viridian35

Robert,

 

If you set up some cameras say, two metres away, and fire them why wouldn't a decibel reading be a reliable guide to relative noise levels? Wouldn't it show the peak decibel level for each camera? Where the human ear is concerned, wouldn't that show which camera was the noisiest? If not, how should it have been done?

 

The OM2 would indeed be a scale focus camera with the mirror locked up but, as I said in an earlier post, that's not the issue. The OM2's shutter is cloth as well if I remember correctly so a direct comparison with the OM2 and the M4-2 would seem reasonable to me. It just seems ironic to learn that the M body, if Modern Photography is to be believed, has a noisy-ish shutter, all things being equal.

 

I wonder if the likes of the CL would be any better in that respect. Can anyone say if it's quieter than an M?

 

DB measurement doesn’t take into account frequency, I believe. 10 dB at 16,000 hz sounds different to many people (i.e. old people :-) as opposed to 10 db at 4000 Hz. I recently thought of this using my Fuji Xe1 and Xt3 (totally quiet!) and thought of the old days using M2’s and M3’s. Very interesting subject. Always cough right after you press the shutter.

Echo to Jim's advice. If the project is professional, it should have room for copter or plane rental in the budget. A copter is

the better choice, especially given the fact that you'll be working near LAX. If both are too expensive, walk away from the

assignment.

 

Especially in LA, air quality is critical for really good imagery, and early morning is most often best.

 

The toughest part of shooting aerials is giving the pilot the most consice directions I.e. pointing and saying "I want to be

over there" is not as good as (having already shown him a map or chart) saying "OK, given what we're seeing lets try

going from NE to SW. Keep me facing south if you can." Etc.

 

In really crowded subject areas, sometimes you actually have to shoot during takeoff or landing, if the subject is near

enough to an airport or helipad. Depends on your exact situation, of course. I've actually had to do that on a few

occcasions.

 

The legal advice above is right on, but if you hook up with a friend who flies, that works, too. A 172 is cheap, the window

opens and if you're lucky you won't get the wheels or wings in the shot. For years I worked for an editor who flew

recreationally. We did some great stories together and while it might not pass the lawyer test, nobody seemed to mind.

 

The nice thing about today's digital cameras is you can use higher ISO's with excellent results. Then you can use

1/4000th of a second exposure to eliminate vibration. I used to use gyros, especially with motion picture cameras, but

today film and video assignments are handled by the Wescam, developed by the LAPD for drug enforcement use.

 

Good luck on your assignment and keep us posted on your progress.

The question these days has to do with the availability of digital backs, or at least watching for future developments. Mamiya broke the 10K mark and while few of us get that much in weekly allowance, the future seems to be either 6x4.5 or 6x6. I'd probably get a Mamiya 645 which is obtainable relatively inexpensively. Then hopefully in a few years when digi backs are affordable, you will have the experience of working with the format already.

I used to teach a course at The New School on the business of freelancing (also wrote a book on same subject) and on the first day of class I would ask, "Who in this room thinks of themselves as a businessman or woman?"

 

If three or four hands went up that was a lot. As previous posters have said, earning money is no different than in many other professions. An advanced degree in science, law or medicine gives you the potential to earn money, but is no guarantee. As the pendulum swings from science to art things get a little squirrely because of the conflict between self-expression and business.

 

Some people are lucky and follow their hearts and the money follows. The average photographer has as much chance of that happening as the average kid on the street making the NBA. Smart business models can be found throughout the industry, we just have to follow them.

You're welcome Jim. I've been following the stock industry since I was about ten years old (during the Pleistocene era) and watched it change in ways unimaginable. There's a big chunk of the business that's very discouraging i.e. royalty-free images, but there's also the potential to make a nice six digit income and have fun at the same time! The annual fee works out to $45 a month and I can't think of any other site that gives you more bang for the buck while at the same time offering you an extraordinarily powerful production and marketing tool.

They are incredibly well-run and the entire operation has been designed from the ground up by photographers for photographers. Their aggregate marketing program is awesome and the ability to upload images from anywere in the world, allowing editors to download images works like gangbusters. I only wish I had time to scan (and enter keywords!) more of my collection. To the photographer starting out today wanting to make money in stock, this is the way to go. My site is http://www.digitalrailroad.net/wordsandpixels/Default.aspx.

The question is as old as SLR photography itself. Sports photography, to take one example, needs at least a few lenses that must all be fast and within reach in an instant. This adds up to an expensive area of specialty. Landscapes are not so critical; almost any Canon lens will do an admirable job. Macro falls within the same category.

 

You do not mention if you take pictures for fun or profit. As the previous writer mentioned, you need to sharpen your focus (no pun intended) on your area of specialty. A lens kit designed to do everything is both big and expensive.

 

A 24-70 and your 70-200 should take care of 75% of your needs. Add to that a 16-35 and a 2x converter and you're up to 90%. Macro can be handled by either extension tubes, + lenses, or an inexpensive third-party lens.

 

Work with those for a while until you decide which area interests you the most.