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digitalirony

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Posts posted by digitalirony

    Sharpening Suggestions

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    Apart from USM there are other methods of sharpening that you might wish to look at. They work differently and some are better suited to some images that others. The main benefit I find is the ability to adjust the level of sharpening without having to run the whole proceedure again. I usually save the .psd file and can adjust the level of sharpening if I am going to print the image at a nother size at a later date. I simply make a copy of the original file, resize, and then adjust the sharpening. (Sometimes I do have to redo the sharpening layer again from scratch though.)<br><br>Have a play and see what you like.<br><br><a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/high-pass-sharpening.shtml">High Pass Sharpening</a> is one that I use regularly.<br><br><a href="http://www.bythom.com/sharpening.htm">Edge Sharpening</a> is another that I use with some frequency.

    I like this one as it doesn't sharpen areas of similar tone that look less than natural when sharpened using USM.<br><br>I hope that these will be of some use to you.

    New photos from Cuba

    in Travel

    Posted

    <b>Very, very nice collection of photographs.</b>

    <br><br>

    I never thought I needed an 85 f1.2 lens, but looking at the number of shots taken at this focal length and aperature that I like maybe I should change my thinking!

    <br><br>

    <a href="http://www.tommyimages.com/Previews/Cuba/slides/Cuba_2109-Trinidad_Street.html">http://www.tommyimages.com/Previews/Cuba/slides/Cuba_2109-Trinidad_Street.html</a> is my favourite of the lot, due to the colours and vibrancy. <a href="http://www.tommyimages.com/Previews/Cuba/slides/Cuba_2078-Climb.html">http://www.tommyimages.com/Previews/Cuba/slides/Cuba_2078-Climb.html</a> is a close second, and <a href="http://www.tommyimages.com/Previews/Cuba/slides/Cuba_1641-Trinidad_Boy.html">http://www.tommyimages.com/Previews/Cuba/slides/Cuba_1641-Trinidad_Boy.html</a>, comes third. Though to be honest I really liked at least half of them.

    <br><br>

    Thanks for sharing (both tthe photos and the shooting data). Keep up the good work :)

    Agfa Ultra 100 - I'm biting the bullet :(

    in The Wet Darkroom: Film, Paper & Chemistry

    Posted

    You could always put the decision off for a while and <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/100-Stueck-Agfa-Ultra-100-ASA-36-Bilder_W0QQitemZ7589738753QQcategoryZ20038QQssPageNameZWD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank"><b>buy another 100 rolls</b></a><br>

    <br>

    I only recently started using Ultra 100 for bright and sunny days and kind of like the look of it, it is a shame that it isn't being produced any more. I'm currently wtching a few auctions of Vista 100 which I have read is quite similar (10 rolls rather than 100 which would last me years).<br>

    <br>

    My usual films are Reala, Portra 160 and Ultra Color 400. The nearest of those three to the Ultra 100 would be the Ultra Color 400. I haven't used the Ultra Color 100, but it might be worth your while buying a few rolls and seeing if you like it.

    3.5% or 5 degree spot metering?

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    It would depend on what lens you were using on the camera at the time, but I'd say that the camera almost always would give you the smaller portion of the image.

     

    I'm not 100 percent sure of my maths but it should be good enough for the purpose of showing the difference, and I'm sure someone else will correct it if it is wrong.

     

    A 300mm lens would have an angle of view of 8.2 degrees. 3.5% of that would be about 0.3 degrees.

     

    A 24mm lens would an angle of view of 84.1 degrees. 3.5% of that would be about 3.0 degrees.

     

    A rectilinear 14mm lens would an angle of view of 114.2 degrees. 3.5% of that would be about 4.0 degrees.

    Nikon Coolscan IV vs Nikon Coolscan V

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    Hi All,

     

    I am in the market for a 35mm film scanner (primarily for scanning

    negatives although that might change if I manage to get a scanner)

    and have been offered a Coolscan IV at an attractive price. It is

    being offered at slightly less than half the price of a new Coolscan

    V, and I was wondering if anybody has used both and can offer an

    informed opinion regarding the major differences in using the two

    scanners.

     

    I am familiar with using a Microtek ArtixScan 4000t with VueScan

    8.3.03, and apart from the amount of level and curve adjustment and

    quite happy with the results (when I get to borrow the scanner). The

    one thing it does lack which would be very useful is ICE which both

    Coolscans offer. I understand that VueScan will do dust and scratch

    removal with these scanners as well.

     

    So rambling swiftly on, apart from the optical resolution of the

    scanners (2900ppi vs 4000ppi) is there any other considerations that

    I should be aware of whilst trying to make up my mind?

     

    Any insight appreciated.

    Help - Film Scans need lots of Levels & Curves Adjustment

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    Thanks again Emre,<br>

    <br>

    I'll give it a try. It is hard to know what is best sometimes as there are many conflicting opinions out there.<br>

    <br><hr><br>

    Hi John,<br>

    <br>

    I found a <a hreff="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-metering.htm" target="_blank">website about metering</a> that is a bit more helpful than most (at least for me) regarding metering and identifying middle grey.<br>

    <br>With a bit of luck and some practice I should eventually learn how to determine what to choose as the subject for partial metering.<br>

    <br><hr><br>

    Cheers Everyone,<br>

    <br>

    Jon

    Help - Film Scans need lots of Levels & Curves Adjustment

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    Thanks John,<br>

    <br>

    <blockquote>"Learn what middle density looks like, find it in the image, meter that"</blockquote>is exactly what I am hoping to learn. I'll have to buy or borrow a book on it, because to date everything I have read online hasn't helped me. That isn't to say that the information is poor, just that I have not yet managed to comprehend it.<br>

    <br><hr><br>

    Thanks, John-Baptiste,<br>

    <br>

    VueScan defaults to a 0.1% cliping value and based on what I read and was advised I changed this to 0%. I am very pleased with the results of the scans once they have been corrected, I was just worried that there was something that I was missing that would have produced a better result at the scanning stage.<br>

    <br>

    Now that I know that the results are what is to be expected, I will just get on with scanning my negatives and not worry about the process any more.<br>

    <br>

    I will eventually start scanning at 48bits (16 bits per channel) which will make the effects of the level and curve adjustments less noticable (although I tried it on one frame that I scanned twice, at 24 bits and also 48 bits and to be honest I didn't notice a difference), but for now my hardware limits the practicability of doing so.<br>

    <br>

    With regard to the accuracy of the colours, I have tried to stay away from making any colour shifts in processing as I don't have any hardware colour calibration tools and I put more faith in the scanner than my eyes and monitor.<br>

    Help - Film Scans need lots of Levels & Curves Adjustment

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    Thanks Emre,<br>

    <br>

    Both photos were taken in Olu Deniz in August this year. It was my first visit to Turkey and I really enjoyed it. I did quite a few tours but not being in control of the times of the trips, didn't have to best light (still managed to shoot 15 rolls though :) ).<br>

    <br>

    Already planning a return trip, and now that I know the area a little I can rent a car and visit all the places I wish when the light is better.

    <br><hr><br>

    Thanks also Erik,<br>

    <br>

    It looks like I will have to buy another, larger hard disk and more memory. I don't know if my puny processor will be able to handle processing such large files though, but there is only one way to find out.<br>

    <br><hr><br>

    Thanks also William,<br>

    <br>

    I thought that it might be normal but wasn't sure. I haven't quite mastered using partial metering on my canon so I never feel confident using it (I never know what in the scene to use to measure the exposure from). What would you suggest in the landscape photo?<br>

    <br>

    I should of used some fill in flash on the second photo, but I don't really like people to be aware that I am photographing them, I guess I just need to be more confident.<br>

    <br><hr><br>

    <b>Thanks again everybody.</b>

    Help - Film Scans need lots of Levels & Curves Adjustment

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    I am new to film scanning and have been wondering about the scans

    that I am producing using a

    Microtek ArtixScan 4000t and VueScan 8.3.03.<br><br>Every single

    scan looks

    washed out and I have to apply some level of curves and levels

    adjustment afterwards to correct this. The level of correction

    required varies from frame to frame but the examples below are

    average samples. The level of adjustment required seems a little

    extreem.<br>

    <br>

    Is this normal and if not how do I go about correcting this at the

    scanning stage? I have tried making adjustments in VueScan but there

    seems to be very little control.<br>

    <br>

    I have however in my searching found useful tips on locking exposure

    and setting the film base colour which have improved my scans.<br>

    <br>

    I have been scanning at 24bit colour depth because I haven't got the

    disk space for 48bit scans.<br>

    <br>Any help would be appreciated<br><br><center>

    <img src="http://www.digitalirony.com/raw_vs_post.jpg" width="600"

    height="407" alt="raw scan vs after levels and curves"

    vspace="15"></img>

    <img src="http://www.digitalirony.com/raw_vs_post_2.jpg" width="409"

    height="600" alt="raw scan vs after levels and curves"

    vspace="15"></img></center>

    Focus issue ... or not?

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    "I'm unclear as the technology used and thus don't know if this problem is even likely or possible to be a failure or maladjustment of the camera and/or lenses (combination of front and rear focusing focus points, and apparent randomness of if they do focus more or less correctly)"<br>

    <br>

    Have a read of <a href="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/241524" target="_blank">http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/241524</a> its a long thread but the first three pages should explain more than you ever wanted to know about Canon Autofocus systems and how they work!

    EOS 3 misreading film dx code anyone?

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    Hi Jo,

     

    The DX Codes for ISO 3200 and ISO 200 are very similar (see these links http://www.bythom.com/dxcodes.htm and http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/eprebel/Imaging/Photography/DX/DX.html) with only one contact difference between them. It could be possible that the contact on the film canister was faulty or that there was a small item of dirt or something that was sitting on the contact when you loaded the camera that created a contact for position 4 which should have not been conductive.

     

    If there is a problem with the camera itself you have the ability to change the ISO from the automatically selected one so it isn't a problem that would warrant major panic as long as you checked the speed whenever you loaded the camera.

     

    Try loading a few loads of ISO 100 and ISO 200 when you have a chance to do some recreational photography and see what happens. Chances are that the fault was with the canister and that everything will be okay.

    Will 2mm make a big difference?

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    As you already have the 18-55 you should be able to decide. Simply see if you can survive by only using it at up to 20mm for a while.

     

    You can do some test shots to find out where the 20mm point is and memorise the position and then see if it makes much of a difference to YOU.

     

    Ultimately this is one of those questions that only you can answer as only you will know what you can live with.

    What happens with old film?

    in The Wet Darkroom: Film, Paper & Chemistry

    Posted

    Makes sense that they were underexposed. Over time the chemicals would lose some of their effectiveness. With all the low level x-rays and other cosmic radiation that would have hit the emulsion by now, the film would definately become less sensitive.

     

    Try shooting two stops over the rated speed and see what the results are like. There will probably be a reduction in contrast, so maybe try a roll of portraits and get it developed and printed as cheaply as possible.

     

    Who know you might like the results!

     

    Someone else in the forum will be able to give you a more technical explaination of what happens to unexposed film as it ages.

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