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I got out and used my camera today...

pierces

By pierces,
in Photo & Camera Discussions

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pierces Great Review Rare

pierces

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It's nice to have a photogenic pet...helps when you don't have an opportunity to go anywhere exploring with your new camera!

 

That said, I'm slightly discouraged and intimidated by my new Canon t2i. I've worked with a DSLR before, took a class in college where everything we did was 100% manual...but I'm having trouble getting all the different settings to work with each other on this camera. I know that will come with practice and experience...but even using auto focus and the program mode, I'm hardly getting any decent photos, and even the decent ones aren't really sharp... The below picture is about the best I've gotten, taken using the program mode and my 50mm f/1.8 lens, which is supposed to be really sharp, is it not?

 

 

IMG_0234.jpg

 

 

Just a note. Take your autofocus off of Wide area (default) and try using the central AF point setting and one-shot (not servo mode) to focus specifically and then re-compose. Wide area relies on the camera to make the decision when there are a lot of possible focus points and in a situation where depth of field is somewhat or very shallow (50mm f/1.8!), the difference of less than an inch in the focus point can take your subject from tack sharp to soft.

 

Wide area and AI-servo are great for some situations where the subject is moving erratically (lightning fast children), but I find that putting myself in control of the focus point results in far more sharply-focused shots.

 

Dave

Edited by pierces
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taffy12

taffy12

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Just a note. Take your autofocus off of Wide area (default) and try using the central AF point setting and one-shot (not servo mode) to focus specifically and then re-compose. Wide area relies on the camera to make the decision when there are a lot of possible focus points and in a situation where depth of field is somewhat or very shallow (50mm f/1.8!), the difference of less than an inch in the focus point can take your subject from tack sharp to soft.

 

Wide area and AI-servo are great for some situations where the subject is moving erratically (lightning fast children), but I find that putting myself in control of the focus point results in far more sharply-focused shots.

 

Dave

 

Thanks for for the advice. I'll definitely try that out.

 

In the meantime, here's a few photos I took yesterday. The first is a friend's cat. It's a little blurry, not quite in focus...but I kind of like it anyway. After that is the amazing cake said friend made for a baby shower.

 

IMG_0268B.jpg

 

IMG_0289C.jpg

 

IMG_0313.jpg

 

IMG_0314.jpg

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taffy12

taffy12

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Still not sharp (despite using the manual autofocus point selection...though the low light and high ISO contribute, right?), but here's a few more. I'm not sure how I ended up with it, but I kind of like all the blurriness and such - contributes to the mood, I think.

 

IMG_0370.jpg

 

IMG_0357.jpg

 

IMG_0344.jpg

 

IMG_0332.jpg

 

IMG_0341.jpg

 

And are these too big, by the way? Should I try to post them smaller?

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pierces Great Review Rare

pierces

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Still not sharp (despite using the manual autofocus point selection...though the low light and high ISO contribute, right?), but here's a few more. I'm not sure how I ended up with it, but I kind of like all the blurriness and such - contributes to the mood, I think.

 

 

And are these too big, by the way? Should I try to post them smaller?

 

A couple of points jump out:

 

ISO3200... great for dramatic low-light shots in situations where you have no other option, like a wedding reception where light is iffy or a sporting event where a high shutter speed is needed to freeze action. Bad for still life where a tripod and long exposure will allow for manually setting ISO to 100 or 200 and minimum noise suppression. Noise suppression will blur sharpness as it tries to smooth out the image to hide the graininess caused by high ISO.

 

White balance...you had it set to manual and I would assume "Tungsten" for indoor lighting. If you are using CFL bulbs, you will have a hard time finding a preset or auto setting that will render the color correctly. Check the manual and use your custom white balance setting to correct for the color. This works by taking a shot of a sheet of white paper and using that as a reference to set the white point. With my Sony, I switch the WB to custom, press "set" and snap a shot of something white to set it. Some systems have you take the picture and then choose it from the WB menu to use as a reference. Check your manual for specifics.

 

p958320611-5.jpg

 

Focus point...don't just choose the center of the subject. Focus on where you want the maximum sharpness and recompose. (I often just focus manually for still life with critical focus and shallow depth of field). In you shot above, the stems supporting one cluster of blooms are sharply focused but the blossoms themselves are out of the focal plane. At 2 ft, a 50mm lens set at f/2.5 has a depth of field only about ½" deep. Try focusing on the leading cluster of blossoms specifically. That will render them sharp with the rest increasingly blurry. Another option is to stop down to f/5.6. There you will still have the background and most of the cluster out of focus but it will give you about 1¼" of sharpness to work with.

 

DOF.jpg

 

Background...lose the busy background. In the wild, a natural business composed of other flowers, trees or landscape can add to the impact. The angular structures of furniture and such can be distracting. (I realize these were test images ;))

 

Hope this helps.

 

Dave

Edited by pierces
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johneeo

johneeo

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Still not sharp (despite using the manual autofocus point selection...though the low light and high ISO contribute, right?), but here's a few more. I'm not sure how I ended up with it, but I kind of like all the blurriness and such - contributes to the mood, I think.

 

And are these too big, by the way? Should I try to post them smaller?

 

I have no problem with the size.

 

Here is a suggestion. Try using aperture mode selection, close down the aperture a couple of F stops, which should give you larger depth of field ... more will be in focus.

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Blueboss

Blueboss

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DSC_0479.jpg

 

This was at a Cub Scout event in Houston, MO. The fire department came by to show their support for this great group of boys. Took over 200 pictures, but most have children in them and I do not have parent permission to post them. DH and I have such fun supporting the pack!

Edited by Blueboss
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Sunshine times

Sunshine times

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I'm a daily shooter. I never leave home without a camera. But I haven't shot anything interesting lately. So all I have to submit is a simple picture of a geranium filled Terracotta pot sitting in my front landscape that I took this morning with my Olympus E-P1 using the Pin Hole filter.

 

4736340307_5e1b3e504d_b.jpg

 

Hi, I just bought the Olympus EP1. How do you like it? I did use it for christmas and I can tell I need some help! Any suggestions?

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kayhold

kayhold

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I was waiting at a coffee shop today and snapped a couple of photos....'cause I do that a lot. I thought to myself, "what a great idea for a thread!"

 

I figure that we all have hundreds, if not thousands of dollars worth of equipment and too many of us only haul it out on special occasions or for trips.

 

Bad photographers! Bad! Bad!

 

Get your cameras out, find a nice composition, snap the photo and post it!

 

Let's have some fun!

 

Gallery Row Coffee House - Carrollton, GA

p94944284-4.jpg

 

Happy shooting!

 

Dave

 

I have nothing to add, but we're almost neighbors :D I live in Cobb.

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kayhold

kayhold

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I'm jealous of all the awesome pictures here!

I recently sold my DSLR and bought a Canon SX20 (using CHDK for raw) and a Panasonic Lumix ZS8.

 

I was so sick of carrying around a huge camera and so much gear that I ... wasn't.

 

When I realized I hadn't taken a picture in months, I decided there was a problem.

 

I do miss it sometimes, like now when I want to run outside and use it.

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