jamie drouin

February 8, 2010

We can close this discussion as my third replacement 7D body exhibits none of the issues. It was not user error after all, but a particularly bad couple of bodies.

February 6, 2010

BTW: stunning bird photo, Mark.

February 6, 2010

Well, I purposely left out the details of my lenses so it it did not end up being the focus of the conversation. The CA and overall softness could be attributed to specific lenses, but certainly not the bizarre textures I am getting when processing RAW images through Canon's DPP. But, since inquiring minds want to know, I am using the following lenses: Canon EF 50mm 1.4, Canon EF 35mm 1.4L, and Canon EF 20mm 2.8. The examples were from around the center of view, not the corners, where one would expect more exaggerated issues. I have the sneaking suspicion (backed up by Darwin Wiggett article) that is it DPP giving me the grief, otherwise the JPEGs would not look so much better. Off to download the latest LR to see if that makes a difference.

February 6, 2010

Hi Steve,

Agreed on the CA existing in all lenses to varying degrees. It's just not something I have seen to such an extreme level on my images with the Leica M8 with lenses with open, or on the Rebel using the same lens.

The textural artifacts are already visible without any sharpening, and the examples shown only use a moderate amount of post sharpening. Again, not something I have seen in any of my other cameras, so it was a shock. It means that no level of sharpening is really possible without downscaling the image. It's curious that the source artifacts are not showing at all on the in-camera 7D JPEGs.

February 6, 2010

Thank you for the replies so far. I do appreciate the difference between magnifications, but I am also very used to what I should be seeing on-screen 300dpi at print size (not 100%). I usually work at 16x20 and 20x30 exhibition sizes.

I always shoot RAW, but just ran a comparison test shooting in-camera JPEG and I am not experiencing the pattern during sharpening, so there is something screwy with DPP even with everything set to default. With a small amount of sharpening on the JPEGs I am getting much closer to the image quality I would expect out of an 18MP camera.

May I ask if anyone who replied is actually using the 7D, or if these are more generalized responses about workflow?

February 6, 2010

I am on my second 7D body this week and both exhibit the same repeatable problems. I am at a loss as to why, so hope that other 7D owners could chime in to say if they have experienced the same things.

All images are being captured in RAW and processed through DPP:

-The first issue is an overall softness to the image, as if a gentle soft portrait filter was added. This is occurring with two different lenses at 100ISO, a variety of apertures, under any conditions on a tripod. I just cannot get a sharp image. Micro adjustments were made to compensate for each lens. Both lenses have performed flawlessly on a Rebel XT body for a few years. It's only when used on the 7D do they both produce such effects.

-I am getting the most extreme chromatic aberration I have ever encountered. I am used to a bit of color fringing with strong reflected light, but this is making most of my work unusable.

-Attempting to sharpen the images results in a horrible cross-stitch patterning. I have tried several combinations of amount and radius but the patterning appears before any useful sharpening of the actual subject takes place.

These are extremely irritating, and confusing issues in a new camera, and hopefully others have some insight. Before someone (invariably) accuses me of being a newbie at all this, I might not know all of the ins-and-outs of digital cameras, but I have been a professional exhibiting photographic artist for twenty years and have a reasonable amount of experience in digital image processing for large scale prints. I also live under the delusion that a new camera like this should just plain work ;-)

Thanks for any help people can offer to end, or share in, this suffering.

March 25, 2004

One way to get an approximation of the resolution that you can expect from

40x60

inch prints from 4x5 is to use one of your smaller format cameras and make a film

with an excellent lens used at f16, then to make a X10 to X12 enlargement. This

print won't have the same visual impact as a 40x60 print, but it will give you an

approximation of the detail that you could expect.

Excellent suggestion...thank you!

March 25, 2004

Oh yes, and to answer Dan's questions: downtown & vegetarian, with a particular

fancy for thai cuisine.

With regards to stepping up to 8x10" it comes down to weight and bulk. I am very

aware of how much I can lug around before it starts becoming counterproductive

(creatively speaking) and 4x5 is definitely the max. Given unlimited wealth and a

healthier lower back it wouldn't even be open for debate: I'd use 8x10.

Best, Jamie.

March 25, 2004

Hello everyone,

First, sorry for not jumping back in sooner. I don't spend a lot of time back-n-forth

on this site, and typically find it interesting to see where a thread goes after a few

days of hearing from several photographers.

Second, thank you very much for everyone's input. Yes, it was a somewhat evil

question to first ask, but I am far more familiar with Leica and Hasselblad lenses than

the wide open world of large format choices. After weeks of looking at several sites,

posts and stores I was no further ahead in my quest to find out if there were definite

'gold standard' choices in 4x5 lenses. I really did not want to go down the road of

testing lenses myself: it's far too costly and I find 'testing' an absolutely boring

experience (no offence to those who find it an invaluable experience...people like

myself rely on your research!).

As for being a troll, I suppose being relatively new to this forum and not being

terribly talkative then I could be easily mistaken for one. Sorry if my intentions were

not clear.

Best regards,

Jamie.

March 22, 2004

Curious if there is a consensus for the most clinically sharp 4x5 lenses in the 90mm,

135mm, and 150mm range? I'm talking about the type of lens that renders objects so

sharp they almost cut your eyeballs, with less interest in ones which create a sense of

'presence' or delicate color rendition. Huge coverage is not high on the list, but wider

apertures would be helpful for focusing.

I'm looking at a project that will involve rather large color prints (40x60") and am

getting lost trying to gather info on lenses that fit my bill.

Thank you very much in advance,

Jamie.

March 5, 2004

if you're in hamburg, germany this month leica has put together an exhibition of a

few prints from my 'butoh' series at the famous <a href="http://

www.leicabeimeister.com">leica bei meister</a> store (location: eppendorfer

landstrasse 64). these exhibition prints were produced in europe, so if someone has a

chance to take some digital pics i would be very interested to see how they turned

out! (hint, hint)

best regards,

jamie drouin.

March 4, 2004

then would the additional apertures on the sf24d be of benefit if my preference would

be to use it in the f2.8-f4 range?

best, jamie.

March 4, 2004

aaaahh...the 1/50 sync limit. i had forgotten about that. damn.

March 4, 2004

excuse my ignorance in the field of flash use, but i have a project i'd like to do which

will require using flash both during day and night with fast film (asa 400-800) and

wide open apertures. can someone tell me if something like the sf-24d unit will allow

me this latitude of control in automatic modes (not ttl...it will be with m6 classics)?

also, i wondered if the sf-24d still uses those 'expensive' regargeable batteries, or

has it been redesigned for traditional battery use as well?

thanks, jamie.

February 29, 2004

Thanks to all for your comments. It's a bit tough judging all this stuff without actually

having one of these lenses to look at locally. The Nocti has fascinated me for some

time, but always held back due to (among other things, like cost) the frame blockage

and minimum distance: two factors that play heavily in my workflow.

Best, Jamie.

February 28, 2004

just for further clarification: how much of the viewfinder is blocked with the lens set

to 1m?

February 28, 2004

It has been often mentioned that the Noctilux blocks the lower right hand side of the

viewfinder, but am curious by how much? Can someone confirm how much is blocked

by the current (built-in hood) Noctilux using the following chart (three choices: 1, 2,

3, or somewhere in between):

Thanks!

Jamie.

February 27, 2004

a few months back someone on this forum was selling a black leather half-case made

for the m6 in japan, but i can't locate the info again. anyone seen this available:

thanks, jamie

November 13, 2003

Hi Thomas,

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my work.

I did not notice any obvious framing issues, except for the obvious discrepancy between near and far objects, but this is something one learns to mentally compensate for when you choose to use the M-series. It becomes second nature.

Best, Jamie.

jamie drouin : photographs

<a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">http://www.jamiedrouin.com</a>

November 12, 2003

Most of my new Butoh series is made using it. Check out the latest issue of Leica World or my <a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">website</a>. In a nutshell, it's a stunning lens and a more than welcome addition to my way of working with the M-series.

Best regards,

Jamie Drouin

jamie drouin : photographs

<a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">http://www.jamiedrouin.com</a>

August 21, 2003

Ted Grant's book Doctor's Work : The Legacy of Sir William

Osler, originally produced in a very limited edition, is now

available through <a

href="http://www.fireflybooks.com/advance/bookdetail.asp?id=7004">Firefly

Books</a>

If you are looking for a collection of absolutely stunning

photographs, which happen to all be made using Leica cameras (both M

and R) then check this book out at your local bookstore. Ted is a

master of available light journalism with a strong graphic sense. His

work has been unjustly overlooked by collectors of fine

photography, so this larger reprint of his monograph is long overdue.

Best regards, Jamie

jamie drouin : photographs

<a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">http://www.jamiedrouin.com</a>

August 11, 2003

I'm looking for a lab in Vancouver or Victoria that specializes in

exhibition quality digital printing, especially Fuji Frontier work

over 11x14. Can anyone recommend a place that is concerned with very

high quality archival production?

Thanks! Jamie

jamie drouin : photographs

<a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">http://www.jamiedrouin.com</a>

August 9, 2003

Are we to assume that rendering life in 2-dimensions, cutting it down to a rectangle, and in many cases translating it to values of grey is *not* manipulation?

Best, Jamie.

jamie drouin : photographs

<a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">http://www.jamiedrouin.com</a>

August 5, 2003

Hi Bee,

I enjoy your work a great deal, and was spending some time on your site the other day. I know you were not asking for a general site critique, but I find the general design (bright colors & complex patterns, etc...) counterproductive to experiencing the depth and seriousness of your work. They seem to be two very different aesthetics.

Best regards, Jamie

jamie drouin : photographs

<a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">http://www.jamiedrouin.com</a>

July 25, 2003

Don't put too much weight into Ralph's comments about scanning negs. There are plenty of artists, including myself, who scan directly from negative (b&w and color) to make exhibition prints. He's also talking about scanning for doing book mockups, not his final prints.

Best, Jamie.

jamie drouin : photographs

<a href="http://www.jamiedrouin.com">http://www.jamiedrouin.com</a>

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