Yeah that is one of the drawbacks of having a lens that wide I think, I notice it even with my 30mm 1.4, depth of field is very wide after a few feet, but cream soft up close, its a shame. Even if it was 35/1.4, you'd still have the same problem. For this type of shot I would prefer the 50mm 1.8, as even tho its not much faster than 2.0, you get a softer BG. Alternatively, just getting a bit closer to the subject here and a tighter crop would help, cause there is a lot of dead space in this shot that you could easily do without, that would help the bokeh as well.
To me, I think you'd either want more of a smoother BG, or more detail rendered(smaller app), its in that sort of limbo where its not a decisive shot. Of course that is my opinion, its a bit redundant to say comments on an art forum are subjective. =P
The soft focus IMO is too heavy as well, its just confusing to my eyes, like I try to focus on it and cant, it looks less like a soft focus effect, and more just simply out of focus.
You can always say you wanted it to be out of focus I like the composition a lot and the empty space does not bother me however it feels overexposed ... a lot, even her chest. I can see those trees playing really well in this image if it was darker and more contrasty..., and black and white But yeaa this is your image How many focus points on that new camera Ben?
Here is one more image from the last series
Edited the first shot to fix the things that were bugging me. Disanski, are you using a good monitor? Her skin and chest are no where near blowing out, they're right where I want them to be contrast wise, bright, with a hint of volume. It fits with the glow.
I seriously need to invest in some better equipment. This 350d with stock lenses is not cutting it anymore. I'd like to try a nikon next, maybe a d90. (Wish I had the moneyz)
Honestly I would stick with Canon, you wont see any jump in quality moving from a Canon system with kit lens to Nikon system with a kit lens. Canon has an excellent range of lenses, better than any of the other major DSLR players I would say.
Unless there is something specifically you do not like about canon, its really just a lateral move. You'd be better off just investing in some decent glass for your canon, and upgrading to a 40D, or 550D if you want video and better low light performance.
Oh, I got a lot to learn, I know that, only a shoddy workman blames his tools.
But this 350d body is quite old, I already bought it second hand, some signs of wear and I lost the rubber visor where you look into.
But the biggest problem is the stock lenses I've been using (18-55). I definitely need something better, I'd wanna have a lenses to zoom up to 255 (no need for uber low f-stops) and a 50mm with 1.8fstop for portraits and DoF fun.
That's what I mean by these stock lenses wont cut it.
pick up the 50mm 1.8($120 new), and look into the 75-300mm, you can find them for $100-175 on ebay. I've got a 75-300mm III USM sitting here, but I actually prefer the super cheap ass 80-200mm, because 300mm on a crop is ~ 480mm, and that is just excessive. The cheap 80-200mm is also light as hell and compact, which means i'll actually take it with me and use it =D. You can get the 80-200mm for like $30-100.
There is the 75-300mm IS if you want a stabilized tele, but thats in the $300-350 range. At that point I would rather get: 85mm 1.8, 100mm 2.0, either of which have much less reach, but are much higher quality optics.
If you're going to spend $3-400, I would rather get a 85mm 1.8 + 80-200mm(for the rare chance you need it) than spend too much on a zoom tele.
I'm actually in the same boat with the 350D, mine is old, beat to shit, and a variety of functions do not work properly anymore. I also really want live view, and better high ISO performance. So I'm going to upgrade to a 550D around Christmas, hoping I can get a used body for about $500 by then. I looked at the 40D a bit since it is in a similar price range, however the LCD is worse, it only goes to 3200(yuck) and no video or other fun stuff to play with, and worse image quality than the 550D(which uses the same sensor as the 7D). Better controls and ergonomics however, but to me, being used to the 350D and not having much of an issue with it, I'd prefer the extra features and improved image quality and performance of the 550D.
Earthquake, have you looked at the 60D at all? It's approximately $250 dollars more than the 550D, but has almost the same features the same features as the 7D, which is almost $1000 dollars more than the 550D - i'm converting SA prices to dollars, so maybe price difference where you are.
(^ I'm talking new prices, and by Christmas, I imagine there would be a couple of 60D around for a fair price)
As for the features of the 60D vs the 7D, the only true difference between the two is the 7D has the joystick at the rear like the 50D and 40D do, has more metering spots, and has a magnesium body. And the 60D has a swivelling rear LCD, but still has the all important 2 wheel controls(aperture + shutter speed) and LCD for camera settings at the top(but in a reduced format). But technical feature wise, they are almost the same.
550d's video capabilities and high ISO (350d only does 1600) is a neat thing to have.
Also, whatever lenses I'd buy now would fit on the 550d since it's the same socket.
Thanks for the tips man, I might get a 550d body next christmas as well, but it's still more than half a year to go so by then we might have better deals, like the 60d. Are the lenses socket for these the same as 550d's?
The 550D is selling for $600 used currently, the 60D in the $800-1000 range, I have a pretty hard budget of about $500, so its unlikely the 60D will be an option.
Here are some current eBay prices for anyone else who is interested(Used, body only):
40D $400-600
500D $400-600
550D $600
50D $750-900
60D $800-1000
5D Mark I $800-1400
The 40D is going for a very good price if you don't care about video, or shooting above 3200 ISO.
If the 50D prices take a noise dive it may be worth considering, however the 60D is unlikely to be affordable for me.
Thanks for the tips man, I might get a 550d body next christmas as well, but it's still more than half a year to go so by then we might have better deals, like the 60d. Are the lenses socket for these the same as 550d's?
Virtually all Canon lenses are EF, and will work on any canon body, XXXD, XXD, XD, canon EF-S(kit lens, and a few others) will work on every canon body but the 1D/S and 5D, as they are full frame, fortunately/unfortunately for you, these cameras are most likely out of your price range anyway. EF-S lenses work on the 7D, as it is a crop body, not fullframe(confusing naming here).
Yeah, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lenses are on my amazon basket for 6 months now, I really need to order them!
That IS will come in handy, I refuse to carry a tripod around me, fuck that.
I actually got a cheap($35?) canon monopod from B&H, that I like a lot. Much better than carrying a tripod IMO. Really if you get a body that can shoot 3200-6400 with decent quality, and 12800 for emergencies, coupled with a fast lens like the 50 1.8, that should suit you for most shooting situations.
I really doubt that the 40d IQ is worse than the 550d but I have not read any statistics. I have used them in different environment and the 40 d felt much better to me. Also what is the point of having high ISO if you cant use it even at 1600 why bother go to 3200 and so on? I just dont get it. The display is .. yeaa it sucks . How about one of the most important functions- AF ? I am not familiar with the one on the 550d so I should stop now before i continue writing but i doubt it is the same as the one on the 40d? The one on the 40d is the same as the 5d and 5d mark2 and it works great
Just an opinion Any way if you really want the video there are not that many options
Afaik, the 550D, 60D and 7D all share the same sensor
The 50D and 500D share the same sensor, and the 40D and 400D share the same sensor.
So, that is to say, the 550D offers the same level of IQ improvement as the 7D would compared to the 40D. I have not personally used both so am not qualified to make any definate statements. However, everything I have read states that the 550D has better IQ, better noise performance etc, likely only by a small margin, however, if the 550D has better IQ at 18MP than the 40d at 10MP, even if only a slight improvement, that is saying a lot. No?
Certainly if your biggest concerns are ergonomics, controls and durability, a XXD camera is the way to go. However, its hard to argue with the features that the 550D offers at the price. And for anyone looking to upgrade, if you feel like the controls or comfort of your XXXD body is holding you back, take a hard look at the XXD line.
As far as ISO over 1600, well, I would rather be able to get a shot and do some heavy noise reduction in post, than not get the shot at all! Which happens to me fairly often with my 350D even with 1.4/1.8 lenses. ISO 1600 doesn't cut it, 3200 is only a one stop improvement, and really, I would prefer more. I fully understand how much noise that brings but honestly, for small prints/web res photos, it is very likely not an issue.
I'm not sure about the AF system, but honestly, either the 40D or 550D should offer a big improvement in that regard over the 350D.
550D:
9-point CMOS sensor
F5.6 cross-type at center, extra sensitivity at F2.8
AF working range: -0.5 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)
Predictive AF up to 10 m
40D:
9-point TTL CMOS sensor
All points cross-type for lenses of F5.6 or faster *
Center point additionally sensitive with lenses of F2.8 or faster *
AF working range: -0.5 - 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)
Looks like the 550D is on par there, but I do not know a lot about AF systems.
Well yeaa it makes more sense when you put it all down on paper. I am still unsure if having the same sensors is enough to accept that bout cameras should have the same IQ- there must be more to it - perhaps software! (not too sure about this). Any way it is summer is it not? :
Edit : - did not want to bump the thread again with new post It is still spring here too raining and cold at the moment here i am just faking it : this is the original image i know i lost a lot of the quality of the image : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3377334/pictures/IMG_1008-Edit-2-original.jpg
edit2 I still can't get used to the buttons on the 5d and It is been like 10 000 shots till now i guess if not more. Buttons for selecting the AF point are driving me crazy it was so easy on the d90.
Reading it bit more, it seems like people are saying the 550D has about the same per-pixel noise as the 40D, which means a pretty huge gain in sharpness and resolution, when sizing both down to a small size. In theory atleast.
Imo, noise performance and resolution(not MP, but how much detail can actually be resolved) are the biggest factors in IQ, colors, contrast, all of that is going to be heavy modified/can be faked in post, and dynamic range to an extent too, but it looks like the 550D has higher rated DR as well, so... =P
Still spring here, supposed to be cold and rainy for the next week. =(
AFAIK what you said regarding sensors is spot on, and personally, the only reason I'm looking at the 60D myself, is due to the controls and ergonomics.
Yeah, If I had a few hundred more to spend, I would be going down that route as well. Or maybe say sod it all, and get a 5D. =P
Most likely, I'll get bored with the video stuff on the 550D and sell it in a year or two to get some sort of full frame setup. A camera body is such a temporary thing, its not worth it to spend too much time worrying about getting the "right" one, well for me atleast, as I'm constantly selling stuff on eBay, and can generally make my money back or possibly profit on resale.
Lenses are where the real important decisions are made!
Definitely, which is why, when I myself have the money, I'm going to be buying a decent body(alone - no kit lenses) and getting myself a 50mm f1.8, and then building my lens collection. Personally I like to get something that will last me a while, hence my looking at a 60D, but I see i can get a 5D mk1, for roughly the same price as the 60D new. But will still take me a while to save up for that kit, as it will cost me $1300. Unfortunately, in South Africa, everything is ridiculously expensive.
edit2 I still can't get used to the buttons on the 5d and It is been like 10 000 shots till now i guess if not more. Buttons for selecting the AF point are driving me crazy it was so easy on the d90.
You tried assigning AF selection to the joystick? I did that and it got a lot easier. I also have the AF engage attached to the button on the back, not the shutter half press.
Hey Ben- yes it is on the joystick but I still have to hit the other button first( the one for zooming in when you preview the images) and then adjust it from the joystick - is there a way to make it work just from the joystick? If so this will save me
I got my new 85 mm 1.8
wooow just feels amazing. Did not really have what to shoot today so just some random tests
So today I had my first real shoot with the new lens and I am very tired to work on the images now but here is one half ready Because i never had nothing better than the 50mm lens this feels sooo much better I can not believe it!!!
I know that UV filters are not really recommended but I am getting one in order to protect this beautiful glass
you moved my photo post aswell Joe not that I'm too bothered, none of mine really square up to the badass shots that get posted on every page of this thread!
It was some kind of amusement park on the end of Brighton Pier in the UK. I was snapping through some kind of fast spinning ride and that was the only frame which wasn't obscured by blurry machinery! I don't have any others worth posting, CF card was pretty full by the time we got there, we were shooting what could have turned into a riot earlier in the day.
I figured it was about time I jumped in here! This last semester I've been taking a old-school 35mm black and white photography class.
This was shot using a 35mm Canon camera with a 50-80mm lens and Ilford HP5 400 APA black and white film. I developed the film by hand in a 5-step chemical process in the university darkroom, and then exposed an 8x10" sheet of Ilford photo paper using one of the lab's enlargers and developed it using a 3-step chemical process.
As soon as this weather stops being a douchebag, I'm going to get back out there. I'm not big on freezing my ass off, or drowning in rain, for my casual photography
Tried to make this one with HDR . I made two images, focused on either the trees or the sky, and combined them in PS. Only shortly after that I found out my camera actually has a setting to take under and overexposed images. :P. Any ideas on how i could improve it?
Replies
To me, I think you'd either want more of a smoother BG, or more detail rendered(smaller app), its in that sort of limbo where its not a decisive shot. Of course that is my opinion, its a bit redundant to say comments on an art forum are subjective. =P
The soft focus IMO is too heavy as well, its just confusing to my eyes, like I try to focus on it and cant, it looks less like a soft focus effect, and more just simply out of focus.
I really like the concept of the shot however.
Here is one more image from the last series
Oh ya? Well your face sucks!
Second shot from this shoot.
DSCF0589-Edit.jpg by mr-chompers, on Flickr
Unless there is something specifically you do not like about canon, its really just a lateral move. You'd be better off just investing in some decent glass for your canon, and upgrading to a 40D, or 550D if you want video and better low light performance.
Thanks.
Too many people confuse needing to upgrade their skills with needing to upgrade their tools, so just wondering what exactly you find as a let down.
But this 350d body is quite old, I already bought it second hand, some signs of wear and I lost the rubber visor where you look into.
But the biggest problem is the stock lenses I've been using (18-55). I definitely need something better, I'd wanna have a lenses to zoom up to 255 (no need for uber low f-stops) and a 50mm with 1.8fstop for portraits and DoF fun.
That's what I mean by these stock lenses wont cut it.
There is the 75-300mm IS if you want a stabilized tele, but thats in the $300-350 range. At that point I would rather get: 85mm 1.8, 100mm 2.0, either of which have much less reach, but are much higher quality optics.
If you're going to spend $3-400, I would rather get a 85mm 1.8 + 80-200mm(for the rare chance you need it) than spend too much on a zoom tele.
I'm actually in the same boat with the 350D, mine is old, beat to shit, and a variety of functions do not work properly anymore. I also really want live view, and better high ISO performance. So I'm going to upgrade to a 550D around Christmas, hoping I can get a used body for about $500 by then. I looked at the 40D a bit since it is in a similar price range, however the LCD is worse, it only goes to 3200(yuck) and no video or other fun stuff to play with, and worse image quality than the 550D(which uses the same sensor as the 7D). Better controls and ergonomics however, but to me, being used to the 350D and not having much of an issue with it, I'd prefer the extra features and improved image quality and performance of the 550D.
(^ I'm talking new prices, and by Christmas, I imagine there would be a couple of 60D around for a fair price)
As for the features of the 60D vs the 7D, the only true difference between the two is the 7D has the joystick at the rear like the 50D and 40D do, has more metering spots, and has a magnesium body. And the 60D has a swivelling rear LCD, but still has the all important 2 wheel controls(aperture + shutter speed) and LCD for camera settings at the top(but in a reduced format). But technical feature wise, they are almost the same.
Also, whatever lenses I'd buy now would fit on the 550d since it's the same socket.
Thanks for the tips man, I might get a 550d body next christmas as well, but it's still more than half a year to go so by then we might have better deals, like the 60d. Are the lenses socket for these the same as 550d's?
Here are some current eBay prices for anyone else who is interested(Used, body only):
40D $400-600
500D $400-600
550D $600
50D $750-900
60D $800-1000
5D Mark I $800-1400
The 40D is going for a very good price if you don't care about video, or shooting above 3200 ISO.
If the 50D prices take a noise dive it may be worth considering, however the 60D is unlikely to be affordable for me.
[Edit] Threw in the 5D here for fun as well.
Virtually all Canon lenses are EF, and will work on any canon body, XXXD, XXD, XD, canon EF-S(kit lens, and a few others) will work on every canon body but the 1D/S and 5D, as they are full frame, fortunately/unfortunately for you, these cameras are most likely out of your price range anyway. EF-S lenses work on the 7D, as it is a crop body, not fullframe(confusing naming here).
Here is a list of EF-S lenses:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EF-S_lens_mount
Oh also, one more tele zoom to consider, the EF-S 55-250mm IS for about $200 used, has IS, covers the range you wanted and isn't too expensive.
That IS will come in handy, I refuse to carry a tripod around me, fuck that.
Anyway, who wants candy?
Just an opinion
The 50D and 500D share the same sensor, and the 40D and 400D share the same sensor.
So, that is to say, the 550D offers the same level of IQ improvement as the 7D would compared to the 40D. I have not personally used both so am not qualified to make any definate statements. However, everything I have read states that the 550D has better IQ, better noise performance etc, likely only by a small margin, however, if the 550D has better IQ at 18MP than the 40d at 10MP, even if only a slight improvement, that is saying a lot. No?
Certainly if your biggest concerns are ergonomics, controls and durability, a XXD camera is the way to go. However, its hard to argue with the features that the 550D offers at the price. And for anyone looking to upgrade, if you feel like the controls or comfort of your XXXD body is holding you back, take a hard look at the XXD line.
As far as ISO over 1600, well, I would rather be able to get a shot and do some heavy noise reduction in post, than not get the shot at all! Which happens to me fairly often with my 350D even with 1.4/1.8 lenses. ISO 1600 doesn't cut it, 3200 is only a one stop improvement, and really, I would prefer more. I fully understand how much noise that brings but honestly, for small prints/web res photos, it is very likely not an issue.
I'm not sure about the AF system, but honestly, either the 40D or 550D should offer a big improvement in that regard over the 350D.
550D: 40D: Looks like the 550D is on par there, but I do not know a lot about AF systems.
Edit : - did not want to bump the thread again with new post
edit2
Imo, noise performance and resolution(not MP, but how much detail can actually be resolved) are the biggest factors in IQ, colors, contrast, all of that is going to be heavy modified/can be faked in post, and dynamic range to an extent too, but it looks like the 550D has higher rated DR as well, so... =P
Still spring here, supposed to be cold and rainy for the next week. =(
Well said for the rest.
Most likely, I'll get bored with the video stuff on the 550D and sell it in a year or two to get some sort of full frame setup. A camera body is such a temporary thing, its not worth it to spend too much time worrying about getting the "right" one, well for me atleast, as I'm constantly selling stuff on eBay, and can generally make my money back or possibly profit on resale.
Lenses are where the real important decisions are made!
You tried assigning AF selection to the joystick? I did that and it got a lot easier. I also have the AF engage attached to the button on the back, not the shutter half press.
I got my new 85 mm 1.8
wooow just feels amazing. Did not really have what to shoot today so just some random tests
I know that UV filters are not really recommended but I am getting one in order to protect this beautiful glass
Seriously, don't get discouraged if you don't think it meets up with these guys. It doesn't stop me
2011_04_25f by mr-chompers, on Flickr
- Rolleiflex Automat 6x6 - Model K4A
- Kodak 400TX
- Sekonic 308s
16:52 - Springtime by SauceyJack, on Flickr
Mortal Kombat Tournament Stick II by SauceyJack, on Flickr
very little post work, got great colors out of the 50 on that morning.
This was shot using a 35mm Canon camera with a 50-80mm lens and Ilford HP5 400 APA black and white film. I developed the film by hand in a 5-step chemical process in the university darkroom, and then exposed an 8x10" sheet of Ilford photo paper using one of the lab's enlargers and developed it using a 3-step chemical process.
Tried to make this one with HDR