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Digital SLR / DSLR Camera Question / DSLR Thread 2

Joebar4000 said:
I've been trying that technique, to no avail, even with the shiny new black-backed softboxes, real close to the subject, turned way down, and the backdrop about 15ft away... :(
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That's your problem, Ian. You have the lights turned way down. If you want the background to go black, you have to crank up the ratio between the lighted foreground and the unlit background.

1. So, set your exposure to the max sync. (I believe that it's 1/200th of a second for your camera)
2. Try it with your normal light settings.
3. Then try increasing the power on your lights and adjust the f stop as necessary.
4. Don't be afraid to go to f22 if you have to.

The idea is that the more you light your subject, the darker the background will get when you set up the camera for the proper exposure for your subject. This is assuming that you are able to control the light spill to your background.
 
exactly, gotta bump up your power. set your camera to lowest iso, fastest shutter, and tiniest aperture, then figure out correct power to get correct exposure. if you have grids for your lights that would help with light spill
 
so who wants to do a studio workshop? we can split the fee and enjoy learning about lighting...
 
Joebar4000 said:
Hmm, I know where there's a 1.4 for $250, looks in good nic. Now to justify buying it...

Nick, didn't you say you took with with no black backdrop?

I've been trying that technique, to no avail, even with the shiny new black-backed softboxes, real close to the subject, turned way down, and the backdrop about 15ft away... :(

Still need to add a full-size black backdrop to my tools. eBay here I come...
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if you wanna learn more about lighting let me know...lets split the cost of the class and enjoy learning!..
 
cycle61 said:
I hate to be brand preferential, but it does seem that low-light focus is a weakness for the latest round of Canons, and a strength for the Nikons. I've heard the same complaint from a lot of people. That said, the borrowed D40 I'm running right now kinda sucks at focusing in the dark too. :laughing
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whats a fast focusing camera under dim light with no assist beam?..
 
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Joebar4000 said:
Hmm, I know where there's a 1.4 for $250, looks in good nic. Now to justify buying it...

Nick, didn't you say you took with with no black backdrop?

I've been trying that technique, to no avail, even with the shiny new black-backed softboxes, real close to the subject, turned way down, and the backdrop about 15ft away... :(

Still need to add a full-size black backdrop to my tools. eBay here I come...
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you can shoot with the backdrop 3-5ft away from the subject and get black background...even at a 1/30th you can get the background to be black...
 
zypher said:
Thats with the assist beam on...
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Negative. Never used the assist beam.

With the 24-70/2.8, it was spooky how fast and accurate the focus on that camera was. There are definitely some advantages to the high-dollar bodies, and the focus system is a major one IMO.
 
cycle61 said:
With the 24-70/2.8, it was spooky how fast and accurate the focus on that camera was.
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Your comment got me thinking about a subject that I don't fully understand.

How can you tell if your auto-focus system is accurate? Is there a way to calibrate it?

I envision lots of megapixels or expensive glass being lost on bad focusing. If I try and focus manually, I can't really tell by looking at the viewfinder if I'm 100%, in razor sharp focus, so I just leave it up to the auto-focus system.

Thoughts?
 
zypher said:
so who wants to do a studio workshop? we can split the fee and enjoy learning about lighting...
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Charity shoot... mebbe do a workshop later...

Still learning a lot, will wait till I hit a wall with learning before I do a workshop methinks. At the moment, still to much to take on board...
 
VeloceMoto said:
Your comment got me thinking about a subject that I don't fully understand.

How can you tell if your auto-focus system is accurate? Is there a way to calibrate it?

I envision lots of megapixels or expensive glass being lost on bad focusing. If I try and focus manually, I can't really tell by looking at the viewfinder if I'm 100%, in razor sharp focus, so I just leave it up to the auto-focus system.

Thoughts?
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Really? Two days later and nothing? Really? :p
 
VeloceMoto said:
Really? Two days later and nothing? Really? :p
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Yep.

Set up a tripod, tape a fresh dollar bill to the wall maybe ten feet away, set the camera on single-servo autofocus, and take a few shots. Carefully. In daylight. With good technique so you don't move the camera. Then let it autofocus, and tweak it very slightly closer, and shoot again. Then try it further.

Review the pictures at 100%, and see which are sharpest.

Dollar bills make excellent targets because they have nearly infinite detail (down to the red and blue threads if your lens is good enough ;)) and have good contrast for the AF system to latch on to.
 
cycle61 said:
Yep.

Set up a tripod, tape a fresh dollar bill to the wall maybe ten feet away, set the camera on single-servo autofocus, and take a few shots. Carefully. In daylight. With good technique so you don't move the camera. Then let it autofocus, and tweak it very slightly closer, and shoot again. Then try it further.

Review the pictures at 100%, and see which are sharpest.

Dollar bills make excellent targets because they have nearly infinite detail (down to the red and blue threads if your lens is good enough ;)) and have good contrast for the AF system to latch on to.
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Cycle61, always coming through on every one of my tedious noob questions! :thumbup

- Does aperture matter? (I am guessing using a larger(est) aperture would be best, that way I wouldn't have to move so far forward/away from the original point, once I locked the focus in.)

- Focal length?

- What's single servo?

I'm going to try this out tomorrow! Or maybe I shouldn't. Ignorance is bliss, eh.
 
A wider aperture will make it more critical that you (or your camera) absolutely nails the focus, but could also cost you some detail due to most lenses not being at their sharpest wide open.

I would use a longer focal length, as it will allow you to set up 10-15 feet from your target and still get good detail of the hairs in George Washington's nose. Depends on what lens you have, I would go for 70-100+mm and set the aperture one stop down from wide open. If you have an f/5.6 lens that's gonna be f/8 or so. I'd try both, and see what gives you more definitive results.

Single-servo = "S" mode on your focus switch. As opposed to "C" for continuous. It's when the lens focuses, then stops, as opposed to continually adjusting focus until you press the shutter.

What lenses do you have now?
 
cycle61 said:
A wider aperture will make it more critical that you (or your camera) absolutely nails the focus, but could also cost you some detail due to most lenses not being at their sharpest wide open.

I would use a longer focal length, as it will allow you to set up 10-15 feet from your target and still get good detail of the hairs in George Washington's nose. Depends on what lens you have, I would go for 70-100+mm and set the aperture one stop down from wide open. If you have an f/5.6 lens that's gonna be f/8 or so. I'd try both, and see what gives you more definitive results.

Single-servo = "S" mode on your focus switch. As opposed to "C" for continuous. It's when the lens focuses, then stops, as opposed to continually adjusting focus until you press the shutter.

What lenses do you have now?
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Yeah, well these days I'm slumming it with an f2 200mm. :p

I just have two lenses... the D70 kit lens (18-70mm 3.5-4.5) and a 50mm 1.8.

So what do I do, just auto-focus the shot, snap one, then lock in the focus? (I usually snap the switch from AF to M on both the lens and body), and then just take a bunch of other pictures in front of, and behind, that point? This is super simple, but I just want to make sure I'm doing it correctly.
 
Only need to move one of those switches to M to put it in manual. I prefer the one on the camera body, myself, because then you don't have to worry about touching the focus or zoom ring.

I'd go with the 18-70 at 70mm, given those choices. :thumbup

And you're only going to have to adjust focus a *tiny* bit, your AF is already going to be really close, or you'd notice it in your pictures.

FWIW, the only AF problem I've ever had was with my Sig 150, which tends to near-focus a bit at long range. Anywhere under 30 feet and it's fine, but at 100 feet away it aims for about 95. Sucks for shooting weddings from the back of a big church, when you focus on the bride and the flower girl is tack sharp instead. :facepalm
 
VeloceMoto said:
Yeah, well these days I'm slumming it with an f2 200mm. :p

I just have two lenses... the D70 kit lens (18-70mm 3.5-4.5) and a 50mm 1.8.

So what do I do, just auto-focus the shot, snap one, then lock in the focus? (I usually snap the switch from AF to M on both the lens and body), and then just take a bunch of other pictures in front of, and behind, that point? This is super simple, but I just want to make sure I'm doing it correctly.
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here is a great way to do it... http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/cat--Nikon-DSLRs--cat_nikon.html
 
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