Stuff
When I downloaded my images from Tuesday morning I learned that I forgot to change my high Kelvin WB back to AWB. While you can always change the WB during the RAW conversion shooting all morning at K7690 can be problematic as most of the images look over-saturated/over-exposed during the review and sharpness is affected as well. None-the-less I was able to create lovely versions of many of my favorites. I’ve been swimming my half-mile plus ever day.
The Streak
Today makes two hundred six days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about an hour to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.
White Balance Stuff
While reviewing my images from Wednesday morning at ILE I learned the Nikon AWB can cause worse problems than Canon AWB. In AWB with Canon, the color balance would sometimes change drastically when a wave broke over a sand background. That is understandable. But this morning with my Nikon gear the WB changed drastically from frame to frame while photographing a perched Osprey in constant early morning light. Best advice for all: try to remember to stay away from AWB and use the most appropriate WB pre-set instead.
In the same vein, if anyone can explain the Nikon D850 differences with the three Auto white balance type options (as changed with the index finger dial): Auto*0, Auto*1, and Auto*2, it would be greatly appreciated. Same question and request for these two white balances (as changed with the thumb wheel): Sun Symbol A and Sun Symbol.
Thanks to all who left insightful comments on the foggy Gatorland flight images in the recent blog post here.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
IPT veteran Billie Snell is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent to near-mint condition for the BAA record low price of $1199.00. The only wear is on the camera strap rings. The sale includes the front cap, camera strap, the two cables, battery charger, one LP-E6 battery, instruction books, software CDs, the original product box from Canon, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Billie via email at e-mail.
I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex (urban exploration), and flower photography until I fell in love for a while with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). Then I switched to the 5D IV body. In addition, I loved my 5D III body for birds with my big lenses and both TCs. I used mine to create many dozens of high quality images. artie
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This image was created on the morning of Tuesday, February 20, 2018 while standing thigh deep in Tampa Bay next to the Hooptie Deux. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. Auto ISO (2800). Matrix metering +1.7 stops as originally framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6. K7690 WB at 6:58 with some fog on the eastern horizon. Center Group (grp) Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to see a larger version. Double-crested Cormorant croaking display |
Sunrise Silhouette Strategy: Huge Change and Admission Coming …
I shot sunset on Monday and sunrise on Tuesday using a tried and true strategy: S mode (Shutter priority in Canon). Pick a shutter speed that you are comfortable with, dial in the correct exposure compensation, and let the camera set the ISO (via Auto ISO with Nikon or via Auto ISO or ISO Safety Shift — my preference — with Canon). Then fire away. I made lots of excellent images but each featured a similar problem. When I thought about how to solve those problems I realized that I had been stubbornly in error for at least two decades. That revelation is coming soon.
Double-crested Cormorant Croaking Display
When flying back to their nests, Double-crested Cormorants often croak on final approach. I am not sure if they are showing off for their partners or simply announcing their arrival. But I suspect the former.
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Small Pixel Noise
In the before image above you can see what I call the small pixel noise of the D850. The same as with the Canon 7D Mark II and the Canon 5DS R bodies. I know that what we are seeing is not color noise and I am not sure if it is correct to call it luminance noise. What we are seeing when we magnify a D850 image is due to the increased pixel density. Small Pixel Noise is easily dealt with with any decent noise reduction process or program. Those include Photoshop NR, Capture One, and Neat Image (as seen above). While cameras like the Canon 1DX and 1DX Mark II and the Nikon D5 appear to be less noisy than their high-pixel cousins — I am referring specifically here to to the Nikon D-850, the Canon 5DS R, and the Canon 5D Mark IV — if you crop to the same pixel density the image of the dense pixel bodies will far surpass that of their higher priced cousins.
(Note: I am not demeaning the quality of 7D Mark II images. Many, however, do not like the high pixel noise. To see some incredibly fine images made with both the 7D and the 7D Mark II do a search for “Daniel Cadieux” in the little white box on the top right of each blog post page and follow the links …)
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Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
Thanks for the follow-up Artie.
Your explanation now makes sense. It’s my understanding that the higher pixel density sensor camera bodies like the 7D Mark II don’t produce as good of image files because there is a bleeding issue for the light spilling over and on other neighboring pixels. Too small and tightly packed pixels to capture a clean light signal (resulting in higher noise levels) that the more expensive price cousins can, like the sensors of the full frame Canon 1DX, 1DX Mark II, and the Nikon D5. However, as you stated, the Nikon D-850, Canon 5DS R, and the Canon 5D Mark IV sensors can produce better image files than their Higher Price Cousins, cropped to the same pixel density and file size. I think higher priced camera bodies are more expensive for other reasons, like fast shutter rates for sports and wildlife, to name one.
Unfortunately, I am not going to switch to Nikon anytime soon, and I’ll only see the Nikon D-850 files on your blog… 🙂 I am just to heavily invested in Canon lenses at this point.
Bruce
Regarding AWB options on the D850, there are three AWB settings. I believe Auto1 = normal; Auto0 = cool down; Auto2 = add warmth. I think they were intended for natural light adjustments vs. artificial lights.
As for the suns… Sun-A is “natural light auto” – trying to render colors seen by the naked eye – and there is a regular Sun option for direct sunlight.
You can find this in the manual here. http://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/d850/en/12_white_balance_01.html
I’ve never bothered about the White Balance when shooting in raw but you seem to be right about setting it when it comes to assessing the preview images, and it can serve as a reference in post processing also.
On the D800 it was possible to use the so-called easy ISO option when one could assign ISO button function to the main command dial while setting an aperture with the sub-command dial in the aperture-priority (A) mode. I used it a lot but D850 doesn’t have this option yet though next firmware updates could change that. As to the S mode it can be more convenient to use manual (M) mode with auto-ISO option, in that case you set your aperture and shutter speed while letting the camera decide which ISO is appropriate to the scene, and at the same time you can set an exposure compensation.
Auto0: Keep white (reduce warm colors)
Auto1: Normal
Auto2: Keep warm lighting colors
http://nps.nikonimaging.com/technical_solutions/d500_tips/useful/white_balance/
“While cameras like the Canon 1DX and 1DX Mark II and the Nikon D5 appear to be less noisy than their high-pixel cousins if you crop to the same pixel density the image of the dense pixel bodies will far surpass that of their higher priced cousins.”
Hi Arthur,
I found this statement a little convoluted and difficult to follow. What are you trying to say here?
Are you saying that for cropped sensor camera bodies like the 7D Mark II, if image captures from the Canon 1Dx and 1Dx Mark II are cropped down to the same pixel resolution and size of the more dense pixel sensors of the 7D Mark II, comparatively the 7D Mark II files are better and have more clarity and information?
Thanks,
Bruce
Hi Bruce,
I am glad that you were up early (or very late) and reading carefully. You are indeed correct. I did not mean to include the 7D II when I wrote the words “higher priced cousins.” I sent that text to Patrick Sparkman who is vacationing in Hawaii with wife Robin; this from his e-mail that I did not see until early Thursday morning:
Generally correct. I would not say that a 7DII image will “far surpass that of their higher priced cousins.” In my testing the 5DIV would crop to a better image than the higher pixel density 7DII.
Nothing matches the D850 from my testing. I am continually amazed at what I can do to the D850 images. I really love it.
I amended the text in the blog post (above) to read as follows:
While cameras like the Canon 1DX and 1DX Mark II and the Nikon D5 appear to be less noisy than their high-pixel cousins — I am referring specifically here to to the Nikon D-850, the Canon 5DS R, and the Canon 5D Mark IV — if you crop to the same pixel density the image of the dense pixel bodies will far surpass that of their higher priced cousins.
(Note: I am not demeaning the quality of 7D Mark II images. Many, however, do not like the high pixel noise. To see some incredibly fine images made with both the 7D and the 7D Mark II do a search for “Daniel Cadieux” in the little white box on the top right of each blog post page and follow the links …)
Thanks again for reading carefully and taking me to task.
with love, artie