Camera talk...
- Thread starter nac
- Start date
izzikio_rage
Technomancer
Also i guess its one if those hobbies that you can get money or atleast trade for stuff.
I've covered tons of college functions for pizzas and treats
I've covered tons of college functions for pizzas and treats
raja manuel
In the zone
Just as we are moaning about the cost of photography comes the news that Amazon has launched a flash for Canon and Nikon under their Amazon Basics brand. It appears to be a $65 flash they are selling for $28.
OP
nac
Aspiring Novelist
Yeah, read this few days ago. But it's not just launched, it's been in the market for quite sometime now.
And it's $28 in US not in India. In India it would cost lot more.
izzikio_rage
Technomancer
He he.. I also searched for this. Found a lot of 2000Rs flashes on Amazon. Now I'm tempted 
izzikio_rage
Technomancer
How useful is a flash? Especially if i get one flash plus a remote trigger? I've been reading a lot about using light to get great shots. This might help
OP
nac
Aspiring Novelist
Still it's useful, esp. for you
as you shoot at high iso most of the time. Using flash to every photos (read portrait) is something new to me. In fact, I neither have the experience nor have the knowledge of how to use them. It's something new to learn in this art, I am sure it will be interesting. Hope I will learn it sometime in the future.
raja manuel
In the zone
Which is true for everything else as well. The relative price should save the same or could even be lower if they avoid price gouging. I remember checking the price of Yongnou's 50 mm 1.8 for Canon some time ago. In the US it is 33% of Canon's price while in India it was 80%. Not worth it for a 3 month seller 'warranty'.
Photography is all about light and shadow, and a flash allows you to control and model the light to shape the image in the way you want. On camera flash can only take you so far, but once you take the flash off camera you step into a world of magic. Use it along with sunlight to add fill, freeze motion, use lighting ratios to complement depth of field to separate subject from background, make a person's face look more angular or rounder, or use it have fun in in the dark. I use flash all the time, saves me the bother of trying to work around the limitations of natural or ambient light.
Siddhartht
Void
So I have been busy with summer internship and studies in general, missed a lot of stuff here. By the way, I prefer prices in India, pretty much same or less than Sweden :')
And I have finally assembled my build (too sad I have to let it go after an year). The centerpieces are two monitors, one color calibrated for photos and another for videos. One calibrated for photos covers sRGB completely and is matched to printers I have access to. Now my desk is covered with cables.....I have barely any space to keep my camera gear (which honestly is pretty sparse right now).
Picture: Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
As for the lenses and stuff, I think for E-mount photographers, Sigma lenses hold a lot of promise for "cheap". Using the MC-11 convertor, I guess the only two lenses I will need for APS-C are 18-35/1.8 and 50-100/1.8 art .Both are crazy sharp and work well with Sony Contrast/Phase AF. The only catch, the combo costs 2K USD, still better than buying fixed length Zeiss or Sony G, considering the sharpness and build. Also, the resell value is quite high for MC-11 adapted lenses, because you are just using canon mount Sigma, so there is always the canon crowd to take your lens.
And then there is Sigma 30mm/1.4 Contemporary for E-mount and Sigma 35mm Art for Canon/Nikon, both of which are excellent lenses for price (CA aside).
As for flashes, I'm not against them. But they are annoying for most of the part, specially with mirrorless cameras. I have a basic Sony flash just so I can have easy bounce back flash, and nothing else. Given that I use a relatively bright lens wide open at 1.4/1.8 most of the time, illumination mostly depends on how I position myself. The only time when I use flash seriously is while taking portraits, in bright sunlight to even the backlight. For all other purposes, it is dynamic range supported by sensor which plays a bigger part. That's the reason why you will see better images from cameras like Blackmagic Studio/Pocket camera (which I got a chance to use) or Sony A7S x. Although Blackmagic Studio camera employs a smaller sensor, it gives a smoother tone to image by capturing higher dynamic range, giving more headroom to play with shadows and lights during post processing. The same holds for newer camera like Panasonic GH5. These video oriented cameras have colors which resemble fine art prints out of the box, underwhelming and subtle, and can be enhanced in post processing.
Ultimately, for me photography is all about getting the subject right at the right moment. I cannot be bothered with trying different angles or flash settings for a perfect picture, because most of the time such luxuries are only possible in studio.
And I have finally assembled my build (too sad I have to let it go after an year). The centerpieces are two monitors, one color calibrated for photos and another for videos. One calibrated for photos covers sRGB completely and is matched to printers I have access to. Now my desk is covered with cables.....I have barely any space to keep my camera gear (which honestly is pretty sparse right now).
Picture: Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
As for the lenses and stuff, I think for E-mount photographers, Sigma lenses hold a lot of promise for "cheap". Using the MC-11 convertor, I guess the only two lenses I will need for APS-C are 18-35/1.8 and 50-100/1.8 art .Both are crazy sharp and work well with Sony Contrast/Phase AF. The only catch, the combo costs 2K USD, still better than buying fixed length Zeiss or Sony G, considering the sharpness and build. Also, the resell value is quite high for MC-11 adapted lenses, because you are just using canon mount Sigma, so there is always the canon crowd to take your lens.
And then there is Sigma 30mm/1.4 Contemporary for E-mount and Sigma 35mm Art for Canon/Nikon, both of which are excellent lenses for price (CA aside).
As for flashes, I'm not against them. But they are annoying for most of the part, specially with mirrorless cameras. I have a basic Sony flash just so I can have easy bounce back flash, and nothing else. Given that I use a relatively bright lens wide open at 1.4/1.8 most of the time, illumination mostly depends on how I position myself. The only time when I use flash seriously is while taking portraits, in bright sunlight to even the backlight. For all other purposes, it is dynamic range supported by sensor which plays a bigger part. That's the reason why you will see better images from cameras like Blackmagic Studio/Pocket camera (which I got a chance to use) or Sony A7S x. Although Blackmagic Studio camera employs a smaller sensor, it gives a smoother tone to image by capturing higher dynamic range, giving more headroom to play with shadows and lights during post processing. The same holds for newer camera like Panasonic GH5. These video oriented cameras have colors which resemble fine art prints out of the box, underwhelming and subtle, and can be enhanced in post processing.
Ultimately, for me photography is all about getting the subject right at the right moment. I cannot be bothered with trying different angles or flash settings for a perfect picture, because most of the time such luxuries are only possible in studio.
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sujoyp
Grand Master
great setup @Siddhartht ...it looks like a gaming setup.
Today I checked each of my lens for fungus as rainy season is almost about to end and its the most disastrous season for lenses. every year one of my lens keep on getting fungus and this year i had 300f4 with me. I brought fresh silica gel 500gm and kept the humidity to around 25%..good that no lens got fungus
. My 17-50 2.8 has got lot of fungus coz its the landscape lens and required to be used in rainy season 
.
Today I checked each of my lens for fungus as rainy season is almost about to end and its the most disastrous season for lenses. every year one of my lens keep on getting fungus and this year i had 300f4 with me. I brought fresh silica gel 500gm and kept the humidity to around 25%..good that no lens got fungus
. My 17-50 2.8 has got lot of fungus coz its the landscape lens and required to be used in rainy season .
OP
nac
Aspiring Novelist
After Raja talked about back button focus, I tried BBF before my first shoot and stick with that when shooting at the weddings. Though it was little confusing at the start (after using shutter button AF for a very long time), I still used BBF.
I don't know how much these 11/61/65 AF points are useful for me (for still photography using view finder) or I don't know how to make use of them during shoot. I don't find it comfortable moving focus point when shooting.
I use single point AF, center point. I focus, re-compose and shoot. This is how I have been shooting for years. Other photographers move AF points and shoot. I thought moving AF would be faster and more accurate but when I tried it was time consuming for me esp. with 60+ focus points. Focus and re-composing is faster, I find. Even with 8-way multi controller, I don't find it easy/fast.
How do you guys shooting? Do you guys move AF points to off-center? Can you able to do it quickly?
I don't know how much these 11/61/65 AF points are useful for me (for still photography using view finder) or I don't know how to make use of them during shoot. I don't find it comfortable moving focus point when shooting.
I use single point AF, center point. I focus, re-compose and shoot. This is how I have been shooting for years. Other photographers move AF points and shoot. I thought moving AF would be faster and more accurate but when I tried it was time consuming for me esp. with 60+ focus points. Focus and re-composing is faster, I find. Even with 8-way multi controller, I don't find it easy/fast.
How do you guys shooting? Do you guys move AF points to off-center? Can you able to do it quickly?
OP
nac
Aspiring Novelist
Good to hear that. Do you just use center point alone (focus and recompose) or do you move your AF points to off center (focus and shoot (no recompose))?
Siddhartht
Void
When taking portraits, I usually go for eye autofocus (I have programmed my AEL button to do that), much better than center point AF.
On A6000, it is not possible to change the focus point quickly, but A6500 has a touch panel which kind of enables "rapid" AF point change (to be honest, mirrorless cameras have more number of AF points at expense of quality, so ability to quickly change them doesn't help much). I have used the phone app as a hack when I need touch to focus sort of capability, mainly when I'm working at odd angles.
On some DSLRs, and high end mirrorless, there is a small joystick which allows quick shift in AF point change, and since DSLRs have all the points concentrated on center, it is more practical too.
While I use center point BBF a lot, I don't rely on completely. Relying on it would mean that you will loose the position of subject relative to frame. For example, if you are going to focus eyes, it is going to be rather awkward to have them where the AF point is, and you will loose the composition. But it works wonder for things like street photography, where quick and dirty does the trick!
