Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Experimenting in abysmal light - Samsung NX100, Hexanon 24mm
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:05 pm    Post subject: Experimenting in abysmal light - Samsung NX100, Hexanon 24mm Reply with quote
The light was about as bad as it can get during daytime, thick total cloud cover, slight drizzle, just rotten conditions for phoography, but I figured, what the hell, let's see what I can manage.

I set the camera to ISO 400, and I had to use the lens either wide open at f2.8 or at f4.

f2.8, played with curves a little, sharpened then noise reduction. I think this shows the old 14mp Samsung sensor has quite impressive dynamic range:



f4, no PP, just RAW-JPEG then resize for web:



100% crop, a bit noisy but to be expected given the awful light, my NEX-3 is no better in such a situation:



Same shot but a 3-shot HDR, I used the AEB mode on the NX100 with 1 1/3 stop spacing:



100% crop, has been sharpened then noise reduced:



f2.8, no PP:



f2.8, 3 shot HDR using AEB:



HDR wth PP:



3 HDR shots stitched vertically, no PP:



after PP:



f2.8, 3 HDR shots stitched vertically, no other PP:



after PP:



In conclusion, I think HDR can make a big difference when the light is awful and a bit of PP helps too. I don't see the point in trying to portray reality when reality is grim, dark and boring.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice colorful images, this is my vision too, especially on boring rainy days.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cheers, when it's really dull and boring, I prefer to step away from reality rather than make dull, boring shots.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sometimes we forget how good digital is at getting the shot on dismal days. I can remember days I just left the camera at home because it was just about pointless to shoot grey days on film.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, I've tried film on dull days and even BW struggles. I did find that a high contrast film like Agfa Copex microfilm works brilliantly in dull light, but you have to rate it at 12 ISO, use a tripod and only shoot things that don't move in the wind. You also have to give it special development too.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 6:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
That landscape HDR is really nice.

Good idea. Forget about film shooting for a couple of months, and pick up my NEX or 5D with some manual lenses!


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, some very good results, given the light available.
I can't help but think back to film days when the light you had was all you got and there wasn't anything much that could be done to rescue images in those days. Yes there was under exposure and push processing ..... but the results were mud.
Well done that man.
As an aside - what is it about English motors and oil leaks. I think every one of them should come with a lifetime supply of drop sheets or absorbent cardboard. You know the old saying about Jaguars ............
................ they are the most comfortable thing that you can sit in while you wait for the tow truck. Very Happy

OH


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:

As an aside - what is it about English motors and oil leaks. I think every one of them should come with a lifetime supply of drop sheets or absorbent cardboard. You know the old saying about Jaguars ............
................ they are the most comfortable thing that you can sit in while you wait for the tow truck. Very Happy

OH


Because British manufacturers just sat back and didn't invest in quality control and new technology\designs and thought the British public would always buy British no matter what was offered to them.....it took the Japanese to show how to produce cars and motorcycles and when the British manufacturers woke up, it was too late...well you know the rest especially the decline of the great British motorcycle industry.

Last edited by Excalibur on Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:51 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Excalibur wrote:
Oldhand wrote:

As an aside - what is it about English motors and oil leaks. I think every one of them should come with a lifetime supply of drop sheets or absorbent cardboard. You know the old saying about Jaguars ............
................ they are the most comfortable thing that you can sit in while you wait for the tow truck. Very Happy

OH


Because British manufacturers just sat back and didn't invest in quality control and new technology\designs and thought the British public would buy British because they were British.....it took the Japanese to show how to produce cars and motorcycles but when the British manufacturers woke up, it was too late...well you know the rest especially the decline of the great British motorcycle industry.


yes .. at one time it was Matchless ...............

OH


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Excalibur wrote:
Oldhand wrote:

As an aside - what is it about English motors and oil leaks. I think every one of them should come with a lifetime supply of drop sheets or absorbent cardboard. You know the old saying about Jaguars ............
................ they are the most comfortable thing that you can sit in while you wait for the tow truck. Very Happy

OH


Because British manufacturers just sat back and didn't invest in quality control and new technology\designs and thought the British public would buy British because they were British.....it took the Japanese to show how to produce cars and motorcycles but when the British manufacturers woke up, it was too late...well you know the rest especially the decline of the great British motorcycle industry.


yes .. at one time it was Matchless ...............

OH


Small leaks can sink big ships Sad the Japanese solved oil leaks and electrical problems that gave British products a bad reputation and in the US, Lucas is called the "Prince of darkness" Sad


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Experimenting in abysmal light - Samsung NX100, Hexanon Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
The light was about as bad as it can get during daytime, thick total cloud cover, slight drizzle, just rotten conditions for phoography, but I figured, what the hell, let's see what I can manage.
.......
In conclusion, I think HDR can make a big difference when the light is awful and a bit of PP helps too. I don't see the point in trying to portray reality when reality is grim, dark and boring.

With such flat lighting conditions, I've found the (Photoshop, Irfanview etc.) plugin "contrast enhancement by overlay" that's part of Filters Unlimited v2.0 to be pretty effective. Its results are quite similar to those you attained by other means.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
As an aside - what is it about English motors and oil leaks. I think every one of them should come with a lifetime supply of drop sheets or absorbent cardboard.
Oldies used a venting system that dripped oil out (underneath the car, through a tube) instead of feeding it back into the sump via a separator. So the oil drips were at least partly intentional.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting work and good results!


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the plug-in tip, sounds useful.

Actually, I think the oil leak has stopped now, we never did find out where it came from and the oil level didn't drop so we think it was a case of having put a little too much oil in it. Still, it's par for the course with old cars and bikes.

Cheers Klaus. I will have pretty much nothing bu this light to work with until spring, which is a large part of why I am beginning to try some macro work.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Thanks for the plug-in tip, sounds useful.

Actually, I think the oil leak has stopped now, we never did find out where it came from and the oil level didn't drop so we think it was a case of having put a little too much oil in it. Still, it's par for the course with old cars and bikes.

Cheers Klaus. I will have pretty much nothing bu this light to work with until spring, which is a large part of why I am beginning to try some macro work.


That's exactly what I've done today, I went for a long walk and came back with 6 or 7 pictures that I looked at and then deleted. The storm and the clock going back just wasn't conducive to photography. And there was branches and trees falling down so walking in the woods probably wasn't the best idea. Laughing
So, I've just spent a couple of hours messing about with bellows and enlarger lenses on my desk. I think the spare bedroom will get all the crap cleared out so I can set up some indoor photography space.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I shot a couple of rolls of BW film today, despite the gale force winds. They are drying now, not sure how they will look, probably need a contrast boost.

I had to quit by 4pm, so I've spent the early evening doing the same as you - mini tripod on the desk and messing around with enlarger lenses.

I need more light to get faster shutter speeds as I've found at 1/20 with a 75mm lens I get shake which reduces sharpness - if myNEX had a calerelease capacity, it would help a lot. Maybe I should use my EOS 450D instead as that does have a cable.



I think we should start a thread, call it something like 'The winter macro thread'. Smile

I did some shots I'm fairly happy with the other day:

http://forum.mflenses.com/creepy-crawlies-t62361.html


PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's exactly what I've been doing, a mini tripod. anglepoise lamp, a LED torch, some old Cokin filters to add colour to the lights, and away I go. I use the 10 second timer on the nex, that's got some old Helios bellows and a Wetzlar Wilon 4.5 / 105 enlarger lens mounted on it. Behind my desk I've got a set of old bookcases with some of my stuff in, so it's an easy target.







Perhaps I should set this as a guess the lens challenge? Whatever, it's better than trying to find some colour and contrast on a miserable day like today!
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Page 1 of 1