New XSi and Tamron 90mm

[LAMPCOV]

Sorry to the MR people who already saw this post, I'm just so geeked I had to post here too.

I picked up the Rebel XSi and Tamron 90mm 2.8 Macro today. I really wanted a 40D but didn't think I'd take advantage of the $300 more feature set. I love the results, but am already a little annoyed with some of the restrictions, I got it at costco so I can play with it a little more and upgrade to the 40D if I feel the need.

Here's some of the snaps from today.

If anyone knows the name of the zoa in the first pic, an ID wouldn't go unappreciated.

I welcome all comments and CC. Also, if you have a 40D tell me why need to move up (or down since its only 10MP)

 

[JuniorMC8704]

looks like someone found a spatula behind that dendro.

 

[Saltysteele]

well, i don't know about switching between the two. however, i've been getting the feeling that the MP is only file size, and there is more to image quality than file size. perhaps junior, poseidon, gparr or someone else can help ya there

however, just wanted to say again - NICE JOB!!

what restrictions?

 

[LAMPCOV]

looks like someone found a spatula behind that dendro.

See what happens when you let your trade secrets out!

Salty, the restrictions are annoyances like when you're in any of the automatic or program modes you can't use Live View, can't shoot raw, things like that. They figure if you're shooting auto you wouldn't need to be bothered with those options. Strangely I do like to use liveview in auto mode, and I would like to shoot raw.

Little things like that, things that you got used to from the 35MM days, and features that were on my Olympus E500. I miss my trusty Nikon F3

 

[revhtree]

Awesome start! Great job on these photos!

 

[Saltysteele]

oh, okay.

i've only got a 20D, so I'm not sure what the 40D has.

the 20D doesn't have live view at all, you have to look through the view finder for everything. I have had a camera in the past (a sony cybershot) that had it, and it was nice. definitely wasn't as nice as a camera as these, those (plus, think it was a 2.1?)

on the 20D, you can only shoot in RAW in the creative modes. I've got mine set to RAW, but it automatically switches to JPEG when in the presets.

do i need a 40D, now, too? J/K no way my wife would go for that!

regardless, though - NICE PICS!

 

[JuniorMC8704]

if you can get the 40D for only 300 more, honestly, i would go that route.

Seeing what you are capable of, i think you will love to extras it provides.

Also, you will LOVE the grip of it compared to the x models.

Also must better materials are used, and will be much more durable over the years.

I personally see myself using the D300 for many many years.

The idea of having to replace all my lenses with FX lenses is too much for me to handle. Im as high end as i can go without having to start over, or go canon.

Either way you go, great job. Right out of the gates your pictures are better than most ive seen.

That dendro pic is frame worthy. Its as good as any ive ever taken.

 

[JuniorMC8704]

and a coupe clicks in photoshop and there you have it. I cleaned up a couple distractions in the background, and sharpened (which is a must) it a little.

You can do a better cleanup job, but i took 2 seconds to do it.

makes a HUGE difference doesnt it?

im just so proud:cry:

 

[LAMPCOV]

if you can get the 40D for only 300 more, honestly, i would go that route.

Seeing what you are capable of, i think you will love to extras it provides.

Also, you will LOVE the grip of it compared to the x models.

Also must better materials are used, and will be much more durable over the years.

I personally see myself using the D300 for many many years.

The idea of having to replace all my lenses with FX lenses is too much for me to handle. Im as high end as i can go without having to start over, or go canon.

Either way you go, great job. Right out of the gates your pictures are better than most ive seen.

That dendro pic is frame worthy. Its as good as any ive ever taken.

The wife ok'd the 40D so I might have no choice. And I want to thank you so much for the kind compliments. They're always nice to hear, but when they come from someone with your talent they mean even more. Thanks Junior! I've got beer if you've got some photoshop tutorial time....maybe I'll build that robot tank cleaner for ya!

 

[Pitcom]

Awesome shot of the Dendro.

 

[Acro76]

Wow those are great pics right out the box! Where did you get that dendro?? :wink:

Would the live view with RAW be usable for macro work?? I know with experience with point n' shoot models that what looks in focus on the live view does not equal in focus when on the computer!

Might be a limitation of the camera's processor that RAW + Live View eats up too much of the processor and camera memory.

It would be nice to not have to crane my neck into the viewfinder when doing top-down shots!

 

[JuniorMC8704]

live view can work very well for top down shots.

It al depends on the resolution of the LCD.

I know on the D300 it has a super super high res screen so focusing through it works very well.

Ive used it many times with my top down box with great results.

 

[saltwaternewb]

or go canon.

Bite your tongue :crossedlips:

 

[Fish n' Frags]

I've had the D300 for a while now and i have never used the live view except when using camera control pro2. I should probably give it a shot huh? I really do need to calibrate my screen and get me some photoshop tutorials... Those pics look great!

 

[LAMPCOV]

Again, thanks everyone for the kind words....just tried my hand at snapping some pics of my clowns...wish they'd hold still like corals!

As for adjusting white balance when shooting raw. Do I pick a value that "looks good to me" or should I set it to the color of my bulbs..in this case 14k Phoenix 250DEs...

When people say "all I did was sharpen it, this is how it came out of the camera" are they just using the default value from the camera? I want great looking shots but not for people to say..."PHOTOSHOPPED!!!" Especially if post a coral for sale as WYSIWYG. I don't want to be misleading, but still want them to look great!

 

[JuniorMC8704]

people that post, "this right from my camera, no photoshop" have one of two things going.

1. it shows, and their picture is WAY more blue than it should be.

2. It shows, and it looks like crap, or if not crap, not half as good as it could be.

People dont understand that when shooting in Jpeg the camera itself is doing all sorts of things to your photos.

Its saturating the colors, sharpening, adjusting exposure, highlights, and shadows.

When shooting in RAW, its taking exactly what the image sensor is seeing, and thats it. It doesn't do anything.

Now, when shooting in RAW you man notice that when you preview the pic it looks great, and when you pull up the raw image theres a big difference in appearance. This is because your camera will ALWAYS create a jpeg for the camera's built in preview. So it will take whatever setting you have set and apply it to those previews.

Keep in mind that has nothing to do with how your image is actually going to come out.

When shooting in RAW, your MUST process the image, just like a film purist would develop his prints in a projector, and chemicals.

The only thing that matters is you like what you see.

I can say without a doubt that shooting an image in RAW, and knowing what settings to adjust, you can make your photo look identical to what the subject looks like in your tank.

--------------------------------------------------

To answer your question about white balance.

You will notice in the upper row of buttons, 3rd from the left, will be an eye dropper.

Click in it, and then in your image click on a white or gray area of the photo.

This will adjust the white balance and tint.

Many times this will be at 50,000k, and overexpose your photo. Slide it back a little ways, and it will give it a little cooler image (more blue). Adjust your exposure down a little if need be, and kick up the "black" a LITTLE.

Entering the color temp of your lights will not give you the result you desire.

then open the image.

resize your image by cropping, or by manually setting the image resolution.

THEN, hit it with a little unsharp mask, and save for web, and you are good to go.

The bottom line is, your goal is to get it to look like it does in the tank. If you can do that, great. Dont let anyone tell you that photoshop is cheating, thats just ignorance speaking.

Again, thanks everyone for the kind words....just tried my hand at snapping some pics of my clowns...wish they'd hold still like corals!

As for adjusting white balance when shooting raw. Do I pick a value that "looks good to me" or should I set it to the color of my bulbs..in this case 14k Phoenix 250DEs...

When people say "all I did was sharpen it, this is how it came out of the camera" are they just using the default value from the camera? I want great looking shots but not for people to say..."PHOTOSHOPPED!!!" Especially if post a coral for sale as WYSIWYG. I don't want to be misleading, but still want them to look great!

 

[Poseidon]

Good info Jr! I agree!

I do very little photoshop work to my images, BUT I have to believe that the AWB in my 1D is a little better then the AWB sensors in the lower end cameras.

Lately I too have been shooting RAW, and processing in Lightroom. I like lightroom better then CS3 for what I do, but there is NO QUESTION that CS3 (or CS4) is MUCH more powerful.

 

[Saltysteele]

i've found the technique for touching up colors works well. i've posted it somewhere here, and don't want to retype it all

it's not my technique, actually. it's Deke McClelland's, from Adobe Photshop CS2, One-On-One. I didn't catch the unsharpen mask bit in the book (which the unsharpen part still confuses me), but that was a great tip, junior!

i'm rather impatient, unfortunately. so, i get frustrated from not learning what to do in the book and stop reading. i'm a hands-on kind of person

 

[JuniorMC8704]

Well Mike and I will see a few of you in a little over a week at choice.

Im sure both of us will have our computers.

 

[Saltysteele]

Sweet! Is it okay if I bring my laptop? Or, will that not be necessary?

I've only got CS2 (can't believe 4 is coming out already)