dave404

<p>If you pick up the Dan Margulis books on Photoshop he only uses 8-bit and laughs at people that expect perfect histograms. It only matters when the gaps and spikes get really wide, otherwise nobody is going to notice. That said I shoot RAW and stay 16-bit as long as possible. It give you more room to work with.</p>

<p>The reminds me of a time shooting film where the film slipped from the sprocket and since I was using an autowinder it just kept going 36 ... 37 ... 38 ... But I had no preview. I assume you must have checked to see that the images were being written to the card.<br>

There are flash memory recovery programs out there, usually to try to recover erased files. Did you format the card on the camera or on a PC and then moved it to the camera? Always format on the camera. Try to off load from the USB cable, from different card readers.<br>

Sounds like its time to retire that card.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The lens selection looks good. Perhaps a second body also? Then a lightweight tripod. I lug around my laptop computer with an external disk drive for backup. Its painful to carry around. Even more painful to get through security.<br>

When I went to Italy last year I used the 24-70 2.8L, 70-200 2.8L and the 15 mm fisheye with my 5D. I brought a basic tripod and a backpack bag. Get insurance on the equipment.<br>

Good Luck,</p>

<p>Perhaps its the Liberty School Cabernet I was drinking that night.</p>

 

<p>Daniel Daniel,<br>

From that article.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If you use the <strong>same</strong> lens on a Canon APS-C crop sensor camera and a 35mm full frame body, then shoot from <strong>different distances</strong> so that the <strong>view is the same</strong>, the Canon APS-C crop sensor camera image will have 1.6x <strong>MORE</strong> DOF then the full frame image.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I guess you do not understand, or perhaps I was not explicit, i want <strong>LESS </strong>DOF and can always up the F stop if I want more in focus. I want separation. I want the background to blur. Its much easier than post process in Photoshop lens filter with a depth of field mask. My G12 is a nice camera but I can't separate subjects from the background like my 5D or even the 20D.<br>

This is a good calculator and there is one for android http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html</p>

 

<p>The difference in DOF is indirect, you don't have to back up to fit your subject in like you would shooting with a 1.6 crop body and hence you can get much closer, you are able to obtain more DOF. There are DOF calculators on line if you would like to plot the results.</p>

<p>I think it depends on what your future plans are. Are you going to stay with a 1.6X crop body or go full frame. I entered the DSLR realm with the 20D and the 24-85 but then got the 70-200 f.8L IS, then the 24-70 2.8L. Then I borrowed a 5D MKI and tried it out with my L lenses, drooled all over the camera and the next week I bought my own 5D. I am happy if not richer to own this setup. <br>

The 70-200 on a 1.6X body was a bit cramped to me at a wedding. I have had success but its a wee bit to much since its really a 112-320.You get some shots that are framed too tight with no crop room.<br>

The f/4 on the 70-200 is a bit slow for weddings and night stuff. Its better to save up, tighten the belt and buy the good stuff. The f/2.8.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The 5D MK1s Megapixel count is fine. On rare occasions it would be nice to have more pixels but, that is not the main issue, its the sensor size itself. If you invest in EF L series lenses the outer region of the light cone from the lens does not shine on the sensor and hence the crop. So its almost a waste of money to buy the big lenses for the cropped body, almost. If you have a lot invested in EOS lenses and do not contemplate a big upgrade the 60D would be fine. When you marry the full frame L series lenses with the full frame body you experience the big difference in depth of field is huge and the lenses actually act like what you would expect - at least those of us that grew up on film camera 35mm bodies. I did not like my 24-70 2.8L on the 20D with its 1.6 sensor. At weddings I would have to sit on the adjacent table to fit the table I was shooting in the picture. Is that a 24? No its a 24 X 1.6.<br>

Borrow, rent or go to a camera store like B&H and see the difference.<br>

Bigger pixels and lower pixel counts have less noise. The larger pixel is able to accumulate that many more photons and provide a better signal to noise ration relative to thermal noise. If I recall the Canon G12 reduced pixel count in favor of low light performance - i.e. less noise.<br>

I contemplate moving to the next 5D when it becomes available. I do not relish the increase in the pixel count, even if they have the SRAW modes. If you shoot a lot the file sizes become onerous. Of course Ansel Adams said that the best tool in the darkroom was the garbage can, I guess the delete key is another.</p>

<p>Metadata is the relevant key. Anything either you or the camera attaches to the image you should be careful about. I don't mind my camera settings are logged. Some people do. I do attach GPS coordinates to pictures using and external program and I also tag photos in Adobe Bridge with lots of information such as where the shot was taken. Flickr will allow these tags to be immediately searched and in my case someone is monitoring what is posted with the name of the park I was shooting in.<br>

Some cameras now allow you to add your personal copywrite and other data direct to the recorded metadata. Another item that is usually in the EXIF is the camera serial number. So if your camera is stolen you can possibly find the thief on line. This is a two edged sword since the serial number can be associated with the camera owner even if that metadata is not explicitly present by finding other images that were posted by the same camera.<br>

I wish Adobe Bridge would allow you full control over metadata edits and not require you to have to use an external program. The one tool they should have - wipe metadata.</p>

<p>I'll tell you why you need to strip off EXIF data in some circumstances. I photographed at a site that was officially off limits and posted it on flickr and it had tags and EXIF information attached. Who would care, its been abandoned for a hundred years?<br>

There are eyes watching all the time it seems. On Internet things can be found readily. I received this as a comment.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Filming in Off-Limits Areas is Against the Law<br />Filming a Model Without a Permit is in Violation of Director's Order <br /><br />Filming a Prop or Set Without a Permit is in Violation of Director's Order <br />If you Choose to Ignore these Laws and Regulations, you will be Apprehended and Either Ejected from the Park, Fined, or Prosecuted</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This is in the USA. In some states they will arrest you for filming a police officer under the pretense that its "wiretapping". If you are in Syria, Egypt or some other hell hole you had better wipe the camera data before you release anything.<br>

I don't mind people seeing my camera setups but watch out.<br>

Big brother always watches.</p>

<p>I always remove my 5D Mk I's battery with the camera on. It should not damage the camera but if the electronics somehow got into a locked state you should remove the batteries and let it sit. The CMOS circuits in the chips are like little capacitors and can retain a charge and remain locked up. Eventually they should discharge completely. If that does not work its Canon repair Jamesburg.</p>

 

<p>The hurdle for me is getting through airport security and onto the plane all in one piece. In one incident the TSA had all my lenses out in one of their trays, rolling around banging into each other and going through the Xray machine. This included my canon 70-200 2.8L, 24-70 2.8L, 15mm and the camera body. My last Europe trip I left the 70-200 home and went lighter, one body one walk around lens.<br>

You have to go lighter especially if you are carrying baggage on trains, buses and other mass transit. In Hawaii you will at least to straight to the rental car.<br>

I would carry a real good point and shoot like the G12 as a backup camera which garantee<em>s </em>that I can still record the vacation if the main camera fails, or is stolen which is a distinct possibility.</p>

<p>I see my comment about I wish I had the Q flash was picked up on. I have seen the Planet Neil guy shooting weddings nearby at the Garret Mountain castle, which is one of his favorite locations. I saw him go bare bulb in back of the bride on a sunny day and lift up the ambient light in back by rear of the castle making what I am sure was a nice effect. My 580s don't have that kind of power. Those Q flashes also look damn cool.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Assuming the flash is not the sole light source in the room and you are dragging the shutter, the exposure will always some mix of ambient and flash. Ergo, the flash to flash WB differential is probably not what you are seeing, its different combinations of different light sources depending on distance. Even when you gel the 580 with a CTO 1/4 or 1/2 there will be some variation of different lights with different temperature. I always gel in a tungsten environment. Q flash does not solve these problems. I wish I owned one though.</p>

<p>One thing is to start with a photograph where the pupil is not too big. Shining a small halogen light or even a flashlight into the eyes which is invisible relative to the main lights but enough to constrict the pupil is a good idea. Hopefully there is a catchlight that it nicely placed by your setup.<br>

After that its Photoshop work or something else. Lighten the whites of the eyes without going overboard. Remove secondary catch lights. Take the primary light and dodge it to make it brighter. Then you can apply digital makeup by darkening around the eye, essentially a mascara job. Sharpening also helps and if you enter CMYK in any of your processing steps sharpen the K heavily, the lashes will live there. Generally you don't want to sharpen the skin, just the eyes, lips etc.</p>

<p>OK, here's my Photoshop approach S&H done to L in LAB. Some curving in CMYK to get dress to be white in most places and skin a bit nicer also steepen the K. HiResLowAmount unsharp mask. A little brightening of the eyes and a crop to the main object of interest.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p>I have written a lot of imaging software, 3D rendering, etc. and I can appreciate how difficult it must be for the the guy the wrote the camera software to decide on what is the most significant highlight, bias his exposures to make that be the most significant object, drop a few stops of exposure latitude based on that highlight and attempt an auto white balance assuming the brightest object must be white! A bride on a dance floor with a nearby disco ball will demonstrate what the camera's algorithm will do - a white wedding dress at 100 Y 60R 60G.The camera software is all biased towards average scenes and does not know what a specular reflection is, it assumes it must be a highlight that you want to preserve. That is the risk with JPG. But hey, if you want to put your faith in that mysterious software engineer that wrote all the camera algorithms go ahead. If you can do it, you can do it.</p>

<p>This image is pretty good overall except for the dress which it blown out. Some channel blending, LAB curving and reducing some of the noise in the A-B channels. Some high radius low amount sharpening in LAB then to CMYK to try to improve the jacket while hitting the black channel with a lot of sharpening to improve the eyes. Some noise in the jacket should be worked out but I am getting back to my wine and not spending more time on this.</p><div></div>

<p>I have brought my 70-200 2.8 to weddings where I was not the designated photographer but I stay back out of the way. If someone is getting in your way you should point it out to him/her politely while pointing out that you are "the" paid photographer. Sometimes a family member can take quite memorable shots that the paid photographer would miss, since he does not the family, nor the personalities involved. They should stay out of the way. <br>

I am more concerned with the blizzard of P&S photographers who get everyone in your group shots to be staring off in different directions.</p>

<p>In the studio perhaps it's time to shoot tethered to a laptop. Using DSLR PRO or CaptureOne would make sure you get the results you need before the shooting session ends.</p>

<p>Another idea is to brighten the ambient light in the studio to help the AF. Albert's focus target is a good idea.</p>

 

<p>I guess there are a lot of people here that would agree that the Iranian protesters that are protesting the rigged election in Iran should also toe the line and not publish any photos or videos of the police crack down, complete with goon squads to terrorize the people.Without these amateur journalists there would be little news out of Iran.</p>

<p>Here in the US there is increasing government control of what you can photograph and under what conditions. Dover AFB prevented basic photos of the body bags coming home, for that would drive home the message that the Iraq fiasco has a steep cost. Mathew Brady today would probably be locked in a jail or given a cease and desist order. All kinds of photography are off limits. You need permits, show insurance policies etc etc before being alowed to shoot. I was shooting a building facade a few years ago and got surrounded my police! It was an old hospital building.</p>

<p>If you are the first on the scene of an accident or are needed to help out, your first priority should be saving lives. After that you should be able to photograph a newsworty event.</p>

<p>End of Photographing anything is more like it. Bridges, buildings, anything government related. I just had a nasty warning posted on my flickr site about a photo shoot in an abandoned structure a year ago, complete with links to a government regulation web site. The Metadata in your photos leaves a trail and there are people out there googling to find you.</p>

<p>Two years ago I was photographing the facade of a building. The building was made of different colored marble and had both Ionic and Corinthian columns! I bit much perhaps. I got two shots off before being surrounded by two police cruisers. I would like to do some NY skyline shots, especialy with the GW bridge but who knows, I might be arrested.</p>

<p>Free country, maybe if you have news <em>accreditation</em> .</p>

 

<p>The 2 580EX flashes on stands sounds like a good idea for posed static shots. At a wedding, normally you are running around in a crowded environment and will want one light on camera and the key light off camera on a stand. Sometimes you can not get the second light into position and must do with only one trying to bounce it or do something. During a wedding you will not be able to lug the second light around all the time, and chances are it will get tripped over and broken at some point. You are not supposed to be the focus of the wedding! Juggling two of these will annoy the guests. Ideally have an assistant hold the key at a 45 degree angle and use the Canon ratio control set to achieve a 2:1 ratio or higher. Note that Canon's flash control is ass backwards but you can learn about that with a few moments on Google. Also learn to drag the shutter. Full manual with both flashes is also possible, but takes some more time. Once you have the range you can shoot a bunch of shots as long as you maintain the same flash-subject distance. Always shoot manual for shutter and f-stop and shoot RAW for the extra latitude. I use Cybersyncs for manual flash triggering of speedlights and strobes. Go to the strobist web site, panetneil and others for tips.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I was with another photographer at Emerald Bay Lake Tahoe where he was shooting with the 70-300 and I was shooting with the 70-200 2.8L IS. We swapped lenses and compared the results of his Rebel and my 20D. There was so much more detail in the 70-200 at max power than the 70-300. The image quality was dramatically better. One of these shots of Emerald Island with the 70-200 is in my portfolio. At highest resolution the 70-200 was so far ahead of the 70-300 he left it in the camera bag most of the time. The f/4 model would be nice to have since it weighs less, but I usually want the 2.8.<br>

If you saved up more for the 1.4X converter you could then get some extra power to match the 70-300. Stop short of the 2X.<br>

The main disadvantage of the 2.8L model is the weight. I take it on hikes with significant climbs and I pay dearly for it.</p>

<p>You need a telescope to advance much further. My old astronomy group had a project where they created manual [hand] crankers that they would turn a screw to keep up with Earth's rotation with two boards, a hindge and a camera mount. I had a telescope with a motor drive so I passed on the cranking.<br>

The amount of stuff you can get with a telephoto or a standard lens just mounted to the back of telescope in piggyback fashion is amazing. The telescope's motor drive makes it an ideal platform. The Wilky Way passing through Cygnus and Scutum and downt to Sagittarious can be breathtaking. The other caveat - you need dark skies and must travel to get them. Plus you need a site that you will not be disturbed. IN a city enviornment the high ISO of the 5D MKII will only show the light pollution a lot faster than another camera. A lot of astronomical object are actually very large - larger than the full moon. Most people focus on the large instrument and overlook this big first step.</p>