RabbieBurns Posted March 22, 2013 Author Posted March 22, 2013 Lightning is something I would like to learn how to photograph as well. We get some pretty spectacular lightning storms here.
pcstru Posted March 22, 2013 Posted March 22, 2013 Lightning is something I would like to learn how to photograph as well. We get some pretty spectacular lightning storms here. It can be pretty easy in the same way that winning at games of chance is. Stop down ISO and aperture to get the longest possible exposure which gives proper exposure for the scene and then keep shooting until you win! If you find your stopped down exposure is a too short, you can underexpose individual frames and then stack them (using an additive algorithm in your favourite image processing program) together to get a proper exposure and use one frame where you have also captured lightning (The lightning will generally be exposed OK even if everything else in the frame is nearly black). Obviously you need to use a rock solid tripod and not have any movement on the camera at all. 1
SYNACK Posted March 22, 2013 Posted March 22, 2013 [ATTACH=CONFIG]17624[/ATTACH] Lightning is something I would like to learn how to photograph as well. We get some pretty spectacular lightning storms here. For timeing you can probably cheat a little, just rewire one of those remote flashes that detects the main flash to fire so that it triggers a shot, the hardware is really quick, as long as the lighting is close enough to trigger it you should end up with some decent shots. 1
RabbieBurns Posted March 22, 2013 Author Posted March 22, 2013 Guess I will need to learn adobe photoshop as well as how to use this camera. Think I might sign up for a course
mattx Posted March 22, 2013 Posted March 22, 2013 Guess I will need to learn adobe photoshop as well as how to use this camera. Think I might sign up for a course Have PMed you. 1
JJonas Posted March 22, 2013 Posted March 22, 2013 Have you looked at Paint.net? @mattx im interested in learning Photoshop as well can I have a PM?
dhicks Posted March 22, 2013 Posted March 22, 2013 Have you looked at Paint.net? Paint.NET is good, but a little basic - GIMP is rather more fully-featured, and actually very easy to use these days. I used it a few years ago and found it a bit clunky (in the end I wound up buying Adobe Photoshop Elements for home use), but I've just started using the latest version again for some photo retouching for end-of-term stuff and it's working really well. For camera equipment, I find a monopod in addition to a tripod comes in really handy, as well as a shutter release cable. You can put the camera on the monopod, attach the remote release cable, and raise the camera well above head-height if you're standing behind a crowd of people. A standard grey reference card is handy, too, for colour balancing purposes. 1
woodham Posted March 22, 2013 Posted March 22, 2013 i loved my 40D now got the 50D i take it you have already found the canon forums? http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ 1
RabbieBurns Posted March 23, 2013 Author Posted March 23, 2013 To be fair, with the helicopter ride, stick it in auto and let it do the work. You just focus on composition of the shots. You will enjoy the flight a lot more and getting composition right is more important early on than learning about f stops and dof. Shooting through the perspex window was a bit of a challenge as well!
RabbieBurns Posted March 24, 2013 Author Posted March 24, 2013 would this be worth doing? The Best Daily Deals in Sydney - Citywide - Proud Memories Photography - One-Day DSLR Photography Course with Photo Shoot
RabbieBurns Posted March 24, 2013 Author Posted March 24, 2013 If you haven’t got the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 mkii Lens already, get it! You won’t be disappointment. Fantastic lens for the money. About £99 new, or £50-60 second hand. Just had a look at the camera to see how a lense would fit on, and it seems the 50mm lens is already attached. I just thought it was part of the camera
RabbieBurns Posted March 24, 2013 Author Posted March 24, 2013 IS this a better camera than the EOS 40D ? Canon 18MP Camera
sted Posted March 24, 2013 Posted March 24, 2013 IS this a better camera than the EOS 40D ? Canon 18MP Camera not enough to upgrade from imo id go for a 650 does hd video 1
MYK-IT Posted March 24, 2013 Posted March 24, 2013 IS this a better camera than the EOS 40D ? Canon 18MP Camera Its not always about megapixels. The EOS40 (and 50D) are great cameras and would recommend so much. The 5xx and 6xx series are not a match on build quality of the EOS50D with its magnesium body; not this plastic stuff. OK the newer ones have higher megapixel which helps with cropping photos afterwards, and HD video capability. Then as you upgrade you have to take into account the crop frame factors across the models (1.6x, 1.3x and 1x Full Frame) as they may affect what lens you can use effectively. But just take it one step at a time. I'm only 7 months into my first DSLR, EOS 50D with 24-105mm F4 L IS Lens and I've only reached amateur status!! If, and when you are ready to upgrade, personally I would go with a EOS 7D (body only) unless you have some serious amount of cash under your pillow for a 5 series. And don't be afraid to buy second hand, as long as your do your research beforehand and source from reputable sources. This is when you support your local camera shop, they may not be the cheapest but their knowledge and support is priceless. I know my local camera shop really look after you, not like other electrical high street stores where they are only interested in flogging their product of the week, or their insurance coverplan. As with most hobbies, prepare for your wallet to be well used!! 1
localzuk Posted March 24, 2013 Posted March 24, 2013 (edited) If, and when you are ready to upgrade, personally I would go with a EOS 7D (body only) unless you have some serious amount of cash under your pillow for a 5 series. And don't be afraid to buy second hand, as long as your do your research beforehand and source from reputable sources. This is when you support your local camera shop, they may not be the cheapest but their knowledge and support is priceless. I know my local camera shop really look after you, not like other electrical high street stores where they are only interested in flogging their product of the week, or their insurance coverplan. Just a couple of points. Rather than a jump from 7D to 5 Series, there is the 6D. It is a full frame camera, and is still sold as a current model by Canon. It is priced nicely in the middle between the 7D and the 5D Mk III. However, a super high quality body is almost entirely pointless unless you have decent lenses. Even on a cheap 650D or similar you can get amazing shots so long as you have decent glass to take them through. I've got a 500D which I managed to pick up for £150 last year at one of those cash converter type places, I have it coupled with an 'ok' lens and it has served me well. I really want to save up for one of these to go with it though - http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_100_2p8_is_usm_c16 Edited March 24, 2013 by localzuk 1
MYK-IT Posted March 24, 2013 Posted March 24, 2013 Yes, good point about the Lens. Some people can't cope with the concept that the camera body is the cheapest item to purchase!!! The L series are fantastic, but you can still have all the gear, and have no idea! I know that, but you only improve by just experimenting and learning. Luckily you don't have to send negatives off the Max Speilman anymore, and wait for the photographs to get posted back before you find out if it was a bad shot or not. 1
pantscat Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 (edited) As others have said, I wouldn't bother upgrading a 40d - it's a great camera, and the best time to upgrade is when you find that the camera body is what's stopping you from getting the shots you want. It'll probably take a while to get to that stage too... and it really does depend on what sort of photography you do as to what you should upgrade to. For example, if you like sports/wildlife photography than the 7d is a great upgrade, the crop sensor means that it gives you a bit more range over a full-frame body (that 1.6x factor!) and it's got great Auto-Focus and a very high burst rate (how many shots it can take in one "burst"). If you're more keen on low-light or portrait photography, for example, then you'd probably be better off going full-frame with a 5d of some sort... the bigger sensor lets more light in, so, generally speaking, you'll get better low-light performance which is useful or just generally because more light = faster shutter speeds = lower ISO = better images. I'm speaking very generally here and obviously there are exceptions... Oh, yes... I forgot to say... good glass is very very important. You wouldn't want a Bugatti Veyron running on ling-long ditchfinders, would you? Edited March 25, 2013 by pantscat 1
RabbieBurns Posted March 25, 2013 Author Posted March 25, 2013 Ive ordered the collins textbook previously mentioned in this thread so will work through that and hopefully take some better shots soon
pcstru Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 Shooting through the perspex window was a bit of a challenge as well! A polarising filter is a good piece of kit to have in your bag. It will help cut down or even eliminate reflections from glass or water. They're also good for landscapes helping to saturate colour and cut through haze. I can only echo comments on quality glass and number of pixels. My old D60 (not to be confused with the 60D [*1]) was a mere 6.3 MP but still takes stunning pictures quite capable of being blown up to A1 without fuss. I doubt anyone can tell them apart from prints shot on my 5D MkII. [*1] But it *is* confusing - thanks very much Canon. 1
LosOjos Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 BTW, if you do decide to sign up for flickr (despite it's age, I still think it's the best photo sharing site...), then feel free to add me as a contact (Flickr: Josh_Wolf's Photostream) and I'll happily help you out with specific advise on your own shots or pointers on how I got my own shots if you see anything you'd like to try in my stream 1
peterp Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 For long exposure photography, get yourself a set of Neutral Density (ND) filters. Water looks lovely and smooth with the longer exposures these provide. A graduated square ND filter can help you not blowing the sky out on bright days (or under-exposing the ground) For night time photography I tend to set my ISO to 100 to keep the noise down and make the exposures longer. Shooting in RAW is a must, you can rescue shots that are quite heavily under or over exposed that way. Getting a remote release is good too. Canon do their own programmable one for about 50 quid, but you can get a 3rd party clone a LOT cheap. 1
localzuk Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 One thing to note is that with every post, your bank account will become more and more empty. 1
RabbieBurns Posted March 25, 2013 Author Posted March 25, 2013 One thing to note is that with every post, your bank account will become more and more empty. heh yeh i do seem to choose bloody expensive hobbys. Still havent finished paying off all my SCUBA gear yet Which kind of is what has wanted me to get into photography as I would like to eventually get into underwater photography. If anyone can post links to actual filters and releases would be good please as I dont have a clue what im looking for, hanks.
MYK-IT Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 Ditto, I do Scuba Diving too (BSAC), but own and have paid for all my equipment besides the cost of (bi)annual servicing, tests, or shiny new items that get released all the time! Mountain Biking, Road Cycling, Mountain walking and camping....I think it is a path that many of us find ourselves on and following! @JAB1a's Quadcopter could well be the new (expensive) hobby! 1
LosOjos Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 (edited) If anyone can post links to actual filters and releases would be good please as I dont have a clue what im looking for, hanks. Which lens(es) do you have? The filter thread differs between lenses, so you need to buy filters to fit. Alternatively, you can buy in to the Cokin system, whereby you have a filter holder to fit each lens you own and a big, square glass filter that slots in to it. Another option is buy the biggest filter you can (77mm are quite common) and use step down rings to make it fit whichever lenses you have. (step down rings do exactly as they sound - one side fits your lens, the other fits your filter. You can also get step up rings which work in reverse, but you'll get bad vignetting if you use a filter smaller than your lens) EDIT: as for remote triggers, they range from the very expensive to the very cheap, personally I use a cheap one like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kaavie-Remote-Switch-Cable-Canon/dp/B002HQ7V02/ref=sr_1_22?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1364212027&sr=1-22 It works perfectly, but won't allow you to do fancy things like set up timers or do time lapse as some expensive ones do, it's purely a "push button to shoot" affair (though you can put it on "hold", which does exactly as it sounds and holds the shutter down). Edited March 25, 2013 by LosOjos 1
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