anbeck

<p>I was just referring to overwhelming choice for a zoom in that range. There are 4 Sigma lenses and 4 Nikon lenses (two 70-200 and the older and newer 80-200), a Tamron or two, plus several older lenses to consider. Even though I have excluded the OS Sigma and the Nikon 70-200s for the time being, the rest of them seems like Scylla and Charybdis... In any other range I need (maybe a 35 and 50 mm prime, as well as a 17-50 zoom) the choice is self-evident, at least if you know the limit of your budget.<br>

Another issue with the 80-200 is the lack of AF-S (at least with the older version). I have no experience at all with cameras powering the AF, and particularly not with the D7000. And again, it's hard to read something into online-discussions AF speed. Maybe some people who consider it fast enough come from some kit lens, while others who consider it super slow just compare it to the latest Nikon. <br>

As far as the 80-200 is concerned, I am not really willing to take the risk and come home from a concert to see that I missed a couple of great shots, because the AF was either too slow or out of focus.<br>

So I think for me it will be one of the Sigma lenses, hoping that I can get the fast focus spot on. And hoping, that a "soft" shot or one with chromatic aberration is easier to rescue than one which is simply out of focus.<br>

I just have to make up my mind over the DG and the two "macros" - although in the end it will probably be fate that will decide, if I get a first offer that I cannot resist.<br>

Unless, of course, somebody can exlude one of these lenses for my concert purposes, such as the first DG - hence my original question.</p>

<p>I considered the Nikon 80-200, but I've read a lot about backfocus problems specifically on the D7000. I don't know what to make of those internet-rumors, but it definitely made me consider the Sigma as a priority. But the more I read on the internet (and look at pictures), the less I am sure about preferring the DG, the HSM or the HSM II (well, whatever their specific exact names are).<br>

Another alternative would be just to rent a real good lens (such as the Nikon 70-200) for the concerts I want to photograph. But within a few weeks I'd pay enough in rent to get a used Sigma (whichever non-OS version).<br>

I wish I just had a Leica with a 35 or 50mm lens :D</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hello there,<br>

I am just switching from Canon to Nikon and got myself a D7000. However, I do not have any lenses yet. I have an interesting offer to buy a used old version of the Sigma 70-200 2.8. It is the second version (the first DG HSM version, the one right before the first 'Macro').<br>

It is so hard to differentiate which lens people are talking about when you look for information on the internet. So now I've decided to ask you whether anybody used this lens (or is still using it), and what you thought/think of it.<br>

I want to use the lens for concert photography, that is, under relatively difficult lighting. Would I regret getting this lens?<br>

Thanks a lot in advance,<br>

André</p>

Thanks Tom! <br><br>

I will try to remember some of your tips. Most of my shots during the action were useless, as holding tzhe camera still ain't too easy when the tear gas arrives...<br><br>

One question: Do you think the white bottle in this CRS guy's hand is pepper spray as well? If I had known that I would have stepped back a little further...<br><br>

<img src=http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/4324820-md.jpg>

I'm getting in closer to the action with each demonstration, what do you think? Look at the folder for more pics:<br><br>

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=584299<div></div>

As promised I have now uploaded some of the pictures I had taken yesterday. You can have a look at them in my folder, I'll attach my favourite to this post.<br><br>

Thanks,<br>

Andre<div></div>

Thanks for the advice so far. I had figured out some of it myself (today I have made shots from a higher point and in front of the crowd, I hope I can show them tomorrow).

There is just one problem with the wide angle lens: Probably that's too close for me and my guts. When it got "ugly" today, there were cops beating some youths down to the ground and kept on beating them up with their sticks. Unfortunately I had already shot all my films, as it was already dark and I thought nothing would happen.

But during this scene, there we're suddenly two or three professional photojournalists *within* all the mess, taking pictures with flashes from within three or four feet. I'm sure these are probably great pictures, as you may see the pain in the eyes of these guys (or they are ruined by the flash), but I'm not sure I want to get as close as that.

Anyway I will try to find out what a wide angle lens costs here in France...

Thanks again,

Andre

There's a problem with the links, here we go again:

http://www.photo.net/photo/4252266

http://www.photo.net/photo/4252267

http://www.photo.net/photo/4252264

Hello,

right now I am in France, where demonstrations are held against the

CPE. Anyway, I am happy to have found a situation that is different

from what I have done before. But I have realised that photographing

large groups of people effectively is very hard.

The problem is I only haved two primes (50mm and 135mm), so I would

have to move around to compensate for the missing zoom. This is easy

in normal environments like shooting portaits. But it was hard for

me to find a point of view outside of the "mob", so most pictures

ended up as rather boring, having been shot from within the students

(look at <http://www.photo.net/photo/4252266> or

<http://www.photo.net/photo/4252267> to see what I mean).

The pictures I like more are those of individuals taking part in the

protests (such as

<http://www.photo.net/photo/4252264>), but by doing

this I miss the scope of the protests.

Do you have any experience and advice for me? What I would like very

much would be photos to look at and to learn from, are there any

photos of 1968 for example? Are there any how-to books I should look at?

(please don't comment on the technical side of the photos, I don't

like the contrast and the overall quality of the scans either.)

Thanks a lot in advance!!

Andr?<div></div>

Hello there,

I'm probably going to photograph a woman who said she has small eyes.

As I've seen techniques here for all kinds of "flaws" (I wouldn't

think so, but in the end she has to like the photos), so I wonder if

you know anything to make eyes seem larger.

Or is this rather a question of make-up, and if so, what could be done?

Thank you very much,

Andre

Thanks for the answers so far. I've just found a book at Amazon called "Hollywood Portraits: Classic Shots and How to Take Them" by Roger Hicks. Does anybody know the book? Would you recommend it?

Thanks,

Andre

Hi there,<br><br>

I'm looking for help on how to set up a 1930s portrait lighting setup.

To show you what kind of lighting I'm thinking of I dug up a few shots

at the imdb.com:<br><br>

<a

href="http://imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1315/Mptv/1315/0705_2228.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Lombard,%20Carole%20(I)">Pic1</a><br>

Is that just one flash and an additional one for the hair?<br><br>

<a

href="http://imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1300/Mptv/1300/0705_2218.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Lombard,%20Carole%20(I)">Pic2</a><br>

This one seems to use two flashes from what I see in her eyes.<br><br>

<a

href="http://imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1127/Mptv/1127/0705_0501.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Lombard,%20Carole%20(I)">Pic3</a><br>

I like this one, any ideas how it was done?<br><br>

<a

href="http://imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1127/Mptv/1127/0705_0510.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Lombard,%20Carole%20(I)">Pic4</a><br>

Is this just one flash from above? The harsh shadow under the nose

seems to say that.<br><br>

Thanks for any help for the setups above and any other general

1930-style hints!!<br><br>

Andre

Hello there,

I wonder if you have any tips for me on the framing of headshot

portraits. I'm interested in both classic and "avantgardistic" ways of

composing a headshot. Maybe you even have links to some examples...?

Thank you very much,

Andre

Hello again,

as I wrote in the other thread I plan to make some short movies. I

assume lighting is also very important in movies, as it is in photography.

And I also assume that there are differences, as we have 24 pictures

per second in movies and the camera as well as the characters may move

during the scene (which is hardly possible in still photography...).

Do you have anything like the most important rules of lighting for

movies or something? Or can you recommend a book on that subject?

Thanks again,

Andre

Hello there,

some friends of mine and I love Godard and other directors. We think

about making short movies, probably in B&W, 16:9 is not needed in the

first place.

For what kind of camera should I look? What features should I look out

for? Which model would you recommend?

It mustn't be too expensive.

As I am an absolute MiniDV-beginner I do not know the right questions

to ask. But I hope you can help me find a camera that suits our needs.

Feel free to ask for further information.

Thanks,

Andre

Hello there,

I plan to shoot some outdoor available light b/w portraits. I like the

white, soft skin of black and white movies (Anna Karina in Godard's

films, for instance) and wonder which filter I should choose for a

similar effect.

Currently I think I'll choose between:

* B+W 022 medium yellow [8] or

* B+W 041 red-orange [22] or

* a 25 red filter.

Which one would you choose for the effect described above? I think the

red filter might be too harsh. Is the medium yellow filter too "mild"?

I tried to find example shots that used filters, but I didn't find a

single portrait.

Can you give me links to filtered b/w portraits or upload one or

something?

Thanks in advance,

Andre

Hi there,

up to now I've always used a UV-filter on my lens, mainly because I

wanted to protect the lens surface.

Now I've read that 1) modern lenses filter UV-light by themselves and

2) one should not use a filter to protect the lens, because the

picture will be better without the 'useless' filter (cf. 1.) and the

lens will not take damage anyway (unless your travelling in rough

terrain, deserts or such).

What is your opinion on that? To protect or not to protect?

What are the dis-/advantages?

Thanks,

Andre

Thanks for all your answers.

I'll probably try the Fuji Reala and the 160 NPS.

I'd better test out the locations before I shoot the real pictures, to find out whether I need a tripod or such. Usually I think that a tripod isn't nice if you want to change your perspective quickly for a portrait, it just reduces the "ease" of the session. But when I shoot with a ISO 100 film in autumn light it might be better.

Thanks a lot for all your responses!

Andre

Hi there,

I plan to make some outdoor portraits in available light ("autumn

light") and therefore look out for a nice portrait film. The film

should be nice to enlarge (fine grain), and skin tones should be

natural and soft. The portraits will be made outside to catch all

these great autumn colors.

All major film brands have their own ISO 160 film for this purpose,

what are the differences? What are the advantages/disadvantages of

these films?

Furthermore I've heard that one should expose these films on ISO 100.

Do I understand it correctly that I don't inform the lab about this

(in contrast to "pulling", where the processing is also adjusted?)?

Thanks in advance,

Andre

Hi there,

I wonder if you know any good photo books that only has photos of

faces in it. Are there any photographers that are well known for their

studies of faces?

Alternatively could you recommend any good book that has some

techniques on photographing faces (or a portraiture book that has some

material on faces, I'm not that much interested in other kinds of

portraiture photography right now, such as lighting and posing in

studios or so).

Thanks a lot,

Andre

Hello,

I own a Canon EOS 300V (Rebel Ti in the US?) and a tripod.

I would like to do a self-portrait, but what is the best way to do

that, if you have nobody to control the camera? How to focus on

yourself, while you are behind the camera?

Thanks a lot,

Andre

Hello,

I wonder if it was possible to implement a search in all the submitted

photos by the equipment that was used to make this photo.

For example if I wanted to buy a new lens, I could search for photos

with the Canon 135mm 2.8 Soft Focus.

Or the best rated photos that were shot with a Holga ;-)

I mean the equipment that was used for the photo is already stored in

the portfolios.

What do you think?

Andre

Hello,

I spent the afternoon in a photo bookstore and found many books that

grabbed my attention. But the most beautiful cover was the one from

Peter Lindbergh's "Images of Women". Does anybody know who the woman

on the cover is?

I found the book rather costly, although it was huge. I had no time to

look inside, but will when I get there the next time. Do you think the

book is worth the money (I know, it's a subjective question)?

Thanks,

Andre

Thanks to all of you, I can't wait to get it. I still have some questions:

1) What about processing and printing? Does your "next-street lab" process and print 6x6 (though most probably you can't speak for german labs)? How big are the prints? And how much more expansive are those prints? I can't process them by myself, since I want to start with colour photos.

2) I've seen on websites that sell Holgas that they also sell coloured flashs. Has anybody ever tried those? What effect do I get when I use a red flash in daylight, for instance?

Thanks again,

Andre