joemig

<p>I've been thinking about getting a Yongnuo YN560-TX and a couple of their flashes, and my primary use would be as accent/hair/backdrop lights etc.. In other words, I would still be using a primary studio flash and using these small flashes as additional lighting. I currently use a PCB transmitter on camera to control the studio flash. I don't want to try to use some adapter to have both the PCB trigger and the yongnuo trigger on the hotshoe at the same time. My question is, can the yongnuo be used to set flash levels for the yongnuo flashes while it's off camera, but then have the lights triggered by the optical slaves in the flashes themselves? I haven't seen this answered anywhere yet. Once the power level is set by the TX, the flashes would retain those settings? Or does the TX have to actually trigger the flashes itself in order for this to work?</p>

<p>The camera is set to use only a single focus point. While it's possible that she may have moved in some way between the time focus was locked and the shutter was pressed, I can't see that happening for such a huge percentage of the photos. They are really are almost all like this. As for the flash, there was only a single flash used, an Einstein, using a paul buff transmitter to trigger it.</p>

<p>The reason I started using a tripod all the time, and using a remote was because of this problem. My first thought when it started was that it had to be camera shake. I use a tripod with the 70-200 because it's heavy and awkward to hold, and those pictures are sharp as a tack. So, it was an attempt at process of elimination, first using a tripod all the time, when that didn't solve the problem, trying the remote (and you're correct that the D300 cable doesn't work with the D7100, but an IR remote does). Believe me, I have no desire to have to always use a tripod, I hate doing a regular portrait shoot with a tripod. In answer to another question, yes there are modeling and room lights on when shooting in studio, so there is enough light to focus. I have noticed that there are some photos where the camera is close to the subject that seem to focus fine, so it must have something to do with how much of the viewfinder the subject being focused on takes up, if that makes any sense. And no, the lens is not on manual focus.<br> In any case, I have not had a chance to try the live view, etc. or the other tests mentioned here, the time I can really devote to photography is limited, but I will do it first chance. <br> Thanks for the help everyone, if I sound rude it's just frustration with this. This is a lens I wanted to get for years, and it was a gift from someone close to me who has since passed on, and so this has some added resonance to me. It is also a colossal embarrassment to have to tell someone after a long shoot "I'm sorry, but most of these photos are out of focus", it just makes me look like an incompetent moron.</p> <p> </p>

<p>There are actually two photos which show the problem pretty clearly. I see no point in posting a bunch more that all show exactly the same thing.</p>

<p>No, neither multiple exposure or HDR is are on.</p>

<p>ok, here is another shot from the same series. This is a 100% crop, and this is a completely unedited RAW file from ViewNX showing where the focus point was. Clearly the window behind her is what is in focus in this image, correct? Is there anything other than a lens problem that could cause this?<img src="http://www.joemig.com/img/s12/v176/p681172067-5.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p> </p>

<p>Just to answer some of the questions posed above. The tripod is an Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT and the ballhead is a Vanguard SBH-250. I use this same tripod with the same camera body with a Nikon 70-200 VRII, which is a much heavier lens and have no issues with it. As for triggering it, when I was still using the D300, I had an electronic cable release, with the D7100, I've tried using an optical remote. I realize that it looks like motion blur, but I swear to you, the camera is as solidly mounted as I can make it, and the problem occurs regularly whether I push the shutter by hand or use a remote. <br> A few things I have not tried, but will try in the future are using the live view focus,and using the lens without the flash. Is it at all possible that the flash could be somehow at fault? I know it seems unlikely, but is there some chance the flash is being triggered twice in very close succession? I can't see how that's possible, but at this point I'm running out of options. If I do send the lens back to Nikon again, how do I get them to fix or replace the damn thing? I sent test photos with it the last time along with a detailed description of the problem, but I can't really tell if they did anything.</p>

<p>As I mentioned above, this was shot on a tripod using a remote. If there is camera movement, I don't know what's causing it. It's a good tripod, it's solidly mounted. I do agree that it seems to be focusing behind the model, this is what I told Nikon before I sent the lens back. I will have to try to fine tune, but it seems like it's further out of whack than that would correct.</p>

<p>It's on Single-point auto focus and I used the closest focus point on her face (or her eye if I was close enough) and recomposed slightly if needed, but the focus lock was on her face. While I can see possibly somehow losing focus after setting it once in a while, this problem is on virtually every single shot. It does often seem as though it's focusing on something behind her though, that's one of the things I said to Nikon when I sent the lens back for repair. What they did about it, I have no idea. I have double checked the mode to make sure I didn't somehow put it into continuous, etc.<br> It was thinking there might be a focus problem with the camera itself that was one of the main reasons for switching from the D300 to the D7100, but the problem remains.<br> While using the flash, camera is in manual mode, at 1/250, different apertures depending on subject, but the problem exists regardless of aperture. I'm triggering the lights with a Paul Buff cyber commander remote trigger.<br> I have NOT tried using it outside, I suppose that's something I need to do as well. In a way, it does almost look like a kind of double exposure, but I can't imagine the flash is somehow going off twice that quickly.</p>

<p>In October, I bought a Nikon 24-70 f2.8 and I have been having major issues with getting sharp images with it. I didn't think the problem was with the lens at first, my first thought was camera shake, even though I almost always use this lens in a studio, at 1/250. So, I started using a tripod all the time. I thought maybe it was still an issue with the camera moving, so I tried using a remote to trigger it. Same problem. I ended up replacing the D300 I originally had with a D7100, but the problem still existed. So finally I sent the lens back to Nikon to have it fixed. It was under warranty, so they never really said if they found a problem, just said they made some adjustments, calibrated and cleaned it. Well, yesterday I did the first shoot since getting it back, and... same problem. I want to point out that I also have a NIkon 70-200 f2.8 and I get perfectly sharp photos with it, but I use that lens outdoors. So the only real difference is that with the 70-200, I'm shooting in natural light most of the time while with the 24 70 I'm using strobes (Einstein or White Lightning strobes).<br> I cannot figure this out. The image I've attached to this is a 100% crop of a typical image. Virtually every shot I took yesterday has this same issue. It LOOKS like the camera is moving, but I don't see how. It's mounted on a Vanguard tripod, I'm positive that the focus point in the camera was directly on her face, this particular shot was taken at 1/250 at f4 but I've had the same problem at f5.6, f8 etc. </p> <p>Any ideas? I don't know what else to do, I cannot figure out why this is happening.<img src="http://www.joemig.com/img/s7/v159/p91221019-4.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>btw, I did google: rgb shadow test images, and they all look fine. I get a smooth transition all the way to 0,0,0 black, I can see all the gradations I'm supposed to be able to see etc. The problem then has to be something I have set wrong in photoshop? Pushing too hard in shadows or something? I don't know... annoying. Anyway, thanks for the help...</p>

<p>Sorry, no these are from RAW files. But I can see the same issue in both lightroom and photoshop. It amazes me that all of you don't see it, on my monitor, the shadow in her skirt is such a jagged black hole that I'm surprised I don't see the enterprise getting sucked down it. It must be a monitor calibration issue, I'll have to check into that further.</p>

<p>The video card is at 32 bit color, the highest it goes. Color space is RGB 8-bit in photoshop. The camera is shooting using adobe RGB.<br> So, you don't see the same huge black spot that I do? It would be nice to think that it's a display issue and that it's not actually 'in' the image.<br> Looking at this info now, I'm wondering if the 8 bit in photoshop might be the problem? I can't remember where I read this, but I had thought that photoshop wouldn't do many functions at higher than 8 bit. </p>

<p>This is a problem I have been having consistently for a long time. It happens in virtually every photo I take, anywhere where there is a fade to black. At some point, the smooth transition stops, and I get a horrible, noisy kind of posterization. This happens in photos that are bright, that are dark, taken inside or out. Anyplace where there is a transition to black. Here is an :admittedly extreme) example:<br> http://www.joemig.com/img/s12/v184/p946886084-3.jpg<br> <br />Also, there is a kind of color noise, or blocking present. Some of this is due to jpg conversion, but I see the banding, or posterization even in raw files. I'm actually not sure what the correct term is for this, so I've had trouble looking up information on it. <br> I just find it almost impossble to get smooth blacks. For a while, I thought it was my D300 somehow at fault. But I now have a D7100 and I get the same issue. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong. Any help would be appreciated.<br> This is the entire photo, just to show it in context:<br> <img src="http://www.joemig.com/img/s12/v177/p1030155398-3.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="450" /></p>