Messages

301

Software & Accessories / Anybody familiar with Cinepaint for editing photos (edits, HDR, etc) ?

« on: January 08, 2013, 03:31:49 PM »

I just found this tool Cinepaint, looks to run on X on mac, and natively on Linux, and appears that a windows version is coming.

Description here:
http://www.cinepaint.org/more/about.html

Sounds like an interesting editing tool...seems often used in movie houses to do cleaning of frame by frame stuff...and high bit functionality. 

From the description:

"CinePaint is used to retouch feature films and in pro photography. CinePaint opens high fidelity image file formats such as DPX, 16-bit TIFF, and OpenEXR, and conventional formats like JPEG and PNG. It has a flipbook for movie playback of image sequences in RAM. It supports 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit color channels, HDR and CMS.

CinePaint is used for motion picture frame-by-frame retouching, dirt removal, wire rig removal, render repair, background plates, and painting 3D model textures. It's been used on many feature films, including The Last Samurai where it was used to add flying arrows.

For still photography, CinePaint can import bracketed HDR exposures. It has gallery-quality 16-bit per channel color printing with GutenPrint. CinePaint's high dynamic range is crucial with B&W still photography, where images only have a single channel."

I was wondering if anyone here was familiar with this or had tried it out with HDR or other type of image manipulations?

I have been playing with a linux install on Parallels on my mac, thought I might give it a whirl, or install it on one of my native linux boxes, but thought I'd see if anyone knew of this, had used it and could give some feedback on their thoughts on it...

Links to some screenshots:
http://www.cinepaint.org/more/pix/index.html

Cayenne

302

Canon General / Re: Total File Size - All Your Images and Keep or Delete

« on: January 07, 2013, 02:30:03 PM »

Of course now I notice the card reader comment.  I have always done mine via usb cable/camera to the computer.  I think taking the card out, putting it in a card reader then back out and back to the camera will do more harm than deleting images on the card ever will.  I've always been paranoid about that weakening a card that I just always have a big enough card each time and never take it out of the camera and use the usb route(till the usb port failed on my T2i anyway lol).

Interesting, I'd also been coached by some more experienced photogs I've been talking with and picking their brains, that they said they never hook their cameras directly with USB to the computers to transfer pics...that they only did it when necessary for firmware upgrades.

Not sure how much of that was superstition....but, I figured a card reader is easy to use, often faster, I have a multiple card intake on mine, so I can plug in a CF and SD card at the same time and start copying off from both....and get back to shooting while those are copying off.

The card reader seems to transfer a bit faster than directly from the camera so far for me....anyone else experience that?

Cayenne

303

Technical Support / Re: Bracketing with 5d mark iii

« on: January 07, 2013, 02:01:13 PM »

Wow, I'm impressed!  Your first digital camera so you went from 0 to two 5DM3...

The 5D3 was my first DSLR....and I really had nothing else prior to it. I had a nikon cool pics a long time back but I think it got crunched in my car somewhere.

Some people like to jump into something with both feet when they find something new to do!!


cayenne

304

Canon General / Re: Total File Size - All Your Images and Keep or Delete

« on: January 02, 2013, 12:30:45 PM »

Memory is cheap. You said it yourself. To me, it's not worth deleting a single frame. If I take a shot that's not worth keeping, it gets deleted in camera before I transfer the files to computer.

Just curious....I'd been told that for longer life of your memory cards, that it was best to NOT do maniuplations, deletions from the camera to individiual files on the cards while in camera.

That is was best to unload all your images from a session(s) with your card reader to your comuter, and once done, you reformat the cards in the CAMERA to totally erase them to be ready for next shoots.

Thoughts on this? Myth or Fact?

TIA,

cayenne

305

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Suggestions for a first monopod for a 5D3...?

« on: January 02, 2013, 12:24:32 PM »

Just skip to the best and get a Gitzo. I've owned several Bogen/Manfrotto monopods and tripods over the years. The Manfrotto's are good but tend to fall apart after a few years. The Gitzo keeps on going.

I love the height of the 3551, so +1 on this.  the RRS will be top drawer as well if its length is sufficient.  the only reason I didn't go "all RRS" (monopod and head) is because of the 67.25"  height.

I'm still in a quandry about this....so, trying to figure out what quick release system I'm going to go with, and base my monopod, and figure what to do about my existing tripod (manfrotto)...and heads and systems to hook on my rhino slider when it arrives...

So, this thread I'm still researching through....likely gonna be a couple months after I pay off xmas stuff (for me and others), and I'll revisit this one.

If I somehow get lucky enough to get selected by the folks for the amateur section of the New Orleans Jazz Fest photographer volunteers they allow in...I'll definitely be wanting a monopod to take in for that.

C

306

Pricewatch Deals / Re: I thought I heard the Canon Instant Rebates for Lenses/Flash was extended again?

« on: December 30, 2012, 08:36:32 PM »

B&H has the canon 135mm on sale through 1/5 so it looks like it extends a little into january at least

Ok, thanks.

I thought I'd heard somewhere that it went at least through Jan 5th....but can't find where I'd read that....


C

307

Animal Kingdom / Re: MY dog

« on: December 30, 2012, 05:19:34 PM »

My little girl is starting to get a bit older...14yrs now, but she still can make for a good model.....

The first is what I call her "Mona Lisa" smile shot....

Second one was the one of the first shots I ever did after getting my first DSLR, the 5D3.

K

Question, do any of ya'll get these wonderful pet shots blown up for the wall for home art?

I got the sepia one blow up, on canvas for my Mom, and acrylic...both were about 24x36" I believe....

Also curious, think there is a market for making good $$$ on pet photos for wall art, like the people I see making big money for children and even wedding snaps. Seems the big money isn't for those as being CDs of images, but wall art, and albums....

Thinking maybe and somewhat untapped market might be high end pet shots?

C

308

Pricewatch Deals / I thought I heard the Canon Instant Rebates for Lenses/Flash was extended again?

« on: December 30, 2012, 04:56:00 PM »

Hi all,

I thought I'd read that the Canon Instant Rebates on lenses, flashes, etc....were going to be extended at least a little into January...

I can't find the links...can anyone confirm this or have a link?


Thanks in advance,

Kelly

309

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5d2 officially discontinued.

« on: December 29, 2012, 05:13:00 PM »

Strange how the mk2 became so iconic when it is only a mk1 with 23 % increase in resolution ( which 90% of users didn't need ) and video ( which 90% of users didn't need ). When we got our first mk2 at Building Panos we thought the video was amazing, but very quickly found a proper video camera was much better for any  casual video that we wanted. The video function on the mk2's hasn't been used for years in our case.

Obviously it's a very capable camera for many applications, but then so was the Mk 1.

The mk3 deserves to achieve this iconic status because it broad range of capabilities is truly impressive 

I was about to pull the trigger on the 5D2 last year about this time...when I heard the 5D3 was due out soon...so, I held off.

I bought and use it primary for the video.....but I find more and more, I'm really starting to appreciate using the stills funcitons too, and am enjoying its full potential.

But the 5D2...was going to be bought primariy for video...but when I heard the 5D3 was soon coming out, I just hung around these forums to find out when it came out, and I pulled the trigger on that in May.

My first DSLR...and wow...how much fun it has been so far!!!

cayenne

310

Software & Accessories / Re: Best panorama photo stitching software.

« on: December 27, 2012, 11:51:48 AM »

Hi
microsoft ICE is what i use ..it does an excellent job ,its extremely easy to use..i couldn't believe how good it was when i first started using it and its FREE !!
regards
Alan

Well, it is free only if you buy and use MS Windows.



cayenne

311

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: New to video...advice needed

« on: December 27, 2012, 11:49:56 AM »

+1 on stabilization, stable video is one of the things that separates pros from amateurs (lighting and sound are also critical).  You don't have to go out and spend $3k on a rig, but I wouldn't count on shooting handheld and being happy with the results.  Also, the LCD screen on the back can be deceiving, I can't tell you how many times I've seen people think they "got the shot" and then they open it up on the computer and it looks like hell.

LOL...that's why I tend to get no less than 3-5 takes on most every shot that it is possible to do so....

Shoot...stop, review..shoot again....etc. To make sure I have plenty to work with not only with framing, but also with performance....never exactly the same twice, at least when "I" am on camera.



cayenne

312

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: New to video...advice needed

« on: December 20, 2012, 01:51:17 PM »

Here are a few basics in terms of settings:
Turn Highlight tone priority and noise reduction off.
Use ISO's in multiples of 160 when possible
If you're shooting 24fps, your shutter speed should be 1/50, and 1/60 if shooting 30fps.
Turn sharpness as low as possible (0 on Mark II and 1 on Mark III)
Turn Contrast and Saturation down a couple notches.

And be ready to do color correction and grading in post.

 

313

Software & Accessories / Re: Best panorama photo stitching software.

« on: December 19, 2012, 12:35:30 PM »

I downloaded PTgui and hugin. Both are quite complex. hugin delivers visibly inferior results to PTgui and Microsoft's ICE from a "lock and load" perspective. hugin's interface is crazy.

Given that I have never seen Microsoft's ICE deliver the wrong output, I can't see any reason for me to use PTgui, especially since ICE is free and PTgui is not.

Can you describe in a bit more detail what you saw in hugin that made it so inferior to PTGui?
I've not tried PTGui yet, but would be interested in knowing what to look for between the two.

Thanks in advance,

cayenne

314

Canon General / Re: necessity of photography school

« on: December 19, 2012, 12:31:36 PM »

I have wondered about this too. Over the last 4 years or so, I have gone from barely an SLR knowledge to having a nearly complete technical understanding. I would say that I have mastered candid or outdoor photography. I know how to do basic fill flash just fine.

I've bought a basic studio strobe set, some reflectors and modifiers and am trying to learn pro-quality lighting. Right now, I'm pretty terrible. I've wondered if taking some classes would be the way to really learn lighting. I'd really like to learn more of the artistic side as well.

Same here. I love to collect tech and toys.
But like with things like Guitars, etc...I've taken lessons in the past. Of course, there is a TON of info to self teach on the internet, and I do that, but I would love to get into a class or system with real people showing me things, at least as a good foundation to build from.

I don't find much locally as far as formal classes, but after the first of the year, I am going to try to contact the local camera club I've found in the NOLA area...and see how that works out for me.

If one of the community colleges gave a class in photo 101, in the evenings, I'd love to take it...not so much for credit but just to learn...

315

Software & Accessories / Re: Tripod: Carry-On or Check-In

« on: December 18, 2012, 07:44:37 PM »

My tripod is too bulky and heavy to carry onboard with me, with all my camera gear, laptop and backpack...

So, I'm checking it. I only carry stuff that is very valuable and breakable, other than that, I check it.

I fly SWA, so I don't get charged for bags....so YMMV.


C