Official BeyondUnreal Photography Thread

[OO7MIKE]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments on the previous photo.

Been a bit more inspired as of late. I talked a female friend into letting me shoot her. Usually I shoot other photography friends, so they all know how to pose etc. This was my first time actually giving direction to somebody that doesn't model or shoot. I am pretty happy with the results.


Bai Jin by Jason_Combs, on Flickr

My God man! You've gone mainstream.

Looks great!

 

[OO7MIKE]

For those who haven't noticed, Canon and Nikon released their new Point and shoot camera line up. The most interesting camera released was the Nikon Coolpix AW100. Its been built to take a beating and it will go underwater. Shockingly it has a CMOS sensor. Very rare for a point and shoot camera.

http://dpreview.com/news/1108/11082408nikonaw100.asp

This thing is beautiful! Love the Orange!

Unfortunately it doesn't do RAW, but it does do HD video! It will shoot 1080p at 30fps, 720p at 60fps. It will also record video at 120fps and 240fps though I haven't been able to find out what format that will be in. That kind of video is great for two things. Ultra realistic motion on playback (provided your monitor/TV has a refresh rate that high) and slow motion when played back at standard 24, 25, 30fps.

I may have to snag one up for a future project of mine. For now, I'll wait on the reviews.

 

[BillyBadAss]

My God man! You've gone mainstream.

Looks great!

Thanks man. I actually want to shoot more models, but I am a little lazy at searching for them.

 

[OO7MIKE]

Thanks man. I actually want to shoot more model, but I am a little lazy at searching for them.

Keep shooting photos of models like that and you wont have to search for them.. or ask. They will come to you!

 

[DarkED]

It will also record video at 120fps and 240fps though I haven't been able to find out what format that will be in.

I'd wager 480p for the 120fps format and something like 320x240 for the 240fps format, but this is just guessing. Both formats could potentially be 480p.

Still, that camera has some pretty impressive specs. I know I'd like to own one. Any word on MSRP?

 

[OO7MIKE]

I'd wager 480p for the 120fps format and something like 320x240 for the 240fps format, but this is just guessing. Both formats could potentially be 480p.

Still, that camera has some pretty impressive specs. I know I'd like to own one. Any word on MSRP?

You may just be correct. Although 320x240 is VHS quality video it may still be useful if the video compression ratio doesn't turn it into cell phone video quality.

It looks like MSRP is $379.95. I fully expect it to sell for $350 and drop with time.

 

[aCRaSSiCauDa]

For those who haven't noticed, Canon and Nikon released their new Point and shoot camera line up. The most interesting camera released was the Nikon Coolpix AW100. Its been built to take a beating and it will go underwater. Shockingly it has a CMOS sensor. Very rare for a point and shoot camera.

http://michaelbrinkerhoff.com/BU/AW100_OR_front_.jpg[/MG]

[IMG]http://michaelbrinkerhoff.com/BU/aw100_bk_back.jpg[/MG]

[url]http://dpreview.com/news/1108/11082408nikonaw100.asp[/url]

This thing is beautiful! Love the Orange!

Unfortunately it doesn't do RAW, but it does do HD video! It will shoot 1080p at 30fps, 720p at 60fps. It will also record video at 120fps and 240fps though I haven't been able to find out what format that will be in. That kind of video is great for two things. Ultra realistic motion on playback (provided your monitor/TV has a refresh rate that high) and slow motion when played back at standard 24, 25, 30fps.

I may have to snag one up for a future project of mine. For now, I'll wait on the reviews.[/QUOTE]

Cool man, this is exactly what I've been looking for.

 

[Zur]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments on the previous photo.

Been a bit more inspired as of late. I talked a female friend into letting me shoot her. Usually I shoot other photography friends, so they all know how to pose etc. This was my first time actually giving direction to somebody that doesn't model or shoot. I am pretty happy with the results.


Bai Jin by Jason_Combs, on Flickr

Attractive. Both the photo and the subject. :tup:

 

[OO7MIKE]

I have resumed posting on my photography news site. www.rawphotonews.com

I have a lot of catching up to do and I have a double wedding this weekend so expect more odd ball news next week.

 

[BillyBadAss]

I have resumed posting on my photography news site. www.rawphotonews.com

I have a lot of catching up to do and I have a double wedding this weekend so expect more odd ball news next week.

Nice read about the upgrades. I am looking forward to the new line of cameras though.

 

[OO7MIKE]

Here is a news article/video that I found that brought out some emotions in me. I wont be posting it on my site because its not an odd ball story and I try to keep things light hearted, but I am still shocked at it. I was happy to see that the news reporter might have been at least a little photography trained.

Read it, watch it, and share your thought.

http://fstoppers.com/photographer-or-terrorist-photographers-rights-under-fire-again

 

[das_ben]

I like how she brings in a few stabs at hipsters.

But I think we can all agree with the points she brings up in her commentary. That said, I had to smirk a little when she mentioned that Maryland is one of the few states that doesn't allow photographing policemen and -women. In Germany, it's forbidden as well while the police regularly videotapes entire (friendly and registered) public demonstrations without being held accountable what happens with the footage.

 

[Rambowjo]

Ok, so I'm not entirely sure, but I think my mother, who was also into photography around my age, is offering to buy a lens for me, in particular a zoom/tele lens. I have no idea what to go for though, I barely know the difference between zoom and tele. All I really know is that I should focus on the lens being from Canon, right?

I have no idea of the budget, though I'd guess somewhere between £118-£270.

edit: ah scratch this, she was joking, I think. I'd still like some knowledge on the difference between telephoto and zoom lenses though

 

[Bi()ha2arD]

Zoom lenses can zoom.

Telephoto is 100mm upwards i guess.

 

[BillyBadAss]

Ok, so I'm not entirely sure, but I think my mother, who was also into photography around my age, is offering to buy a lens for me, in particular a zoom/tele lens. I have no idea what to go for though, I barely know the difference between zoom and tele. All I really know is that I should focus on the lens being from Canon, right?

I have no idea of the budget, though I'd guess somewhere between £118-£270.

edit: ah scratch this, she was joking, I think. I'd still like some knowledge on the difference between telephoto and zoom lenses though

Don't buy anything with a huge range. (eg. 18-270mm) Those lens aren't sharp at all.

 

[OO7MIKE]

Rambowjo:

Just an FYI. Zoom simply means that you can move from one focal length to another. It has nothing to do with the lens being a telephoto, wide angle or both.

It's hard to offer a recommendation without knowing what lenses you already have. Most digital cameras come with a 18-55mm or something relatively close. It's a decent lens for capturing a scene but it isn't very good for close up portrait shots. A good 50mm is a must for any photographer. Look into the canon 50mm f1.8, its a must have. It's great for low light, shallow depth of field work and they are great on the wallet.

 

[BillyBadAss]

Look into a 50mm 1.8 is a must have. It's great for low light, shallow depth of field work and they are great on the wallet.

I agree, but I would pass on the 1.8 as those are usually the very low end 50mm lenses that aren't that great IMO. I feel on the 50mm the 1.4 is the sweet spot. The 1.2 is nice, but you are paying a lot more for a little gain.

 

[OO7MIKE]

I agree, but I would pass on the 1.8 as those are usually the very low end 50mm lenses that aren't that great IMO. I feel on the 50mm the 1.4 is the sweet spot. The 1.2 is nice, but you are paying a lot more for a little gain.

The 50mm 1.8 has a faster AF on the canon side than the 50mm 1.4 or the f1.2. I had a love hate relationship with my 1.4 because the AF was so unreliable. It would hunt in day light in the same way it would hunt in low light conditions. Besides the AF issues, the image quality was great.

I recommend the 50mm 1.8 because it's a work horse, it's sharp, best bang for your buck and it does really well on both full frame cameras and crop sensor cameras.

To be fair, f1.4 is a sweet spot price wise. I went with the Sigma 50mm 1.4 because it had better center sharpness, creamy smooth background bokeh that is simply unmatched by any 50mm made by anyone except for Zeiss. Finally the auto focus was much more stable and reliable on the Sigma. Only the Canon 50mm 1.4 had a closer minimum focusing distance.. and was slightly sharper on the edges at f1.4. I rarely use f1.4. I always prefer f2. Its crazy sharp at f2 and it gives me the best bokeh and just enough depth of field for portraits.

There are no perfect lenses out there, but there is a lens out there that will fit your photographic needs.

 

[Rambowjo]

Woa, that sounds great, and it's actually pretty cheap. I might be able to get my hands on that lens on my own. Neat.

 

[OO7MIKE]

Woa, that sounds great, and it's actually pretty cheap. I might be able to get my hands on that lens on my own. Neat.

Haha! Yes, save that lens for your own purchase and have your mom buy you a different lens. If you don't mind using a manual focus lens you can pick up some real gems out there:

1. Rokinon FE8M-C 8mm F3.5 Fisheye Lens for Canon - Who doesnt want a fish eye? Rokinon is an alternative marketing name for Samyang which is a 3rd party lens manufacturer based in South Korea. They go by many names depending on where you purchase them. (Rokinon, Samyang, Vivitar, Walimex, Opteka, Bower) Its like purchasing a generic brand at the super market. One company makes them and then sells them to everyone who wants to put their own branding on the package. Do not be fooled! Optically and mechanically they make excellent lenses for a fraction of the price of their name brand (canon, nikon) counter parts. One of those reasons is that they do not have autofocus built in. In this case.. you dont need it. A fish eye's purpose is to have as much in focus as possible and looks its best at F8 or F11. You could basically put the autofocus ring on or near infinity and shoot all day without worry. Need more proof? Here is a lens review.


2. Rokinon 85MAF-N 85mm F1.4 Aspherical Lens for Nikon with Automatic Chip - Photographers call this lens the "gateway portrait lens" and with good reason. Just look at the prices that everyone else has an 85mm 1.4. This is a deal and its mostly because there is no AF. I recommend this lens over the canon version. Even though the canon mount version is less expensive it doesn't include the AF chip that this one does. The AF chip gives you the advantage of a focus lock confirmation. When your subject is in focus the camera will beep or otherwise display that your subject is in focus in the viewfinder display. This is very helpful especially when using a lens like this with such a shallow depth of field. If you have a steady hand and your subject is patient you can take some stunning shots with this lens. Because this is actually a lens with a Nikon mount you will have to pick up a lens mount adapter with an AF focus chip on it as well. This is the one I recomend. Here is a lens review.

3. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - Of course for just a little more $$ you can pick up a Canon 85mm with an autofocus. If you dont have good eyes or a steady hand, manual focus lenses may not be your cup of tea. Its only a f1.8 lens but it focuses faster than any 50mm or 85mm on the market. At one point this lens was highly recommended over the f1.2 mk1 version because it has better flare control and superior AF and sharpness at f2 and above. This lens also holds up pretty well on a full frame camera. Here is a lens review.

There are lots of options out there, these are just the current gems on the market. They are in high demand and are difficult to pick up used because you will have to pry it from their cold dead hands.

Here is a Canon lens review page which should aid you in your searches. http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos