Follow Focus or Push Pull Focus on your DSLR...

I have seen many many hack on this idea. From simple things such as a cable tie, to a can opener made from silicon. Some people can make anything work.

But sometimes we want the professional look, and still keep it pretty lo fi. I cam across this contraption today. 

FocusMaker has a slightly more "Pro" look to it, even though it works pretty much the same as the silicon can opener. But sometimes if you can fake it just a little, it might help keep you in more work. 

Cannon 50mm f1.0 BOKEHLICIOUS

Ever wondered how cool a SUPER DOOPER fast lens would be, check out PetaPixel article on this ultra cool toy (if you have a spare 3k)..

It's been to long.......

Well I must really apologize for the lack of posting.. I have been pretty sick as of late and am just finally getting over the last of the poxy virus that has knocked me over..

A lot has been happening in the camera world, as well as the world of photography..

We have had announcements from Cannon and Nikon on new entry level Full Frame cameras. Fuji Film have also announced fresh models of the X-Pro1 and X-E1 models..

So busy times ahead.. As soon as I catch up on some work, I will do a few write ups on everything!!

Plus Photokina is on as well... AAARRRRGGGHHHHH

Lots to catch up on..

CR Kennedy....... Your VERY VERY UNWELCOME..

If your the owner of a Sigma Lens and need it serviced at CR Kennedy, I'm just giving you a warning.

Throw the lens away and either buy the proper Nikon, Canon, or what ever fits the camera your using. I know I'm probably one of a very very small crowd of people that have had a problem, but I'm far from going to be the last. Now as I have a pretty big soap box to stand on, I'm about to get up there and roar.

1) When I took my camera and lens into them for re-calibration and checking (as it has never really been sharp even right down to f8), the service technicians (or that's who I think they were) told me about a week and it really shouldn't take much longer.
2) So after almost a week I planned on popping in to collect my camera and newly calibrated lens but was informed it was not done yet and it should be ready very early the next week and I should call Tuesday.
3)Tuesday of the next week (so 2 weeks for a 1 week check) the camera still hasn't been done (even though it was "started" a week ago) and to call Thursday for a very accurate time as to when it will be finished.
4) The call is placed on Thursday and I'm told it should be ready Friday and I should call to check and make sure so it can be collected.
5) Call Friday morning and it's redirected straight to the Sydney Office. The lady on the other end of the phone informs me that Melbourne is relocating to a new warehouse and won't be contactable till Monday afternoon Tuesday Morning and she can email them any questions I might have.
6) Call Monday making sure they understand that if my camera is not ready I don't really care anymore I just need it back. I have lost 2 bookings and untold dollars and that I'm at the point where some form of reimbursement  might be in order for the money I have lost unable to work. I'm also informed that the lens calibration has started and it should be ready Tuesday.
7) Tuesday I call and I'm told it will be finished and ready to collect Wednesday. When prompted as to a time for collection I was told I should call prior, as there are no guarantee's. I then explained yet again what was happening and the lengths I would go, we came to an agreement that they would ship my camera to me overnight via courier. I was also told they would call and or email me the tracking number.
8) Wednesday Morning and after not receiving a call or email with the tracking number I call and receive the number and check online to see where it is, and before I could even enter the password the delivery man arrives and my camera and lens finally made it back into my hands. After 20-30 test shots it looks absolutely no different. So it took 3 weeks for my camera and lens to be calibrated, checked, and fine tuned for the images to look no different.

What's the morale of this story? Well there are a couple.

1) DON'T SKIMP ON EQUIPMENT!! This is the first and last time I will say this. I was in a bit of a pickle at the time and need a lens FAST. This was the only one available so I went and bought it WITHOUT USING IT FIRST!! Go to the stores and try out the gear, If I had of tested it first, I would have never bought it.

2) THE CUSTOMER COMES FIRST! Yep I have burnt 1 or 2 bridges in my time photographically and when I worked in retail. Sometimes things just never go right and you do have to be that guy or gal that bails at the last minuet and screw's the pooch. I have always tried to give enough time so people can find alternatives. But to have a company lie and misinform me as much as they did, that's some of the worst customer service ever.

OK they never changed me for the work on the camera or the shipping, but I think that's the least they could do. I must admit though, I will never buy anything from Sigma again, or anything that is related to the CR Kennedy company's again. If I can ABSOLUTELY make sure of it.

Film Photography back in Vogue... It NEVER LEFT US!!

ABC Radio National had an interesting little blog/podcast today on Film Photography. 

Film Photography Back In Vogue is an "interesting" look into the world of film photography of today, compared to say 15 years ago. It's all a bit wired coming form the "mouth of babes" as well.

At the grand old age of 41 (yeah I know) I have known film for a long time, and this Digital Thing is still pretty new to me. I still manage a small darkroom in my house developing my own Black and White film and might even hit out a few prints next year if I can get the gear on board.

But to almost claim that film is "New" or in a "Revival" is almost ludicrous.

Kodak started in 1888 (or there about's as that was the first camera from them) and FujiFilm have been on the ground and running for almost 80 years. These are probably two of the most common names in film, and the most recognized. With over 100years of history, why would we think Film to be a new medium?

What we lack now is the Master Printer. The Master Printer would take a negative from you with the changes you wanted made, and print an image that would make you smile. The knowledge and technical skill in printing an image from a negative has been all but lost in most instances. A lot of the chemicals are even quite hard to get and can be quite toxic if used incorrectly. There was talk of photographers and their assistants (in the 60's and 70's) popping amphetamines and drinking some of the chemicals (yes DRINKING). Mind you the prints these men were striking were AMAZING. They could recoil the the White and control the Dark in a wondrous ballet of Alchemy.

In this world of perfection, sanitized images of pure sharpness and clarity can bore us. We need to not go back, but reignite the passion for our "Hands On" technical aspect. We rely to much on Digital Mediums and have lost the tactile aspect that is associated with photography. Yes I agree that there is a resurgence in Film, and younger photographers are finding something more "organic" in the use.

But the reality is that film is soft and lovely. There is a "by gone era" feel the images take on. It takes a little more technical knowledge to shoot, but the image that you see is something to take your breath away. Modern Masters (Joel would giggle at being Modern) of photography like Meyerowitz, Crewdson, and Wall  are all avid film shooters. Regardless of format, people should be looking to shoot and develop there own Black and White film. It's a great feeling to make something, to take the photo and create the negative, then have a way to print the image. This is what art really is.

Yes Digital has its place. I still love my digital camera for a lot of my shooting it works. But there really is something soft and special about film.

I implore you all to go out there and open your minds. Get a film camera and teach yourself to develop the film. It's really satisfying.

Cannon T4I/650D... Same Camera... 2 Names...

What is it with Cannon?? I don't use one cause, well to be honest, I never liked the name. A camera that is named after a device designed for killing?? Could never get past that...

Anyway I digress, this is about the NEW offering from the Cannon stable. The T4I/650D (I think that depends if your in Australia/America). This is still a kinda Entry Level camera in the DSLR market (at $900 for body only). It carries an 18 MP Sensor, 3" Screen, 5 Frames per Second Shooting, and Full HD shooting in Video Mode.

Without getting my grubby hands on one to play with, it kinda looks pretty good on paper. It's about a Nikon D3200 comparison, but why compare? Well the Cannon probably has a better Video, but I think the Nikon might has a better chance in the Stills department.

So until I can get one of each to test out back to back (anyone can lend them to me ANYONE) for a day or two, I think the old photographers adage of "Cannon for Lens and Nikon for Body's" might still hold true. The layout of the the controls on the Nikon just looks nicer. Also the Cannon Flippy Turny Screen thing... I still don't get it. It's the first thing I can see a punter breaking, and I wonder how expensive it's going to be to replace! As a body only and a nice EF50mm f18 II lens, I can see a begginer making some very lovely shots. They might even get the EF 40mm f28 STM (I think it fits) for a more diverse range of shooting and video options. 

Pick a Lens and go shoot!!!

As a photographer we like having a bunch of the best kit (we can afford) and being able to shoot as many beautiful images as we can.

Lens selection is probably something a lot of starting out photographers seem more daunting than actually selecting the Camera body. There are so many lens's out there and they all sound kinda the same, but are all very different. One thing I have always wanted was someone to give a brief description of Lens selection and why you would use that lens. I was never able to find anything like it around, so I thought "What the hell, I will give it a crack".

So here is a list of lens types (based on the basics) and why you might choose them. I will also give you a quick rundown of what's currently in my bag.

Really there are only a couple of types of lens:

Prime Lens: These are super nifty and can be quite cheap.  Most fixed sizes are available from 20mm up to 200mm. Where does a Prime fit, well they are kinda the "Old School" of shooting. You use your feet for zoom (in or out) and pick the f for the depth of field.

Zoom Lens: These are a bit broader and come in many different configurations. A Zoom will replace a fist full of primes, and if you get a really lovely fast lens, it will replace the Primes with just as beautiful crisp photo.

Tilt Shift: These wont be used by many in the General Population, but are a great idea if you want to specialize in Architecture photography. They are also great fun to play with for exaggerated portraits or whimsical landscapes.

Macro: These lens's are the gift to Entomologists and Botany photographs the world over. I have seen these with a focusing distance of as short as 5cm and a reproduction of image to 1:1!! Amazing results can be had.  These are great for  anything up close.

Fish  Eye: Do you need a lens that will give you 180 degree range of sight, then get a Fish Eye. These things have been used for things as simple as Landscapes and House Interiors, and they are perfect for that. They have a wonderful "Forced" field of view that is very quirky and distorted. Use the Fish Eye for a modern day Portrait, or go find that lovely Outdoors area where you have always wondered ho to get it all in the frame.

They are all they basic types. So what the hell do you do now!!!

I think the myth of lens's needs to be broken a little. Do you need to spend 2-3K on a lens? Maybe. I say maybe because as a consumer and someone who is kinda frugal, I don't want to be spilling out cash all the time. My dad once said "Smart people buy once and Poor People buy all the time" and that is to be said for Lens's.

So shooting Weddings, Zooms are your friend!!! I think out of all the Wedding guys I know would use 2 lens's all day long and that's it!! They would have a 24-70mm and a 70mm-200mm both in a really fast f2.8 and shoot all day long. It gives them such a wonderful range of shooting options and the convenience of 2 simple shooting options, and only having to change from one lens to the other (if you don't have 2 bodies) is just perfect.

Landscape people, your even easier. ANY LENS IS FINE!! Yep I said it!! OK, spending up on a say LOVELY 24mm Prime in f 1.8 will give some amazingly crisp and clean images, but really? If your starting out on Landscapes and Urban, kit lens's are just fine but the wider the better. These weird super dooper 50-500mm zooms are useless and serve no purpose at all. My landscapes are probably 90% 35mm f 1.8 lens and that's it. I might go to a 50mm just to tighten up my view and focal point, but nothing much more than that. I would LOVE a say 14mm Fish Eye, but at the moment I can't justify the money.

So really, there is no right or wrong lens for you to use, but have a really good think about what your going to photograph. I would even go to the point of say you should really go rent a lens for the weekend and try it out. That way before you outlay some major coin, you know it will work for what you need. I'm of the opinion that if it covers 75% of your shooting needs, it's worth the cash.

So my bag? Well I'm a Nikon user and currently carry these lens's.

Nikkor DX 35mm f1.8G (made to give 35mm on DX format sensor)
Nikkor 50mm f1.8D
Nikkor 85mm f1.8D
Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 HSM

I might give the Sigma the Heave Ho because I find it a bit "Soft" on the edges. Its a lovely lens, but for some of the shot's I'm trying to achieve, it's just not sharp enough. So I will end up getting the Nikon version, but will decide on a D ring or G ring (D ring has no Vibration Reduction).

So If I have confused you more, let me know what you want to shoot and I will try and give you an idea of what I would get..