like this, your policy is to make it the best possible image quality and monitor customer demand?

M. Tetsurô Gotô : Bien sûr il faut écouter les clients, mais c'est un équilibre à trouver. Mr. Tetsuro Goto: Of course we must listen to customers, but it is a balance to find. Il ne faut pas ignorer la demande, mais trop écouter le client peut entraîner des déceptions et nous pouvons passer à côté de nouvelles fonctionnalités. Do not ignore the demand, but too listen to the customer can lead to disappointment and we can miss out on new features. Les clients demandent souvent toujours plus et des chiffres élevés, ce n'est pas toujours bien. Customers are demanding ever more often and high numbers, it is not always good. Toutefois, il ne faut pas oublier la compétition entre les marques également. However, do not forget the competition between brands as well. Nous devons suivre certaines caractéristiques des concurrents sans oublier de développer de nouvelles fonctionnalités. We must follow certain characteristics of competitors without forgetting to develop new features.

Ack. Doesn't paste well. Actually, I'm in awe of Google Translate, having a pop up showing the original words and even letting you offer a better translation? They are kicking ass.

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by Pradeep

Love the dug up floor showing it's devastating trail of destruction.

That actually tracks across the floor and up into a 3-walled mural of the area. I might grab one for show.

[LunarMist]

Originally Posted by ddrueding

Better support internally? Or am I doing something wrong?

The photo is not clear enough, but it looks unstable to me. How long does the camera vibrate @ 5µm after MLU?

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by LunarMist

How long does the camera vibrate @ 5µm after MLU?

I'd love to tell you, but I have no idea what you are asking.

[Stereodude]

MLU = Mirror Lock Up

5µm = the size of your pixels on the sensor

I think you can put it all together now.

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by Stereodude

MLU = Mirror Lock Up

5µm = the size of your pixels on the sensor

I think you can put it all together now.

Yup. Thanks.

[ddrueding]

Not sure how to measure that, MLU doesn't work when liveview is enabled. The camera takes about 4 seconds to completely stabilize after my hand comes off it. I'm using a wireless remote, so that isn't that big a deal.

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by ddrueding

The camera takes about 4 seconds to completely stabilize after my hand comes off it

Scratch that. That is with the whole rig mounted on a Nodal Ninja. Much faster without all those additional levers.

[udaman]

I give up, Canon's R&D dept...or marketing dept (is there a dif?) keeps puttin their collective heads further up their arses...will the insanity ever end

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10...550d.asp#press

The EOS 550D redefines the boundaries of Canon’s consumer DSLR range, incorporating technologies and features more commonly found in semi-professional DSLRs into the compact, lightweight body favoured by consumers. With a newly-developed 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, coupled with Canon’s advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and the ability to shoot Full HD movies, photography enthusiasts are empowered to explore new levels of creativity.

^^^...yeah redefines even better than Ken R.

I'm going to have to get a Nikon to get anything remotely logical...maybe a FX version of the D90 will be announced @PMA? Will kick Canon's arse all over the place?


Speakin of Ken, would any of you consider this awful pix Ken is boastin about takin with the S90 "good"? Not even pixel peepin, at full size, u can see just how not sharp the image is, without even considering the high noise levels that a D40 would not have @1600 comparatively. Ken needs to stop drinkin the koolaid.

entry top of page for January:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/2010-01-new.htm

Point and shoot, and it works great even in moonlight with fantastic image stabilization, and great color, exposure and auto white balance.

So why would I ever need a DSLR? Only if something won't pose. The more I shoot the S90, the more impressed I get. I got some great shots these pst few days, in any kind of light.

^Otay Ken, whaevah u sez

Ken Rockwell's Updates

^scroll to bottom for D40 poster size images

IMG_1219-1200.jpg (JPEG Image, 1200x900 pixels) - Scaled (66%)

You can't even see the ribbing on his cap, so bad is this image...never mind his face

[ddrueding]

Indeed. Not sharp, funky colors, lots of noise. Is that an artistic thing?

[Stereodude]

The 7D already has 18MP with the same sensor size, so I'm not sure how big of a deal this is. Granted I'd tend to think they're going in the wrong direction though.

[ddrueding]

My opinion is that they can stop anytime with this whole megapixel thing. It is very rare for me to get a pixel-sharp image. I know a significant amount of it is lack of skill, with poor lens quality backing that up, but enough is enough. Often I downsample the image before posting, sometimes by as much as 50%, and the result is just fine.

[Stereodude]

The ISO6400 samples in the gallery at dpreview look pretty good if you ask me. I scanned some Kodak ISO400 color print film at 4000DPI the other day. It had way more noise than any recent DSLR does at ISO1600.

We're spoiled by digital.

[ddrueding]

Originally Posted by Stereodude

We're spoiled by digital.

I don't think that's right. I think it would be more appropriate to say that we expect progress. When I go to replace an old camera, I expect something comparable to be less, or to get more for the same money.

It seems noise is no longer acceptable at all. I know on my XSi I cringe whenever I need to go over ISO400 because I won't be happy with the result. Even with the 12800+ madness going on, the "acceptable" range rarely goes over ISO3200.

[udaman]

Pretty sure the R2D2 Rebel (or wtf # it is now) + lens is going to weigh more than most consumer camcorders.

So, (too lazy to search to see if posted already) some HD camcorder vids from RC flights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEWKnCcNTkM

^1080p mode can be selected for viewing. IIRC the Sony has a wider angle lens than Panny's latest top of the line.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTDuGaTRiJU

more vid links to the right ^

[Handruin]

The video was certainly 1080 pixels, but not what I'd call HD. There was a certain lack of clarity in the picture which could be youtube's re-compression or just a half baked camera.

[ddrueding]

Yup, that video quality sucked. The CA was really awful.

My flight on Saturday lasted 27 seconds.

[Handruin]

Aww dude, that's some serious crash and burn. What the hell happened?

[ddrueding]

Headlock Gyro malfuntion about 15 seconds in. Doing alright in all the low altitude calibration/testing, then spun it up for some high speed/altitude goodness. Once it was about 30 feet off the ground the tail rotor locked hard left, and I was unable to keep it level on the way back down.

When you see a LiPo battery that busted up, burn is exactly what you are worried about. That battery is still outside.

[Handruin]

What are your thoughts on the X-Rite i1 Display 2 product for color calibrating an LCD monitor? I've read a bunch of people recommending it saying it's the defacto standard amongst graphics professionals/photographers.