Messages

31

Software & Accessories / Re: Any Apple Aperture users? Please chime in!

« on: August 12, 2012, 09:17:43 PM »

I love Aperture.

I'm loaded up with CS6, LR4, and Aperture 3.

I suppose I should, but I've yet to devote much attention to LR4.

I use DxO Optics Pro as a RAW converter. I make most adjustments when needed in CS6. I make some minor adjustments when needed in Aperture 3, which I think has come a long way since the first version. The most recent release I think is quite good. Plug-ins I use most often are Nik Complete Collection and onOne Perfect Photo Suite 6. I love Nik's products. Silver Efex Pro 2 is just outstanding for black and white conversion. I don't often shoot HDR but when I do I use Photomatix Pro, although I'm about to start playing around with Nik's new HDR release.

A great resource for Aperture information is www.apertureexpert.com.   

32

Software & Accessories / Re: Upsizing pictures for large canvas

« on: August 12, 2012, 08:34:53 PM »

@jointdoc -- no need to carry it to an extreme and ask why shoot? i was simply trying to offer you helpful advice. 

i most certainly encourage you to practice and to learn everything that you can about upsizing and printing. which is exactly what i did. and now i can and do happily print in my studio, even at large scale.

but i still choose to work with a professional printer on nearly all of my jobs. 

if you need to print something large, especially from a small file, and you want it to look as good as it possibly can, based on my own experience i think that the best thing you can do is to find a good printer, build a relationship with them, and work closely with them. give them a raw file to work with, and have something you've printed yourself at small scale that will help to communicate what you want to achieve. this, i think, is simply the best way to produce large scale prints. 

and again, i'm simply trying to offer helpful advice. practice, experiment, print, enjoy.   

33

Landscape / Re: Perseid Meteor Shower. Share your photos.

« on: August 12, 2012, 07:57:12 PM »

all great shots!!

34

Software & Accessories / Re: Upsizing pictures for large canvas

« on: August 12, 2012, 12:08:34 PM »

agree with robert mark and trumpet. leave it to the pros.

35

Lenses / Re: First L Lens... OH MY #^(*^!& GOD

« on: August 08, 2012, 09:07:07 PM »

enjoy!!!!

36

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 7D and 5D II that different?

« on: August 08, 2012, 01:46:46 PM »

i sold my 5d2 early on (one week prior to the official announcement) to slightly offset the cost of a 5d3, and i bought a 7d in the interim to play around with while i waited for the dust to settle (waiting for the dust to settle on the 1dx now).

loved my 5d2, so OP great choice.

must say though, the 7d has produced a few truly magical shots, wonderful. it's a great camera, and will remain in my kit.

ps always +1 for neuro. most everyone makes great comments on the site, and all are appreciated, but neuro, i see that profile pic of yours and i pay attention.

as always, thanks to all, good shooting and all that...   

37

Lenses / Re: Center Pinch Lens Caps

« on: August 03, 2012, 11:44:26 AM »

i do have quite a few of them, started buying them after canon released one on the G1X. quality of those that i have is actually very good. solid, they stay on the lens well, and personally i think they look great. i use them often. but one issue to be aware of -- some of them include a small metal loop along the edge, intended as a location to attach a cord so that the cap can dangle from wherever else it's attached, you know, so you don't lose the lens cap. this loop makes it difficult if not impossible to use the caps on certain lenses with deep hoods when the hood is attached, it just gets in the way and doesn't leave enough space. so look closely and avoid the caps with the loops, they usually show the cord attached in the photo so they're easy to spot. other than that issue, i love them. 

38

Lenses / Re: Lenses that inspire you?

« on: July 22, 2012, 06:17:58 PM »

35L
85L
100L macro
135L
and i'm beginning to love my 70-300L

but, 85L is the one for me

though i definitely appreciate everyone that's into the tilt shifts, and i think i'm headed there next

and then there's the days that i shoot only with my phone, or with a polaroid 100, or something else like that. spent this morning playing with emulsion lifts shot with an sx70.

i appreciate what the OP expressed for sure, but just shoot. whatever inspires you, just shoot

39

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Packing list for trip of a lifetime

« on: July 19, 2012, 03:26:00 PM »

just gonna throw in a +1 for the gopro2 suggestion, tiny, waterproof, decent stills, great video, outstanding possibilities for time lapse. it's a really fun little toy. 

40

Landscape / Re: Ireland

« on: July 19, 2012, 03:12:17 PM »

great shots. narcolepsy the abbey is definitely on my list. and stewbyyy thanks for the tip on dalkey. much appreciated all.

41

EOS Bodies / Re: Mark III price dropping

« on: July 19, 2012, 03:06:09 PM »

definitely check if it's from an authorized dealer regarding the warranty. a lot of ebay sellers will state that the product comes with a USA warranty, but they won't state that that warranty is actually provided by their own company and not by canon, usually making it completely useless. i do sell on and have bought off of ebay, and there are definitely people and companies selling on ebay that i've come to trust, but it's best to be sure that whoever you're buying from is an authorized dealer and it's always nice to see a photo of that red USA warranty card too. 

42

Landscape / Ireland

« on: July 15, 2012, 01:03:45 PM »

hi all.

i'm headed off to ireland soon to visit some friends, wondering if you'd like to post any pics if you have them, for inspiration, or to suggest any must visit spots to shoot. i'll be in dublin first, then free to wander anywhere.

would love to see some of your work or hear your thoughts if you'd like to share.

thanks!

43

Pricewatch Deals / Re: Overstockdigital Legit?

« on: July 13, 2012, 05:07:54 PM »

they aren't legit. don't order from them.

you place an order, they call you to verify information prior to shipping. during the call they try to sell you all sorts of things you didn't order, bodies ("the lens you ordered only works with crop bodies"), additional lenses, memory card packages, bags, all sorts of things. it's bothersome. and also kind of hilarious.

but then, they ship nothing to you. weeks pass. you call them up, they come up with an excuse for why it hasn't shipped yet ("UPS dropped the box and every lens broke, we expect a new shipment in 2-3 weeks, in the meantime, why not consider this other lens, if you buy it today i can get you $150 off retail, and since you're buying a lens, why not get the body that goes with it...").

i'm sure eventually they'll ship you something, but it'll be grey market and not covered under warranty. if not worse.

the only thing they are good at is canceling an order. i'll give them that. they were really nice. so they aren't thieves or anything, your credit card info is safe if you've already given it to them, but the best you'll get from them, if you get anything at all, is grey market equipment that is unpackaged and not covered under warranty.

have to say though, before i cancelled an order i placed once, some of the phone calls were truly hilarious. "if you use that lens with that body, the menu will only appear in japanese, you don't want that do you?"   

44

5D MK III Sample Images / Re: 5d MKIII with 24-70 I

« on: May 28, 2012, 04:00:56 PM »

great shots!

45

Lenses / Re: 24-70 f/2.8L mk 1 or 24-105 f/4L

« on: May 28, 2012, 03:58:41 PM »

@squibb (hope it's ok if i call you that, somehow feels right) great shot and @pwp thanks for the input, very valuable. thanks all. much appreciated.