Need some opinion's on digital cameras.

[clarenceada]

Vince, I need your advice again.

I've been getting used to using the canon, reading tutorials and the photography magazine, but still having trouble getting a picture from the bike in the garage, onto the camera, into the computer, then to photobucket and finally post it to the forum. Each step has it's own problems and learning curve. In the shop it's trying to get the lights just right to show the part at it's best. Like this wheel:







The first picture is with lights on two sides and flash, the second one light on the side and the third is with 5 lights.

Problem here was in the preview on the screen the first one looked over exposed, the second I couldn't see anything but the spokes and the third looked all right, but on the computer screen the first one has more detail and I like the mode of the second one. Then later I took some of new bikes under dim light the preview looked ok but when I get them on the screen they are blurry

I should say that I bought a reconditioned canon lens the 18-55mm image stabilized one that shipped with the xti when new, so maybe I'm just pushing the low light as it will take pics in really dim light. Is it just the smaller screen not being able to see the blur? This is all hand held, why I like the IS lens--- I know I need to get a tripod--- but all my play money is being spent on motorcycles.

One of the bad thing about a camera that takes such good pics is you take more of them, I have a card with 1798 pics on it and it takes forever to scroll through that many and find one particular one. Also the files are huge, when I first got it was on raw setting and one picture was 3.5meg and when i tried to open it in a window it was about 10ft wide! Even set on the smallest size they are still in 500k range and with my slow connection it takes forever to send a few pictures to photobucket.

Right now I'm having trouble getting the pics off the camera chip, which plugs into a port on my computer, when I try to transfer them to a folder on my desk top, in the camera the name is canon100 and when it gets in the folder it is still is canon100, so when i try to transfer the next card (after formatting the card) full it transfers the one already in the computer instead of the one on the card. So I have to individually pick and drop them one picture at a time. I know this is more a computer problem but thought maybe you had run into this. I have a feeling it's something simple like not nameing the file right or maybe I can rename it when it's in the camera.

So you see it can be very slow to get a picture put in a post, this one has been two hours so far. Is there any programs or hardware (I heard something about a card reader machine that would size your pictures for forum use and make it easy to send to photobucket) in your experience that would do this? It takes so much time and effort that I end up sending partial completed post, not answering threads, taking so long to get back to a thread that they have moved on to other things.

Thanks a bunch


Clarence

[Vince Lupo]

I have one very easy solution that might help, and sorry for sounding like a bit of a smartass - it's called the 'delete' button. Having 1798 shots on a card is daunting for anyone (even the likes of me!), and at some point you're just going to have to bite the bullet and go through all those shots. I just finished editing over 2000 shots from a job that I did a few weeks ago, and whittled it down to about 500 shots, which I was then able to batch colour correct, save as TIFFS and JPEGS, and then to 3 DVD's, onto Flickr, and off to the client. Took a couple of weeks in between shooting and editing other jobs, but I got it done (money can be a great motivator!). As well, if there's a way that you can pick and choose which shots to download in some kind of preview in the computer, then that will save you time, and the camera won't be downloading 1800 shots that will take forever.

Do you happen to have PhotoShop or Bridge? If so, what you can do in Photoshop (after you've downloaded everything) is to do an 'action' command -- meaning, you can tell Photoshop to open all the photos in a particular folder, resize them, and then save them. So that's one way to make your you shots smaller and having the computer do it for you. If not, there should be a setting on your camera for 'Basic' resolution and 'JPEG' format -- that should be the smallest file size. A 500K JPEG is probably about 11"x16" @ 72dpi, but if you're wanting something even smaller, you're going to have to resize it in the computer yourself (or do that PhotoShop action that I mentioned above, if you can do that).

As far as lighting etc goes, one thing that's sucking up a lot of light is that black cloth you're using. Switch to a white background, and things will brighten up instantly. Here's another option for lighting: If you're shooting all this stuff in the garage, how about setting up some kind of 'sweep' against the wall, but near the garage door? If you can get yourself a large piece of white paper - you could even go to a photo store to buy white background paper - and affix it to the wall and have it roll down onto the floor, then you'd have a nice sized and clean background to place your items. Then, having the garage door open (during the day of course!) will let in all this nice natural light from the side, and you can fill in the shadow side with either a flash or a big piece of white paper, then there's a simple yet effective lighting method. A tripod would be recommended, however -- as you say, the photo looks good in the camera, but once you bring it in the computer and have a closer look at it, you'll find it's out of focus. This is probably due to camera shake on your part - if you're shooting at anything much below 1/60 of a second, you're likely to have camera shake. Here's a quick rule-of-thumb: your shutter speed should be no slower than 1/the focal length of the lens. So if your lens is set to 50mm, then you shouldn't be shooting at anything slower than 1/50 of a second. You may also want to get a cable release too to help minimize camera shake.

Hope some of these ramblings somehow address a few of your concerns -- if I've been totally way off, please give me a virtual dope slap, and I'll try again......

[clarenceada]

I have tried to delete the pictures on the card when it is in the dock and it's say's that's an illegal action; so I can format the whole card or get them on the computer and then delete them. I have downloaded a couple of times before with the same card with just a few hundred on it and it went with no problem; maybe it's the size of the file. I going to go to HP's solution center; they have a lot of work-arounds and are much easier then Microsoft's site to get info from, they may have a solution.

The camera is now on the smallest file size and the resolution is just ok, but that could be, like you said, from camera shake.

I have Digital Photo Professional, not very intuitive, just seemed for adjusting individual pictures; I may try photoshop.

I'm going to try some of your suggestions with lighting next time I take some new pictures---I just got four new fixer-upper bikes and would like to take a bunch of pics.

Hey! now way on the dope slap-- virtual or other wise--you have helped me immensely, everybody I know uses point-and-shoot, it's nice to talk to somebody that knows what I'm talking about.

As one of the new "lost puppies" (that's what my wife calls any non-running motorcycle that I bring home) is a CB305; I use your bike as inspiration for what I would like this bike to be.

Thanks again


Clarence

I have one very easy solution that might help, and sorry for sounding like a bit of a smartass - it's called the 'delete' button. Having 1798 shots on a card is daunting for anyone (even the likes of me!), and at some point you're just going to have to bite the bullet and go through all those shots. I just finished editing over 2000 shots from a job that I did a few weeks ago, and whittled it down to about 500 shots, which I was then able to batch colour correct, save as TIFFS and JPEGS, and then to 3 DVD's, onto Flickr, and off to the client. Took a couple of weeks in between shooting and editing other jobs, but I got it done (money can be a great motivator!). As well, if there's a way that you can pick and choose which shots to download in some kind of preview in the computer, then that will save you time, and the camera won't be downloading 1800 shots that will take forever.

Do you happen to have PhotoShop or Bridge? If so, what you can do in Photoshop (after you've downloaded everything) is to do an 'action' command -- meaning, you can tell Photoshop to open all the photos in a particular folder, resize them, and then save them. So that's one way to make your you shots smaller and having the computer do it for you. If not, there should be a setting on your camera for 'Basic' resolution and 'JPEG' format -- that should be the smallest file size. A 500K JPEG is probably about 11"x16" @ 72dpi, but if you're wanting something even smaller, you're going to have to resize it in the computer yourself (or do that PhotoShop action that I mentioned above, if you can do that).

As far as lighting etc goes, one thing that's sucking up a lot of light is that black cloth you're using. Switch to a white background, and things will brighten up instantly. Here's another option for lighting: If you're shooting all this stuff in the garage, how about setting up some kind of 'sweep' against the wall, but near the garage door? If you can get yourself a large piece of white paper - you could even go to a photo store to buy white background paper - and affix it to the wall and have it roll down onto the floor, then you'd have a nice sized and clean background to place your items. Then, having the garage door open (during the day of course!) will let in all this nice natural light from the side, and you can fill in the shadow side with either a flash or a big piece of white paper, then there's a simple yet effective lighting method. A tripod would be recommended, however -- as you say, the photo looks good in the camera, but once you bring it in the computer and have a closer look at it, you'll find it's out of focus. This is probably due to camera shake on your part - if you're shooting at anything much below 1/60 of a second, you're likely to have camera shake. Here's a quick rule-of-thumb: your shutter speed should be no slower than 1/the focal length of the lens. So if your lens is set to 50mm, then you shouldn't be shooting at anything slower than 1/50 of a second. You may also want to get a cable release too to help minimize camera shake.

Hope some of these ramblings somehow address a few of your concerns -- if I've been totally way off, please give me a virtual dope slap, and I'll try again......

[Vince Lupo]

It's probably going to be a lot quicker to delete the pictures when the card is in the camera than to do it in the computer (unless as you say, you re-format the whole card). Don't know how your specific camera functions, but with my D700 in 'play' mode, I can zoom out from the photo and it shows a grid of a bunch of shots on the card. You might be able to choose multiple photos at one time and delete them en masse.

Almost makes you wanna shoot film!