Posts

Admin US West · May 31, 2013

Happened again, maintenance froze the site up for several minutes. - Sorry!

bseitz234 · May 31, 2013

When your girlfriend agrees to model for you so you can play with lighting, there are bound to be some good faces...

RGF · May 31, 2013

Any confirmation that the big US stores will have them soon?

Krob78 · May 31, 2013

RomainF said:
Thanks a lot for all of your explanations gentlemen.
I'm now convinced i have to try it henceforth i think i got how to use it with your feedbacks.

Let us know how you make out in your transition!

LOALTD · May 31, 2013

dirtcastle said:
Good stuff!

When I first saw the timelapse, I was like... "Good God!... How did he get that much RAW footage???". Duh. :

LOALTD said:

I only have one 64GB 1000X card so I had to use some of the crummy stock Canon video (see if you can spot it!) for some of the shots. Luckily most of these climbs are not very far from your car so I was able to run back to the trail head and dump the files onto my laptop.

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I think a lot of us early adopters are accumulating similar stories about how we're getting around the temporary limitations. My own personal limitation is a 2011 Macbook Pro, which has no USB3. Most card readers use USB3. And so there won't be any rushing those files into the MBP.

Pretty soon we'll be looking back and laughing how much extra time/effort we had to spend just to move and convert RAW files.

I don't have a USB 3.0 port on my Macbook either! My model is the last model to NOT have the port! It takes about 30 mint to offload the files...can't wait till the 256GB CF cards are fast and affordable. It usually happens sooner than we think.

I love doing timelapses because really, all you have to do is setup one good shot and then you can go to bed and the camera just does its thing!

Niki:
I think with the latest builds you can record as long as you like. I'm not sure if audio is working on the latest builds, I don't think it is...it is definitely being worked on.

Dantana · May 31, 2013

bycostello said:
trsaining (i don't mean that as any slight, we all need better skills not kit)

I would echo this. It's great you've signed up for a model course. I would look around for courses that cover your other interests.

You are likely to figure out much of what you need by getting some hands on experience in a good class.

I would also say that at least on the video side of things, don't brush off the idea of renting gear. That could be true for everything from the start, until you find the things that you really need to have in your kit for the majority of your work.

MARKOE PHOTOE · May 31, 2013

Thanks for sharing your experience and lesson learned however I wouldn't personally call it a failed session. It was merely a pre-shoot to get to know the client. Now, it sounds like you're ready for the next session and will know exactly how to take the emphasis off the client. Being a family counseling service, maybe a shot of two people holding hands walking through a park (in the shade) or something that describes what the service is focused on.

Having other photos of the owner in the business environment might help in some way too.
If it were me, I'd ask the owner again exactly what some of her ideas are and build from that.

Good luck and keep us posted with the next one.

I fully understand how you feel about the first shoot. It's happened to me too. I did a shoot for a PT training company and focused on the facility and equipment that makes the gym what it is and separates it from the competition, however, the owner didn't want any of that! Ha! I did portraits of all the trainers previously and those are hung in the business and posted on their website but this second shoot was not what they wanted. ?

May 31, 2013

Re: EOS-1D Mark IV & EOS-1Ds Mark III Firmware Update

neuroanatomist said:
Bosman said:

I can't believe there isnt a 1dm3 update also, that is more likely to be used with a 200-400 than a 1ds...

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Maybe Canon doesn't want to touch the 1DIII AF system even with a 10-foot pole...

In fact, there is an equivalent update for the 1DIII.

viggen61 · May 31, 2013

The only difference is in how the file is packaged for delivery. For a Mac, they package the firmware file and the instructions into a .DMG file that MacOS opens like a Disk Drive, and mounts on the desktop. For Windows, they place the files in a .ZIP archive.

Almost any Mac can open and extract files from .ZIP archives, but a Windows PC generally won't be able to deal with a .DMG file.

The Firmware file (and the instructions, for that matter) is the same for both. It has to be, because the camera doesn't come in Mac or PC Editions!

privatebydesign · May 31, 2013

Marsu42 said:
Zv said:

Why did she move to Nikon?

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She probably just compared prices for the equipment she is going to purchase :-o as she already didn't get multiple expensive 600rt flashes ... an d even the yn-622c for Nikon is better than the Canon version :-(

The 600EX-RT is currently $50 cheaper than a Nikon SB-910, one has built in radio.

I really don't understand why people keep saying the 600 is expensive, it is cheaper now than the 580EX II was for years.

May 31, 2013

Intended for mobile phone cameras... Worth noting that sometimes these technologies do not scale well, so what works for the small sensor of a cell phone may not be practical for a FF or even APS-C sensor.

Don Haines · May 31, 2013

GMCPhotographics said:
My opinion on DXO labs hasn't changed over the last 4 years. Their weighting for their point scores are heavily swung according to their own internal brand bias.

Bias is debateable... it may or may not be true.... but it appears to be.

What is not debateable is that an attempt to represent a complex system of interactions between diverse technologies and conflicting user requirements with a simple number is doomed to failure.

GMCPhotographics · May 31, 2013

zim said:
GMCPhotographics said:

Hannes said:

Mick said:

Fantastic lens but the cost is a lot. USA £7800, UK£ 12000. Over a third more expensive. Ouch!

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See it from the bright side, you can do a weekend trip to New York, live in a swanky hotel and eat nice and on the Saturday pick a lens up from an actual shop stocking it while still saving money overall.

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That price differnetial isn't the fault of Canon....they base price to the dealers is pretty much the same. It's juat a bit of blatent profiteering from the UK vendors who are selling at full RRP and think they will sell every copy they can get their grubby hands on.
At the current price differential, get a standby flight to the US and go and get one Stateside. It'll cost you time and energy, but will yeild a serious price saving.

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and good luck with customs on the way back ;D

sorry off topic but as an aside is it correct that unlike bodies lens warrenties are world wide? I seem to remember reading that somewhere but It may have been on the back of a bottle of red :

Some Pro photographers have been known to write the journey off against tax...post the empty box and case to the UK and walk though customs with the lens in their camera bag with camo covers over the lens. With very little bother from the customs guys. Not that I would do such a thing because it's illegal. But it's been done many times before.

Marsu42 · May 31, 2013

daniela said:
Does anybody know an good and honest company/forum e.g. where I can look for used Cams?
I do not want to buy at Ebay, I was cheated buying the 300mm 2.8 lens (lenses inside were broken).

Lenses are a big gamble because you cannot really check them, but afaik it's different for camera bodies: The only moving part is the mirror, and you can just ask how many shutter cycles it has (there are windows utilities for that, or use Magic Lantern) & compare vs. the shutter rating Canon warrants. If you then check for dead pixels (get a raw shot) & the overall impression (in person or photos), imho there are few things that can go wrong. If in doubt, check ebay Kleinanzeigen and such for local offers and get the item in person and not via mail.

Buying used has one advantage: you can get older pro-grade bodies very cheap, check for the Canon 1D IV - 16mp is enough for just about everything and for still shooting this is an absolutely stunning camera with 1.3x crop factor for birds.

May 31, 2013

wrong forum....

preppyak · May 31, 2013

dmills said:
You're (mostly) correct. The small caveat is that if you're shooting in the wrong white balance mode for RAW, it means that you MUST go back and change it in post-production.

I will say, even shooting in RAW, I'd have a few shots that were nearly impossible to correct in post becaue the colors were so far off. They all came from the awful fluorescent lights they have in schools, but, it's definitely advisable to at least use one of the presets to get close to the correct WB for a scene. If you're coming up with Kelvin values in the 3-4000 range on a scene that needs 7000, it's not as easy to correct

sandymandy · May 31, 2013

Eh im using this one :

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B001AMFF2U/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

it has half-press too.....

wickidwombat · May 31, 2013

neuroanatomist said:
viggen61 said:

But I find it very handy as a rest, and more comfortable than trying to hold the lens barrel. I do have a Wimberley P20 plate which makes the foot a bit longer, but it also fits my hands better.

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Ditto.

on a gripped or 1D body the foot is convenient and comfortable but on an ungripped body I too find it gets in the way so typically mine is removed and in my bag with a plate attached as mentioned above. personally i dont worry about the screws. Are you a little OCD to be THAT worried about this?

Timothy_Bruce · May 31, 2013

sanj said:
Grulon said:

Some sort of diaphragm shutter could prevent dust from entering the camera during lens changing.

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I keep wondering why they do not make a TC with zero power. That does not change magnification or degrade lens quality. Then we could leave the 'plain glass' on the camera and change lenses without fear of dust on sensor. We could just blow away, wipe away the dust from the plain glass.

Nice idea ya? I wish I could manufacture this and sell! lol

get a sigma, they have a dust screen in front of the mirror.

mwh1964 · May 31, 2013

Quality at first always pays off

Dylan777 · May 30, 2013

Cptn Rigo said:
Dylan777 said:

I hope this is not the begining of "L addiction"

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I count 5 "L" lenses in your signature...

you... my friend... are a L junkie

;D ;D ;D....what a combo you have there Cptn Rigo, nothing but the best

archiea · May 30, 2013

Confucius say: "Canon 5D only as noisy as user!" ;D

verysimplejason · May 30, 2013

500d said:
Zv said:

If the 500D is anything like the 550D then you can take really good pictures with it - including cityscapes. I imagine it won't be so good at high ISOs but as people have mentioned a tripod is what you need not a new camera. Also shoot in RAW and get a nice long exposure with a fair amount of detail using a smaller aperture like f/8. You can then dial down the exposure and brightness in post or dodge and burn to bring out more detail where you need it. I find lightroom's adjustment brush to be quite useful for a quick fix but for more detailed work move over to photoshop and use layer masks to adjust specific areas.

Getting the color balance right in camera for night scenes can save a lot of headache - Personally I like to shoot near the tungsten side of the white balance scale for night/blue

When I first started I never could figure out why my night landscapes looked crappy. Mostly because the camera was choosing white balance, focus point and aperture for me in P mode. Shoot in manual mode, using live view to focus manually. Use mirror lock up and a remote release. helps to shoot on a calm day, with little wind.

A speedlight might help illuminate some of the foreground if nothing else. Just make sure you gel it to match the white balance setting.

Click to expand...

is there a site or books that teach how to shoot in manual
how do you know what wb setting to use

Here:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

As for white balance, you can get a gray card or a white non-reflective material and take a picture of it under the lighting condition you were in, then use it as your WB (you can consult your manual on how to use custom WB, don't worry it's easy). Or, just take it with DAYLIGHT WB in RAW and adjust it in PP (lightroom or Canon's DPP) later. I always use full manual mode when taking landscapes. Expose to the right (ETTR), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposing_to_the_right, means using your histogram and make sure almost all the graphs are in the right. Just be careful of clipping. It's a technique used with RAW and later adjusted during post-processing in order to decrease noise especially in shadows. Canon cameras are famous in good highlight recovery but bad with the shadows that's why you overexpose a little bit and then just adjust (darken) it later in post process. I'm sorry but I just assumed that you don't know these and I just want to help you. Have fun!

LOALTD · May 30, 2013

joema said:
dmills said:

...little bit of video for a website that I'm working on. The job will be for a ballet studio...One (or maybe a few) short 30-45 second clips showing the dance studio, and some classrooms, and what it's like...
Two "dancer profiles" featuring interviews, some shots of them warming up and performing, etc. Maybe 1-2 minutes each....I have a somewhat cheapy LED video light as well....I think a budget of $1500 would be about the max I should spend....what, if any of things things are necessary/would help my video look more professional? Is there anything else that's important that I forgot? Is there anything on this list you wouldn't recommend, or would recommend something else?

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I do video documentary production using some of this equipment. Comments:

Your stills background is a plus. Stanley Kubrick started as a still photographer, and his skills in composition and lighting helped in cinematography.

Accept the first pieces you do won't be as good as you want. It will be a learning experience.

There are a few simple techniques which can help to set your material apart from humdrum stuff. This by itself won't make it great -- that's up to your artistic ability. However these technical methods (some of which you already know) can inject some polish and pizzazz. They inform the viewer (whether they understand it or not) this wasn't shot by a kid with a camcorder.

(a) Use rack focus where reasonable: http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/jbutler/clips/CSI20090226qq00_10_19qq_MPEG-SC.mp4/view

You don't need a follow focus for this, although it can help. A variation is a "focus reveal" where you fade into sharp focus, often used while a narrator is talking.

(b) In editing, use J-cuts (audio advance cut) and L-cuts (video advance cuts): http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/239/j-cuts-and-l-cuts

(c) Use two-camera shots for interviews. Cut between them in post. Don't use the same framing on each camera.

(d) For interviews make sure you frame correctly, with the top border at top of subject's head, and with "look space" (open space in front of their face). In general main interview camera should be a 5 o'clock or 7 o'clock position. The b-camera can be more offset L/R or high/low, or even be a roving hand-held camera. If hand held you generally want an optically stabilized lens like the 24-105 or similar.

(e) Tip for informal stand-up interviews: get a partner to conceal a wireless lav mic in a clipboard while interviewing subject, and you stay back with the 70-200 f/2.8 at 200mm. Note this is NOT a clandestine interview -- the subject knows you're there and the mic is there. However by keeping the camera out of their "personal space" and the mic not obvious, it produces more natural, conversational results. Shooting at f/2.8 also helps blur out background distractions.

(f) Generally use a wireless lav mic for interviews. A hand-operated shotgun mic on a boom is better in some cases, but takes another person to run it.

(g) Monitor with earphones your main audio. It is much easier to get the audio right then spending hours with a spectral editor trying to clean it up in post.

(h) Use your GoPro creatively: get some 120 fps shots for slow motion of dancers. GoPro can also take time-lapse stills for building a sequence in Premiere Pro: Create a time lapse video in Premiere Pro

(i) Get plenty of b-roll shots: close-up of hands lacing up ballerina slippers, close-up of feet walking across floor, high angle shots from rafters looking down at dancers, shots of dancers entering studio, establishing shots of studio exterior, etc.

(j) Use shallow depth of field extensively, where appropriate. E.g, out-of-focus dancers in background, and subject interview in foreground. You can also rack focus from one to the other.

(k) Get a cheap black background and consider shooting interviews against that. This is easy and looks professional. However it must be used cohesively with the other material, otherwise the transition to on-scene interviews and black backround interviews is jolting: How I Create A Totally Black Background

(l) Consider using three-point lighting for formal interviews, or two-point bolstered with natural light. Be cautious about mixed lighting temperatures that are difficult to fix in post: Video Lighting Basics - Three Point Lighting

Other comments and suggestions:

Shoot video in manual mode -- not aperture priority or programmed -- with AUTO ISO on. Make sure shutter speed is 2x the frame rate, e.g, 1/60th for 1080p/30. This follows the "180 degree shutter rule" and avoids odd, strobing effects: http://tylerginter.com/post/11480534977/180-degree-shutter-learn-it-live-it-love-it

If scene is too bright for f/2.8 (because ISO won't go low enough), use a neutral density filter. Don't balance the exposure by increasing shutter speed.

Practice, practice, practice before the actual shot. DSLRs are complicated to operate for video. You don't want to fiddle around with camera modes, cables and quick-release fittings in the field. This should be second nature before going. E.g, know how to adjust audio volume level on both cameras -- while shooting and before shooting. The 5D3 is particularly tricky because the controls behave differently when shooting video vs in standby.

Before leaving home, compose a rough "shot list" of shots you want. Hand-draw storyboards (stick figures perfectly OK). Don't wait until you're on set to begin the creative process. Of course you can deviate from your shot list as required, but do as much creative brainstorming beforehand. If possible visit the site beforehand to get ideas.

Suggestions about other hardware you mentioned:

(1) Rhino slider: I use a Kessler Stealth slider: http://www.kesslercrane.com/stealth-s/141.htm

Sliders are good but one more thing you have to manage. It's nice to have one that does vertical slides, and has adjustable tension.

(4) Tripod head: I use the Manfrotto 504HD head and 546B tripod. The 502 is probably OK for your purposes.

(5) Atmos Ninja 2: I would not get this; it's a great product but you don't need it for this project and it won't add significant value, yet will inject production complexity. On your limited budget there are other items with greater cost/benefit ratio.

(7) Zacuto Z-Finder: I use the Z-Finder Pro EVF. It's expensive but gives focus peaking, exposure zebras, facilitates low and high angle shots, eyecup adds a 3rd contact point to help stabilize hand-held shots. Also doubles as a small field monitor. It also has built-in adjustable optical diopter. I personally prefer it over a field monitor, although I've used both. http://www.zacuto.com/zfinderevf

Wow, what an informative post. Thanks so much for taking the time to type this!

I'm also a stills photographer than has started to get sucked into video (thanks ML RAW recording!), this is very helpful stuff for me!