Your current GAS list? (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

And now for my latest loss of control.

For most of my photographic career I was a scheimpfluging maniac. Now I’ll get to try it out with an entirely different purpose.

Did a tilt / shift lens find its way into your camera bag?

 

[JohnRice]

Did a tilt / shift lens find its way into your camera bag?

Just tilt. Tilt/shift lenses are far too expensive. Plus, with digital, it's possible to produce pretty much the same results as shift with processing.

With the view camera, and mostly architectural subjects, the tilting I did was for purely technical reasons. Now I guess I'll play around with it a bit. Plus, I can still use it for focus coverage.

It's a TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4, which is pretty cheap, but it's difficult to find. B&H finally got some in Nikon Z mount only, so I decided to go ahead and grab one.

 

[JohnRice]

I'm curious. Did you have to look up "Scheimpflug"?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I'm curious. Did you have to look up "Scheimpflug"?

I was familiar with the term and thought it had to do with the focal plane, but did look it up to verify it was what I remembered. It's not a word you hear much.

I thought about adding a Lensbaby to my kit several years ago to play with (they are pretty inexpensive), but never got around to it.

 

[JohnRice]

I was familiar with the term and thought it had to do with the focal plane, but did look it up to verify it was what I remembered. It's not a word you hear much.

I thought about adding a Lensbaby to my kit several years ago to play with (they are pretty inexpensive), but never got around to it.

I have a few, but I don't like how most of their lenses pretty much require the subject to be in the center of the frame. Bullseye syndrome is getting so bad, and those just make it a requisite. I have two Velvets, as well as a 16mm Obscura, which don't have that problem. I also have a Sol 45, because I found one for about 65% off, and with it you can still compose, if you think about it.

 

[Citizen87645]

Not sure if I ever heard it called "bullseye syndrome," but that's perfect name for it. In my mind I would think, "it's a photograph, not target practice."

In the spirit of the thread, I'm wondering especially if @Scott Merryfield is interested in the Canon R50, since I seem to recall you liked the form factor of the M50. I'm a bit curious about it for a variety of superficial, non-urgent reasons.

 

[Greg.K]

A friend gave me a LensBaby Muse (I think it was their cheapest option at the time?) with aperture discs, after she upgraded to one of their other lenses several years ago. I tried it once or twice, but not for me.

 

[JohnRice]

Not sure if I ever heard it called "bullseye syndrome," but that's perfect name for it. In my mind I would think, "it's a photograph, not target practice."

It's very trendy these days to believe that composition is an "outdated" concept. In particular, rule of thirds is stylishly looked down on. Of course, there are a lot of photo enthusiasts who have no idea what those numbers on their display mean. No idea what focal length is. And so on. It's fine, I guess, to be ignorant, but it often goes to the point where they accuse those who understand this stuff of being ignorant, or more often, out of date. It goes so far beyond photography to almost everything.

I know, I've ranted about this plenty of times before, but I have no idea how composing a photo, rather than just always putting your subject dead center in the frame, can be considered outdated.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Not sure if I ever heard it called "bullseye syndrome," but that's perfect name for it. In my mind I would think, "it's a photograph, not target practice."

In the spirit of the thread, I'm wondering especially if @Scott Merryfield is interested in the Canon R50, since I seem to recall you liked the form factor of the M50. I'm a bit curious about it for a variety of superficial, non-urgent reasons.

The R50 is intriguing as a replacement for my M50. However, if I end up with a R7, I don't think I would want three bodies again. For now, fortunately, the M50 is still working fine.

 

[Citizen87645]

It's very trendy these days to believe that composition is an "outdated" concept. In particular, rule of thirds is stylishly looked down on. Of course, there are a lot of photo enthusiasts who have no idea what those numbers on their display mean. No idea what focal length is. And so on. It's fine, I guess, to be ignorant, but it often goes to the point where they accuse those who understand this stuff of being ignorant, or more often, out of date. It goes so far beyond photography to almost everything.

I know, I've ranted about this plenty of times before, but I have no idea how composing a photo, rather than just always putting your subject dead center in the frame, can be considered outdated.

I like the Rule of Thirds and admit that I probably use it too often, but then I'm not exactly ashamed of it. I got a little self-conscious once when someone I just met saw my photos and asked if I always follow the Rule of Thirds. Not sure if he was being pedantic or it was really that obvious...

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Not sure if this is really worth starting a new/separate thread, but I just found out they're shutting down very soon...

DPReview.com to close

After nearly 25 years of operation, DPReview will be closing in the near future. This difficult decision is part of the annual operating plan review that our parent company shared earlier this year.

www.dpreview.com

I used to frequent that site (and its forums probably nearly as often/much as HTF these days) over a decade ago, but rarely visited in past decade... Still, feels like the end of an era nonetheless...

_Man_

 

[JohnRice]

Not sure if this is really worth starting a new/separate thread, but I just found out they're shutting down very soon...

DPReview.com to close

After nearly 25 years of operation, DPReview will be closing in the near future. This difficult decision is part of the annual operating plan review that our parent company shared earlier this year.

www.dpreview.com

I used to frequent that site (and its forums probably nearly as often/much as HTF these days) over a decade ago, but rarely visited in past decade... Still, feels like the end of an era nonetheless...

_Man_

It is a shame...

 

[GeorgeHolland]

I’ve been on a handful of Whale Watching tours in the Salish Sea and due to Washington State Approach Distance Laws I prefer to use the longest glass I can. Whales are unpredictable and can pop up anytime and in any direction requiring me to be in a shooting position for extended periods of time. A 600mm f4 lens can get heavy after a while, so can a 180-400 f4 zoom.

I prefer to handhold but my arms get fatigued after a while. I tried a monopod with a Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head but unless the water was calm and flat, the monopod resting on the deck would rock one way with the boat while I leaned the opposite way to keep my balance.

Enter the Speed-Shooter Harness System. Essentially a customized version of a parade style flagpole holder. A $45 flagpole harness works really well on the boat or any other environment where mobility is desired. The Speed-Shooter Harness uses thicker, stronger, more sturdy material at twice the cost with a number of useful options available for additional cost including a Chest stability and safety strap and shoulder pads. The simple, light, easy to pack parade style flagpole harness seems to work just as well.

If the situation allows, I can anchor the monopod on the ground but when mobility is required or a stable surface isn’t available, I am a fan. It seems an amazing and simple solution for my shooting style. It has worked great on sandy beaches, sitting positions, and though still a challenge to hold the whale in frame, much more manageable on the rocking boats I’ve been out on recently.

https://www.whistlingwingsphotography.com/speed-shooter-harness

See on Amazon

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I’ve been on a handful of Whale Watching tours in the Salish Sea and due to Washington State Approach Distance Laws I prefer to use the longest glass I can. Whales are unpredictable and can pop up anytime and in any direction requiring me to be in a shooting position for extended periods of time. A 600mm f4 lens can get heavy after a while, so can a 180-400 f4 zoom.

I prefer to handhold but my arms get fatigued after a while. I tried a monopod with a Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head but unless the water was calm and flat, the monopod resting on the deck would rock one way with the boat while I leaned the opposite way to keep my balance.

Enter the Speed-Shooter Harness System. Essentially a customized version of a parade style flagpole holder. A $45 flagpole harness works really well on the boat or any other environment where mobility is desired. The Speed-Shooter Harness uses thicker, stronger, more sturdy material at twice the cost with a number of useful options available for additional cost including a Chest stability and safety strap and shoulder pads. The simple, light, easy to pack parade style flagpole harness seems to work just as well.

If the situation allows, I can anchor the monopod on the ground but when mobility is required or a stable surface isn’t available, I am a fan. It seems an amazing and simple solution for my shooting style. It has worked great on sandy beaches, sitting positions, and though still a challenge to hold the whale in frame, much more manageable on the rocking boats I’ve been out on recently.

https://www.whistlingwingsphotography.com/speed-shooter-harness

See on Amazon

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Shooting whales has been one of the most challenging things I have done in photography. As you stated, George, they can surface anywhere and are usually up for only a couple of seconds, so you do not have much time to position the camera and get the shot. My wife and I love whale watching, and have done this about 12 times over the years in places like Maine, Boston, Hawaii, Alaska and Iceland. Unlike George, I did have success using a monopod.

Here are a few of my favorite shots. The first was in Hawaii, and the others in Alaska.

 

[Greg.K]

Those are pretty awesome, Scott (and George).

 

[GeorgeHolland]

Shooting whales has been one of the most challenging things I have done in photography. As you stated, George, they can surface anywhere and are usually up for only a couple of seconds, so you do not have much time to position the camera and get the shot. My wife and I love whale watching, and have done this about 12 times over the years in places like Maine, Boston, Hawaii, Alaska and Iceland. Unlike George, I did have success using a monopod.

Here are a few of my favorite shots. The first was in Hawaii, and the others in Alaska.

Very nice. I would love to witness the amazing teamwork of Humpbacks Bubble Feeding. I was able to watch some Lunge Feeding in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and while fascinating, not up to the spectacle of bubble feeding. It can get rough out in the Strait and I would hand hold for short periods but I was not able to continue waiting for long periods in the ready shooting position. The rocking boat made keeping my eye to the viewfinder when adding a monopod a challenge. I ended up using the monitor while we were really rocking.

I plan to visit Maui in February and hope I have as much luck as I did in March 2019 with Humpbacks breaching. I was rewarded with quite a show. The last is just one example of many.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

@GeorgeHolland , that last shot of a breach is spectacular!

 

[Sam Posten]

I’ve made it about 3 years being satisfied with my kit and not desiring major upgrades. I still want an exotic tele but I don’t think I ever will get one.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I’ve made it about 3 years being satisfied with my kit and not desiring major upgrades. I still want an exotic tele but I don’t think I ever will get one.

My recently acquired Canon RF 800mm f/11 is about as exotic as I am ever going to get with a telephoto. I never thought I would own a usable 800mm lens with image stabilization, but this one was just $900 and is extremely light and portable, considering the focal length. Of course, it's a fixed f/11 aperture, so the lens has its limitations. However, I am getting some very good results considering those limitations.

 

[Sam Posten]

Scott if anyone can make that thing sing it’s you.