Shots from my new 50mm

smelltheglove

Ok so here are some very different shots from my new 50mm that I bought myself just before Christmas, I had a gig on the 21st, boxing on the 22nd and then obviously Christmas Day.

Most of the boxing pics are on my bebo and hopefully will be on flickr by tomorrow. I was delighted with these as they are my first boxing shots since the new camera and yes I shot RAW people, I have been converted, I had very very little of not no pp to do on them.

Right so in order of being taken the gig shots being the first with the lens and some with no flash;
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8


ok so the first and last 2 are no flash, only one with more than contrast done to it is the last one which was softness and skin smoothing of my sister in law as I knew she would like it.

AnimalRights

1) Seems the arm is more focused than the face.
2) Is by far and away my fav, looks more like a recording studio session, Drummer's could still be sharper though.
3) Decent but missing her hand is a pity.
4) Not enough Face.
5) Great face action this time but not sharp.
6) Not bad but the main thing I love is the sig thru the boxing rope, I normally detest sigs but this is the best one I've ever seen!
7) Not sure if you're going for the softer look but I still think it's not sharp enough.
8) Seem's to have worked for what you said you wanted.

The 50mm takes a bit of getting used too what with the very shallow dof, I know I made a complete pigs ear of shots when I 1st got mine.

The Boxing ones are cropped a bit too tight but then again maybe thats just me.

democrates

Cool shots Rach.
#2 fine composition with the drummer and a musician in the bg . Looks like the cymbal stand was focussed and maybe that was intended - it's a worker anyway for me as the slight bokeh on the drummer is like a touch of motion blur suggesting action. On the low dof subject I've been using centre spot and recompose since a birthday shoot apocalypse with the 30mm at f1.4.

#3 Brave capture of the fabled finger dance, I hear it may be outlawed under a bill due before the Dail in spring to take some pressure off A&E.

#5 Another great capture, hopefully being distracted by you didn't cause the lapse in defence, some people would get their nose out of joint over that.

#8 The cold blue bg makes the skin tones all the warmer. Where reflections makes the skin look a bit too shiny for my liking I sometimes give a very slight touch of the smudge brush to those areas in Gimp. She's a pretty subject with an appealing smile and that's all I have to say about that.

smelltheglove

Ah thanks for the great comments guys, I'm delighted with that, I do find the pictures I've taken with the lens to be quite soft but I suppose I could just run them through a bit of sharpening.

I do feel very confined by the 50mm, as with the losing body parts etc due to the inability to zoom in or out but I suppose when the bank balance allows it, maybe next christmas I can get something more suitable.

ok so 1 was I think maybe the 6th shot taken with the lens and I do agree arm is more in focus, there were a few good pics of him though with no flash which I preferred all on bebo.
2 I figured out focusing on symbol worked good at last gig I did when it was accidental, often drummer shots are very hard to get right but the softness does make it look slightly more action
3 I love, agree missing hand is pity, go on the air guitar, I got away with it cos I know her,
5 yeah wish it was sharper, again many more there tried a few no flash but didnt work too well, blue collar so not the usual super bright lights on the ring,
6 sig is actually something I cant repair with my text overlay in pp, I select an area and use it for text, then the text blends into the background so when I drag it away since it is the same colours as the shot it looks like it is part of it. I really like it know as it is soft and simple, there but not in your face.
7 was a snap shot really, I liked it enough to put it up though, and
8 is my sil, bro said she was disappointed very few people take pics of her so now I make a point to take a good pic of her every time the camera is out, I know she'll love this one.

AnimalRights

Great reply R. In pub now after a quick shoot in a frosty phoenix park. Hopefully dodgy keeper will like em had the 70-200 but was too sloppy and ended up using my 50mm on a monopod for the 1st time.so lite!

smelltheglove

Sounds cool can't wait to see them, did you see the pics I got him to take of me in the park? Class. And there is one of me hugging the lens of my dreams too.

democrates

PS Rach, the bit at the end "and that's all I have to say about that" is a Forrest Gump quote and refers only to the first part of that sentence "She's a pretty subject with an appealing smile", it's a respectful termination of that line of commentary since she's married to your bro (wouldn't do to go on like an auld lecher), but you'd want a crystal ball to divine that intended meaning from it in fairness and it could equally appear to be a snide remark.

The other shots were cool too but I only tend to comment if something occurs to me that might be of interest. I'm a decent skin I swear, mostly, sometimes, well in this case anyway. Are we good here Rach, you and me against the world?

smelltheglove

Lol democrates, brilliant, yes buddies in arms, we fight to save the day:D:D:D

Not many people would try it on with her anyway, you'd wanna see my bro, 6ft 4 scares some people.... ah but he's a softie really.

The comments were really appreciated, as I only have the lens a few days and I do enjoy it, I just feel a little contained by the fact that I can't zoom, ah well I guess it gives me more excercise, I have to move my lazy legs instead.:p

Borderfox

It will make you think about composition much more, just one thing to bear in mind when you use it is instead of focusing and then recomposing and taking the shot try to change your focus point to suit otherwise you get some of the shots slightly out of focus.

smelltheglove

Thanks for that Border, yeah I have just been getting used to changing my focus points while shooting but just not quite good enough to do it a high speed, I was able to manage some in the boxing shots though, the focus changes so quickly though. Do you use a 50mm at all Border? I've seen some really class low lights from you.... go on rub it in about your fantastic iso range....

Borderfox

Mostly I use the 85 f1.2 indoors, there is only one indoor show that I use the 50 f1.4 because my back is against the wall dodging Horses when shooting there. Its just something to get used to with the small dof lenses

AnCatDubh

Hi Rachel, An interesting set full of opportunity I think.

I think the ones of Penny Hill(?) are problematic from the point of view of the venue being not very photogenic. Although I think #3 is just mad - a great bit of fun and a good snap.

Of the three boxing ones #5 is the best IMHO but they all suffer from soft focus.

I love the one of Kev and your SIL. Pardon me, but you mention that no one took photos of her?????? OMG. That lady is model material - next boards studio meet maybe???? She'd be all photo'd out But again they are soft and unless that was the desired effect I think you may have a little challenge ahead of you to get comfy with the ole 50mm.

A 50mm used appropriately should be able to yield some tack sharp portraits and some of the nicest action shots that you'll come across. My 50mm is a manual focus and certainly challenges me to use it and i'd be lost at an action event. But when I gets it right (in the camera) oh lord but it is soooooo sweet. Sharpness where you want it and bokeh where you want it too. They are sooooo good it is quite amazing.

But you've only just arrived with it so it'll take a bit of getting used to. Is it an auto focus or manual????? The other 'problem' with them is that you get wonderfully wide apertures which give great (but darn small) depth of field, hence softness can be an issue.

A nice introduction to the 50mm though. Looking forward to seeing more from you and it.

I'm reading / looking through a book of LIFE magazine photographers and there are stunning images and lots of 50mm's in use from what I can tell. Oh but if only I could produce anything nearly as good with a 50mm.

smelltheglove

Well this one above is an auto focus, I have a manual focus bought about 2wks beforehand not realising there was no auto on it. I do agree when it is right it is amazing, but manual obviously would never be right for me with gigs and boxing.

My iso was at around 500 at the boxing would this affect the sharpness? Maybe if I adjust the camera settings to get sharper images, still getting 100% used to the d200 a few niggly bits still to learn.

Oh and tommy, I reckon you'd have better shots, I got a photography book as a present in November and I was gobsmacked by the quality, I see better here every day.

AnCatDubh

Don't be overly afraid to push the ISO. 500 of an ISO setting doesn't seem like over doing it to me (sports photogs please jump in).

Your trade off will be noise but faster shutter so less motion blur (in theory). It is important to remember that noise isn't the grain of the film world and you ultimately do need to know the limitations of your gear.

You can process out some of the noise anyways and with black and white conversions it can become very creative and aesthetically pleasant.

Use the force luke...., use the force.....

smelltheglove

lol,lovingit.... damn my space bar is dodgy apologies in advance, I have gone through so long with the old camera and very very bad iso handling that even 500 seems hugely high to me. Its ok on this with light really, I like super bright shots too so thats a kick in the ass really, making it hard for myself constantly. I like perfection, and I know it sounds terrible but I find the black and white approach to be a cheat, I want a pic that will come straight out of the camera good enough to print... I have never changed any of my boxing shots to black and white so far.

Hopefully if the venue is the same the next time I will chance putting the iso even higherand see howwe go. I lost the first 2 fights this time as I got brave before my time and tried no flash.... Thankfully there willbe a next time!

Borderfox

Dont worry about ISO speeds, even if you go to the upper limit on the D200 its always better to have a sharp grainy shot than anything else. The 1dmk3 can handle any of the ISO speeds that I use all the way up to 6400 and I have shot commercially/weddings that high. Give me a shout next time you are shooting in the club and I can give you some ideas to get the best shots out of the camera first time.

smelltheglove

Thanks Border, it prob wont be for another 2 mthsnow but defo will getafew tips off you beforehand. I still remember your amazing pics of horses at auction, some of your first shots I saw and I was gobsmacked when you said iso 5000 or thereabouts, I thought I was seeing things.

I aspire toperfection which some people see as a downfall but in the long run hopefully it will pay off, well enough to buy a 1dmkIIs or whatever the top nikon is now.

ThOnda

ISO 500? With pleasure :-) And I am refering back to my film days, when I loaded mostly 400/36 film into my camera. Well, monocrhomatic film is different, it has grain of ISO 100 film.

And I would really recommend fixed focal lenght lenses for everybody. They are just much better in terms of image quality. And you are not being disturbed by zooming.

Borderfox

The D3x, D3 and D700 would be the top Nikons at the moment in that order. I can understand wanting every shot to be perfect but this can be quite hard, I prefer to try for perfection of everything that comes out of my camera and that means deleting anything that doesnt measure up before I download them. A lot of the work I have done this year has been selling to print on site so no raw/photoshop/adjusting whatever comes out of the camera is for sale.

smelltheglove

So are you taking these shots in jpeg? I have just been converted to raw but not because of the pp abilities of it just the lack of in camera pp attracts me.

Thonda, I am notmad on the containment of one focal length although I do agree on quality. I have, through boxing and gigs, gotten quick enough at zooming in and out that this does not detractfrom the images. This boxing night I messedfalling pics as I couldnt zoom out and couldnt step back due topeoplebehind me.

Borderfox

I would only shoot in jpeg when I am working at an event, most parents/riders/kids want to see the pictures 10 seconds after I shot them Other commercial work I shoot in raw and jpeg just in case they want to print large but otherwise jpeg is good enough.

smelltheglove

ok I am being really nosey but very interested as to your printing set up, I have seen a freelance photographer with portable studio and printingequipment, when I tried toget intoconversation asto the equipment heactuallyturnedhis backonme,I thought how rude so I decided not tobuy the pic he took of my niece.

I wouldlovemyownproprinting gear. damn spacebar

ThOnda

The second printer is directly below the lens.



I can only hope that I could post that picture...

Borderfox

Mitsibishi dye sub CP9500DW printing from 6x4 up to 6x9 and Kodak sheet fed dye sub 1400 printing up to 8x10 printing out of Express Digital on laptop

Borderfox

Thanks Thonda, perhaps not my best angle

AnimalRights

Great pic!

ThOnda

15 mm on fullframe - there are no good angles at all :eek:

smelltheglove

yet another thing for me to save up for.............

Borderfox

Its a hefty set-up and there are shows that I have done and not broke even so thats why I have a load of weddings booked for this year.. Weddings are so much less stress than events...

smelltheglove

I'd agree with youthere,but what isit with brides taking it handy on collecting pics afterwards? In future I am going to go for payment by the end of the wedding day,stillwaiting on last installment fromone wedding, okonly a month ago but last year when i got married houndedthe photographer,the day I went to drop these off the bride was out,shehad forgotten:eek::eek::eek:

anyway thanks for all the info guys,hopefully i willwin a fewquid in the lotto and buy it all nextweek;)