Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/11/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm truly enjoying your experiments and approach, Kyle.
Keep'em coming!
Marc
-----Mensaje original-----
De: lug-bounces+foto=marcdufour.net en leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+foto=marcdufour.net en leica-users.org] En nombre de kyle
cassidy on the lug
Enviado el: domingo, 21 de noviembre de 2010 21:00
Para: Leica Users Group
Asunto: [Leica] Leica gear from yesterday's shoot - bags,
cameras,assessments & results
Went out on a big all-day shoot yesterday with my Leica gear and it was
refreshing that everything was so small. I was carrying two bodies plus
cards all in one WWII era map bag I'd gotten from Sportsman's guide for $10.
It was definitely "back to basics" photography.
GEAR: here for the technically minded:
http://www.kylecassidy.com/lj/2010/digilux-saturday.jpg
IMAGES: For the artistically minded
http://kylecassidy.smugmug.com/Art/absurd-equipment/LeavingDakota/14749038_Z
Kvqm#1099240670_UAFDg
SHOOTING: I had five 8mb Smart Media cards with me which meant I could take
a maximum of 55 images before I had to return to base for refueling. Two
things I noticed -- one is that it takes a Very Long Time for the Ur Digilux
to turn on and it's prone to false starts -- push the on-button, hold, wait
five seconds, sometimes it comes on, sometimes it doesn't. Secondly, while
picture taking was relatively quick, the write time might be 7-10 seconds. I
had brought the second camera as a backup but wisely got into the flow of
having an assistant hold one camera while I photographed I'd shoot, hand it
to the assistant who would hand me the second camera and keep the first one
awake -- rinse, later, repeat. Even swapping out cameras on quick-release
tripods this was faster than waiting for the camera to write. Another thing
I discovered is that the Ur Digilux often turns the flash on by default with
no indicator in the LCD window. Annoying. So very often my first photo would
be blo
wn out with flash until everyone was yelling at me "DON'T FORGET TO TURN
OFF THE FLASH!" every time I set up a shot. The fact that I couldn't shoot
more than 55 images (without deleting stuff) was a bit daunting going in,
since I usually shoot about that many photos in three minutes but it wasn't
a huge problem here since everything was set up. The problem was arranging
things in my head first to make a scene.
POST PRODUCTION: Once I got the images back my process involved mostly using
the unsharp mask and "reduce noise" -- the sensor is VERY noisy. Sometimes
I'd combine both filters multiple times on different parts of the image.
Lastly I used the add noise filter on several images after they'd already
been softened by reducing the original noise. I found the actual camera
generated noise to be much less pleasing than artificially added grain. I
also noticed that at least one of the cameras is relatively unsharp along
the left hand side of the frame. This causes some "modified rule of thirds"
framing where the edges are a bit verboten in favor of a slightly more
centered frame.
ASSESSMENT: This is the second more or less "involved" project I've shot
with the Digilux. I find I enjoy the challenge of using a camera with 1/5th
the resolution of my telephone. I like having a two camera setup that fits
in a tiny little bag. I like coming up with a bunch of images that you can't
print larger than 4x6 because it means that there are alternative venues for
displaying them. It's not bad. I'm still looking for a second Ur Leica for
the Stereo Image Project. Seeing though as that they're about as rare as
M6J's, that may not happen.
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