Jump to content

The Professional Photography and Photoshop Thread


kensei

Recommended Posts

lynx,

thanks for highlighting the considerations. after this holiday i hope to get more into the hobby and my main interests would be "long and wide (landscape, possibly architecture), short and narrow (macrophotography)", and the aforementioned night/lowlight shots.

typically, i bring along during business trips one of those slim cybershots, and if i'm extending my stay for a quick holiday, a powershot s5. so indeed, portability and simplicity has been a consideration of mine, but i have so far not been fully satisfied by the picture quality i've been getting with these. not to say they're poor (they're mostly good actually), but every now and then there's a shot i hope to have captured better. and not to say success depends entirely on equipment, but that led me to thinking that perhaps a DSLR will afford me a better chance of capturing those moments.

let me try to describe the shots i didn't quite "make"

- semi-dark hallway inside angkor wat with light coming through some slats. wall patterns were hidden by shadows even after playing around with the contrast, and using flash totally killed the mood

- sunlight breaking through clouds over the pampas. tried using different white balance presets but still the grass weren't green enough and the blue sky nowhere as deep

- same color problem shooting inside the gaudi house which had lots of colorful glass on lamps and inset into the walls

- rising incense smoke near temple window. didn't even register.

- tulips in a marketplace and a row of traditional lanterns in a turkish pub. didn't quite get the depth of field i wanted.

have to say i'm starting to lean towards the micro 4/3, either the panasonic GF1 or the olympus EP2 (or the E-PL1 but not sure if already available), because of their portability. but i just fear that they'll fall short on color reproduction and low light performance, so i'm willing to consider lugging around a "proper" DSLR.

many thanks for the shop recommendations. i'll pass by funan in the next couple of days. just want to arm myself with some pros and cons before i hit the shops since i will most likely will have to buy on the spot because of my time constraint.

Edited by Major Focker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A bit of a rush here, but since you did say you have a tight schedule -- hit Cathy in Peninsula Plaza first, then Alan in either Funan (nearby) or Sim Lim, and start earlier. Reason is that Cathy close quite early, so if you need to do comparison shopping and decide to go back to Cathy, than you at least got the opportunity.

But to be honest I think Sim Lim is better for variety (but most of their prices are the same within the building). Our local IT show just ended, so if you are lucky you might hit a good deal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so i ended up at funan during lunch break and got the micro 4/3 olympus E-PL1 with the kit zoom and another lens, the panasonic 20mm pancake. blew about US$1k but very happy with the form factor. took some pics to familiriaze myself with it.

full-auto:

post-6173-1268835616_thumb.jpg

couldn't get much depth out of my point&shoot so i went crazy with my new toy:

post-6173-1268835646_thumb.jpgpost-6173-1268835681_thumb.jpg

also played around with the art filters.

pinhole:

post-6173-1268835776_thumb.jpg

soft-focus:

post-6173-1268835753_thumb.jpg

pop-art:

post-6173-1268835528_thumb.jpg

and my favorite, the diorama filter. makes the view outside my window look like model train scenery:

post-6173-1268835721_thumb.jpg

lastly, tried to stress it with this handheld shot under dim incandescent lighting:

post-6173-1268835566_thumb.jpg

i think the white balance compensation did a good job neutralizing the yellow light, but the focus could be sharper. and that was basically my only gripe with this camera, the autofocus was a tad slow and not always accurate. fortunately, it allowed for manual focus fine tuning. i've read that the panasonic GF1 focusing was much faster and very reliable. so if ever a GF2 comes out with in-camera stabilization i would probably grab one in a heartbeat, specially since the panasonic pancake i got is really turning out to be gem. i'll be keeping it on rather than the original kit zoom. aside from the excellent image quality, it makes the camera small enough to comfortably fit in my jacket pocket. perfect for travelling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's the logic behind your choice here eugimon? :unsure:

Because it's a better lens in almost every possible way. Better sharpness at 1.4 than the nikon or canon cousins. More consistent focusing, color drift is about the same as the nikon/canon (but in a different way) but most importantly, the nikon's bokeh is sharp and universally disliked, especially if you're shooting small points of light like street lamps or christmas lights in the background while the HSM's is almost universally praised.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because it's a better lens in almost every possible way. Better sharpness at 1.4 than the nikon or canon cousins. More consistent focusing, color drift is about the same as the nikon/canon (but in a different way) but most importantly, the nikon's bokeh is sharp and universally disliked, especially if you're shooting small points of light like street lamps or christmas lights in the background while the HSM's is almost universally praised.

funny, the one complaint I see a lot about most sigma lenses (including the one in question) is that they tend to have really inconsistent/poorly calibrated focusing. (and I don't know about the Nikon but the Canon is $150 cheaper.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

funny, the one complaint I see a lot about most sigma lenses (including the one in question) is that they tend to have really inconsistent/poorly calibrated focusing. (and I don't know about the Nikon but the Canon is $150 cheaper.)

yeah, in general. But most people praise the 50mm HSM in terms of performance and build quality. It's consistently reviewed to be superior to the canon 1.4 50mm.

The HSM is more expensive than either the canon or nikon equivalents. But if you're doing any night photography the harshness of the bokeh makes the sigma an easy win over the nikon and that it's noticeably sharper than the canon @ 1.4 gives it an easy win there too. What's the point of buying such a fast lens if the images are soft?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah, in general. But most people praise the 50mm HSM in terms of performance and build quality. It's consistently reviewed to be superior to the canon 1.4 50mm.

The HSM is more expensive than either the canon or nikon equivalents. But if you're doing any night photography the harshness of the bokeh makes the sigma an easy win over the nikon and that it's noticeably sharper than the canon @ 1.4 gives it an easy win there too. What's the point of buying such a fast lens if the images are soft?

point taken. Although personally I'd stick with the 35mm lens or even go with a wider 28~30mm rather than a 50mm on a crop body.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

point taken. Although personally I'd stick with the 35mm lens or even go with a wider 28~30mm rather than a 50mm on a crop body.

yeah, I wouldn't get the 50mm HSM personally, I was just offering a suggestion for MacrossMan since he was saying he was going to be doing club/night photo work and the harshness of the nikon's 50mm is a really bad choice for that situation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Digital Picture has something to say about the Sigma 50 mm 1.4.

Basically they say that if you get one that focusses properly it's a better lens than the Canon 50 mm 1.4.

yeah, in general. But most people praise the 50mm HSM in terms of performance and build quality. It's consistently reviewed to be superior to the canon 1.4 50mm.

The HSM is more expensive than either the canon or nikon equivalents. But if you're doing any night photography the harshness of the bokeh makes the sigma an easy win over the nikon and that it's noticeably sharper than the canon @ 1.4 gives it an easy win there too. What's the point of buying such a fast lens if the images are soft?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dude. awesome... shoes... yeah. WTF MAN? VALKYRIES VALKYRIES!

that is all.

^_^

looks nice, a little soft but digging the creamy bokeh, makes the background look painterly and really pops the shoes out, nice.

Edited by eugimon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

dude. awesome... shoes... yeah. WTF MAN? VALKYRIES =7]

that is all.

^_^

sorry :( i moved in a new house and my toys are currently in storage right now

as expected @ f1.4 .....soft but it gets better @ f2 and up

Edited by Vegas
Link to comment
Share on other sites

sorry :( i moved in a new house and my toys are currently in storage right now

as expected @ f1.4 .....soft but it gets better @ f2 and up

excuses.

psh.

See, soft at 1.4, that's why you shoulda gotten a sigma 50mm HSM. :p

Congrats on the new house though, that's pretty awesome. You'll have to take a few shots once you get your stuff out and displayed.

Edited by eugimon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

excuses.

psh.

See, soft at 1.4, that's why you shoulda gotten a sigma 50mm HSM. :p

Congrats on the new house though, that's pretty awesome. You'll have to take a few shots once you get your stuff out and displayed.

that is if im lucky to get one that focuses properly ^_^

thanks eugimon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice shots Vegas! Maybe I should get the 50 mm f1.4 too.

Anyone else jealous or am I the only one the want to be in Vegas' shoes. (I know, bad joke, but I couldn't help myself :ph34r: )

I went the the local camera store yesterday to get a price for my 'wishlist'

I'm up to €4400,00, but that includes a Gitzo GT2531 carbon 6x series 2 tripod to replace my current Gitzo Basalt tripod and a Lowepro Vertex 200 AW backpack. B))

what a better way to test the new lens with a new pair of subjects :lol:

no sharpening has been done on these pics and shot them on different f stops

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went the the local camera store yesterday to get a price for my 'wishlist'

I'm up to €4400,00, but that includes a Gitzo GT2531 carbon 6x series 2 tripod to replace my current Gitzo Basalt tripod and a Lowepro Vertex 200 AW backpack. B))

very nice stuff!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any opinion on the Nikon - AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 or AF-S NIKKOR

16-35mm f/4G ED VR

Leaning on getting the first one. Slowly getting the hang of the a few things.. but need more practice.. and finally got a Kata bag .. awesomeness..

the 18-200 is a better lens than either the 18-50 or 50-200 with less distortion at 18mm and a better focal length than the 50-200.

It's a well regarded lens, it's just big and long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're gonna love that lens vegas! Have you still got the 450D? If so, it'll give some nice reach with the crop factor.

My 5D mkII + 24-70 mm f2.8 + accessories should arrive sometime next week. Can't wait!

i sold my xsi to fund my 5d2. yah im loving the 70-200. im going to shoot some cars with it hopefully soon.

show us your loot when it comes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

had a blast with my new camera during my recent holiday. my only regret was not having a wide angle lens so now i'm contemplating getting one.

the thing is, there are still very few lens choices for micro four thirds and the wide angle ones available (or soon to be) are f4-5.6

my limited knowledge tells me this should be okay since landscapes are supposed to be shot at small apertures anyway and ideally with a tripod. so when i read about people clamoring for fast, wide-angle lens, i'm a bit confused as to why such lenses would be desirable and in what instances/applications.

appreciate if someone can enlighten me. thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a fast wide angle lens is needed in low light conditions or when you need to freeze fast moving objects. I'll be using my 24-70 mm f2.8 in the pits at racing events.

had a blast with my new camera during my recent holiday. my only regret was not having a wide angle lens so now i'm contemplating getting one.

the thing is, there are still very few lens choices for micro four thirds and the wide angle ones available (or soon to be) are f4-5.6

my limited knowledge tells me this should be okay since landscapes are supposed to be shot at small apertures anyway and ideally with a tripod. so when i read about people clamoring for fast, wide-angle lens, i'm a bit confused as to why such lenses would be desirable and in what instances/applications.

appreciate if someone can enlighten me. thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

had a blast with my new camera during my recent holiday. my only regret was not having a wide angle lens so now i'm contemplating getting one.

the thing is, there are still very few lens choices for micro four thirds and the wide angle ones available (or soon to be) are f4-5.6

my limited knowledge tells me this should be okay since landscapes are supposed to be shot at small apertures anyway and ideally with a tripod. so when i read about people clamoring for fast, wide-angle lens, i'm a bit confused as to why such lenses would be desirable and in what instances/applications.

appreciate if someone can enlighten me. thanks.

Wide angle shots are the rage right now with wedding and group photography as well. And since the in style now is photojournalism/natural, you need a fast lens to capture the action

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...