Two new cameras and more changes in store
I’ve made the biggest equipment changes ever in my photographic pursuit so far in the spring of this year. First, as you know, I upgraded to the Canon 6D, my first full frame camera. With this change I also jettisoned a bunch of older, underutilized gear. I will talk more about what I got rid of in future posts.
But there’s more, both in the capture and output of my photographs. I made some additions with my usual practical considerations. Others, perhaps, not as much. I’ve bought 2 more cameras which I haven’t mentioned just yet. I’ve also jumped into an entirely new aspect of photography that I’ve barely considered in the past.
I wonder what has driven all of this change? Is it that I’m board with photography and I need new toys? Am I opening up new vistas and trying to achieve the next step in my quest to become a better photographer? Or do I just need more stuff to talk about on this blog? I’m not sure what the answer is — maybe a little bit of each. Either way, there’s been a whirlwind of activity behind the scenes.
Maybe you’ve been bitten by the gear bug. I’ll talk about all the new stuff and what I plan to do with it. Am I just suffering from GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) or is this justifiable as improving my photographic art? You can be the judge and let me know. After all, with the crazy lis of cameras I already own, how can I defend getting more gear?
Embracing Motion Blur to Create Art
Full Gallop, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
Last week I posted a series of high-speed photos from Rodeo Austin. The cool thing about those photos is the realization of how much can happen in just one second. We are talking about sliced of time where we can no longer adequately comprehend the details. For today’s rodeo post, I’m taking almost the opposite approach. I’ve slowed the camera down to create images that shows motion and a blurring of time.
In addition to my Olympus E-PM2 that I used to take the fast shots, I also brought my Canon 7D with a long lens. Actually both cameras have the capability to shoot at 8 frames per second, the difference really comes down to the lenses. I had a fast f1.4 lens on the Olympus which allowed me to stop the action and at high quality by using a reasonable ISO. With the Canon, I used my 70 – 200mm zoom which has a maximum aperture of f4. While this lens allows me zoom into the action, it’s 3 stops, or 8 times less able to capture light. Since I wanted to keep the ISO at 3200 or less, I just didn’t have the shutter speed to truly stop the action.
So I took a different tack. I embraced motion blur. I used blur as a technique to enhance the feeling of speed while stretching out time. Along the way, I think I came up with something that feels more artistic and a bit more creative. I used the limitations of my equipment to do something different and I like the results.
Bucking and Blur #1, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
The key in using motion blur is getting the right amount the blur. Use too much and you get a mess — you lose the context of the image. Use too little and it just looks like you made a mistake — the motion blur just comes across as a soft or misfocused photograph. You want to show enough blur that your intentions are clear but you still want to give the viewer an idea about what the image is about.
The way to get the blur, of course, is to adjust your shutter speed. For these photographs, the shutter was set between 1/20 to 1/30 of a second. This is what looked right to me. Your mileage, like any art, may differ. As a bonus, when you lower the shutter speed you can also lower the ISO — which increases image quality. In my case, I went from shooting at ISO 3200 to using ISO 800 or 1000.
Bucking and Blur #2, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
Finding that right shutter speed is the big fun for these motion blur photos. Part of it is based on your artistic interpretation but the subject is also a big factor. 1/30 of second for racing cars at F1 maybe too slow while 1/30 for pedestrians maybe too fast. I’ve also used a tripod when shutter speeds become too slow to hand hold. It’s also important to shoot a lot of frames. These kind of photographs are unpredictable and when you have a lot to choose from, you can be more selective and pick your favorites.
Back in March at Rodeo Austin, I didn’t intentionally go to shoot these kind of photographs. It was a shift I made based on equipment and environment. But being flexible with the intent of just making interesting photographs allowed me to do different and unexpected things. It’s part of being open-minded as a photographer and embracing the possibilities.
Bucking and Blur #3, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
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The Olympus XZ-1 Review
The Last of the Victorians – Austin, Texas
I added the Olympus XZ-1 to my collection of cameras back about 5 months ago. I was always itching for a premium point and shoot and when I found a spectacular deal, I jumped on the opportunity. And over the last 5 months, I have posted many entries about my experience with the Olympus XZ-1. For the most part, the experience has been positive. I’ve discovered that a high-end point and shoot is something I enjoy using, even though I own loads of mirrorless cameras and a DLSR. Having a small camera capable of good image quality and the flexibility of a zoom is the unique selling point for this class of camera. So after many months and thousands of photographs, here is my review.
A Series of Interrelated Curves – DFW, Texas
Before the passengers, American Airlines – DFW, Texas
The Positives
The XZ-1 is smallish camera that is joy to sling over the shoulder. It’s too big, however, to put in a pants pocket. The camera comes in a black or white. While I generally prefer black, I got the white version because that’s what was on sale. And I’ve come to enjoy the cuter white color, especially since I’ve received numerous compliments about the camera as I traveled through airports. There are two stand out features. A larger 1/1.8 sensor and a f1.8 to f2.5 zoom lens. Combined, these two features allow the camera to create nice quality photographs even in less than ideal lighting. Certainly several notches above typical point and shoots and drastically better than smart phones.
As you may know, I’m also an Olympus Pen user and I currently own 4 of these interchangeable mirrorless cameras. Conveniently the Pen accessories also work on the XZ-1 which shares the same accessory port. Therefore, if you have a EVF for the Pens, it also works on the XZ-1. I own the small FL-300R flash which also works on both cameras. This is convenient and saves space. I share my accessories when I travel with both my Olympus E-PM2 and XZ-1.
The image quality at ISO 100 can be quite good. Not as good as my Olympus Pens but enjoyable nevertheless. Having a zoom range of 28mm to 112mm gives me the creative freedom to frame my shots whether I’m shooting architecture, doing street photography or shooting colorful food. Even at the maximum focal length, I can still get a fast f2.5 aperture. ISO 200 is also decent and ISO 400 is probably my upper limit for quality. I only use ISO 800 for emergencies and I usually convert the images to black and white to either mask or compliment the noise. The image stabilization is very effective and better than what I have on my Olympus E-P3 or E-PM2. The flash exposures also work well and blend well with the ambient light.
Because the smaller sensor has lots of depth of field (DOF), it works well for getting casual group shots. Even with a wide open aperture of f1.8 the entire group can be in focus. Pop-up the built-in flash or use that small FL-300 and even dark restaurant group portraits comes out decently. Ironically, it is easier to take group photos in dark places with this point and shoot than with more expensive cameras that have a shallower DOF. I set the mode dial to iAuto and hand the XZ-1 to waiters and they come up with real winners. I do brighten the image somewhat in post processing but it works great for this kind of snap shooting.
With the P S A M on the mode dial along with the usual art and scene filters, the camera gives control to the experts but also has the easy modes for beginners. Many of the lesser point and shoots typically don’t have the controls to satisfy knowledgeable photographers. Enthusiasts can also shoot in RAW for maximum control of image post processing. While the JPEGs are good, I shoot all my photos in RAW.
A lot of Americans, Terminal A – DFW, Texas
Coffee Rubbed Steak Tacos, Garrido’s – Austin, Texas
The Negatives
Here are the things that don’t work so well on the XZ-1. Physically, the most annoying feature is the manual lens cap. I have it tethered to the body but it’s clumsy and gets in the way. The extended lens retracts quickly when I’m reviewing pictures and ends up extending again when I hit the shutter button. So there is a constant retracting and extending motion as I shoot and review photos. It would be nice if the lens stays extended longer. The XZ-1 has a limited number physical controls and the buttons are not reprogrammable. There isn’t enough direct access to the settings that I want to change quickly. That means I need to hit the OK button and scroll to access the ISO setting, for example.
The camera does not have a separate battery charger. Like some newer cameras, it uses a USB cable to charge the battery in camera. That means I won’t be able to charge a battery while I’m out shooting. One the plus side, I can charge the camera from outlets on my car and the USB port on my computer.
The OLED display can be washed out in bright light and also has some strange flare problems when shooting into bright light. Luckily the image is not affected, the flare and light streaks can make composing the image a bit difficult.
Movies are limited to 720P, dated by today’s standards. I also prefer the MP4 compression instead of the space hogging AVI Motion JPEG.
While the shooting and focusing speed is pretty snappy, zooming into the image playback is pokey. There is also a second delay when switching between the shooting and playback modes.
You may have noticed that I described the image quality as being nice or decent. Even at ISO 100, the image quality is just a tad short of what the mirrorless cameras can do. For most people the image quality will be fine. But over the years, I’ve gotten increasing picky. Even at the lowest ISO, this is a fine-grained noise at 100%. The colors are also a bit weak, like they are slightly washed out. I need to amp them up more than usual in post processing, like I did here. They don’t have the vibrant colors that I’ve come to expect from the Olympus Pens. You may think that this is to be expected given the smaller sensor but my Panasonic ZR-1, which has even a smaller sensor, has more of a pop to its photos. That camera has an ISO 80 that really looks good. I don’t expect great high ISO quality from point and shoots but I would like to have a really clean image at the base ISO.
Image quality wise, I feel that I can’t use this camera for “serious” work. It’s a great camera for travel and to shoot interesting compositions on the go. I use it to take snap shots of friends and family. But I feel a bit compromised by the image quality even in the best light. Perhaps that is why I end up converting many of my XZ-1 photos to black and white. I find that the monochrome images have more pop and it may mask some of the minor deficiencies that I find. Not to say great color isn’t possible. I’ve included some of my favorite color images on this post. Keep in mind that I’m being very picky here. More than likely, for most people, they will be happy with the quality.
Executive Pedicab, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
Conclusion
The most telling thing about the XZ-1 is that I use it constantly. It is small and light enough that I can bring it almost anywhere. And as you can tell from the photos, I do have it with me all the time. It is clearly a point and shoot and its cute white makes it a very non-threatening even approachable camera. It also has enough controls that I can take the kind of pictures that I want. The Panasonic ZR-1, for example, tries to be too smart and it works against experienced photographers. Not so with the Olympus XZ-1. It’s a fun camera to shoot and even with my slight image quality reservations, it makes effective photos — clearly better than most point and shoots. All but the most picky would be quite satisfied.
Back two years ago, when this camera was released, its image quality received high marks. But two years is a long time in technology and improvements have been made by Olympus and the competition. Last year, Olympus released the XZ-2 that seems to address many of my negatives. Amazon’s pricing fluctuates but if you can get the XZ-1 under $300 look into it. It may be worth your consideration.
Here are more photographs that I shot with the Olympus XZ-1
Lanterns in Formation, Panda Express – Austin, Texas
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail. Multiply the focal length by 4.66 to get the 35mm equivalent
One second of the Austin Rodeo
I had a nice opportunity to shoot Rodeo Austin this year with a press pass. It gave me the chance to get into the Rodeo and to sit temporarily in any unoccupied seat. As a city slicker from the East Coast, it was great fun. And while I’ve been to the carnival portion of Rodeo Austin many times, this is the first time I ever stepped foot into the heart of the rodeo itself. Austin doesn’t feel very “Texas like” in many places but here I certainly felt transported to a whole different world. Sort of like a tourist in my own home town.
I often say that mirrorless cameras like the Olympus Pens are not suited for fast action sports. And that’s true in many cases but not all. Let me explain. If you shoot soccer, kid’s soccer in my case, the almost random back and forth motion of the game is hard to capture with a mirrorless camera. It’s really the continuous focus that suffers. Composing with an optical view finder, not an EVF, is really the best way to go and DSLRs are great for this — there is no EVF or LCD lag.
However, for fast action that is more predictable, the Olympus Pen can do a spectacular job. Below are 8 photographs I took with my Olympus E-PM2. This kind of action is perfect for this camera since I knew exactly where the rider and bucking bronco are going to start.
Bucking Bronco 1 – 8, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
I took all 8 photographs in 1 second. Look at the LCD clock at the top of the picture. It matches perfectly with the E-PM2 specs of 8 continuous frames per second. All were shot at 1/500 of a second at f1.4 and ISO 1600. I used my favorite Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 which gives a 50mm equivalent view.
The action happens so fast it was hard for me to keep track. I basically aim at the gate and a fraction of second after the gate opens, I mash my finger down on the shutter. Then I just follow the action. As long as the horse remains at the same relative distance from me, they all stay in sharp focus. I got a pretty decent keeper rate too. After a second or so buffer fills up and the shots per second slows down dramatically.
I got a lot more than bucking broncos so I’ll post more photos from the rodeo in the coming days. It’s hard to believe that I shot these back in March. Time flies when you shoot too much and talk too much about gear. It’s all fun.
Please stay tuned.
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The end of an era for my sports photography
Backyard Slide Show – Austin, Texas
The end of the season soccer party last Friday was the end of era on many levels. Instead of the usual gathering at a restaurant, one the parents opened their home for a more personal get together. The boys are finishing 4th grade and the team is splitting up. The serious players will join the bigger, more competitive leagues. The rest of the players will either quit or join the purely recreational groups. For me, it will be the end of sports photography, at least on a regular basis.
For 5 years, from Kindergarten through 4th grade, I was the team photographer. And over these years, I have a total of nearly 1,000 carefully selected and processed photographs. The highlight of the evening, at least for me, was the backyard slide show. The parents were sentimental — seeing the boys as 6 year olds. Over the years, I’ve honed my skill to get a more dramatic point of view. I shot sitting on the ground to be at the same level as the kids. The 1/1000 per second action shots, up close, made the most clumsy player look like a pro. The slide show of my photographs set to music held the kid’s interest. I was more than happy that I was able to record a slice of life for the team.
I’ve also upgraded my gear too. I started with a Canon Rebel XT with a 28 – 135mm zoom. I then added a used Canon 20D paired with an old Canon 70 – 210mm lens. Somewhere along the way I ended up with the Canon 7D and the 70 – 200 f4 IS. My technique improved too. Quickly creating balanced compositions out of apparent chaos, became my weekend challenge. I also shifted from JPEG to RAW and experimented with different styles of processing. As I look back through my archives, I noticed that 3 years ago, I was into adding vignettes. Luckily, I got over that.
My earlier images were dull and technically inferior, but I noticed a passion. A passion that is no longer there in my more recent shots. Years ago, getting these action photos is what drove me. That was before the urban landscapes, going on photowalks and the broadening of my photographic repertoire. Relatively speaking, my son was a better player too, back then. While I photographed the entire team, I have to selfishly admit that my main motivation was getting great action shots of my son. As my son’s soccer interest and play decreased so did my photographic effort. The team began to play on larger fields and it became increasingly difficult to get that dramatic up close poses.
My son and a few others are distinctly in the social soccer camp. It’s unknown if he and his social group will continue next season. As for me, I’m giving up my sports oriented Canon 7D and switched to the more modest, for action, 6D. If pressed, I’ll still use the 6D for action but more as a test and with less seriousness. I suppose the 6D shouldn’t be much worse than my old 20D that I used with intensity and drive. And it will at least be better than my Olympus Pens. I tested those mirrorless cameras and I can confirm, they really don’t work well for fast action sports.
With a touch of melancholy, I’m moving on to different things. My family photographs are still the most important but there’s going to be a lot less action. There is a whole world out there waiting to be captured. I’m curious how a change in focus will alter my photographic trajectory over the next 5 years.
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Ima Spins, a candid portrait at Home Slice Pizza
Ima Spins, Home Slice Pizza – Austin, Texas
I met a few photographer friends for lunch on Tuesday, at Home Slice Pizza, one of the best New York style pizza places in Austin. I didn’t shoot much but had my Canon 6D with a 35mm f2 lens and snapped this photo.
Unlike yesterday’s posting, lighting conditions were considerably worse here. I also set the shutter at 1/200 of a second to stop the spinning motion which bumped the ISO up to 5000 even at f2.2. I’ve tried shooting here before but let’s just say the previous results were filled with more abstract motion blur.
I would love to take more of these candid portraits. Capturing people going about their everyday business.
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Great light, a point and shoot and Baxter
Baxter, Friend’s House – Austin, Texas
I don’t usually post cat pictures. In fact, this is the first time I ever have. But I like the way this one turned out. I goes to show what an inexpensive, modern camera can do, especially in good light. I’ve talked a lot about my recent expensive camera purchase, but this photograph shows that you don’t need a fancy camera to take great pictures or to enjoy photography.
So why buy an expensive camera, instead of an inexpensive point and shoot? It all depends on the conditions you plan to shoot. With great lighting and modest conditions, most any camera will do, even smartphones. However, as the light becomes tougher or the action becomes faster, cameras with special features become desirable. I like capturing action in marginal, low-light conditions. Conditions that would render most point and shoot photos into a noisy, pointalistic impressionist painting. Perhaps good for abstract art but not quite the effect I’m going for.
So I still carry small cameras. It’s right tool for specific purposes. Sure a full frame camera might produce spectacular quality but is it too big and cumbersome to carry around? I had my small Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot with me when I shot Baxter, our friend’s cat. The camera is small enough that I can carry it anywhere and enjoy photography as the opportunity arises. I’m sure people immediately think of that now overused phrase “The best camera is the one that’s with you”. I actually prefer the quote, “The best camera is the one you left at home”. Either way, I’m glad I had something, and under good light, it can really shine.
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Choosing between the Canon 6D, 5DM2 and 5DM3
When I moved up to full frame, from my Canon 7D, I had 3 choices. There is the Canon 5D Mark III, the older Mark II and the newest entry, the Canon 6D. I didn’t consider the Pro level 1D X. Between the three models, it was actually pretty easy to decide. The following are the things I considered.
Here were my requirements. I no longer needed a fast action, “sports” type camera. That is one of the reasons I’m getting rid of the 7D. I wanted great image quality, especially for low light, high ISO photography. As you know, I do a lot of urban night photography. I also wanted the smallest, and lightest possible camera with a full frame sensor that, of course, works with my Canon lenses.
I ruled out the older 5D Mark II pretty quickly. While its low light quality is better than the 7D, it doesn’t match the quality of the 5D Mark III or 6D. The focusing system is old too. Basically unchanged from the original 5D. Size wise, the camera was larger than my 7D.
The 5D Mark III is a solid upgrade from the previous model. The main improvement is the sophisticated focusing system which addresses the biggest deficiency of the older model. Low light image quality is improved as is the frames per second shooting speed. Canon also increased the price by a healthy $800 and even made the body slightly larger and heavier.
The Canon 6D is the newest and smallest full frame DSLR. It’s the lower priced offering that is meant to complete with the Nikon D600. Many people were disappointed with this camera since across the board, its feature set seems inferior to Nikon’s. I thought so too. The 11 point focusing system seems barely more capable than the 9 point system on the old 5D Mark II. The total megapixels reduced slightly to 20.
However, as I looked into the 6D, I noticed that it was actually a very nice package. It addressed my two most important considerations. First, it was noticeably smaller and lighter than the Canon 5D Mark III. If fact, it was even a tad smaller and lighter than my 7D. As of this writing, it is the smallest and lightest full frame DSLR from any company. This is a good thing. For a person used to the light weight mirrorless cameras, any weight reduction is welcome. Its high ISO image quality is fantastic and is even slightly better than the Mark III’s. And while the focus system is fairly basic, it has a special low light center point sensor. Canon claims that it is sensitive to negative 3EV which is the lowest of any of their DSLRs. Good low-light focusing is what I want over sports oriented multi-sensor systems anyway.
I read in a review that the 6D was designed as a travel / landscape camera. In many ways that makes sense. Landscape cameras don’t need advanced focusing systems but a low light focusing ability would be welcome, especially in those pre-dawn hours. It’s also smaller and lighter which makes it easier for travel. Finally, it has built-in WiFi and GPS that’s great for tethered shooting and tracking one’s progress though the countryside or, in my case, the urban jungle.
Finally, there is about a $1500 difference between the Canon 6D and the 5D Mark III. A nice chunk of change, for sure. It also just happens to perfectly cover the cost of a Fujifilm X100S, if I someday succumb to its charms. While there’s a slew of minor differences between the two cameras, it boils down to this. Do you need or want to pay $1500 for a better / faster focusing system? If you plan to do fast action and sports, the answer is most probably yes. Get the 5D Mark III. For most other people, the 6D will be more than good enough. And you know, back over 3 years ago, before I got my 7D, I used a Canon 20D and Rebel XT for sports. My keeper rate was decent, especially for a non pro sports shooter — I’m taking weekend kids soccer, not the Olympics. Even the comparably simple 6D focusing system is going to be better than a mirrorless camera at fast action sports.
I’ll talk more about the Canon 6D, the camera I purchased (if I wasn’t clear enough), in future posts. Here are some photographs I shot with the Canon 6D.
Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
A couple watches the action, Buffalo Billiards – Austin, Texas
It’s not unusual to see a crowd during the peak hours, watching the action at Buffalo Billiards, on 6th street. On this quiet Sunday night, just one lone couple. My last several postings are about the Canon 6D, my newest camera and currently in test mode to see what I can do with this new tool. I was aiming for shallow depth of field — the full frame sensor and the 50mm f1.4 lens, my tools for achieving this.
A telephoto can certainly create a shallower DOF, but with a loss of context. I wanted to show the environment, not just the couple, and I didn’t want to stand half a block away to do this. I like how this came out. The viewers on the outside in sharp focus. The actors, the customers on stage, inside Buffalo Billiards, out of focus.
Bar Shuffleboard Instruction, Buffalo Billiards – Austin, Texas
What was so interesting? I wanted to know. I shot through the window capturing another couple by the bar shuffleboard table. I must have accidentally picked a clean part of the glass. The image through the window came out a lot clearer than expected.
I angled my camera to catch the reflection of the couple off the glass. The window frame got in the way. I couldn’t quite achieve the half inside and half outside feel of window reflected photos. But the mood is there. The urban, gritty and slightly mysterious feel of a night photograph in the city. Not too bad for my first night out. This camera has promise. I know it will take me a while to become truly proficient.
Reflections on 6th Street, Buffalo Billiards – Austin, Texas
This post is part 4 of my first real test of the Canon 6D series.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Street Life with the Canon 6D
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail.
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Waiting for Customers, Roppolo’s Pizza – Austin, Texas
Continuing with my mini-series, here are some more images from Austin’s famous 6th street. Unlike the previous post, this time it’s all inside, shot at either f1.4 or f1.6 with the Canon 50mm on my new Canon 6D. I was testing the low light capabilities of my gear using higher ISOs and big apertures.
Waitress in a quiet bar – Austin, Texas
Giant Jackalope, The Jackalope – Austin, Texas
Most were shot from the window or doorway. This was a quick photo excursion and I didn’t stop inside for a drink. Many of the businesses flow on to the street to entice customers — the sights, sounds and smells are used to pull people in. 6th street is a marvel of capitalism. Unlike most places in the United States, stores actively promote and compete for businesses. Cheap drinks, live music and hip lighting are the weapons of choice.
Lone Candle, Bat Bar – Austin, Texas
Corona Extra with Bar lights – Austin, Texas
Getting many visitors on Sunday night is a stretch though, even for 6th street. Some bars are closed and most of them are sparsely populated. It is refreshing and a big contrast to a Friday or Saturday night. For the uninitiated, Sunday maybe the night to ease into the manic world of gritty streets, ever changing bars and cheap booze.
Last remnants of video games – Austin, Texas
Drummer, Bat Bar – Austin, Texas
This post is part 3 of my first real test of the Canon 6D series.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Street Life with the Canon 6D
Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail.
Street Life with the Canon 6D
Admiring a Classic, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Here are more photographs from last Sunday’s solo photowalk. It’s the first time I tested the Canon 6D in a real life environment. With a Canon 50mm f1.4 attached, I was doing low-light street photography — the kind I like — that captures the urban fabric. 6th Street, Austin’s most famous entertainment district, is one of the best for this kind of shooting, that I can find locally.
Most photographs were shot close to wide-open at a range of f1.4 to f2. The Canon 50mm f1.4 is not sharp wide-open, particularly around the edges. Typical with most lenses, the sharpness increases throughout the frame as you close down the aperture about 2 stops. Nevertheless, I like to play with shallow depth of field, it’s one of the reasons I got the Canon 6D.
Waiting for Customers, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Scooters and Bikes, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
I like to shoot at night or indoors which means low light. I’m hoping that the high ISO ability of the 6D along with a large aperture lens with continue to unlock more and more challenging dark scenes. I’m willing to sacrifice some level to sharpness to capture the moody feel of the night. That said, it looks like I can stop down somewhat, to perhaps f2 or f2.8. Something that I may try in a future photo excursion.
Affinity Glow, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Pubs and Cafes, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Purples and Red Arches, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
I’ve posted these photos chronologically. The first one shot at 8:15pm, about 10 minutes before sundown. The last one at 9pm. You can see the progression of darkness. I think the city comes alive as darkness falls. I particularly love twilight. The warm man-made lights nicely contrast against the deep blue sky. The ambient light still reveals details, which disappear as night falls.
Driskill Hotel Carriage, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Smoking Alone, Congress Avenue – Austin, Texas
What a Relief, Congress Avenue – Austin, Texas
This post is part 2 of my first real test of the Canon 6D series.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail.
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Molly and Friends, Candid on 6th Street – Austin, Texas
With my brand new Canon 6D in hand and with the 50mm f1.4 lens, I was in street photography mode.
The usually lively 6th street is noticeably calm on Sunday night. I walked past the famous Driskill Hotel and spotted an interesting group, congregating. I raised my camera and fired a couple of shots. Molly, the red-head in the center, spotted me and posed. She seemed curious and a bit confused at the same time. “Why is this guy taking a picture of us?” I’m sure she was thinking.
I approached and had a quick conversation. I explained that I just got my new camera and was testing it out. Molly seem interested and I asked her for a portrait. It was set on f1.4, always a risky aperture to get sharp focus but I was going for maximum shallow DOF.
Portrait of Molly, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
She liked the results and she rustled up her friends for a group portrait. I reset the aperture to f5.6 and fired. One of my new challenges with full frame is to know what apertures to set for different circumstances. Only practice will program my mental depth of field calculator. With micro 4/3, it usually isn’t too much of an issue. With a smaller sensor, f2.8 or so is fine in these situations.
I also bumped the ISO up but neglected to look at the shutter speed — 1/30 of second. Should have been a bit faster. There is a little camera shake but not too bad overall. No in-body image stabilization, drat. Another thing to keep in mind with my full frame toy.
Group Portrait, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Part of my first real test of the Canon 6D.
Also see:
Street Life with the Canon 6D
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail.
My first real test of the Canon 6D
First Citizens Bank – Austin, Texas
I got my Canon 6D last Thursday. After my test shots of Lucky, then the kids and my wife, I was ready for more. I headed downtown on Sunday night for a bit of street photography. I wanted to see what this puppy could do armed with a 50mm f1.4 lens.
Before I get into it, I’ve happily discovered that the 6D has already broken new ground. It’s going to radically change how I take my most important photos. With a fast prime like my 35mm f2 or 50mm f1.4, I can shoot anywhere in the house at basically any light level. I shot perfectly sharp and decent photographs at night with two very dim compact fluorescent lamps and the glow from the TV. And even with the f4 zoom (I got the excellent 24mm – 105mm f4 L zoom as my “kit” lens) I can still shoot in most places. The camera might jump up to ISO 10,000 or so but the images were acceptable.
Sunday night is a nice time to go downtown. There is a good supply of on street parking and it’s free. The usually noisy and crazy 6th street is remarkably calm. I parked on Congress Avenue and walked several blocks south and turned left to my destination. On the way, I shot this detailed older building on Congress. Up top, you see a boring daylight photo — made better in black and white — shot at the beginning of my photo walk. The night shot, from my trip back, has some good details even at ISO 2500. The deep blue adds interest making it a worthy color image.
I like the 50mm lens a lot more, now that it is a true 50mm. On my 7D, with the 1.6x crop factor, the 50 acts like a 80mm. I tend to like wider and not telephoto so this is a welcome change. My 50mm was always that vaguely sharp, dreamy lens, especially since I tend to shoot it wide-open at f1.4. Somehow, on the full frame 6D, it seems to work better. Possibly because I’m not magnifying the “unsharpness” by the 1.6 crop factor. It’s nowhere near as good as my Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 which, on my Olympus also acts as a 50mm. That lens is fantastically sharp even at f1.4, I wish I had it for the Canon.
The short outing was a success and I got a bunch of keepers. Expect to see a series of postings, with images, over the next week. The real world testing phase with the Canon 6D has begun — today, merely a quick intro. Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll test the 6D versus the Olympus. Remember, I don’t grade on absolute quality. I’m very much a price – performance kind of guy. Or in this case, more aptly, It’s going to be a weight – performance comparison.
UPDATE: More photos from my 6th street photo walk.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Street Life with the Canon 6D
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Buffalo Billiards, it better than watching TV
First Citizens Bank at Night – Austin, Texas
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail.
I’m going full frame
Lucky a with shallow depth of field – Austin, Texas
A couple of weeks ago I said I was contemplating some big equipment changes. It suddenly struck me that the parameters have changed. Assumptions I had about camera performance were also no longer valid. It was time to make changes.
I hinted about my equipment change in my previous post, Does Canon still care about APS-C DSLRs? I realized, in actual usage, my Olympus Pens now matched my Canon 7D for image quality. More surprisingly, Canon really has not updated their APS-C image quality over the last 4 years. Other than for fast action sports, my big Canon 7D DSLR no longer has any advantages over the compact micro 4/3 cameras. And the shift in my usage patterns is telling. I use the 7D less and less and you know how much more I like my small mirrorless cameras, especially for travel.
I then realized that my kids no longer play fast action sports (like soccer). My older boy started playing tennis and the younger one seems to be following. I no longer needed a sports camera. My 7D was the right camera 3 years ago, but the circumstances have changed.
Suddenly, there is no longer any reason to keep my 7D. Why lug a heavy camera around when it takes inferior quality pictures compared to my light and modern Olympus Pens? But, here’s the problem. I have some wonderful glass for the Canon. My favorite lens is my 70 – 200 f4 IS. It’s one of those big white L lenses, though decidedly on their smaller side in the Canon lineup. It’s up there in quality with my Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 that I use on my Olympus. In addition, I have some decent Canon primes, the 35mm f2, the 50mm f1.4 and the 85mm f1.8.
The only logical choice? Move up to full frame. I get to keep my nice Canon glass and I get a level of performance that far exceeds the 7D. Now my lenses also match their originally intended focal lengths, no more 1.6 X crop factor. This is a bigger deal than I thought. With the APS-C sensor, I never got a true 35mm or 50mm lens. The 70 – 200mm zoom became an awkward, 112 – 320mm. It’s a nice focal length boost for birding or sports but terrible for portrait photography and everyday use.
Full frame gives me two features missing from my Canon 7D and the mirrorless cameras. Extremely shallow DOF (depth of field) and truly great high ISO performance. I think these characteristics will be fun to play with. I’ve never shot full frame. I never used a film SLR. The 35mm film point and shoots I used back in the 80s and 90s don’t count. So I’m also going full frame digital out of a sense of curiosity. Sure, it’s still a big and heavy DSLR but perhaps the boost in performance warrants carrying the extra weight? Whenever I get new gear, Lucky gets volunteered to model — sort of a tradition here. I’ve added two examples — they shows shallow DOF and the great high ISO performance.
The APS-C DLSR is dead for me. It’s all about weight vs. performance. Give me the light weight of micro 4/3 or big and juicy full frame. When should I use mirrorless? When do I use full frame? How about landscapes? What will I do with nearly 2 more stops of high ISO performance? I’m going to compare these formats and talk about my experiences on this blog. I bought the Canon 6D. It was an easily decision over the Canon 5D Mark III or older 5D Mark II, but that’s a topic for a future post.
Lucky at ISO 6400 – Austin, Texas
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Does Canon still care about APS-C DSLRs?
The results I got at SXSW this year during a concert shoot was eye-opening. I always knew, according to DPReview specs anyway, that the new Olympus micro 4/3 cameras basically match my big gun, the Canon 7D DSLR in image quality. But it’s one thing to read about something, it’s another to experience it yourself. Some people weren’t surprised. After all the 7D is a 4-year-old camera — of course the new stuff, even with a smaller sensor, is going to outpace the old tech.
Curious, I decide to poke around and see what Canon’s done lately.
I was a bit surprised. I’m following Olympus and micro 4/3 lately so I haven’t kept up with Canon. Sure, I knew they introduced the 5D Mark III and the 6D, but what have they done in the APS-C space?
The short answer, basically, nothing.
Canon has 3 lines of APS-C DSLRs. The consumer Rebel line, the XXD series (currently the 60D) and the prosumer 7D. While there are rumors of a Mark II, the 7D has no update since the original 2009 introduction. The 60D, introduced in 2010, also has no update. Only the consumer Rebel line has been updated on a regular basis.
The newest Rebel, the T5i, appears to use the same 18MP sensor, introduced by the 7D back in 2009. The image processor is updated to the Digic 5, also used in the Rebel T4i, and SL1. The Rebel T3i, 60D and 7D use the older Digic 4. So within the last 4 years, it looks like the update to Digic 5 is the only image quality related change Canon has made.
So how good is this new Digic 5 processor? Here is some analysis I did for your reading pleasure.
1. I started with the usual DPReview image comparison application. You can access it via this URL. I compared the Olympus OM-D against the Canon 7D and the Canon Rebel T4i. Make sure to change the cameras you are comparing via the drop down menus. The Rebel T4i is listed under Canon EOS 650D, the European name for the same camera. The OM-D represents the newest of the Olympus micro 4/3 sensors, the same one used in my E-PM2 as well as the newest E-P5. The Canon 7D, the other camera I own, represents the older Digic 4 processor. The Rebel T4i has the newest Digic 5.
You can eyeball the results yourself. Things don’t begin to get interesting, these days, until at least ISO 1600. That is where the noise creeps up and the color quality begins to drop. To my eye, the 3 cameras look pretty close. The OM-D more than holds its own against the 7D and if anything the Rebel T4i seems a bit noisier. So unless Canon purposely reduced the image quality on their consumer line, the Digic 5 processor doesn’t seem improve image quality or at least high ISO performance does not seem any better.
2. Let use another comparison. DXO is a company that does extensive sensor and lens testing for their software. They have an interesting database called DXO Mark where they publish their results. Let’s compare the Canon Rebel T4i (650D), the Olympus OM-D and the Canon 7D. You can see for most results, the OM-D with the smaller micro 4/3 sensor outscored the Canon APS-C sensors. Also, the 7D with the older Digic 4 processor outscored the Rebel T4i with the Digic 5 on every test.
I’m not saying that these tests are perfect, I’m sure some people will quibble about it. But the two results seem consistent. And it’s also what I see when I compare my Olympus E-PM2 vs the Canon 7D. So the question is, why hasn’t Canon improved their APS-C image quality? Since the APS-C sensors are larger than micro 4/3, in theory they should produce better results. Is Canon committed to APS-C or is their plan to just add more extraneous bells and whistles to their camera while not improving image quality.
The struggle to make an impact in a noisy, digital world
Jack Jams, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
In this increasingly connected and noisy world, it is hard to make an impact. — to rise above the background clutter — to get noticed. I think about this all the time as I put my photographs out there and post to this blog. How do I increase my audience so that I can share my thoughts and images with more people? It is an exciting, brave new world. More than ever, individuals can put their art out there and broadcast it to the world. This opportunity has never existed before in human history.
I’ve talked about and featured photographs of Kao=S, a band that fuses traditional Japanese instruments with rock. I’ve taken a keen interest in this band, not only for their unique music but because I identify with their struggle to break through — to get noticed and build an audience. Unlike the other Japanese bands I’ve seen in Austin, Kao=S takes every opportunity to be heard. Beyond performing at clubs, they took to the streets to perform in front of anyone that would listen.
Shuji on Red River Street #1 – Austin, Texas
Daisuke and Jack, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
These photographs are from one of their impromptu concerts. They setup on Red River Street in the middle of the SXSW 2013. You can feel the energy, and a dynamic that’s different from a stage performance. I have tremendous respect for artists willing to perform in front of an unfamiliar audience.
Kaori performing, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
I see many parallels between music and photography. Both are tremendously impacted by digital copies and easy world-wide distribution. Both art forms are stolen by many people without a thought about the consequences. But ultimately, beyond the fear of theft, the fear of irrelevance is stronger. What good is art if it isn’t seen and heard by others? And though I don’t get the impact of performing directly in front of a crowd, I suppose I post my photos to put a piece of me out there. Perhaps something that will outlast me, in the digital ether, long after I’m gone.
Jack with his shamisen, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
Shuji on Red River Street #2 – Austin, Texas
While I don’t think photography has the same visceral impact as music, it’s the way I’m trying to leave my mark. I feature these photos as a proxy for my struggles to be seen. Photographs of me taking pictures or post-processing doesn’t seem as cool as these guys jamming on the street. But the same struggles are there, with any artist, in this modern, digital world. I’m glad that, in some small way, I can share the artistry of Kao=S through my art of capturing life in the city.
Kao=S on Red River Street – Austin, Texas
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The Olympus E-P5, is it worth it?
Olympus E-P5
I mentioned on last Friday’s post that I thought the E-P5 was Olympus’ take on Fujfilm X100S. — the retro style, the packaged 35mm prime (34mm to be exact) lens and the premium pricing to match. My friend Mike aptly says it’s closer to a Fuji X-E1 because of the interchangeable lenses. Even though the X-E1 does not yet off a 35mm equivalent, he has a good point. Either way, it seems like Olympus created an upscale camera that echoes cameras of a bygone era. The big question is, is it worth the premium price?
I’ve been busy with my, yet unannounced, equipment changes so I really didn’t look into the E-P5, until today. I knew I wasn’t going to get one any time soon. After all, I already bought an E-PM2, late last year and the image quality should be the same. But what if I didn’t get the E-PM2? Would it make sense to buy the E-P5? As I already mentioned, it’s pretty much the camera I wanted last year — it has most the features on my wish list.
First, let’s compare the E-P5 vs. the OM-D E-M5. The two cameras mostly share the same feature set. Sure the body style is different, but they both have the same sensor, same image processor, the roughly the same 5 axis image stabilizer and the same speedy focusing system. You lose the water resistance and the EVF (Electronic View Finder) on the E-P5 but gain WiFi, 1/8000s max shutter speed and a faster 1/320s flash sync speed. The OM-D body is $999, the same price as the E-P5. However, keep in mind that the body-only E-P5 doesn’t come with an EVF. Bought separately, the EVF costs more than $200. So effectively, the E-P5 body is sold at at least a $200 premium.
Second, the E-P5 replaces the E-P3 introduced in 2011. The E-P3 with the standard $100 kit lens ran $899. Subtract out the kit lens and a fictional body-only E-P3 configuration should run $799, again $200 lower than the E-P5 body-only price.
Third, assuming you support my premise that Olympus is competing against the Fuji X100S with the 35mm equivalent lens, consider this. The Fujifilm X100S is priced at $1299. The Olympus E-P5 with the 17mm lens (34mm equivalent) and the EVF is packaged at $1499. Now, despite the retro look of both cameras, they are very different beasts. Direct comparisons are a bit of a stretch, but let me try. On the plus side for Fuji, you get a very good hybrid optical/EVF, arguably better image quality, true analog exposure controls and an attractive well designed body with a seamlessly integrated viewfinder. The E-P5 has the advantage of a world-class in-body image stabilizer and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses. People can quibble of the price but I believe the two cameras should be priced the same. Certainly, I find it hard to justify a $200 premium over the X100S.
My conclusion, the Olympus E-P5 is overpriced by $200. The body only price should be $799 and the kit price should be $1299. Still expensive, but it makes sense based on the competition. So is the camera worth it? Only you can answer that question, however, if I were in the market for an Olympus, I wouldn’t pay $999 for the body or $1499 for the kit. So despite my fondness for Olympus micro 4/3, I can’t recommend the E-P5 at the current price.
I also predict that the prices will fall fairly quickly. Olympus will inevitably have a $200 rebate or just reduce the price. No guarantees of course, but that’s been Olympus’ pattern over the last couple of years. What do you think? Is the E-P5 worth it to you?
Jasper’s Happy Hour, Sangrias and the XZ-1
Three House Made Sangrias, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
I’m carrying around my Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot, more often these days. My main goal, to capture life. While I use my mirrorless Pens as a lightweight alternative to DSLRs during my photo oriented events, I don’t carry those cameras everyday. I find the XZ-1 a bit smaller and with the zoom lens, more versatile than my usual prime lens setup on the Olympus E-PM2.
On a recent Friday afternoon, a group of us decided to go to Happy Hour at Jasper’s, an upscale restaurant serving down home food. It’s been an unusually comfortable Austin spring and we sat outside — details captured courtesy of my XZ-1. Of course people do this kind of photography all the time with their smartphones. But, I’m sure you can tell that there is a noticeable quality difference. These photos are nice enough that I don’t have “pretty them up” with trendy insta-filter effects.
Happy Hour Pizza, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
Happy Hour Ribs, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
While I’ve casually shot food before, I’ve never liked the way they turned out. Ironically, I find doing urban landscapes in dark places easier than capturing food. I found out recently that part of the trick in food photography is to use a longer focal length. This has the effect of compressing the elements so that the different items on the plate don’t look too far apart from each other.
An Arial View of Sangria, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
I tend to shoot wide-angle primes so I wasn’t getting enough compression. The same goes for typical smartphones too. The XZ-1 has a zoom lens so I can now step back and zoom into the food. The pizza was shot at a 65mm equivalent and the ribs, 60mm. Of course, like all photography, good lighting is essential. Luckily, I was under a covered porch but also surrounded by bright, natural light.
Cute Dog at Happy Hour, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
The Sangria was tasty and the dog was cute. As a bonus, I captured a decent view of the interior of Jasper’s on the way to the restroom. I locked the camera on ISO 100, braced it on a ledge and got a nice clean shot at 1/4 second. Not too bad for a point and shoot. Of course, I shot all my photos in RAW and did my post processing in Aperture 3.
Jasper’s Interior – Austin, Texas
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail. Multiply the focal length by 4.66 to get the 35mm equivalent
No Adobe product was used to process this photo
Adobe House, Institue of Texan Cultures – San Antonio, Texas
I had to chuckle at the recent furor over Adobe’s new Photoshop pricing model. You see, I use no Adobe products at all to process my photos. Yes, and I do shoot in RAW and post-process every single photograph I post. I just have a completely non-Adobe workflow. I have nothing against Adobe, other than Photoshop and their Creative Suite is damned expensive. But I’m not angry with them. These are pro level tools and they should be priced accordingly. I just choose not to use them. Perhaps because I’m cheap.
My friend and photographer, Mike, was astonished at how little I spend on processing software. That’s good because, I own an embarrassing number of cameras, that I need to pay for. Actually, I do have a couple of Adobe products but I just don’t use them. I bought an heavily discounted copy of Lightroom 3 once. I tested it and my verdict, meh. My wife bought Photoshop Elements 8 for $50 and I used it on rare occasions to run Topaz plugins. Since I got Topaz photoFXlab, I don’t even need Elements anymore.
I use just one package for 99% of my non-HDR photographs, Aperture 3 from Apple. It costs $79.99 from the App Store. Unfortunately for PC people, this package is not available under Windows. I use Aperture to do RAW conversions which are done transparently. There is no goofy “Develop” module or “Library” module. Just one seamless non-modal environment. My 45,000+ photographs are also managed by Aperture and I also upload my photos to Smugmug and watermark them automatically too.
For the other 1%, I use Topaz plugins, Topaz DeNoise 5 and Topaz BW Effects. I now use Topaz photoFXlab to run Topaz plugins without using Photoshop Elements. The photoFXlab also allows me to work in layers if I want to edit and make changes with the plugins. The program is inexpensive and starts up a lot faster than Elements. Also, Topaz usually has some holiday specials where they’ve offered 50% off.
For my HDRs, I use a cocktail of up to 3 applications. I use Photomatix Pro, the granddaddy and some say it’s still the best for HDR creation. With discount coupons out there, you can get if for about $85. I sometimes use Pixelmator for layer blending after I do my initial HDR merging with Photomatix. This is where the real artistry of HDR comes in. This program has a beautiful interface and is another Mac only program, available on the App Store for an amazing $14.99. You can use Photoshop to do layer blending too but I prefer to spend only $15. The downside of Pixelmator, it doesn’t run Photoshop plugins. Finally, I use Aperture 3 to sharpen, tweak colors, increase saturation and of course, store and catalog my HDR photos.
So that’s it. The full extent of my post-processing software. So if you don’t do HDRs and don’t need the Topaz plugins, your total software outlay, $79.99. By the way, the RAW software updates on the Mac are free via Software update built right into the Operating System. That means that I don’t have to keep on re-buying Aperture when I buy a new camera with a new RAW format.
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The Olympus E-P5 to take on the Fujifilm X100S?
Olympus E-P5
Today’s Olympus E-P5 announcement is interesting. Olympus is clearly going after the Fujifilm X100S market or at least ride on its coattails. A small, classically styled camera with a fast 35mm equivalent prime lens. It’s a shrewd marketing attempt, but will it work?
There is almost nothing new about the E-P5, in terms of features. It uses the same excellent sensor already used on the OM-D, E-PL5 and E-PM2. It uses the same ground breaking 5-axis image stabilizer that’s on the OM-D. It is wrapped in a new design that evokes retro cameras, especially the two-toned silver and black model. The optional VF-4 sets a new Olympus benchmark for resolution and the built in WiFi is the first in for Olympus micro 4/3.
But the biggest news is how these features are put together and marketed. There is no kit zoom option, unusual for cameras these days. It’s sold body only, without a lens or with the new 17mm f1.8 prime lens which gives you a 34mm equivalent view. The 17mm is now available in black or silver to better harmonize with the body. It makes sense, I guess. It is a premium Pen and the feature set distinguishes it from the OM-D line. Image quality wise, it should be exactly the same as any current Olympus micro 4/3 camera.
The E-P5 is really the camera I was waiting for and wanted to buy last year. Except, I ended up buying the low-cost E-PM2 because I couldn’t wait. Am I getting the E-P5? No. Not right now, anyway. There are some nice features in the E-P5 but ultimately the image quality is the same. Perhaps, someday, I’ll pickup a refurbished model if I can get it inexpensively.
How does the E-P5 compare against the Fujifilm X100S? Well despite some tweaks, design changes and repackaging, the camera is still a Pen. Its advantage over the X100S is in its versatility of interchangeable lenses and its class leading image stabilization. But despite the two toned design, and the retro Olympus lettering, the design is a bit ungainly, especially with the EVF attached. It lacks the uniform and classically proportioned style of the Fuji. The high ISO image quality of the X100S is better, though the Fuji details are softer and its RAW processing is till not up to snuff. For most people, though, I think the haptics and the user interface will make the bigger difference. On the Fujifilm X100S, you have an aperture ring, shutter speed dial and an exposure compensation dial. Old school, tactile and simple. The E-P5 still has conventional “computer like” controls.
Olympus now has four micro 4/3 cameras in a narrow price range. The tack they took with the E-P5 does makes sense. They’ve managed to distance themselves from the lower-end Pens via better build and nostalgia. They differentiate themselves from the SLR styling of the OM-D by appearing more like the classic, old school film Pen. Hope it works. At least this camera has more personality than the black, lumpy mini-DSLR look of the Panasonic micro 4/3 line.
Don’t miss Arnold Newman: Masterclass
The start of the Masterclass, Harry Ransom Center – Austin, Texas
People around Austin, you have 3 more days to see Arnold Newman: Masterclass at the Harry Ransom Center on the University of Texas campus. I went to the exhibit with my friend Mike a couple of months ago. It was fantastic. It closes this Sunday, May 12, 2013. And it’s free.
Anyone that likes photography, especially black and white portraiture, this is the exhibit to see. Arnold Newman is one of the greats in photography with iconic images of the famous and not so famous. The Ransom Center has on display, over 200 of his works, from his early career in Philadelphia, to his creative collages to his world-famous images.
Mike and I marveled at the tonal range of these large format black and whites. No blown highlights and mottled shadows. This is pure, analog film photography at its best.
You hear from some people about this romantic notion of film photography. How it was different and more pure than digital. How people would get the photograph right in camera and never post process. You hear about how people would take that one perfect shot, well-considered instead of the multi-shot approach in digital.
Well I learned that this is bull.
The best of photographic art, Harry Ransom Center – Austin, Texas
At least Arnold Newman didn’t approach it that way. And I rather learn from a master then some person with a distorted view of history. Here are two examples from the exhibit.
1. Quoting the exhibit, it said “Newman might take 10, 20, 30 and in special cases even more than 50 individual photographs of the sitter, making minor adjustments each time. Sometimes the differences between the frames would be minuscule, though highly significant…”
2. The Ransom Center had the original of the famous Picasso portrait and showed how it was cropped to create the well-known, final version. I was shocked that Mr. Newman cropped like 70% of it away. He was shooting with a large format camera so his negative was still big enough to support a high quality image. Here is another quote “Cropping was also a practice Newman valued highly. His edges were determined with minute precision”.
So I encourage you to go. Learn from a master. You won’t regret it. Perhaps it will bust some myths out there from the ancient and mystical world of film photography.
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My crazy list of digital cameras, I currently own
Ok, I’m almost embarrassed to create this list of cameras that I currently own. I use several actively, some less so and some are just sitting there, on the shelf. You can tell I’m not big into eBay or Craigslist. I just can’t be bothered or I figured not its worth my while to sell my stuff. I know people who sell on these sites all the time, and they seem to like it. Maybe I’m too lazy or just don’t trust the process enough.
Current Cameras
Ordered roughly from small to large
Apple iPhone 4S I’ve never gotten into any kind of serious iPhoneograhy. I mainly use this to shoot historical signs on buildings, price tags at stores and to record GPS coordinates.
Panasonic ZR-1 I bought his camera refurbished for $80 and made some surprisingly good point and shoot photographs. It’s small and I can easily carry it around in my pants pocket. It requires tricking its consumer oriented controls to make the really high quality photos. But that was part of the fun and challenge, proving to myself that I can make great photos with a cheap camera. Ultimately, it’s not good enough to take my most important photographs at the quality I want.
Sony TX5 I bought this camera 3 years ago before a trip to Hawaii. It is a fun waterproof camera. Perfect for worry free photos around the beach and swimming pool. Image quality is okay for what it is. However, I have taken some priceless photos of my kids at the beach. Photos that I would never have gotten with my other “serious” cameras since I wouldn’t have shot those in 4 feet of ocean water.
Olympus XZ-1 My most recent camera purchase. I happen to see this on the Olympus website, refurbished, for a ridiculously low price, which I couldn’t pass up. This is my current carry around camera, though it’s too big to put in a pants pocket. I shoot with it through airports and I’ve made some really decent looking photos with it. I also bring it to shoot casual family activities and snaps of friends and coworkers. Its image quality is strong but it is not good enough for my serious landscapes or to record the important family events.
Olympus E-PM2 Currently, my most used camera. I bought it last year before my winter trip to the East Coast. Believe it or not, this camera has the highest image quality of all my cameras, besting even my DSLR, the Canon 7D. I shoot almost everything with this camera, urban landscapes, HDRs, family events, street photography. About the only thing it doesn’t do well is fast action sports. As a bonus, the camera is so light and compact — if I put my 14mm lens on it — it’s not much bigger than the Olympus XZ-1.
Olympus E-PL1 This is the camera that got me hooked on Olympus and micro 4/3. It’s slow focusing and a bit cheap looking but it takes fantastic photographs. I liked it so much that I ended up buying two refurbished units. I use these less now since I purchased the really snappy E-PM2.
Olympus E-P3 This is my favorite camera for an ergonomics, aesthetics and usability. Image quality is slightly better than the E-PL1 but falls behind the newest E-PM2. Its metal build and light retro styling makes it a high quality camera and a joy to use. Several people have made positive remarks about its styling and some even thought it is a film camera. What I really wanted, before I bought the E-PM2, was this E-P3 body with the new Olympus sensor. Alas, Olympus didn’t release it last year when I wanted it. This is my second most use camera and I typically have it paired with the excellent Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 lens.
Sony NEX-5 My first foray into mirrorless system cameras, I used it extensively until the Olympus Pens gradually took over. I got it before my trip to Disneyland and Southern California. I also shot with it in India, Singapore, New York and of course in and around Austin. Urban landscapes looks great but manual HDRs are a pain to do (it doesn’t have bracketing at +/- 2 stop intervals). My main issue with the camera is with the skin tones of my family, I just didn’t like them. Most reviews don’t talk about it but, to my eyes, I see a greenish-yellowish cast to the images. Newer versions of the NEX have improved on many of the shortcomings of this first NEX camera.
Canon 7D My big DSLR, which was my workhorse, until mirrorless system cameras began to replace it. In the beginning, I used it for everything. Now I tend to shoot sports, portraits and special events like Fashion Week and SXSW Concerts. As I got used to the smaller, lighter cameras, the 7D felt old and heavy. Its image quality no longer impresses even being equalled or bested by the newest mirrorless cameras like the Olympus E-PM2. I do have the excellent Canon 70-200 F4 IS lens which is better than any zoom for the Olympus or Sony systems. Canon is really strong is telephoto lenses, the mirrorless cameras still lag in this area.
Retired Cameras
Ordered by when it was purchased.
Canon S300 My first digital camera bought back in 2002. It is 2.1 megapixels. I bought it to document the building of my house. I calculated back then that if I took about 1200 photos, this digital camera (about $350 if I remember correctly) would pay for itself in film development costs. I ended up taking many more photos and it launched my interest in photography. Sure, I took photos with a film point and shoot previously but digital really fueled my love for photography. I have no personal nostalgia for film. I hated the way most of my prints looked when I got them back from the store. The camera still works though the battery may only hold a charge for a couple of minutes.
Canon S2IS My first upgrade from the S300, after shooting it for 4 years. This 5MP camera is where I learned how to use the P S A M modes. I bought it before my first family trip to Disneyland and Phoenix. I shot the hell out of this camera and really started fine tuning my photography. It’s the only camera I own that does not work fully. It turns on and I can review pictures but it can no longer shoot photographs. The CCD seems to be broken.
Canon Rebel XT My first DSLR. I bought it in 2006, 5 months after I bought the S2IS. My friend let me use his Canon D60 for a weekend and I was hooked. The speed, image quality and oh that shallow DOF, really blew me away. My wife saw the pictures of the kids taken with the D60 and immediately gave me permission to buy a DSLR. Despite the great image quality, I was a bit hesitant to spend over $1000 after already spending money on the still new S2IS. I’m glad I did. I have loads of great quality photos of my boys when they were young. Something that all the money in the world, now, would not be able to reproduce. Family photos lead to photos for the school year book, soccer photos, karate photos and eventually to urban landscapes. I must have taken at least 30,000 photos on the Rebel XT.
Fujifilm F31fd Long before the popular X100, Fujifilm made another cult classic, the Finepix f31fd point and shoot. It had a reputation for outstanding image quality in a compact body. Even back then, I wanted a smaller and lighter alternative to the Rebel XT. I bought this camera in Japan for under $200 when the exchange rate was a very favorable 120 yen to a dollar. I used it a fair amount but it didn’t work as well in darker areas since it lacked image stabilization. My father got one too and continued using it until recently when he upgraded to an Olympus Pen. I still have this camera and I should compare it to the modern point and shoots to see how it does.
Canon 20D I bought this camera, used, back in 2009 for $270 or so during the depths of the financial crisis. Sales must have been really slow because I picked this camera up at a ridiculously low price back then. I took some of my favorite pictures with it and they still look good now. I also loved the feel of this camera. It was my first prosumer camera and it worked loads better than my Rebel XT. A year or so later, the camera started getting unreliable and I upgraded to the Canon 7D. In the year+ I actively used the camera, I must have shot 40,000 frames. This is the only camera that I no longer own.
The final tally
10 current cameras
4 retired cameras
1 camera that I no longer own.
Crazy but true.
If I go through with my camera upgrade plans, the mix of cameras will change a bit.
Turning on the Olympus Super Control Panel
Olympus E-PM2 Super Control Panel (SCP)
The Olympus Super Control Panel is a special hidden control system. As you can see above, it makes viewing and changing settings on your camera really easy. It’s not turned on by default. Here are simple instructions on how to enable it.
I own 3 Olympus Pens, the E-PL1, the E-P3 and E-PM2. I can confirm that all Olympus Pen cameras, since the old E-PL1, as well as the new OM-D have the Super Control Panel (SCP) option — they are all turned on in the same way.
Before you can turn on the Super Control Panel, make sure you have the Custom Menu turned on. It is easy to do and here are instructions on how to turn on the Olympus Custom Menu.
Olympus E-PM2 “Mode Dial” (only on the Pen Minis)
Step 1: The E-PM1 and E-PM2 are the low cost cameras that lack a mode dial. The menu above is used only on these two cameras to set the shooting mode. Simply hit the menu button and click over to the “SETUP” option on on the right and hit the OK button to access the menu.
Other Olympus Pens and OM-D models can directly access the menu without going through this screen. Just hit the menu button.
Olympus E-PM2 Custom Menu
Step 2: Confirm that you have the Custom Menu turned on. If you can see the “2 gears” icon, the Custom Menu is on. If not, here is how to turn on the menu.
The control dial is located in the bottom right corner, on the back of the camera. It has 4 icons surrounding a center OK button. You can simply click down on the control dial to select the “2 gears” icon. Once the gears are selected, you should see menu options labeled A, B, C …
Click on the right side of the control dial to access the A, B, C menus. Click down on the control dial until you select the “D Menu”, as shown above.
Olympus E-PM2 ‘D’ Menu
Step 3: Click right on the control dial to access all the menu options under the “D Menu”. Look through the menu for an option that says “Control Settings” or “Control Setting”. The position of this option varies with the camera model.
Olympus E-PM2 Setting Control Settings
Step 4: Click right to bring up another menu with shooting modes such as iAuto, P/A/S/M, ART. The available Shooting modes will vary slightly by model. With these options, you can turn on the Super Control Panel for a particular shooting mode. I only turned on the SCP for the more advanced P/A/S/M mode but you can turn on the SCP for any mode you like.
Olympus E-PM2 Setting ‘Live SCP’
Step 5: After you select the mode, click OK or right on the Control dial. You will see 2 or 3 menu options on this screen depending on the shooting mode selected. For the P/A/S/M mode, you get two options. Click right on the option you want to turn on or off.
NOTE: Only one option should be turn on for the displays to work properly. In the example above, notice that I have Live Control turned Off and the Live SCP turned on. This is the proper configuration to enable the Super Control Panel. Use the MENU button to back out of all the submenus that you entered.
Congratulations, you are now ready to use the Super Control Panel. To access the Super Control Panel click the OK button. Doing so should display the SCP over whatever scene is showing on your LCD. Use the Left, Right, Up and Down positions of the control dial to navigate to the setting you want to change.
You can change any setting in two different ways. You can click OK to select the option to change or you can simply rotate the control dial to change the settings, in place, within the SCP. With the Olympus E-PL1, which does not have a spinning control dial, you will need to click the OK button to change settings.
Contemplating some big equipment changes
Within a few minutes of waking up on Sunday, I had an equipment revelation. I began to contemplate significant camera changes. That, of course, set me into a flurry of analysis. It sucked up a good part of Sunday, too. Did it make sense? Should I do it? When should I pull the trigger?
Now, this isn’t life or death. I’m just talking about buying and selling cameras. But in the context of my photography and this blog, it is a shift. The camera I’m considering is not on my camera watch list that I talked about a couple of months ago. Like most things I do, it’s not completely crazy — I’m just not that kind of person. Nevertheless, if I go through with it, it would mean changes and an non-trival outlay of money, of course.
These changes address a few things that’s been nagging me. Not in a big way but growing, unresolved and underneath the covers. Most of my equipment choices are well-considered, I believe, but my priorities have changed and after several years of photography, I have a better idea of what I like and don’t like to shoot.
All this equipment talk will certainly be fun, I’m sure. It always is on these blogs. And if I go through with this, it will certainly give me some material to talk about.
Stay tuned!
