HDR (high dynamic range)

[MICKEY88]

I am not taking the D80 because I am a photographer and that is the one I use for weddings an other photo shoots.

I have the 50mm but it will not fit on my D40 (that's what I was told and I have not tried it.)

not sure I understand the reason for not taking the better camera to WDW..


is it that the 50mm won't fit. or won't autofocus..

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Ahhhh, so I'm assuming that's what they meant by "not made for the D40."
Do you know why I can't use AF?

Because it wasn't built with the focus motor. You would have to use it in manual mode.

 

[Groucho]

Ahhhh, so I'm assuming that's what they meant by "not made for the D40."
Do you know why I can't use AF?

That lens doesn't have a focus motor in the lens, it is focused by the camera body itself, which basically turns a slot on the back of the lens (like a screwdriver turning a screw). To save money, the D40/D40x/D60 lack this motor, so they can't make the lens focus. It should work identically otherwise.

The D40 lacks bracketing? I'm surprised, I did not know that.

Either way, I'd still bring the D80.

 

[singjenn]

not sure I understand the reason for not taking the better camera to WDW..


is it that the 50mm won't fit. or won't autofocus..

Becasue the D80 is ONLY for my business. I have the D40 just for traveling.
If I took my D80 and something happened to it I wouldn't have a camera for my business and I would have alot of unhappy brides.

+ =

 

[MarkBarbieri]

You can still manually bracket. You can do it by shooting in manual mode or, if you really want to use an auto or semi-auto mode, you could take successive shots with different exposure compensation.

Movement in an HDR photo can work sometimes. In the old days (before automated HDR software), we used to make HDR images by manually compositing images in Photoshop. You might use the sky from one picture and everything else from the other. If something moved but didn't cross the boundary from the part you used in one picture to the part you used in another, it wasn't a problem.

 

[steery1]

They are beautiful. Shame about the dust spots though

 

[wdwmom2]

They are beautiful. Shame about the dust spots though

Yes, go clean that sensor!!!! Those should have been wall hangers. I really do like them. Too bad about the dust

 

[woj68]

Yes, go clean that sensor!!!! Those should have been wall hangers. I really do like them. Too bad about the dust

I couldn't believe all the dust when I saw them on my PC.

I'm used to shooting my son's games and I shoot wide open so the sensor dust isn't noticeable. But shooting with a smaller aperture last night really magnified the problem. Obviously my rocket blower isn't doing the trick.

Has anyone here tried cleaning their camera's sensor themselves?

 

[singjenn]

That lens doesn't have a focus motor in the lens, it is focused by the camera body itself, which basically turns a slot on the back of the lens (like a screwdriver turning a screw). To save money, the D40/D40x/D60 lack this motor, so they can't make the lens focus. It should work identically otherwise.

The D40 lacks bracketing? I'm surprised, I did not know that.

Either way, I'd still bring the D80.

There is NO way I'm brining my D80. It's ONLY for my photography business.

 

[ukcatfan]

singjenn,

This is not meant to be offensive at all, but considering that you are a professional photographer, I find it a little strange that you do not even know what your own gear is capable of and why. If you are considering your D40 a backup for your business (IMO you should always have a backup), then you could end up in a world of trouble if your D80 gives out while on a job and you do not know all the ins and outs of your D40. The 50mm is not the only lens that will not AF. Do you know if the other lenses in your lineup will AF on it. Also, are you going to bring your pro use lenses to WDW. Considering how much good glass costs, I would be more worried about that than the body.

Kevin

 

[singjenn]

singjenn,

This is not meant to be offensive at all, but considering that you are a professional photographer, I find it a little strange that you do not even know what your own gear is capable of and why. If you are considering your D40 a backup for your business (IMO you should always have a backup), then you could end up in a world of trouble if your D80 gives out while on a job and you do not know all the ins and outs of your D40. The 50mm is not the only lens that will not AF. Do you know if the other lenses in your lineup will AF on it. Also, are you going to bring your pro use lenses to WDW. Considering how much good glass costs, I would be more worried about that than the body.

Kevin

In the past my backup has been a D50, which I sold. I wanted something smaller for vacation etc so I got the D40. I actually just got it and I have not had alot of time to work with it. Since I just got the D40, and I have heard about the 50mm not working properly, I was unsure how that could be since it works on my D80. The information that I had was not about AF.
I don't use bracketing for weddings (I know how to on the D80) so using my
D40 the last minute at a wedding would not bother me. I know my lenes well with my D80, and don't interchange them with the D40.

 

[ukcatfan]

I know my lenes well with my D80, and don't interchange them with the D40.

You might want to at least try each one on the D40 to see if they AF in case you ever had to use it on a job.

Kevin

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Has anyone here tried cleaning their camera's sensor themselves?

I think it's been discussed a few times. I recall someone suggesting that they lick their sensor clean. I hope that wasn't me.

I'll start a new thread for the topic.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

OK, I created a sensor cleaning thread here.

I keep thinking that I'm going to start an HDR discussion thread as well some time. I see a lot of posts of HDR pictures and they are of a similar style - very stylized with ultra-saturated and sometimes posterized colors. That's very different from the way I use HDR. For me, I use HDR to take a picture of a scene with a very high dynamic luminance range and then use the HDR tools to compress that range into something displayable that still captures the look that I saw. When I do it well (which isn't often), you can't even tell that it is an HDR image.

 

[pxlbarrel]

I've seen some amazing HDR photos and I'd like to know how to do it. I've attempted to do some but they don't seem to work out very well. I've used 3 and even 4 exposures and it still doesn't seem to work. I must be missing something.

Help?

 

[thomas998]

The easiest way is with a photoshop CS3... or you can use a plug-in called Photomatix... I assume you have the software side covered because if you don't have the right software it is very difficult to do and requires a lot of time.

I might suggest that you start by simply shooting 1 frame properly exposed in RAW and then use the manufaturers RAW editing software to generate 3 tiff files one as shot.. one + 1 stop... and one - 1 stop. This isn't going to give you absolute perfect results but it will make it easier for you to practice... and once you get to the point that you can do it this way you'll know what your trying to do when you shoot bracketed frames.

Frankly I don't know from what level you are or what software you are using so I can't really hazard a guess as to what to tell you about specifics of where to start...

What software are you trying to use for this?

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I've seen some amazing HDR photos and I'd like to know how to do it. I've attempted to do some but they don't seem to work out very well. I've used 3 and even 4 exposures and it still doesn't seem to work. I must be missing something.

Help?

The different exposures must be of the exact same scene and must be at different exposure levels. You darkest exposure should look too dark and your lightest should look too bright. I've seen some people new to HDR try to take 3 different exposures in Tv or Av mode. They adjust the shutter speed or aperture between the different shots, but the camera adjusts the other so the exposure level is the same.

Ideally, you should either use the camera's bracketing feature. You could also shoot in manual mode and adjust the shutter speed between shot. Or, you could shoot in Av and adjust the exposure compensation between shots.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Hmmm...ok. I've been using a tripod and I shoot in manual. I've been shooting with the same shutter speed and just changing my aperture from underexposed to regular to overexposed. I'm using Photoshop CS3 with it's merge to HDR command. I think my problem is playing around with it afterwards.... with the toning stuff. Tonight, I've been experimenting with the curve using the "local adaption" and it is giving me so-so results. I think I just need some practice or some better shots with more contrasting colours to see any good results. My best results so far has been a tree stump.... but it still doesn't look spectactular (mind you, only two exposures for that one).

 

[MrsHeg]

The different exposures must be of the exact same scene and must be at different exposure levels. You darkest exposure should look too dark and your lightest should look too bright. I've seen some people new to HDR try to take 3 different exposures in Tv or Av mode. They adjust the shutter speed or aperture between the different shots, but the camera adjusts the other so the exposure level is the same.

Ideally, you should either use the camera's bracketing feature. You could also shoot in manual mode and adjust the shutter speed between shot. Or, you could shoot in Av and adjust the exposure compensation between shots.

Off topic I know, but I just have to say that I looked at your photo site and your pictures are AMAZING.

 

[fitzperry]

Hmmm...ok. I've been using a tripod and I shoot in manual. I've been shooting with the same shutter speed and just changing my aperture from underexposed to regular to overexposed. I'm using Photoshop CS3 with it's merge to HDR command. I think my problem is playing around with it afterwards.... with the toning stuff. Tonight, I've been experimenting with the curve using the "local adaption" and it is giving me so-so results. I think I just need some practice or some better shots with more contrasting colours to see any good results. My best results so far has been a tree stump.... but it still doesn't look spectactular (mind you, only two exposures for that one).

My HDR experience is limited but I wouldn't think adjusting the aperture would be the best way to go about it because the change in depth of field could significantly alter the appearance of the scene. I would use a method that allows for a constant aperture--either manual and adjust the shutter speed or aperture priority and adjust exposure compensation. Of course, I've only tried it with a single raw file and 3 different exposure settings, so I may be off base.