reish_lakish

<p>Thanks, Dan. These are great ideas for accurate focus, and they'll come in handy. But it's more the composition thing that I'm having troubles with. The EE-D gridlines are useless at/after dusk.</p>

<p>What you listed here is entirely helpful for focus. Much appreciated-</p>

<p>:D</p>

<p>(How'd they sharpen them?)</p>

<p>I'm grateful for ideas, product tips, tricks, workarounds for improving viewfinder brightness. (Or shooting strategies for working through the problem.)</p>

<p>I shoot a 5D Classic (M1)--no live view. It's outfitted with an EE-D focus screen. I shoot landscapes at dusk; the grid's impossible to see in that light and composition is, lightly put, a challenge.</p>

<p>Some interesting discussion <a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00ZhZh">here</a>, <a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00WUUf">here</a> & <a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00I16o">here</a> but no pertinent answer.</p>

<p>Again, grateful for ideas, product tips, tricks or workarounds. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance-</p>

<p>Thanks, Michael. Yeah, did this at setup per instructions and tried again while testing. No help. Per MJ's comment, I'll live with the 'cure.'</p>

<p>Thanks again for the ideas. Appreciate the help-</p>

<p>Grateful for pointers to what I may have missed.</p>

<p>The set-up:</p>

<p>A single Yongnuo YN-560, set to Manual.<br>

Yongnuo RF-603 transceivers<br>

Canon EOS 5D ("Vintage.") (Not the MK2.)<br>

All batteries are freshly charged.</p>

<p>The result: sync @ 1/160, 1st curtain. The product specs say (at least) 1/200.</p>

<p>Again, grateful for ideas, pointers to threads I missed, and links.</p>

<p>Thanks, all. Appreciate the guidance. Since posting the question, I learned that photoflex does, indeed, re-brand the Yongnuo. But, even the comfort of knowing a vendor is stateside and has promised <a href="http://www.photoflex.com/Support/Purchase_Policy/">"customer first" support and warranty</a>, it's hard to take the 4x markup. At $22, I'm not hoping for warranties.</p>

<p>Also, since first posting, I learned more about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-Wireless-Trigger-Shutter-Tranceiver/dp/B004YTA15W">Yongnuo's (newer) RF-603 transceivers</a>. More good than bad said about them, greater flexibility, easier-to-find batteries, even. If anyone traveling this thread has experience of Yongnuo's RF-603s, I'm grateful for warnings or praise.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance- </p>

<p>These two are identical products at a $72 delta, no?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-Wireless-Trigger-Receiver-Shutter/dp/B0042TYNJ4">Yongnuo 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Receiver and Shutter Remote for Canon 1D/5D/7D/10D/20D/30D/40D/50D DSLR </a><br>

<strong>Price: $22.95</strong></p>

<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744092-REG/Photoflex_AC_FLASHFIRE_FlashFire_Wireless_Trigger_and.html">PhotoFlex FlashFire Wireless Trigger & Receiver Radio Slave Kit, 2.4GHz 16-Channel for StarFlash/ShoeMount Type Flashes</a><br>

<strong>Price: $94.50 @both B&H and Adorama</strong></p>

<p>I'm grateful for your pointers to what I'm missing. And, if you have experience with either the Yongnuo or the Photoflex, more so for your very candid take.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance-</p>

<p>I've cabled a Metz 36AF-4C to a Canon 5D using an <a href="http://www.adorama.com/PASTR137.html">Interfit Mulit-Fit cord</a>. The cord is universal, compatible with ttl across major brands. The problem: FEC adjustments are barely noticeable--nothing like the expected results I get when using the Canon 3' cord. Contacts are clean and securely connected. The flash gun's "e-ttl-on" indicator lights up. The flash fires fine; still, there's just the most minute difference between -2 and +2 values. Each pic's histogram differs so trivially, only NASA can measure the delta. FEC settings recorded in EXIF data report, consistently, only "+16."</p>

<p>I bought the Interfit cord on the strong recommendation from a vendor whose advice, up til now, has been good and trusted. Canon users reviewing this cord @BH and Adorma list no complaints. Interfit technical support is AWOL in back in Britain. I'm grateful for ideas on what I might have set-up incorrectly. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance-</p>

<p>Skip it. It's the cord. All's well when mounted on the hot shoe. Amok via cord.</p>

<p>Sorry for the bother- </p>

<p>Grateful for ideas about EXIF data misreporting flash exposure compensation setting. I shot a slew of tests 2 nights back and values were correct [-2,+2]. Last night and tonight the values consistently read "+16."</p>

<p>The story, CFn's included. (These were unchanged from the night they did work.)<br>

Shooting Date/Time 10/20/2011 6:54:11 PM<br>

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure<br>

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200<br>

Av( Aperture Value ) 22.0<br>

Metering Mode Evaluative Metering<br>

ISO Speed 100<br>

Lens EF85mm f/1.8 USM<br>

Focal Length 85.0 mm<br>

Image Size 4368x2912<br>

Image Quality RAW<br>

Flash On<br>

Flash Type External E-TTL<br>

<strong>Flash Exposure Compensation +16</strong><br>

Shutter curtain sync 2nd-curtain sync<br>

White Balance Mode Auto<br>

AF Mode Manual focusing<br>

Picture Style Portrait, Sharpness 2, Contrast 0, Saturation 0, Color tone 0, Color Space sRGB<br>

Noise Reduction On<br>

File Size 10618 KB</p>

<p>Custom Function C.Fn:00-1, C.Fn:01-2, C.Fn:02-2, C.Fn:03-1, C.Fn:04-0, C.Fn:05-0, C.Fn:06-0, C.Fn:07-0 C.Fn:08-1, C.Fn:09-1, C.Fn:10-0, C.Fn:11-0, C.Fn:12-0, C.Fn:13-0, C.Fn:14-0, C.Fn:15-1, C.Fn:16-0 C.Fn:17-1, C.Fn:18-0, C.Fn:19-0, C.Fn:20-1</p>

<p>I'm using an third-party flash, connected by sync cord. Contacts clean; connection secure. Apologies for posting this in "Speedlite." Thought it the best fit for the thread.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance-</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Ian, thanks so much. I'm grateful, especially for the offer to lend a Cactus trigger. I'll use a cord--test shots in one of the locations I'll be working at turned out real well. Agreed on the 85mm zoom. (Tho I like the cereal box snoot idea, for the fun of it. I got a honeycomb grid of cut drinking straws.)</p>

<p>Again, I'm really grateful for your offer to loan a trigger. Guys here on photo.net tend to be gracious in their advice and support. Yours is especially kind. Thanks again-</p>

<p>Thanks, Matt and Scott. Appreciate the feedback. Both good ideas. (Scott, I'm cutting up the kids' coca puffs box as I type.)</p>

<p>Best-</p>

<p>Grateful for your (patient and forgiving) advice.</p>

<p>I rarely use flash. I own a <a href="http://www.adorama.com/MZ36351CA.html">Metz 36 AF-(4)C</a>, which I use on occassion with an off-camera shoe cord. Works great.</p>

<p>I'm making some portraits, heavy on the <a href="http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images/423991310/243458.jpg">chiaroscuro</a>. Just a few facial highlights and garment features. I need to get the flash close to the sitters. I can get ttl control with a cord, but a long wire is cumbersome. I'm thinking: buy a cheapo wireless trigger, shoot full blast and use a variable ND fader to mitigate the flash at full power. (The 36m Gn on the Metz ain't so huge, and I find myself shooting at 3/4 power quite often when shooting flash.)</p>

<p>I'm thinking ND-filter mostly because my subjects will be photographed out doors and in some day light. To minimize the appearance of background, I'll shoot stopped way down and at flash sync speed. An ND filter should allow me to open up some, giving some dof leeway.</p>

<p>(Heading off the good advice about buying a speedlite, etc.: Like I said, I use flash quite rarely--twice in the past year. I shoot probono work for NGOs; there's not even a few hundred buck for gear. I work with what I have or can get.)</p>

<p>I'm grateful for ideas, instruction, pointers and good wishes-</p>

<p>Thanks in advance-</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Grateful for your take on variable nd filters in general (In addition to what been said in the few existing threads.) and this guy in particular:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.adorama.com/GNGNDF58.html">http://www.adorama.com/GNGNDF58.html</a></p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>Thanks for the quick and helpful answers.</p>

<p>@Jeffrey: I think you're right and will clean the sensor and test. The object: its a large piece of vellum folded like a hat. A test. Let's leave it there.</p>

<p>@G Dan: The pixels along the base of the object, running up just past the fold, are red on my screens. Both the camera's lcd and the desktop to which I downloaded them. No manipulation was done to the image, save for the crop. The histogram: L-shaped. I faked the black (f/22, 1/250, ISO 100; flash at 1/4), so expected an high-contrast histogram. I know this runs counter to best practice, but I fake conditions a lot, and often in bright sunlight. (Wanting to isolate a subject from its environment.) I typically ignore the "shoot to the right" rule, unless I want detail in the shadows. I know this invites noise, but I've never seen the problem so pronounced as with the current set of tests. Last: yes, "long exposure noise reduction." I do a lot of night/filtered stuff at a rather long shutter, so I keep my camera set to long exposure noise reduction. Should I not?</p>

<p>Thanks again. And, again, stay cool-</p>

<p>Hello, I'm grateful for information or pointers/links to ideas about resolving a red pixel problem. I tend to shoot dark tableaux or nighttime landscapes, and am plagued by noisy images.</p>

<p>My camera: a 5D classic.</p>

<p>Noise reduction: ON.</p>

<p>Heat is not a major concern in my current location.</p>

<p>In this (cropped) example, I faked the black environment by shooting the object at flash sync speed, stopped down to f/22. I do this often, given the givens of where I shoot and have not had as much noise--from this camera and from others.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/13828012-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>The offending pixels live where the flash does not.</p>

<p>I've consulted similar threads on this topic (re the 5DMII and 50D), but have not found the discussion helpful. Again, I'm grateful for ideas.</p>

<p>Best for the weekend. Stay cool.</p>

I'm grateful for ideas, pointers and experiences in choosing ND filters for long exposures in bright sunlight. I shoot digital, a canon 5D.

<p/><p/>

Having read thru helpful threads like <a href="http://www.photo.net/nature-photography-forum/00XZQj" target="_new"> this</a> and <a

href="http://www.photo.net/nature-photography-forum/00YEm1" target="_new">this</a>, I'm looking for specific ideas about choosing an ND

filter that'll help me get a day-for-night feel in mid-afternoon sunlight. (I want to take advantage of the movement of sunlight across

fields and water. Exposures run upwards from 30 secs.)

<p/><p/>

Example: <a href="http://historyofourworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/sea-of-japan-hokkaido-1986.jpg?w=719&h=551"

target=_"new">Sugimoto (click)</a>, whose 90 mins exposures are made with a 16x filter. Bright afternoon sunlight blends evenly across

movement of the sea. The prints, made from 8x10 film, do justice to the scene. This digital copy does not. (Goes without saying: I'm not talking about 90 mins exposures.)

<p/><p/>

Thanks in advance-

Have ideas or instruction for achieving low-key long exposure shots with no noise? (posted here because I see no place for digital night photography. Apologies if I'm knocking on the wrong door.)

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

Currently: I shoot long exposure images at night/early morning.

<p/>

I want: low key images--tone on tone, the values across the image varying slightly. (think Robert Adams's <a

href="http://www.heyhotshot.com/blog/images/longmont-robertadams-583.jpg" target="_new">"summer night walking"</a>, or Hiroshi

Sugimoto's <a href="http://asheard.com/wp-content/uploads/21156309.jpg" target="_New">"night" Seacapes</a>.

<p/>

Why long exposure? To achieve a sense of movement in the trees and a elimination of waves in seascapes.

<p/>

Exposure setting: I typically underexpose, which I read is the wrong way to go--that better to meter for highlights and expose to the point of clipping, then adjust in photoshop. I prefer doing as much in-camera as possible, knowing that I have my shot before leaving the scene. I'm delighted to be disabused of this notion. Please share your ideas.

<p/>

The problem: even 10 second exposures yield noise. (I shoot raw, but sometimes raw+l jpg. Noise reduction set to on. Note: my

locations tend to be cool at night. I see no reason why the sensor should overheat.)

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

I may try: shooting in daylight, using an ND filter.This will allow me to take advantage of some terrific light dappling, eliminate the need

to shoot around street lights and, in seascapes, get a variation of light across the sea and sky during the longer exposures. I'm

especially grateful for ideas/experience re ND filters to make day-for-night pics.

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

Thanks in advance-