mark_lapolt___new_haven__c Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Had my season opener last night, time to shake the rust off. I've real busy this off-season with a lot on non-photography related matters, but I beefed up my equipment a little, picked up a couple of lenses, and tried to stay behind the camera as much as possible. Still, the season opener is always hard for me. Feels like my first wedding ever, every time. Why does it seem like every year the receptions halls get darker, the DJ's get louder, focus locks slower, and there's less and less time for getting those special romantic shots of the Bride and Groom. How do you all shake the rust off after the off-season? Bonus question......What are some of the ways you handicap your AF? When the lights go down, even the focus assist beam falls short of providing quick autofocus, I try to move in as close as possible, shoot at f5.6 or smaller, prefer the wider angle, and prefocus. Sometimes I even whip out my Manual focus film body. What are the rest of you doing when it's just too dark to autofocus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zofia Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Hmmm, best way to help you with your lighting question is to know what your equipment is..? My first work shoot of the season is an e-shoot today and I'm really excited! I've been shooting all winter with my new equipment so I really don't feel any rust. It just sounds like maybe you were a little nervous. It's alright, so long as the b/g are happy with your work! I was just down in New Haven yesterday! Take a deep breath and do your editting. I'm sure you did a better job than you think. Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_lapolt___new_haven__c Posted March 4, 2007 Author Share Posted March 4, 2007 Another CT photog? Where are you based out of? The lighting question was more of a general question, or at least I thought it was, but to fill in the blanks, my equipment is:<br><br> Canon EOS 3 body <br> Canon 24-105 f4L<br> Sigma 28-70 EX f2.8 <br> Canon 50 f1.8<br> Canon 85 f1.8<br> 420EX with ST-E2<br> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picturesque Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Shaking off the rust--review everything extra carefully before the first big one, and then dive right in. Focusing in the dark--use zone focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conraderb Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 what is a film? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_butner___portland__or Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Film? The superior medium :-) Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_lapolt___new_haven__c Posted March 5, 2007 Author Share Posted March 5, 2007 Nadine... That's often why I break out the Ol' manual focus body. It's much easier to zone focus with my MF gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieo Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 As far as the focusing, I also have the Sigma lens and it is awful to focus! The Canon and Tamrons I have do a much better job in dark conditions. Katie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_lapolt___new_haven__c Posted March 5, 2007 Author Share Posted March 5, 2007 The Sigma has essentialy been replaced by the 24-105....the IS makes up for the f4 in most situations. I'm keeping the Sigma as a backup however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zofia Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Mark, Sorry for the late response. I started shooting in CT about 10+ years ago, based in Chaplin, but now after traveling around the country, I'm on Nantucket. Wish I could help with the lighting issue, but I shoot with Nikon and I've never have a low light focusing problem. Maybe it just hasn't been dark enough yet! Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picturesque Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Mark--yes, it is a pain to zone focus with those dinky, inadequate focus scales on modern lenses, but I do it, cursing each time, and it still works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now