All images captured using the Panasonic Lumix GX85. Horizontal frames were captured using the Lumix 7-14mm f/4 lens while the vertical frames were captured with the Lumix 14-140.
Category Archives: Tips
One Day Workshop Schedule
The following is the workshop schedule for the first half of 2016:
ALL ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS INCLUDE A PIZZA LUNCH
Workshop details are available from the Registration Page.
March 20 – Macro and Close-up Photography
March 26 – Flash Photography, High Speed flash, creative lighting
April 3 – Macro and Close-up Photography
April 9 – Portrait and Lighting Techniques
April 10 – Digital Photography A-Z. This is a one day three part course that will teach you camera basics, post processing and printing.
June 4 – The Digital Darkroom – a course that covers image capture, asset management, processing and enhancement, output to print and web media. A one day program for digital image making workflow
June 5 – Flash Photography, High Speed flash, creative lighting
June 11 – Timelapse Photography, post processing and video assembly
June 12 – Macro and Close-up Photography
If you have any questions or would like more information please call 617-759-0010 or email sv@shivverma.com
Please use this REGISTRATION link to register for these workshops.
Also posted in Composite, Flowers, High Key, Lighting, Macro, Mirrorless, Noise Reduction, Panning, Photography, Portraits, Software, Stacked Image, Strobes, Time-Lapse, Workshops
ND Filters’ Color Cast comparison – Vü 10 stop Sion, Lee 10 stop (Big Stopper) & Formatt Hitech 8 stop
The Lee Big Stopper was introduced in 2010 to compete with the Hitech 10 stop filter that was known to have flare and other issues. Subsequently Hitech reengineered their 10 stop filter and emulated some of Lee’s design features. In particular the the light blocking gasket. Soon Lee introduced the Little Stopper while Hitech developed a wider range of solid ND filters the Pro Stop line from 6 to 10 stops and in multiple sizes. Most recently I was introduced to the Vü system and hence this test as a comparison. I will do a full review of the Vü system in the near future.
As I own the Lee Big sStopper and the Hitech 8 stop with the Hitech holder (I do prefer the Hitech to the Lee holder) I was keen to understand the differences in the way high f-stop ND filters impart a color cast when used. Hence this test. Please click on the images to see a larger version.
The set up was fairly simple. Using a Sony A7R II and a Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens set at f/2.0 and a base ISO of 50, shutter speed 1/125 sec. The light source was two Elinchrome studio strobes positioned to give a 1/3 stop exposure variation at the edges. The camera was focused on a white foam-core board with a X-Rite Color Checker Passport clamped to the upper right corner. Camera white balance set for flash rather than a custom white balance (5450 Kelvin) and an “as shot” tint of +9. I wanted to allow for any variation in the white of the foam-core board that is typically not 100% white be adjusted in post.
The test exposure was made and the white balance adjusted in post using Lightroom – this is the image below. White balance adjustment yielded a temperature of 4750 Kelvin and a tint of -1:
Next the strobes were adjusted to full power providing 8 additional stops of light. The ISO was adjusted to increase sensitivity by two stops while the aperture of the lens was kept at a constant f/2.0 for all the exposures. Each filter was tested for color cast only.
The Lee Big Stopper (10 stop ND)
The Lee Big Stopper (10 stop ND) was mounted and the image as shown below was captured. This is as a screen shot so as to show the RGB histogram. The info panel shows the reading from the center of the captured image. Values are R=219, G=229, B=243
Color Values measured in the center
In this next image the Info Panel shows RGB values from the lower third of the image. Values are R=187, G=203, B=222
Color Values measured in the lower right quadrant
Next the image was white balanced in Lightroom WB to 8600 Kelvin and tint +43. Compensated for the color of the board and the lights the calculated readings are 7900 Kelvin and a +35 Tint adjustment.
Lee 10 stop WB to 8600 Kelvin and tint +43
The Lee Big Stopper exhibits a heavy blue cast in both the center and the edges.
Formatt Hitech 8 stop ND filter
As I do not have a 10 stop Formatt Hitech filter, I chose to do the same test with the 8 stop that I own. As with the Lee filter before, here the info panel shows the reading from the center of the captured image. Values are R=234, G=238, B=236
Format 8 stop – Color Values measured in the center
In this next image the Info Panel shows RGB values from the lower third of the image. Values are R=209, G=220, B=212
Format 8 stop – Color Values measured in the lower right quadrant
Next the image was white balanced in Lightroom WB to 5750 Kelvin and tint +52. Compensated for the color of the board and the lights the calculated readings are 5050 Kelvin and a +44 Tint adjustment.
Formatt 8 stop WB to 5750 Kelvin and tint +52
The Formatt HiTech 8 stop exhibits a heavy green cast at the edges but is more neutral in the center.
Vü Sion Q 10 stop Neutral Density Filter
The Vü Sion 10 stop ND filter mounted using The Vü professional filter holder (more abut this in a future post) and the same test was performed. As before the image captured is shown as a screen shot showing the RGB histogram. The info panel shows the reading from the center of the captured image. Values are R=235, G=235, B=239
Vu Sion 10 stop – Color Values measured in the center
In this next image the Info Panel shows RGB values from the lower third of the image. Values are R=211, G=214, B=219
Vu Sion 10 stop – Color Values measured in the lower right quadrant
Next the image was white balanced in Lightroom WB to 5800 Kelvin and tint +13. Compensated for the color of the board and the lights the calculated readings are 5000 Kelvin and a +5 Tint adjustment.
VU Sion 10 stop WB adjusted 5800 and tint +13
The Vü Sion 10 stop is very neutral in the center an has a negligible shift at the edges.
In conclusion I am very impressed with the Vü Sion 10 stop and is near neutral rendering. My full review of this system is forthcoming.
Hunts Photo is offering my students and workshop participants a 20% discount on all Vu filters and holders! All you have to do is call 781-662-8822 and ask for Alan Samiljan and tell him you are one of my students. He will give you the discount. UPS Ground shipping is free in the Lower 48 and there is no sales tax except for orders shipped to MA, RI or ME.
Also posted in Accessories, Blur, Lighting, Motion, Photographs, Photography, Product Reviews, Sony A7R, Strobes, Zeiss
TWiP Episode 453 – Hot New DSLRs!
If you’ve been listening to TWIP over the years you probably know how we feel about the relatively slow pace of innovation in the “mirrored” camera space… also known as the dSLR.
To reiterate, I personally LOVE Canon and Nikon, and I still own a bunch of Nikon gear, including many lenses and strobes. But now I primarily shoot Panasonic Lumix gear. Part of the reasoning is that the innovations and tools mirrorless technology gives me, “fits” better with the kind of media creation (stills, video, etc) that I enjoy.
Enter Pentax — a company that Ricoh acquired back in 2011 for $124 million dollars, has announced a brand new dSLR, with many features not found on any “mainstream” camera (mirrored, or mirrorless!).
Also Canon has refreshed its dSLR line-up with the 80D, as well as new glass and some accessories squarely aimed at video creation.
Also posted in Accessories, Educational, Mirrorless, News, Photographs, Photography, Product Reviews, Shows, Workshops
Review of the Hähnel Captur Module Pro, Captur Module – IR and the Captur Receiver
Hähnel Captur Module Pro remote trigger with sound, light, laser and IR triggering.
Hähnel of Ireland has replaced the wonderful Giga T pro with Captur Module Pro. Capture is high-speed trigger system that will provide remote triggering, intervalometer functions, delay triggering, long exposure and will will also work as an ordinary flash trigger.
Some of the more interesting features are sound, light, laser and infrared sensors for high-speed or wildlife photography. What is even better is that the system has an auxiliary port. This allows you to use any third part triggering devices to be connected to the Captur Module Pro that in turn will trigger your camera.
The basic kit comes as a set of two devices. A hand held control unit and a IR transmitter. You will need an optional wireless unit to control your camera wirelessly. The controller is a 2.4GHz transmitter with a range of 320 feet. It will work with either shoe-mount flashes or studio lights as there is a hot-shoe and a sync port. There are models for Nikon, Canon, Sony and Olympus/Panasonic. Best of all the modules all use AA batteries.
Features:
- Captures Time Lapse Photography, High Speed Photography, Motion & Wildlife Photography
- Four built-in sensors (light, sound, Laser & IR). The package indicates five built-in sensors however there are four sensors (three windows) and an auxiliary port that can accommodate an infinite variety of sensors and triggers.
- Auxiliary port allows to connect 3rd party sensors such as pressure plates, humidity & temperature sensors
- Fully programmable timed sequences including delay, interval timer, exposure count & exposure length setting
- Shutter release button with autofocus, single & continuous shooting & bulb mode
- Connect wirelessly to camera using the Captur Receiver (sold separately)
Construction:
The Captur Module Pro and the IR Transmitter are encased in rubber shield that covers the unit with the exception of the display and control face. Each has a 1/4 20 thread that lets you mount the units on a tripod, light stand or clamp. The IR Transmitter mounts inverted to protect it from the elements. The Capture Receiver is not rubber encased.
Module Pro: The face of the unit has the display window, three buttons – Lock, Trigger and Start/Stop. Blow these is the four way rocker and a center “set” button. The left side has the cameras cable release port and the auxiliary port. The top has the microphone, IR sensor and Light sensor. The right side has a micro USB port that can be used to power the device, and the on/off switch. Note the micro USB port is covered by the rubber enclosure. The underside of the unit has the 1/4 20 mount and the battery compartment also accessible by removing the upper enclosure.
The Module IR has a high/low switch on the front face and the 1/4 20 mount. The IR bean is emitter from the top of the unit.he On/Off switch is located on the left side and the batter compartment is in the bottom also covered by the rubber enclosure.
The Capture Receiver has a flash hot shoe on the face a test button and an indicator light that flashes green when the unit is ready and turns red when the unit is activated. The left side has the remote trigger cabe port while the right has the On/Off switch. The bottom of the unit has a combination hotshot mount and a 1/4 20 mount. Also on the bottom is the battery compartment. Note: this unit does not have a rubber enclosure.
Using the units:
The handheld remote controller can be connected to your camera with a remote cable or wireless is used with the wireless receiver unit. The controller will allow you to configure various shooting scenarios that require precise delays and also works as an intervalometer for time-lapse photography. Unlike the Giga T Pro, Captur Module Pro will work as a conventional flash trigger in addition to the remote triggering functionality when paired with a Captur unit.
The control unit has settings for Hours, Minutes and Seconds (HH:MM:SS) and a mode delay of 00:01 through 10:00 seconds (duration in 1/100th second). A 4 way rocker for modes and a central push button for setting the parameters. Buttons for triggering, start/stop and lock. There are four configurable options:
- Delay – lets you set an interval between the time the trigger is fired and the shutter is activated.
- Long – allows you to set a long exposure duration – the camera must be set to bulb mode. It is also possible to do long exposures without programming. This is achieved by depressing the release button for 3 seconds and the bulb function will lock and you can release the button. Depress the button once more to end the bulb exposure (long exposure).
- Interval 1 – is configured to set the interval between shots and then N1 sets the number of shots to take.
- Interval 2 configures the time between interval (Interval 1) activation sand N2 configures the number of times the Interval 1 and N1 sequence is repeated.
Using the Captur Module pro is easy if you are familiar with the Gia T Pro system. There is an online manual that is reasonable week detailed for those who have not used a Giga system or are new to Remote triggers and intervalometers.
Configuring for various modes:
All modes have some common options: sensitivity, amount of delay before the unit will trigger the shutter, the duration of shutter open when the camera is in bulb mode and the number of allowed activations. To enable a mode all you need to do is to press the Start/Stop button to start the process. A ready LED turns green and when the mode is triggered the LED turns Red as a verification.
To set the mode, use the rocker switch to get to the sensor mode you want. The modes are in the following order:
Sound mode– adjust the sensitivity of the sensor as needed.
Infrared (IR) mode, (you need to use the Module – IR). Set the Module – IR and the Module – Pro so they are aligned with the IR beam lens in line-of-sight with the receiver window of the Module Pro. When the IR beam is interrupted the unit will be triggered. The Module IR has High/Low setting. Use the low setting for a beam length of 4.5 feet or less and the High for lengths greater than 4.5 feet.
Light Mode – here the sensor is activated when there is a change in light level – bright to dark, dark to bright. Ideal for fireworks, lightning, or indoors with any light being turned on or off.
Laser – this mode requires a laser beam to be pointed at the receiver window and works the same way as the IR beam but with a much greater distance between transmitter and receiver.
AUX – this mode requires you to connect any triggering device to the Captur Module Pro via a 1/8” Tip-shield plug.
Pricing:
The Captur Pro Module is $120, Two receiver modules are $45 each; A pair of flash triggers not reviewed are $100 and the Capture Timer Module also not reviewed is $60.
Conclusion:
In my opinion the Captur system is probably the most versatile triggering system I have used and as it uses AA batteries it will last through extremely long time-lapse sequences without having to worry about a premature shutdown. The construction is solid as is the performance. In all of the tests performed the unit did not miss-fire.
Also posted in Accessories, Lighting, Motion, News, Photography, Product Reviews, Time-Lapse
Iceland – February 28 to March 7
With the exceptional Aurora Borealis activity in Iceland, I am doing a 1 week photo tour and workshop that will be exceptional.
From the western peninsulas of Snæfellsnes and Reykjanes to the exceptional south coast including the exquisite black sand beaches and icebergs in Jökulsárlón and surrounding areas this trip is designed for all levels of photographers. This trip is limited to a maximum 7 participants.
All Iceland photo tours and workshops in 2014 and 2013 were fully subscribed within days so please register as soon as possible.
Also posted in Horses, Photography, Stacked Image, Time-Lapse, Workshops
Fog Photography – a new article in “Tips”
Three Trees In The Fog – Cold Toning Applied
After the fog this weekend and some of the questions that have been asked, I have written an article on Fog Photography that you may find useful. The article is posted in the “Tips” section of my web. Click Here for the article.
Also posted in Black & White, Educational, Photographs, Photography
Tagged Fog, Fog Photography, Toning
Flash Sync Speed Limitation – a question from a subscriber
Question: “One thing I am curious about is the shutter with regards to off camera flash. Is there still a physical shutter that limits me to a max synch speed of around 1/200 of a second? Or have they moved to an electronic shutter that would allow much faster synch times?”
In order to appropriately respond to the question lets first understand how mirrorless camera sensors operate. Most mirorless cameras use CMOS sensors that contain light sensitive pixels arranged in rows. These sensors are always live as long as the camera is powered on and booted up.
Panasonic LUMIX FL580L Flash: Hybrid Flash System with Built-in Video LED
In the mirrorless world, the sensor information is being constantly fed to the LCD and/or the electronic viewfinder. When you press the shutter the following sequence takes place: a) the sensor is wiped clean electronically; b) next the sensor is turned on and receives light while the pixels record the information; c) now the computer in the camera reads the data collected by the sensor pixels to generate the image. This data is finally recorded to the memory card.
We know that the sensor is sensitive to light and always receiving information. In order to capture a good image, the sensor should be restricted from receiving light while it is being wiped clean and then again when it is reading the data captured during exposure. As the sensor data is being read you do not want the pixel information changing with any new light that may fall on the pixels. So, for both these events, mirrorless cameras use electronic or mechanical shutters or a combination of the two.
The electronic shutter works by first erasing all the pixel data on a row-by-row basis. Then new image information is gathered and the data is read by the computer on a row-by-row basis very similar to how a television picture is generated. All of this takes time, albeit just a fraction. The greater the number of pixels the more the rows of information and the slower the process. This limits the cameras from achieving high shutter speeds. For proper exposure these rows of pixels gather the same amount of light but do so a row at a time. The data is read at the same rate. The collective time determines the fastest achievable electronic shutter speed.
We are aware that to expose properly for flash photography all the pixels must be “alive” and ready to receive data while the flash is on. If the row by row read process starts too early then you will get areas of dark under exposure. In order to properly expose for flash, the computer in the camera has to wait before it can start reading the data collected by the sensor. This wait time determines the highest sync speed for flash photography.
As an adjunct to this, in order to achieve higher shutter speeds mirrorless cameras use mechanical second curtains. The curtain can rapidly close all light from entering the sensor while the computer reads the information. On the Sony A7 that has a 24 MP sensor, there are 4000 rows of pixels. The only way to attain shutter speeds of 1/8000 sec. is possible using a mechanical rear-curtain. On the 36 MP A7r however, there are 4912 rows of pixels. To attain speeds of 1/8000 sec. this camera needs both a front-curtain and a rear-curtain shutter. The MFT cameras like the Panasonic GH4 and the Olympus OM-D series have 16 MP sensors that have only 3456 rows and can achieve 1/8000 sec. electronic shutter speeds without the need for mechanical shutters..
The Sony A7 has an optional mechanical front-curtain that must be deployed when using lenses of longer focal lengths at high shutter speeds.
Unlike DSLR’s, the mechanical shutter on mirrorless cameras remains in an open state in both the powered off and powered on modes, allowing for live view data to be collected and displayed continuously.
The highest flash sync speed is currently 1/320 sec on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 , 1/250 sec on the Panasonic GH4 and under 1/200 sec for most of the Sony cameras.
Hope this explains why the current mirrorless technology is limited and high flash sync speeds are not feasible. If you have other photography related questions, please do not hesitate to ask and I will do my best to get you answers.
Also posted in Accessories, Educational, Mirrorless, Panasonic GH4, Photography, Sony A7R
Tagged Flash Sync Speed, Mirrorless Cameras
