Tag Archives: DSLR

Sigma SD1 Pricing Announced

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Sigma SD1 pricing announced today and they took many folks by surprise. Why?

Because many months ago a Sigma executive when asked about SD1 pricing indicated it would be in the “Canon 7D” price range.  So many Sigma enthusiasts were counting on $1600-$1800 for the SD1.

Today sigma announced the SD1 is priced at $9700.  (that’s not a typo)

$9700 dollars for a crop sensor that only takes sigma SA mount lenses.  Hmmmm…

Now I am a huge sigma fan.  An X3F lover and I’ve yapped about it many times.  I’m disappointed that Sigma priced the SD1 so high, especially after they indicated it would be in line with the cost of a Canon 7D.

Seems Sigma is trying to pitch the SD1 as a viable medium format competitor.  What I don’t know is if the medium format folks will dig the following:

  • 460K LCD screen.  That’s right.  Low resolution LCD to review your shots
  • Tiny viewfinder to frame your shots (compared to Full Frame or MF)
  • Sigma lens quality control

Those three issues are the biggest downsides to the SD1 as a medium format competitor.  Several sigma SA mount lenses have shipped to me with massive back focus issues and despite being sent to sigma repair in NY several times, they still can only be used as manual focus lenses (sigma quality control is notoriously worse than Canon/Nikon).

There are other gotchas like amazingly crappy battery life (200 shots per charge), etc…, but I’ll stop here given Sigma priced it far enough out of my range to consider the SD1 as a purchase.  Had they priced it around $2000 to $2500 I’d have probably have bought two and then start shooting real estate with it over my current Nikon D3.  Steady as she goes for now given this pricing.

Camera + Lens + Tripod

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Many of my clients request what most of you would call a “Run and Gun“.

Camera, Lens, Tripod …. and very limited time to shoot right at high noon (high contrast).

Click to View Larger Version

It’s what I first began shooting myself and later got used to coping with.  Basically,…

  • No formal knowledge of the property
  • No prior prep time or staging time alotted
  • No time to bring in external lighting
  • No time to waste…  basically… HDR to the rescue

Here’s some typical “Camera + Lens + Tripod” shoots.  Some new, some relatively recent…

VRBO Listing for new client wanting to stand out above the rest

Sandestin Burnt Pine MLS Listing

VRBO Shoot for existing client that values (through bookings) high end photos

MLS Shoot for Existing Client (has sold 90% of listings I shot in 60 days or less)

Canon T3 HDR

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Click image to view LARGER version

Canon T3 / 1100D sample image.  Created with the trusty Promote Control to bracket much larger than a Canon can do natively.  Shot with the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM (at 8mm). (O.K. so I forgot to move the hand soap directly ahead which fills the doorway…. sue me!)

Once again the promote control turns an entry level DSLR into a HDRI capture device.  Brilliant.

I know it’s been awhile since I posted anything on the blog or on Twitter.  I’ve been dealing with terrible health challenges.  I’ve spent more time getting treatments, tests, blood work, chelation therapy, detox programs and on and on.  It has consumed my time the last couple of months.  Hope to be back soon, but the docs can’t pin point the exact issue aside from high levels of toxins and metals in my blood (hence detox and chelation therapy).  I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.  I have about 4-6 hours of energy a day… sometimes less.  Dizzy spells keep me off the computer too.  Geez.  When your grandmom tells you that you’ve got nothing if you don’t have your health.  She ain’t jokin’.

The only reason I have the T3 is a real estate photographer wanted into my HDR Training for Real Estate Photography beta even though it is still not finished.  So I told her if she drop shipped a new T3 kit so I could test it, I’d let her in.  I didn’t actually expect her to do it!!!  So here’s my first use with it and a few comments.

This is NOT a full Canon T3 review, just my quick take.

  • Dynamic Range seems to be no better than XS / 1000D
  • Image Quality seems to be no better than XS / 1000D
  • Video and higher ISO abilities make it a great upgrade to the XS / 1000D
  • Body is made of a smooth plastic and reminds me of a child’s toy (hate it)

Dynamic Range of Sensor

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Curious about where your DSLR ranks in ability to capture a wide dynamic range? Here’s the chart to show you where yours ranks against its peers (updated 11-15-2010).

If you shoot timelapse and you are trying to squeeze every ounce out of shadows and pull in as much highlight detail as possible, then pay close attention to this chart.

If you only bracket 3aeb when shooting for HDR, then pay very close attention to this chart.  Your 3aeb is only as good as your sensor can cover (in Dynamic Range).  Lower Dynamic Range sensors result in banding and heavy noise issues when shooting high dynamic range scenes and only bracketing 3aeb.

Results will vary widely if you shoot 3aeb with a dynamic range monster like the Nikon D7000 versus the other (3aeb max) DSLRs at the bottom of the chart below.

<<< The good news is if you bracket tighter and wider than 3aeb, you can capture virtually any scene with ANY of the lowest ranked sensors below and still capture the entire dynamic range of the scene.  BUT!!! … only if you are willing to bracket 8-12 frames spaced 2/3rds to 1EV apart (scene dependent) >>>

*** I underlined the cameras released in the last few months

Sigma SD1

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Sigma just announced their new flagship DSLR the Sigma SD1. They have a microsite showing the history of the company and foveon as it relates to Sigma DSLRs.

46 megapixel 24×16mm APS-C X3 Full-colour image sensor
The 46 megapixel (4,800×3,200×3 layers) 24×16mm APS-C X3 direct image sensor featured in the Sigma SD1 captures all primary RGB colours at each and every pixel location, ensuring the capture of full and complete colour. Using three silicon-embedded layers of photo detectors, stacked vertically to take advantage of silicon’s ability to absorb red, green and blue light at different respective depths, it efficiently reproduces colour more accurately, and offers sharper resolution, pixel for pixel, than any conventional image sensor. Since colour moiré is not generated, the use of a low-pass filter is not required, meaning light and colour, generated by the 46 megapixel APS-C X3 direct image sensor, is captured with a three-dimensional feel.

I have said this before and I’ll say it again… the foveon sensor has amazing dynamic range. That used in conjunction with their proprietary raw processing software (included free with their cameras) gives you access to a unique slider unlike any other raw processing app which acts like a tonemapper on the raw data.  This makes the SD14 an amazing tool even today in 2010 (I shoot with both a Nikon D3 and Sigma SD14).  I can’t wait to see the images off the Sigma SD1.

Specs aren’t out yet, but if they at least match the AEB capabilities of the SD15 which shoots 5aeb, I’ll be thrilled.

Nikon D7000

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Nikon D7000 = Two steps forward, one giant step back (for HDR)

The Nikon D7000 is limited to 3aeb.  BUT! Nikon in their infinite lack of wisdom has decided to further cripple HDR shooters by making that 3aeb limited to maximum steps of only 1EV between frames  (see update *****). Hence “one giant step back”.

***** 36 hours after the D7000 announcment, Nikon updated their website and marketing PDF to reflect a mistake on their part.  The mistake was forgetting to show that the max EV step for the D7000 was 2EV not 1EV as they had previously reported.  The below still applies to attempt to get in three bursts what you can get natively in a D300/D3/D700.

So why did I say “Two steps forward”?  Because the main dial on the top of the camera has dedicated U1 and U2 settings for custom settings.  One could set their U1 dial to have exposure compensation set to -3 and the U2 dial set with exposure compensation set to +3.  That way with three 6fps bursts and two spins of the dial you can end up with a 9 frame bracket from -4 to +4 equal to the bracket you get natively with a D300/D3/D700. Slightly out of order and messy to deal with in LightRoom, Bridge, etc., but at least covers the scene.

One should be able to initially set up a 3aeb with 1EV steps and fire off a bracket at 6fps to capture the frames at -1, 0, +1, then turn to U1 on the dial (previously set for -3 exposure compensation) to capture -4, -3, -2 and then turn the dial to U2 (previously set for +3 exposure compensation) to capture 2, 3, 4 to complete a series from -4 to +4 with 1EV steps.

Simple?  Clean?  No, but at least its an option (based on how I am reading Nikon USA website and camera settings).

1-3-2011 Note:
New Post on Nikon D7000 HDR here…
http://hdriblog.com/nikon-d7000-hdr/

Pentax K-r

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Pentax just slipped a DSLR in between their K-7 and K-x models.

Introducting the Pentax K-r

NOTEWORTHY MENTIONS

  • 6fps for continuous shooting. Very nice for quick HDR captures.
  • New Night Scene HDR Mode
  • Improved HDR Mode (adds auto alignment in camera and better blending modes)
  • Same 921,000 resolution and 3 inch LCD like the K-7
  • 1/6000 shutter speed
  • 100-25,600 ISO

PENTAX USA K-r Product Page

———————————————-

PENTAX IMAGING USA K-r YouTube VIDEO

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaD3E2FtkJo[/youtube]

Also, I still have my Pentax K-x, but don’t use it often enough.  It’s a fun little camera and great image quality.  The K-r looks like it inherited most of the goodies of the K-x and even better goodies of the K-7.   My K-x reviews are:

HERE: http://hdriblog.com/pentax-k-x-review/

and

HERE: http://hdriblog.com/pentax-k-x-initial-test/

HDR Timelapse – Las Vegas

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Today I edited the HDR Timelapse sequence of the Las Vegas sunset.  I had shown one frame from the sequence over the weekend and posted a larger version previously as well.  This is one single tonemapped edit from the HDR Timelapse sequence. (Video link to Vimeo below).

Today I had a real estate shoot cancel, so I got a bunch of past real estate shots edited and then took some time to piece together the Las Vegas Sunset HDR Timelapse.  Because I chose to merge to hdr and tonemap that one single image over the weekend (above) using Photomatix Pro, I thought I’d use Photomatix Pro again for the entire sequence.  What the hell.  Its not for a client so a little over saturation won’t matter here.  I made a few mental mistakes in the pipeline because I generally use other apps, but the results are O.K. for government work  :)

This was the capture/post flow:

Nikon D3  + Nikon 85mm f/1.4D shot through my hotel window on a tripod utilizing the in camera HDR Timelapse (You can combine a timelapse with bracketing in the D3).  I chose to go with a 7AEB with 1EV steps and the camera was firing off that bracket every 15 seconds.  Of the 7AEB I killed off the final over exposed image of each bracket.  I felt adding that latitude would brighten the image too much.  So each merge to HDR was 6 shots spaced 1EV apart.  The total number of tonemapped shots was 90.  Basically covering a span of  22 mins 30 seconds worth of time during the sunset. Both the Merge to HDR and Tonemapping was done in the batch feature of Photomatix Pro.  I then took the tonemapped images into Final Cut Pro for time and color treatment before exporting for YouTube & Vimeo.

Because I shot this sequence in portrait mode, I opted to make slight color correction differences to two versions and post one video with both playing together.  I should have pushed on image a lot harder to show variation.  Now that I’ve watched it online it seems very subtle.

I also simultaneously shot a HDR Timelapse a foot away from the D3 with a Canon T2i in horizontal mode as wide as the kit lens will go (18mm for that EF-S, but on a crop body).  I shot for a full hour with the T2i.  About 15 minutes prior to setting up the D3 and the same after the D3 exhausted the compact flash I had in it.  It will be interesting to see those results versus the D3.

I’m no expert when it comes to compression/encoding.  I can only say that the video looks a hell of a lot better in FCP than online!

Vimeo 720p Version LINKED HERE (opens in a new window)



Gigapan Epic Pro

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Gigapan Epic Pro announced last week on the 15th of March is now shipping. Initially their site said “Shipping in April”, but it is actually shipping.  I know because UPS tracking shows it’ll be here this wednesday :)

If weather is good I’ll be shooting with it on Wednesday and will report my initial thoughts as well.  Maybe even a brief video overview. In addition to shooting a full 360 degree image, it also allows bracketing at each stopping point for HDR capture.  It comes with an auto stitch program as well so I’m hoping it is as seamless as the marketing materials make it sound.

I’ve been watching gigapan for some time. Their prior two models would not hold a professional or even semi-pro DSLR so I never bothered to get the prior models.  The Epic Pro now supports a pretty good number of full sized DSLR bodies.  More info about the gigapan epic pro as well as camera compatibility and pricing is on their site: http://gigapansystems.com/gigapan-products/gigapan-epic-pro-product-page.html

SD15 AEB Clarification

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SIGMA SD15

I had previously discussed the new Sigma SD15 and its new 5 AEB feature.  What I just learned is that the SD15 has the following AEB capabilities:

With 3 frames for Auto Bracketing : 1/3EV Stops Up to ±3EV
Maxing the steps between each shot would lead to under exposed to over exposed as follows:
[ -3.0, 0, +3.0 ]

With 5 frames for Auto Bracketing : 1/3EV Stops Up to ±1.7EV
Maxing the steps between each shot would lead to under exposed to over exposed as follows:
[ -3.3, -1.7, 0, +1.7, +3.3 ]

I would have loved to have seen jumps of at least 2.0EV between each shot on the 5 AEB capture mode for some wide dynamic range scenes, but the new 5 AEB setting is a welcome one.  At the price point the Sigma SD15 is set at ($859 through Amazon Pre-Orders), it is the widest bracket you can get for the money.  Nothing even comes close for that price point.