OEM Spoiler Installed, EOS 400D/Rebel XTi test.
#41
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Waipahu HI; Phoenix AZ
Posts: 2,069
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Originally Posted by taurran
Image after-processing is the best way to make a great shot excellent. It's a huge part of having "professional" quality photos, but by no means will it totally turn a bad shot into a good one. I'm not necessarily talking about airbrushing out defects or removing trees, either. I'm talking about color balancing, sharpening, and accentuating the already present aspects of the photo.
I guess its alright to skip it if you're looking for constructive criticism, but doing without it completely isn't advisable.
I guess its alright to skip it if you're looking for constructive criticism, but doing without it completely isn't advisable.
#43
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Waipahu HI; Phoenix AZ
Posts: 2,069
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Originally Posted by sokudo9l6
what aperture value were you shooting at? Some of the night photos look blurry.
Shooting through a viewfinder took some getting used to again, and you just can't tell sometimes with the preview just how sharp they are.
#44
Registered User
iTrader: (18)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: .
Posts: 9,482
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Question - did you crank the saturation on those last few shots? I just got home on my desktop (which has a much nicer monitor), and noticed the colors are a little oversaturated. They looked fine on my laptop but I hate doing anything on it because its impossible to tell if the saturation is good or not. If I ever have to do any sort of image editing on the laptop I usually just hit an auto levels and an auto contrast and maybe bump the saturation 2-3 points, no more.
The above poster may have been referring to the bleed caused by the saturation above.
The above poster may have been referring to the bleed caused by the saturation above.
#45
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Waipahu HI; Phoenix AZ
Posts: 2,069
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Originally Posted by taurran
Question - did you crank the saturation on those last few shots? I just got home on my desktop (which has a much nicer monitor), and noticed the colors are a little oversaturated. They looked fine on my laptop but I hate doing anything on it because its impossible to tell if the saturation is good or not. If I ever have to do any sort of image editing on the laptop I usually just hit an auto levels and an auto contrast and maybe bump the saturation 2-3 points, no more.
The above poster may have been referring to the bleed caused by the saturation above.
The above poster may have been referring to the bleed caused by the saturation above.
Pic #1 actually had the lens focus on the wall... on of the 9 AF points picked it out. But it takes a good eye to catch it, especially with the pics resized. I'm surprised he caught that the car is a little soft. Pic #2 I did manual focus because the lens had trouble with pic #1. Again, I'm new to SLRs and looking through the viewfinder aint the easiest thing being so close to the ground as it's a low shot, and previewing doesn't really reveal sharpness because it's so small. I know I can zoom in on it, but still... I don't know what % size I'm looking the cropped pic at.
Tried focusing on the car first, then composing the shot, but the AF just won't pic up the white car.
Last edited by ctwentytwo; 10-28-2006 at 03:50 AM.
#46
Registered User
iTrader: (18)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: .
Posts: 9,482
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by ctwentytwo
Yep, cranked it to max in camera (user defined config). Forgot I did it. I'll see how some day shots come out for best config. as long exposure shots do look oversaturated at times. I prefer a saturated look to my pics.
Pic #1 actually had the lens focus on the wall... on of the 9 AF points picked it out. But it takes a good eye to catch it, especially with the pics resized. I'm surprised he caught that the car is a little soft. Pic #2 I did manual focus because the lens had trouble with pic #1. Again, I'm new to SLRs and looking through the viewfinder aint the easiest thing being so close to the ground as it's a low shot, and previewing doesn't really reveal sharpness because it's so small. I know I can zoom in on it, but still... I don't know what % size I'm looking the cropped pic at.
Tried focusing on the car first, then composing the shot, but the AF just won't pic up the white car.
Pic #1 actually had the lens focus on the wall... on of the 9 AF points picked it out. But it takes a good eye to catch it, especially with the pics resized. I'm surprised he caught that the car is a little soft. Pic #2 I did manual focus because the lens had trouble with pic #1. Again, I'm new to SLRs and looking through the viewfinder aint the easiest thing being so close to the ground as it's a low shot, and previewing doesn't really reveal sharpness because it's so small. I know I can zoom in on it, but still... I don't know what % size I'm looking the cropped pic at.
Tried focusing on the car first, then composing the shot, but the AF just won't pic up the white car.
I noticed it was a little soft in them too but didn't really mention it because it wasn't that bad. Plus you also stated that you were using the normal shutter release so I didn't fret about it.
I've become used to avoiding autofocus when possible, especially at night. I'm getting better with it and have it down pretty well now. What I do is flip auto focus on, and autofocus to the car to get it generally at the right range, then flip it to manual and fine tune it. Depending on where I intend to focus on the car, I usually find a highlight and fine tune the focus until that highlight is perfectly sharp. (I normally use a sharp highlight on the polished lip of the wheel closest to me, the logo on the brake caliper, a badge on the car, the plates on the intercooler, or a sharp highlight on the paint)
Works for me, and I'm getting to be pretty quick at it.
#48
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Lancaster, PA
Posts: 909
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For low light shots, I use an external flash but have it set in the custom function to not fire. It'll emit the light to help the AF. The lens you use also makes a difference in the accuracy of the AF. A ghetto way to help your autofocus at night is to bring a flashlight (or a laser pen) and use it to spotlight the area you want to focus. The problem with the entry level Canon dSLRs is the small viewfinder, so it makes MF difficult at night.
With practice, you can visualize how the shot turns out before you see it on the computer. The same goes with the settings. You'll be able to look at the frame and have a rough idea what your settings should be, or close to it.
With practice, you can visualize how the shot turns out before you see it on the computer. The same goes with the settings. You'll be able to look at the frame and have a rough idea what your settings should be, or close to it.
#49
Registered User
iTrader: (18)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: .
Posts: 9,482
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by gr?
For low light shots, I use an external flash but have it set in the custom function to not fire. It'll emit the light to help the AF. The lens you use also makes a difference in the accuracy of the AF. A ghetto way to help your autofocus at night is to bring a flashlight (or a laser pen) and use it to spotlight the area you want to focus. The problem with the entry level Canon dSLRs is the small viewfinder, so it makes MF difficult at night.
With practice, you can visualize how the shot turns out before you see it on the computer. The same goes with the settings. You'll be able to look at the frame and have a rough idea what your settings should be, or close to it.
With practice, you can visualize how the shot turns out before you see it on the computer. The same goes with the settings. You'll be able to look at the frame and have a rough idea what your settings should be, or close to it.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post