Will a more expensive lens on my Canon 20D improve this pic?
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From: Charles Packer on 17 Jan 2010 08:31 On Jan 17, 4:19 am, Robert Spanjaard <spamt...(a)arumes.com> wrote: > On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 05:04:40 -0800, Charles Packer wrote: > > For the three scenes I'm shooting with a tripod at a fixed location > [...] > > I can use all the speed I can get for the low light conditions I'm > > shooting in. > > Why do you need all the speed you can get, if you're using a tripod? I shoot before dawn on clear days (to be free of shadow), a little later on cloudy days. My shutter speed is typically around 1/15 second, but on many days I need to go down as to 1/8 or 1/6. On cloudy days when I can shoot at 9 AM I can use 1/30. At these speeds I have to accept any blur caused by wind moving the tree branches, but a plus of shooting early in the morning is that the air is usually still. I'm using an ISO setting of 400. I would worry about noise with ISO any higher. This is not normal photography! I intentionally "blow" the sky because I'm going to crop it out anyway. The trees are way dimmer than the sky and I try to get the tree part of the histogram as high on the x-axis as possible. My scenes fall within the zoom range of 25-50mm, so I need a lens that includes that range. An e-mail response said I should just buy a Canon Tli because its kit lens is much improved. Dunno if I want to deal with 15 megapixels instead of the 8+ I have now, though... -- Charles Packer http://cpacker.org/whatnews mailboxATcpacker.org
From: Bruce on 17 Jan 2010 08:56 On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:31:12 -0800 (PST), Charles Packer <mailbox(a)cpacker.org> wrote: >I shoot before dawn on clear days (to be free of shadow), a >little later on cloudy days. My shutter speed is typically >around 1/15 second, but on many days I need to go down as >to 1/8 or 1/6. On cloudy days when I can shoot at 9 AM I >can use 1/30. At these speeds I have to accept any blur >caused by wind moving the tree branches, but a plus of >shooting early in the morning is that the air is usually still. >I'm using an ISO setting of 400. I would worry about >noise with ISO any higher. This is not normal photography! >I intentionally "blow" the sky because I'm going to crop >it out anyway. The trees are way dimmer than the sky and >I try to get the tree part of the histogram as high on the >x-axis as possible. > >My scenes fall within the zoom range of 25-50mm, so I >need a lens that includes that range. An e-mail response >said I should just buy a Canon Tli because its kit lens >is much improved. Dunno if I want to deal with 15 >megapixels instead of the 8+ I have now, though... I have entered this discussion late so please forgive me if someone has already made the same suggestion. Why not buy a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8? It is one of the sharpest lenses that Canon has ever made, certainly a lot sharper than any zoom. The difference in sharpness from an 18-55mm kit lens could well take your breath away. Inexpensive zoom lenses have their virtues, but ultimate sharpness comes from using expensive pro zooms, or inexpensive fixed focal length lenses. It's your money, and your choice.
From: Robert Spanjaard on 17 Jan 2010 09:03 On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:56:54 +0000, Bruce wrote: >>My scenes fall within the zoom range of 25-50mm, so I need a lens that >>includes that range. An e-mail response said I should just buy a Canon >>Tli because its kit lens is much improved. Dunno if I want to deal with >>15 megapixels instead of the 8+ I have now, though... > > I have entered this discussion late so please forgive me if someone has > already made the same suggestion. > > Why not buy a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8? >>My scenes fall within the zoom range of 25-50mm, so I need a lens that >>includes that range. -- Regards, Robert http://www.arumes.com
From: John McWilliams on 17 Jan 2010 11:21 On 1/17/10 PDT 6:03 AM, Robert Spanjaard wrote: > On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:56:54 +0000, Bruce wrote: > >>> My scenes fall within the zoom range of 25-50mm, so I need a lens that >>> includes that range. An e-mail response said I should just buy a Canon >>> Tli because its kit lens is much improved. Dunno if I want to deal with >>> 15 megapixels instead of the 8+ I have now, though... >> >> I have entered this discussion late so please forgive me if someone has >> already made the same suggestion. If you set your newsreader to View->Threaded, you'd be able to see all the posts pertaining to this. >> Why not buy a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8? > >>> My scenes fall within the zoom range of 25-50mm, so I need a lens that >>> includes that range. Yes, but I asked how/why the multiple focal lengths, my brain wrapping only that several series are being shot, not that multiple images- of differing focal lengths!- are being stitched together. BTW, Bruce, that was a brilliant suggestion! -- john mcwilliams
From: OG on 17 Jan 2010 13:23
"Charles Packer" <mailbox(a)cpacker.org> wrote in message news:4310de5d-b0c9-4548-8b0f-a7d873d660da(a)k17g2000yqh.googlegroups.com... > On Jan 15, 12:15 pm, John McWilliams <jp...(a)comcast.net> wrote: >> Using a zoom for the type of project outlined introduces too many >> variables. Yes, they could all conceivably be controlled, but why spend >> more money when a good fixed focal length lens will give superior >> results?? > > A zoom is the only practical solution for my project. > For the three scenes I'm shooting with a tripod at > a fixed location (sometimes in the rain!), I need to > go from wide angle to close in with a minimum of fuss, > adjusting to put my left and right marker posts close > to the edges of the frame for each shot. > Since the CA is most apparent on the marker posts, why not crop them out of the final images? |