Photography

This forum is for Music & Culture related discussion

Moderators: Fringe Security Bureau, Senior Editors, Senior Translators, Alt. Language Translator/Editor, Executive Council, Project Translators, Project Editors

User avatar
Doraneko
Project Translator
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:38 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: \アッカリーン/‎
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by Doraneko »

Another shot from the same place with the background overexposed. I don't really like the man-made structures on one of the rock.

Still thinking whether I should send the camera for repair...

Image
My light novel review blog: ラノなの!@ novel.co.nr
User avatar
rpapo
I.D.S.E Humanoid Interface [LSB]
Posts: 1530
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 5:15 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: Michigan, USA
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by rpapo »

Looks like something out of Myst...
User avatar
Doraneko
Project Translator
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:38 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: \アッカリーン/‎
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by Doraneko »

rpapo wrote:Looks like something out of Myst...
However in the real place, what you will see are rubbish floating on a dirty sea and ugly buildings on the opposite coast. :P

There are places whose beauty can never be captured except by naked eyes, but this heavily polluted city is never one of them. :(
My light novel review blog: ラノなの!@ novel.co.nr
User avatar
Cosmic Eagle
Project Translator
Posts: 1098
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:16 pm
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: 大欲界天狗道

Re: Photography

Post by Cosmic Eagle »

Doraneko wrote:Another shot from the same place with the background overexposed. I don't really like the man-made structures on one of the rock.

Still thinking whether I should send the camera for repair...

Image
How much would it cost?

Without a flash, dark shots are pretty much impossible. Unless it's a DSLR class sensor
Image

――罨――
阿謨伽尾盧左曩 摩訶母捺囉摩抳 鉢納摩 人嚩攞 鉢囉韈哆野吽
地・水・火・風・空に偏在する金剛界尊よ
今ぞ遍く光に滅相し奉る!
天地玄妙神辺変通力離――
卍曼荼羅ァ――無量大数ゥ!
User avatar
Doraneko
Project Translator
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:38 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: \アッカリーン/‎
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by Doraneko »

Cosmic Eagle wrote:How much would it cost?
I haven't brought the camera to the service centre yet, but the brand I am using is notorious for charging parallel imports consumers a premium. (Mine is a second-hand model, which was originally bought in Japan by its previous owner.)

They will probably be charging me anything from $30USD to $120, depending on whether replacement of parts is necessary.

Without a flash, dark shots are pretty much impossible. Unless it's a DSLR class sensor
There are quite a few shots in this thread done in low light conditions. Most of the time I use a gorillapod and long exposure for architecture/landscape night shots (which account for a great majority of my low light photography). I hate dragging around heavy equipment just for the sake of photography, but the gorillapod is light and compact enough that I can slip it into my pocket.

But indoor shots with poor lighting (bars, parties, etc) are now close to impossible. :(
My light novel review blog: ラノなの!@ novel.co.nr
User avatar
Cosmic Eagle
Project Translator
Posts: 1098
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:16 pm
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: 大欲界天狗道

Re: Photography

Post by Cosmic Eagle »

Yes, indoor shots are what I refer to....hence, the term, "dark" Like let's say at a concert or convention etc....

Need a flash for that.

May make more economic sense if a new one is cheaper but if you've grown attached to this one, then why not just repair?
Image

――罨――
阿謨伽尾盧左曩 摩訶母捺囉摩抳 鉢納摩 人嚩攞 鉢囉韈哆野吽
地・水・火・風・空に偏在する金剛界尊よ
今ぞ遍く光に滅相し奉る!
天地玄妙神辺変通力離――
卍曼荼羅ァ――無量大数ゥ!
User avatar
Doraneko
Project Translator
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:38 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: \アッカリーン/‎
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by Doraneko »

Cosmic Eagle wrote:May make more economic sense if a new one is cheaper but if you've grown attached to this one, then why not just repair?
Yeah I guess you are right. I will probably send it for repair once I get my translation pay later this month (hopefully).
My light novel review blog: ラノなの!@ novel.co.nr
User avatar
hobogunner
Administrator
Posts: 8820
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:24 pm
Favourite Light Novel:
Location: Elsewhere.

Re: Photography

Post by hobogunner »

BAM! Hocchan hijack! (I thought it would be a better catchphrase until I actually tried to use it)

First order of business:
Doraneko wrote:Yeah I guess you are right. I will probably send it for repair once I get my translation pay later this month (hopefully).
A) Did you get it fixed? and B) You translate for a company? [Never knew that.]

Second order of business, photos! I was visiting the place called The Getty, and though I didn't take many pictures of the inside, I certainly enjoyed shooting the outside alot. Decided to use photobucket instead of just upload like 20 photos here:
http://photobucket.com/hobogunner_getty

My favorites being:
Spoiler! :
Image
Spoiler! :
Image
Spoiler! :
Image
Spoiler! :
Image
Spoiler! :
Image
Spoiler! :
Image
I certainly wasn't using a good camera, I was using this (on manual, obviously):
Spoiler! :
Image
Maybe this is just too fast, too real -Stay Close, Parabelle
Snails see the benefits, the beauty in every inch -Snails, The Format
You thought you could find happiness just over that green hill; you thought you would be satisfied, but you never will learn to be still
-Learn To Be Still, The Eagles
User avatar
ainsoph9
Osaka-ben Gaijin-Sama
Posts: 13824
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:30 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: leave a message at the beep

Re: Photography

Post by ainsoph9 »

This guy is a genius in my mind. He takes shots of places that were photographed during WWII and slightly after WWII from the exact same angle and place as the original photos. After he takes them, he photoshops the original photos with the ones he took to blend the two time periods together to give a very unique effect.
Image
User avatar
Doraneko
Project Translator
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:38 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: \アッカリーン/‎
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by Doraneko »

hobogunner wrote:A) Did you get it fixed? and B) You translate for a company? [Never knew that.]
A) Not yet :(
B) I am translating for my university (or more precisely, one of my professors who is researching on Japanese law), but in a way tertiary institutes are also companies per se.
Second order of business, photos! I was visiting the place called The Getty, and though I didn't take many pictures of the inside, I certainly enjoyed shooting the outside alot. Decided to use photobucket instead of just upload like 20 photos here:
Nice shots :). I especially like the second one which looks quite artistic. Great as a desktop wallpaper.

Btw my camera is also of a similar age and resolution. :P
ainsoph9 wrote:This guy is a genius in my mind. He takes shots of places that were photographed during WWII and slightly after WWII from the exact same angle and place as the original photos. After he takes them, he photoshops the original photos with the ones he took to blend the two time periods together to give a very unique effect.
Very interesting concept and decent execution. If only my photoshop skills were half as good... (heck I don't even have photoshop :lol:)
My light novel review blog: ラノなの!@ novel.co.nr
User avatar
hobogunner
Administrator
Posts: 8820
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:24 pm
Favourite Light Novel:
Location: Elsewhere.

Re: Photography

Post by hobogunner »

As we all know I am not well versed in these new Camera terms, so I was hoping for some advice...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... ng=&catId=

Basically, my mom is getting one of those cameras, and would like to know the opinions of them....I know they are plastic cased which is a drawback, but, she wants one of these. To me it seems like the one for 699 is actually the best deal of all of them when I scroll down the compare page. They both come with the same lens from the store.
Maybe this is just too fast, too real -Stay Close, Parabelle
Snails see the benefits, the beauty in every inch -Snails, The Format
You thought you could find happiness just over that green hill; you thought you would be satisfied, but you never will learn to be still
-Learn To Be Still, The Eagles
User avatar
Doraneko
Project Translator
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:38 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: \アッカリーン/‎
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by Doraneko »

These are all entry-level DSLRs.

My mum has been using 550D/T2i for around a year with the kit lens. Her prior experience (as well as mine) in photography was limited to digital compacts and so far she is happy with how much the camera empowers her to try skills of a slightly higher level.

The kit lens that come with the set is a good starter lens. Focus is fast with image stabilization. Unless you are into pixel peeping, image quality is also quite acceptable especially at the centre area. Bokeh (blurred background) is okay as long as you use the telephoto end of the lens with a wide aperture. On top of that its light weight (200g) makes it a good companion to the more portable entry-level DSLRs.

The main problem of the lens is the resulting images being a bit soft at the borders, and the lack of a "punch" due to the less-than-vibrant colours. Chromatic aberration and vignetting are pronounced at the mid-length and the wide-angle end respectively, though these are not problems exclusive to starter lens. Nonetheless cost-performance is excellent - you simply can't find anything better at the $100 price range (except maybe the 50mm prime for the impeccable sharpness but the fixed length is limiting in itself). But to bring out the full potential of the 550D/600D sensors better lens are necessary.

The camera itself is of solid quality. Weighting only 530g it is quite portable when compared to other more professional models. The APS-C sensor is also decent enough offering an acceptable ISO capability in low night conditions, usable up to ISO 800 (noise starts to become glaring from ISO 1600 and onwards). For image quality alone it is true that you cannot compare it with professional models like 5D Mark II, but with good lens it is at least as good as 7D which is around 2-3 times more expensive.

Ergonomics is fine for Asians but less so for Europeans/Americans. The camera fits comfortably in my mum's palm and she can hold it in one hand. But if your mum have hands larger than the Asian average, an additional grip may be necessary. It may be a good idea to try it out first in a shop.

We seldom if ever shoot video so no comment on this regard, but Canon cameras are known for doing a good job in this area.



600D/T3i is an upgrade of 550D with the addition of a swivel-and-tilt and a number of beginner-friendly features. The core specifications as well as the sensor are essentially the same as 550D however. Whether this limited range of new features justifies the $200 premium and an additional 40g is an issue of personal preference.



1100D/T3 is a budget model in the starter-DSLR line with a weaker sensor and a worse display. With a weight of 495g it is however marginally more portable than 550D/600D, but the difference is not that significant. If you hate dragging a brick around, the negligible weight advantage may be slightly relevant.

Do remember that the best camera is not the one with the highest quality, but the one that is always with you - a major reason why I am still using a digital compact instead of stealing the 550D from my mum. :P

Btw Nikon also offers decent entry-level DSLRs and you may also be interested in looking into those. I have no experience with Nikon though so you may need to find someone else for advice.


550D/600D:
Sensor: 18MP
Exposure Compensation = -5EV to +5EV
Video: Up to 1080P
Burst: 3.7 shots / second
LCD screen: 3 inches, 1.04 MP

1100D:
Sensor: 12MP
Exposure Compensation = -2EV to +2EV
Video: Up to 720P
Burst: 3.0 / second
LCD screen: 2.7 inches, 0.23 MP
My light novel review blog: ラノなの!@ novel.co.nr
User avatar
hobogunner
Administrator
Posts: 8820
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:24 pm
Favourite Light Novel:
Location: Elsewhere.

Re: Photography

Post by hobogunner »

Doraneko wrote:My mum has been using 550D/T2i for around a year with the kit lens. Her prior experience (as well as mine) in photography was limited to digital compacts and so far she is happy with how much the camera empowers her to try skills of a slightly higher level.

The main problem of the lens is the resulting images being a bit soft at the borders, and the lack of a "punch" due to the less-than-vibrant colours. Chromatic aberration and vignetting are pronounced at the mid-length and the wide-angle end respectively, though these are not problems exclusive to starter lens. Nonetheless cost-performance is excellent - you simply can't find anything better at the $100 price range (except maybe the 50mm prime for the impeccable sharpness but the fixed length is limiting in itself). But to bring out the full potential of the 550D/600D sensors better lens are necessary.

Ergonomics is fine for Asians but less so for Europeans/Americans. The camera fits comfortably in my mum's palm and she can hold it in one hand. But if your mum have hands larger than the Asian average, an additional grip may be necessary. It may be a good idea to try it out first in a shop.
Okay, so it's worth it? I mean, it's not my money, and neither my mom nor I are professional photographers so, I doubt we'll be too picky about quality. Basically, could I get the shots I posted above with the t2i easily?

Also, what do you mean by the soft edges things? Does it look faded / out of focus on the edges? (I doubt we'll try to upgrade lenses until she gets used to the actual main camera.)

And for the hand thing, this is my hand next to a credit card sized card:
Spoiler! :
Picture 020.jpg
My mom's hand is pretty much to the first knuckle in my hands, so I don't assume that it'll be too bad. She is half thai (certainly shows more than the welsh). :lol:
Shouldn't be too big, right? (I tried to hold the camera in the store when I went.....but every camera is just that half size too small for my liking.)
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Maybe this is just too fast, too real -Stay Close, Parabelle
Snails see the benefits, the beauty in every inch -Snails, The Format
You thought you could find happiness just over that green hill; you thought you would be satisfied, but you never will learn to be still
-Learn To Be Still, The Eagles
User avatar
Doraneko
Project Translator
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:38 am
Favourite Light Novel: Ahouka!
Location: \アッカリーン/‎
Contact:

Re: Photography

Post by Doraneko »

hobogunner wrote:Okay, so it's worth it? I mean, it's not my money, and neither my mom nor I are professional photographers so, I doubt we'll be too picky about quality. Basically, could I get the shots I posted above with the t2i easily?
For both questions, certainly I'd say.
Also, what do you mean by the soft edges things? Does it look faded / out of focus on the edges? (I doubt we'll try to upgrade lenses until she gets used to the actual main camera.)
It is not exactly out of focus, but slightly less sharp at the borders compared to the centre area of a shot. Unless you are doing photography for living and needs to make printouts as large as a wall, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. A way to deal with it is not to use the lens wide-open (stop the aperture down to f/7 or narrower) Also don't pixel peep as you may become sad. (speaking from personal experience :lol: ).

As for the edges, sometimes you get colour-shifted purple edges (chromatic aberration). Like the border problem it is not exactly fatal and hardly noticeable when a photo is shown full-screen, but still sometimes distracting especially when you need to take a good shot to impress your friends or for large (read: gigantic) printouts :P . Again avoiding pixel peeping will make you happier.

You may consider getting the 50mm prime for razor-blade sharpness and clarity with minimal distortions, at a price of less than $100 (maybe even 50% cheaper if you find a good second-handed one), and use it for important portraits and shots. My mum is not living on photography so she sticks to the kit lens: which is perfectly fine for most purposes.
And for the hand thing, this is my hand next to a credit card sized card:
Spoiler! :
Picture 020.jpg
My mom's hand is pretty much to the first knuckle in my hands, so I don't assume that it'll be too bad. She is half thai (certainly shows more than the welsh). :lol:
Shouldn't be too big, right? (I tried to hold the camera in the store when I went.....but every camera is just that half size too small for my liking.)
My hands seem to be similar with your mum's in size. Personally I find the camera quite comfortable to hold. But the safest way is to bring your mum to a shop and allow her to try it herself.
My light novel review blog: ラノなの!@ novel.co.nr
User avatar
hobogunner
Administrator
Posts: 8820
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:24 pm
Favourite Light Novel:
Location: Elsewhere.

Re: Photography

Post by hobogunner »

Doraneko wrote:
Also, what do you mean by the soft edges things? Does it look faded / out of focus on the edges? (I doubt we'll try to upgrade lenses until she gets used to the actual main camera.)
It is not exactly out of focus, but slightly less sharp at the borders compared to the centre area of a shot. Unless you are doing photography for living and needs to make printouts as large as a wall, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. A way to deal with it is not to use the lens wide-open (stop the aperture down to f/7 or narrower) Also don't pixel peep as you may become sad. (speaking from personal experience :lol: ).

As for the edges, sometimes you get colour-shifted purple edges (chromatic aberration). Like the border problem it is not exactly fatal and hardly noticeable when a photo is shown full-screen, but still sometimes distracting especially when you need to take a good shot to impress your friends or for large (read: gigantic) printouts :P . Again avoiding pixel peeping will make you happier.

You may consider getting the 50mm prime for razor-blade sharpness and clarity with minimal distortions, at a price of less than $100 (maybe even 50% cheaper if you find a good second-handed one), and use it for important portraits and shots. My mum is not living on photography so she sticks to the kit lens: which is perfectly fine for most purposes.

My hands seem to be similar with your mum's in size. Personally I find the camera quite comfortable to hold. But the safest way is to brought your mum to a shop and allow her to try it herself.
Believe me, I'm not about to buy a 700 dollar camera....it's all her. :lol:

(I swear, this better be the last time I have to do admin work half through typing a post. :? )

I'm no photographer nor will I have time to mess around with that theory about any of that....I doubt I will even be able to touch it for a few years.

That other Lens sounds like a good investment, since I know my mom loves taking pictures of my brother and I when we're together.

Thanks for all the advice, now to just convince my mom to buy it.......then wait until she buys a new one....and have it as my own!
Maybe this is just too fast, too real -Stay Close, Parabelle
Snails see the benefits, the beauty in every inch -Snails, The Format
You thought you could find happiness just over that green hill; you thought you would be satisfied, but you never will learn to be still
-Learn To Be Still, The Eagles
Locked

Return to “Music & Culture”