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Powershot G7 strobe test shot


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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>00JkAX-34697284.jpg.1a400e38a03dca4989ffd79598f1ea4f.jpg</div>

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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.

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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>00JkaM-34705184.jpg.2a4b0269f8abd3b32e468fd3aa206654.jpg</div>

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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.

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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?

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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>00Jkdd-34706184.jpg.dda868235d509081e0c8b9411c68feec.jpg</div>

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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.

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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.

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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 ;)

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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.

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  • 1 month later...
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)
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