Why Can't I Get That Castle Level! FINAL PICS INSTALLMENT 6-28-10

[Gianna'sPapa]

Well, I did manage to get a few this time. We just got back from a 9 day stay at WDW's POP Century. I just started looking at the first of the 3,000 images I took. I will try to get a few up later, but right now the DW insists I help her unpack.

First I would like to list what went right and wrong.

Right:

My Sigma 28-70 f2.8 did yeomans work. At times it could have been wider, but I let my feet do the adjustment. Overall, it worked great.

Tripods were used extensively, both my Cullmann and Joby performed well.

Thanks to the forum, my fireworks images were very much improved!

The Pentax DA 18-55 AL & AL II and the DA 50-200 all performed admirably.

Wrong:

My M50 f1.4 (manual lens) was a miserable failure on the dark rides and it will be relegated to portrait photography. Due to the numerous steps involved in using this older lens with AF equipment it was virtually useless in a moving situation. My next purchase will probably be the Sigma 30.

I attempted to use the 100-300 f4 on the Safari Ride with little luck. I think I got only two or three good images. It is not wide enough and too heavy in a bouncing, moving situation. When the truck stopped it worked well, but there just wasn't enough opportunity.

My Sigma 70-200 f2.8 started acting up just before I left and it continued throughout the trip. It has a serious problem in AF on both of my bodies. When it did work it was very good, unfortunately it took a lot of time to get it to work. Its going in for repair ASAP. I switched to the 50-200 to cover the range.

I never used my external flash. I thought I would need that, but with the 2.8 I found I didn't need it as much as I thought.

The Lowepro Fastpack 200, while holding more gear, didn't work as well as the Slingshot 200. With temps on 98 or better the Slingshot was cooler to carry and operate.

Weight was a problem because of the excess heat. I expected low 90's, but not 98 or better. I had to lighten considerably and with that I had to make some compromises as to what I should carry. This will definitely be something that will be addressed for the next trip.

Overall, I consider it to be a highly successfull and learning experience. I will try to get some unprocessed JPEGS up later.

 

[mom2rtk]

Welcome back!

I'm curious how you're going to address the weight issue with your gear for the next trip?

I'm considering a slingshot style bag before our next trip. Do you know if they come in any color other than black? I know that's traditional, and it looks nice, but I hate having a black bag up next to my back when it's really hot.

I can't wait to see your shots!

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Just a few from the 3,000! These are straight out of the camera JPEG's with no PP.

A Straight One (I think)

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Welcome back!

I'm curious how you're going to address the weight issue with your gear for the next trip?

I'm considering a slingshot style bag before our next trip. Do you know if they come in any color other than black? I know that's traditional, and it looks nice, but I hate having a black bag up next to my back when it's really hot.

I can't wait to see your shots!

I'm giving the weight issue a lot of thought. I have to keep my 70-200 and 100-300 for shooting the low light auto racing I photograph. So I'm thinking of just adding the 55-300 to my kit in addition to the 30mm. Those two lenses are comparative lightweights to what I carried this time. I'll still use the 28-70 f2.8 because of its range and low light capability. The DW will then have her lightweight kit of the DA 18-55 AL II and the DA 50-200. I found this trip that the majority of time I need the long range it was daylight so the low light 2.8 capability wasn't an issue. I know I will have redundancy in the focal lengths, but they will be for two distinct separate situations. At least that is my original thoughts. If anyone has any other additional ideas, I'd like to hear it.

If you're not going to carry a lot of large equipment, then I recommend the slingshot. I carried it twice to WDW and it worked much better than the standard backpack. This time I actually 'borrowed' it from the DW from time to time!

 

[tlcmommyx4]

I think that your captures are just amazing. I am going to have to study some of your settings, good job!

 

[ukcatfan]

My M50 f1.4 (manual lens) was a miserable failure on the dark rides and it will be relegated to portrait photography. Due to the numerous steps involved in using this older lens with AF equipment it was virtually useless in a moving situation. My next purchase will probably be the Sigma 30.

You should probably just pick an exposure and go with it for the entire ride so you can skip the step of metering. I have not tried it on the K-x, but on my K100D, I could leave the AF on with a MF lens and it would not allow a shot to be taken unless the AF sensor detected proper focus. That way you can press the shutter all the way and then adjust focus. It takes the shot when it thinks it is locked. It has worked alright for me.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I will practice that and see if it works for me. Thanks. I just got frustrated trying to meter, focus and get the shot in the short time frames on the rides.

 

[mom2rtk]

I will practice that and see if it works for me. Thanks. I just got frustrated trying to meter, focus and get the shot in the short time frames on the rides.

For me it's the lack of places to practice stuff like that that drives me nuts!

Are you shooting on burst mode? That helped me a bit on this last trip.

Your shots are gorgeous! Maybe instead of focusing on whether you get the castle straight, you should just leave a little extra room in each frame to straighten on the computer later? I used to have the problem on my beach photos all the time!

 

[photo_chick]

Your title hits home with me... I tend to tilt to the left in my images. It doesn't matter what camera I am using, or how hard I try not to. I tilt to the left. I learned long ago to straighten to accommodate for that.

Great shots. They make me very excited for my upcoming trip in August.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

For me it's the lack of places to practice stuff like that that drives me nuts!

Are you shooting on burst mode? That helped me a bit on this last trip.

Your shots are gorgeous! Maybe instead of focusing on whether you get the castle straight, you should just leave a little extra room in each frame to straighten on the computer later? I used to have the problem on my beach photos all the time!

The castle tilt is a big joke in our family. I swear they built it crooked. I had a bubble level on my hot shoe and a level on the Joby and they still came out tilted. I don't know if it is the forced perspective Disney uses or camera perspective, I'm at a loss. On some, I actually built in oppposite tilt!

 

[littlekidagain]

Very nice work! I am going in December. If your Sigma 70-200 was working fine do you think it was worth taking? I don’t know if I want to take because of the weight. Wright now I have,
Pentax K10D
PENTAX 18-250, DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED, AF360FGZ
SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8
Manfrotto 190XPROB, 496RC2 Ball Head
Manfrotto 680B Monopod - probly won’t take
Kata KT D-3N1-30 Sling/Backpack
I am going to get the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8. I am also looking at either
the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 or Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Also looking at a small shoulder bag and a Joby
I can not wait! This will be my 1st there with a DSLR and not a P/S.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I have mixed feelings on leaving the 70-200 home. For the summer where the outside shows are mostly in adequate lighting, I would say leave it home (since you have the 55-300). In December (we were there in 08), the light is not as good and you may need the 2.8 and length. The 28-70 worked well in most situations, but may may be a little short for shows in front of the castle. For everything else, what you have or contemplating should work well. One of the problems we experienced was the weather was hotter than normal. It was 98-100 degrees on many days with no rain to cool it down. The extra weight with the heat was a killer.

PS All my photos were taken with one of two K10's. IMHO the K10 is one of the best low ISO cameras out there. I tried to keep the ISO as low as possible. With the indoor shows I did go to 1600 and I felt they came out fine.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Incredible pictures! I have until April to learn my K-X! We were going to travel someplace besides Disney this year and my husband said "oh, let's just do it again".

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

I practice with my Xsi everyday. It's just like everything else in life. I figure to try everything I can while I'm at home. So that way when I goto WDW my photo's will turn out great.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Incredible pictures! I have until April to learn my K-X! We were going to travel someplace besides Disney this year and my husband said "oh, let's just do it again".

Thanks, I have a tolerant family that allows me a lot of practice time. If I could give one piece of advice (after the concept of aperture, shutter speed and ISO) is learn your camera. Get to know every button, switch, etc., so that it is second nature. Being able to change on the fly, I found, was invaluable. This past year, I also worked a lot on composition ( I still have a ways to go). My goal is, at the end of the day when I look at the results, is what I'm seeing on the computer screen what I imagined when I pressed the shutter button. If it is, then I am a very happy camper! Nothing wrong with artsy photography, but its just not something I strive for in my vacation images. Good luck and have fun with your Kx.

 

[SrisonS]

It's nice to know others have problems getting the castle straight.... but I can't keep most things straight. But I seriously think it's built at a slant. I have some pictures where the horse drawn trolley is stopped right in front of the castle. The horse appears to be straight, but the castle is off. And when I think I had the castle straight for another shot, the horse was tilted. So who knows.

 

[Groucho]

Nice work! Glad you had fun. Sorry about the 70-200 problems, that's a shame... unfortunately these kind of stories keep me leery about modern Sigma lenses. The stories that the lens rental place tells about their Sigma problems doesn't help. I'm very interested in their new 85mm F1.4 but I dunno...

Soooo, where is this show? Is this the dinner show at the Polynesian? Hubba hubba!

I'm giving the weight issue a lot of thought. I have to keep my 70-200 and 100-300 for shooting the low light auto racing I photograph. So I'm thinking of just adding the 55-300 to my kit in addition to the 30mm. Those two lenses are comparative lightweights to what I carried this time.

The 55-300mm would probably work much better for you on the Safari ride than the 100-300mm... smaller, lighter, easier to hold, and should still be fast enough. From what I've heard, the IQ is surprisingly good, too... I wouldn't mind having one in my collection.

I will practice that and see if it works for me. Thanks. I just got frustrated trying to meter, focus and get the shot in the short time frames on the rides.

Were you using the Green button? That should (almost) instantly get you a fairly accurate metering. Focusing can be an issue - forget trying to enjoy the ride since you'll be working on that. Although, to be fair, I tend to miss most of the ride anyway when I'm shooting it, whether it's autofocus or not.

The castle tilt is a big joke in our family. I swear they built it crooked. I had a bubble level on my hot shoe and a level on the Joby and they still came out tilted. I don't know if it is the forced perspective Disney uses or camera perspective, I'm at a loss. On some, I actually built in oppposite tilt!

It looks like you were off to the left a bit in the fireworks photos - possibly the angle makes the castle look a little skewed? If your hotshoe level is telling you that you're good, then you should be fine.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Nice work! Glad you had fun. Sorry about the 70-200 problems, that's a shame... unfortunately these kind of stories keep me leery about modern Sigma lenses. The stories that the lens rental place tells about their Sigma problems doesn't help. I'm very interested in their new 85mm F1.4 but I dunno...

Soooo, where is this show? Is this the dinner show at the Polynesian? Hubba hubba!




The 55-300mm would probably work much better for you on the Safari ride than the 100-300mm... smaller, lighter, easier to hold, and should still be fast enough. From what I've heard, the IQ is surprisingly good, too... I wouldn't mind having one in my collection.

Were you using the Green button? That should (almost) instantly get you a fairly accurate metering. Focusing can be an issue - forget trying to enjoy the ride since you'll be working on that. Although, to be fair, I tend to miss most of the ride anyway when I'm shooting it, whether it's autofocus or not.


It looks like you were off to the left a bit in the fireworks photos - possibly the angle makes the castle look a little skewed? If your hotshoe level is telling you that you're good, then you should be fine.

Thanks! The show was at Downtown Disney Marketplace. We went for dinner at WPE and walked in halfway through the show.

The DW was using her 50-200 and did well. That's the problem with two DSLR kits. You have to duplicate a lot of focal lengths because whenever I want to use a particular lens, its on her camera!

I will be sending the lens in for repair tomorrow. It has been a great lens, fast, extremely quiet, so I don't know what the issue is. Its just having a problem with initial focus. Once I get it to focus, usually by backing down to 70 and/or manual focus, it works great, until the next time I want to use it. Then I have to go through the machinations again.

I was using the green button and then focusing, by the time I got that all done I was past what I wanted to photgraph!

As you look at the castle, I was on the trash can just before Casey's. Casey's currently has an extended fake facade that sticks out. They must be doing some work or something. I had gotten to Main Street late and I took the only available spot open. In the left of the photos the extended facade is what you see. I was shooting around it. One of the fireworks images was shot from a table at the Dessert Party and you see the roof overhang from the Noodle Station.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

My weakest part of digital photography is my PP. I recently purchased PSE8 and am trying to learn (I've got a couple of books). My DW has always been the PP person in our family. I just did a basic PP of the fountain shot from the RAW.

Before

After

The family (and I agree) likes the second. Opinions?

 

[Quicklabs]

You've got some really great pics there! Thanks for sharing. I don't know what it is about that castle, but I can't level it for the life of me, either.