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[mrklaw]

there is a handy dof app for both symbian phones and the iphone/touch.

Zone focus is similar to going around with a prime though in a way. You're reducing your degrees of freedom.

 

[Tf53]

Zone focus is similar to going around with a prime though in a way. You're reducing your degrees of freedom.

In a way, yes. But in the aforementioned situation, you can shoot from the hip and catch situations that you'd never be able to capture if aiming properly. Even a glimpse of a camera pointed at people might alter their behavior, so shooting from the hip might be a cool way to catch people "off guard".

 

[captive]

I think some of the expectations for shooting in manual are different for us.

My camera is pretty much always set to manual, but the camera still auto focuses and then i have it set so that i can override it if i need to.

Then again im also not trying to take sneak pictures on the street of people.

 

[nitewulf]

for street photography regular slrs are kinda iffy to use anyway because of their bulk. thats why ppl use range finders for actual street photography. if you use slrs for street stuff, you just gotta be gutsy and have some luck:

i had the settings pre set. guessed them. walked close, took the shot before she realized anything and walked away.

gotta do what you gotta do...and its probably one of the best shots i ever took, along with this:

 

[Wario64]

Lots of Ritz Camera stores are closing down and their closing sales start today. Anyone check to see what their prices are like right now?

 

[bggrthnjsus]

they're closing the wolf camera (owned by ritz) that is on my way home, i don't think it's open on the weekends though. i'll check it out monday, maybe waste all my monies

 

[Tf53]

Oh, new glass, why must thou tempt me so?

I'm heading out to a bboy jam in a couple of weeks, and I'm hoping to snap some shots. I suspect it'll be a low-light, tight circle type of thing, and here's what I'd need to work with:

EF-S 10-22 mm f/3.5-4.5: The focal range is good, but I'm guessing this'll be a bit slow.
EF 50 mm f/1.4: Fast, but could be a bit too long.
Sigma 24-70 mm f/2.8: OK range, more than decent speed, but heavy as hell.

I've been eyeing the Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8, and am thinking of trading in my 24-70 for it. Recently I've been walking around with my 50 1.4 due to its light weight, and the Sigma hasn't seen much use. The 18-50 would be 300 grams lighter than the 24-70, and even though I'd be losing some length, I think I'd grab it more often.

Am I making any sense? I'll be bringing my flash along for the jam, but I'd prefer to shoot with available light if at all possible.

 

[Futureman]

anyone have any experience with Alien Bees?

I'm taking a studio lighting class right now and getting kinda addicted to off camera lighting. I'm thinking of starting a modest light setup with Alien Bees. Maybe start with the AB800 plus softbox.

 

[Grimlock]

Lots of Ritz Camera stores are closing down and their closing sales start today. Anyone check to see what their prices are like right now?

Wouldn't waste any time on it currently. The same liquidating company that handled Circuit City & CompUSA's final days are handling the Wolf liquidation, too. I swung by a Wolf that was near me this past weekend just to confirm the same modus operendai was in effect, and it was-take the prices back to full MSRP, and then 10-20% off of that. Granted, since this is Wolf Camera, that actually did result in a slight savings, but nothing to go ga-ga over yet.

 

[mrklaw]

Oh, new glass, why must thou tempt me so?

I'm heading out to a bboy jam in a couple of weeks, and I'm hoping to snap some shots. I suspect it'll be a low-light, tight circle type of thing, and here's what I'd need to work with:

EF-S 10-22 mm f/3.5-4.5: The focal range is good, but I'm guessing this'll be a bit slow.
EF 50 mm f/1.4: Fast, but could be a bit too long.
Sigma 24-70 mm f/2.8: OK range, more than decent speed, but heavy as hell.

I've been eyeing the Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8, and am thinking of trading in my 24-70 for it. Recently I've been walking around with my 50 1.4 due to its light weight, and the Sigma hasn't seen much use. The 18-50 would be 300 grams lighter than the 24-70, and even though I'd be losing some length, I think I'd grab it more often.

Am I making any sense? I'll be bringing my flash along for the jam, but I'd prefer to shoot with available light if at all possible.

if its dark, then even 2.8 stuff will be fucked, so you'll need flash if allowed, or shoot people under the lights/go for more moody stuff.

I'd swap for an 18-xx 2.8. There are a few really good ones around and the 18 works better on a DSLR.

having said that, my widest lens is my 24-105

 

[Rentahamster]

anyone have any experience with Alien Bees?

I'm taking a studio lighting class right now and getting kinda addicted to off camera lighting. I'm thinking of starting a modest light setup with Alien Bees. Maybe start with the AB800 plus softbox.

Alien Bees are an awesome budget strobe system. I got an 800 and the large octabox to give me a huge soft keylight that I wouldn't be able to get with my little speedlights alone. It gives me lots of new options.

light + octabox + heavy duty light stand + Vagabond battery sure is a bitch to carry around, though.

 

[Futureman]

Alien Bees are an awesome budget strobe system. I got an 800 and the large octabox to give me a huge soft keylight that I wouldn't be able to get with my little speedlights alone. It gives me lots of new options.

light + octabox + heavy duty light stand + Vagabond battery sure is a bitch to carry around, though.

Right now you only have an AB800? Did you just buy the lightstand from the Alien Bees site, or is there some better, cheaper one somewhere I should get?

 

[Rentahamster]

Right now you only have an AB800? Did you just buy the lightstand from the Alien Bees site, or is there some better, cheaper one somewhere I should get?

I use speedlights as secondary lights.

I bought the Paul C Buff heavy duty lightstand, but you probably could buy any other heavyduty light stand from a reputable company.

In fact, I probably should have done so since the lightstand I got from the Alien Bees site is already becoming loose.

 

[Papi]

Oh, new glass, why must thou tempt me so?

I'm heading out to a bboy jam in a couple of weeks, and I'm hoping to snap some shots. I suspect it'll be a low-light, tight circle type of thing, and here's what I'd need to work with:

EF-S 10-22 mm f/3.5-4.5: The focal range is good, but I'm guessing this'll be a bit slow.
EF 50 mm f/1.4: Fast, but could be a bit too long.
Sigma 24-70 mm f/2.8: OK range, more than decent speed, but heavy as hell.

I've been eyeing the Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8, and am thinking of trading in my 24-70 for it. Recently I've been walking around with my 50 1.4 due to its light weight, and the Sigma hasn't seen much use. The 18-50 would be 300 grams lighter than the 24-70, and even though I'd be losing some length, I think I'd grab it more often.

Am I making any sense? I'll be bringing my flash along for the jam, but I'd prefer to shoot with available light if at all possible.

I've tried shooting a few bboy jams. If it's low-light then you're pretty fucked cause you generally need to shoot faster than 1/200s to freeze the dynamic action.
A fast wide-angle lens should be aiight.
You'd probably have to crank the ISO settings up to the highest value.
I'd go with the 24-70 mm f/2.8. If it's too slow then go with the 50 mm f/1.4. That should be okay for most shots. Portrait for toprocks and landscape for footwork.

Listen to the music. Good dancers will hit the beat and slightly pause on certain beats depending on the music. Time your shots at these pauses. Listen to the music.
Continually fire off shots during power moves. Try not to cut any body parts out of frame.

I wouldn't use a flash at a bboy jam because I don't want to distract the dancers. If it's at a club setting with moving lights then I guess it would be okay to use a flash.

Good luck. Shooting a bboy jam in low-light situations is hard as hell.

 

[Tf53]

I've tried shooting a few bboy jams. If it's low-light then you're pretty fucked cause you generally need to shoot faster than 1/200s to freeze the dynamic action.
A fast wide-angle lens should be aiight.
You'd probably have to crank the ISO settings up to the highest value.
I'd go with the 24-70 mm f/2.8. If it's too slow then go with the 50 mm f/1.4. That should be okay for most shots. Portrait for toprocks and landscape for footwork.

Listen to the music. Good dancers will hit the beat and slightly pause on certain beats depending on the music. Time your shots at these pauses. Listen to the music.
Continually fire off shots during power moves. Try not to cut any body parts out of frame.

I wouldn't use a flash at a bboy jam because I don't want to distract the dancers. If it's at a club setting with moving lights then I guess it would be okay to use a flash.

Good luck. Shooting a bboy jam in low-light situations is hard as hell.

Thanks for the tips. Basic things, really, but something definitely worth noting.

 

[Forsete]

Can anyone recommend a sublimation printer that prints bigger than 10 x 15 cm?

 

[Shiggie]

Quick question, Would a Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 AF work with my Pentax Ist DL without a mount of some kind?

 

[Grimlock]

Quick question, Would a Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 AF work with my Pentax Ist DL without a mount of some kind?

??? Easily. KA-mount lens on KA-mount camera. Anything K-mount (besides Ricoh mounts and SDM-only Pentax lenses) will work right off the bat on your camera (SDM-only lenses would still mount, but be manual-focus only). You'd only need an adapter for a screwmount and 645 lenses. Hell, my FA-50mm f1.4 works just dandy on my K-20d.

 

[fart]

I've tried shooting a few bboy jams. If it's low-light then you're pretty fucked cause you generally need to shoot faster than 1/200s to freeze the dynamic action.
A fast wide-angle lens should be aiight.
You'd probably have to crank the ISO settings up to the highest value.
I'd go with the 24-70 mm f/2.8. If it's too slow then go with the 50 mm f/1.4. That should be okay for most shots. Portrait for toprocks and landscape for footwork.

Listen to the music. Good dancers will hit the beat and slightly pause on certain beats depending on the music. Time your shots at these pauses. Listen to the music.
Continually fire off shots during power moves. Try not to cut any body parts out of frame.

I wouldn't use a flash at a bboy jam because I don't want to distract the dancers. If it's at a club setting with moving lights then I guess it would be okay to use a flash.

Good luck. Shooting a bboy jam in low-light situations is hard as hell.

i have no idea whether this would work, but what i would try if i couldn't use flash is the 10-22 wide open, either auto-iso or iso maxed out, and shove it as close to the dancers as you think you can without getting kicked in the face. basically, try to position the camera for a clean relatively sharp center, and let the corners blur with the motion of the dancers and crowd. obviously if it's really dark, this won't work, but if it's that dark and you can't use flash you're fucked regardless.

 

[Skittleguy]

Ok Camera-Gaf, I want your peoples advice on one thing.

I currently have a Nikon D80, with the 18-135 stock lens and the 18-200VR God lens. I was thinking of getting a prime lens as well, so that I can have a bit of an easier time with my casual photography. So it's come down to two choices:the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D and the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D.

Pricewise, the 1.8 seems to run in the neighbourhood of about CAD160, while the 1.4 runs closer to CAD390. I've read a number of positive reviews on both, with most tending to recommend the 1.4 over the 1.8, since the extra stop can be helpful.

What's your opinion Gaf?

 

[SnakeXs]

Ok Camera-Gaf, I want your peoples advice on one thing.

I currently have a Nikon D80, with the 18-135 stock lens and the 18-200VR God lens. I was thinking of getting a prime lens as well, so that I can have a bit of an easier time with my casual photography. So it's come down to two choices:the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D and the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D.

Pricewise, the 1.8 seems to run in the neighbourhood of about CAD160, while the 1.4 runs closer to CAD390. I've read a number of positive reviews on both, with most tending to recommend the 1.4 over the 1.8, since the extra stop can be helpful.

What's your opinion Gaf?

Considering what you're coming from (2 far from stellar performers, visually), both will be a very sizable upgrade, image quality wise, and speed wise. I'd say the 1.8 will do just fine, unless you really really need the extra 2/3 stop or the extra sharpness when stopped down. Again, judging from your prior lenses, the upgrade you'd get just from the 1.8 will be more than large enough, and it's super inexpensive (I'm sure you can find it cheaper than 160) so if you od find yourself demanding even more you can get rid of it for a pretty menial loss and get the 1.4 or AF-S 1.4.

 

[fart]

Ok Camera-Gaf, I want your peoples advice on one thing.

I currently have a Nikon D80, with the 18-135 stock lens and the 18-200VR God lens. I was thinking of getting a prime lens as well, so that I can have a bit of an easier time with my casual photography. So it's come down to two choices:the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D and the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D.

Pricewise, the 1.8 seems to run in the neighbourhood of about CAD160, while the 1.4 runs closer to CAD390. I've read a number of positive reviews on both, with most tending to recommend the 1.4 over the 1.8, since the extra stop can be helpful.

What's your opinion Gaf?

get the 35 1.8 i was just raving about

if you're looking at the 50 because you want a tele, save yourself the trouble and get an 85/1.8 instead. o/w the 35 is the way to fat city. don't pass go, etc.

 

[Rentahamster]

get the 35 1.8 i was just raving about

if you're looking at the 50 because you want a tele, save yourself the trouble and get an 85/1.8 instead. o/w the 35 is the way to fat city. don't pass go, etc.

Yep. If you're really broke or something, though, then the 50mm will be fine too.

In other news, I think my D40 is on its last legs. I'm getting strange artifacts in my pictures now (purple line from top to bottom). It had a good run. Over 100,000 shutters without a problem (I know that I've reset the 9999 picture counter at least 10 times, if not more.

Hopefully that rumored D5000 comes out soon so I can get another small camera. If it's late or not that great, I'll probably just pick up another D40 (the original one) for 400 bucks.

 

[fart]

the 50 is only about 80$ cheaper than the 35. for that difference, skip lunch for a couple months (it's going to take a few weeks to find one in stock anyways) and man up the difference.

if it's 50/1.8 over an 85 for the tele because you're broke than that's acceptable, but 75mm (equiv aps-c fov for the 50) is kind of a no man's land for what you normally use a short tele for.

also, buy used.

--

purple line? woah. whatever it is it does sound fixable (i bet the digital board could use a cleaning -- do you live somewhere really humid?). 100k shutters is a pretty good run though.

the d60x/d5k whatever should be announced on the 14th. hopefully the whole announcement will leak this weekend.

i don't see why it wouldn't be pretty awesome. the 12mp cmos is a reasonably solid improvement to SNR over even the d40.

 

[Rentahamster]

purple line? woah. whatever it is it does sound fixable (i bet the digital board could use a cleaning -- do you live somewhere really humid?). 100k shutters is a pretty good run though.

the d60x/d5k whatever should be announced on the 14th. hopefully the whole announcement will leak this weekend.

i don't see why it wouldn't be pretty awesome. the 12mp cmos is a reasonably solid improvement to SNR over even the d40.

Hawaii is moderately humid but not too bad - pleasant weather most of the year.

Image quality is great and all, but the main reason why I like the D40 so much is because I can sync a flash with it at 1/4000 sec. The D50 and D70 are the only other ones that can do that too. $7000 D3x? Nope.

This is of course due to the D40 having an electronic shutter - not a focal plane shutter like the other cameras.

With a sync speed like that, one can overpower the sun fairly easily using only speedlights.

 

[fart]

oh, good point. it's unlikely that nikon will ever use that shutter unit again in an slr

 

[Skittleguy]

Thanks for all the input. Since my birfday is coming up, my brother footed the bill for the 50mm f/1.4D, but had a bitch of a time finding it (most local shops only carry the 1.4G, with the integrated motor, which is kinda pointless since I got a D80).

On another note: should I be cheap with a CAD20 UV lens filter, or shell out the CAD60 for a PL-CIR UV?

 

[abstract alien]

Ok, Ill be frank, as Im pretty ignorant on terminology and such when it comes to photography. What is the cheapest decent quality camera capable of blurred field depth in a photo such as this on a somewhat comparative level:

Im looking for a mostly point and shoot cam with easily adjustable settings for a beginner to tinker with and become familiar with the hobby.

 

[Rentahamster]

Ok, Ill be frank, as Im pretty ignorant on terminology and such when it comes to photography. What is the cheapest decent quality camera capable of blurred field depth in a photo such as this on a somewhat comparative level:

Im looking for a mostly point and shoot cam with easily adjustable settings for a beginner to tinker with and become familiar with the hobby.

Haven't used a point and shoot in a long long time, but FYI it's a little harder to get the out of focus background with a point and shoot due to the small sensor.

Of the top of my head, I believe that the most reliable way to do so with a point and shoot is to get one that has a really big zoom, and/or a really close up macro mode.

Zooming in really tight will give you shallow depth of field.

Focusing on something really really close will give you shallow depth of field.

EDIT: You need to use optical zoom, not that crappy digital zoom function.

 

[abstract alien]

Haven't used a point and shoot in a long long time, but FYI it's a little harder to get the out of focus background with a point and shoot due to the small sensor.

Of the top of my head, I believe that the most reliable way to do so with a point and shoot is to get one that has a really big zoom, and/or a really close up macro mode.

Zooming in really tight will give you shallow depth of field.

Focusing on something really really close will give you shallow depth of field.

EDIT: You need to use optical zoom, not that crappy digital zoom function.

Thanks, I really appreciate the info. Im not opposed to picking up a "good" camera though, I just wasnt sure if it was what I needed as a true beginner. Ive really only had experience with point and shoot types, but none with any real semi pro abilities that I know of. What type of camera would you suggest for a beginner to looking to get into it strictly for the love of a decent picture(like the one above) while learning to actually take one?

 

[mrkgoo]

Thanks, I really appreciate the info. Im not opposed to picking up a "good" camera though, I just wasnt sure if it was what I needed as a true beginner. Ive really only had experience with point and shoot types, but none with any real semi pro abilities that I know of. What type of camera would you suggest for a beginner to looking to get into it strictly for the love of a decent picture(like the one above) while learning to actually take one?

the effect you are going on depends onseveral things including focal length, aperture, distance, and sensor size. The biggest limiting factor of these for point and shoots is the sensor size. I would suggest an entry level dslr such as the nikon d70-90 or canon xxxd series. These level cameras offer superb image quality with loads of room to grow. There's not much a modern entry dslr can't do compared to their bigger brothers. The newest models tend to be pricey, but as with all tech, the just newly obsoleted models are often substantially cheaper with only a few newer features missing.

 

[abstract alien]

the effect you are going on depends onseveral things including focal length, aperture, distance, and sensor size. The biggest limiting factor of these for point and shoots is the sensor size. I would suggest an entry level dslr such as the nikon d70-90 or canon xxxd series. These level cameras offer superb image quality with loads of room to grow. There's not much a modern entry dslr can't do compared to their bigger brothers. The newest models tend to be pricey, but as with all tech, the just newly obsoleted models are often substantially cheaper with only a few newer features missing.

Thanks for the info a bunch. I guess a point and click is completely out of the question as of this moment. Im currently looking at this one, but I cant tell if its possible to switch out the lenses or not. Is this even considered an digital slr?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MWVMRG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[SnakeXs]

Thanks for the info a bunch. I guess a point and click is completely out of the question as of this moment. Im currently looking at this one, but I cant tell if its possible to switch out the lenses or not.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MWVMRG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Is there any reason you're looking at that and not one from the "big 2"?

But no it's a bridge/SLR-like camera. Not sure about the sensor size, though, so it could be smaller than your APS-C sized sensors, thus making it harder to get the bokeh you're looking for.

 

[abstract alien]

Is there any reason you're looking at that and not one from the "big 2"?

But no it's a bridge/SLR-like camera. Not sure about the sensor size, though, so it could be smaller than your APS-C sized sensors, thus making it harder to get the bokeh you're looking for.

It was a bit of a random find coupled with price, so I picked that one simply to have a reference point of some sort. Im a bit excited, so I have to make sure I dont rush in to anything :lol

 

[fart]

dof control is nearly impossible with anything less than an aps-c slr. get a canikon entry level (there's about a 50/50 chance pentax won't be in the slr business by this time next year). the new nikon entry level will be announced tomorrow night.

 

[captive]

dof control is nearly impossible with anything less than an aps-c slr. get a canikon entry level (there's about a 50/50 chance pentax won't be in the slr business by this time next year). the new nikon entry level will be announced tomorrow night.

Thats not true. Olympus 4/3rds system does just fine.

 

[fart]

at normal focals the 4/3s multiplier gives way too much DOF for me. you're right in that it's not impossible though

 

[abstract alien]

Got another question that my ignorance cant seem to overcome...what are the differences between the cannon xt and xti series?

Also, I took a trip to best buy and fiddled around with a dslr(sony) and I cant even begin to tell you how much I will NOT be purchasing a standard point and shoot camera at this point :lol

 

[Rentahamster]

New Nikon D5000 looks interesting.

http://nikonrumors.com/2009/04/13/nikon-d5000-already-on-nikon-sweden-website.aspx

I guess it's just a matter of having the features I actually care about at the right price.

New lens (AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED) is totally meh.

 

[fart]

if the sync speed is high prio for you, i doubt any price will justify the d5k.

get an xs over an xti or xt

 

[BlueTsunami]

Flip out LCD is snazzy. Not sure why Canon hasn't done that with their lines.

 

[fart]

who knows. maybe it would require too much of a redesign of their current plastic chassis? it's also possible that the design team had to make a choice between 2.7" swivel or 3.0" fixed and went with the latter.

 

[Rentahamster]

if the sync speed is high prio for you, i doubt any price will justify the d5k.

Yeah, I'm gonna wait to see what the specs are and what the innards look like before I pull the trigger. I'll probably just end up buying another D40 anyway, hahaha.

Or maybe I could buy both. Hmmm....

 

[fart]

it's on dpreview. takes a lot of the more convenient d80/90 class features: AF, ISO adjustability, bracketing, etc. and and the digital board, then steps the OVF back (say wha??). it's also kind of big.

honestly, i'd get the d40 if i were you. in fact, if i'm not completely destitute after getting a d700 i'm going to see if i can either buy my old one back or find a refurb for ~200.

 

[abstract alien]

Ok, Im about ready to jump out, but before I do...

How is this one?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CBKJGG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Edit: Wrong link. I had way too many tabs open and copied the wrong one.

 

[fart]

go to a store and try the xs, xsi, d60/40 before you decide. also watch fatwallet and slickdeals like a hawk, since all of those models are going to be heavily discounted heading into may/june. they're all being/have been replaced.

 

[Rentahamster]

Shutter

• Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal plane shutter
• 30 to 1/4000 sec (1/3 or 1/2 EV steps)
• Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec
• Bulb
• Time (optional Wireless Remote Control ML-L3 required)
• Tested to 100,000 exposures

Bah, D40 it is.

• Time (optional Wireless Remote Control ML-L3 required)

This is a good sign, though. I wish the D700 was compatible with the $15 infrared remote.

 

[fart]

do you use the HK phottix job that everyone recs?

 

[Rentahamster]

do you use the HK phottix job that everyone recs?

I use this: http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0130/index.shtml

 

[fart]

oh that's right, you have a PW