PhotoWalkPro

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Yesterday’s list of lenses was enough to make even the strongest bank account cry.  Quality lenses, new out of the box, can set you back more than you just paid for your camera.  So here are a couple of things to consider.

When buying a lens, think of it as a long term investment.  I have been shooting Nikon for the better part of two decades and the lenses I used 20 years ago still work on the newest of Nikon bodies.  That’s actually true of Nikon lenses that are 30 and 40 years old (there is some loss of functionality but they will still work).  Even Canon has stayed with their lens mount ever since they made the jump to the EOS system back in 1989, almost twenty years ago.  So you can see that when you buy a lens, it will probably outlast your camera body by many years, especially since new camera bodies come out almost every 18 months.  The one thing to consider along with the mount is the commitment you will make to the brand of camera you buy.  If you have invested in 4 or 5 lenses, you probably aren’t going to make the jump from, say, Canon to Pentax because you would have to start buying lenses all over again.

But here is something else to consider, nothing says that you have to buy a new lens.  There are those out there that do want to jump ship or move up to a new lens and the easiest way to do that is to sell their old gear.  When Nikon came out with the D3, there were quite a few heavy Canon shooters that actually dumped their gear so they could make the move to the high ISO benefits of the D3.  They didn’t just stick that old gear in the closet, they sold it.  So why not take advantage of their change of heart by adding to your lens collection.  Here is an example of a good bargain I found on eBay as compared to the brand new counterpart.

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR    New – $1789, Used on eBay – $1395

If you can live without the VR, you can pick up the slightly older 80-200mm f/2.8 for around $500 on eBay.  Not a bad way to go, especially if you plan on shooting with a tripod where the VR wouldn’t even come into play.

If buying items on eBay makes you a little nervous, you might consider going the consignment route.  Wildlife photographer, Laurie Excell, runs a consignment business called EquipmentLady.com.  Laurie helps photographers sell their gear through her site and is a much safer bet than an unknown entity on eBay (she does sell through an eBay store but you know who you are dealing with up front).  Check this out, right now on her site, she is listing a Canon 5D that is currently going for $1600 and if you are a Nikon shooter that has always dreamed of owning that really long 600mm lens, then today is your lucky day.  Right now there is a 600mm f/5.6 lens for sale in her store for the incredibly low price of $811.  Ok, these are auctions but considering you can’t even buy this lens new anymore so you would have to settle for the $9000 600mm f/4, anything under $4000 is a real bargain.  There are also local camera stores that sell equipment on consignment so make sure you check around for a local option.

Finally, if you really have your heart set on peeling away the plastic on a brand new lens, consider going with one of the third-part lens manufacturers.  Companies like Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina have been making some quality lenses for years and have dedicated legions of fans using their stuff.  To use my previous comparison of the new Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 at $1789, a comparable lens from Sigma, the 70-200mm f/2.8, sells for $750 (this lens is discontinued but there are still new ones to be had).  Not a bad deal for a really nice lens.

So the bottom line is this, photography is expensive, but it doesn’t have to break your bank.  Do some research and shop the alternatives and chances are that you will find there are bargains to be had without compromising quality.  Do your research before you buy and remember that you’ll probably own your lenses longer than your next car.

* Finally, a few words to the wise -

When shopping on eBay, always opt for paying with your credit card so that you are covered by their built-in protections against fraud.  Also, buying “used” generally means that you don’t get a warranty.  It’s the price you pay for paying half the price.  Also, if you buy a “new” lens from an eBay retailer, ensure that you are getting a new lens covered by a warranty that is applicable for where you live.  eBay can be a dumping ground for Grey Market so email the seller, get their confirmation that it has the proper warranty, and then pay with your credit card so you can dispute the purchase if necessary. Caveat Emptor!

I received an excellent question from one of my readers who asked what type of camera I use for shooting landscapes and flowers and the like.  I think it’s an excellent question because most folks associate great images with the camera used. The reality is that there are two factors that have more impact on your final image than which camera you shot it with.  The camera really is only going to help you out with one factor in landscapes and that is with your resolution.  Ok, that’s really a simplification of things, but in general, fast frames per second and low noise at high ISO really aren’t factors (all of you camera-holics out there may now begin bashing me in the comment section).  If you are shooting in RAW, then it doesn’t really even matter how good the camera white balance settings are since you will adjust that in software after the shot.

No, the biggest factors for shooting landscapes and flowers or any still-life type subject are the same as they have been for decades and they are; use a high quality lens, and use a solid tripod.  Truth be told, some of the best landscapes I have ever seen have come from 6 megapixel cameras.

Lenses -

First of all I always like to use fast glass because it just gives you more exposure options.  Something in the area of f/2.8 or larger would be nice.  The other advantage to a large aperture is the ability to get more selective depth of field to really isolate a subject.  If, for instance, you are going to shoot some flowers out in the wild, you may not want to include the background (unless it plays a part in your composition).  The best way to really isolate your subject is to use a wide open aperture to get that nice narrow depth of field and render your background blurry.

If you go the route of a zoom lens, you should still try and get that highest quality you can.  You also want a lens that will maintain the aperture throughout the entire zoom range.  This will also add to the expense of the lens but it is very much worth it.  As an example, a Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens will set you back around $1700 where as the 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0 lens is only $565.  There are other factors that increase the cost of the lens including the type of glass, the coatings on the glass, the number of elements, etc.  The general rule of thumb is that the quality of a lens is directly proportional to its cost.  This isn’t always the case but it’s not far from the truth.

While we are talking about lenses, consideration should also be given to what range of lenses you will need for the shooting that you will do.  Here are my choices of lens to cover a pretty wide shooting range:

• A very wide lens, possibly a zoom like the 12-24mm – This is almost a necessity when shooting landscapes.
• A wide to intermediate zoom like the 24-70mm f/2.8 – Of course we also need to pay our mortgages so something like the 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 would also work well.
• A macro lens is indispensable when shooting close-up subjects like flowers – I prefer prime macro lenses such as the 60mm or the 105mm.  They are easier to use than a tele-zoom with macro but the zoom macro will still get the job done.  Less expensive options include close-up filters and or extension tubes.  Either of these will convert your regular lens into a macro/close-up lens.
• A telephoto or tele-zoom like the 70-200 f/2.8 – Sometimes you just need to reach out and get those far away subjects and nothing does the job like a good tele-zoom.  Once again, having that wide f/2.8 aperture can really help to isolate your subjects by blurring the foreground and background in your image.  Remember that good glass is expensive for a reason.  To maximize your options, consider buying a tele-extender like a 2X.  You will lose a stop or more but double the reach of your lens.
• Super Telephoto lenses are the last item on the list but only to be considered if you are a doctor, lawyer, or Bill Gates.  Seriously though, super tele lenses are the only way to go if you want to shoot wildlife like Moose Peterson or Laurie Excell but they don’t come cheap.  A 400mm f/2.8 lens will set you back around $9000 and it just goes up from there.

Tripods -

The other piece of equipment that is essential to creating beautiful landscapes is a good tripod.  Make sure that it is large enough to handle the weight of your camera and lens.  There are numerous manufacturers and it would be silly for me to even try and recommend one but I can tell you what I look for when considering a tripod.

• Light weight – to carry, not in its load capacity.  Try some of the really great new carbon fiber models.
• Good height – I am pretty tall so I want a tripod that doesn’t make me crouch all the time to use it.  But try and get one that is tall enough without extending the center column up.  You should always try and shoot with the camera as close the the tripod legs as possible.
• Legs that lock securely but don’t require a pipe wrench to loosen.
• Versatility – I like a tall tripod but sometimes you need to shoot low to the ground.  There are several that will let you extend the legs out at very wide angles to get your camera close to the ground.  If you want to shoot flowers, you have to be down on their level.
• A removable tripod head, or better yet, none at all.  You should choose the head for your tripod separately from the legs.  Most pan heads that come on tripods aren’t that great and should be replaced.  I prefer ball heads for their versatility but you should choose something that feels secure and comfortable.  Also, consider something with a quick-release so that you can go from hand-holding to tripod quickly.

So there are my recommendations for equipment for landscape and flora photography.  Whether you choose to use a Canon 30D or 40D or 1Ds Mark II, or a Nikon D3, or D100, or D40, it all comes back to the same thing.  Buy yourself a couple of nice lenses because it doesn’t matter which camera your image ends up in if the lens isn’t worth a damn.

Also, you might be the strongest guy in the world and have great IS or VR lenses but if you want the ultimate in sharp images, get yourself a sturdy tripod.  Nothing beats the stability of having a solid tripod under that really nice glass you just bought.

*As a little side-note, go out to your local professional camera store and try out the latest and greatest lenses.  You really need to see them and feel them in your hands to appreciate them.  Then buy them from your local guy.  A lot of times they will match the major online vendor prices and you will be supporting a resource that you can return to time and time again.

If you read my Friday post you saw that I was fortunate enough to score some extremely sweet tickets to the Wizards game.  I also ended the post by saying that if I didn’t get any good shots, I would “blame it on my equipment and bad lighting”.  Well, I was pretty much on the mark with this one.  I had a lot to do before heading off to the game so I grabbed the camera that had an 18-70mm DX lens on it and threw it in the car along with the 200mm f/2 and a 1.4 extender.  After parking the car, me and my buddy headed over to the ESPNZone for a bite to eat before tip-off.  While standing at a crosswalk, I switched out lenses, putting the 200 on the D2X body.  The sun was bouncing off the buildings down the street so I thought I would fire a quick pic before getting to the ESPNZone door. Much to my surprise, the camera fired but I didn’t have any image on the LCD.  Not only that, but the camera was reading f/0.  I had never seen that one before.  I clicked a few more just to make sure it wasn’t me.  I changed the mode to Manual and tried changing the aperture but to no avail.  After making a frantic phone-call for some technical advice, I tried a few remedies, like pulling the battery but nothing seemed to help.  I ended up sticking the 200 back in the car and ended up shooting with the 18-70 at f/4.5, at ISO 800, with the high-speed crop.  So can I tell you how much my pictures suck?  Pretty lame if I do say so myself.  So, what are my lessons learned?  The big numero uno, you have to check your gear before you leave, even if it’s to only take one quick image.  Second, take a back-up solution that will give you reasonable results.  I was going to take the 70-200 f/2.8 but didn’t want to take two big lenses when in fact I should have just taken my whole camera bag of goodies.  I wasn’t a very good Boyscout.

So here are a few average shots.  I had to work them pretty hard in Photoshop just to make them lame.  On the plus side, the Wizards kicked some Grizzly butt so it wasn’t a total loss.

I picked up the latest Popular Photography at the airport yesterday and got as far as the Letters to the Editor section when I saw something that kind of surprised me. The first two letters were from readers that were seriously angry about RAW and didn’t see why they should use it instead of JPEG. Apparently Debbie Grossman wrote an article in the November issue entitled “Why RAW Works”. Now truth be told, I have not read this article but then again, I know why it works. I am still amazed though at how little awareness there is by camera owners at the power and importance of shooting in a RAW format. The big complaints seemed to be as follows; no way to open and work with their RAW formatted images, larger file sizes, waiting for images to write to the memory card, less capacity on the memory card, longer download times, and, well, you get the idea.

I am just going to take a stab at this and guess that the folks that are having issues understanding the RAW format are those that have recently moved up to a DSLR camera and have previously been shooting strictly JPEG images. So let me start off with a few comments about JPEG. First, there is nothing wrong with JPEG if you are just taking happy snaps. Why go through the process of adjusting RAW images of the kids opening presents when you are just going to email them to Grandma. Then there are the journalists and sports photographers that are shooting 9 frames a second and need to transmit their images across the wire. Once again JPEG is just fine. So what is wrong with JPEG? Absolutely nothing, that is unless you care about having complete creative control over all of your image data as opposed to what an algorithm thinks is important.

First of all, did you know that JPEG is not an image format? It is actually a compression standard and compression is where things go bad. When you have your camera set to JPEG, whether it is Fine, Normal, or Basic, you are telling the camera to process the image however it sees fit and then throw away enough image data to make it shrink into a smaller space. But in doing so, you give up subtle image details that you will never get back in post-processing. Now that is an awfully simplified statement but still fairly accurate.

So what does RAW have to offer?

Well, first and foremost, RAW images are not compressed (there are some cameras that have a compressed RAW format but it is lossless compression which means there is no loss of actual image data).

RAW images also have a greater dynamic range than JPEG processed images. This means that you can recover image detail in the highlights and shadows that just aren’t available in JPEG processed images.

There is more color information in a RAW image because it is typically a 12, 14, or 16-bit image which means it contains more color information than a JPEG which is almost always 8-bits. More color information means more to work with and smoother changes. Kind of like the difference between performing surgery with a scalpel as opposed to a butcher’s knife. They’ll both get the job done but one will do less damage.

Sharpening a RAW image is more controlled because you are the one that is applying the setting according to the result you want to achieve. Once again, JPEG processing applies a standard amount of sharpening that you can not change after the fact. Once it is done, it’s done.

And that brings me to my final and possibly most important fact. A RAW file is your negative. No matter what you do to it, you won’t change it unless you save your file in a different format. This means that you can come back to that same file and try different processing settings to achieve differing results and never harm the original image. Make a change to your JPEG and accidentally save the file and guess what, you have a new original file and you will not ever get back to that first image. That alone should make you sit up and take notice.

Final advice for new RAW shooters

Don’t give up on shooting RAW just because it means more work. Hey, if it takes up more space on your card, buy bigger cards or more smaller ones. Will it take more time to download, yes, but good things come to those that wait. Many programs like Lightroom let you start working with your images while they are downloading. If you don’t understand the process, find a book or even better, a friend that knows how to work with RAW. Read your owners manual about your camera’s particular format. The chances are that it actually came with some RAW processing software that you weren’t aware of. Move away from the amateur mindset of JPEG and think about how much better your images could be if you took complete control of them instead of handing that over to some algorithm. After all, you took the photograph; shouldn’t you be the one to decide how it looks in the end?

I have heard numerous times that if Ansel Adams were alive and shooting today, he would be shooting digital. I have no doubt about this but I also bet he would be using RAW, not JPEG.

What I really liked most about this show is that it was all about the photographer.  It is smaller than PMA and PhotoPlus but it had a nice feel to it.  It wasn’t about selling to the suits where the back meeting rooms are more important than what is on the show floor.  This is a show put on by photographers, for photographers and it shows.  Having said that, most of the exhibitors at the show were not showing anything that was brand new.  There were no unveilings going on.  Most of those are going to happen at PMA or, in the case of Sony, Casio, and Samsung, at CES.  So here are just a couple of things that caught my eye:

Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper – This stuff is just amazing.  I had certainly seen the press releases and heard others talk about it but this was my first chance to actually see it and touch it in person. Let me tell you, the buzz is definitely worthy of this great product.  I’m definitely going to buy some for my own stuff.  The only downfall for me is that there is no custom profiles for my older model 2200 printer.   As for the printers, the R1800 and R2400 printers are both great but for me, it is still the 3800 that still makes me giddy.  This thing just rocks, and it isn’t much larger than my 2200.

Nikon –  Nikon was of course showing off their newest DSLR cameras, the D3 and D300.  I won’t go into great detail on these because there are quite a few great reviews floating around the web.  What I will say is that these two cameras are amazing and make me feel like my D2Xs is a lesser camera (I never thought I would think that).  Along with the new bodies, Nikon was showcasing their new lenses.  The 14-24 and the 24-70.  Both lenses are f2.8 and are some of the smoothest focusing and sharpest lenses turned out by Nikon in some time.  They also had the new big boy lenses, the 400, 500, and 600, up for display.  Very sweet!

Canon of course also had their newbies out for display.  The 1DS Mark III which, although I am not a Canon guy, is a very impressive rig.  There is also the 40D which I have had a little time playing with and is a great option for the prosumer.  The Canon G9 is also making some noise as one of the best point-n-shoots that is definitely professional grade.  A very nice camera indeed.

Wacom – I had a chance to stop buy and see the new Cintiq 12WX.  I don’t even know how to describe this other that WOW!  It takes the pen tablet to a whole new level.  You don’t have to give up your monitor either.  It splits the video signal so that you can see it on the Cintiq as well as your monitor.  Wacom has definitely hit one out of the park with this one. 

Lumedyne - was showing off their new shoot-thru ring flash.  This is one of those hot portrait lighting techniques that will be made much easier with this new flash system. 

Hoodman – From the people that brought you the camera ldc loupe, Hoodman was showing off a new UDMA Firewire card reader.  It doesn’t sound like much but if you are going to be using ultra-fast UDMA memory cards, you are going to want a reader that will take advantage of that speed when downloading. 

Gallery Wrap Prints – This seems to be the big rage for large format printing.  I saw at least a dozen vendors that were offering this type or large format printing option on canvas and I have to say that it is pretty cool.  If you are offering your customers large format canvas, you will really want to look into this. 

Tons of Book Binders – I spent some time talking to renowned wedding photographer and all around great guy David Ziser at the show and we both agreed that the album/book market is exploding.  Wedding photographers are getting away from those traditional albums and moving towards the printed books that were made popular by Apples iPhoto.  There are now so many options for delivering your images that it almost makes me want to get back into the wedding business (I said almost). 

Kelby Training – The folks over at Kelby Training set up their first booth for the promotion of their new online training subscriptions and it was a great success.  That was due largely in part to having all those great Photoshop instructors on-hand to give a taste of what would be received with a subscription to the new service.  The entire Photoshop User TV crew was there (Scott, Dave, and Matt) as well as RC and Corey from Layers TV.  If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new training sessions, you should do yourself a favor and get on over to KelbyTraining.com.  It’s like going to Photoshop World without having to find a hotel room.

On a personal note, I was very psyched to visit the Kelby Training headquarters as well as the set for Photoshop User TV.  Yes, I got a peek behind the curtain to see how all the magic was made.  It was definitely a blast and was also nice to put some faces to the NAPP and Kelby Training folks that I have talked to on the phone but never previously met.

That’s all from sunny Tampa and the imagingUSA Expo.  I’m back on a plane home later today and back to work tomorrow.  See you then.

I always hear people talk about getting it right in the camera.  Or sometimes it’s “crop in the camera, not in Photoshop”.  These are great philosophies but what if you don’t know what it is that you want exactly.  I love large image sensors, not because they give me great images, but because they allow me to crop without fear of getting too “grainy”.  I admit it, my name is Jeff and I crop in Photoshop.  There, my shameful little secret is out.  I feel so much better now.  But really, sometimes I shoot first and then get creative later.  I am not necessarily blessed with the ability to look at a scene and have the perfect crop appear in my head.  I know the great shot is there somewhere but sometimes I have to play with it, move those crop borders around, and really get a feel for how I want my final image to look.  Sometimes I have to look at an image for hours before it really hits me.  That’s not really an option when I’m in the field and have just 5 to 10 minutes of “Golden Light” left in the day and I won’t be able to shoot the scene on another day.  That’s when I would rather just get the picture and find the photograph within later.  Here is an example of this.  Last January I was in San Francisco and took a short afternoon trip to Alcatraz Island with some friends.  I didn’t have a tripod and it was the last tour of the day so the light was getting just right.  As we were walking along the path from the prison down to the ferry, I saw the old water tower.  I knew there was a shot of that tower that I really wanted but I didn’t have the time or lenses to compose that shot (I hadn’t even figured out what that shot was yet).  Instead I just took an overall image that was just so-so.

After trying in vain to make a decent image from the original crop, I zoomed in to see what I might be missing.  I really liked the rusty look of the large water tank.  The cloudless sky was a great contrast to the orange hues from the late afternoon sun.  The foreground was not very interesting at all.  The pathway cut right through the middle of the image and the angle of the hill was just wrong.  But when zooming in on the tank, I found my shot.  I didn’t need the legs and foreground, all I needed was the tank and sky that really drew my attention in the first place.  So it was over to the tool box to grab my crop tool and start removing the boring sections to reveal the photograph inside.

So there you have it, did I get it right in the camera? No, but I did get it, and to me, that’s what counts in the end.