Samuli Vahonen
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 p.106 #3 · ZE/ZF/ZM Images (Official Thread!) | |
Seems that this thread has to be read daily, or you have to go through multiple pages for commenting...
Denoir,
First lightning storm image was great, reminded me that I still have some unprocessed 20D lightning images from 2006 since I never found good white balance, maybe modern RAW processing programs work better in this respect.
I liked your church HDR shots, you have kept very real look, no stupid HDR halos. Some of the images may have benefitted from slightly tighter gamma adjustment (assuming you use PhotoMatix).
Next set was the golden angels statue (outdoors) I did like most of the first image of backlight angel statue, thou cropping to 3:4 (getting rid off the excess sky) would be better - good decision to keep the sun in the middle of image = no lens flare/reflection same way as off-center sun inclusion.
Then next set were the forest/stream images, of which I liked most the 3rd image of stream and logs, very good usage of leading lines, or should I say leading logs 
The 50MP macro photos look so much like 100ZE - this reminds me that I need to shoot also some macros with 50MP, I haven't had time for that yet, most of the shooting time I have wasted comparing it to 1.4 version...
Nice 100MP "demonstration" series, thou I disagree 100ZE not having 3D in medium distance, if botanist would have had same green shirt as in following picture and you would have managed somehow to get cloud (or even better cloud's edge) to shade the subject there would have been 3D - now sunlight is too direct and white shirt draws eye away from face etc. where surface texture can be seen, and the white shirt doesn't have depth details = no 3D as overall end result.
Philippe,
Creative composition with 28ZE to avoid the tourists.
johnahill,
Really like your 4th photo, re-presents the look I assume to get into my cityscapes. Louvre from the Seine-side? (the top of the buidling has same/similar shape)
Makten,
1.4/50 really suits your style - the mild contrast in bokeh and high contrast in focus plane really makes some of your photos to work.
For me both of your simple "get something out of nothing" images (salmon and green plant on dry ground) did "work", thanks for sharing. The green plant on dry ground looked quite bad on laptop (it could not represent shades on the dry white ground) even calibrated, but looks OK on desktop.
Charles,
Liked your 1st Lamington National Park image; horror movie colors on background and the warm light passing through the base of the tree makes this photo interesting.
Phil,
You have found nice garden - if you go again, you could try to use polarizer to reduce glare from the leaves. I liked most the 3rd shot.
Anden,
Nice red sky photo - It must be common to have those red after sunset skies in Malmö - when I worked there in 2005 there were almost always clouds to not actually have sunset but we did see this red sky many times each week (or then memory makes tricks and only remembers the good/nice things...)
My 0.02$ to the 50mm discussion:
- Canon 50/1.4, terrible sample variation, when you find good sample it's quite sharp but contrast is not so great and colors are really awful - If anything else than sharpness is considered then I would not consider this as option for 50mm, I have many 50EUR M42 50mm lenses, which I prefer over Canon
- Regards the two Zeiss lenses (50P = Planar, 50MP = Makro-Planar), I don't think there either of the lens is clearly better than another, if both would be put to test and results weighted as in average photography magazine/website rates lenses then 50MP would most probably win. However I'm complex guy, so in my thinking anything isn't that simple that we can just put a number to product representing it's "goodness". Below are my "rules" how I choose between the two 50mm lenses, which to take in the backbag or to shoot photo with:
--- infinity (landscape/cityscape), I choose 50P since I prefer it's rendering style, if for DOF lens needs to be stopped to f/11-13 then 50MP since it's larger contrast makes it slightly more diffraction "resistant"
--- medium distance with large aperture, "3D" shots => 50P (50MP has bigger contrast in bokeh and bokeh quality is worse, I find it harder to produce "3D" with 50MP, can be done but harder)
--- between close-up and medium distance (about 2m) I have not yet made tests, in here forum it's claimed that 50P bokeh is uglier
--- close-up; 50MP (sharpness, micro contrast, contrast and bokeh are better)
--- close-ups with "funky"/swirly bokeh; 50P
--- macro; 50MP
--- if I shoot infrared; 50MP (50P has very bad hot spot)
--- if it rains; 50MP (the combination of recessed front element and hood gives better protection; bigger contrast helps to win the haze/fog)
--- if I don't take 100ZE into camerabag with me then 50MP comes with me in order to have some macro lens with me
--- if I don't have possibility to mitigate focus shift: 50MP
--- if size/weight needs to be consider I won't take either, then I take 1.7/50C/Y...
- cheapest way to get both rendering styles is to get 50MP and 50C/Y, and aperture ring in lens also helps mitigating focus shift, no DOF button pressing or switching live view mode is needed - only bad thing is that there is only 6 aperture blades in C/Y version and in many situations bokeh gets ugly bokeh highlights
Since I mainly use 50mm field of view lens for medium distance shots and landscapes I have preference towards 50P - if I would have known how what I know now, I may not have purchased 50MP at all. But now when I have it, it's another tool in my camerabag and "horses for courses"; I try to always select the better suitable lens for the situation. As a side notice; I try to avoid taking both of them with me since then I easily get into lens comparison "mode" and shoot two versions of every target - this doesn't good any good for my photography, just loosing time.
I'll try to post some photos later today, apologies posting just text.
Samuli
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BTW, nice shots. And the whole 21 being to wide for much other then mentioned above, well that's just my opinion because of my style of shooting. I took a portrait of my dog the other day with the 21, and it was quite a funny shot. I didn't keep it as it's not to my taste, but you CAN use it if you want to.