This is nice bokeh you have going on there EartQuake but yeaa what would you expect from f1.4
When they calibrate your lens dont they need your camera as well? Was it front/ back focusing before that?
I have the older af nikkor f/1.8 and sometimes I have problems with the auto focus when at f /1.8 but then again every time I come back home and test it works fine
Is this sigma still as sharp opened up to 1.4?
Yeah thats at 1.4, which has an awesomely narrow DOF. Sharpness is good at 1.4, definitely usable, very good when you consider just how small of an area is actually "in focus" at 1.4. At about 2.8 it is razor sharp, very nice lens.
A couple more shots at 1.4:
Really, not much more you could ask for as far as sharpness from a 1.4 aperture IMO. Colors and contrast on the lens are fantastic as well.
This replaces my Canon 28mm 2.8, but it *really* replaces my 50mm 1.8 as a "normal" lens, the 28mm was a bit too slow for a lot of the stuff I like to take pictures of(people in poorly lit bars, for instance) and the 50mm is too cramped for most things other than close up portraits. So the 50mm will be relegated to portrait duty while this will become my standard lens I think.
It was front/back focusing pretty badly, yeah. I contacted sigma and they needed my camera body as well, so off it went. All they do is calibrate the CPU in the lens to match your body. It was free aside from $10 to ship it to them. I was really expecting to be without it for like a month, so *really* impressed with sigma for getting it back to be in a week's time INCLUDING shipping. Just nuts! Anything bad i could say about the QC on this lens is negated by sigma's amazing service.
I paid $415 shipped, new for the lens. Which is a good price(most retailers selling it for about $430-450). Its a bit expensive when you compare it to the Canon 35/2 and the Canon 28/1.8, but the full stop over the 35/2 is worth it IMO, and its not *that* much more. I managed to sell my 28mm 2.8 for $200 on ebay, so its a pretty reasonable upragde.
Thanks for your reply and the examples EartQuake!
It sounds like a good deal. The only reason I would not get Sigma is because I am in Bulgaria at the moment and we don"t have Sigma service center and too many of the lenses they sell will be front/back focusing....
But yeaa one full stop extra sounds pretty cool
I still can't get over how fast the 50mm 1.8 nikkor is and I was going to get the 85mm 1.8, but I think I am going to shoot a bit more with this one till I really need another lens and then get one if I don't spend the money till then
You might consider the Nikon DX 35mm 1.8 if you're looking for a "normal" lens on a crop body like i was, its 52.5mm equiv on a nikon crop body, as fast as your 50 and only $200-250. Looks like they dont make a 28mm 1.8 like Canon does, which is a shame, only the $2500 28mm 1.4, which is just nuts.
Looking at that it seems like a bargain, if canon offered a $200 35/1.8 I would have gotten that instead of the sigma most likely. The Canon 35/2 runs about 250-350, so it was a no brainier for me to spend a little extra and get the extra full stop. The Nikon 35/1.8 is only a 2/3 stop slower than the sigma 30/1.4, so probably not worth $200 extra.
Up next for me will be some sort of portrait/telephoto lens. Looking at some cheap zooms, picked up a Canon 80-200mm for next to nothing, that is super light(which means I might actually throw it in the bag and take it with, a good quality to have!) and gonna grab a 75-300mm sometime to check out too. In the end i'll probably get rid of those and just get a 85mm/1.8 or a 100mm/2 which run in the 200-300 range.... But probably not til next xmas or something. Maybe keep the 80-200mm cause it was soooo cheap(really like $13, lol) and its so light.
[edit] Its also worth noting that the sigma 30mm can be found used for $300-350 for nikon, whereas it sells used $350-425 for canon, bastards! I dont think i would buy a lens that needs to be calibrated used however.
[edit #2]
He's a big boy. Adds a nice weight and very comfortable to hold.
heh I started liking the prime lens so much- it really does make you think a lot more
What I dont like is that when I look through the viewfinder and I start walking closer or further of the object I forget to take it down and often I don't see what I am walking in to
As I was saying I am not going to get another lens I just found that AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 (not the "D" version) for 320$ used and guess what .. I have the opportunity to go and test it on monday so if the focus is fine I should be getting it. It is also very small and lite almost like the 50 mm.
[edit] I did not know it is so big . The 50 mm feels too small and it is not very comfortable to hold the camera. I just sold my Olympus E510 and all the lens I had and as of right now I only have this 50 mm. It is true when in bar or at a party it gets tight very quick but I really want to get more into portrait photography so ... that is why. Show us some Christmas lights bokeh with that sigma
Wow! Can you still does that take standard 3fmm film?
Like chrizz1 said, the camera takes medium format 120 film, though my model can be modified to take 35mm film as well; though it is something which I have no interest in doing.
Here are some initial shots with the Rolleiflex, fresh out of the photolab. Shooting with film is such a different experience than digital, and far more fun I must say.
Alot of great photos in this thread. I've been creeping this tread like a mad-cat since joining polycount. I'm finally happy to say that I'll be able to post some of my own shots in this thread soon as I have just purchased a D90. While I have yet to actually pick it up from the store, I'm very much looking forward to exploring this new artistic venture.
The camera comes with a standard 18-55 lens until I replenish my bank account and get something bigger. The question I have for you avid photographers is about filters. I've been hearing a lot about UV, Polorizers, and Neutral Density filters. Is it worth picking any of these up? With all the snow right now I've been thinking the ND filter wouldn't be a bad idea.. along with a hood of some sort.
Paul: Nice! Where do you get your film developed? I've shot a few rolls for fun and had them digitally developed at the local drug store here but the quality is pretty poor. I think my options here are pretty limited, which is a shame.
The camera comes with a standard 18-55 lens until I replenish my bank account and get something bigger. The question I have for you avid photographers is about filters. I've been hearing a lot about UV, Polorizers, and Neutral Density filters. Is it worth picking any of these up? With all the snow right now I've been thinking the ND filter wouldn't be a bad idea.. along with a hood of some sort.
You'll defiantly want to put at least a UV filter on your lens to protect the glass, as well as make it completely weather sealed (most Canon lenses atleast are not fully weather sealed unless they have a filter on them). Polarizers are good for bright, outdoor photography as they reduce glare, make skies more vibrant, eliminate undesirable reflections, but they also have a tendency to introduce vignetting; they can also reduce the amount of light entering the camera so you'll have to compensate that in your exposure settings. ND filters reduce the amount of light without altering colors; these come in several degrees of density which will reflect how many stops you will need to compensate for when doing an exposure. ND filters are neat for doing long exposures outside, but also useful for things like using wide-open apertures in bright areas. Instead of stopping down to a smaller aperture to compensate for the light you can put on an ND filter and shoot wide open, to get that nice, narrow DOF for example.
Paul: Nice! Where do you get your film developed? I've shot a few rolls for fun and had them digitally developed at the local drug store here but the quality is pretty poor. I think my options here are pretty limited, which is a shame.
I go to a place called PandaLab, which is conveniently only a few blocks from my apartment. Seems like they are one of the few professional film labs in the Seattle area. Great tutorial on the tilt lens, those train yard pictures turned out really awesome.
Here's another shot with the Rollei, using Kodak T-Max400 film and a Sekonic 308S to take the light reading.
Alot of great photos in this thread. I've been creeping this tread like a mad-cat since joining polycount. I'm finally happy to say that I'll be able to post some of my own shots in this thread soon as I have just purchased a D90. While I have yet to actually pick it up from the store, I'm very much looking forward to exploring this new artistic venture.
The camera comes with a standard 18-55 lens until I replenish my bank account and get something bigger. The question I have for you avid photographers is about filters. I've been hearing a lot about UV, Polorizers, and Neutral Density filters. Is it worth picking any of these up? With all the snow right now I've been thinking the ND filter wouldn't be a bad idea.. along with a hood of some sort.
Would love your guys' insight! Thanks
The D90 is a lovely camera, you'll get plenty of use out of it. I have a D60 and the main reason I've just upgraded it is because the focus motors are in the lenses, not in the body, so my 50mm doesn't autofocus.
If you want to protect your lens, get a hood instead of simply slapping some more glass over the front.
I just got my new Canon DSLR 20D. Big thanks to Earthquake and Pedro for helping me figure the entire thing out. Took these pics last night when we went to see Tron. Just have a 50mm Prime lens at the moment but I am loving how it feels to take photos with it.
Everyone's posting so many great pics, love this thread .
This is what i woke upto, Large snowfalls are not that commen in the netherlands i guess, so everybody is walking and being carefull, yet one idiot flies through the snow on his bike.. hmm i should mount my helmetcam to the bike or so, good times.
disanksi, really awesome portraits there. Love the lighting on the last one.
erik, love that party shot!
paul, gorgeous shots as always. Really loving the row of Vespas
so I got my D90 (:D) thanks for your advice about filters and what not. My question now has to do with shooting in cold weather. While I know the cold won't really hurt the camera, I'm worried about bringing it back into a warm environment after shooting.
I just read that putting the camera in a plastic bag and letting it acclimatize for 15-20mins is a good way of preventing any condensation build up. Any truth to this? What might you guys do in this situation?
Hey Brandoom I have the D90 as well and it is fantastic camera
If I am to bring the camera in from the outside and it is cold I just leave it in the camera bag and have the camera stay there for a while before I take it out. Also good idea is to leave the bag if possible in the hallway or somewhere where the temperature is not so much different. I will also try not to change the lens before 10- 15 min have past. This way you protect the camera from getting moisture inside of it. If the temperature is extreme the plastic bag would not hurt it either ( I have never done this so far). Those cameras are kind of very solid ( even if not weather proofed ) so dont worry about it so much... just get out and take some shots finally and come back and post them
Some more shots with the Rolleiflex, still trying to get a feel for the camera, and for film in general. Developing B&W film at home is something I'm going to start doing; I have a second bathroom in my apartment that has no windows which is convenient so I can completely block it off from light. I find the experience of shooting with film to be much more rewarding than digital, almost to the point where I've been contemplating just selling my 5DmkII stuff so I can buy a Leica.
A man I met at the market, he used to own and shoot with a Rollei back in the day and he knew a lot about the cameras; decided to take his street portrait.
Ran into a fellow Rolleiflex shooter at Pike's Place:
Some more shots with the Rolleiflex, still trying to get a feel for the camera, and for film in general. Developing B&W film at home is something I'm going to start doing; I have a second bathroom in my apartment that has no windows which is convenient so I can completely block it off from light. I find the experience of shooting with film to be much more rewarding than digital, almost to the point where I've been contemplating just selling my 5DmkII stuff so I can buy a Leica.
Deving your own film is possibly the most rewarding thing about shooting film. I have developed my own colour film for a while now, far more economical and you get back in touch with the process. Plus some sweet hipster/ coolness points when people find out.
Developing colour is farrrr easier than balck and white, so grab dem chemis (I recomend tetenal c-41, cheap and does the job well) and go crazy.
Plus get a hasselblad!
Few friends and I were hanging out at Starbucks the other night, and one of them pulled out a couple of cameras to take some HDR photo sets of my 'vette and my good friend's Camaro.
The photos are a bit over-tweaked, but I liked the results. The sky's particularly trippy since it was dark but the cloud cover was picking up the lights out of the bay area and tinting red.
Hope you guys like them.
If the picts don't load, let me know, as I'm linking them directly from facebook.
flaagan - tone down the filters. jebus, what happened to these cars tonemap?
poop: great picture (especially with scrolling! was like "well, what is this about?" and then spot the one person in the low corner as a scale - awesome)
flaagan - tone down the filters. jebus, what happened to these cars tonemap?
poop: great picture (especially with scrolling! was like "well, what is this about?" and then spot the one person in the low corner as a scale - awesome)
Thanks e-freak, I think it's the observer that really makes the shot. I edited it real quick so the frame wouldn't be cut out. I think it's stronger now, and ready for print.
Thanks e-freak, I think it's the observer that really makes the shot. I edited it real quick so the frame wouldn't be cut out. I think it's stronger now, and ready for print.
I agree. BTW, isn't the observer your husband? I guess I assumed you captured him, while he was viewing the painting.
Replies
When they calibrate your lens dont they need your camera as well? Was it front/ back focusing before that?
I have the older af nikkor f/1.8 and sometimes I have problems with the auto focus when at f /1.8 but then again every time I come back home and test it works fine
Is this sigma still as sharp opened up to 1.4?
A couple more shots at 1.4:
Really, not much more you could ask for as far as sharpness from a 1.4 aperture IMO. Colors and contrast on the lens are fantastic as well.
This replaces my Canon 28mm 2.8, but it *really* replaces my 50mm 1.8 as a "normal" lens, the 28mm was a bit too slow for a lot of the stuff I like to take pictures of(people in poorly lit bars, for instance) and the 50mm is too cramped for most things other than close up portraits. So the 50mm will be relegated to portrait duty while this will become my standard lens I think.
It was front/back focusing pretty badly, yeah. I contacted sigma and they needed my camera body as well, so off it went. All they do is calibrate the CPU in the lens to match your body. It was free aside from $10 to ship it to them. I was really expecting to be without it for like a month, so *really* impressed with sigma for getting it back to be in a week's time INCLUDING shipping. Just nuts! Anything bad i could say about the QC on this lens is negated by sigma's amazing service.
I paid $415 shipped, new for the lens. Which is a good price(most retailers selling it for about $430-450). Its a bit expensive when you compare it to the Canon 35/2 and the Canon 28/1.8, but the full stop over the 35/2 is worth it IMO, and its not *that* much more. I managed to sell my 28mm 2.8 for $200 on ebay, so its a pretty reasonable upragde.
It sounds like a good deal. The only reason I would not get Sigma is because I am in Bulgaria at the moment and we don"t have Sigma service center and too many of the lenses they sell will be front/back focusing....
But yeaa one full stop extra sounds pretty cool
I still can't get over how fast the 50mm 1.8 nikkor is
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/35mm-f18.htm - I like Ken Rockwell's write ups a lot.
Looking at that it seems like a bargain, if canon offered a $200 35/1.8 I would have gotten that instead of the sigma most likely. The Canon 35/2 runs about 250-350, so it was a no brainier for me to spend a little extra and get the extra full stop. The Nikon 35/1.8 is only a 2/3 stop slower than the sigma 30/1.4, so probably not worth $200 extra.
Up next for me will be some sort of portrait/telephoto lens. Looking at some cheap zooms, picked up a Canon 80-200mm for next to nothing, that is super light(which means I might actually throw it in the bag and take it with, a good quality to have!) and gonna grab a 75-300mm sometime to check out too. In the end i'll probably get rid of those and just get a 85mm/1.8 or a 100mm/2 which run in the 200-300 range.... But probably not til next xmas or something. Maybe keep the 80-200mm cause it was soooo cheap(really like $13, lol) and its so light.
[edit] Its also worth noting that the sigma 30mm can be found used for $300-350 for nikon, whereas it sells used $350-425 for canon, bastards! I dont think i would buy a lens that needs to be calibrated used however.
[edit #2]
He's a big boy. Adds a nice weight and very comfortable to hold.
What I dont like is that when I look through the viewfinder and I start walking closer or further of the object I forget to take it down and often I don't see what I am walking in to
As I was saying I am not going to get another lens I just found that AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 (not the "D" version) for 320$ used
[edit] I did not know it is so big
Like chrizz1 said, the camera takes medium format 120 film, though my model can be modified to take 35mm film as well; though it is something which I have no interest in doing.
Here are some initial shots with the Rolleiflex, fresh out of the photolab. Shooting with film is such a different experience than digital, and far more fun I must say.
EQ, Paul, loving the quality
The camera comes with a standard 18-55 lens until I replenish my bank account and get something bigger. The question I have for you avid photographers is about filters. I've been hearing a lot about UV, Polorizers, and Neutral Density filters. Is it worth picking any of these up? With all the snow right now I've been thinking the ND filter wouldn't be a bad idea.. along with a hood of some sort.
Would love your guys' insight! Thanks
Tilt fun! More info and a small writeup on how i made my tilt lens here:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70633&page=2
glencoe
smoo caves
loch lomond
loch lomond
You'll defiantly want to put at least a UV filter on your lens to protect the glass, as well as make it completely weather sealed (most Canon lenses atleast are not fully weather sealed unless they have a filter on them). Polarizers are good for bright, outdoor photography as they reduce glare, make skies more vibrant, eliminate undesirable reflections, but they also have a tendency to introduce vignetting; they can also reduce the amount of light entering the camera so you'll have to compensate that in your exposure settings. ND filters reduce the amount of light without altering colors; these come in several degrees of density which will reflect how many stops you will need to compensate for when doing an exposure. ND filters are neat for doing long exposures outside, but also useful for things like using wide-open apertures in bright areas. Instead of stopping down to a smaller aperture to compensate for the light you can put on an ND filter and shoot wide open, to get that nice, narrow DOF for example.
I go to a place called PandaLab, which is conveniently only a few blocks from my apartment. Seems like they are one of the few professional film labs in the Seattle area. Great tutorial on the tilt lens, those train yard pictures turned out really awesome.
Here's another shot with the Rollei, using Kodak T-Max400 film and a Sekonic 308S to take the light reading.
[ame]
i think im-sold
The D90 is a lovely camera, you'll get plenty of use out of it. I have a D60 and the main reason I've just upgraded it is because the focus motors are in the lenses, not in the body, so my 50mm doesn't autofocus.
If you want to protect your lens, get a hood instead of simply slapping some more glass over the front.
Rather than spending any more money at the minute on filters I'd recommend that you shoot several hundred shots and learn what the camera does. If you want to spend any money then I'd recommend this book: [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0817439390?ie=UTF8&tag=gameactors-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0817439390"]Understanding Exposure[/ame]
two random and a snapshot i just made
Everyone's posting so many great pics, love this thread
Here is one more from the same set not really happy with this one yet.
IMG_6247-Edit-2.jpg by mr-chompers, on Flickr
I believe it's the parliament building. With a golden statue of Athena out front.
One more from me
Tho I am not the best photographer .... here is something from me also
erik, love that party shot!
paul, gorgeous shots as always. Really loving the row of Vespas
Here's a candid from the other day on the train.
so I got my D90 (:D) thanks for your advice about filters and what not. My question now has to do with shooting in cold weather. While I know the cold won't really hurt the camera, I'm worried about bringing it back into a warm environment after shooting.
I just read that putting the camera in a plastic bag and letting it acclimatize for 15-20mins is a good way of preventing any condensation build up. Any truth to this? What might you guys do in this situation?
If I am to bring the camera in from the outside and it is cold I just leave it in the camera bag and have the camera stay there for a while before I take it out. Also good idea is to leave the bag if possible in the hallway or somewhere where the temperature is not so much different. I will also try not to change the lens before 10- 15 min have past. This way you protect the camera from getting moisture inside of it. If the temperature is extreme the plastic bag would not hurt it either ( I have never done this so far). Those cameras are kind of very solid ( even if not weather proofed
A man I met at the market, he used to own and shoot with a Rollei back in the day and he knew a lot about the cameras; decided to take his street portrait.
Ran into a fellow Rolleiflex shooter at Pike's Place:
Deving your own film is possibly the most rewarding thing about shooting film. I have developed my own colour film for a while now, far more economical and you get back in touch with the process. Plus some sweet hipster/ coolness points when people find out.
Developing colour is farrrr easier than balck and white, so grab dem chemis (I recomend tetenal c-41, cheap and does the job well) and go crazy.
Plus get a hasselblad!
Chris.
The photos are a bit over-tweaked, but I liked the results. The sky's particularly trippy since it was dark but the cloud cover was picking up the lights out of the bay area and tinting red.
Hope you guys like them.
If the picts don't load, let me know, as I'm linking them directly from facebook.
IMG_6212-Edit.jpg by mr-chompers, on Flickr
poop: great picture (especially with scrolling! was like "well, what is this about?" and then spot the one person in the low corner as a scale - awesome)
Thanks e-freak, I think it's the observer that really makes the shot. I edited it real quick so the frame wouldn't be cut out. I think it's stronger now, and ready for print.
I agree. BTW, isn't the observer your husband? I guess I assumed you captured him, while he was viewing the painting.
It was quite cold today.
Well,
its nothing special, but consider it my first real contribution to this thread.
Yep!
I got a blurb book printed of my favorite images for Christmas presents to my relatives. This is the cover image:
IMG_6249-Edit.jpg by mr-chompers, on Flickr