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Ed_Ingold

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Everything posted by Ed_Ingold

  1. You can drag and drop folders into the sidebar in Finder. That includes "Desktop" and sub-folder. Favorite folders are easily found when saving files from applications. I keep my photos on a server, rather than internal or cloud memory. It's simply "Photos" in the Finder sidebar.
  2. Post-processing isn't about perfection, rather "to taste," and taste changes with time. I concentrate on composition and exposure, with detailed processing only for difficult subjects, like starry landscapes. It's a little like gourmet cooking. If you can taste individual ingredients, start over.
  3. I purchased this Summicron 50/2 in 1964. At that time, Leitz valued resolution over contrast. That emphasis has changed.
  4. Here are some comparisons I made in 2015, using the same camera (Sony A7Rii) to compare 50 mm lenses of different manufacturers. You see a dramatic difference in contrast, color, and sharpness, particularly between a Zeiss Loxia lens, a Leica lens, and a Nikon lens. The Leica lens suffers at wide apertures due to it's short back focus distance relative to the Nikon SLR lens, and the Zeiss lens specifically designed for the Sony camera. Zeiss lenses have a reputation for bold colors, which seems to be demonstrated here.
  5. Maintenance can easily exceed the purchase price for professional equipment. Consumer gear is usually disposable. A set of ink cartridges for the Pro-10 is pushing $150, and I'm on my 6th set. The printer is too large for a table, and too heavy for a light cart. I had to purchase an heavy-duty cart for it. The plus side is an Ethernet connection, not hobbled by short, heavy cables or often slow WiFi.
  6. Mis-typed. I have Pro-10, definitely pigment based. My daughter-in-law has a Pro-100, which is very nice, but better suited for art projects, a la water colors. AFIK, she's has no problems with clogging either. I've owned several Epsons, with problems. In the worst case, the Canon print head can be replaced at home. The Epson must be returned to the factory.
  7. I have a Canon Pixma Pro-100 printer, with pigment based inks for several years. I have not experienced any clogged heads. That said, the printer undergoes periodic cleaning cycles, which consume ink even if not printing.
  8. Watson chargers are great, but I've had spotty results with their batteries, from short charge life to total failure.
  9. You had to know a lot more using "vintage" cameras, with no automation, than for modern cameras. That said, I frequently use manual mode when consistency is more important than being "right." An example would be formal group photos at a wedding. If you want simplicity, look no further than the cell phone in your pocket. Their automation is superb, and they're always with you.
  10. If taken from the same distance, on the same sized sensor, the difference is probably negligible. The perspective would be the same, and the resolution of modern lenses is so high, there would be no noticeable degradation.
  11. You have far fewer choices among micro SD cards compared to the full-sized versions, and the read/write speed is generally much lower. If you record 4Kp60 video in many cameras (e.g., Sony S7Siii), the bit rate is 200 Mb/s or more, which requires a card rated at V90 (299/300). In addition to write speed, slow cards take much longer to download to a computer. I use UHS-II cards for their read speed, even if the camera or device does not require them. Finally, the reliability of adapters is questionable, if only for the added set of contacts. I would rather not be surprised when a card failed, or images were corrupted. When it comes to photography, reliability trumps cost and features.
  12. ND filters are essential for outdoor video. High shutter speeds cause a stoboscopic effect on rapid moving subjects, which is best avoided by using a shutter angle of 180 degrees or so (eg, 1/125 second at 60 fps). Likewise you should avoid small aperture settings, to manage DOF and avoid softness due to diffraction.
  13. The use and effects of a linear polarizer and circular polarizer are identical. Both have plastic membranes sandwiched between two layers of glass. The difference is the addition of a quarter-wave "plate" (membrane) on the camera side of the polarizing membrane. The purpose is to un-polarize light passing through the filter so that phase-sensing AF detectors can operate normally. High quality (ie, expensive) polarizing and ND filters tend to be more neutral than cheaper filters. I prefer B+W (Schneider) filters for this reason. My variable ND filters are thicker, and larger in diameter than their mount would dictate, to minimize vignetting. The lens hoods of my Sony lenses must be attached first, then the VND filter. Polarizers fit normally, and some Sony lens hoods have a small door to facilitate their adjustment. Light reflected from transparent, non-metallic surfaces (ie, glass and water) is polarized. The most intense polarization occurs in a fairly narrow range of angles, centered on the Brewster Angle, approximately 53 degrees for an air-water interface.
  14. Divide the density (reflectance) range by 0.301 (the square root of 2) to calculate the dynamic range in f/stops. The curve is rather pronounced, so a good method is to measure from the intersection points of the high and low densities with the slope of the curve at its inflection point. That compensates for the heel and shoulder curvature. The characteristic curves (log exposure vs log reflectance) can be obtained from the manufacturer's data sheets.
  15. Artificial Intelligence has been with photography for a long time. Face and eye recognition can only be described as AI. In the processing field, HDR, panorama stitching, and processing enhancements add to the list. Of particular note, AI (e.g. NegativeLabPro) makes the transformation of negative color scans into positive digital images quick and reliable. The real danger is not in its use, but misuse by bad actors and politicians. For the latter, AI is a godsend, having given up on the real thing 😉
  16. A paved trail is no problem for a good roller bag, like Really Right Stuff. I've used a kiddie trailer with a bicycle. with 24" wheels, good over gravel. Some trailers can be fitted with a third wheel and push rail for jogging with the kiddies (or cameras).
  17. Grey is not grey unless its reflectance is uniform across the visual spectrum. Likewise colors should reflect in a specific band of the spectrum, not a visual composite of primary colors in distinct bands. The science and technology behind standard color charts is the reason a letter-sized chart costs upwards of $100.
  18. The camera or scanner should capture the tone of the background accurately, if properly calibrated and exposed throughout. AWB will attempt to render the tonality neutral, with it the tone you are seeking.
  19. Warp drive, or in the vicinity of a large black hole 😉
  20. If you fly a drone, you don't need to start from the top floor of a parking garage. You can fly up to 400' above existing structures, subject to FAA regulations. I have taken many stitched panoramas, hand-held, without benefit of a tripod or nodal slide. If there's nothing of interest closer than about 50', parallax can be neglected.
  21. Depth of field is inversely proportional to the format size (cropping factor) at the same relative (ie, f/stop) aperture.
  22. What's a "reasonable" price? What is the intended use? There is the HC-WX991K. I'm not sure how useful a picture-in-picture effect would be in a camera. I use it from time to time with multiple-camera sessions and streaming, but with a video switcher. I suggest looking at a small camera with a 20X zoom, 1" sensor, and full-sized HDMI connector for anything beyond what you would get with a smart phone.
  23. I've yet to find a hiking staff with a camera mount, however, I've used a monopod (or tripod) in that role.
  24. It is always difficult to decide what camera gear to carry. Some take photos when traveling; I travel to take photos. I spend days or weeks deciding what equipment to carry, and hours what clothing to take. Rather than a flat recommendation, I can describe what I do, and more important, why. If you carry a film camera, you must carry film too - a bulky nuisance and airport security PITA. Furthermore, the type of film in the camera is often the wrong type for the situation. I'm glad that's all over for me. Digital is the way! Cameras need lenses, and if you carry more than one body, they should take the same lenses, or you need double the equipment. The place to start, is what would you use here for similar situations? In my case, I only use zoom lenses when I have a lot of shooting to do, and little time to change lenses, including events, concerts, and weddings. I prefer prime lenses for casual use, including nature walks, landscapes, and travel. They're smaller, lighter, faster, and often sharper. I can fit 3 or 4 lenses in a small fanny pack, if I need that flexibility. For urban photography, I often choose a medium wide angle lens, 35-40 mm. For interiors, a 24-25 mm "very" wide lens is useful. Landscapes often fall in the 50-90 mm range. I an enamored with 90 mm lenses, which gives me an excuse to carry a 90 mm macro lens for both closeups and hills. Wide angle lenses flatten hills and emphasize the foreground. That's not usually best for landscapes. That said, I generally overpack, with a pair of bodies and range of zoom lenses, from 16mm to 400mm, in a large roller case (carry-on size). However, it stays in the hotel or car until I need something out of the ordinary for the shot. I used a 400 mm zoom for this shot in Ireland, on my first (and only) visit.
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