Articles

 

FirstPass - a great new image editing application

Uploaded November 2011

 

Until recently Photo Mechanic has been my software of choice for a fast and reliable initial edit of a large number of similar images. However, Mac users can now download a great new app called FirstPass that provides a very similar function. The best thing is that where Photo Mechanic costs $150, FirstPass only costs $9.99!

I have been using FirstPass for the initial editing of my wildlife images for a couple of months now and I'm very impressed with it. I have it set to automatically launch and download my CF cards to a designated folder as soon as they are connected. The card is then automatically ejected when the download is complete, all of which saves time. Thumbnails from the RAW files are almost instantly displayed and individual images can easily be viewed full screen. It is also possible to quickly zoom to 100% view to check sharpness - a vital function for editing wildlife images.

Once my initial edit has been completed the remaining RAW files are opened in Adobe Bridge for captioning and keywording before converting the files in Adobe Camera RAW.

FirstPass is a very simple program that doesn't have a host of features you'll never use. It's exactly what I need for a first edit of my wildlife images and it's exceptionally good value! It can be downloaded from the App Store.

 

My thoughts on the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

Uploaded August 2011

After briefly testing this lens at the start of the year I finally purchased one back in April. I now feel that I have used it enough to be able to post a useful review.

When first announced this lens came in for some criticism simply for being what it is a fairly heavy variable aperture telephoto zoom. On paper perhaps not a particularly exciting addition to Canon's lens range - unless of course it's exactly what you've been waiting for!

Previously I had to carry both a 70-200mm f4 L IS and a 300mm f4 L IS when shooting landscapes. There were other options available but I felt that this was the best setup in terms of image quality, weight and versatility. The 70-300mm has now replaced both of these in my camera bag when I'm out shooting landscapes, albeit with some compromises.

The good points:

• Exceptional image quality across the whole frame
• Virtually no colour fringing
• Compact size (albeit still quite heavy)
• Excellent build quality
• Extremely effective new image stabilization

The not so good points:

• Tripod collar not included
• Some vignetting at wider apertures
• Tripod collar not included
• Loss of contrast at minimum focusing distance
• Tripod collar not included
• Significant loss of magnification at minimum focusing distance
• Perhaps worst of all there is no tripod collar included!

Lets look at these points in a little more detail.

This lens really does provide exceptionally good image quality, easily the best I have seen from a telephoto zoom lens (even better than my old 70-200mm f4 L IS). Distortion is well controlled and there is no discernable colour fringing. On a full frame camera there is hardly any drop off in quality in the corners of the frame. Whilst there is a little vignetting, this is easily dealt with in post processing. Flare is also very well controlled. If this is what we can come to expect from all future Canon "L" series lenses I will be very happy. Hurry up and bring out a new ultra wide-angle zoom Canon!

The construction of this lens is also very impressive. It feels extremely robust, especially considering that the lens extends as you zoom. The downside of this is that it's quite a heavy lump to carry around. Fortunately it's pretty compact, shorter in fact than my old 70-200 f4, making it easy to slot vertically into a photo backpack.

The new image stabilization is simply brilliant. This is not a feature that I make much use of myself, but it you do you won't be disappointed. It's noticeably more effective than the IS on any of my other lenses.

Now, why do I make such a big deal of there being no tripod collar included? If you're only going to handhold this lens when photographing subjects such as sports or birds in flight then this obviously isn't going to be an issue for you. However, for me as a landscape photographer, this lens will spend most of its time attached to a tripod. My initial tests demonstrated very clearly that a tripod collar is absolutely necessary when using this lens in breezy conditions in low light. It's not possible to use the image stabilization when shooting longer exposures (longer than about ¼ second) from a tripod as the IS causes the image to drift during the exposure. Unfortunately, with such a heavy lens supported only at the lens mount I found it impossible to take sharp images around dawn and dusk in all but the lightest breeze. For me the lens collar was a necessity. This is an expensive lens and I feel that it's crazy of Canon not to include the collar with the lens. Instead they insist on charging around £165 for it! What a complete rip off! I wouldn't have minded too much having to pay a reasonable amount of money for an accessory collar, but £165 is not a reasonable amount of money by any stretch of the imagination! There are much cheaper alternative collars available but I have never found these to be very good and have always ended up buying the Canon version in the end. The ones I have used never seem to fit the lens tightly and therefore don’t eliminate wind-induced vibration. Unfortunately, if you intend to use this lens for landscape photography, you will need to budget for the ridiculously priced Canon lens collar as well.

I feel that the versatility of this lens is slightly compromised by its performance close to its minimum focusing distance. It focuses down to a respectable 1.2 metres but unfortunately the image quality suffers a little with a slight reduction in contrast. Vignetting also becomes more apparent when shooting a close subject using a wide aperture. However, the most significant issue with its close focusing abilities is that the magnification is quite severely reduced. This is normal with most telephoto zoom lenses due to their design, but it seems particularly bad with this lens. When the lens is zoomed to 300mm it’s only providing the magnification expected from that focal length when focused close to infinity. The closer you focus the more the magnification is reduced. I haven't measured this precisely but when focused at 1.2 metres the magnification becomes more like I would expect from a 200mm lens. This is a shame as it restricts its usefulness as a lens for close-up photography. When I'm likely to be photographing insects or flowers I still have to carry my 300mm f4 or 180mm macro. Unfortunately it's not possible to fit an extender to this lens.

Fortunately the lens has redeemed itself in another way. Although I bought it primarily for shooting landscapes I have been using it a lot for photographing birds in flight with my EOS 7D. With the 1.6X crop factor it becomes the equivalent of a 112 -480mm lens (or thereabouts). The lens focuses very quickly and consistently and as a result it has found a permanent home alongside my long telephoto lenses when I'm working on a wildlife photography project.

So, although the lens has some small niggles (apart from the lack of a tripod collar, which is a very big niggle!) the bottom line is that it's a superb piece of equipment. I am very pleased with mine and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone in the market for this type of lens.

 

My thoughts on the Canon EOS 7D

Uploaded May 2011

 

 

 

When the Canon EOS 7D was first announced it appeared, on paper, to be a great camera for wildlife photography with it's 1.6X crop factor, 18 megapixel senor and new autofocus system. I was tempted to buy one straightaway, but I have always held the view that it is unwise to buy a new camera body upon release.

I was relieved that I did not, as reports began to appear describing high levels of digital noise and a general softness to images. During some of my workshops photographers were also struggling to take sharp images with their 7D's whilst other camera bodies had no problems. For these reasons I stuck with my trusty old EOS 1D mkII as a back up to my main 1Ds mkIII for wildlife photography.

However, whilst planning a recent trip to Florida for bird photography I decided to re-think my equipment choice. I would be taking my 1Ds mkIII to use with the 600mm lens, but as the birds can be so close in Florida I knew that it would be useful to have a telephoto zoom lens as well. I had already decided to buy Canon's new 70-300mm L lens as it will prove useful for landscape and travel photography and my own tests and initial reviews online concluded that it is an exceptionally sharp lens. Unfortunately, though, it would be just a little too short when used on a full frame camera body. However, when used on a camera with a 1.6X crop factor it should become an effective 112-480mm lens (although it is closer to 100-400mm in reality). This is a useful focal range for bird photography and should also prove to be a great safari lens in the future. When Warehouse Express took delivery of a new batch of 7D bodies I decided to take the plunge.

The general handling of the 7D is very good and anyone used to the layout of buttons and menus on previous Canon cameras will have no trouble familiarising themselves with the 7D. I would recommend the optional BG-E7 grip as it improves handling considerably. It takes two LP-E6 batteries, which means that in Florida I was able to shoot all day without having to replace them.  The 5D mkII uses the same batteries, so on some foreign trips I will be able to save weight by travelling with only one charger. The only downside with the optional grip is the method used to attach it to the camera body. There is no locking mechanism so it does tend to become loose during use. You will know when this happens as your camera will refuse to work as soon as the connections part and the batteries no longer provide power to it! This issue goes right back to the old EOS 5 film camera, so it's about time Canon gave some thought to rectifying it! One simple way of overcoming this problem is to place a few very small balls of blue-tac between the grip and the camera base before screwing it tight.

One of the most impressive features of the 7D is the new autofocus system, which really does seem to be a step up from previous Canon cameras I have used. I had read reports that the new 'zone focussing' setting doesn't deliver consistent sharpness and my tests concluded that it does indeed struggle when trying to maintain focus on a subject moving against a detailed background. I have now set the camera up to use only the central focussing point, expanded points and fine centre point (it is easy to switch between these three options). With this set-up the 7D delivers exceptionally good results with reliable focus on moving subjects against most backgrounds in AI Servo mode. I have more confidence in the 7D's AF than I have in any other EOS body I have used.

It is certainly true that the 7D exhibits more noise than I am used to seeing in the files produced by my 1Ds mkIII and 5d mkII when viewed at 100%, particularly in areas of smooth blue tones such as sky. This is to be expected when so many pixels are crammed into such a small senor, so it came as no surprise. To me the amount of noise is acceptable but I can see why it might not be to some photographers. I shot with colour transparency film for many years; so all digital files look exceptionally clean to me! The files from the 7D at 400 ISO are less noisy than a drum-scanned 35mm Fujichrome Velvia transparency to my eyes. I will, however, be trying to avoid using anything above 400 ISO with the 7D, which I cannot deny is slightly disappointing when there are other similar cameras capable of producing files with a similar amount of noise at 1600 ISO and above. For me the main disadvantage of the higher levels of noise is that the files cannot be cropped very much, unlike those from my 1Ds mkIII. The bottom line, though, is that the files from the 7D will be acceptable to my clients, so therefore are acceptable to me. Those making enormous prints from their images are likely to have a different view and should probably be looking at a full frame camera body instead.

I have always wondered whether camera manufacturers perform unannounced updates to their products in the months after release. I have no ideas whether any updates have been made to the 7D, but the body I bought certainly doesn't exhibit any of the problems reported in earlier examples. Overall I am very pleased with this camera and, although I bought it to replace my back-up camera, I now see the 7D as a camera that I will regularly use alongside my 1Ds mkIII.

 

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Church of St. Primoz, Slovenia

Uploaded October 2010

Field Notes

This beautiful little hilltop church overlooks the distant Kamnik-Savinja Alps in North West Slovenia. It was a crisp cold winter's evening with a thick blanket of fog obscuring any detail in the valley below. The temperature was well below freezing and continuing to fall. My Slovenian friend and fellow photographer Marko assured me that the church would be illuminated at dusk, as so many churches are in this part of the world, so I set my camera up and waited. The light levels slowly dropped and the fog bank rose and fell in the valley worryingly at one point it obscured the church from view! Fortunately it had moved further across the valley by the time the lights started to cast their warmth upon the spire. At this point it was time to start taking pictures just as the church bells began to chime. It was a magical scene. 

 

Shooting Notes

 

Gear The flexibility of my 70-200mm zoom lens allowed me to compose the image very precisely. I use Canon F4 version of this lens as the weight saving over the F2.8 version is considerable. An important consideration when you lug camera gear up mountains for a living! For the same reason I use a Canon EOS 5D mk2.

 

Composition My first thought here was to compose the image horizontally with the distant mountaintop and the church positioned diagonally opposite, thinking that this would result in a balanced composition. However, it soon became apparent that this would leave too much empty space. My eye was then drawn to a vertical composition with the mountain peak centred over the church spire. This breaks the "rule" of never centralising your subject, but in this case it seemed to work rather well.

 

Exposure and lighting The best photographic opportunity here lasted no more than five minutes. It was essential to make my exposures when the artificial light illuminating the church balanced in brightness with the ambient light. At this specific time the contrast of the scene is much reduced and the camera is able to record detail in all areas. Only a couple of minutes later the ambient light levels had dropped so far that I was unable to record any detail in the distant mountains without the highlights on the church blowing out. The snow was a great help here as it reflected light from the sky and lightened areas that would otherwise have recorded very dark.

 

Post Production when shooting floodlit buildings, providing you make your exposures when the ambient and artificial light is balanced, there should be very little to do in post production. For consistency when reviewing images I always expose my RAW files with daylight white balance. When shooting at dusk and dawn I like to retain the resulting cool blue tones so I rarely make any significant white balance adjustments to the RAW file. In order to increase contrast and make the image pop a little, I applied a slight s-curve to a luminosity layer.

 

As soon as I set my eyes upon this view it became an instant favourite and one which I will continue to return to and photograph in different seasons.

 

 

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Land’s End, Cornwall

Uploaded January 2010

Field Notes

Some of the UKs most dramatic coastal scenery can be found in Cornwall, especially around the peninsula of Land's End. Away from the tourist trap of Land's End itself the coastline is unspoilt and wild. This view towards Enys Dodnan from Pordenack Point works particularly well at sunset. Depending upon the time of year the sun will go down behind the rock arch casting magical light upon the scene. The best times to visit are April and August as the sun will be setting directly behind the arch. This image was taken in early April from the coastal footpath south of Land's End's rather unsightly "theme park". The conditions were overcast but occasional rays of light were breaking through on the horizon. Thankfully the resulting beams helped to inject some additional atmosphere into the image.

 

Shooting Notes

Gear I used the Live-view function on my Canon EOS 5Dmk2 in combination with the depth of field preview to enable me to place the point of focus in precisely the right spot to record both foreground and background elements in sharp focus. I find this particular function to be one of the most significant advances in digital camera technology when it comes to shooting landscapes.

Composition The flexibility of my 24-105mm zoom lens allowed me to compose this scene very precisely. I had the lens set to 35mm to include the most vibrant section of flowering gorse in the foreground whilst also recording the rock arch a reasonable size in the frame. Accurate composition is critical in landscape photography. I had to reposition my tripod several times before I was happy that I had eliminated as many distracting foreground elements as possible. For me the compositional benefits of a zoom lens far outweigh any slight improvement in image quality afforded by primes.

Exposure and lighting Low light levels in combination with a three stop neutral density filter allowed me to use a long exposure time of 15 seconds to record movement in the water. By smoothing out the waves and ripples the composition is simplified and appears less busy.

Post Production In order to control the contrast between the land and sky I made two exposures which were merged together manually via two layers in Photoshop. The first exposure was made for the sky without the ND filter at 100 ISO, 1/15th sec @ f22 (to retain detail in the clouds by preventing motion blur). The second exposure was made for the foreground with the ND filter at 50 ISO, 15 seconds @ f22 (to smooth out the surface of the sea).

Even though this is a classic Cornish view and one that has been photographed many times, the changing light, choice of foreground and varying weather conditions mean that you'll always end up with something different and sometimes quite unique.