Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/04/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Doug, Thanks for giving us a look at the other side of the photo. This is quite a story of an artist and his tools. The photos are fantastic and quite a treat. Thanks for sharing with us. Best Regards, Len On Apr 15, 2007, at 2:19 AM, Doug Herr wrote: > It's been one year more or less since good fortune graced me with a > DMR. Its features that have made the biggest differences in my > photos are common to most DSLR cameras: the extremely low cost per > exposure, the superior high-ISO image quality, and the near-instant > feedback. The DMR's excellent dynamic range and color rendition > have also been a huge benefit. I will always be thankful for the > benefactor who offered the DMR to me on very favorable terms and > for those whose generosity permitted me to keep the DMR during my > family's crisis earlier this year. > > My favorite pictures so far made with the DMR, with photographic > notes where appropriate, all at ISO 400 with -1 stop compensation > (prevents highlight clipping) except where noted. > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cago01.html > > Canada Geese - R8/DMR, 280 f/4 APO + 1.4x APO-Extender-R > One of my earliest DMR photos, and the one where I learned to > "chimp". I had been working close to the ground with the camera on > a tripod collapsed as low as it would go. I heard the geese coming > and saw that their probable flight path would give some good > backgrounds. No time to switch to shoulder stock or monopod so I > picked the whole rig up tripod and all to pan along with the birds. > Exposures made and geese gone, a silly grin came over my face as I > reviewed the new photos. I had learned to "chimp". > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/tyrannidae/atfl00.html > > Ash-throated Flycatcher - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 > With this photo I learned to take advantage of the DMR's high-ISO > capabilities and excellent shadow detail retention. The ISO setting > on the camera was 400, but I had set exposure compensation to -3 > stops to keep shutter speeds workable (~ 1/125 sec), bringing up > the image tones during development and further refined with > Photoshop. This is cropped with no noise reduction. > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/coha05.html > > Cooper's Hawk - R8/DMR, 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R > In this pair of photos (second is below) I realized how much better > the DMR's color quality is than professional ISO 400 slide film. > Both photos are uncropped from the same location; the only > difference is the camera body. > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/coha06.html > > Cooper's Hawk - Leicaflex SL2/Provia 400F, 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R > It also dawned on me that to get the same image size with the film > camera I could use the 1.4x extender, and that with the extender's > loss of light I'd have to use a faster film to use the same shutter > speed as I did with the DMR and no extender. Thus a valid > comparison for my purposes is DMR @ ISO 400 vs. ISO 800 color film. > In technical quality it's no contest, the DMR wins. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/mammals/artiodactyls/dash01.html > > Dall's Sheep - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt > ALASKA! I spent six summers in Alaska in my younger days and now on > the 30th anniversary of my first summer I brought the DMR. Chimping > and the histogram display made this photo possible. In my first few > exposures of this ram the brightest whites had lost detail due to > clipping; histogram review and subsequent exposure adjustments > brought back the detail in the brightest white areas (clearly > visible in the print) > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/grja00.html > > Gray Jay - R8/DMR, 280mm f/4 APO > I was beginning to notice some aliasing and color moire in the fine > feather detail, particularly when using the 280 APO which can > resolve more than just about anything else. A photoshop plug-in > from fredmiranda.com tamed the beast, and only where it reared its > head. The DMR's battery life was a problem occasionally, > fortunately I was car-camping and had 12-volt power available > overnight. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/stja02.html > > Steller's Jay - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 with 1.4x APO-Extender-R > I'm not a big fan of the cropped viewfinder OTOH it allows the SLR > user to see the action outside the frame lines and anticipate when > the action will be in the picture area. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/come10.html > > Common Merganser - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt > I've gradually realized that the DMR's high-ISO image quality as > made the 560mm Telyt much more usable than with film; I can use > higher shutter speeds in weaker light and still get image quality > equivalent to E100G, my current favorite slide film. All the E100G > photos made of this bird were tossed due to subject motion. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/ybma01.html > > Yellow-billed Magpie - R8/DMR, Novoflex 400mm f/5.6 > Birds with large areas of black and white plumage were always a > problem with film because I could get detail in the white areas or > detail in the black plumage or neither. The DMR's dynamic range > plus judicious histogram chimping helps keep the detail in these > black-and-white birds. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/rallidae/clra02.html > > Clapper Rail - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt > DMR's dynamic range to the rescue again. With film I'd have lost > shadow detail or white detail or both. > > I'm showing these photos just 'cuz I like 'em. All: R8/DMR: > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/falconidae/amke01.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/turdidae/webl06.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/recurvirostridae/amav01.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/strigidae/leow01.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/strigidae/nsow00.html > > Problems: the battery life can be a problem especially with heavy > chimping, the R8+DMR is a hefty package, and I'd really like an SL > viewfinder in the R8. All things considered though I'm looking > forward to another year with the DMR. > > Doug Herr > Birdman of Sacramento > http://www.wildlightphoto.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information