Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!
I rarely need to do much if the original capture is correct...I tend to use - 0.5 exposure compensation unless I am correcting for backlight situations. I mainly attempt to fine tune WB and exposure then manipulate the levels and contrast between LowMid values and Higher values. Works great when I can pull it off.Can I ask how you are processing your color photos? I like what you are doing with them.
Kurt
Kurt,Bob, that Pentax macro suits you well.
Kurt
An interesting and valid perspective. Pros are always thinking and I am sure, Guy, you would be as careful with a P&S as MF for an important shoot, but we serious amateurs can slip into the "grab shot" mode too easily. I find MF forces one to be more aware and yes, maybe more careful and professional-like and the results show itAgree Dave . Honestly I can shoot almost anything with MF. I shoot Golf and other high action stuff as well. It all comes down to the decisive moment. Sure it is more work , more thinking and more hassle but as you get more experienced in any of these systems it becomes less a chore. The S2 given by design will make that easier as folks get that experience down a little quicker. I wish it was a 4:3rds format it would entice me more.
Yes, I remember the first shots with the Contax, film..a combination of frustration and exhilarationSure love to test one ....... The grab shot mode is fine and if you get lucky and happen to pull off a stunning image you did really well, problem is it does not always happen and that for the hobbyists it gets frustrating and they don't want to shoot MF any more. One reason i keep pounding the this is work and be prepared to do it or your just not going to enjoy it. Last thing we all want is to get frustrated and sell the darn thing off because your not prepared to work at getting good images. ........ MF is a different league and a different mindset.
Initially I felt that I might be missing out by moving from the MFDB with tech camera to the S2. I thought that I would make the move and consider how to incorporate a cheaper used back with tech camera ... however the S2 has changed that for me. I may not have the best technical files but I do believe that they will work within my expectations and desires.If I had to choose between a tech camera with tilt and shift, hit or miss focusing, correcting for color casts, steep learning curve software, etc. or a point and shoot... I know what I'd pick.
I have been away for a week in Sicily. Lot’s of good stuff here in the meantime. Kurt, your Rugby shots are great. Bob, thanks for the kind comments on my tulip shot and I continue to enjoy your very elegant shots. To, nice Tulips as well. Guy, very true posts.
The Sicily trip gave me the opportunity so use the S2 as a travel camera, and I wanted to share the experience. .
Two important facts so start with. The main purpose of the trip was a family vacation, not a photographic adventure. While I am prepared to stretch the patience of my wife and 3 teenage daughters, and while I have trained them, there obviously are limits. Also, I was not getting up before dawn or missing the family dinner to get these gorgeous sunrise or sunset shots. Second, the weather was not what you would expect in Sicily in spring. We had several days with gray skies and pouring rain. Thus, there were opportunities to test the weather sealing.
I had all 4 lenses with me. However, I only took the camera and 3 lenses on any of my outings. Most of the time these were the 35, 70, and 120 (there were many wild flowers which made the macro quite attractive). One day I used a shoulder bag, but this was really to heavy, so I then switched to the Think Tank swing back, which worked great and allowed relatively fast switching of lenses.
Overall, I was very impressed by the versatility of the system. Typical holiday snapshots, landscapes, cityscapes, close up of fruit and vegetable stands, macro shots of flowers, pick of the family etc. The trip proved that you really can take the camera everywhere. I have not shot with a Hassi or Phase, but I doubt that I would have used these systems as much as I did use the S2. Sure, the system is heavy, but camera and 3 lenses are doable. Arguably, for many shots the S2 was an overkill. However, once you get used to the IQ and the view through the viewfinder, you don’t want anything else. (I also had the M9 and a few lenses with me and while the lighter weight was tempting, and while the camera would have been absolute up to what I was shooting, I did not use it because I wanted to use the trip to learn as much as possible about using the S2.)
I did not encounter any problems. Autofocus worked fine. Battery life is phenomenal.
I did use the tripod more often then I used it with the M9. While the camera can be shot handheld, I have to concentrate to avoid shake, in particular if you want to use slower shutter speeds. The most important accessory, however, was a monopod. It was easy to carry and added significant stability and flexibility (e.g.. shooting indoors in a church). I also found that it helped me concentrate on my compositions. I also had the flash with me but I never used it.
There are two main issues I continue to struggle with. First, the relatively small depth of field. As there is not depth of flied scale on the lenses, I need to copy it or learn it by hard to make better use of hyperfocal technique. I also need to relearn what would be the ideal aperture (I know this for the M9 and its lenses but not yet for the S2 and its lenses). Second, I like to recompose shots and sometimes “lost” the correct focus, in particular when shooting wide open.
What would be on my wish list? A working true focus as it apparently exists for the Hassi. A relatively fast and not too heavy zoom, the 24 mm wide angel, and a 1.4 or 1.7 converter for the 180. Of course, an assistant who carries the whole stuff would also come in handy.
To conclude, the trip proved that the purchase was the right choice. I am still on learning curve, but it’s a fun climb.
Georg
PS: Will post some shots soon.