Intimacy (Between you, me and the laptop...)

Yesterday Bicycled to Le Pain Quotidien of Beverly Hills to have a cup of aromatic Latte with milk (hint at one of the better coffee places in BH). In my shoulder pouch was my baby Kodak Z981 (which, with its 26-676 Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon zoom is possibly the most portable quality full hand grip toy and a minor value miracle).

Spotting an intriguing father-daughter duo at one end of the portico, I positioned myself as far away as possible hoping to test out my new camera with challenging hand held ~ 500mm optical magnification (image stabilized) spontaneous in shade portrait shots.

Cropped. No digital alterations.

First shot: Intimacy                                Second shot: Writer’s Block

Kind impressions are welcome.

Yesterday Bicycled to Le Pain Quotidien of Beverly Hills to have a cup

of aromatic Latte with milk (hint at one of the better coffee places in

BH). In my shoulder pouch was my baby Kodak Z981 (which, with its 26-

676 Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon zoom is possibly the most portable

quality full hand grip toy and a minor value miracle).

Spotting an intriguing father-daughter duo at one end of the portico, I

positioned myself as far away as possible hoping to test out my new

camera with challenging hand held ~ 500mm optical magnification

(image stabilized) spontaneous in shade portrait shots.

Cropped. No digital alterations.

First shot: Intimacy Second shot: Writer’s Block

Kind impressions are welcome.

Igor,

You were successful in capturing this nice scene.

However, you did not require image stabilization because your exposure was 1/500 second for a 85mm true focal length , not a true 500mm  telephoto lens.

If you had used ISO 100 at F/8, your exposure would have been 1/50 second and then the value of IS would become a benefit to you.

The 500mm reference is to the field of view that you would have had if a full frame 35mm camera was used. This is a large difference for the actual magnification that your 85mm provided to your camera.

Again, good job with your new camera.

Regards, Mike

Best regards Igor!

PDE

After posting overwhelmingly complimentary critiques for some six years braved posting this first image for some friendly critique. Loved the faces. Had no idea will get a misplaced spelling lesson (smile).

Dear Mike, first of all thank you for the time you took to address the technical aspects of the image. At first I was going to be a bit upset, trying to figure out why would someone restate to me what I myself consciously entered into the ‘DETAILS’ concerning the actual exposure f stop, speed, ISO and both 35mm equivalent and ‘actual’ focal length, fill in flash, etc. Then I read your bio and realized that much like myself you tend to be technically over-analytical, sometimes ignoring the obvious. You are also way off in asserting that image stabilization was not useful. There are two aspects to image stabilization, and the second aspect (perhaps more obvious to a user and not a theoretical optics expert) has to do with digital viewfinder, where IT MAKES A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE, turning what is otherwise a jittery narrow field of view image in flux at camera’s extreme magnification into a considerably more stable composition-workable representation. Try it, and you’ll see the truth of it. Then I came to think of your collateral remark on an alternative slower shutter speed setting. I am glad you mentioned this, not because of utility of IS at low shutter speeds, but because shooting with anything less than medium format, and particularly with these smaller digies, one has to change the decades old ingrained paradigm of consciously isolating aperture’s depth of field or shutter speed (before all else) and possibly presetting the ISO (to say 64 on this type of camera) in order to capitalize on maximum grain resolution performance of the small sensor. Since the flash output is electronically optimized, assuming there is enough fill flash juice for an adequate output at 35 or so feet (a big assumption) and enough time to manually reset the ISO and play with the spontaneous (un-posed, split second capture decision…) portrait’s depth of field (another difficult presumption), one does start with 64 to 100 and hopes to have enough time and inherent camera capability range of exposure variables to work around the ISO. I’ve been shooting pre-set ISO film for over 35 years, and this flexibility of digital ISO setting (along with the current resolution limitations of smaller format sensors) does suggest to me to rethink how I approach the settings. Working in reverse, it is obvious that a higher ISO setting is advantageous. Relying on manual maximization of ISO in real world spontaneous situation shooting is not as easy as it should be. This camera does offer the highest value (low light) optimized ISO pre-programmed mode. Would be most valuable to also have one with the sliding lowest possible value automatically supplied for the other settings. Once again, thank you. With kind regards. ILM    

Igor,

I do not shoot  any of my images by watching the scene from the digital display on my Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras. I only use the optical viewfinder.

I have only been imaging through optical viewfinders for the better part of 50 + years now.

At 85mm focal length, I can easily hand hold a shot at 1/60 second, and all of my 85mm lens are without Image Stabilization.

There is no requirement for IS at 1/500 second unless you do not have a good grip on the camera or that you can not hold the camera steady enough during such a short exposure at a medium focal length setting.

I have been able to get excellent results for my real 400mm and 500mm telephoto lens (non-Image Stabilized) at less than 1/500 second.

Regards, Mike

Mike, I like pit-bulls as people who defend their opinions, rationalizing them with what ever experience or lack of experience they happen to have. ‘IS’ is exceptionally useful when working with digital viewfinder display. Digital display often allows for low key shooting where one avoids protruding as a sore thumb paparazzi.  It is a fact. You may prefer working exclusively with optical viewfinders, but that is Your choice. Does not mean it was not or is not useful. Most serious and even starting professional photographers I talk to on PN do know that 2 plus 2 is 4 where it comes to different formats… vis-à-vis angles of view, relative magnification ratios between different formats, etc. Furthermore, having polled scores of pros working with telephotos and having actually reviewed quality shots of high end APO telephoto lenses in the 500mm range (even with tripods!), I know that in context of my ‘hand held’ spontaneous capture ‘excellent results’ would be a very subjective evaluation (for a very modest enlargement). OBVIOUSLY one can get good results with a firm grip and an 85mm lense. Why mention that? Why presume that the other guy is an idiot? When a few years ago I posted a forum question on hand-held shooting with my 300mm Zeiss looking for an optimal handgrip for a Kiev, half the guys thought I was nuts even trying. Yes, like you I am old school and with most of my cameras use the optical viewfinder. Used to it. They do not have any other kind. Yes good portrait shots can be had without IS. No it is not convenient composing at 35mm equivalent of 500mm lense field of view with the Kodak w/o IS. Has nothing to do with not having a grip. I am a big weight lifter with sturdy hands. I can even balance an 890mm 8x10 APO that is as big as an elephant (it’s a joke, though I do have such a lense). The point is, if there is a point, that for long telephoto or, if you prefer, for narrow field of view shots IS is WONDERFUL. Try it, you may like it.

Just to make things interesting. If you have an ‘excellent’ in your opinion 30x40 inch scan-print of a hand-held ‘true’ 500 mm shot, by all means let me look at it. I love being surprised. Unlike yours, some of my giants are collecting dust (or waiting for monopodal shooting). Best regards. ILM

Wonderful - you captured a rare moment!

Tony, thank you for your kind words. Am with you on the power of love… (When feeling brave, will attempt to peruse your vast portfolio).  

Bel messaggio,bella storia,complimenti !

grazie per la condivisione ,paul

Thank You Paul!