Photography Thread

[Wolfgang]

This weeks poll is up.

Poll Here

[jkim05]

A few shots from Friday:











Limited to five per post, but the rest can be seen on my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47676889@N08/

[jkim05]

Anybody know where I can find some cheap light stands?

[Wolfgang]

WARNING! BEWARE OF LOW-QUALITY LIGHTSTANDS! Recently, I purchased a lightstand at a bargain price, but after using it for just one nighttime
shoot, it seized up and could not be used. I tried to return it, but the seller refused; he told me it was a one-night stand. ;-)

[hotreds]

Superchick

[Wolfgang]

This weekends topic for the Weekend photo competition is "reflections."

[Wolfgang]

Water drops.

[Wolfgang]

Does anyone know how to create a quick watermark?

My logo on the photo would be preferable but Im hoping to at least have it in the meta data. Is there a way to accomplish this quickly?

I have access to Photoshop CS3/4, Bridge CS3/4, Lightroom 2

Thanks all

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Does anyone know how to create a quick watermark?

My logo on the photo would be preferable but Im hoping to at least have it in the meta data. Is there a way to accomplish this quickly?

I have access to Photoshop CS3/4, Bridge CS3/4, Lightroom 2

Thanks all

It's easy in Picasa. If you want to pm me I'd be more than glad to watermark something.

[kenstogie]

http://www.developertutorials.com/tu...-07/page1.html

this might work too.

[Wolfgang]

Ive since found a quick way through lightroom. 250 pictures going through one by one would take forever.

[Wolfgang]

I need help from my fellow photographers in choosing my next lens purchase. I know may of you shoot canon and your input is still much appreciated.

Let me tell you what I shoot. I find myself working in tight spaces most of the time. Landscapes and wild life make up the majority of my photography although i see doors opening towards portraiture and cityscapes. Trees capture my interest more often than not.

I currently have

28mm f2.8
35mm f1.8
50mm f1.8
18-55 f3.5-5.6
55-200 F4.5-5.6


Lenses Im looking into are

Tokina 11-16 f2.8
Nikon 12-24 f4
Nikon 85mm f3.5 macro
Nikon 105mm f2.8 macro

[spectrrr]

I assume you're shooting a cropped body. When I got my 10-22mm for my cropped body it opened brand new horizons. I would definitely look closely at one of the first two super wides.

[Wolfgang]

What do you think of 3rd party lenses? I'm hesittant because iv only dealt with on brand stuff and I'm not sure I want to go down that path. Its so tempting though because the Tokina is 300$ less than the Nikon. But I wouldn't mind paying more for something that will last me 20 years.

[jkim05]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

What do you think of 3rd party lenses? I'm hesittant because iv only dealt with on brand stuff and I'm not sure I want to go down that path. Its so tempting though because the Tokina is 300$ less than the Nikon. But I wouldn't mind paying more for something that will last me 20 years.

Depends on the lens. Some 3rd party lenses are as good or better than their equivalents, others not so much. Tokina 11-16 is much loved by Canon crop shooters because no fast equivalent exists from Canon. Also newer sigma lenses compare very favorably to Canon's offerings. However, I can't speak directly to Nikon since I don't have personal experience with their lenses. I will say though, 3rd party lenses seem to be getting better and better, and you should be afraid of them just because they aren't Nikon/Canon, etc. I'm sure no one would reject Leica/Zeiss glass merely because it's a 3rd party lens.

[Wolfgang]

If I could get a zeiss for 300 dollars less then on brand that wouldn't be an issue and their lenses have a far better track reccord than some of the other 3rd parties. The sigma 50mm1.4 is presst sweet too. Think ill go with the Tokina from adorama there have been too many positive reviews to be wrong. Only thing I think will bother me is the limited zoom. We'll see.

[Brutus2600]

I know that the Tokina lenses I've looked at for my Nikon range from crap on their low end, to some really nice lenses on the high end. All three of those Nikon lenses you listed are very nice lenses. The only reason I would go with the Tokina wide angle over the Nikon wide angle is the lower aperature.

A website that has always been my favorite to see comparisons of lenses is http://www.dpreview.com/ and specifically their Nikon SLR lens discussion page.

Just doing a quick search for the Tokina 11-16 yielded these two interesting threads with some picture examples:

Thread 1 w/ pictures

Thread 2

Edit: As noted in one of those threads, with the Tokina lens you're basically getting a lens that will perform at about 95% of the picture quality as the Nikon, but for $300 cheaper. Worth it in my opinion.

[spectrrr]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

What do you think of 3rd party lenses? I'm hesittant because iv only dealt with on brand stuff and I'm not sure I want to go down that path. Its so tempting though because the Tokina is 300$ less than the Nikon. But I wouldn't mind paying more for something that will last me 20 years.

read read read http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/

I've had mixed results. I currently have a sigma 14mm 2.8 aspherical that I love. I had a few Sigma tele zooms before it that I hated. BUT the key factors are WHY I hated em, and if that applies to you.

At the time I was doing journalism, sports, and a few weddings. FAST AF was critical, and the Sigma HSM couldn't hold a candle to the AF speed of my my other Canon USM lenses. ALSO, Sigma lenses rotate the opposite direction to zoom in and out from Canon lenses, which is a pain in the ass if you're a canon shooter, and totally cool if you're a Nikon shooter!

[spectrrr]

Originally Posted by Brutus2600

....a lens that will perform at about 95% of the picture quality as the Nikon, but for $300 cheaper. Worth it in my opinion.

I stopped being a "pixel peeper" long ago. Add in a little post sharpening and the viewer will NEVER know the difference. (
(obviously it has to be decent, that doesn't mean a kit lens will get the job done!!! but I agree that 95% is "close enough".)

[Steve]