1LikesSLR/Digital SLR Questions, Comments, etc.
07-30-2006, 08:08 AM
#16
JP- I have a Canon Rebel XT (the newest version). I'm learning as much as I can, as fast as I can, and I will no doubt have it figured out in 10-20 years... possbily less... 
But in the meantime, could you please give me the settings (everything I need to set that's not the default for given mode) for two situations:
sunny afternoon racing pictures, preferrably closeups
and
still indoor lightbox settings. lightbox is made from white foamboard and white postboard paper background to eliminate the line.
Lighting consists of:
1) normal 60W ceiling bulb
2) two aluminum bowl type shop lights with those new halogen "true light" bulbs
3) standard pop-up flash that comes with the camera.
I've tried full auto mode and also Tv mode and moved the speed in both directions, but I'm still getting yellow pictures that just don't look bright and crisp.
PLEASE HELP!!! lol
Thanks in advance,
Jason
Anyone else that has input feel free...
But in the meantime, could you please give me the settings (everything I need to set that's not the default for given mode) for two situations:sunny afternoon racing pictures, preferrably closeups
and
still indoor lightbox settings. lightbox is made from white foamboard and white postboard paper background to eliminate the line.
Lighting consists of:
1) normal 60W ceiling bulb
2) two aluminum bowl type shop lights with those new halogen "true light" bulbs
3) standard pop-up flash that comes with the camera.
I've tried full auto mode and also Tv mode and moved the speed in both directions, but I'm still getting yellow pictures that just don't look bright and crisp.
PLEASE HELP!!! lol
Thanks in advance,
Jason
Anyone else that has input feel free...
07-31-2006, 03:11 AM
#17
Your yellow photos in your lightbox are due to your white balance setting. You don't say which white balance setting you are using, but I would guess it is AWB (auto wb). For me, this is fine for shots like this but my lighting is different.
Perhaps try the incandecent setting or even a custom wb setting.
For the studio style shots I usually use the camera on fully manual and set the speed to 60-100 and aperture to F4.0-8.0 - depending on light.
I don't have anything as fancy as you are talking about, just a piece of paper. I just use the lights in my kitchen (turn them all on) and a canon 580ex bounced off the ceiling.
I use the flash in manual mode also, usually around 1/8th - 1/32nd power.
not perfect but considering they are on a bit of paper in the kitchen without any special lighting but a flash, I think they are ok.
Perhaps try the incandecent setting or even a custom wb setting.
For the studio style shots I usually use the camera on fully manual and set the speed to 60-100 and aperture to F4.0-8.0 - depending on light.
I don't have anything as fancy as you are talking about, just a piece of paper. I just use the lights in my kitchen (turn them all on) and a canon 580ex bounced off the ceiling.
I use the flash in manual mode also, usually around 1/8th - 1/32nd power.
not perfect but considering they are on a bit of paper in the kitchen without any special lighting but a flash, I think they are ok.
07-31-2006, 07:45 AM
#18
Those are great!!
I played around with some shots yesterday, and found that it really helped to put the camera in (P)rogram mode where I could control some of the settings. Here is what I ended up with. I wasn't using the lightbox, just taking a still image of a brochure with good colors.
ISO-100
white balance- AWB
F stop- 6 (I beleive...will have to look at the pic info to see what it was on the best pic)
shutter speed- color seemed best around .2 to .8. I was using a mini tripod
flash- built in pop-up (need to get a good flash)
lens- 55-200 Tamron (or something like that... it's not with me)
What I found was that if I moved the little white balance adjuster up or down it didn't change the coloring to the naked eye. Maybe cause it was in AWB mode, but irregardless it didn't matter.
If I increased the ISO, the colors got brighter, especially the whites.
So, my next task is to try and use my knowlege from playing around as well as your information and maybe I can find a good setting. I would imagine I'll need to get a good flash tho. Is the Canon 580e a good bang for the buck?
BTW- thanks for your help.
I played around with some shots yesterday, and found that it really helped to put the camera in (P)rogram mode where I could control some of the settings. Here is what I ended up with. I wasn't using the lightbox, just taking a still image of a brochure with good colors.
ISO-100
white balance- AWB
F stop- 6 (I beleive...will have to look at the pic info to see what it was on the best pic)
shutter speed- color seemed best around .2 to .8. I was using a mini tripod
flash- built in pop-up (need to get a good flash)
lens- 55-200 Tamron (or something like that... it's not with me)
What I found was that if I moved the little white balance adjuster up or down it didn't change the coloring to the naked eye. Maybe cause it was in AWB mode, but irregardless it didn't matter.
If I increased the ISO, the colors got brighter, especially the whites.
So, my next task is to try and use my knowlege from playing around as well as your information and maybe I can find a good setting. I would imagine I'll need to get a good flash tho. Is the Canon 580e a good bang for the buck?
BTW- thanks for your help.
08-01-2006, 01:29 PM
#20
BigDogRacing - Try setting a custom white balance. You'll need a grey card to do this, but it's well worth it when you want to get accurate colors. The manual will give you step by step directions on how to do this.
Increasing the ISO increases the sensor's sensitivity light. It's one of three exposure options you have - ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture. In a nutshell, Aperture controls depth of field and shutter speed controls how motion is conveyed.
Aperture - This is the size of the opening in the lens the light passes through. A numerically lower aperture results in a physically larger opening, and less depth of field, and vice versa for a numerically larger setting.
Shutter Speed - your shutter speed should at least be high enough to prevent blur from the camera shaking slightly in your hands. The general rule is that the slowest shutter speed you can handhold the camera with is 1 over the focal length of the lens. Now, you're camera has a 1.6x crop factor, meaning that when your tamron 55-200mm effectively becomes an 88-320mm lens. With that in mind, when you are using your lens at it's widest setting, the lowest shutter speed you should be able to handhold is about 1/100, and at the longest setting, you should try to use at least 1/320. Of course, this isn't a hard and fast rule - experiment with different shutter speeds to find out what your ability to handhold at different focal lengths is. Everybody is different, and camera weight also plays a part in how low of a shutter speed you can use. Proper technique (slowly squeezing the shutter release, tripping the shutter after exhaling, bracing yourself against something) will help you acheive crisper shots at slower shutter speeds. If you're using a tripod, camera shake becomes a non-issue for the most part.
Controlling motion - Obviously, a higher shutter speed will freeze action better than a lower one. A higher shutter speed makes it easier to get a sharp photo of a moving object, but often, freezing everything in the frame makes for a very boring, static-looking photo. Try panning with the car and using a shutter speed of around 1/500 to 1/800 - I've find this is high enough to do a decent job of freezing the car, and just low enough to introduce at least a little bit of motion blur the background. It also depends on what type of RC you're shooting, and how fast the cars are moving - You might be able to completely freeze the motion of a car coming around a slowish turn with only 1/320, but you might get decent motion blur in the background when shooting that same car going down the back straight even with 1/800. With the speed of the car in mind, you'll find there are some differences in shooting onroad and offroad.
When you get to the track, put the camera in Manual mode, and if it's a sunny day, set the shutter speed to 1/640, and the aperture to somewhere between 5.6 and 8. You'll probably have to use an ISO of 100 or 200. This should be a good baseline setting - I'm not saying it's going to be perfect in all conditions. You'll have to make some adjustments based on just how bright it is. Use a slower shutter speed or numerically lower aperture value to increase exposure, and vice versa to decrease the exposure.
This will take time and practice, but sooner or later it becomes second nature. Take a look at some of the racing shots on my website (link in signature), and you can click on where it says "More Details: EXIF" under each picture to see the settings I used for each photo.
As for the flash, I would consider my 580EX to be one of my best purchases, but I wouldn't say it's the best bang for the buck. Take a look at the 430EX - it has most of the features of the 580 but for about $150 less. It can't function as a wireless master in a multi-flash setup and it's not as powerful, but it's still more than adequate for most people. A good flash will make a world of difference in any situation where you need the flash - the only thing I've found the built in flash to be really good for is some fill flash on a sunny day. An external unit gives you much more power and flexibility.
I'm sorry that this post is kinda long winded and perhaps not detailed enough in certain areas. If you have any more specific questions, please ask.
In the meantime, go pick up Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Exposure. I think it will help you understand how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO work together to influence exposure, which is pretty much the cornerstone of photography. A good understanding of this will help you take better pictures.
Increasing the ISO increases the sensor's sensitivity light. It's one of three exposure options you have - ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture. In a nutshell, Aperture controls depth of field and shutter speed controls how motion is conveyed.
Aperture - This is the size of the opening in the lens the light passes through. A numerically lower aperture results in a physically larger opening, and less depth of field, and vice versa for a numerically larger setting.
Shutter Speed - your shutter speed should at least be high enough to prevent blur from the camera shaking slightly in your hands. The general rule is that the slowest shutter speed you can handhold the camera with is 1 over the focal length of the lens. Now, you're camera has a 1.6x crop factor, meaning that when your tamron 55-200mm effectively becomes an 88-320mm lens. With that in mind, when you are using your lens at it's widest setting, the lowest shutter speed you should be able to handhold is about 1/100, and at the longest setting, you should try to use at least 1/320. Of course, this isn't a hard and fast rule - experiment with different shutter speeds to find out what your ability to handhold at different focal lengths is. Everybody is different, and camera weight also plays a part in how low of a shutter speed you can use. Proper technique (slowly squeezing the shutter release, tripping the shutter after exhaling, bracing yourself against something) will help you acheive crisper shots at slower shutter speeds. If you're using a tripod, camera shake becomes a non-issue for the most part.
Controlling motion - Obviously, a higher shutter speed will freeze action better than a lower one. A higher shutter speed makes it easier to get a sharp photo of a moving object, but often, freezing everything in the frame makes for a very boring, static-looking photo. Try panning with the car and using a shutter speed of around 1/500 to 1/800 - I've find this is high enough to do a decent job of freezing the car, and just low enough to introduce at least a little bit of motion blur the background. It also depends on what type of RC you're shooting, and how fast the cars are moving - You might be able to completely freeze the motion of a car coming around a slowish turn with only 1/320, but you might get decent motion blur in the background when shooting that same car going down the back straight even with 1/800. With the speed of the car in mind, you'll find there are some differences in shooting onroad and offroad.
When you get to the track, put the camera in Manual mode, and if it's a sunny day, set the shutter speed to 1/640, and the aperture to somewhere between 5.6 and 8. You'll probably have to use an ISO of 100 or 200. This should be a good baseline setting - I'm not saying it's going to be perfect in all conditions. You'll have to make some adjustments based on just how bright it is. Use a slower shutter speed or numerically lower aperture value to increase exposure, and vice versa to decrease the exposure.
This will take time and practice, but sooner or later it becomes second nature. Take a look at some of the racing shots on my website (link in signature), and you can click on where it says "More Details: EXIF" under each picture to see the settings I used for each photo.
As for the flash, I would consider my 580EX to be one of my best purchases, but I wouldn't say it's the best bang for the buck. Take a look at the 430EX - it has most of the features of the 580 but for about $150 less. It can't function as a wireless master in a multi-flash setup and it's not as powerful, but it's still more than adequate for most people. A good flash will make a world of difference in any situation where you need the flash - the only thing I've found the built in flash to be really good for is some fill flash on a sunny day. An external unit gives you much more power and flexibility.
I'm sorry that this post is kinda long winded and perhaps not detailed enough in certain areas. If you have any more specific questions, please ask.
In the meantime, go pick up Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Exposure. I think it will help you understand how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO work together to influence exposure, which is pretty much the cornerstone of photography. A good understanding of this will help you take better pictures.
08-24-2006, 09:48 AM
#22
Originally Posted by BigDogRacing
wow thanks so much SoCal racer- you guys are awesome. I'll shoot u an email or post here if I have any more Q's.
Originally Posted by BigDogRacing
Photography is so fun!!! (if you don't wall the camera from frustration.... )
)
09-14-2006, 07:42 AM
#23
Tech Initiate
I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a 1GB memory card.
Lenses
1. Canon's stock EFS 18-55mm lens
2. Tokina Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124AF Pro DX Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital Cameras
Working on getting a telephoto lens, and a macro lens sometime in the not too distant future.
Lenses
1. Canon's stock EFS 18-55mm lens
2. Tokina Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124AF Pro DX Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital Cameras
Working on getting a telephoto lens, and a macro lens sometime in the not too distant future.
09-14-2006, 04:21 PM
#24
Tech Master
iTrader: (2)
Originally Posted by BTCC Collector
I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a 1GB memory card.
Lenses
1. Canon's stock EFS 18-55mm lens
2. Tokina Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124AF Pro DX Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital Cameras
Working on getting a telephoto lens, and a macro lens sometime in the not too distant future.
Lenses
1. Canon's stock EFS 18-55mm lens
2. Tokina Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124AF Pro DX Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital Cameras
Working on getting a telephoto lens, and a macro lens sometime in the not too distant future.
Ohh, you're just showing off
09-27-2006, 08:51 PM
#25
I'm still on the fence...wifey veto'd the new camera until my expense cheque arrived....but now with all the new bodies due to be hitting the market i'm waiting for some reviews and feedback.
The Canon 400D is out....just doesn't fitmy hands....
The Canaon 30D is VERY nice...but pricey
The Nikon D80 looks decent, but the jury is still out on its noise levels in low light
The Pentax K10D looks like the best mix of features and pricing but no image quality samples are available yet...
The Canon and Nikon offerings both have huge user bases...
Anybody have any insight regarding Pentax?
The Canon 400D is out....just doesn't fitmy hands....
The Canaon 30D is VERY nice...but pricey
The Nikon D80 looks decent, but the jury is still out on its noise levels in low light
The Pentax K10D looks like the best mix of features and pricing but no image quality samples are available yet...
The Canon and Nikon offerings both have huge user bases...
Anybody have any insight regarding Pentax?
10-04-2006, 08:15 PM
#26
Not me since I own both a Nikon D50 and Nikon D200.
10-04-2006, 08:57 PM
#27
If wifey stands her ground with the big bad budget a D50 or D70s could end up being viable options....however as with most electronics, I'm trying to get as high up the food chain as my budget will allow (keeping in mind that glass is expensive too...and I'd likely be trying to sneak in a 70-200 f2.8 zoom at some point for indoor TC racing)
10-05-2006, 09:06 AM
#28
I started out with the Nikon D50 and two Sigma lenses (70-300mm & 28-90mm). Then I picked up two Nikkor VR lenses, including the Nikkor 70-200mm F/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom. Afterwards, I picked up the Nikon D200 since it is faster than the D50-D80 series.
10-05-2006, 04:23 PM
#29
I'm still looking for feedback on the Pentax cameras/system as the K10D appears to have incredible features at a very reasonable pricepoint, and the Pentax glass is well respected....even the kit lenses are above average according to popphoto.com ...
The Nikon and Canon stuff is common enough that it's not as much of a concern to me..There are plenty of sources of info on them...
The Nikon and Canon stuff is common enough that it's not as much of a concern to me..There are plenty of sources of info on them...
10-05-2006, 04:35 PM
#30