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ncarrasco

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Posts posted by ncarrasco

    Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L: Am I Overreacting?

    in Wedding & Event

    Posted

    <p>Hello,</p>

    <p>I want to thank all of you for providing so much helpful comments on my dilemma. The 24-70mm f/2.8 is a great lens but for some reason I was not so excited about it based on my first impression. I returned it. On Sunday I went to B&H and tried the 50mm f/1.2L for about 15 minutes. I felt in love with it. This lens suits my shooting style pretty well. I ordered it and can't wait to use it.</p>

    <p>Best,</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

    <p> </p><div>00W0Zk-229549684.jpg.303a238c9eb4386565f2ef565fd8a2a7.jpg</div>

    Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L: Am I Overreacting?

    in Wedding & Event

    Posted

    <p>

    <p>Last night I received a brand new copy of the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens. Probably I did not do my homework well before I ordered this lens, but I immediately noticed two issues that I did not like based on its physical inspection. The first one is that the front element protrudes as it zooms in. I have only used three lenses from Canon: the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, and 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS and my expectation was that only the standard lenses were designed with such a mechanism, not the L series ones. </p>

    <p>The second issue is that the zoom ring is a little rough. The zoom rings for both the 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM and 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS are so smooth that I can turn them with my little finger as I try to focus the image manually with the other fingers. I love that mechanism. On the other hand, the roughness of this lens' zoom ring is similar to that of the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS-- not close to that of 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS, for example. It feels like I am really pushing the whole front element of this lens!</p>

    <p>I am sure that this is not a defective copy of this lens. I think this is the way it is designed. </p>

    <p>Why did I buy this lens? I shoot with the Canon 5D Mark II. I thought that the versatility of the 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens complements really well the 16-35mm f/2.8L II and 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lenses (I never use the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS with this camera). I normally shoot people and events. My other choice that I strongly considered was the Canon 50mm f/1.2 L. </p>

    <p>The question is: should I return this lens and instead get the 50mm f/1.2 L, or am I overreacting? Would the 50mm f/1.2 L lens complement the 16-35mm f/2.8L II and 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lenses for event photography, including weddings, using the Canon 5D Mark II? How often does people use the 50mm f/1.2 L lens in weddings in combination with a full-framed camera? What are your recommendations? </p>

    <p>Thank you very much for your comments.</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

     

    </p>

    Choosing a 6x7 system

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    <p>The Pentax 6x7II is a great camera for landscape photography. I bought a new one in 2004 and I fell in love with it. Because of the convenience that digital photography offers, I have not used it for the last two years. If you opt for this camera, I might sell it (with 5 lenses and other accessories).</p>

    <p>Regards,</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

    Bride has a wandering eye

    in Wedding & Event

    Posted

    <p>I would avoid using telephoto lenses to capture facial expression especially when the wondering eye is closer to the camera. I would rather use relatively wide angle lenses to capture the moment in general. In the portrait session, I would romanticize the moment by asking her to look down, look away into the distance, close her eyes, relax, and smile, etc.</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

    preventing loss of sharpness, color and contrast when uploading to Photo.net

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    <p>I have seen a few versions of this question here on PN, but nobody has provided a solution to the problem. I have struggled a lot with exactly the same issue. I have not found the optimal solution yet but I have corrected the problem significantly. I also use Adobe Lightroom and export the images as jpg in the sRGB color space to post them on facebook with the dimension of 604 pixels in the long edge. Then I batch-process all the images in PS CS3 using a simple action that I generate using a representative image. This action includes applying some local contrast, increasing saturation to 20-25%, decreasing the brightness of the images slightly using curve, and then exporting using "Save for the web". In detail:<br /> 1. Open the image in CS3. Go to View on the menu bar, --> Proof Setup --> If you use Windows, select Windows RGB. <br /> 2. Copy the background layer and apply an USM: amount = 50%; radio = 20 pixels; Threshold = 0 levels. Then decrease the opacity of this layer to what you think is appropriate; in my case I usually decrease it to 20-25%.<br /> 3. Increase the saturation of the image by 20-25%. View the optimized version of the image in "Save for the Web". You might want to go back to the saturation layer and fine tune the saturation slightly. Some color balance might also help. At this point, my images look a little too bright when I view the optimized version of "Save for the Web", so I use a curve layer to adjust (decrease) the midtones. I you are happy with how the image looks, export it by Saving it for the Web". You don't need to flatten the layers since this procedure automatically does it and outputs the file in the sRGB color space.<br /> 4. Post the image on the web and see if further adjustments are necessary.<br /> 5. If everything looks great, create an action of these adjustments and batch process all your images.</p>

    <p>I hope this helps.</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

    Stopped by a policeman for taking pictures of a church

    in Street & Documentary

    Posted

    <p>About four years ago, I was taking pictures by the bay near the <strong><a onclick="this.blur();openInfoWindow('A');return false;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=&vps=2&jsv=176c&sll=40.79228,-73.789855&sspn=0.003139,0.006684&gl=us&ie=UTF8&cd=1&split=0&geocode=Fc1abgIdtBOa-w"><strong>Throgs Neck Bridge </strong> </a> </strong> in Queen, NY with a Pentax 67 camera mounted on a tripod. All the suddenly, three NYPD patrol cars surrounded me. They accused me of taking pictures to a military base nearby, which I did not know of its existence. The military base was, indeed, in the background. They said that there was a sign by the entrance of the parking lot where I had my car, which I did not see. They did not give me a chance. They questioned me, checked my record on site, and asked me if I had any tattoos on my body. They also told me that I could get shot by a sniper (probably from the military base). Finally, they asked to surrender my films. I begged them not to take my films. I even showed them the log book where I was writing down the information about each exposure to make the point that I was a serious hobbyist photographer--not a terrorist. "Look at my equipment", I remember saying to the officers. When they realized that I was not complying, they told me that they will have to arrest me. I had to remove the roll of film from the camera and as soon as I handed it to one of the officers, he unfolded it right in front of me. Finally, before they left, I was asked to pack and leave immediately the area. I, of course, filed a complaint about the incident. I felt very depressed and humiliated. If it happens to you, be very polite and get the name or any information of the officer involved. That is very important if you need to file a complaint.</p>

    Canon 5D Mark II AF Problem!

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    <p>Getting ready to ship my camera for service, I spoke with a different Canon representative yesterday and he recommended that I should reset all the settings of the camera back to default. I did that last night and I have tried to reproduce the observed problem by aiming the camera a different places. I have tried about 100 times, and so far I have not been able to reproduce the problem a single time. The AF looks quite responsive! I don't know if this simple procedure fix the problem, but I feel motivated.</p>

    Canon 5D Mark II AF Problem!

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    <p>I would like to thank those who provided helpful comments. The AF problem has gotten worse. I spoke with a Canon representative and I will need to ship the camera for service in NJ. "If you're missing catching fish, it is possible that you may not be using the best rod/hook combination in the market."<br /> Nicolas</p>

    Canon 5D Mark II AF Problem!

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    <p>I have missed a couple of shots because the Canon 5D Mark II has failed to focus. In one occasion, it occurred inside a church while shooting a baptism using flash. I first took a shot to the subject and the camera focused fine; Immediately after I tried to take essentially the same shot by recomposing the image slightly but the camera failed to focus (exposure ISO 800, f/4.5, 1/40 sec, IS ON). This issue has occurred unexpectedly more than ten times already. It is independent of the type of lens since it has happened with either the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS or the 16-35mm f/2.8 II. It takes a few seconds for the camera to refocus again. It is frustrating and sometimes the subjects have noticed that I am having a technical issue.<br>

    I would like to know if this a problem that is unique to my camera or if this is a more general issue with the Canon 5D Mark II.</p>

    <p>Thank you for your comments.</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

    Adobe and Canon 5D Mark II!

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    <p>Following your suggestions, I have found a solution to the above problem but Bridge CS3 is still not recognizing the files. As part of my standard workflow for the past few years, if I use Adobe Bridge CS3 to both import and convert the Canon 5D Mark II's Raw files to dng, the program still fails to convert the files to this desired format. It does import the Raw files, but neither Lightroom 2.2 or Photoshop CS3 can open these files. And Yes, I upgrade the DNG converter to its latest version. However, if I use Lightroom to both import and do the conversion, everything works well.<br>

    I would like to thank each one of you for your comments.</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

     

    Adobe and Canon 5D Mark II!

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    <p>It seems to be that Adobe does not provide support for Canon 5D Mark II using both Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom 2.2. I was not able to open the Raw files at all or convert them to dng. I currently have Camera Raw 4.4 and DNG Converter 4.5, and can't upgrade neither software without upgrading to PS CS4. I think Adobe is playing a dirty game here. It is not even a year since Adobe released CS3 and Lightroom 2 and now they become useless. <br>

    Do you have any comment?</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

    Video Editing Programs!

    in Video

    Posted

    <p>Apple and Adobe produce video editing programs. At the amateur level, Apple has Final Cut Express while Adobe has Premiere Elements. At the professional level, Apple has Final Cut Studio ($1,300), which is a collection of a few programs, while Adobe has Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium ($1,700). I have never used any computer program from Apple, except for those programs that my MacBrook Pro came loaded with by default. However, I have experiences using Adobe's programs (Photoshop, Lightroom, Flash, Dreamweaver, Bridge, etc.). I have no prior experience with video editing programs, except for Apple's iMovie HD. My main interests are on family, events, and nature videography using Canon 5D Mark II (still waiting for this camera to arrive). A have a few general questions:<br>

    What have been your experiences with Apple's or Adobe's video editing programs at both the amateur and professional levels? What are Apple's and Adobe's pro and cons? What program should I use to start gaining experience? Do you have web links to video samples that I can see made with a specific program? Is there any online site that focuses on video-editing discussions?</p>

    <p>Thank you for your help.</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

    Creation of a Video Forum!

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    <p>With the introduction of HD videos in DSLR cameras, both professional and amateur photographers with no experience to videoghaphy will have to learn this medium for the first time. I would like to ask Photo.net to create a new forum that will stimulate discussion of digital videos. Some of the topics for discussion can be a) how to best shoot a scene; b) editing--softwares; c) how to publish a video online, etc.<br>

    I recently ordered the Canon 5D Mark II and I don't know where to start or what software to use for editing.</p>

    <p>Thank you Photo.net.</p>

    <p>Nicolas</p>

     

    Lens for new born shots

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    <p>Ben, I faced that same question five months ago. I already had the Canon 16-35mm II, f/2.8L and the 28-135mm f/3.5 with the camera 10D. I decided to obtain the 70-200 mm f/2.8L for the birth of my baby. This is a fantastic lens for baby photography. I have been using it more than 98% of the time to capture beautiful indoor pictures under challenging lights with a non-professional flash. I only use the 16-35 mm lens for group pictures. You really need a flash!<br>

    Nicolas</p><div>00RpMG-98457684.jpg.60d5c3d1613ee62292eb2e53c23b02eb.jpg</div>

    Can't Open an Image Containing Research Data!

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    Thomas,

     

    You did an impressive job! This is really mysterious to me or probably it explains the basis for the problem that I am having. It happens that the image that you extracted from the file I uploaded does not correspond to the image that I am trying to recover. The UP62_U1A_GelShift_080924.IMG_0162.tif file contains an important image of an experiment that I ran in a biochemical laboratory. It does not contain people in it. It was created from the original RAW file IMG_0162.CR2 which I can locate but can't open. However, I can identify the image you recovered. I shot it with the same camera. It corresponds to the file name IMG_0097.dng which is present in my hard drive and I can open it without any problem. The question that I have, how does the image that you recovered corrupted or got integrated into UP62_U1A_GelShift_080924.IMG_0162.tif? The UP62_U1A_GelShift_080924.IMG_0162.tif file still exhibit the thumbnail image corresponding to the research image lost.

     

    I really appreciate your help.

     

    Nicolas

    Can't Open an Image Containing Research Data!

    in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing

    Posted

    I photographed some important research data with the Canon PowerShot G9 in Raw format. I was able to open and

    edit the images in both Lightroom 2.0 and Photoshop CS3 without any issue. Now I need the images to prepare a

    research progress report presentation for tomorrow morning and CAN'T OPEN neither the Raw Files or the Tiff file

    that I created about two months ago. One of the file names in Raw is IMG_0162.CR2; another file name is

    UP62_U1A_GelShift_080924.IMG_0162.tif. The message that I get from Photoshop reads "Could not complete your

    request because Photoshop does not recognize this type of file".

     

    I appreciate your help.

     

    Thank you.

     

    Nicolas

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