Getting Used to Your New DSLR!

Getting used to a new DSLR camera can be a daunting task, especially for folks moving from an APS-C to a full-frame sensor. Most of us that began our photographic journeys with a 35mm SLR felt a little “cramped” the first time we used a “crop body” DSLR like the original EOS Digital Rebel. We had to get used to the smaller, darker viewfinder and the much more narrow field of view. All of these things made us “adjust” our photographic “style” to accommodate the new medium, but adjust we did.

Today, folks that move from “crop body” DSLR cameras to their full-frame counterparts are experiencing a similar adjustment period and finding it a little disconcerting. Their favorite zoom lens doesn’t seem to “reach” as far as it once did and their wide angle lenses are not nearly as sharp around the edges as they once were. Many folks find themselves frustrated with images that just don’t seem as sharp and they begin to question their decision and the large sum of money they’ve just spent.

When I first started shooting with a 5D Mark II, I would swear that my 50D was producing sharper (raw) images using the same, high quality (L Series) lens. I couldn’t understand why my 5D2’s landscape shots at f/8 looked much “softer” than those taken with my 50D. I couldn’t comprehend why all my hand-held shots looked much softer than those taken with my 50D. What the hell was going on?

For those of you out there having this experience please know that you’re not alone. And please understand that it takes weeks and sometimes months to “learn” how to use your new full-frame camera and to “unlearn” some bad habits created by using a crop body camera. Here are a few key points to remember:

• The higher the resolution your sensor is, the more sensitive it is to camera shake. The old adage of using a tripod below 1/125th of a second shutter speed becomes a vital rule when shooting with a full-frame DSLR.

• Don’t let anyone mislead you. The depth of field obtained by a full-frame sensor is MUCH narrower than that of an APS-C sensor. Shooting at f/8 and “hoping” that everything in your scene will be in focus just doesn’t work on a full-frame sensor. Try shooting at f/11 – f/13 and setting your focus point 1/3rd of the way in the scene (hyperfocal rule) for best results.

• Learn to zoom with your feet. Your 100mm lens is really a 100mm lens now, not the 160mm you’ve been used to. On the flip side, your 24mm wide angle is now REALLY wide!

• Finally, the most important tip. Your 21 MP, full-frame sensor will distinctly present any shortcomings of your lenses in sharpness, contrast and chromatic aberrations. Trust me on this folks, your “consumer grade” zoom lens that you paid less than $500 for is NOT going to produce images on your new 5D Mark II that you’ll be proud to exhibit. Full-frame cameras really do need “professional grade” lenses.

One final thought on this topic. Practice with your new full-frame camera as much as possible. Make it your job to try different things and then review what works and what doesn’t during your post-capture processing. I’m a firm believer in the old saying, “Practice Makes Permanent, So Practice Right”. Use the correct shutter speed and aperture for each situation and immediately review your shots on the camera’s LCD screen to check for focus. Always use proper hand holding technique (Google Joe McNally “Da Grip”) and whenever possible use a tripod.

Learn how to make your new full-frame camera perform to it’s fullest potential and enjoy the journey. Learning for a lifetime is a gift from God!

Landscape Photography is Hard Work!

Landscape Photography is Hard Work!

Not really, but after a beautiful morning hiking all over Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, the legs and back do get a wee bit sore. Nothing that a quick pint of Shiner Bock and some good German food in Fredericksburg won’t cure. Come and join me this spring for the Texas Landscape Safari and see for yourself.

The Trail Home – Enchanted Rock, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 40mm, f/8 for 1/125th of a second using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

The Texas Rainforest at Gorman Falls

Here’s another view of Gorman Falls taken during the Texas Landscape Safari at our first shoot in the Colorado Bend State Park near Lampasas, Texas. After a long dry summer the spring that feeds Gorman Creek was very low and the falls were barely running this autumn. I’m looking forward to better photographic opportunities during this spring’s workshop after a (hopefully) wet winter recharges the aquifer.

Gear Note: This was my first shot taken using the Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo combo filter and I couldn’t have been more pleased with how it performed. The Vari-ND-Duo is a combination of Singh-Ray’s Vari-ND variable neutral density filter and their LB warming polarizer. Being able to control the exposure and polarization in this situation was critical to obtaining the overall effect I wanted. The Vari-ND-Duo made this much easier than trying to achieve this by stacking conventional filters and offered me very granular control over my exposure. Way to go folks!

Small Falls
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 58mm, f/8 for 1/5th of a second using a Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo neutral density filter at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Creating Image Borders & Shadows

I use Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom 2 for much of my RAW post-capture workflow as do most of the photographers that I know. It does so many things so much better than Camera Raw/Bridge/Photoshop that I can’t imagine life without it. My only complaint about Lightroom is it’s export functionality, especially for images that I plan to post on my blog.

This is where Acqualia’s Picturesque software really shines. This little gem allows me to add a number of special effects to my blog images such as borders and shadows or even reflections. It integrates very well with Lightroom and can be used in an Export preset by setting the “Post-Processing” property to “Open in Other Application” and choosing “\Applications\Picturesque”.

As you can see in the image below, Picturesque’s user interface is very clean and simple to learn. It takes only a few clicks to create a nice border and shadow around the images I plan to post. You can even save your settings as a preset and batch process your image files automatically.

Picturesque is a great little Mac program written by Acqualia, a great little software company and it would make a great little present for the photo-bloggers on your Christmas list!

Hill Country Sunset

There’s a great little spot located on FM 1431 just east of Kingsland, Texas where the road climbs about 300 feet to a pull-off which looks over Lake LBJ and Packsaddle Mountain. In the early fall months the sun sets directly behind these hills providing one of the best sunset locations in the state. This is one of my favorite locations to bring folks on the Texas Landscape Safari where the access is right off the road and the view is spectacular.

Hill Country Sunset – Kingsland, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 97mm, f/8 for 8 seconds using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

The Oasis at Pedernales Falls

Every once in a while you stumble upon a place that just begs to be photographed. Pedernales Falls near Johnson City, Texas is just such a place especially in the early evening of a beautiful autumn day. You can wander and explore the falls for hour after hour and discover new photographic opportunities almost everywhere. It’s a spot worth visiting again and again!

A Word of Caution: About six hours after I took this shot, there was a flash flood which covered this very spot with 15 feet of water flowing at over 5000 cubic feet per second. The flash flood was caused by rainfall farther west which happened several days earlier and the river flooded in a little under 10 minutes. So while this spot is certainly beautiful, it’s very important to remember that when you see the water rising, RUN LIKE HELL!

Pedernales Falls Oasis, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/8 for 1/100th of a second using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer and 4-stop graduated neutral density filter at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Nature Photography in the Texas Rainforest

Here’s another shot taken during the Texas Landscape Safari at our first shoot in the Colorado Bend State Park near Lampasas, Texas. The beauty of Gorman Falls is truly unmatched in all the Texas Hill Country. The geology of the area is fascinating and beautiful falls looks as if it belongs in Hawaii, rather than some remote corner of Texas. After the long hike and the steep climb down to the falls, the view is unexpected and wonderful!

By the way, the results I obtained processing this image in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 beta are nothing less than spectacular. The new image sharpening and noise reduction algorithms provide incredible control and wonderful results. And this is just the first beta!

Texas Rain Forest at Gorman Falls
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 75mm, f/16 for 0.8 seconds using a Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo neutral density filter at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Comparing the Canon 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II and 7D

It’s been only a few short months since Canon announced the EOS 7D with it’s all new auto focus system and 18 MP sensor. Now they’ve announced another eagerly awaited, high-end DSLR to “Pro Series” product line, the 1D Mark IV.

In the coming weeks and months there will be previews, reviews, fanboy posts and flames galore on the various industry watching blogs and forums with hundreds of different viewpoints on this new pro model’s features and benefits.

To help cut through some of the rhetoric I thought I’d post a quick and dirty comparison of the differences between the new 1D Mark IV, the 5D Mark II and the 7D cameras based upon the information currently available.

Basically, the same comparison I recently posted on the new G11 and G10 cameras. Let me state for the record that this comparison is from a still photographer’s perspective only. The video capabilities of these cameras are cool but not where my interests lay.

List Price:
1D4 – $5000 (USD)
5D2 – $2700 (USD)
7D – $1700 (USD)

Sensor:
1D4 – APS-H (4896 x 3264) (16 MP)
5D2 – FF (5616 x 3744) (21 MP)
7D – APS-C (5184 x 3456) (18 MP)

Pixel Density
1D4 – 3.1 MP/cm2
5D2 – 2.4 MP/cm2
7D – 5.4 MP/cm2

Processor:
1D4 – Dual DIGIC 4
5D2 – Single DIGIC 4
7D – Dual DIGIC 4

ISO:
1D4 – 50, 100 – 12800, 25600, 51200, 102400
5D2 – 50, 100 – 6400, 12800, 25600
7D – Auto, 100 – 6400, 12800(H)

Metering:
1D4 – 63 Area, Center Weighted, Partial, Spot (Center, AF Point, Multi-Point)
5D2 – 35 Area Eval, Center Weighted, Partial, Spot
7D – 63 Area Eval, Center Weighted, Partial, Spot

Auto Focus:
1D4 – 45 Point (new technology)
5D2 – 9 Point (same as original 5D)
7D – 19 Point (new technology)

Exposure Compensation:
1D4    -3 to +3 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps
5D2   -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps
7D     -3 to +3 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps

Continuous Shooting:
1D4 – 10 fps
5D2 – 3.9 fps
7D – 8 fps

Raw Formats:
1D4 – RAW, mRAW, sRAW
5D2 – RAW, sRAW1, sRAW2
7D – RAW, sRAW, mRAW

Viewfinder:
1D4 – Pentaprism, 100% Coverage, 0.76x Mag
5D2 – Pentaprism, 98% Coverage, 0.71x Mag
7D – Pentaprism, 100% Coverage, 1.00x Mag

Battery
1D4 – LP-E4 ($110 USD)
5D2 – LP-E6 ($66 USD)
7D – LP-E6 ($66 USD)

Weight:
1D4 – 1230g
5D2 – 830g
7D – 860g

Conclusions:
Comparing these three cameras is somewhat difficult since each is targeted to a very different segment of the DSLR market. The new 1D Mark IV is aimed squarely at the professional sports and action photographer with it’s incredible high ISO capabilities and equally incredible high speed drive (fps).

It’s also interesting to note that each camera offers a different size and resolution sensor, with only the 5D Mark II offering a full frame sensor. While I’m fairly certain the next “1Ds” model will boast a full frame sensor with enough resolution to rival the Nikon D3X, it’s a surprise that Canon continues to support the APS-H (1.3x FOVCF) sensor. It will be interesting to see just how well the new 1D Mark IV does when compared to high ISO shots taken with the 5D2.

Obviously, the new 1D Mark IV, like all the “1D” series cameras, was designed for the professional in mind. It’s the only of these three bodies to offer real weather-proofing in its construction. The 1D Mark IV is also considerably larger and heavier than the 5D2 or 7D bodies, which may not be the best thing for an “on the go” sports photographer.

It also remains to be seen if this camera’s new auto-focus system has what it takes to convince sports shooters to upgrade. Canon’s reputation has taken quite a beating in the past few years over AF issues in the 1Ds, the 5D2 and even the new 7D. The new “predictive” AI Servo mode in the 1D4 sounds great on paper, but only time will tell if this translates into sharper images.

Final Thoughts:
Once again, In the words of David duChemin, “Gear is Good, Vision is Better”. It’s not the camera that makes the photograph, it’s the person behind the camera. Having said that, anyone spending $5000 (USD) on a DSLR in today’s economy deserves for the camera to work perfectly right out of the box. This is especially true for sports shooters where there are no second chances!

Outfitting Your Canon G10 for Landscape Photography

A few months ago a friend of mine asked me to help outfit his Canon Powershot G10 for landscape photography without spending a fortune on accessories. He wasn’t really sure what he needed but he could see the difference in the shots I’d taken and those he’d taken and wanted to know what the “secret” was.

The first thing on my list was adding a circular polarizer to the G10 to help reduce glare and add some saturation to his images. Luckily, the folks at Lensmate in Seattle make a line of precision machined aluminum lens adapters for the Canon G10 / G11 that allow you to add a polarizing filter to the camera without creating a vignetting problem. Lensmate also sells the 72mm low profile Kenko Pro1 Digital CP filter that their adapters are designed to work with.

$ 24.95 — Lensmate G10 / G11 Adapter (Part A)
$ 22.95 — Lensmate G10 / G11 Adapter (Part B)
$ 74.95 — Kenko Pro1 Digital Circular Polarizer (low profile 72mm)

Canon Powershot G10 with Lensmate Adapters & CP Filter

The next accessory I recommended was a light-weight tripod and ball-head like the Gitzo GT-1541T Traveller and the Really Right Stuff BH-30LR. I explained that there’s nothing more important to landscape photographer than the camera support system. Once he got over the sticker shock I also recommended picking up the RRS BG-10L L-Plate designed specifically to mount the G10 in a RRS quick-release clamp as shown below.

$88.00 — Really Right Stuff BG10-L: L-Plate for Canon G10

Canon Powershot G10 with Really Right Stuff L-Plate

Finally, I recommended he buy a hand-strap like the Camdapter Camstrap from Jim Garavuso. Jim is an engineer and avid photographer with keen eye for good design. I’ve used his high quality leather hand-straps on all my cameras.

The custom hand-strap seen in the image above I created by modifying the neck strap that comes with the G10 and mounting it under the RRS L-Plate. Not the best solution but it works in a pinch.

$30.00  –  Camdapter Camstrap

As you can see, with a few basic accessories the Canon Powershot G10 and G11 can be outfitted for serious landscape photography at about 1/3rd the weight of a DSLR and lens. Not too bad for a “Point & Shoot” camera!

Fair Weather Landscape Photography

Another thing I try to teach during the Texas Landscape Safari (forgive my shameless plug) is when to shoot in great weather. Now before half of you say “Duh!” think about it for a minute. How many (yawn) uninspiring landscape images have you seen taken on a cloudless summer day? Is there anything less dramatic than a pale blue sky?

In landscape photography, timing is everything! That means watching the weather reports days and even weeks in advance to spot weather patterns (usually cold fronts here in Texas) that will bring you the most important background element ever found in a landscape image; Clouds!

It means planning your photographic outings well in advance but being flexible enough to GO when the conditions are right and stay home when they’re not. It means revisiting that favorite vista over and over again until the light and clouds and the colors are just right.

Landscape photography is a fickle mistress. Most times your planning, patience and persistence won’t pay off but every once in a while you wake up to find skies like this and it makes all the time and effort worthwhile!

Jet Stream Over Enchanted Rock, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/11 for 1/20th of a second using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer and 4-stop graduated neutral density filter at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 2. Click on the image above for a larger version.