david_manning1 Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Hi Everyone, I bought a Powershot G7 as a compact travel camera when it's not logistically possible to travel with my D2x or F6. I've enjoyed learning about the G7, learning it's capabilities and weaknesses. I took this test shot with the G7 using two Nikon Speedlights off-camera and fired with a MicroSync wireless trigger in the hotshoe. The nice thing about the MicroSync is that it's very compact when you don't need range, and that really pays off with the rangefinder styling of the G7. The shot is, aside from resizing, straight out of the camera. I thought I'd pass along my delight at the power of this little camera. David.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_sokal___dallas__tx Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 David, Nice shot. I recently bought a G7 as well for the same reason (D2X and D200). So far I'm very underwhelmed with the image quality, even at ISO 100. I'm still trying to learn my way around this thing though. Sure isn't as intuitive to operate as a Nikon, and the Canon manual is pretty much useless, IMO. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savas_kyprianides Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Nice photo from the OP. I am getting wonderful output from the G7. Very intuitive to use. High rate of keepers that are easy to nail first time around. Live histogram is something I wish my DSLR had. Enlarged prints are where this camera comes into it's own. Simply beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savas_kyprianides Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 I don't know if this photo will upload, but I'll give it a shot. Recent trip to Florida.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savas_kyprianides Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 One more.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Someday photographers are going t learn photography is about lighting and not cameras. Nikon and Canon will then go out of business. So you see how well you can do with some proper lighting. It is not the camera at all. Yea you need sheet film for large prints, but the G7 does fine for 8x10 and that is mostly what we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Thanks for the nice responses. For what it's worth, I shot that at ISO 80. At that ISO, pictures are very clean. At ISO 200 and above (I admit to pixel-peeping during testing) I can see very slight noise reduction degradation of images on-screen. These are, fortunately, unviewable printed at 8x10. I haven't super-sized any images yet, although at full resolution and 240dpi, I would expect the same printed image quality at about 11x17 or so. So, if the ISO is kept reasonably low, the noise or artifacts are, in practical use (for me anyway), insignificant. It echoes film use more than we want to admit for a digital camera...the higher the ISO, the less clean and sharp the image (ever blow up 1600 ISO B&W? not so good, but flavorful). I got the camera to shoot travel stock instead of lugging a body, three lenses, and a strobe or two (I'm also an airline pilot and the lighter the load, the better). For professional stock usage, shots will be at low ISOs anyway. So, I'm satisfied. Paul, I'm also underwhelmed by the ergonomics...years of Nikon shooting (with, in my opinion, the best ergonomics of any camera system) have spoiled me. And...yep, the manual is terrible. Luckily, you can't break a camera by using different settings, so I just go out and shoot-shoot-shoot. For what the camera is, I enjoy it, and it has invigorated my desire to get it right the first time and think/visualize creatively. I'll probably shoot in the studio with a powerpack and the G7 in the next week, just for fun. By the way, for the comment about "it's all about lighting," ever pick up an American Cinematographer magazine? It's published by the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers)...well, I like moving pictures too. Whenever I pick an issue up to look for gearhead stuff, every article is about LIGHTING. My eyes glaze over reading about Moles and HMIs ad nauseam...however, they have it right..."It's the light, stupid!" Thanks for reading my post, now turn off the computer and go take pictures! (my wife's quote). ---Dave.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard_frank Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Very nice, David. If I may ask, what Nikon speedlights did you use, and how did you connect the MicroSync receiver to one, what with its big jack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Hi Bernard, Thanks. I used an SB-600 for the hairlight and an SB-800 for the main. Both SBs were in manual mode at 1/8 power. The SB-800 was in SU-4 slave mode, and I had the remote wireless slave on the SB-600. The MicroSync came with a small cord that can run from the receiver to a mini-plug strobe (as opposed to the household plug-type end for a powerpack system). I simply inserted that mini-plug adapter into the SB-600 (via a Wein optical slave which isn't working optically, but has a plug on the side--about $35). Follow so far? (it sounds hobbled together...it's a bit more elegant than it sounds). So, the trigger on the G7's hotshoe fired the receiver on the SB-600. The flash triggered the SB-800 optically. Voila! Basically, using both expensive, sophisticated strobes as cheapo, dumb strobes. Manual camera settings set with a strobe meter...although just looking at the result in the LCD is probably both better and as-fast. Hope that helps. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard_frank Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Thanks, David, I get it. But MY MicroSync didn't come with a PC cord. Not that I remember, anyway. And, any reason why you chose the SB-800 as the slave and the SB-600 as the main, instead of the other way around? After all, the SB-800 does have a PC sync outlet, and the SB-600 can fire in optical slave mode, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Bernard, Call me slow, but I can't seem to find a way to fire my SB-600 optically, neither just pushing buttons through menus nor perusing the printed manual. Yes, via CLS, but not just basic SU-4 optically. If there is a way, PLEASE let me know how I missed it! In a single-light setup, the SB-800 is my go-to strobe, via PC-cord adapter as you mentioned. ---Dave.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard_frank Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 David, you are absolutely right, and you're not slow. I am. I can't find a way to use the SB-600 as an optical slave either. It didn't occur to me that I always used it in remote slave mode with the SB-800 as main and the D200 in "commander mode". However, I have this hotshoe, it is called a "Mini-cell" and it has both a "peanut" and a PC sync outlet. It triggers the SB-600 optically very well with the SB-800 as main. Try to get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Yeah, The Wein optical trigger that I referred to is like that...a little hotshoe with an optical window or "bubble" and a small PC socket on the side. I've never been able to get it to trigger the SB-600 optically. Maybe someone can help me with that one...I'm beginning to think that optical is just not an option with that model. That's why I use the mini-PC cord that's about 6" long from the radio slave to the mini PC plug. If I could get it to work...it would open up a lot of flexibility for me. By the way, you're not slow either...these poorly-written manuals are written by engineers and then translated by second language-speaking secretaries! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard_frank Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 David, If the Wein hotshoe has a PC socket, you could buy an inexpensive "peanut" and just plug it in via a small lenght of PC sync cord. Then, your SB-600 could be optically triggered by the SB-800, and you could use the SB-800 as main. Yes, aren't those manuals generally awful? I think Nikon win hands down in the awful category with their manuals for speedlights. As an ailine pirlot, you must know a thing or two about manuals, yet even you can't find your way ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted February 2, 2007 Author Share Posted February 2, 2007 Bernard, Honestly I'm not sure if the SB-600 can be optically triggered at all. The Wein unit that I have is an optical unit, and the second one I've tried with it. No good. I'm glad it does have a PC socket on it though. In real-world use, it doesn't matter that it's the master and not the slave...the ouput of both Speedlights is adjustable and they're portable (easy to move or swap). Yes, I've seen some manuals that made my eyes glaze over. The military ones were the worst...at least Boeing knows it's writing manuals for customers... David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard_frank Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Believe me, David, the SB-600 can be optically triggered. Not by itself, mind you, but here are two very simple configurations which work. The first one is a hotshoe with a built-in optical eye...<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard_frank Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 The second one is a hotshoe with a piece of sync cord to which I add an inexpensive "peanut." And you can screw both on top of a stand. No sweat. And voila.. All this in M mode, of course.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad1 Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Am I crazy but when I zoom 100% a G7 image, it's not totally sharp... I feel a kind of grain-pixel on the edge of subject, Compared to my 20D... Am I alone to feel this strange non-sharpness thing? Like pixel-grain Same as an Resized image (20x24 @ 300 dpi out of a 8MP) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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