*OFFICIAL* Snapshot of the Day (one image per post please) #1

[fluidkaos]

It's a beautiful area down there, the people are nice, the beer is cheap. I can't wait to go back. Only real thing to worry about is malaria mosquitoes.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by fluidkaos

I've got an S95 as well. I love that thing. It's got all the power of a DSLR sensor packed into a point and shoot body. Perfect for those times you want a camera but don't want to lug a DSLR and kit along.

Nice camera, but it ain't got "all the power of a DSLR sensor". Maybe a cheap DSLR, but not a "real" one.

I just bought an iPhone 4S, mainly for the decent camera in a device that I carry all the time. The S95 and the G12 are cameras that are very useful when you can't manage the bulk of a good DSLR. The new EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) cameras are also worth considering, but the lens still ends up a little bulky vs. the P&S choices.

Dave

[The1]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Nice camera, but it ain't got "all the power of a DSLR sensor". Maybe a cheap DSLR, but not a "real" one.

I just bought an iPhone 4S, mainly for the decent camera in a device that I carry all the time. The S95 and the G12 are cameras that are very useful when you can't manage the bulk of a good DSLR. The new EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) cameras are also worth considering, but the lens still ends up a little bulky vs. the P&S choices.

Dave

The EVIL cameras can still come in at about the same price as the cheap DSLRs, so I don't really understand the reasoning to look at one, unless you want the Canon one that has a ridiculous zoom range... And most, if not all of them don't let you shoot RAW.

I talked my dad into getting one of these because he didn't want to mess about with a DSLR and he is unwilling to learn how to shoot raw, it's just too over his head/doesn't want to learn. He didn't see satisfied with only 3x zoom on the little point and shoots, so it was the only logical solution. He loves the EVIL camera. So he's pretty happy with the decision. That's actually the second person I've talked into getting one... Canon should pay me...

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by The1

The EVIL cameras can still come in at about the same price as the cheap DSLRs, so I don't really understand the reasoning to look at one, unless you want the Canon one that has a ridiculous zoom range... And most, if not all of them don't let you shoot RAW.

I talked my dad into getting one of these because he didn't want to mess about with a DSLR and he is unwilling to learn how to shoot raw, it's just too over his head/doesn't want to learn. He didn't see satisfied with only 3x zoom on the little point and shoots, so it was the only logical solution. He loves the EVIL camera. So he's pretty happy with the decision. That's actually the second person I've talked into getting one... Canon should pay me...

The reason to go EVIL is size, not price.

If you want to match DSLR crop-sensor capabilities with an EVIL, then you have to get one that'll shoot RAW. I think they're available, but I haven't truly researched the format. I think that in the $500 to $700 range you can challenge DSLR crop-sensors, particularly at the wide end of focal lengths.

[The1]

do you mean those ones that look like a point and shoot and have the detachable lens?
or ones that are shaped like the DSLR with permanent lenses on them?

[adobeee]

A Corner Away by thomasxlin, on Flickr

life is a passing away

[fluidkaos]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Nice camera, but it ain't got "all the power of a DSLR sensor". Maybe a cheap DSLR, but not a "real" one. Dave

True, not ALL the power (the newly announced 1D comes to mind ), but it shoots raw, and has better IQ than my old D50, plus many of the "options" of a DSLR. When the best camera you have is the one you have with you, it's perfect. If I have intentions of shooting, I take my DSLR. Any other time, I've got my S95 with me, just in case I see something worth shooting. I've come to hate shooting JPG, and lament the fact that I did it for so long when I first got a DSLR. That said, cell phone shooting is out for me, even with a camera as nice as the one on the iPhone 4S.

[The1]

Originally Posted by fluidkaos

True, not ALL the power (the newly announced 1D comes to mind ), but it shoots raw, and has better IQ than my old D50, plus many of the "options" of a DSLR. When the best camera you have is the one you have with you, it's perfect. If I have intentions of shooting, I take my DSLR. Any other time, I've got my S95 with me, just in case I see something worth shooting. I've come to hate shooting JPG, and lament the fact that I did it for so long when I first got a DSLR. That said, cell phone shooting is out for me, even with a camera as nice as the one on the iPhone 4S.

I know what you mean, i have a few thousand JPG only photos on some hard drives, and i know that those pictures will never be all that they can be... It's sad... I'll have to re-explore places i've been, just so i can do it over again in RAW and have it as beautiful as it should be.

As for shooting things with a camera phone or a simple point and shoot, i feel pain holding one up in front of my face knowing i'm about to click a shot that i can never fully edit to it's maximum potential.

I have one of those point and shoots that can go under water, and that's all it's used for, it sits at the bottom of my camera bag, always waiting for it's opportunity.

[fluidkaos]

Originally Posted by adobeee

Backward Chinese photo
A Corner Away by thomasxlin, on Flickr

life is a passing away

Why is it flipped backward?

[fluidkaos]

Originally Posted by The1

I have one of those point and shoots that can go under water, and that's all it's used for, it sits at the bottom of my camera bag, always waiting for it's opportunity.

S95 has a dive case made just for it by Canon. I use it every time I'm in the water. You may have seen some of my dive shots from Thailand about 6 months ago taken with an S95, and here is a more recent one from Mozambique. It's amazing what I was able to pull from this shot (raw vs jpg). Visibility was only about 6-10 feet, and this is a 40 foot shark. Unfortunately auto-focus doesn't work in those conditions.


IMG_0553 by FluidKaos, on Flickr

[The1]

I considered going that route. But if i'm getting to that point, i way as well get a DSLR case (and be glad i have insurance) and just nix the point and shoot altogether

only time will tell, and if i end up in Hawaii this winter, i'll have hopefully made a decision before then :P

interesting that the autofocus isn't working under water, but it still lets you take the picture? I find my underwater cameras autofocus works pretty well under water unless i don't think to check the lens and there's a bubble on it. (which happens...)

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by fluidkaos

True, not ALL the power (the newly announced 1D comes to mind ), but it shoots raw, and has better IQ than my old D50, plus many of the "options" of a DSLR. When the best camera you have is the one you have with you, it's perfect. If I have intentions of shooting, I take my DSLR. Any other time, I've got my S95 with me, just in case I see something worth shooting. I've come to hate shooting JPG, and lament the fact that I did it for so long when I first got a DSLR. That said, cell phone shooting is out for me, even with a camera as nice as the one on the iPhone 4S.

Feel the same, but bought the iPhone 4S to always have a "camera" with me. It didn't do too bad at the Grand Canyon:


iPhone Shot by dcstep, on Flickr

Processed with Camera+ app. Used Clarify function and way toned down Redscale. The sunrise, fog and snow made the rest. Looking at it now, I don't like the blue cast of the snow and I'll have to figure out if Camera+ can deal with that.

I had my 5D MkII on the tripod when I shot this to send to my daughters, a minute after I took it.

Dave

[The1]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Feel the same, but bought the iPhone 4S to always have a "camera" with me. It didn't do too bad at the Grand Canyon:


iPhone Shot by dcstep, on Flickr

Processed with Camera+ app. Used Clarify function and way toned down Redscale. The sunrise, fog and snow made the rest. Looking at it now, I don't like the blue cast of the snow and I'll have to figure out if Camera+ can deal with that.

I had my 5D MkII on the tripod when I shot this to send to my daughters, a minute after I took it.

Dave

I have some camera editing software in my ipod touch, i don't really see the point in trying to process on the phone, the picture is too small on the screen to really make out detail. just email the picture to your computer and address it on DxO or lighroom when you get home. That's what if i ever take a half decent shot with my phone or Itouch (which is almost never....)

that's just my opinion, looking through what i said, it looks more like i'm telling you what to do, and that's not the case

[fluidkaos]

I looked into a DSLR dive case, and they are super expensive ($1,000+). And then you start adding on lights and becomes a very expensive cumbersome rig to move through the water. I'd only suggest a DSLR dive case if you are a very avid diver, and shoot underwater a lot. The S95 case (as with most Canon dive cases) is only $150.

As for the auto focus, it's not a matter of being underwater, it was the poor visibility that limited its ability to work. In clearish water, auto-focus works great, but where I was in Mozambique had just had a storm the day before, and that churned up the water a lot. With all the silt and muck in the water I couldn't see one end of this shark from the other. Attached is the orig .jpg straight from the camera for comparison. I was at most 10 feet away from this guy.

@DC. Damn. That's a good shot. I don't disagree, that iPhone has a good camera on it. I just prefer the versatility and dynamic range of raw shooting. I do, quite literally, take my S95 where ever I go. That may be in most part due to the fact that I still have a Razor as my phone, and it's barely fit to take a picture of anything at all, let alone a picture of any quality.

[The1]

Originally Posted by fluidkaos

I looked into a DSLR dive case, and they are super expensive ($1,000+). And then you start adding on lights and becomes a very expensive cumbersome rig to move through the water. I'd only suggest a DSLR dive case if you are a very avid diver, and shoot underwater a lot. The S95 case (as with most Canon dive cases) is only $150.

As for the auto focus, it's not a matter of being underwater, it was the poor visibility that limited its ability to work. In clearish water, auto-focus works great, but where I was in Mozambique had just had a storm the day before, and that churned up the water a lot. With all the silt and muck in the water I couldn't see one end of this shark from the other. Attached is the orig .jpg straight from the camera for comparison. I was at most 10 feet away from this guy.

@DC. Damn. That's a good shot. I don't disagree, that iPhone has a good camera on it. I just prefer the versatility and dynamic range of raw shooting. I do, quite literally, take my S95 where ever I go. That may be in most part due to the fact that I still have a Razor as my phone, and it's barely fit to take a picture of anything at all, let alone a picture of any quality.

yeah, i'd consider the dive case for the DSLR and use my 5DII in it as i can crank the ISO up so a flash isn't as necessary, but i know what you mean, they are a small mountain of cash to obtain.

the picture you took in the original form definitely looks to be about as well as i could see in the water in Barbados so, not surprised the AF had trouble. I didn't have my waterproof camera at that point so i never had a chance to test it in that stuff.

Definitely something i'll have to research some more in the future, but like you say, the S95 *or 100 now* and a dive case would be an interesting alternative.

What it will really come down to for me in the end, is where my photography takes me. If I end up doing an adventure type of photography, the DSLR case would be the best option, but if I never get into that, it's an expense that will never pay for itself.

[adobeee]

Originally Posted by fluidkaos

Why is it flipped backward?

It's a reflection.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Feel the same, but bought the iPhone 4S to always have a "camera" with me. It didn't do too bad at the Grand Canyon:


iPhone Shot by dcstep, on Flickr

Processed with Camera+ app. Used Clarify function and way toned down Redscale. The sunrise, fog and snow made the rest. Looking at it now, I don't like the blue cast of the snow and I'll have to figure out if Camera+ can deal with that.

I had my 5D MkII on the tripod when I shot this to send to my daughters, a minute after I took it.

Dave

Sweet shot, Dave. I take it with the sunrise to your right, you were on the south rim? Did you have to hike far off the road to get to these vantage points?

[fluidkaos]

Originally Posted by adobeee

It's a reflection.

Ah. Ok. That's what I thought, but it seemed too clear to be a reflection.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by The1

I have some camera editing software in my ipod touch, i don't really see the point in trying to process on the phone, the picture is too small on the screen to really make out detail. just email the picture to your computer and address it on DxO or lighroom when you get home. That's what if i ever take a half decent shot with my phone or Itouch (which is almost never....)

that's just my opinion, looking through what i said, it looks more like i'm telling you what to do, and that's not the case

My thought in editing on the phone is so that I can send a picture out right away (while I'm standing there) and still have it look good. I'd just taken almost the same image with my 5D2, at ISO 100, small aperture and mounted on my big tripod, so the iPhone photo, in this case, was more instant communication than final documentation. Being perceived as a picture-guy by family and friends, I don't want to send out crap, so I did a little, light processing.

The receivers also have smart-phones in these cases, so they're seeing what I see on my iPhone screen.

I DO plan to use my iPhone when I have no other camera around. I've been using it here and there, even when I have a big camera, to get familiar with it and be ready if I ever have a quick-draw opportunity for a once in a lifetime shot, when it's the only camera around.

Dave

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Sweet shot, Dave. I take it with the sunrise to your right, you were on the south rim? Did you have to hike far off the road to get to these vantage points?

This was only 100-yards from my room in the Kachina Lodge on the South rim. I did walk a mile or two further East, but some of the best view points were closer in. I also enjoyed the desert view at the East end and a couple of other view points.

I've been to the North rim, but it's closed at the end of October. There are so many good views, but the light is critical as to which looks the most dramatic at any particular time.

Dave

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by fluidkaos

@DC. Damn. That's a good shot. I don't disagree, that iPhone has a good camera on it. I just prefer the versatility and dynamic range of raw shooting. I do, quite literally, take my S95 where ever I go. That may be in most part due to the fact that I still have a Razor as my phone, and it's barely fit to take a picture of anything at all, let alone a picture of any quality.

Thanks.

My thinking was exactly like yours, but I thought, "Maybe the 4S will be good enough for those times I can't have a camera with me." I'd owned a G7 and a G9 and was thinking about a G12, but that's still a camera that I wouldn't keep on my person 100% of the time. I decided to give the 4S a serious try and I'm pleased with the results so far.

Camera+ gives me some latitude to deal with tough light and less than ideal circumstances. Who knows, maybe I'll be tempted to clamp it to my big tripod/ballhead rig, but the main intent is to have an acceptable camera with me at all times.

I'll keep the group posted. So far, I haven't run across a photo-op where I needed it, but it's only been two-weeks.

Dave

[TL]

Autumn Pond by GQjai, on Flickr