Digital Photography Discussion

[tommykjensen]

The types of photos I take are:

- Wildlife

Long lenses almost a must. Minimum 300 mm preferably 400 but of course depending on how far away the animals are or how close you want to get.

This photo was shot with a 500 mm f/4 I was so lucky to borrow a couple hours on my Namibia/Botswana trip last year.

http://photo.klein-jensen.dk/photoht...nportrait1.jpg

- People (not necessarily formal portraits)

85 mm prime is a great length. But a 70-200 zoom is also a great choice.

This one was shot with a 85 mm f/1.8

http://photo.klein-jensen.dk/photoht...070904_pat.jpg

And this one with a 70-200 f/2.8 at 200 mm

http://photo.klein-jensen.dk/photoht...906_child2.jpg

[Steve Machol]

Any recommendations on good Photography forums?

This one is good but only limited to Canon: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php

The others I've found have been somewhat helpful but not as thorough as I'd like to see.

Also I don't have a lot of spare time between vB and supporting my own sites so the ability to easily find relevant info is paramount.

[tommykjensen]

There is the forums on www.dpreview.com but I would not really recommend that because the members tend to be really rude and there is no moderation so almost anything is allowed. But the review section is good.

Then there is a small forum mainly about nature / wildlife photography and based in south africa: http://www.outdoorphoto.co.za/forum/

There is also a Nikon specific forum but you must own Nikon equipment to be allowed to register. If you don't and they find out you will get banned. I can't remember the url.

[Razasharp]

Some great shots there Tommy - I love big cats

Steve, many of my members agree with Tommy's comments about some of the bigger forums out there... in fact it's the main reason they pretty much bullied and badgered me to start www.yoPhotographer.com

However it is still in beta (only recently gone into public beta). So still has the stock vb skin, and we don't have that many members yet. However the members we do have are fantastic, and we've all helped each other in improving our skills - even if that is by just looking at everyone else's pics and learning from them.

It depends what you want from a forum I guess - a bigger forum may suit your needs better if you want quick answers, but if you want to be part of a 'nice' community then your choices are more limited.

[tommykjensen]

Some great shots there Tommy - I love big cats

Thanks. My favorite cat is the cheetahs. I was so lucky to see a cheetah with 4 3-months old cubs on my trip.

It depends what you want from a forum I guess - a bigger forum may suit your needs better if you want quick answers, but if you want to be part of a 'nice' community then your choices are more limited.

Although POTN is big with 130.000+ members there is a great community spirit thanks to the efforts of the owner Pekka. He strives for a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere regardless of experience. Newbees are just as welcome as proffesionals.

[tgillespie]

For shooting landscape and architecture, most any mid grade consumer lens will suffice if you can shoot with a tripod. As Kier said, when a lens is closed down to the F/8 range, your photos are going to be sharp regardless. A certain camera body will not change this either. Going Canon vs Nikon doesn't matter either.

The wider aperture glass that Kier noted give you the ability to shoot wide open with very acceptable image quality. When photographing children or people in general, they are always moving, which is where a F/2.8 shines. Gives you twice the shutter speed and great sharpness. I would consider motion blur one of the biggest reasons why people claim a photo isn't sharp. Take the most expensive lens made and photograph a 8 month old baby at 1/20 a second at F/5.6. A slight movement from the baby will turn that $1000 lens into a blurry pile of crud. Now open that $1000 lens to its widest aperture and shoot at 1/200th of a second and your pictures turn amazingly sharp.

If your doing a lot of landscape, then a tripod is in store, which I'm sure you already have. Another thing to consider is Image Stabilization. Those instances where you don't have your tripod handy, IS will allow you to handhold 1/10 of a second shots with great sharpness, virtually eliminating the need for a tripod. IS will not put your tripod in the attic, but it will reduce the need.

If you already have the 350D, I would strongly recommend investing in some more glass. I have yet to see a difference between a camera body to the likes that I have in glass. Moving to a 40D or a newer Nikon body will get you improvements, but hardly any of those will be in the IQ area.

For forums, I spend a lot of my time at www.dpreview.com. Some of the conversations are repetitive, but there are a lot of knowledgeable people there. Great atmosphere if you ask me.

[tgillespie]

Let me also add, my kit is as follows.

Canon 400D
Canon 17-55mm F/2.8 IS
Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 IS
Kenko 1.4x Teleconverter
Canon 580EX II Flash Gun

To me, this kit is very hard to beat. I have very sharp images from 17-200mm at F/2.8 and 200-280mm at F/4. Two lenses, a flash and a body is what I carry in my bag 95% of the time. Has proven itself for landscapes, people, events, wildlife.

I've owned both the 24-70mm F/2.8L and 70-200 F/4L. While both were great, I couldnt get past a few things. The 24-70mm was excellent build quality, but to heavy for a 400D and it lacked IS. Something I really appreciate now. The 70-200mm F/4L was sharp, light, and good size, but wanted the extra stop of light in the F/2.8 and the IS.

I also have the 50mm F/1.8 and 85mm F/1.8 for when I know lighting is going to be an issue. These two usually stay at home, because my 17-55 and 70-200 are nearly as sharp, and not a huge loss in aperture.

[Kier]

Might as well go through which of my lenses I use on a regular basis these days.

I'm still shooting with an EOS-1D Mark III, though the autofocus issues are driving me to distraction. If I could get a full refund for this camera, I'd now take it. When 100% accurate focus is required and I only have a single shot in which to get it, I reach for my EOS-1D Mark IIN.

Lens-wise, my choice depends on where and how I'll be shooting.

If I'm shooting indoors without a flash, the lenses I'll take are:

• EF 28mm f/1.8 USM
• EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
• EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Shooting indoors with a flash or my studio lights, I'll take the following:

• EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
• EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
• EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Shooting general subjects outdoors I pack:

• EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
• EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
• EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

And on the occasions I shoot sports, the following goes with me:

• EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
• EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
• EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
• EF 1.4x II
• EF 2.0x II

If I have to go somewhere and can take only one lens, depending on space requirements, I'll either take the EOS-1D with the 24-70mm, or my EOS 20D with the 50mm.

[tgillespie]

I was thinking about the 28mm F/1.8 as my next purchase. The 50mm F/1.4 would be tempting for even lower light, but I think the change in focal length will be a larger asset as I already have the 50mm F/1.8. Your F/1.4 acceptable at 1.4 or do you close it down to 1.8 most of the time?

[Kier]

There are times when being able to open up to 1.4 rather than just 1.8 have saved a shot, but the depth of field is so unbelievably narrow at 1.4 that it's difficult to say whether then lens is soft or the subject is out of focus. Regardless, if I'm able, I like to stop down the 1.4 and 1.8 to about 2.2 for nice sharpness.

The 28/1.8 is a nice lens for the price. Don't expect stunning sharpness wide open, but once again, if you need a large aperture wide angle, nothing comes close for the money. If it's the difference between getting a slightly soft but not motion blurred/shaky hand shot vs not getting the shot at all because there's not enough light, give me the 28/1.8

[Steve Machol]

Kier,

Any comments on the Nikon D300 options I posted?

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showp...&postcount=413

[Razasharp]

Thanks. My favorite cat is the cheetahs. I was so lucky to see a cheetah with 4 3-months old cubs on my trip.

I would love to own small wild cat, such as the Margay or an Ocelot! Although I'm quite happy with my little Cheetah (A Bengal cat)





Will have to check out your gallery sometime!

[tgillespie]

Kier,

Any comments on the Nikon D300 options I posted?

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showp...&postcount=413

Both of those lenses are very popular in the Nikon lineup. If you do go that route, I would most definitely get a flash gun as F/5.6 will leave you in the dark when shooting lower light. Adding a flash, you'll have very sharp and well lit images.

[amitts]

Steve,
Since you're contemplating a D300, you might find the follow thread from DPReview interesting:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...6997723&page=1

Briefly, a gentleman who owns both a Canon 40D and a Nikon D300, plus top-level glass for both systems outlines his views.

I found it to be an interesting read. Hope you'll get something out of it.

Regards,

Allen

[Steve Machol]

Interesting read. That certainly muddies things up for me.

With my aging eyes, one thing that is important to me is the image in the LCD screen and frankly that is one (of many) features that attracted me to the D300.