posted
I managed to get my hands on a camera lens with a wider aperture (in camera lingo, a lens with a wide aperture is fast glass) and took some test shots with it last night at my fencing club. I wanted to get input on comparison--whether you have technical knowledge of photography or not, knowledge of fencing or not.
There's two albums (both are small, less than 20 pics).
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Though I have to account for the compressed image here, I'm pretty sure I see a noticeable difference in the grain of the images, particularly the color ones. The faster one seems much finer grained. Did you notice any changes in how the camera metered light for the exposure? In other words, did you notice the camera choosing a faster shutter speed for a given aperture when it was set to automatic?
Cause ya should have. Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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A wide aperture is a useful tool in two situations: 1. Low light and capturing the action is more important then having everything in sharp focus. 2. Creative use of DOF, getting a narrow zone of focus.
What is the widest aperature on your new lens?
You may want to try playing with the DOF with your fencing shots. The background in the fencing shots is not all that attractive...so try taking some photos with your aperature wide open...creating a very narrow DOF. Try to get just the fencers in focus and blurring out the background.
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Yeah. The thing here is the crappy lighting, the blazing fast action (the only thing in the olympics that's faster than a fencer's weapon is a bullet from a sharpshooter's gun), and the no flash allowed rule.
The first set was ISO 800, 1/250, aperture wide open (f 5.6).
The second set was ISO 400, 1/250, aperture wide open again (f 2.8).
I'm going to play again tonight, perhaps bumping up the ISO again. That's what's causing the grain issues--the high ISO. I think I need to tweak the white balance, too. On the color photos, the color balance is way off on some pictures and fine on others. I could drop the shutter speed, but I'm really disinclined to do so because I want to freeze the action, not blur it, so we can grab the curves of the blades when a touch is scored.
I know I've got the eye for it--the stuff I can capture is just as good as www.fencingphotos.com --but I've got to figure out my gear and tune it up for it, since I can't buy camera bodies and lenses as expensive as that guy.
www.flickershutter.com also takes fencing photos, but his is a computerized trigger through the scoring machine--so the machine takes the picture when the touch is scored--instead of him manning the camera and shooting the action on his own. He also uses flash, a huge no-no in my area. I think my head coach would take my head if I used flash.
Another thing I might do at some point is pick up a 50mm normal lens with an aperture of f1.8 and see how that works out. Bet you it will.
Stupid grain! *shakes fist*
Since I'm still recovering from my sinus infection, I won't be competing in the divsion national qualifiers this weekend at my club. I get to take pictures instead, which is fine. But dammit, I want GOOD ones.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Jamie, the black and white photos in the new set look a little flat and dark, which is weird, because they're one stop more exposed. I would say bring them into photoshop and play with the levels a bit.
Other than that, it seems the new lens is certainly an improvement. Far less noisy.
Posts: 1357 | Registered: Mar 2002
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A 50 mm prime with a f1.8 aperature would be a great choice - it is the closest to capturing what the human eye sees. What kind of camera body are you using?
Posts: 512 | Registered: Jun 2002
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Canon Digital Rebel (300D not the 350). One day, I will have a more "professional" model.
Narr, yeah, I noticed that too. There should be more pop to them. That's an easy levels tweak though.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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quote:He also uses flash, a huge no-no in my area. I think my head coach would take my head if I used flash
Couldn't you shoot some with flash after 'official' practice? It would be an interesting to compare some shots with / without flash.
Posts: 512 | Registered: Jun 2002
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Yeah, I could do that. But it won't help me for actual tourneys. I'll add that to my list of test shots tonight. Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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