LensSkins

Wildlife photographers have had camouflage for their equipment for years now, but now photographers have the option of prettying up their photo gear as well. Lens Skins (B&H) are vinyl cut-outs that fit the shape and contours of a wide variety of lenses, and come in a huge variety of designs. The Lens Skins easily attach, and are easy to peel off again.

I was curious about getting one for my one lens – wondering whether people would react differently to a pretty camera rather than the menacing bulk of a big camera and lens. The Lens Skins are spendy, but my curiosity was piqued enough to get one.

Sometimes I feel like the photo-geek version of The Terminator when I arrive at a client’s home with two Nikon D3 bodies slung over my shoulders, each with an f2.8 zoom lens and flash. Maybe this psychedelic flowery pattern would be an ice breaker. And true enough, this lens is a conversation starter – kids to older folks ask me about it and strike up conversations. So perhaps it makes me look less intimidating. Really, who can be afraid of this big bad wolf if his camera looks pretty …

This was snapped by my friend Josh Lynn earlier this year when I shot a wedding with him. I couldn’t resist hamming it up a bit. The rain came down hard, hence the tiny umbrella. Well, I wish the umbrella had been larger, but it is what I had.

If you’re interested in seeing the variety of Lens Skins available, check out the B&H affiliate link to see what is available for your lenses.

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

Canon wireless e-TTL flash triggers / radio transmitters

A bridal portrait (taken during one of the photo sessions arranged by the Hudson Valley Click), where it is easy to see the advantage of using off-camera lighting.

The strong back-lighting is used as a way to highlight the background and have the rim-lighting etch our model against the background. Of course, having her turn her back to the sun also helps with not having our model squinting in the bright light. We immediately avoid unflattering hard light on her face. But we then do need to add off-camera lighting of some kind to cross-light her.

I used TTL flash here, since I often find this is the fastest and easiest way to get good flash exposure. The flash was diffused with a white shoot-through umbrella, and I used wireless TTL triggers to control my flash.

Let’s have a look at our current options that we have to trigger the off-camera TTL flash …

1. the simple option – no additional extra equipment

To get to an off-camera flash setup, we need not immediately buy wireless triggers. As a basic entry to the world of off-camera TTL flash, we can use just our Canon gear – another Canon speedlight as master flash to control our slave. Most of the images in my book on off-camera flash, was taken with a setup as simple as that: a master speedlight on my camera (with its own output disabled), controlling the slave speedlight. I’d say this is the most simple way to dip your toes into the water if you’re new to off-camera flash.

There are further options here, such in the case of the Canon 7D, where we can use built-in flash as the master controller. This will surely be included in future Canon DSLRs. We can also use the Canon ST-E2 as the wireless controller.

The main restriction with these simple setups, is that we need line-of-sight between the master and the slave. We have a distance limitation as well. For most photo sessions though, the distance isn’t usually a concern. It’s the line-of-sight thing which can often be a problem. The moment you move ‘forward’ of your flash setup, you risk the master and slave not seeing each other and your flash not triggering.

This is where I do like the Lastolite Ezybox softboxes – you can turn the Slave flash by adjusting the hotshoe of the softbox, and swivel it so that the Slave’s sensor is aimed towards where you are. Then you just need to rotate your Master flash’s head to point towards the Slave flash. But it can be troublesome to continually change the Slave flash’s position on the softbox, and change the orientation of your Master flash in your camera’s hotshoe.

2. the less simple, but more flexible option – more cool toys!

To overcome this, we need to look at the Wireless TTL triggers. There are a number of options. There are two main choices – PocketWizard and RadioPopper. There are also other triggers such as the Pixel triggers. And I’m sure there will be other players on the market in the future. There might even be some available now that I’m not aware of.  But right now, the two main choices are  PocketWizard and RadioPopper … and they happen to be the two TTL-capable radio triggers that I am knowledgeable with.

The challenge that PocketWizard and RadioPoppers had, was to convert the flash system’s control signals as radio-frequency signals. The main difference between PocketWizard and RadioPoppers then is how they decided to approach that challenge. RadioPoppers piggy-back onto the flash system, and just carries the control signals between the master and slave units. PocketWizards insert themselves into the communication between the camera and flash, and takes control of that.

A. RadioPopper Px wireless flash system

The RadioPopper PX transmitter unit attaches with velcro strips (or gaffer tape or rubber bands) onto the Master speedlite or Canon ST-E2 wireless transmitter. Via the menu setting, you set up the controls for it. The default is for Canon. Setting up is really simple. Actually, simpler than the RadioPopper instructions would make it appear.

The RadioPopper PX transmitter reads the control signals as emitted by the Master flash, and converts them into radio-frequency signals. The slave radiopopper then receives and converts the radio-freequency signals back into light pulses for the Slave speedlite … which works just as if it had directly received the light pulses from the Master speedlite.

The RadioPopper receiver unit is mounted via this bracket to the Slave speedlite. You can velcro it down if you want, but the bracket helps for the sensors to align properly. There are notches in the bracket to allow for other units than the Canon 580EX II flash.

Again, setting up is really simple.

The beauty of the RadioPopper units is that they only transmit the signal. They don’t interject themselves into the system. They just carry the signal between the Master and Slave speedlites.

This means that if you have a problem with the Slave not firing, your first recourse would be to make sure that the Canon wireless system itself is firing properly. Then you re-attach the RadioPoppers again.

In my experience so far, this second generation of the RadioPoppers is a robust technology. Meaning, they just work.

While the beauty of the RadioPopper PX units are that they only transmit the signal, their limitation is that of the Canon wireless system. It just isn’t as flexible as the Nikon CLS system. This is where the PocketWizards step up.

B. PocketWizard FlexTT5 / MiniTT1 wireless flash trigger

The PocketWizard MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 (which I’ve featured regularly on this site), is based on a different design philosophy than the RadioPoppers. The PocketWizards are inserted into the system, and they take control of the electronic signals. It’s quite a brave move, and through the various iterations of software updates, have come to work very well, with two strong caveats:

1. I’ve had so many hiccups in using the PocketWizard TT5 units in workshop format with multiple shooters, that I have now moved to the RadioPoppers for my flash photography workshops. More about this later on in this article.

2. The other main problem in using the PocketWizard TT1 and TT5 units, relate to the Canon speedlites themselves. The Canon 580EX and 580EX II and the Canon 430EX (1st version) all generate so much radio-frequency noise, that they interfere with the reception of the signal from the Master FlexTT5 / MiniTT1.

PocketWizard and LPA design have gone out of their way to try and overcome this, and offer a number of solutions to reduce the RF interference generated by these Canon speedlites.
- range-extending solutions, by PocketWizard
- extending the range of the PocketWizard FlexTT5 and Canon 580EX II, by Rob Galbraith

Since Canon did a silent fix of this problem with the release of the Canon 430EX II, we can hope that future Canon speedlites will be rid of this problem. In the meantime, there are various fixes, including having the Canon speedlites modified.
- modifying the Canon 580EX II to reduce RF noise emission, by PocketWizard

related article:
- Flickr discussion on Canon 580EX II failures due to misalignment of the flashtube.

Okay, so there are various solutions to this problem. (Check the linked articles by PocketWizard and Rob Galbraith for thorough explanations.)

The best solution, for the least expense and the minimum of fuss, is the PocketWizard AC-7 RF shield (B&H). According to PockeWizard, it completely solves the problem of RF interference, and it even includes a clamp for an umbrella.

I settled on another option which allows me to use a softbox more easily if I wanted to. This option apparently isn’t quite the 100% effective solution compared to what is offered, but does seem to substantially reduce the RF interference problem.

1. The Flex TT5 and Canon 580EX II need to be separated by a large enough distance. PocketWizard recommends 18″ at least. For this, I use the Canon OC-E3 off-camera TTL flash cord (B&H).

Here is how my off-camera flash setup looked for the image at the top. (As an aside, I used the Canon 5D mark II, and the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L lens for this photo session.)

To stop the radio-frequency noise being propagated via the OC-E3 cable, and the battery pack cable, an RF choke is attached around the cables near the 580EX II. (Details about where the RF choke can be ordered, is mentioned in the linked article by PocketWizard.)

Here is the detail shot showing the RF chokes and how the flashgun is attached to the umbrella bracket.

Here is how I mounted the FlexTT5 to the light-stand with a clamp.

Clearer shots of how I connected up the Canon PocketWizard TT5 to separate it from the Canon 580EX II speedlite. The clamp is the Manfrotto 386B Nano Clamp (B&H) and the stud is the Manfrotto 037 Reversible Stud (B&H).

With this setup, I have been able to effortlessly get images like the one at the top of the bridal portrait. With the OC-E3 cord and other attachments, it does take more effort to set up though than using the RadioPoppers.

So why would one choose the PocketWizards over the RadioPoppers then? For me, the main reason would be that with the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller (B&H), the Canon speedlites can be made to behave like the Nikon flash system.

With the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller (B&H), you can set the three groups of flashes, and from the camera, turn any of them to TTL mode, or manual mode, or turn them off. You can also set specific levels for the TTL output and manual output. The Canon wireless flash system works with A:B ratios. It does work, but for me it is easier to work with specific levels. With the AC3 unit, I can now change the B group to, (for example), 1 stop less than the A group. I can change one group to TTL, and another group to manual.

This review of the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller for Nikon, will explain in more detail exactly how this works. Anyone familiar with how the wireless flash system usually works for Canon, will easily see the differences. For multiple flash setups, this has a clear advantage over the simpler Canon wireless flash setup.

The downside in setting all this up for Canon speedlite to work properly, there is additional equipment expense – the Canon OC-E3 cord; the clamps and so on. Also, it takes a few minutes longer to set up. But it does work very well … for the individual shooter.

For my photography work, I rely on Nikon, and I’m quite happy with the PocketWizard FlexTT5 units for Nikon. For the multiple photographer environment of a workshop, the PocketWizard units (whether for Nikon or Canon) haven’t performed as expected. Apparently with the way that the PW units work, interjecting themselves within the communication train, means that the Slaved unit becomes confused with multiple Master units trying to access it.

For the workshops, I have now migrated to the RadioPoppers with great success. Since the Slaved speedlite just “listens”, waiting for the light pulses, it reacts immediately to any Master flash. The Slaved flash then reacts as well as if the Master flash had direct line-of-sight communication with the Slave flash … regardless of there being multiple photographers.

Final summary:
Both systems work really well, although for the PocketWizard units there is the caveat with the Canon speedlights and RF interference. As mentioned before, the PocketWizard team (and LPA Design) have gone out of their way to surmount this problem. With great success.

The RadioPoppers is the simpler system, and is easy to set up. I have to express admiration for Kevin King’s genius in figuring out how to intercept the pulses from the Master flash, and convert that into radio-frequency signals.

And finally, having spoken to the teams at RadioPoppers and PocketWizards, I have to say I am impressed with their dedication to their work and products.

RadioPoppers can be ordered directly from their site.

The PocketWizard FlexTT5 and AC3 for Canon can be ordered from this B&H affiliate link:

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

Lea – moving portrait – Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II

Canon just released the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H), an update to an already highly-regarded lens, and I was able to get a review copy courtesy of B&H. I tried this lens out during a photo session with a model, Lea. Instead of just photographs, I decided to shoot video and create a “moving portrait” of her.

The video footage was shot in Times Square a few evenings ago, just using the flood of light from the billboards.

The initial portion of the clip is just a series of glimpses of Lea through the crowd in Times Square. It was a bit of a battle to get a decent sequence, since people would often stop in their tracks right in front of the camera. Which is okay; I’m just one more person there. An amusing moment was when someone came up to Lea while I was photographing her at a distance, to ask her where she bought her clothes. “Hey lady, we’re working here!” I did actually say that, but just under my breath.

This video clip was edited with iMovie ’11. I slowed the video footage down to 50% speed to make it more dream-like. The soundtrack is a royalty-free track from Triple-Scoop Music.

This first section of the video clip is just with the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)
With the second section (where you can see the cars), I added the Canon 1.4x III extender (B&H) to turn this into an impressive 420mm f4 lens. This placed Lea so far from me that she couldn’t quite see my hand gestures as I was directing her … so she had to wear her glasses. (You can’t politely shout over that distance.)

Even though this short video clip has even less of a story than your average music video, it will show you the compression that this focal length creates for portraits, and how dreamily out-of-focus the background is at f2.8 All sections were shot with the lens wide open. And yes, it’s a “holy macaroni!” impressive kind of a lens. The video footage was shot with a tripod, but I also took some photos hand-held … and the aggressive Image Stabilisation is just as impressive. The images were sharp, even hand-held at 1/100 shutter speed.

Regarding my camera settings for shooting the video footage:

I stayed around 1600 ISO for the most part, but for some sections (not shown here), I dropped it by a 1/3rd and even 2/3rds of a stop. For the section at the end of this clip where Lea is standing at the cars, my ISO was at 2000. But there is more to this …

• With Canon DSLRs, multiples of 160 ISO give the best noise performance. However, I didn’t keep to that guide because:

• I needed to shoot at f2.8 and didn’t want to vary my aperture to get the appropriate multiple-of-160-ISO setting. I wanted to show the look the lens gives wide open. So I kept to f2.8 through-out.

• I wanted to keep the camera at 1/50th off a second shutter speed through-out.There are many articles online which will describe why 24fps gives a film-like appearance. And for specific reasons, it means we need to shoot at 1/50th shutter speed to maintain the 180 degree shutter rule, if we are shooting video at 24fps. So I kept my shutter to 1/50th shooting the video footage.

• Therefore, since I wanted to keep to a 1/50th shutter speed, and wanted to shoot at f2.8 it meant that I had to change my ISO to suit, even though my specific ISO setting might not match the ideal.

equipment used during this shoot:
Canon 5D mk II (B&H)
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)
Canon 1.4x III extender (B&H)

Manfrotto 458B tripod with NeoTec Pro Photo tripod legs (B&H)
Manfrotto 701HDV fluid head (B&H)

More about this tripod:
It features a unique quick-release and lock system for the legs which makes it incredibly easy to set up and collapse again. You simply pull on the legs to extend them, and they automatically lock in position. It is heavier than a carbon-fiber tripod, but the ease of setup made it an easy choice for me as my video tripod.

other articles featuring Lea:
- using direct, bare (un-modified) off-camera flash
- off-camera flash – adding dimension with back-lighting
- NYC photo-shootout redux

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

Ring flash is one of those light modifiers that are quite trendy to use. It gives a distinctive halo-like diffuse shadow around your subject when used on camera. When used on-camera, it also gives very flat lighting. As a single light source this doesn’t suit all subjects, and this does mean that the ring flash has its detractors. But used in conjunction with other lights, it is a very useful addition to the photographer’s arsenal.

Stephanie, a frequent guest here, tried out the  Orbis Ring flash (B&H),
a handy device which turns any speedlight into a ring-flash.

ring flash techniques with the Orbis Ring Flash

by Stephanie Zettl

Bring up the topic of ring flash at a crowded table of photographers and opinions will vary greatly. You’ll hear everything from “It’s harsh ugly flat light.” to “This is the coolest, trendiest light out there!” to “It’s a great tool when used properly.”

For the new photographer or someone with limited knowledge of ring flash, such differences of opinion can be confusing. Some of the greatest fashion photographers out there regularly use ring flashes. But there are also examples of really bad work done with a ring flash.

So that brings up the question: Why would you use a ring flash?

.

The ring flash was created in 1952 by a dentist so that he could fully illuminate the mouth to photograph teeth. Because the flash fits around the lens of the camera, it provides even flat illumination with few visible shadows. The ring flash has obviously moved beyond dental photography and been adopted into many other photographic genres including portrait and fashion. I was curious about how the ring flash is used in portrait work and set out to explore the different techniques.

the equipment – the Orbis Ring Flash

To test the different techniques of using a ring flash, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an Orbis Ring flash (B&H). The Orbis is a durable plastic modifier that you attach to your Speedlight to transform it into a ring light. It’s light, durable, and easy to use. It has a unique “one size fits most” dock that allows you to attach it to most flashes without additional add-ons, attachments, glue or velcro.

Simply slip the Orbis on to your flash and then hold it up in front of your lens. You will have to attach the flash to your camera via a flash sync cord or some sort of wireless triggering device like the Nikon CLS or Pocketwizard Radio Triggers. If you are planning to use the Orbis as a traditional ring flash on camera for extended periods of time, I recommend buying the mounting bracket that attaches the flash to the camera.

I’ve worked with different ring flashes from the professional studio “strobe and pack” ring flash to the cheap DIY ring flash. I have to say the Orbis is a nice in-between solution that delivers on durability and quality of light and is easy to use with your Speedlights.

The Technique:

There are three main ways that I have seen a ring flash used in portrait photography: 1) as a main flash, 2) a fill flash and 3) off camera. Each has a very different look and application, as we’ll see in the following photographs.

ring flash as the main light

This is the ring flash look that most people are familiar with. Here the flash is used as the main source of light on camera. Notice that the light is very flat (non-directional) and evenly illuminates our model Rimante. Because of the way the ring flash disperses the light, it creates a shadowy halo around the subject. This has become a common feature in fashion photography.

(Nikon D700, SB900, 85mm, f/5, 1/100sec)

(In the opening photo of the article I used a ring flash on camera and a red gelled Speedlight on the background. The Speedlights were triggered with Pocketwizards FlexTT5 and miniTT1.)

Ring Flash as Fill Light:

Remember how we said that ring flash provides even, shadowless lighting? This is what makes it such a great tool as a fill light.

Well known commercial and fashion photographers like Dave Hill and Jill Greenberg will use multiple lights to shape and contour their subject and then use a ring flash as fill light from the front.

In this setup we used five Nikon SB900 Speedlights – one on the background (group A), one on either side of our model as rim lights (total of 2 in group B), one in a beauty dish above and in front of our model (group C) and one in a Orbis Ring Flash on-camera (Master).

In the follow photos you can see the difference that the ring flash makes as a fill.

In the first two images the lighting difference is subtle, but there is less contrast in the shadows and the ring flash gives a nice fill.

(Nikon D700, SB900, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/100sec)

In the second set of images I moved the beauty dish higher above my model creating unflattering shadows on her face. By adding a bit of fill light from the ring flash, I still had the contouring of the light from the beauty dish without the ghastly shadows around the eye sockets.

(Nikon D700, SB900, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/100sec)

All the Speedlights were fired in i-TTL mode. The background light was set to -1EV, the rim lights were set to -1.3EV, the Beauty dish was 0EV and the ring flash was -1EV.

using the Ring Flash as off-camera flash

For a long time I thought you only used a ring flash on camera. That was until I saw my friend and talented photographer, Chuck Arlund use it as an off-camera light. (Chuck Arlund is a photographer based in Kansas City and Nashville, who specializes in Fashion and High-School Senior Portrait photography.)

It is a great on-location off-camera light modifier because it increases the relative size of the light source, but is still relatively compact and easy to set-up. I like how the ring flash provides a softer, less defined shadow than direct off-camera flash, but still gives beautiful direction and shape to the light.

In the following two images you can see the difference between using the ring light on camera and off camera on location. The off-camera ring flash is on a stand at about 45 degrees to camera left. The flash were triggered in i-TTL mode with Pocketwizards FlexTT5 and miniTT1 plus AC3.

(Nikon D700, SB900, 24-70mm, f/2.8, 1/250sec)

when you would use a ring flash

As you can see there are many application to using the ring flash. I personally find using a ring flash as the main light to be a bit harsh and has limited application. As a fill flash, the ring flash opens up a lot of opportunity to create dramatic photos while still creating beautiful lighting on the face. Using the ring flash off-camera gives you softer directional light than direct off camera flash but without the complications of pulling out a softbox.

But in the end these are just my observations. I encourage you to get your hands on a ring flash and try out these techniques for yourself. Experiment. Have fun. The possibilities are endless.

by Stephanie Zettl - one of the top wedding photographers in St Louis, MO

If you’d like to order the Orbis Ring flash from B&H, then please use this affiliate link.

equipment used in illustrating this article:

Nikon D700 (B&H); Nikon 24-70mm f2.8G (B&H)
Nikon 85mm f/1.8D (B&H);
Nikon SB-900 (B&H);  Orbis Ring flash (B&H)
(2x) PocketWizard FlexTT5 transceiver (B&H)
PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller (B&H)

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

lens review: Nikon 50mm f/1.4G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8G

The 50mm lens in general is an interesting optic. Not necessarily for what it does, but how it seems to have fallen out and back in favor over the years. For example, in the 1970′s pretty much all 35mm film cameras shipped with a 50mm lens. Zooms weren’t something that just came with the camera as a kit lens. It was the 50mm lens that was the “kit lens”.  So the first thing the serious amateur would do, is dump the 50mm lens and get a zoom lens to get some variety in their photographs.

Then over the years, more compact and slower aperture zooms became the norm. Even more so during the digital era.

Now, as more of the newer photographers are realizing that a 50mm lens is an inexpensive way of getting super-shallow depth-of-field, the 50mm lens is seeing something of a resurgence in popularity.  That super-shallow DoF is a look that your f5.6 kit zoom lenses just can’t give you.

With that, a 50mm lens deserves a place in your camera bag. It takes up little space, and is (usually) inexpensive. (Well, until you step up to something like the Canon 50mm f1.2L … but that’s another story.)

Nikon just released the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G (B&H) as an update to the popular Nikon 50mm f1.8D (B&H), and as a more affordable option than the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (B&H) … so let’s look at how it performs.

A quick summary, comparing the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G to the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G

• sharpness wide open at f1.8 is very close the f1.4G optic. Stopped down to f5.6 both lenses are razor sharp. As you’d expect from a lens with a fairly simple optical design like a 50mm lens. (Until you get to the Canon 50mm f1.2L which shifts focus as you stop down. But, that’s another story.)
• the bokeh of both lenses look the same to my eye
• focusing of the f1.8G is noticeably faster than the f/1.4G which is kind of a slouch. This might be due to the longer focusing “throw” of the f/1,4G optic. But the f1.4G just seemed slow and has received sharp criticism for that. The newer f1.8G is a huge improvement.
• the f1.8G is more than $200 cheaper than the f1.4G
• the f1.4G has a 2/3rd stop faster maximum aperture than the f1.8G

And that sums it up whether the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (B&H) or the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G (B&H) is more attractive.

(As an aside – I have tried three copies of the Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens at various times .. of which two exhibited back-focusing straight out of the box. That’s less endearing.)

Back to the image at the top:

1/500 @ f1.8 @ 200 ISO

This is typical of the look one can achieve with a 50mm lens, and using shallow depth-of-field.

In this case, the background is melting away not only because of the shallow depth of field, but also because of the way I shot against bright light, and allowed the background to over-expose. Just for interest sake, the background here above Jessica is an art display of pieces of linen blowing in the wind. (It was also seen here in this review of the Canon 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom lens.)

observations on the optical sharpness of the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G

With fast primes, I do think we don’t often use the lens for how sharp they are to the very edges. We photograph 3-dimensional subjects. Not flat scenes. (Besides, if you wanted sharp images from edge-to-edge for a scene that is “flat”, you’d just use an appropriately smaller aperture.)

Fast primes tend to show distinct vignetting when used wide open. But this isn’t a negative in my opinion. It can in fact lend a specific “look” to the images. (The Canon 85mm f1.2L is great for this … lending a noticeable vignette when used wide open with the 5D body.)  So the usual way of testing lenses would tell you about their optical quality .. but it would most likely not have much bearing on how the lenses are used – bringing attention to your subject via the shallow depth of field.

With these two images (click through to larger versions), you can see the difference in depth of field between f1.8 and f5.6 … but this shallow depth-of-field comes at a (slight) expenses of optical sharpness when used wide open.

Here are 100% crops (unsharpened) of her right eye of those two photos. The image at the left is for an f1.8 aperture, and the second image is for the lens used at f5.6 aperture.

The lens shows that typical slight haze (even though it looks sharp-ish) that you get with these lenses. So for me, this lens is sharp wide open, in that I would happily use it at wide apertures if I needed the shallow depth of field. If you want super-sharp though, then stop down. Those are your options.

bokeh – Nikon 50mm f/1.8G compared to a few other Nikon 50mm lenses

Before we look at the bokeh of this lens, keep in mind that shallow depth of field is not the same thing as bokeh. Bokeh is the evaluation of how pleasing the out-of-focus areas (usually) in the background appears. Also, we’re going to look at a single scene here. To really get an idea of the bokeh of a lens, we’d have to use it in a variety of situations at different focus distances and different apertures.

But this single example will already give us a good idea of whether the lens has pleasant bokeh or not.

Using a tripod, I took a series of photographs of Jessica at a specific distance. The crop images are from the top-right-hand corner.

The 50mm f/1.8G and f/1.4G show pretty much the same bokeh when used at f1.8 Note the way the out of focus areas are oval and have a soft edge to them. The f/1.4G lens appears to have slightly more round shaped out of focus highlights than the f/1.8G …. but this is such a small difference, that it wouldn’t factor in buying the one lens rather than the other.

Stopped down a little bit to f2.8 it still looks quite similar.

Comparing the newer f/1.8G lens to the f/1.8D we see that the bokeh of the G lens is more pleasing than the D optic. The out of focus highlights of the D lens has a harder edge to it, and would make the background less smooth than for the G optic. So this means to me that the f/1.8G lens has better bokeh than the f/1.8D

Stopped down to f2.8 it would appear the same and we even see that the D lens starts to exhibit a kind of hexagonal edge to the circles. (Both lenses have 7 blades to the diaphragm though.)

Just as a comparison to how the bokeh would look when it is less pleasing, here is how the older manual focus Nikon 50mm AIS lens appears at f2.8 …. the hexagonal shapes are quite distinct.

In summary … the bokeh of the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is an improvement over the f/1.8D

The f/1.4G improved in a similar way over the older f1.4D lens in terms of its bokeh. Notice here how intrusive the bokeh of the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D can be when used wide open.

Conclusion:
If you’re in the market for a 50mm lens, then the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G (B&H) would make a nice first lens. It is sharp, focuses fast .. and if it is important to you, it has nice bokeh. If you’re able to spring for a bit more money, then the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G  would be a good choice … if you can handle the slower focusing of the f/1.4 optic. We have options.

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shooting in bright sunlight with flash

One of the most challenging lighting scenarios we’ll most likely encounter, is bright harsh sunlight. There are a couple of steps we can take to make things a lot easier for ourselves …

If we can move our subject so their back is to the sun, we can get away without using flash. We make sure our subject is not unevenly lit with sun, and then we just let the highlights blow out as a rim light.

further discussion with examples:
- taking photos under the mid-day sun
- photographing in hard sunlight, with or without flash
- shooting in bright sunlight (wedding)

If we can use flash (whether off-camera or only on-camera), we’d still ideally move our subject so that their back is to the sun, and make sure they aren’t half-lit by sun and half in shade. But even if we can’t move our subject, this easy algorithm is the best approach:

When using flash with bright daylight:

1.)  use your lowest ISO 
We don’t need 1600 ISO in bright sunlight, so take your ISO immediately down to 100 ISO or 200 ISO. If you really need the extreme depth-of-field of f22, then you can raise your ISO. You would risk image softness due to diffraction though. But that is the option.

2.)  go to your camera’s max flash sync speed
There is a reason why we’d go to the maximum flash sync speed,
a.) and not lower (for then our aperture becomes smaller and our flash needs to give more output),
b.) and not (immediately) higher than max sync speed (for our flash loses power and range in high speed flash sync.)

3.)  find the aperture
Ideally you’d use an aperture where you don’t lose important detail in your subject. But we don’t want to get too caught up in controlling all our highlights, for rim-light helps separate our subject from the background. So that controlled loss of detail where the highlights blow out, is a good thing. And also, sometimes we have to compromise and accept that some detail will be lost.

4.) now, for that ISO and aperture combination, dump as much flash as is required (or your flash is capable of).

The recipe is as simple as that. And it is an easy enough approach to keep things on track when battling under pressure in hard sunlight.

A couple of further notes:

If you find you have the flash range / energy / power to spare at max sync speed, and you’d like the shallower depth-of-field that high-speed flash sync (HSS) affords us, then by all means go to HSS mode. But it is a good idea to start at max flash sync speed if you’re unsure, because at max flash sync speed you have the most likely chance of success in adding flash to bright sunlight. If you can’t do it at max sync speed, you can’t do it at any other shutter speed.

Most often, when we’re working in the f11 region of apertures, and using a softbox or some light diffuser, then we’ll be at our flash’s maximum output. So then we’ll move our flash closer or further to give us correct exposure.

Using a light meter is the easiest and most sure way of getting right exposure of your flash. But, this isn’t an absolute. With the image at the top, I checked the back of the camera’s preview and estimated how close I need to move my softbox to my subject to get the correct exposure. I know, it’s strobist heresy.

Back to the image at the top:

My camera settings here: 1/200 @ f11 @ 100 ISO
Canon 5D mk II (B&H);  Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS (B&H)

I wanted a dramatic wide-angle pose against the sky, including the sun. But I wanted to retain some detail in the sky, so I needed to add a lot of flash.

Now, I could’ve used direct off-camera flash to give dramatic light here in the sun.  But I like the look that a softbox gives. But this means having flash with lots of power.

My usual kit when I need to shoot in this kind of situation, is the 600 Ws Profoto AcuteB 600R lighting kit (B&H) with 2×3 Profoto softbox such as with this photo session with Sarah and Mark. Using a speedlight with a softbox (and using only one baffle) is also an option in overpowering the sun with flash … but you have to work close-up to your subject. So the extra power of a larger unit does help.

This time though, I had an interesting lighting kit on hand that B&H had sent to me for review.

review: Impact LiteTrek 4.0 DC Monolight & Battery Pack Kit

The Impact LiteTrek 4.0 DC Monolight & Battery Pack Kit (B&H), is a 400Ws monolight kit. So it has more than twice the amount of power of a speedlight. (There isn’t an easy way to translate Ws to the Guide Number.) In comparison the Quantum T flashes have a rating of 150 Ws. The Impact Lite Trek kit is priced attractively for a monolight kit. It comes with the head, the battery and the aluminum case. You’d still need to add a light-stand and a softbox.

The softbox I used was the Impact 24×32 softbox (B&H). It’s a softbox. It is fairly easy to set up … as easy as it is to set up a softbox with the 4 rods and a speeding. Ultimately, a softbox is just a softbox. (Unless it is something as unusual as the Lastolite softboxes.) It works.

Interestingly, I also got to use the Impact Powersync 16 transmitter and receiver set (B&H). I really liked them in that they were compact, super-easy to use … and the price is attractive. (Currently, $95 for the receiver, and $65 for the transmitter. The combined set is $150)

The Impact Lite Trek kit doesn’t allow high-speed sync. It is at this point where the decision swivels around the need to balance the need for power that a monolight offers, with the possibility of buying a number of speedlights instead to give the additional power to match a monolight … but then have the capability of high-speed flash sync.

The Impact Lite Trek does offer a fast flash burst, giving a very short flash duration, just like a speedlight used at low power settings. But the Impact Lite Trek obviously gives off much more power than the speedlight. This mode isn’t useful outdoors or anywhere one shoots in bright light … but it would be useful if you’d shoot high-speed images in the studio. Droplets falling and apples exploding. That kind of thing.

The battery is rated to give 650 pops at maximum power. So this unit would work well on location, giving you enough juice to shoot for quite some time. Of course, a spare battery always makes sense.

The mount for the head is Bowens bayonet-mount compatible, so it is possible to expand this as a system.

Ease of use – it couldn’t be simpler. The controls and display just make sense.

Build quality isn’t of the standard of equipment like Profoto, but it is priced more attractively than such gear. It’s all in the balance.

And there it is – an affordably-priced medium-high power monolight unit for on-location shoots.

related articles:

- overpowering hard sunlight with flash
- overpowering the sun with flash (models: Sarah & Mark)
- photographing in hard sunlight, with or without flash
- using direct off-camera flash
- shooting in bright sunlight (wedding)
- taking photos under the mid-day sun
- max flash sync speed
- tutorial: high-speed flash sync
- off-camera fill-flash in bright sunlight

index of articles on flash photography techniques

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review: Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom (lens review)

Venturing out again after posting a few initial test images with the Canon EF 8-15mm f/fL fisheye zoom lens, I tried for a more diverse range of images to show what this lens is capable of … and also compare it with the Canon 15mm f2.8 fish-eye lens to see how the brand-new zoom lens stacks up against the older fixed focal length lens.

I was brave enough to try this lens at 15mm for some funky urban portraits of a model, Kate. Bendy! The trick here is to keep as even as possible and not tilt the lens up or down, or else you risk making your subject look cartoonish. So I crouched down a bit, and worked at belly-button level, keeping the camera as level as possible.

I think the image works, but I do believe a fish-eye is a limited lens in terms of portraits. Even full-length portraits. As mentioned in the previous article on this lens, the fish-eye look can quickly feel over-done when there is a great number of images with the same look. The distorted view that a fish-eye gives, tends to pulls too much attention to the lens’ effect itself.

camera settings: 1/250 @ f5.6 @ 320 ISO

Next up, I photographed dance performers working at a promotional event.

When zoomed to 8mm on a full-frame camera such as the Canon 5D mk II (B&H), the lens gives this surreal circular image. The field of view is an impressive 180 degrees. It’s near impossible not to get your own feet or shadow in the image.

With this, I do believe the Canon 8-15mm fisheye zoom will end up being used as a dual focal-length lens when used on a full-frame camera. Photographers will either use it at (or around) 15mm where there is no vignetting, or go for the full effect. Inbetween focal lengths show a very specific vignette, with the image cut off by an ever-increasing black circle.

As an example, here is an image shot at 12mm and the distinct black vignette is there. Without it appearing as that circular shape, it just looks intrusive to my eye.

But the beauty of using a camera with a high megapixel count, like the Canon 5D mk2, is that you can crop your image and still end up with a high-resolution photograph. (Here is the same image, cropped down to 13 megapixels, losing the black edges to the frame.)

Of course, on a crop-sensor camera the Canon 8-15mm f4 fisheye zoom comes into its own, offering a much wider view than the fixed 15mm f2.8 fish-eye lens would. Then you have the full range of the zoom available to you .. from fish-eye to just bendy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a crop-sensor Canon DSLR to try this lens out on. Just the 5D mk2.

camera settings: 1/250 @ f11 @ 320 ISO

For these shots, I had to get all the way down on the ground. Here I am showing a few images to the dancers so they would have an idea of what I was aiming for, shooting so close-up to them.

Urban landscapes become surreal, such as this art project, shot from below …

camera settings: 1/250 @ f8 @ 640 ISO

A more normal viewpoint of the same:

This is where I believe the strength of a fish-eye lens lies … in turning the more mundane view into something quite spectactular:

camera settings: 1/80 @ f5.6 @ 1250 ISO

I really like this lens, even though I mostly used it at 15mm. The images are crisp, and of course, have that phenomenal depth-of-field typical of this type of lens.

camera settings: 1/500 @ f8 @ 640 ISO

The f4 aperture isn’t a slow aperture for this type of lens. Besides, you can’t really work with shallow depth-of-field with a fish-eye lens.

The Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom lens (B&H)

Optical performance of the Canon 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom

The Canon fisheye zoom lens has superb optical performance. Towards the edges of the frame, some chromatic aberration can be seen, as well as some image softness. I did a few comparative test shots with the Canon 15mm f2.8 fish-eye lens (B&H), and the fixed focal length lens is ever so slightly sharper. There is very little optical smearing to be seen at the edges.

Here’s the thing though about fish-eye lenses – they have such a distorted view, that scrutinizing high-resolution images for optical flaws is …. well, counter-productive. It is heartening to know the fisheye zoom lens is crisply sharp, and close to the fixed lens …. but the final choice in deciding between the zoom and the fixed lens, will most likely hinge on price, and whether one would need the zoom capability.

Instead of posting 100% crops of a few images, I have placed a few high-resolution images in a download folder. It’s a simple view of the Meat-Packing District from the Manhattan Highline there. I didn’t use a tripod, so there is some slight variation between the images, but there’s enough detail there to give a realistic idea of the zoom lens’ optical capability. (The images are named in an obvious way.)

In my estimation, I’d say this lens is super-sharp. Use it with confidence.

final summary

And that about sums up my verdict … this lens is of top quality. It is a fun lens with a unique focal range.  And I predict it is going to sell like hot-cakes.

(Also check out my initial review of the Canon 8-15mm f/4L lens, for more images.)

This lens can be ordered from B&H via this affiliate link: Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom

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these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies. Thank you!

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initial images – Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom lens (review)

I got my hands on the brand-new Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom (B&H) today, and I just had to try it out. And what better place than Times Square in Manhattan. Enough tall buildings and billboards to fill the frame of a lens that gives a 180 degree view! Now, before I continue, I have to admit that even though I have a fish-eye lens in my bag, (the Nikon 16mm f2.8), I only occasionally use it. I feel that a fish-eye lens can be over-used very quickly when it draws too much attention to the distorted view that the lens gives, rather than the photograph’s content. That said, I haven’t had this much fun with a new lens in a long, long time!

[ updated: review of the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom ]

While the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom (B&H) can zoom between those two extreme wide angle views, I think it will essentially be used as a dual focal-length lens. At 8mm it gives a circular view of 180 degrees as seen in the top image. At 14-15mm it gives the classic fish-eye look. (For the images here, I used the Canon 5D mk II (B&H).

In-between those two focal lengths, you can see the frame intrudes into the image area, without giving that neat circular effect. In-between focal lengths will have large areas of black, as the lens zooms wider than the image area of a full-frame camera. So I do think that most photographers will use this lens at those two focal lengths for most of the time … 8mm and 15mm.

For comparison, here is the image at the top at 8mm, compared to the image at 15mm. (I have cropped out the black edges of the 3:2 ratio frame of the circular image, to give me a 1:1 image within which the circular image makes more sense.) Also note that we’re seeing 180 degrees there! If I had been able to steady myself properly while looking straight up with this lens on my camera, then we would’ve seen sidewalk right around the edges of the frame.

camera settings: 1/80 @ f5 @ 1250 ISO

Here is the full-frame of a circular image, compared to how I had cropped out the sides, just in case someone was wondering what the actual image would look like as it comes out of your camera. (It’s the same photo, just cropped in Photoshop.)

camera settings: 1/40 @ f4 @ 1250 ISO

Everything takes on a surreal aspect when viewed as a 180 degree circular image. Here is the well-known ceiling of the sidewalk area of the big McDonalds just off Times Square.

camera settings: 1/100 @ f5.6 @ 1250 ISO

shot at 15mm:

shot at 13mm … and you can see the black corners as the image is being zoomed wider than the image circle created by the lens.

shot at 8mm (as cropped in PS) … and that’s the building behind me that you’re seeing at the top of the photo:

camera settings: 1/25 @ f5.6 @ 1250 ISO

We’ll come back to this lens with a more in-depth review, but here are my overall first impressions:

• this is an exceptional lens. It is sharp! Even the extreme edges are sharp. It suffers none of that image softness that plagues the edges of photos taken with the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II.
• the lens cap design is innovative. It clips on and off. (Nikon could take note here with the Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 lens cap that just slips on and off.) As an aside: the lens hood has to be removed for the 8mm focal length.
• the lens is not that much larger than the Canon 15mm f2.8
• the lens focuses surprisingly close – a mere 6.2″
• finally, this is a fun lens.  Optically superb, and fun to use. What else more could you want from a lens.

This lens can be ordered from B&H via this affiliate linkCanon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom

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photo session with the Fuji X100 – camera review

First of all, for those who haven’t heard of the Fuji X100 (B&H) yet, it is a beautiful retro-looking rangefinder-mimicking 12 megapixel digital point & shoot camera (with a fixed 35mm equivalent f2.0 lens), that gives remarkable image quality. That about sums it up.

For all those reasons, quite a buzz developed around this camera. Quite unlike anything since … oh, the Leica X1. Or the Olympus Pen EP-2. Or the Sony NEX-5. There was greater excitement building up around the Fuji X100 though than other cameras, specifically for its looks initially. And then when news hit about the incredible image quality, the excitement and interest became more substantial. It’s a hot item right now, and for good reason. But more about the details and specs of this camera later on.

The reason why I bought this camera – well, the way I justify it to myself even though I have several Nikon D3 bodies and a Canon 5D mk II – is that I wanted a Day Off Camera.

My usual day working as a photographer, is where I’m slinging heavy cameras around and running myself ragged. Or else, a working day is where I slump in front of the computer. Because of all that, I’ve felt this need to take a day off during the week. On this mid-week “weekend” day, I would just like to roam around New York with a camera and take photos, and have lunch and relax. But the camera shouldn’t be a heavy Nikon D3 with a zoom lens. That would just be too much physical effort again. (As it is, I have tendonitis in my right elbow from not carefully handling the big cameras with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens.)

So for a while now, I’ve been looking for a light-weight, top quality camera. My Day Off Camera. With the Fuji X100 (B&H), I finally felt I might have it. A stylish camera that is fun to play with, and gives great images.

Before I even got to photograph a wedding with the Fuji X100, I had a brilliant idea for a review of this camera. I wanted to do a photo shoot with Anelisa. Now the twist here is that I wanted it to be a play on the idea that this camera is ideal for surreptitious street photography.

The styling of the Fuji X100 is like the classic rangefinder cameras which were the tools of the trade of the street photographers. However, I live in New Jersey. This land of suburbia and shopping malls isn’t exactly the kind of place where you can roam around the streets on foot with a camera, snagging images which are wonderful slices of life. Besides, street photography is tough. You have to pound the city pavements for months on end, looking for those interstitial moments where everything in the frame intersects just perfectly. It is long hard work building up a portfolio of street photography that doesn’t just consist of random boring snaps of stuff and people.

The brilliant idea was to test the Fuji X100 out as this inconspicuous and innocent looking, yet very professionally capable camera … by photographing Anelisa in a shopping mall in New Jersey. Doing this photo shoot without being noticed by the security guards and getting kicked out, would need some non-chalant moves by the photographer and model … and a camera that doesn’t draw attention. If you pulled out a big DSLR with a telephoto zoom and started to direct the model, it will surely be only a minute before security guards accost you and ask you for your permit and proof of insurance. Life in America.

Anyway, as I said, the idea behind the shoot was a tongue-in-cheek reference to this camera being this surreptitious street photographer’s camera. But in a New Jersey shopping mall. I know, I know, it’s not the same. But, just go along with the idea …

[update: on June 26, 2011, Fuji announced a major firmware update for the Fuji X100.
Some of the changes in ver 1.10 will affect some of my initial observations in this review, especially my criticism of how the X100 (under firmware 1.0) would retain the ISO setting per mode, instead of retaining an overall ISO setting. This has now been fixed! So please take note that some of the comments about the camera's menu and behavior might have been affected since the time of the original review's posting. Instead of continually updating the review with every firmware update in the future, I'm going to let this review stand as it originally appeared.]

With this review of the Fuji X100, I again wanted compare the straight out of the camera (sooc) images with JPGs generated from an edited RAW file.  In Bridge / ACR, I created a default for the Fuji X100 RAW files which bumps up the saturation and contrast more than the zeroed defaults of ACR / Bridge. With this review, I will note with each image whether it is the sooc JPG, or is a JPG generated from the RAW file which I had adjusted.

Walking in from the parking lot, I noticed this interesting pattern against the exterior wall, and posed Anelisa there.

Now, the Fuji X100 has a fixed focal length lens which is the equivalent of a 35mm f2 lens. This wide focal length needs some consideration when composing a photograph. You can’t control your background by compressing it like  you can with a telephoto zoom. You have a specific angle of view, and you need to frame your subject with a certain economy of composition still in mind. You don’t want to include any extraneous distractions within the frame. This is harder work with a wide-angle lens than it is with a telephoto lens.

1/750 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
Aperture Priority, with +0.33 exposure compensation
image – sooc JPG

1/450 @ f2 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
image – RAW file, where I evened the image a bit more.
I somehow found it more difficult keeping this camera level than I do my larger Nikon D3 cameras. There is an Electronic Level / Virtual Horizon display in the Fuji X100, but I find it a distracting element in the viewfinder since there is a lag with the Virtual Horizon line.  (More about the EVF and OVF later on in this review.)

The pull-back shot to show the location:

Shooting inside the shopping mall, I was on the lookout for simple backgrounds. The light also had to be even, and there had to be enough light to give me a hand-holdable image at not much more than 800 ISO.

1/320 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
Aperture Priority, with +0.33 exposure compensation
image – RAW file processed in Bridge / ACR; with the image cropped a little.

Here is the sooc image, to show how I had missed the exact framing I was after. This was something I learned subsequently – that I need to look at the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) display if I wanted exact framing. While the Optical Viewfinder (OVF) does show framing guidelines, but it isn’t as exact as the EVF.

The pull-back shot to show the location:

This large green expanse of a wall outside the Anthropologie store looked like it had potential. We had to work with, or work around the spotlights in the ceiling there, to make sure we don’t get uneven light on our model.

1/100 @ f4 @ 1600 ISO; Auto WB
Aperture Priority, with +0.33 exposure compensation
image – sooc JPG

For the sequence of images here, I kept my camera settings to the same, but I prefer the image generated from the RAW file, where I bump up the contrast and saturation, (as well as bring up the exposure a touch). I also changed the WB to bring in a warmer skin tone.

With this last image, I cropped the photograph from the original framing, to exclude some visual clutter.

Lunch at Johnny Rockets …

1/140 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Incandescent WB
Aperture Priority, with +0.66 exposure compensation
image – slight retouching of the RAW image to add a touch more contrast.

What impressed me here was the gentle bokeh of the Fuji X100′s lens. Wide-angle lenses tend to have a harder bokeh .. but the background looks soft. The out of focus areas in the front exhibits some of that harshness. (But that’s how it works … if the bokeh of the background is soft, the foreground will be harsh. And vice versa.) Clicking on the photograph will bring up a larger image.

So the little lens is sharp, and has pleasant bokeh. Nice!

As a side-note here: I directed and posed Anelisa here so that the light fell evenly on her face, and didn’t leave darker shadows under her eyes.

Goofball!

1/110 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
Aperture Priority, with -0.33 exposure compensation (because of the darker tones)
image at the top – sooc JPG;
image below – slight crop, and finessing of the WB via the RAW file.

Outside the Abercrombie & Fitch store, with their customary black blinds.  The strong leading lines here drew me because it would make for such a strong compositional element.

1/150 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
Aperture Priority, with -0.33 exposure compensation (because of the darker tones)
image at the top – sooc JPG;
image below – slight crop, and finessing of the WB and exposure via the RAW file.

This photograph has appeared here before, with the discussion on exposure metering.

1/125 @ f2 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
Manual exposure mode. (The only way to deal with that strong back-lighting, in-camera.)
image – JPG converted from the RAW file, which was edited for WB; vertical corrected.

The wider shot showing the area where we were shooting. For more details about this specific photograph, follow the link about exposure metering techniques.

The lens flares more easily than I am used to with my Nikon lenses. However, flare like this is easily corrected in post-processing.

1/125 @ f5.6 @ 800 ISO; Auto WB
Manual exposure mode, to overcome the strong back-lighting.
image at the top – sooc JPG;
image below – slight crop; and finessing of the WB and exposure of the RAW file.

1/125 @ f2.8 @ 1250 ISO; Auto WB
Manual Exposure mode
image at the top – sooc JPG;
image below – finessing of the WB and exposure via the RAW file.

Working in this niche at the one elevator, I was able to get two images that worked:

1/60 @ f2.8 @ 1250 ISO; Auto WB
Manual Exposure mode
image  - finessing of the WB and exposure and contrast via the RAW file.

1/60 @ f2.8 @ 1250 ISO; Auto WB
Manual Exposure mode
image  - finessing of the WB and exposure and contrast via the RAW file.
I also cloned out two push-button panels that I found distracting.

This last image is softer than I would’ve liked. You won’t be able to discern it from the web-size (and sharpened) image, but the full-rez file is softer than I’d like. The reason – my shutter speed was too slow for how I was working.

Overall assessment of the Fuji X100 during this photo session:

This is a fun little camera!

I do feel I have to adapt much of my way of seeing because of being limited to just the one focal length. So while I miss certain opportunities, it has made me re-learn a few things about visualizing what my angle of view is, and how close I need to be to my subject for a certain framing. In that respect, working with this camera was a trip back to the basics of photography.

I’m very happy with the images I got during this shoot, of which these dozen or so images are a selection.

Obviously, we couldn’t have Anelisa jumping and dancing – the slow shutter speeds (due to the low light, and lack of flash) worked against us. This would also have run counter against the very idea of this being a quiet nearly-unobserved photo shoot.

The camera is very light. I barely feel it on my shoulder, and it certainly doesn’t strain the wrists and hands.

While the Fuji cameras are legendary for great skin tones, I turned to the RAW file most of the times here. The mixed lighting in the shopping mall wasn’t the easiest challenge. The SOOC images look fine, but I do feel I did better in slightly touching up the RAW files in post.

As shown with examples in the two related articles:
- initial impression: Fuji X100
- review: Fuji X100 – photographing a wedding
the high-ISO noise is superbly handled. It wasn’t an issue at all to push up the ISO rating. I don’t have any 100% views of the noise as they appear, but the two linked articles do.

Specification and technical description of the Fuji X100:

More about the Fuji X100:
I don’t want to run through the full specification sheet. This is already available elsewhere, such as Fuji’s X100 site, and DP Review. So if details about the EXR Processor interests you, head on over there.

The things that I would need to know, are:
- the camera is capable of producing remarkably sharp and detailed images,
- build quality is solid and inspires confidence (and more than a touch of pride in this gem of a camera)
- it really isn’t heavy,
- the controls glide effortlessly and speaks of quality.

And you know what? I like my cameras and equipment to look stylish. I know that many photographers will trot out that worn-out cliche that they don’t care what the camera looks like, and that it is just a tool, and so on. Sure. But can’t we also indulge in cameras that look stylish and sexy? I’ll take it.

The one thing that is mentioned all the time with regards to the Fuji X100, is its hybrid viewfinder. The description doesn’t necessarily sound all that exciting, but what it does, is allow you to either look at your scene via the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), or the Optical Viewfinder (OVF).

The Optical Viewfinder is sheer genius. Everyone I’ve shown the camera to, and have held it up to their eye, have responded with surprise. The optical viewfinder with the information overlay, just looks stunning. Crisp and clear. And all the info is there. Even the focused distance with the appropriate depth-of-field scale for your chosen aperture. Just beautiful.

This image from the Fuji X100 website, will give you an idea:

Shutter speed, aperture, ISO and exposure mode. Exposure metering and the histogram (which doesn’t work in Manual exposure mode unfortunately). A whole bunch of information laid over .. and yet not looking cluttered.

Now, in bright sunlight, you may not be able to distinguish this. What I’ve found though, is if I cover the eyepiece with my finger, I can see all the necessary info … even if I momentarily can’t see the scene. A quick-fix bit of help while shooting.

The Optical Viewfinder also shows the parallax correction as you focus closer. It really looks remarkable.

With a press of the button on the back of the camera, the display will either appear permanently on the back LCD, or permanently in the viewfinder … or best of all, flip between the outside LCD and the in-camera display – depending on whether you have your eye to the camera or not.

Then, in addition to the optical viewfinder (OVF), there is also the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF). As mentioned earlier, this will give you the exact framing. However, since it is an electronic display, there is some lag between what you see and your subject’s actual movements. The switch on the front of the camera is simple enough to use to engage either the OVF or the EVF.

As mentioned earlier, there is a potentially useful Electronic Level / Virtual Horizon display in both the EVF and OVF modes.

For bright light, the camera has a built-in Neutral Density filter to help in getting to wider apertures in bright light.

As mentioned in the review: photographing a wedding with the Fuji X100, the auto-focus performance of the Fuji X100 is okay. Fairly fast, but not impressive. And doesn’t quite match DSLR speed with auto-focusing. What I also found, is that the camera tended to grab the background if the background was brighter than my subject. Working close to my subject especially, the camera was prone to mis-focusing and grabbing some element of the background or some other part of my subject. The Fuji X100 does need a more careful approach with focusing than I am used to with the Nikon D3. (This shouldn’t be a surprise though. They are entirely different beasts.)

There are a number of features I didn’t check out, such as the Motion Panorama Mode, as well as the 720p Video Mode (24 frames/second). For me, the Fuji X100 is primarily for stills, but it’s nice to know there are further interesting options.

What does all add up to? A camera that is fun to use.

But there are a few quirks.

[update: on June 26, 2011, Fuji announced a major firmware update for the Fuji X100.
Some of the changes in ver 1.10 will affect some of my initial observations in this review, especially my criticism of how the X100 (under firmware 1.0) would retain the ISO setting per mode, instead of retaining an overall ISO setting. This has now been fixed! So please take note that some of the comments about the camera's menu and behavior might have been affected since the time of the original review's posting. Instead of continually updating the review with every firmware update in the future, I'm going to let this review stand as it originally appeared.]

Quirks of the Fuji X100:

There are a few quirks that the Fuji X100 has, that can be frustrating. Or just confusing. There are firmware updates which are rumored to fix a few of these, so we’ll have to keep an eye out.

- the one thing that drove me nuts during the wedding I photographed with the Fuji X100, was that it reverted to previously held ISO settings when changing exposure modes. (This is one of the things which will apparently be fixed with an upcoming firmware update. That it would be so easy to change between Exposure Modes, but then have to have to use several button pushes to get to your desired ISO again, makes no sense.

- the battery can be inserted the wrong way around! Even though there is a rounded corner on the battery, the battery chamber is square, so you can quite easily drop the battery in the wrong way. Then you have a dead camera, leaving you to think you have a faulty battery. (Yes, I did go through this embarrassing event.)

- the live histogram in the viewfinder is genius too. Except it is static during Manual Exposure mode. It would have been even more helpful in Manual exposure mode so that you could use the histogram to determine and fix your exposure.

- the Fn button can be programmed to do a number of things, but in the end it makes most sense to use it as the dedicated ISO button. Which means you have to delve into the menu to access the Neutral Density filter.

- to enable the ND filter, you have to dig into the menu. I feel this is one of those features which should be a push of a button away.

- because of the design of the X100′s shutter & lens, you can’t access certain shutter speed and aperture combinations. For example, you can’t use a wide aperture at a high shutter speed. The shutter speed is displayed in red in the viewfinder should you go outside the range that the camera’s shutter & lens design is capable of.

Final overview:

The camera is a delight in terms of its build and physical look and design.

The lens is superb as well, despite a tendency to flare easily with back-lighting.

Image quality is surprisingly good. I would say unexpectedly good. Check the review: Fuji X100 at a wedding where there is a full-res file shot at 6400 ISO.

The only downside is the menu system and some firmware / software quirks which affects its behaviour.

My final summary: Fuji really created a camera here capable of professional quality images, in a compact body. It’s a camera that is (mostly) a delight to use, and I can see how this specific camera will get a huge and loyal fanbase.

related articles:
- initial impression: Fuji X100
- review: Fuji X100 – photographing a wedding

The Fuji X100 and accessories can be ordered from B&H through this affiliate link.

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

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review: Frio ColdShoe Mount

by: Stephanie Zettl (St Louis wedding photographer)

Have you ever tried to connect your very expensive speedlight to a light stand or flash modifier with a coldshoe? Have you tightened the coldshoe around your very expensive speedlight and had that bad feeling in the back of your mind that with a little bump, the coldshoe would loosen and your very expensive speedlight would go crashing to the ground? I know I have.

Ten years ago, I did not have many problems with coldshoes. Part of the reason was because the coldshoe tightened around the flash foot and the flash itself had a rotating locking wheel that tightened the flash to the shoe. Since speedlights have gone to a pin and lock system, coldshoes have become much more unreliable. Most coldshoes are not built to have a pin lock into them.

Then came along the Frio. I have never been so excited about a $15 piece of plastic. If you use off camera flash or any coldshoes mounts, this is a product you might be interested in.

The Frio has two very powerful things going for it; it uses a dual locking system and it is much easier to use than a regular coldshoe. The dual locking comes from a pressure release tab on the Frio and the pin and lock system on the flash. It’s easier than a normal coldshoe because it doesn’t require you to tighten any knobs. Simply push the flash into the Frio and it is securely locked into place.

It fits any flash, including the Nikon SB-900. It mounts to anything with a male 1/4″ 20 thread, standard tripod stud. (The 1/4″ 20 socket is metal – so it’s sturdy and won’t get stripped with regular use)

I have replaced all the coldshoe connectors on my Interfit and Lastolite softboxes. I usually have my softboxes mounted on a monopod and held by an assistant. When we are on location, we are on the move. I now no longer have that nagging fear that the cold shoe will fail. Peace of mind is a beautiful thing.

Stephanie Zettl

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

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