PHOTOGRAPHIC THREADS: camera queries, any photo tech stuff!

[Yann]

After the work i ran to a cameras shop and gave a try to the X-T1.
That's a dslr killer with a wonderfull ergonomy.
Manual focus is pretty fast and details are nicely organised in the viewfinder. I now understand the enthusiasm among this camera. Now need some savings to pay this camera.

[Graeme]

After the work i ran to a cameras shop and gave a try to the X-T1.
That's a dslr killer with a wonderfull ergonomy.
Manual focus is pretty fast and details are nicely organised in the viewfinder. I now understand the enthusiasm among this camera. Now need some savings to pay this camera.

Yann - it is a really good camera - bit old school looking - I still have a canon t-90 - ring flash and macro lense somewhere - just waiting for a museum...........and a mint A1 and F1 with full motordrives.  Never seem to part with old cameras

[Yann]

Is there any micro 4/3 users who own the 60mm macro from Olympus among the forum?
I've an oportunity to exchange a Lumix 30mm macro with this on : any feedback is welcome.

[Rick R.]

Keep in mind that the olympus lenses don't have optical image stabilization built in.  I just bought an Olympus EM10M2 and the 60mm macro.  I looked at the Panasonic Lumix 30mm macro, also, and they both are very good.  Ultimately, I chose the Olympus 60mm because I like the longer focal length, and the OIS isn't so important since Olympus already has in body image stabilization.   According to DXOmark, both are sharp lenses.  I have had one day to to test the olympus lens (in fluorescent light), and it is very sharp in macro.  (Haven't tried any regular shots yet.) So I am certainly not proficient with it yet, but I am impressed.  Mine is the newest version, and the lens does not extend when focusing (it stays the same size).

The second photo is cropped to 748 x 561 pixels, unprocessed from a 4608 x 3456 pic. No special lighting, ISO 3200, 1/80 second, f8, exposure bias +2.  I can't say that was the best choice of settings, but that is what they are.

[Yann]

Rick thanks for your report.
I'll get the 60 mm this week end for testing.
Also used a 60 mm from Sigma but it wasn't so sharp and luminous as the Pana can delivers.

up : lumix 30, down : Sigma 60 at same focal

[Margaret Thorne]

Can any of you techy folk recommend a GPS to use with my Nikon D3300 on Himalayan treks during which we are away from a power source for about 35 days?
Until now I have been using a JOBO photoGPS4 which, on one charge from a USB port, takes 4000 GPS captures over about 35 days. It fits onto the hot shoe with no additional cable, so it is not necessary to have the side of the camera open which seems a bad idea in wet Himalayan conditions. It is ready to use instantly unlike our hand held Garmin which always takes several minutes to locate sufficient satellites. Latitudes and longitudes are stunningly accurate except in tight valleys, altitudes are a bit variable, but acceptable. The GPS captures are matched to the photographs and written into the metadata after one returns from the trip and a KMZ file is produced too. Sadly the software to do this is no longer supported by the company which wrote it, so essentially the device has become obsolete.
I cannot find any product which anywhere near matches the battery life of the JOBO and its amazing performance. Can anyone suggest an alternative, please?

[Paul Cumbleton]

My very old tripod is in need of replacement. Can anyone recommend a tripod type for photographing alpines in habitat? Obviously something that can get close to the ground. Would it be better to get a "minipod" of some sort perhaps which would also save on weight or is a larger type really essential and if so what type of head is good for this kind of photography? Any suggestions very welcome.

Thanks

[Diane Clement]

My very old tripod is in need of replacement. Can anyone recommend a tripod type for photographing alpines in habitat? Obviously something that can get close to the ground.

Take a look at 7day shop DS-055.  It will go flat to the ground, and the independent leg controls mean you can set it on uneven ground.  It folds quite small for carrying. There's a video on the page showing all the features.
https://www.7dayshop.com/products/7dayshop-tripods-travel-pro-tripod-for-professional-photo-video-use-includes-case-DS-055

[Paul Cumbleton]

Thanks Diane- this looked interesting but sadly is now listed as "unavailable".

Cheers

[TC]

Paul
Try this source........patersonphotographic.com/benbo-tripods.htm.  I have two Benbo tripods.  One that extends to 6 feet and could hold a Bren gun if required and the other is a baby Benbo which I used for photographing bee orchids in Greece.  It can be lowered to about 3" from the ground.  I cannot use it at ground level now because of back and knee problems.
They are certainly worth considering.

[Rick R.]

Rick, what sort of photo setup are you using to shoot the seeds?

In answer to James's question (in another thread) about what I use to photograph seeds:

I use an Olympus OMD E-M10markII with the 60mm macro lens.  One of the big reasons I chose this camera to purchase was its incredible in-body stabilization.  For these Echinocereus seed, the first pic was taken with a tripod under fluorescent light inside (ISO 200 1/40sec. f/5.6 +3EV).  The second hand held outside on a sunny day, just inside the shade (ISO 200 1/50sec. f/5.6 +1EV).  After some time and experience, I find that getting as close as possible isn't always the best thing  overall when dealing with such tiny subjects, as setting adjustments need to be made that don't result in better pics most of the time (at least for the way I shoot).  These were the original full file pics and the cropped ones you saw:

     

     

But the set up worked well even the first day I tried it:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=54.msg350599#msg350599

[Yann]

I replaced my e-m1 with a lumix G9 and the stab is even better with the 60mm macro lens.
I compared with a Canon R + 100mm stabilized, same subject and same distance and 2/3 of my photos with the canon where a few blurred and not as sharp as with the G9.

camera stab + lens stab = killing combo

During my last travels i met a woman using a nikon Z7 she was previously using a panasonic G80 and she told the stab was better in the panasonic and she regretted many features such as inside body focus stacking.

deep bokeh is the only thing that really miss with micro 4/3 (MFT) but when travelling it's the perfect lightweight package.

[Rick R.]

That's interesting, Yann.  When I bought my camera, they all said never to have both the in-body stabilization and lens stabilization "on" at the same time.  And, at the time I bought my Olympus, Panasonic didn't have IBS at all on any of its cameras, only lens stabilization.  It could/would follow that a newer stabilization method would likely be better.  Also assume that assume that using both stabilizations at the same time would only work within the same brand.  Not an Olympus camera with a Panasonic lens, for instance.

How did you like the in-camera focus stacking on the em-1, and how does it compare with focus stacking in a standard photo editing program?