Request a Tutorial

[Stemmy]

If you are struggling getting to grips with something request a tutorial here and hopefully somebody will help you out.

[Phil The Flyer]

Hi all,
I have a canon 20D and a new sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX Dg Macro HSM lens.
I take aerial shots and when I want to take shots quickly it keeps zooming in and out and I struggle to get it to take the shots. I have it set on 400 iso, TV at 1/1000, one shot and autofocus. Any ideas? Phil

[Chris Hawkins]

Use manual focus.

[Phil The Flyer]

Not able to, Im flying around at about 65 knots shooting from the open window. has to be auto. I have never had a problem with my 1V or 1N. Im puzzled. Phil

[Chris Hawkins]

Not able to, Im flying around at about 65 knots shooting from the open window. has to be auto. I have never had a problem with my 1V or 1N. Im puzzled. Phil

You're flying! If that's the case manual focus should be perfect - do you understand hyperfocal distances? Example: If you shoot at 70mm @f8. set manual focus to 30m. Everything from 20m to infinity will be in perfect focus.

Get back to me if you don't follow.

Cheers

Chris

[ALDP]

Ok - I request a hyperfocal tutorial please!

[Phil The Flyer]

Having downloaded the shot I did get it to handle they are very dark and it was a great sunny day. Tried it on my 1v and 1n and guess what?????? no problem! Its the camera then, looks like it thinks its dark when its best daylight weve had in ages! Sending it to Colchester Repair shop. thanks for your help though :ok: phil

You're flying! If that's the case manual focus should be perfect - do you understand hyperfocal distances? Example: If you shoot at 70mm @f8. set manual focus to 30m. Everything from 20m to infinity will be in perfect focus.

Get back to me if you don't follow.

Cheers

Chris

[eightshot]

Ok - I request a hyperfocal tutorial please!

seconded:D

[ozonepirate]

i have a sigma 70-200 f2.8 and yes the focus does hunt around a lot it it cant find anything with enough contrast to focus on. I only use it on manual unless i'm doing a portrait!

[Newvalehouse]

I downloaded the trial "Photomatix Pro" program to see what HDR was all about.
I played with it but dont fully understand what Exposer Blending and Tone Mapping do and what all the various sliders are for.
I only understand simple things.
Cheers,
Jim.

[Chris Hawkins]

When you focus your camera at the hyperfocal distance, everything from half the hyperfocal distance to infinity will be in focus :-)

See here for some free h/f tables. (http://www.dofmaster.com/charts.html)
When doing landscape photography I rarely use af - rather set the appropriate h/f distance.

[ALDP]

I downloaded the trial "Photomatix Pro" program to see what HDR was all about.
I played with it but dont fully understand what Exposer Blending and Tone Mapping do and what all the various sliders are for.
I only understand simple things.
Cheers,
Jim.

Hi Jim,

It's not totally intuitive - I'd agree.

Here's how I use it:

1 - make an HDR base from which to work
You have two choices here - either create it from a single RAW file, which Photomatrix will use to create different exposure values from. Or use a number of the same images which have just been exposed differently. These get pretty big though - 40-50Mb+. So you want to keep too many of these around potentially.

2 - once you have a base HDR base file, you can then use tone mapping to control the separation between light & dark tones, white & black points, the strength of the effect, the amount of smoothing etc This is done in preview & then when you have the effect the way you want it, hit 'process'. This then renders the full size file & can then be saved as a standard Tiff or JPG image.

Purists will tell you these are not proper HDR images - because we don't have monitors or output devices which are capable of rendering them. For me that doesn't matter - the fact is you can create something very dramatic & striking. Not to everyone's taste - but hey.

Hope that helps.

[Newvalehouse]

Hi Jim,

It's not totally intuitive - I'd agree.

Here's how I use it:

1 - make an HDR base from which to work
You have two choices here - either create it from a single RAW file, which Photomatrix will use to create different exposure values from. Or use a number of the same images which have just been exposed differently. These get pretty big though - 40-50Mb+. So you want to keep too many of these around potentially.

2 - once you have a base HDR base file, you can then use tone mapping to control the separation between light & dark tones, white & black points, the strength of the effect, the amount of smoothing etc This is done in preview & then when you have the effect the way you want it, hit 'process'. This then renders the full size file & can then be saved as a standard Tiff or JPG image.

Purists will tell you these are not proper HDR images - because we don't have monitors or output devices which are capable of rendering them. For me that doesn't matter - the fact is you can create something very dramatic & striking. Not to everyone's taste - but hey.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for that. My camera doe's not support Raw so I'm stuck with just jpegs.
I tried it with these and came up with some wierd results.
I don't intend to be doing much with it and I was merely interested in how it all worked.
I'll be having another go later so thanks again for your help.
Cheers,
Jim.

[koocha]

I'd like to see a tutorial about taking full 360 degree panoramic pictures

[karl-tkd]

I'd like to see a tutorial about taking full 360 degree panoramic pictures

Tonymid might be able to help with this one....??

[Mini 360]

I'd like to see a tutorial about taking full 360 degree panoramic pictures

I second this request! :ok:

[tenchy]

Coincidentally, I was out tuesday night with the new toy (450D) attempting a 360 pano shoot, so a tutorial for that would be perfecto!

A HDF one too would be good, as I had a poor effort on that too with PS.

And lastly, I've been trying to emulate Andy's fantastic pic of the week work.
I've got the foreground pretty good with a levels adjustment layer, and got the sky back as original, but not got further.

[richymfc]

Hi im relatively new to slr work, and so far ive experimented with manual mode and av mode with pretty mixed results. I tried using it several times at night with brilliant effects, the camera doing everything i want it to, taking photos of motorways with long exposure etc and works a treat, but when i try the same settings during the day with different iso settings the exposure is either much much shorter usually 1/8 a second or if i manage to get the exposure over 5 seconds then the image is just white, can anybody tell me what im doing wrong? id like to get an image of a sunset or skyline in a rural are where the clouds become a slight blur from the exposure but it just isnt happening. any help?

thanks :)

[Chris Hawkins]

Using max f-stop (smallest apperture) and lowest ISO you are still only going to be able to achieve a limited exposure time during the day. Your best option is to fit a Neutral Density filter - I use a 6-stop one.

[midian68]

I have to say im not as adventurous as tenchy, but i have a serious addiction to all things woodlandy stormy, misty and ominous.. i love the dark arts so i tend to risk shooting handheld alot and usually stick between f11 and f 29 so light and time of day is crucial...it can be done without breaking into multiple seconds and with a camera that works ok in higher ISO and low noise... I just hate the thought of using a tripod unless its the crack of dawn or lightning!!:stir:

[midian68]

if your taking pictures of a moving subject and you have an idea of its route then predictive focusing is the law...I.E pick a spot where a bird may fly out of its nest at a regular path and PREFOCUS.... or just get that wrist working again, pull tha focusing collar back on the old sigma, ditch the AF and bobs ya aunt fanny:stir::crazy: