WannabePhotog
-
Posts
87 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by WannabePhotog
-
-
2 damn many......Actually 18!! Breakaway!!
-
My upcoming cruise is less than 30 days away and we are booked in an H cabin and have not received anything. We also did not receive anything in the mail last year when we were in an S cabin. We printed our own out, and it didn't make any difference that it said PRIORITY, they still delivered it to the wrong cabin (which was not a suite, or anything either). Luckily I saw it outside the wrong cabin and grabbed it. We have a US mailing address and have not upgraded. In fact we have been booked on this cruise for about 14 months now. So to answer the question....not always. :D
-
First off, I want to say that picture in your sig shootr is awesome! Now I want to take a shot like that on my next cruise, haha.
I am thinking of picking up a 3+ pretty soon, mostly for my cruise in Sept, but also to use when I ride my bike around Chicago. Thanks for all the tips! It's starting to overwhelm me already and I don't even own one yet. :eek:
-
The D5000 is a fairly old camera, there are much nicer cameras these days, especially when it comes to low-light performance. Unfortunately, Canon cameras, with their smaller sensors, do not tend to have very good low-light performance if you believe DxOMark sensor ratings. The DxOMark ratings consistently rate Canon cameras low light performance below in contrast to Nikon, Sony, and Pentax.
One thing you should know that most of the articulated flip screens on DSLRs result in a higher shutter delay, even if they are not used.
For example, Nikon's D3200 has a 0.12sec delay when in continuous shutter mode (typically used in sports and action photography), while the D5000 has a 0.25sec delay when the flip screen is not used, and a delay greater than 1sec when it is used.
The thing is, you should really avoid using the articulated screen in most cases.
1. the articulated screen promotes poor camera handling, which invariably results in blurry photos. You simply cannot hold the camera steady enough to get good results that way.
2. Using the flip screen (aka live view) adds over 1 sec delay in your shutter. If you can learn to use the camera without the flip screen, you will find the camera responds much faster. Consequently, using the flip screen is all but worthless for action and sports photography. This is true regardless of camera brand.
3. Flip screens eat batteries at a high rate. You will probably only get half the photos per charge when using live view and the flip screen.
4. Depending on the weather, you may have a tough time even seeing or composing your subject, depending on how bright the sun is.
5. Overuse of the flip screen will prematurely wear out your camera.
You should only use the flip screen/live view during video use or when the camera is on a tripod. If you are using it more than that, learn how to hold the camera by looking through the viewfinder. It will result in better (blur free) photos, a faster responding camera, etc.
I will guess that 90% of your dissatisfaction with the D5000 is over use of the flip screen. The reason most DSLRs do not have flip screens is that they are as much of a problem as a benefit.
The 18-55mm "kit" lens that comes with the D500 is no worse or better than Canon's entry level lens. I would not go so far as to call them bad, but there are better lenses available, such as the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8. Neither Nikon or Canon make a lot of good APS-C lenses.
If you go to a website such as http://www.imaging-resource.com, which tests shutter lags among other things, you will find that the flip screens on all brands of DSLRs have the most shutter delay - even when they are not used. This is probably because they are optimized for video use, so in my view, that is an unacceptable compromise as you are losing action and sports performance. I would never own a DSLR with a flip screen.
I think you mean touch screen. A flip screen does nothing different than a regular screen. I have a 60d and it has the exact same sensor as the 7d but the ability to rotate the screen allows me to take better macro shots. There is no lag or anything due to the screen being opened, closed, rotated or anything like that. Now a touch screen DSLR does lag if using live view but I don't know too many DSLR shooters that use live view instead of the viewfinder (I only use it on very hard to focus macro shots). If you're using live view you might as well get a micro 4/3s set up.
-
RAW images must be processed just like a negative by programs such as Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw with their myriad of possible adjustments. [/url]).
Since the OP posted they had a Canon T4i I thought it would be well served to let them know that the software that came w/ the camera (assuming it was bought new or used w/ all accessories) can process RAW images. I used it for awhile before I broke down and bought Lightroom. In the meantime though Canon DPP works pretty well, but it doesn't have all the options a Lightroom or Photoshop does.
-
Ugh, I am now torn between these two. The Bushnells are much cheaper, but maybe there's a reason for that.....
Anyone used the Bushnells that can compare them to the Zen Rays? I won't be able to hold/test either pair before my trip so any help would be great.
-
I have a few:
Norwegian Star in Roatan, Honduras
Norwegian Star in Roatan, Honduras
Norwegian Star in Roatan, Honduras
Carnival Legend tendering in Belize
Carnival Dream in Costa Maya, Mexico
-
So are these the type of binoculars I should be looking for:
-
Great question, I want to follow this thread as well!
-
Hi WannabePhotog,
I was looking through a Flickr album & came across this great hummingbird pic- I recalled someone had asked about it on this thread, so I located your post as I thought you may like to see it - link is here.
Not sure what shutter speed they used sorry, but it was taken with a Canon SX50 HS that I recently purchased & it's max shutter speed is 1/2000 of a second so it can't be any faster than that at least.:D
I was reading some other interesting camera blogs etc & came across 2 sayings I think are amusing & quite true that I thought were worth sharing.
1.During a discussion about the size of lenses etc - this was said - 'It's the 12 inches behind the camera that are the most important ingredient in good photography - the photographer!'
2. Another about reading facts & figures related to using your camera - 'Don't expect to take great shots by reading the camera manual, it's very much like the manual you get with your car - it doesn't teach you to drive.'
A little photography humour!:)
That is a nice hummingbird shot, it says it was shot at 1/1000sec shutter speed too which is interesting.
I like the humor too, but one could argue both of those points, haha.
-
Well, for all the owl fans out there, here are a couple of shots of the Eurasian Eagle Owl I took at our local rehab center. They say they're the biggest owls in the world. All I know is that those orange eyes are AWESOME!!!
"Look into my eyes!"
L.J.
I'm not sure I'd ever want to run into one of those in the wild. Good gracious it looks huge!
-
Thanks for your input and I completely agree about Lightroom not being easy. I played around with it a couple of years ago and got really frustrated. I'm going to take your advice and go to a professional lab. Easy peasy! :D
I used Meridian Pro Imaging (http://www.meridianpro.com)! It was pretty easy and I was happy w/ the results. Good luck whatever way you go. Scott Kelby also writes some really good Lightroom books if you wanted to try it yourself!
-
A snowy owl on the eing is definitely on my dream list of shots to take - and I've never seen any owl in the wild;). I have a better shot at getting to Australia:D!
L.J.
I've never seen an owl in the wild either! We have gotten lots of snow recently so I was hoping one would pop up on the lakefront, but so far no luck. :(
-
Hi L.J. - With all your knowledge regarding lenses and settings for taking photos, I'm hoping you can give me some advice about editing. I have a few pictures from my Alaska trips that I'm really proud of and would like to frame. I have photoshop and lightroom but have no experience in using them to enhance my shots. Is there a quick and easy way to use these programs to make my photos look...LOL..."professional?"
Some of them look great to me as they are, but I've been told they could be made to really "pop" if I edited them using one of these programs. Any help you could give would be much appreciated!
Many thanks,
Di
Maybe LJ can help more, but from my experimenting w/ Lightroom, it's not easy but it can all be undone! If I have a nice shot I usually have a professional lab print it and color correct it for me. I am about to calibrate my monitor so it's ready for my Alaska photos, haha. Good luck!
-
-
Here are a couple from my cruise in Oct. 2011.
Sunsetting on St. Pete, FL
Sunset at St. Pete by jjj5278, on Flickr
Random sunrise:
IMG_0326 by jjj5278, on Flickr
Sunsetting on first night leaving port
Sunset in Tampa Bay by jjj5278, on Flickr
-
Hummingbirds are tough to photograph, FAST shutter speed if you want to stop their wings. The faster the better, so set a high shutter speed and then adjust ISO and aperture to make sure you get a properly exposed shot. Good luck, I have been trying to get hummingbird photos for awhile and all I can manage to get is when they land on a branch, haha.
I love the owl shot too, I wish I had one near me! I've been looking for a snowy owl this year but no luck!
LJ- I did get the 2x extender! Can't wait now!!
-
Wanna,
Almost none:D. The whales were the biggest challenge given the low light ont he overcast day and bumpy seas, so most of those were shot at f/4-f/6.3. Most of the bear and eagle photos (the series in Ketchikan), were shot at f/8-f/9. The eagles were at 1/400 sec, but I wish they were 1/640 or 1/800. Will they not deliver to your work address? That's what I usually do. The other option, which I did the first year for the same issue you are facing, was have the lens shipped to our first hotel in Seattle, and then shipped it home from Anchorage before we went to the airport. Saved a rental day, plus took care of not lugging the 100-400 around the airports and on and off the plane. Maybe that would work for you!?
L.J.
I went ahead and rented the 70-200mm f/2.8 plus the extender. It was about $65 more expensive than just renting the 100-400 but we'll see. I can always cancel if I change my mind. I am not 100% sure where I'll be working on that day so I may update/change the delivery address if I figure that out soon too. I figured having the f/2.8 would be nice if needed/wanted and then if I need more reach I can throw the extender on and still shoot at f/5.6 which is the smallest aperture available on the 100-400mm anyway. There was a 25% coupon for the lens itself so all total it was under $200, I consider that a steal for the lens and extender for 10 days! Now I begin buying other accessories to be ready!
-
Quick question for you since I can't see the EXIF info on your photos. How many of the ones taken w/ the 70-200mm were taken at f/2.8? I am still trying to figure out what to rent and for how long. It sucks I'll need to take an extra day off of work to sign for the package when they deliver. I am not sure if having it delivered the day before we leave is a good idea or not, but it's the only option I have w/o spending over $500 for two week rentals....
-
The extra speed of the 70-200 ended up being more critical this trip than the reach. I rented the 100-400 our first trip to Alaska. It's a little different since it's a push/pull zoom rather than a twist, but I really enjoyed it. It just worked out a lot cheaper to get the Sigma 150-500mm I ended up with rather than the 100-400 when I decided to purchase a long zoom. The 5.3 fps on the 60D will still be great, and it may be easier to have two 60Ds. I still have to remember the differences between my 50D and my 7D when I'm using both.
I have a Storm Jacket for rainy conditions, but I have yet to need to use it - which is more luck than anything. The couple of days we've had a lot of rain, it was ALOT of rain and pretty windy - so photography was pretty much out of the question. The few shots I wanted in those conditions I used our waterproof Olympus instead. Any day you just get some list misty or rain showers, it'll be great to have the Kata.
L.J.
I checked out the storm jackets but got such a great deal on the Kata I had to pick it up, haha. I have talked to a lot of people on a photography forum and they all swear you have to have at least 400mm of reach for an Alaska trip, but you proved otherwise. Now I am considering just renting/buying the 70-300mm. I'd love to go w/ the 70-200mm f/2.8 but then I'd be worried I'd miss some shots w/ only 200mm of reach, even on the crop sensor. Ugh, tough decisions, haha. I'm not sure when we'll go back to Alaska so I'd hate to miss a shot....
And of course borrowlenses is running a 25% off sale on the 70-200mm f/2.8 so it'd be VERY cheap to rent. Maybe I just rent it and the 100-400mm, lol.
-
Well, I finally got through most of the thread and then PhotoBucket took off most of the photos, ugh. Hahaha. I saw your answers to a lot of my camera/gear questions I had. I can't believe you got a lot of those shots w/ only a 200mm telephoto. I am planning on renting a 100-400mm L, or possibly just upgrading my telephoto to the 70-300mm L and using that. We booked our cruise for early June so I am scrambling to buy/rent gear now! I am deciding between renting a 7d or just buying a used 60d so I'll have two 60d's to use (one w/ the super telephoto and one w/ my wide angle). I like the burst rate for the 7d, but renting one for 10 days is almost $200. :eek:
Do you use any type of waterproof casing? I just bought a Kata E-702 to put over at least one the cameras. Now I am trying to find a smaller backpack to hold just one camera when we do our whale watching excursion.
Flying from uk to maimi.
in Norwegian Cruise Line
Posted
British....I can't stand American Airlines when flying here so I'd avoid them on a transatlantic flight for sure, haha. I was under the impression that British Airlines had some amazing in-flight stuff, but I've never flown w/ them so I don't speak from experience.