Need quick answer Pannie GX-1 - Page 7

MacDoc · Apr 25th, 2012, 12:02 PM

I've seen elastic loops that go around any size lens and then to the cap but not sure how they tether at the cap end.

iMatt · Apr 25th, 2012, 12:29 PM

Quick search turns up the Sima Capkeeper -- elastic around the lens, and an adhesive to tether the cap end. For $2 it might be worth a try, or you could rig something similar on your own. (I would be inclined to drill rather than use an adhesive.)

Tethering to the lens instead of the body makes all kinds of sense, but not entirely sure this particular lens has a good place for it. Right over the zoom ring might work. Don't really see it at all for the pancakes, though.

MacDoc · Apr 25th, 2012, 12:37 PM

Wow finally got it full size on the Cinema

detail at the mid zoom level

no zoom detail at full size - like the bark texture.

we like.

For the pancake I would attach the elastic to the camera body - thanks for link.

SINC · Apr 25th, 2012, 12:53 PM

MacDoc, I suspect the softness you refer to is because you are shooting through at least a double pane glass window, unless I miss my guess. Even plain glass adds optics the camera cannot compensate for.

Try a shot at the same zoom level outside at the same distance from the branches and I bet the image is much sharper.

iMatt · Apr 25th, 2012, 01:59 PM

I suspect either camera shake (for which stabilization is not a panacea) or the focus is not quite nailed. And many lenses are a little soft wide-open.

If there is a skylight/UV filter on there, ditch it immediately and don't look back.

I also recommend abandoning full-auto (iA) mode ASAP, if that's what you're using.

Looks like you have plenty of light to work with, so suggest you try the following, ideally changing only one variable between each test shot:

- if you haven't done so already, switch to single-point focusing. IIRC you can adjust the size of the single point by turning the thumb wheel right after you select that mode -- set it as small as possible
- set the camera to the lowest available ISO (160?)
- set the mode dial to A (Aperture Priority) and try some shots at maximum aperture (f3.5 at the wide end, f5.6 long), then use the thumbwheel to stop down about 1/2 stop from wide open (i.e., f4 to f6 depending on zoom)
- regardless of the shutter speed shown, try some shots with and without OIS - with that lens I would turn it off at speeds over 1/250 or so
- as the light dims, you can ratchet up the ISO and also go back to shooting wide-open (f3.5 wide, f5.6 long)

- there should also be sharpness, contrast and saturation settings in the camera; you can play with those too, but I'd leave them at the default setting until you've experimented with other things.

- last but not least, consider shooting RAW. YMMV, but I just find it easier to get things as I like them on the computer rather than fussing around dialling a bunch of different settings into the camera.

Lawrence · Apr 25th, 2012, 06:24 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by MacDoc
	I've seen elastic loops that go around any size lens and then to the cap but not sure how they tether at the cap end.

They use a peel and stick tab on the lanyard for the lens cap,
I used to have a few of them on my old Canon camera.

MacDoc · Apr 25th, 2012, 07:26 PM

	Quote:
	MacDoc, I suspect the softness you refer to is because you are shooting through at least a double pane glass window, unless I miss my guess. Even plain glass adds optics the camera cannot compensate for. Try a shot at the same zoom level outside at the same distance from the branches and I bet the image is much sharper.

Not on the three shots - I have one window that swings open wide specifically so I can shoot and see without anything in the way.

••••

I suspect the AF was hunting a bit and would be fine if I nailed it to one of the blossoms. I need Auto for shooting from the motorcycle and just have to trust the AI and take a couple of quick shots.

Different if I'm off the bike. I'll have lots of time on the Baltic cruise this Sept to sort best method out.

BTW I'm in need of memory cards....suggestions??

iMatt · Apr 26th, 2012, 11:25 AM

32 GB SDHC, any major brand. Cost is now around $30-50 (i.e. prices halved yet again in the last year or so). 64 GB SDXC cards now start at $60!

Speed specs shouldn't matter a whole lot unless you're shooting video... but then again prices have fallen so far that there's no reason not to opt for a high-spec (Class 10) card.

The big caveat: buy from a reputable retailer, because fakes abound in grey-market channels.

I hear you on the iAuto thing, but still beg to differ. I think you're probably better off starting with S (shutter priority) on the bike, maybe with Auto ISO. This is still an "Auto" mode -- one that's almost certainly going to give you better results than full auto, because you're specifying probably the single most important variable for shooting from a moving vehicle.

You can't trust iA to pick a fast enough shutter speed to avoid motion blur. Or if you want some kind of deliberate blurring effect, you can't know whether it'll pick something slow enough. It's a crap shoot, because the camera doesn't know you're moving.

With time and experience, you can experiment with various combinations of settings to get just the kind of results you want -- tuned for greater or shallower depth of field, completely frozen motion or not, etc. But if you put it in iA, you will never get any experience besides seeing a bunch of more or less random results over which you have almost no control. iA is for riding tour buses, not bikes.

MacDoc · Apr 26th, 2012, 11:46 AM

I have ram available

- just inquiring as to size

I'm not shooting mobile on the bike - I'm on it stationary and shooting hand held

Video is not of much concern. Fast focus is - need to learn that touch screen. Yes need to experiment but what ever flu I dragged off the plane is damping the joie de vie of a new toy

iMatt · Apr 26th, 2012, 12:37 PM

Glad to hear you aren't shooting while mobile. Comments still apply, though -- P, A and S mode provide plenty of useful automation, but with enough control to give you consistently better results IMO. Once you learn how to use them you won't be spending time fiddling around for every shot.

I find 16 or 32 GB good, useful sizes, but honestly I've never found any card to be too big.

Since you have a newer model that accepts SDXC... in your shoes I'd get a 64 and maybe a 32 as an extra. In time, 128 GB cards will become more affordable -- priced from $150 right now, so expect to see them under $100 by Christmas.

Bigger cards means less swapping, less worrying about storage space while travelling... but it's also a single point of failure, so you do need a spare in your bag.