Azuremen's photos - Spring and Summer vibes

  • Thread starter Azuremen
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Y'know, I really need to stop lurking in galleries like this because everything is so much better than anything I've ever shot. Keep taking amazing pictures!
 
Azuremen
I like it quite a bit. The 22mm pancake that comes with it is quite sharp and using adapted lenses is pretty straight forward. What makes it special is the size, as I can fit it in a coat pocket and very rarely have issues taking it anywhere because people think it is a point and shoot. And considering the thing cost less than my 35mm F/2 (and the 22mm F/2 is sharper) I'm pretty happy with it.

Waiting by Cody Schroeder
Canon EOS M ~ Takumar 55mm F/2​
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The shots look good.
 
Man, I just wish there was that little bit more light on her face.

Don't get me wrong, though: great shot. 👍
 
35mm
Man, I just wish there was that little bit more light on her face.

Don't get me wrong, though: great shot. 👍
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Well I may have been drinking that night, and it is kind of a dark bar :P

Cano
The page was loading and I first saw the title and I was gonna spew you on oh please don't shoot flowers. then I saw it (her). 👍
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Pfft, as if I take pictures of something girly like flowers. Get out :P But since you all seem to like girls, fine then.


Pew Pew by Cody Schroeder
Canon 5D Mark II ~ Canon 135mm F/2L​
 
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That's not dust all over your lens, is it? Some of it looks like water, some like sand but those other spots, not so much.
 
TB
That's not dust all over your lens, is it? Some of it looks like water, some like sand but those other spots, not so much.
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Its all water being in and out of the focal that results in that look. Keep in mind that with this lens, the depth of field is about a foot when I'm 25 feet away, so everything else pretty quickly melts. At F/2, the hyperfocal distance is nearly 1,000 feet, which I'd believe after getting the back of stages in focus instead of the drummer while standing a few hundred feet away.

Here is a gif that illustrates the absurdity the 135mm's Depth of Field.

1Jp4IeD.gif


And another photo from that festival as well...


Bubble by Cody Schroeder
Canon 5D Mark II ~ Canon 135mm F/2L​
 
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TB
That's not dust all over your lens, is it? Some of it looks like water, some like sand but those other spots, not so much.
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This is one of the most common misconceptions on lens dust. Particles of dust on a lens will never show on a photo - not as spots anyway.

There's a nice article on LensRental about it. I'm not sharing this to make a point, just because I think it is an interesting read for anyone who cares about photography. 👍


@Azuremen: Nice party. Cool gif. Amazing 135/2.
 
35mm
What do you mean? I'm all about landscapes and wide-angle lately.

More seriously, I'm glad if that's the case, because that is an awesome shot, sir. 👍
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50mm is a wide-angle compared to what I usually shoot :lol:

But really, I'm always going to love 50mm, as I learned film on it and was my first prime when moving to digital. The 135mm has spoiled me in terms of sharpness (widely considered among Canon's sharpest lenses) and my 50mm F/1.4 was damaged and since the repair hasn't focused as consistently. What I did learn is I'm done with lenses that change length when focusing :P Unless its an old all metal monster like my Takumar. I'll probably replace the Canon 50mm with a Sigma 50mm after I get the Sigma 35mm, as there isn't really an F/1.2 option beyond Canon's expensive ($1700) 50mm L.

And thank you, it was among my favorite shots from sitting around on that hillside. Here is one of the products from being up there as well...


A Hazy Spokane by Cody Schroeder
Canon 5D Mark II ~ Canon 70-200mm F/4L​
 
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Azuremen
there isn't really an F/1.2 option beyond Canon's expensive ($1700) 50mm L.
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Have you ever considered getting a Nikon F to Canon EF adapter, and opening a whole new world of MF lenses?
 
Bram Turismo
Photos like yours and 35mm's make me want to go out and get the 1.8 50mm...

Damn all this bokehliciousness. 👍
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Do it. Primes have all kinds of merits, from being sharper to just being more compact on average.
Cale
I have a 50mm and I've done nothing even close with it. :lol:
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Keep the camera with you more often and just have the 50mm. I feel people worry too much about having the "right" lens on all the time and it is more about figuring out how to make any lens the "right" lens for a situation.

35mm
Have you ever considered getting a Nikon F to Canon EF adapter, and opening a whole new world of MF lenses?
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For some reason, I always thought there was an optical element for adapting F mount to EF, but seems I was mistaken. Now you've got me thinking about going down that dark, evil, Nikkor path of doom :P Really, the only thing I can think of wanting from that line up is that damn 55mm F/1.2 you use, but not entirely sure how to sift the various versions. Ken Rockwell (sigh) has some info on the different designations, and the price seems pretty reasonable at around $300 from eBay.

So, tell me whats what. Also, I got a new focus screen, while not being a Catz Eye, is still helping immensely with manual lenses, so expect more from the Rokinon in the future.



Taking a Selfie by Cody Schroeder
Canon 5D Mark II ~ Canon 135mm F/2L​
 
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phillkillv2
Good photos. I like this oneout of the most recent bunches, also that gif is mesmerizing.
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I use that 135mm at festivals quite a bit, and it can get a bit disorienting when it tries to find focus. Especially if one isn't entirely sober. I really should make a few more gifs that are better exposed though.

Another shot today because I couldn't keep myself from testing out the new focus screen...


Exploring by Cody Schroeder
Canon 5D Mark II ~ Rokinon 85mm F/1.4​
 
Azuremen
For some reason, I always thought there was an optical element for adapting F mount to EF, but seems I was mistaken.
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No, it's the other way around. Nikon shooters are the ones who cannot mount Canon lenses. I mean, they can, but the adapters have to have correctional glass for the lenses to able to focus to infinity. In short, they're horrible and useless. 👎

Azuremen
Now you've got me thinking about going down that dark, evil, Nikkor path of doom :P Really, the only thing I can think of wanting from that line up is that damn 55mm F/1.2 you use, but not entirely sure how to sift the various versions. Ken Rockwell (sigh) has some info on the different designations, and the price seems pretty reasonable at around $300 from eBay. So, tell me whats what.
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I'll try to make this quick and easy. There are three types of Nikon F lenses (from oldest to newest): Pre-AI (or Non-AI), AI and AI-S.

I was starting to write a big text on each, but then decided against it and I honestly think you're better off reading from some place else, even from wikipedia. It's a bit long and complex.

But in particular, the history of the Nikkor 50mm f/1.2* - again, from oldest to newest - is this:

Nikkor-S 55mm f/1.2 (Pre-AI);
Nikkor AI 55mm f/1.2;
Nikkor AI 50mm f/1.2;
Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.2.

Each is an evolution of the previous.

For now, I would skip the Pre-AI versions. It's very unclear sometimes which lens have what (meaning coatings, number of elements, number of blades, etc.), but it's generally accepted by most that there's normally a big step-up in optical quality from Pre-AI to AI lenses. The same can be said between AI and AI-S lenses, but it's much less pronounced - if any sometimes.

Also, you can't mount Pre-AI lenses in modern Nikon cameras (except for the Nikon Df) as it can even damage the body - although there are simple modifications which can be done to Pre-AI lenses to turn them into AI (these are called AI'd lenses). Additionally, I'm not sure whether the Nikkor-Canon adapters will accept Pre-AI lenses. I think they do, but it's another reason to skip these lenses for now.

Anyway, I'll also leave you with this link. It's a fantastic database, in which you can learn much about all the versions of a given lens (with the added bonus of having photos of each). If you can spot the serial number, you can get a good idea of the model and year of the lens for sale.
(It's usually more reliable for you to check on the lens version using this site than just trusting the seller's description of the lens).

Two quick tips: stay clear from lenses with fungus and from lenses with deep scratches on the rear element. Dust spots inside the lens or minor scratches on the front element is generally OK.


Sorry for the long text, but this isn't easy to explain in just a post. But there's lots of info here for now for you to digest on, anyway.

Let me know if (and when) you need more info.

*Now and then, you'll bump into a Nikkor AI/AIS 58mm f/1.2 (also called Noct-Nikkor), but that's a whole different league. Don't get scared by its prices. ;)

Azuremen
Also, I got a new focus screen, while not being a Catz Eye, is still helping immensely with manual lenses, so expect more from the Rokinon in the future.
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Nice. I would love to try different focus screens as well someday. 👍
 
@35mm - Thanks for input on the AI bit, as that is what confused me the most. I've looked into pre-AI models a bit and noticed that the multi-coated models were only briefly made before a change in the housing design. Either way, I'm not going to be rush into this purchase at all seeing how I'm really wanting to get that 35mm.

And maybe I'll change my name to 135mm :P

@Bram Turismo - I saw your questions on working in LightRoom and lenses from 35mm's thread and figured I'd take a jab at them over here.

For colors, I generally have an idea how I want the image to look while I'm taking, perhaps even before I've gotten the camera out. It is a mixture of how I perceive the scene, as the human eye/mind "fixes" a lot of contrast and color issues, along with visualizing the mood I want to convey. From there, I'll bring the image into LR/Bridge/Raw and adjust temperature, exposure, contrast, etc. along with tweaks to individual channels and even split toning as desired. My understanding of this process is built mostly on trial and error, along with simply looking at a lot of photos I enjoy and figuring out why I enjoy them. Tutorials can help give a starting point on what sliders will have what result, but I tend to get impatient with a lot of video tutorials :lol:

While lenses can make an impact on tones and contrast, my old Takumar has soft contrast and I believe 35mm's 55mm is soft in contrast as well, these are generally not huge deals if you understand how to approach tweaking in LightRoom. An example from my old setup, the Rebel XTi (400D, 10MP) with the 18-55mm kit lens out of a car moving 70mph (I was the passenger) shows you can address contrast and such after even from lackluster glass. If your exposure is good, you can do a lot after the fact to "fix" the final product to meet you vision.

Sharpness is a mix of contrast and actual resolution, and you can adjust the appearance of this with selective sharpening via various means - high pass, sharpen filter, layer masks, in LR to the RAW, etc. I don't often tweak sharpness overall, just picking and choosing key aspects by using the various tools, as it can lead to undesirable grain and texture in an image. Just play around with it and you'll see.

tl;dr - just mess around with things in LR and you'll put it together. Don't worry too much about good or bad, just focus on what you like and why. Check through sites that curate galleries on quality to develop your taste. If all goes well, you'll wonder why its randomly 3am at night and you've got ten edits of the same picture :P



Another World by Cody Schroeder
Canon EOS M ~ Canon EF-M 22mm F/2
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Azuremen

M3 by Cody Schroeder
Canon EOS M ~ Canon EF-M 22mm F/2​
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I envy those who have the vision to prepare a shot beforehand (including placing a subject). It's something I'm no good at - it's either in front of me and I immediately "see" it, or forget about it...

Anyway, all this to say that that is very well-thought-out shot. Well done. 👍
 

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