183

1/30/2011 3:35:01 PM

i'm not sure if many of the people in this thread are canon owners/shoot video but i just stumbled upon this:

http://5dmark2.wordpress.com/usb-ff-controller/

really, really awesome..especially the rack focus. scroll down for videos

i want one

1/30/2011 5:14:07 PM

So I took some shots at Slim's downtown. This is the first time that I've used my camera for anything. I used an ISO of 1600-3200 and maxed my aperture @ f3-5.6. Varying levels of shutter but it was never enough. The focus was having a really hard time so I switched it to manual about half way through.







i have a t2i with the 18-55 kit lens and 55-250 lens. I don't see myself using the camera for anything but portraits, concerts, and the potential sports shots. But I will use it a lot.

I don't want to spend more than 500. I think I want to get the canon 50mm 1.4, but I'm not sure that it is the best choice. The sigma 1.4 50mm looks good but I don't know if its work the extra cost from the Canon 50mm 1.4.

HELP

1/30/2011 6:37:21 PM

get the sigma 30mm f1.4 and canon 50mm f1.8 for about $500 total

1/30/2011 7:16:19 PM

Thanks for the advice, but is there a certain reason I should do that?

1/30/2011 10:41:59 PM

if you are looking to shoot in low light, the f1.4-1.8 range will do great

the canon 50mm 1.8 is about $100 brand new and is fantastic value for the money. Unless you really need f1.4 i'd say save your money. the 50mm 1.4 is much better quality, etc but on a T2i the 50mm becomes about 80~mm and feels like a zoom lens

The sigma 30mm is designed for crop DSLRs and 30mm effectively becomes 50mm. plus it's f1.4 and tons of people love it

i guess it really depends on your use, but i find myself needing a wider angle lens like the sigma for my 60D more than a high quality 50mm....that's why i just ordered the sigma

1/30/2011 11:09:58 PM

hmmm

So should I sell my 18-55mm then?

1/30/2011 11:23:09 PM

Good luck getting anything for it.

1/30/2011 11:32:31 PM

^^

i'm not sure if this will help or if you are into video, but I shot this entirely on the canon 50mm f1.8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO3se8-iRxI

[Edited on January 31, 2011 at 1:56 AM. Reason : link]

1/31/2011 1:54:01 AM

cool car commercial, is that a 60D in the reflection?

1/31/2011 1:57:52 AM

yessir, i gave up trying to avoid reflections

1/31/2011 9:48:05 AM

very cool, but yeah, reflections can be a motherfucka. A good trick is trying to put what you are using in the shadows. I like how you did your edits, but for a 2mins. I would have liked to see some more angles cut into it, or the whole video cut down a bit. Got old fast seeing the same pans/sequences a few times. I really like how you threw in the blinker and lights turning on. Should do the same thing with some interior shots of things turning on too.

1/31/2011 10:24:13 AM

thanks for the feedback

i've never gone anywhere to shoot (besides my back porch), and it seems like it would be a good idea to plan shots in advance rather than stand around and make some stuff up like i did

you're right about it being long, i had to recycle some stuff and its really harder than i expected to make just 2 minutes of footage

i have much more respect for editors now

1/31/2011 10:46:22 AM

^ what video editing software do you use?

1/31/2011 12:01:19 PM

premiere pro cs5

1/31/2011 12:40:34 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_mUWMzfdPU

Shot that on the Canon t2i with:

11-16mm f2.8 Tokina
Nikon 50mm f1.8
Canon 28-135mm (for the Big Easy sign shot)

You should always have atleast one fast lens, for hte chance that you need to shoot in low light. My personal favorite is my Nikon 55mm f1.2.

AF sux, I prefer manual focus for all of my work. If you don't mind manual focus, you can get some really good deals on vintage glass.

1/31/2011 1:22:15 PM

Yeah, video takes quite a bit more planning than stills since you can't really just run and gun without some sort of idea of what you want to shoot either down on paper or idea in mind. A good rule of thumb when shooting or planning to shoot is that you should get 10x more B-roll shots than A-roll. You want enough B roll to cut into the A roll to help tell the story and have better transition between shots of a scene.

You want to follow the 180 degree rule when cutting, which is simple. Basically if you shoot the front of the car, you don't immediately go to the back, you'd cut a transition piece of like the side and then the back. Your transition shots are nothing more than stepping stones of like 2 seconds or less. A good way learn clean cuts is cooking shows. They effectively use the Wide, Normal, and Detail angles very well with all of the good A and B rolls cut in with good transition shots. Watch it with sound first, then watch without and pay a close attention to how long each cut is on and what.

You won't see a cut longer than 10 seconds normally and in the film industry, you'd rarely see something anything longer than 60 seconds, unless its an odd video piece, documentary, something random, or just a very interesting and long sequential one cut take. Planning is key and having a story board will save you hours and hours of trying to figure out what you want to shoot, and hours in post when cutting it. You will spend hours trying to cut down the 30 mins you shot down to 2 mins.

Honestly, Alex is a better video guy in here than I am. I just know the process and how to do it, I don't have much world experience like he does. I still haven't installed my cs5 yet. :p

1/31/2011 2:48:01 PM

I really like the Top Gear UK car intros, different angles, pans, etc

1/31/2011 3:51:24 PM

well you do know those chaps have a 28 person crew when on set with 100k+ worth of toys to achieve those angles, pans, et. :p

[Edited on January 31, 2011 at 4:33 PM. Reason : ]

1/31/2011 4:32:44 PM

are you trying to tell me they don't film top gear with my tripod and 3 foot aluminum rail?

1/31/2011 4:43:15 PM

^sliders are bad ass... How long have you been using yours?

1/31/2011 4:56:13 PM

^^^^^

1/31/2011 5:00:43 PM

Anyone play with the focus pulls on Magic Lantern & 5D MkII?

1/31/2011 5:11:40 PM

This thread needs more pics. I'll start. January 15th in Utah.

1/31/2011 5:14:35 PM

^ very nice

Quote :

"sliders are bad ass... How long have you been using yours?"

about 2 days lol

1/31/2011 5:22:49 PM

I would try magic lantern, but I'm worried about bricking my 5d mkII. I remember there was something similar right when the camera first came out and there was a 3rd party firmware that allowed for manual audio control (which is standard now), but heard some issues that kinda scared me from trying it. They don't exactly cover that in the warranty and insurance doesn't cover it. I'm sure ML is stable since a number of ppl use it, but I would try it on a cheapo body first.

1/31/2011 6:00:47 PM

Quote :

"Shot that on the Canon t2i with: 11-16mm f2.8 Tokina Nikon 50mm f1.8 Canon 28-135mm (for the Big Easy sign shot)"

Wait, n00b question here. Does this mean I can use my sister's Nikon 55-200mm on my t2i?

1/31/2011 7:18:54 PM

^ dont think its possible without some kind of adapter.

1/31/2011 7:25:19 PM

You can use any Nikon lens on a T2i.

If the lens' aperture is controlled electronically, as opposed to manually (through a separate ring), it can not be controlled through the Canon EF Mount. The electronic aperture will have to be set on a Nikon body, then mounted on Canon.

The same goes for electronic focus (AF) on Nikon lenses.

I prefer older manual focus and aperture primes/zooms. They are dirt cheap and very sharp! They can be adapted with a simple aluminum adapter, as seen here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-Lens-to-Canon-EOS-EF-T2i-T1i-XSI-Mount-Adapter_W0QQitemZ120643714255QQcategoryZ30059QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D120618580724%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6768315067352011919

Nikon 50mm f1.2 goes for around 300-400$. Look up the price on a new Canon 50mm f1.2!

^^^^ I think there is very little chance in bricking the 5DMKII/T2i now with Magic Lantern. It doesn't really flash the ROM but rather boots off of the CF/SD card.

[Edited on January 31, 2011 at 8:39 PM. Reason : URL]

1/31/2011 8:36:39 PM

Quote :

"jchill2 All American 2621 Posts user info edit post hmmm So should I sell my 18-55mm then? 1/30/2011 11:23:09 PM Ronny All American 29788 Posts user info edit post Good luck getting anything for it. 1/30/2011 11:32:31 PM "

I got $80 for mine on craigslist. Almost enough for the 50mm 1.8.

1/31/2011 9:16:43 PM

[Edited on January 31, 2011 at 11:08 PM. Reason : ...]

1/31/2011 11:07:05 PM

Also selling a Sigma 28-70 f2.8 with manual aperture control. Nikon mount but I've been using it on my Canon T2i. Lens in great shape, comes with UV filter(72mm), front and rear caps.
TWW price of 200$

[Edited on February 1, 2011 at 1:22 PM. Reason : ...]

2/1/2011 1:20:33 PM

I did some clubby photography for the New Times with a flash for the first time Saturday night I guess.
I had no idea what I was doing kind of, it was my first time extensively using a flash.
a 420EX with my discover card attached to the back with a silly band as a bounce i guess?













[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 2:29 AM. Reason : /]

2/2/2011 2:28:48 AM

^^What are those photos of? What was your thought process behind the composition/framing? What about your own photos do YOU like?

2/2/2011 9:02:06 AM

I picked these up today from the pawnshop for $30 total

2/2/2011 6:36:47 PM

Just printed some 40x60 prints. Funny how College of Textiles has this one random epson 9800 with shit ton of inks and paper rolls that apparently no one at the school knows how to use. Looks like it hasn't been used in a few years.

2/2/2011 8:54:42 PM

how much was it?

2/2/2011 10:13:39 PM

^^^^^welded ducks, pepsi crates, railroad things over water, old scooter seat(60's)

I just try to frame it so its as interesting as it can be in all parts.

If it is something that I would like as a desktop background, its worth taking.



[Edited on February 3, 2011 at 12:40 AM. Reason : ...]

2/3/2011 12:38:35 AM

You don't think about a focal point, or lines of structure, or rule of thirds or anything?

It is often hard to tell who is down for constructive criticism and who isn't, so I try to pull my punches a bit recently.

2/3/2011 1:02:40 AM

Jeff do you have any generic tips for club photography.

or anyone for that matter

[Edited on February 3, 2011 at 1:44 AM. Reason : .]

2/3/2011 1:44:40 AM

I think people shouldn't post pics in here unless they are willing to get reamed if they suck....although it really adds to the entertainment value


That said...more pics...do it

2/3/2011 7:39:50 AM

Quote :

" It is often hard to tell who is down for constructive criticism and who isn't, so I try to pull my punches a bit recently."

-Ronny

HELL HATH FROZEN OVER.

Or maybe just cooled slightly.

2/3/2011 8:38:41 AM

Meh, there's just no point in trying to help people that don't want help, don't want to get better, or don't care that they're taking weak/boring photos.



Unless it is Kiwi, she'll still get blasted for being an idiot.

[Edited on February 3, 2011 at 8:44 AM. Reason : .]

2/3/2011 8:44:28 AM

lol

In all honesty, I appreciate the criticism. Just haven't had time to shoot, so I haven't been criticized lately.

2/3/2011 8:46:50 AM

Think about rule of thirds? I guess I don't really think about rules all that much, just try to make it... look nice. I mean the "rule of thirds" is behind why many pictures look nice, but I'm not actively looking to follow rules, just try to make it something that I enjoy looking at.

I guess I think about overall composition more than anything.

2/3/2011 9:19:16 AM

Well, the scooter seat for example. I get that it is an interesting shot of a cool texture, but that's really it. If you're just concerned with the texture, why leave anything else in the photo? If you want it to be recognized as a scooter seat, why not include a bit more?

What I'm saying is, just because it is in focus doesn't mean it is the focal point. There is nothing in that scooter photo that guides my eye anywhere. I don't look at them and immediately know what I'm supposed to be looking at. It is just an in focus and pretty well exposed snapshot. Of course you're going to like the photos, you took them, but I don't think you were thinking about what you wanted the audience/viewer to see when you were taking them.

2/3/2011 1:02:51 PM

The rule of thirds helps me a ton. Even looking back at some bullshit artwork I did in high school and middle school, the ones that follow the rule are generally more interesting even if the skill is off. IMO, it doesn't have to be perfect, but it really helps to just think about it while you're framing a shot.

Also, if I go back and look at pictures I took years ago before I tried to apply it to photography, they look better if I accidentally followed the rule if thirds, and if not, I can crop to fix it and it helps too.

[Edited on February 3, 2011 at 4:06 PM. Reason : ]

2/3/2011 4:04:06 PM

Alex,

I mostly shot with a 580 angled at 45 degrees using a stofen cheapo diffuser box and manually set the exposure to whatever the ambient would be. Most of the time I would do ISO 800, f2.8-4, and what ever shutter speed, drag it around 1/15-1/4th most of the time. If the scene is really dark like most of the clubs in Miami, bump the iso up a bit and really play with your shutter drag, rotates, tilts and the zooms during exposure. They get really wild when you have some ambient lasers or dance lights going on and off all around. This is probably 90% of the club pics using the 24-70 or 17-40, bust mostly stayed in the 20-24 full frame range area since it gets tight in most of those spaces.

Get to know how your flash and flash meter in the camera works when dealing with subjects. I would alway do flash compensation on the fly per photo depending on the overall tones of the photo, including skintone of the subject(s), darkness/lightness of their clothes, and general background ambient/colors/brightness as well. Over time, you'll see what works and what doesn't on the fly to really guess at what flash comp you really need to set it at to get a decent exposure. And always shoot in RAW, just because if you miss exposure, you can post process and fix it to some degree instead of just jpeg.

Shit, sometimes, if I know what camera, flash, amount of subjects and distance to the camera, I would memorize how far I need to be, at a certain focal length, at a certain manual power output, for each size of group photos, like 1-2, 2-4, 4-7, or a huge group of like 8+ that really needs some space. You really don't need a lot of flash power when using the 580's indoor at high iso's, I generally never went above 1/4th power for huge groups and kept it around 1/16th to keep refresh rates fast. This technique of memorization also helps if you use full manual flashes like a cheapo flash or a big ass ring flash setup.

In some occasions, I would play around with multi speedlite setups, but those tend to take some time and real determination to do properly on the fly. They really produce some neat shots like the club photog in Chicago that does killer work (Chris something... I forgot his name, PM and I'll find it), but your number of shots during the night really go down by 70% if you are looking to more quantity pop shots than quality.

In that kind of setting, I would have a cheapy light stand with a speedlight bracket/adapter that you can control the angle off as the main light on the left or right. 2nd speedlight on the camera (usually the 580 in master control to trigger other speedlights) as fill (set to -1/2 flash comp) and a 3rd speedlight (either +1,+2 flash comp or set power manually) on the stock foot stand either as kicker, back light or rim; whatever you can place a flash easily and in sight. A lot of times, I would request some assistance from a friend to help with the quick lighting placement and making sure the shit doesn't get broken or stolen when snapping pics.

I'd also have a set of colored filters size for the speedlights ready in hand just in case I want balance the strobes to whatever ambient light or to throw some color on something. You can make them really easy or buy pre-made speedlite filter packs. I had the canon wireless ettl trigger last year that kinda of helped in some situations so I could get away with cool pics with just two pics, but it was so buggy in clubs that even the 10ft operating range wasn't working for 1/2 the shots. But since you have the 7D with the builtin wireless ettl, have fun with it. Suppose to work better.



But honestly, these are club pics, front flash with a cheap diffuser box, wide angle lens and a little bit of shutter drag techniques is all you really need to do. Most people don't expect fancy fancy high production value pics in this genre. As long as they are exposed right, can get comfortable with the people who you are photographing (not looking at you like a creep with a camera), and really play with ambient lights, you'll have fun.

I also went to nightclubs that I knew all of the bartenders, bouncers, girls who work there and really feel welcomed and comfortable in the club before I really opened up to get some good shots. Get to know the normal people there and befriend them; if you find some nice, energetic, photogenic group(s), ask to follow them around and snap some fun pics. You will be surprised at how many people would say "sure!" as long as you look and act professional (have a lanyard and string your student ID on it, it works 90% of the time lol).

I also had a leg up, at least in the Raleigh area since I hanged out at a number of clubs before I shot since I did break dancing and in the hip hop circle (Asian yo... we are 20 years behind the time). Same thing with Miami areas, bboys and bgirls is a small, tight group all over the place; a lot my friends went to bigger cities so I hit them up once in a while and see what they've been up. Dancers love photos of themselves, specially if they hit that freeze pose and they know you snapped a pic.

2/5/2011 5:48:43 PM

old film camera that i inherited from my step-grandfather. think its worth anything?





has anyone ever heard of removing the front element of an old 35-80 to create a cheap macro lens? this is the lens in question:


[Edited on February 5, 2011 at 7:00 PM. Reason : sorry about that]

2/5/2011 6:59:26 PM

The camera is worth what someone will pay.

I think the SRT-101 is pretty common, but also a decently popular SLR. I have one and use it every now and then; it's a pretty quality camera.

[Edited on February 5, 2011 at 7:10 PM. Reason : ]

2/5/2011 7:09:11 PM