Messages

1

Software & Accessories / Re: Web Gallery Plugin/Software - recommendations?

« on: Today at 02:26:04 AM »

Slideshow Pro looks really great...but like it or not we're heading into the post-flash era.
Plenty of clients and AD's are viewing on iPads or actually request non-flash delivery.

-PW

I fully agree, iPads and their high resolution screen are the defacto review platform for clients.  I don't seem to have an issue viewing the site from my iPad, as their Director product actually switches to HTML5 for iOS and Android devices.

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Software & Accessories / Re: Web Gallery Plugin/Software - recommendations?

« on: May 20, 2013, 07:51:15 PM »

Caught this one when Sal Cincotta did a marketing your photography business on Creative Live.

http://slideshowpro.com/ - hosted, but monthly fees
http://slideshowpro.net/ - buy it to host yourself

http://www.creativelive.com/instructor/sal-cincotta

I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but give it a go and let me know.

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EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Need help with video lighting!!!

« on: May 16, 2013, 04:47:26 PM »

Also, when filming indoors, change out your practical lights to match your lights you buy. It makes life so much easier when trying to set white balance, and for color correction/grading in post.

Huge detail that most folks forget about.  Adding daylight (5600k) to warm (3200k) will drive you nuts in post production.  Gel any other light you can see or swap the bulb to the color you're working with.

So if you're going to be shooting in daylight, what do you use for additional lighting?  Thanks!

Keep in mind that 'daylight' can be two different things - color temp of a light in kelvin, or actually being outside during the day.  And then there is the 'golden hour'.

If you use a warm like like a TOTA, you'd use a CTB gel to change it to daylight, unless you're using it as a key light and you want to warm up your subject (aka they're pale or from Oregon).  Or use a light that's balanced to daylight (for example Arri HMI).  CTO and CTB gel's allow you to color correct one temp to another.

Basically you don't want a mix of the bulbs below used in the same shot.

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EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Need help with video lighting!!!

« on: May 16, 2013, 12:02:06 PM »

A better question can be asked of any camera rental shop that does lighting - what's your basic kit for video.  AKA what do you send out of here when you don't want a customer to b**ch and moan about the equipment not working how they expected it to.

The kit most likely would be a set of Lowel TOTA lights.  Key thing to know is that they don't dim, so you're switching bulbs if you want to go between 1kw, 500w, 350w.  So toss in a set of CTO and CTB filters to get your color right from the start.

LED's are nice and battery friendly, but depending on the work you are doing, they can be the most expensive method to light something.

Also, when filming indoors, change out your practical lights to match your lights you buy. It makes life so much easier when trying to set white balance, and for color correction/grading in post.

Huge detail that most folks forget about.  Adding daylight (5600k) to warm (3200k) will drive you nuts in post production.  Gel any other light you can see or swap the bulb to the color you're working with.

5

Lenses / Re: EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x Announcement Tonight

« on: May 13, 2013, 10:26:02 PM »

I wonder if the flip on/off function can be built into a separate 1.4x TC.  That would be a killer accessory.

I think distances would really screw with it, but if Canon wanted to spend the time and engineer the 70-200 2.8 with a built in 1.4x, it would solve a number of issues folks have.  Just to have a perfectly tuned set is worth an extra $1k.

Wonder how soon LensRentals and BorrowLenses will get their copies.

I wonder if Roger will do a tear down for us.  He might end up being shot at in the process, but lens porn comes at a high cost.

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Lenses / Re: EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x Announcement Tonight

« on: May 13, 2013, 05:51:30 PM »

Who pukes first, AmEx, Visa or MasterCard?

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Pricewatch Deals / Prices trending higher?

« on: May 09, 2013, 01:28:41 PM »

I'm itching to click the buy button on the 5d mk3, but the last week or so it's jumped $400.  Is MAP really starting to effect things?  Or does wedding season really lower inventory this much?  I view the body as a solid $3k and the kit a solid $3,500 price point.  Might need to check to see if the loyalty program is valid on the refurb mk3's.

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Software & Accessories / Re: Adobe to Stop Making Packaged Software

« on: May 07, 2013, 01:27:00 AM »

And no, you won't have any warning they are going away, unless you are an insider.  They DO go poof in the middle of the night.

Outside of the financial industry, it is very rare that a major corporation suddenly and without warning shuts it doors and leaves all customers out in the cold.

To point out a good reference, Adobe took down their activation servers used in CS2.  So they put up new software packages and keys for those who would have been unable to activate their software.

Honestly, anyone afraid of loosing their edits and work in lightroom, when you upgrade, keep that install file around on your hard drive with all your photos.  At any time, you can rent/borrow/upgrade/reinstall/virtualize a PC or Mac computer, install the 'dated' version of Lightroom and get a 30 day trial.  Open your existing library and do a mass export of everything to TIFF.

Still afraid?  I can't help you.  Adobe is in an odd spot right now.  Their tools are the industry standard.  We as the creative public want tools that make things easier and allow us to work quickly when dealing with huge amounts of data.  The technology isn't cheap, programmers aren't cheap, and theirs is a company that didn't have a reoccurring revenue model.  Creative Cloud gives them revenue monthly, to help level out the stock price, and keep income and expenses balanced.

If you make your living with Adobe products, $600 / year is a cost of doing business.  You write it off with everything else.  The catch is those who only dabble in Adobe products, who aren't willing/able to spend the extra money.  I don't see how Adobe is expected to separate those two user types without being abused.

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Software & Accessories / Re: New (???) Firewire-800 CF card reader (by Gold Flash)

« on: May 06, 2013, 08:36:17 PM »

It's a real pity my current Macbook Pro doesn't have USB 3.0. 

Belkin is finally shipping their Thunderbolt Express Dock, so USB3 is now an option.

http://www.belkin.com/us/F4U055/p/P-F4U055

I prefer FW800 and got a used SanDisk CF reader from LensRentals used side when it pop'ed up for $26.

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Software & Accessories / Re: Adobe to Stop Making Packaged Software

« on: May 06, 2013, 08:29:45 PM »

I currently have a Creative Cloud subscription.  I got in way back at the $30/month price, which I am quite happy with.  I wouldn't purchase the full product or suite otherwise - I can't justify the cost.  I had LR3 as stand alone software, but for the most part, the whole idea of shelling out $2,500 for the full suite or $900 for an application like Photoshop is too much for me.  $50 is a bit high, but to get literally every Adobe application Adobe makes, it is a better value than the 2-to-3 release upgrade issue that most folks do.

It calls home once a month to verify the subscription was renewed, but other than that, it acts just like boxed software.  There are some creative cloud only plugins currently, and I hope they continue to add features to it.  The license is for 2 computers, 1 user - so if I have a Mac and a PC, I'm covered with current releases on both machines.

To end 'boxed' software is just the evolution of the 'app store' model.  It would be nice to have an 'Essentials Cloud' of the express products plus Lightroom, but this as a whole is a good step forward.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Tripod and multiple camera straps

« on: May 04, 2013, 11:55:03 PM »

Not sure if a belt setup is an option - you let go of the camera, but if you're good with your placement you can feel it slide into the Spider Holster.  I hate their plates (hand size when used with the vertical grip) so I use the CarrySpeed F1 folding plate.  Only thing it isn't is a L bracket.

Upside is the cameras are lower than when on a strap, walking around is easy.  Downside is you can't hike it up high if you're sitting around.

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Lenses / Re: Canon 85L II AF speed on 5D III???

« on: May 01, 2013, 12:07:07 PM »

My 85L mk2 isn't any faster from what I can tell (7D as a reference).  But damn is it dreamy.



My only wish is that as part of the power off of the attached camera, it should do a focus retract.  The thing does a sensor cleaning, so why not retract and save me the process??

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EOS Bodies / Re: dual digic 4s vs single digic 5

« on: May 01, 2013, 12:50:34 AM »

Doesn't matter as much since the 70d isn't out, we can't be sure of what it will or won't do.  There will be a space for the 70d and there will be a 7d2 based on rumors.  Depending on what you use it for, it may work out for you - but personally I sold my 7D and my EF-S lens to feed my 5d mk3 fund.

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Software & Accessories / Re: Manfrotto Repair: I thought I was buying from the best

« on: April 30, 2013, 07:20:03 PM »

you said your fault and fixing for free... and you still moan?

Yep, if "free" is 3 months, I'd gladly purchase the part and get on with my life.

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Software & Accessories / Re: Screen calibration frustration!

« on: April 28, 2013, 06:54:01 PM »

Zv - have you tried it on an external monitor plugged into your laptop?  I hate to say but you may get better results when using a better LCD.