Ask me your photography questions!

[fuzzybabybunny]

OMG what have I done

Other camera people feel free to help da' bunny

 

[blurredvision]

Which internet company makes the best prints from digital at a nice cost?

Thought you'd get a typical question, didn't ya?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
Which internet company makes the best prints from digital at a nice cost?

Thought you'd get a typical question, didn't ya?

Adorama's having a 11x14 prints for $2 each blowout sale or somesuch until the 28th!

Yay!

Other than that.... a LOT of people really really like mpix and consider it the best.

http://www.mpix.com/productsinfo.aspx

EDIT: OMG STRAWBERRIES YAY!!!

 

[ultimatebob]

Why don't you have a wide-angle to zoom "all purpose" lens like a 17-85 in your collection? Doesn't changing lenses all the time get annoying?

 

[foghorn67]

I can vouch for Mpix. They are run by a really well known pro lab. I have recieved several prints from them. Top notch.

 

[michaels]

I need some tips for a Canon S3 IS for getting the best out of it. Especially indoors.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Why don't you have a wide-angle to zoom "all purpose" lens like a 17-85 in your collection? Doesn't changing lenses all the time get annoying?

By now, I can change lenses with my eyes closed due to all the practice I get.

The reasons why I don't have a lens such as this is:

1. I'm poor.
2. Primes are a lot brighter (larger aperture, lower f-number) than zooms, which means I can use them handheld in lower light conditions that zooms.
3. Pleasant depth of field at larger apertures.

I personally don't feel like I'm limited by primes. I'm perfectly happy zooming in with my feet and I enjoy the light weight of primes, as well as their sharpness.

I will eventually get a zoom like the above, but having used primes for so long, I actually feel no hurry to do so.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: michaels
I need some tips for a Canon S3 IS for getting the best out of it. Especially indoors.

Can I take a stab fuzzy?

Quality indoor pics are made by making the light as big as possible and away from the camera lens. Hard to do with p&s. No hotshoe. Usually you would bounce it off the ceiling. Or use remote flashes.
Switch the mode to as manual as you can get. The shutter as slow as you can hand hold. one second for every mm in focal length. 30mm=1/30th of a second. Just as long as the subject isn't moving that much. Open up the f-stop or aperature all the way. You are trying to get as much ambient light as possible. Try placing tissue over the camera flash to lessen the specular highlights on the skin. (the deer in head lights harsh look.)
how does that sound?

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Why don't you have a wide-angle to zoom "all purpose" lens like a 17-85 in your collection? Doesn't changing lenses all the time get annoying?

By now, I can change lenses with my eyes closed due to all the practice I get.

The reasons why I don't have a lens such as this is:

1. I'm poor.
2. Primes are a lot brighter (larger aperture, lower f-number) than zooms, which means I can use them handheld in lower light conditions that zooms.
3. Pleasant depth of field at larger apertures.

I personally don't feel like I'm limited by primes. I'm perfectly happy zooming in with my feet and I enjoy the light weight of primes, as well as their sharpness.

I will eventually get a zoom like the above, but having used primes for so long, I actually feel no hurry to do so.

Prime users FTW!
I exclusively use my 16mm F/2.8 fisheye, 35mm F/2, 50mm F/1.4, and 135mm F/2.5
If I want supercloseup, I bring my 300mm F/4
Quality over quantity!

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Why don't you have a wide-angle to zoom "all purpose" lens like a 17-85 in your collection? Doesn't changing lenses all the time get annoying?

By now, I can change lenses with my eyes closed due to all the practice I get.

The reasons why I don't have a lens such as this is:

1. I'm poor.
2. Primes are a lot brighter (larger aperture, lower f-number) than zooms, which means I can use them handheld in lower light conditions that zooms.
3. Pleasant depth of field at larger apertures.

I personally don't feel like I'm limited by primes. I'm perfectly happy zooming in with my feet and I enjoy the light weight of primes, as well as their sharpness.

I will eventually get a zoom like the above, but having used primes for so long, I actually feel no hurry to do so.

Prime users FTW!
I exclusively use my 16mm F/2.8 fisheye, 35mm F/2, 50mm F/1.4, and 135mm F/2.5
If I want supercloseup, I bring my 300mm F/4
Quality over quantity!

what system are you running? Nikon, Pentax, etc.?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: michaels
I need some tips for a Canon S3 IS for getting the best out of it. Especially indoors.

Indoors:

I would not use ISO 400 because IMO the noise is too much. For indoor shots make sure you're shooting at 1/30s or faster to minimize motion blur and blur from handholding. Shoot at the widest aperture (lowest f-number).

One thing you can do is get an external flash, like a Sigma 500DG, mount it, and then bounce the flash from the ceiling or the walls to give some added light to the subject, allowing you to shoot at a slower ISO and faster shutter speed. Direct flash on the subject, especially from the in-camera flash, can make colors look unnatural.

More than likely your camera may set the incorrect white balance, resulting in pictures that are too yellow. Correct this in camera by setting the correct white balance manually, or in Photoshop using the Photo Filter (Image -> Adjustments -> Photo Filter) for JPEGs and changing the Color Temperature for RAWs in RAW processing software like Adobe Camera RAW (which comes with Photoshop).

There aren't many other options for getting a good shot indoors.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: michaels
I need some tips for a Canon S3 IS for getting the best out of it. Especially indoors.

Indoors:

I would not use ISO 400 because IMO the noise is too much. For indoor shots make sure you're shooting at 1/30s or faster to minimize motion blur and blur from handholding. Shoot at the widest aperture (lowest f-number).

One thing you can do is get an external flash, like a Sigma 500DG, mount it, and then bounce the flash from the ceiling or the walls to give some added light to the subject, allowing you to shoot at a slower ISO and faster shutter speed. Direct flash on the subject, especially from the in-camera flash, can make colors look unnatural.

More than likely your camera may set the incorrect white balance, resulting in pictures that are too yellow. Correct this in camera by setting the correct white balance manually, or in Photoshop using the Photo Filter (Image -> Adjustments -> Photo Filter) for JPEGs and changing the Color Temperature for RAWs in RAW processing software like Adobe Camera RAW (which comes with Photoshop).

There aren't many other options for getting a good shot indoors.

Does the S3 have a hotshoe? If not, he would have to get a flash that has an optical slave, like a Sigma 500 DG Super, or Nikon SB-26.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: michaels
I need some tips for a Canon S3 IS for getting the best out of it. Especially indoors.

Can I take a stab fuzzy?

Quality indoor pics are made by making the light as big as possible and away from the camera lens. Hard to do with p&s. No hotshoe. Usually you would bounce it off the ceiling. Or use remote flashes.
Switch the mode to as manual as you can get. The shutter as slow as you can hand hold. one second for every mm in focal length. 30mm=1/30th of a second. Just as long as the subject isn't moving that much. Open up the f-stop or aperature all the way. You are trying to get as much ambient light as possible. Try placing tissue over the camera flash to lessen the specular highlights on the skin. (the deer in head lights harsh look.)
how does that sound?

Sounds good

One point though, about the 30mm=1/30th of a second thing. The advice is good, but on a Canon S3 IS, or any P&S for that matter, I don't think you can actually see what focal length the lens is currently at

So on an S3, shoot at 1/30s if you're zoomed out, shoot at at least 1/200s or something around there when you're fully zoomed in.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: foghorn67
Does the S3 have a hotshoe? If not, he would have to get a flash that has an optical slave, like a Sigma 500 DG Super, or Nikon SB-26.

I think so... although I'm not sure. It should though. My old Olympus C-750 4MP 10x optical zoom camera has a hotshoe and my 500DG Super works just fine on it.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: michaels
I need some tips for a Canon S3 IS for getting the best out of it. Especially indoors.

Can I take a stab fuzzy?

Quality indoor pics are made by making the light as big as possible and away from the camera lens. Hard to do with p&s. No hotshoe. Usually you would bounce it off the ceiling. Or use remote flashes.
Switch the mode to as manual as you can get. The shutter as slow as you can hand hold. one second for every mm in focal length. 30mm=1/30th of a second. Just as long as the subject isn't moving that much. Open up the f-stop or aperature all the way. You are trying to get as much ambient light as possible. Try placing tissue over the camera flash to lessen the specular highlights on the skin. (the deer in head lights harsh look.)
how does that sound?

Sounds good

One point though, about the 30mm=1/30th of a second thing. The advice is good, but on a Canon S3 IS, or any P&S for that matter, I don't think you can actually see what focal length the lens is currently at

So on an S3, shoot at 1/30s if you're zoomed out, shoot at at least 1/200s or something around there when you're fully zoomed in.

oh yeah, sensor size relationship with the lens is way different. forgot. thanks for correcting.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Prime users FTW!
I exclusively use my 16mm F/2.8 fisheye, 35mm F/2, 50mm F/1.4, and 135mm F/2.5
If I want supercloseup, I bring my 300mm F/4
Quality over quantity!

Yay! Although to be fair I've seen some really sharp pics from zooms. I feel that if you just outright say primes are always sharper than zooms you may actually start a flame fest.

I use my primes for different purposes though: my 30mm and 50mm are my workhorses for normal shooting, my 50-500mm is the workhorse for animals, my 10-20mm is the workhorse for super wides, and my 180mm is there for some macros.

 

[sash1]

my friend just got a sony h2, any good?

and i want a wide-angle lens for my Nikon d50, recommendations?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: sash1
my friend just got a sony h2, any good?

and i want a wide-angle lens for my Nikon d50, recommendations?

The H2 is on par with a lot of other P&S cameras. The thing that I don't like about P&S's is that each one, no matter if it's Panasonic, Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc, is that they each have some glaring deficiencies that automatically turn me off to them. Things like too much in-camera noise reduction, too much noise at high ISOs, high chromatic abberations, no RAW mode, slow shooting speed, etc. really kill it for me coming from a DSLR.

Basically it boils down to getting the camera whose deficiencies you can live the best with, and that's an individual preference.

I personally have no experience with Nikon brand lenses, but the Sigma 10-20mm and Tokina 12-24mm in Nikon mount are both fine lenses. If you're on a budget of less than $200, I think that there are no lenses that go below 18mm. A nice budget wide may be the Tokina 19-35mm in Nikon mount, nicknamed the "plastic fantastic."

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Prime users FTW!
I exclusively use my 16mm F/2.8 fisheye, 35mm F/2, 50mm F/1.4, and 135mm F/2.5
If I want supercloseup, I bring my 300mm F/4
Quality over quantity!

Yay! Although to be fair I've seen some really sharp pics from zooms. I feel that if you just outright say primes are always sharper than zooms you may actually start a flame fest.

I use my primes for different purposes though: my 30mm and 50mm are my workhorses for normal shooting, my 50-500mm is the workhorse for animals, my 10-20mm is the workhorse for super wides, and my 180mm is there for some macros.

I'd use a zoom too, if I can afford one of those 80-200mm F/2.8 pro zooms. But those simply cost way more than I can afford. I got my 135mm F/2.5 manual focus prime for $110, and it provides the same image quality, if not better, than the $1600 zoom.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
I'd use a zoom too, if I can afford one of those 80-200mm F/2.8 pro zooms. But those simply cost way more than I can afford. I got my 135mm F/2.5 manual focus prime for $110, and it provides the same image quality, if not better, than the $1600 zoom.

Yeah

It's too bad that any zoom even remotely bright costs an arm and a leg. The cheapest may be the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 for around... $500 used.

I wish I could go the old manual focus lens route myself, by the Rebel's viewfinder is so small and dim, all manual focusing is essentially guesswork for me.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
I'd use a zoom too, if I can afford one of those 80-200mm F/2.8 pro zooms. But those simply cost way more than I can afford. I got my 135mm F/2.5 manual focus prime for $110, and it provides the same image quality, if not better, than the $1600 zoom.

Yeah

It's too bad that any zoom even remotely bright costs an arm and a leg. The cheapest may be the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 for around... $700... I think...

I wish I could go the old manual focus lens route myself, by the Rebel's viewfinder is so small and dim, all manual focusing is essentially guesswork for me.

I bought one used.
500 bucks. And the guy threw me a 2x apo convertor. the convertor is soft. It's what you would expect at 2x. But for 50 bucks, I couldn't say no.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Fixed my original post.

 

[ViviTheMage]

dude, your crazy

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
dude, your crazy

*fills cheeks with helium and floats up the tree to visit Mr. Squirrelly Poof!*

 

[jpeyton]

I got my Nikon 80-200mm F/2.8 for $400 used; fast zooms are out there, especially with a lot of people trading them in for VR/IS lenses.