[...] > > Rather than having a default, I expect that the correct solution is to > know when which platform is the best. What guidelines do you use? >
My default is simple. Leave the tripod and stuff at home except when shooting brick walls or some similar test, or when using humungously long lenses - anything above about 200mm on a 35mm system; and even then a bean bag is often better than a tripod. It's all just clutter and contributes nothing to the type of picture I take. I suspect it will contribute practically nothing to yours either. Normally I try to shoot at a shutter speed higher than the lens focal length, which is the old rule of thumb and seems to work quite well. If I need to shoot at slow shutter speeds I brace or otherwise prop the camera on something. I agree with other suggestions to use the best lenses possible, and I do still feel more comfortable with manual focus. > I currently have three heads Hmm. > with the "ubiquitous manfrotto mount". > > A 486RC2 ball head > A 352RC ball head > A 804RC2 three axis head > > I'm using a Manfrotto 3443 Carbon one 441 base > > The above setup seems to work pretty well, until I throw the bigma or > suchlike on, in which case, using the metric of "does it change > position when you let go?" at least the three axis head sags. > > What would it take to substantially improve what I have for a tripod > head? Would I be able to do so and stay with the same ubiquitous mount > that already works with the several heads I now have? > > Just as I was finishing up the above, I got a couple more excellent > replies from Bruce and Collin.... > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: Bruce Walker <[email protected]> > > Date: May 30, 2012 4:42:59 PM PDT > > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: Improving the technical quality of my photography > > Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> > > > > Sharpness: easy one. When it matters: > > - use low ISO (no higher than 200) > > Good to know. I try to go for 80 when I can (it seems to give more DR > than 100 based on DxO), but often push it as far as 640. > > > - light your subject well (exposure!) > > - use the center focus point on something lit and detailed > > The topic of how to focus is another interesting one. In my > experience, if the autofocus focuses on the right thing, it will do > better than manual. > For manual focus, it seems as if I get the best results using Live > View. > > > > - focus on eyes in portraits (use manual focus-point setting) > > - use higher shutter speeds (125th and up) > > I suspect this also depends a bit on the focal length. > > What about using strobes? Either studio or speedlight? Are they fast > enough that a tripod doesn't give much/any advantage? > > > - use tripod, monopod, or lean against something solid > > In what cases do image stabilization help or hurt? I've read lots of > discussion one way or another about using it on a tripod. I suspect > that it mostly matters how well damped the tripod is. > > > > - don't breath while pressing shutter > > - use pro glass (eg DA*) > > My three most common lenses to use are DA* 16-50, FA31 and FA77 > followed by DA40ltd and DA50/2.8 macro or Tamron 90/2.8 macro (thanks > Sasha, I dread the day you ask for it back), Sigma 20/1.8 and 18-250. > Obviously my 18-250 isn't the sharpest lens in my bag. > > > - keep your glass clean > > How to clean it? Lens pen? > > > - avoid using filters (like UV); *especially* cheap ones > > I have been avoiding them, though there now seems to be a slight > scratch at the edge of the front element of my 16-50. > > > - set aperture in sweet range for lens (eg not wide open) > > Two stops? Set program for MTF priority and see what it says? > Research it for each lens and note it's sweet spot? > > > - use mirror lockup when you can > > - use timed shutter or remote release when you can > > - use input and output sharpening passes in post-processing > > I'm not familiar with these details. > > > - avoid too much noise-reduction > > - shoot RAW > > I always do. > > > > > Do *all* of the above together for max sharpness. > > > > On exposure: not sure what to say to you here. You need to be mindful > > of how well your matrix metering works so you know when you need to > > compensate; when you need to switch to spot metering; when you should > > use a light meter. You've been doing the difficult boundary cases so > > long this should be like shooting fish in a barrel for you by now. > > It should be. I always check the histogram and blinkies. > > > > > What other "poor technical quality" did you have in mind? Eg: poor > > contrast / too much contrast? Over / under saturated? > > Nothing in particular. I'm as much trying to learn what I need to > learn. > > > > > For most stuff like that, I recommend looking at a lot of images, > then > > keeping what you have seen in mind when post-processing. I spend more > > time looking at other people's work than I do at my own. I seek out > > work that's like what I want to do and spend quality time *really* > > appreciating it. > > > > > > I think that what did the most for the technical quality of my own > > work was to get the gear to the point where it was all evenly matched > > -- ie no weak links -- then forgetting about technical quality and > > concentrating on subject matter, composition, light, intent, vision, > > ... > > I can always find gear to spend money on. With the possible exception > of spending $1,000 on a tripod and a head, I probably can't improve my > gear much and still be shooting with Pentax. > > > > > From: "Collin Brendemuehl" <[email protected]> > > Date: May 30, 2012 5:04:50 PM PDT > > To: <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: Improving the technical quality of my photography > > Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> > > > > By "technical quality" it seems that you mean "resolution" and that > > seems unfortunate. > > Nope. I mean everything that goes into a good photograph except > artistic merit. The things that could, at least in theory, be measured. > > > > At this point I am going to attack one of digital's best and worst > > characteristics: Speed. > > > > Here are my suggestions for making better images: > > 1. Get rid of any mediocre lenses you have and only get good ones. A > > few good is better than a lot of junk. > > 1.1 It's hard to do a good job with poor tools. > > Every one of my lenses has a specific purpose, and specific use cases. > There is probably a better equivalent to the 20/1.8, and the bigma, but > not within my budget. > > > > > 2. Never shoot a pic in less than 15 seconds -- unless it is a > > potential Pulitzer winner that cannot be passed up. > > Good point. > > > 2.1 Compose, compose, compose. > > > > 2.2 Control light. Add fill flash. Subtract light with black > panels. > > Fill shadows with reflectors. > > Good point. I do a lot of my photography with the light that is there. > > > 2.3 You determine picture quality. Not the camera. Not the lens. > > > > When you were shooting film you worried about bad frames and their > > associated expense. > > You took your time and tried to get the right shot. Stick with that > > principle. > > Remember that today's speed of digital is a tool, not a solution. > > Improper use of even the best tool will drop quality. > > > > Get a medium format to serve as a learning discipline reinforcer. > > RB67 outfits can be had today for <$200. > > > There was just listed an ETRS on APUG for $160 shipped. > > ETRS? > > > Something like these will give you the necessary slow-down for > improve > > composition. > > Heh! I've got plenty of film bodies, in Pentax, Minolta and Nikon > mounts, not to mention my argus or my Rollei, which doesn't seem all > that sharp, but almost certainly needs a CLA. > > Oh, and Frank, I do tend to bracket shots with tricky exposure. If > for no other reason than that I may want to HDR it later on at some > point. > > > -- > Larry Colen [email protected] sent from i4est > > > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
