Crop sensor camera lenses - help!

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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    edited February 2019
    Gagaryn said:
    RMJ said:
    I think I'd benefit from the larger sensor as I tend to crop alot and rarely am happy with my compositions as shot. 
    A larger sensor isn't going to help you compose. If you find your photos have too much space around them already when using a crop that's likely going to be even worse on full frame assuming you are shooting with a similar focal range.

    Again, assuming a full frame and crop sensor with a similar number of pixels - your cropped area would end up being less pixel dense with correspondingly less detail in it using a full frame - all else being equal. Best bet is to take your time to learn to compose things better. Don't assume the camera is the problem.
    Wis’d. Pixel count is massively over-rated. Composition (and decent glass to a lesser extent) count for a lot more in a good shot.

    I’ve started getting my wife interested in photography, she’s using my back up 5D and we share my set of lenses. The first thing I taught her wasn’t anything to do with shutter speeds, f stops or ISO.  I put the camera in auto mode and told her what you see through the viewfinder is what comes out in the picture, imagine what you’re seeing in there is a painting. Move around till what you see is what you want.

    TLDR: Get the framing right and you’re more than halfway to a decent shot. 
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  • On the subject of cropping. Since moving up from the X-T1 (16mp) to the X-T20 (24mp) I have been able to make more use of cropping. Not because of poor composition, but more for adding some reach to lenses such as when photographing birds in our garden. Cropped shots on smaller subjects look fabulous on the 24mp sensor compared to Fuji's older 16mp model. 

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  • Don't be under any illusions that a "better" camera will automatically lead to better photos. Much like with music, the end result is 90% user and 10% gear, obvious issues with complete shit gear notwithstanding.

    While I do crop sometimes to get extra effective reach (example below), it's much better to focus on improving your own technique than buying more gear. Obviously that also takes more effort, and also takes time. But it will also come naturally.  I've travelling with a camera for 6 years or so now, and kick myself about how much I would now do differently if I were to repeat old trips. I now shoot maybe 30% the number of frames, but leave with at least as many decent shots (probably more, if anything), and I usually don't even put the camera to my eye until I know exactly how I'm expecting the finished shot to come out after processing. But it's the process of all that that's got me to where I am today, so I can't be mad about it.

    Example of long crop - this was my X-T1 with the 18-135 at the long end, then cropped about half again. It still printed fine at ~18" wide - I have it on the wall. Looking back I also now see that ISO was way too high, and f20 is completely unnecessary. f8 and ISO 200 would've been fine and produced a cleaner image, but this is exactly the sort of thing you learn as you shoot more and more.


    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    edited February 2019
    I may have given the impression that I am completely cack at composition....so will try to explain what I mean with some examples of what I am talking about with regards to large scale crops

    I have two kids who are usually all over the place, meaning one is generally in focus smiling, and the other is being a cock. Where the original composition allows, I may crop the cock child out completely and recompose on the one being sensible. I took the camera out on a walk with the family over the weekend where this happened and ended up cropping a portrait image to a quarter the size of the original composition. It's one of the nicest photos I have of that particular child, who is usually being the photo cock, so it would be a nice one to do a large print of. The extra pixels in that situation would be helpful. 

    In New York I was shooting the Manhatten skyline from a boat with people moving about everywhere on deck. It was also pissing freezing. So I shot wider than I needed in order to compose a decent image later. In some cases this meant recomposing to a portrait image with one building as the subject. Again, the extra pixels would come in handy if I wanted to blow those types of composition up.

    I am in no way under the illusion that a fuller featured camera would make me a better photographer.


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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    edited February 2019
    not sure if this will work from phone but here are a few images I captured from trip. All shot as jpegs (I like black and white). As I said, looking back I think I would have benefitted from learning the camera a bit more before the trip 

    https://imgur.com/Y8cH2mM

    https://imgur.com/qQ9f5C9

    https://imgur.com/FIVYviB

    https://imgur.com/nVO6r5f

    https://imgur.com/4jWDkJc
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  • That's a perfectly valid reason for wanting more MPs tbh. You're clearly not just stuck in the more=better camp :)

    I love a couple of those photos, btw. The Rockefeller view is always nice, and a bit unusual to see it in the morning light 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    That's a perfectly valid reason for wanting more MPs tbh. You're clearly not just stuck in the more=better camp :)

    I love a couple of those photos, btw. The Rockefeller view is always nice, and a bit unusual to see it in the morning light 
    Thanks! Yeah top of the rock was amazing. the day before was a write off due to mist but the morning we went up was beautifully clear. Photos would have been better if the sky was more interesting, but hey, we got spectacular views so what more could I ask. 
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274


    Here are a couple of colour jpg images using the classic chrome film simulation. I love that simulation, but didn't realise you could adjust in camera settings for shadows, highlights, sharpness etc.

    https://imgur.com/HVwUpuR

    https://imgur.com/Tfx8guv

    https://imgur.com/aGHIl8m



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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    RMJ said:
    not sure if this will work from phone but here are a few images I captured from trip. All shot as jpegs (I like black and white). As I said, looking back I think I would have benefitted from learning the camera a bit more before the trip 

    https://imgur.com/Y8cH2mM

    https://imgur.com/qQ9f5C9

    https://imgur.com/FIVYviB

    https://imgur.com/nVO6r5f

    https://imgur.com/4jWDkJc
    Some nice pics there. ;)  A couple of them could do with tweaking in terms of contrast and levels (have you got any software to do that?) but you’ve got a decent eye for a shot. Nice job. 
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    boogieman said:
    RMJ said:
    not sure if this will work from phone but here are a few images I captured from trip. All shot as jpegs (I like black and white). As I said, looking back I think I would have benefitted from learning the camera a bit more before the trip 

    https://imgur.com/Y8cH2mM

    https://imgur.com/qQ9f5C9

    https://imgur.com/FIVYviB

    https://imgur.com/nVO6r5f

    https://imgur.com/4jWDkJc
    Some nice pics there. ;)  A couple of them could do with tweaking in terms of contrast and levels (have you got any software to do that?) but you’ve got a decent eye for a shot. Nice job. 
    Yeah I have lightroom and capture 1 express. These were straight out of camera jpg but I have gone through them all and applied some edits.... I tend to play with curve and clarity alot. I like images to pop to the extent that it can look overly processed. Not for everyone but I like it :).  Will post some when I am home next.
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    edited February 2019
    Ok starting to love this camera now. Using it in manual with back focussing and spot metering.

    Also been creating some custom versions of the film simulations and am really liking the jpg files direct out of camera.  

    Definitely not going to upgrade any time soon. 

    https://imgur.com/a/4LCmABV

    Edit...this 35mm f2 lens is amazing. Love the field of view and when I nail focus it's tack sharp, in the middle at least. 
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  • RMJ said:
    Ok starting to love this camera now. Using it in manual with back focussing and spot metering.

    Also been creating some custom versions of the film simulations and am really liking the jpg files direct out of camera.  

    Definitely not going to upgrade any time soon. 

    https://imgur.com/a/4LCmABV

    Edit...this 35mm f2 lens is amazing. Love the field of view and when I nail focus it's tack sharp, in the middle at least. 

    I use the 23mm 1.4 and 50mm f2. The 50mm is absolutely stunning, really tiny, sharp and fast focusing with plenty shallow depth of field when needed.

    I'm excited for the future of photography - Canon are making full frame mirrorless more affordable and they've managed to break physics seemingly with their new 70-200mm 2.8 lens which looks 2/3rds the length of the SLR versions. 

    Not that I'm buying anytime soon, but it's an exciting time and any new camera is a stunning piece of kit.
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  • GrumpyrockerGrumpyrocker Frets: 4118
    edited February 2019
    RMJ said:
    Ok starting to love this camera now. Using it in manual with back focussing and spot metering.

    Also been creating some custom versions of the film simulations and am really liking the jpg files direct out of camera.  

    Definitely not going to upgrade any time soon. 

    https://imgur.com/a/4LCmABV

    Edit...this 35mm f2 lens is amazing. Love the field of view and when I nail focus it's tack sharp, in the middle at least. 

    I use the 23mm 1.4 and 50mm f2. The 50mm is absolutely stunning, really tiny, sharp and fast focusing with plenty shallow depth of field when needed.

    I'm excited for the future of photography - Canon are making full frame mirrorless more affordable and they've managed to break physics seemingly with their new 70-200mm 2.8 lens which looks 2/3rds the length of the SLR versions. 

    Not that I'm buying anytime soon, but it's an exciting time and any new camera is a stunning piece of kit.
    The reason the new 70-200mm is shorter is because it extends when you zoom - so it ends up being the same length at 200mm. The regular versions zoom internally. The latter is better for pro gear because lenses that extend are more prone to water and dust intake in difficult environments. 

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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    RMJ said:
    Ok starting to love this camera now. Using it in manual with back focussing and spot metering.

    Also been creating some custom versions of the film simulations and am really liking the jpg files direct out of camera.  

    Definitely not going to upgrade any time soon. 

    https://imgur.com/a/4LCmABV

    Edit...this 35mm f2 lens is amazing. Love the field of view and when I nail focus it's tack sharp, in the middle at least. 

    I use the 23mm 1.4 and 50mm f2. The 50mm is absolutely stunning, really tiny, sharp and fast focusing with plenty shallow depth of field when needed.

    I'm excited for the future of photography - Canon are making full frame mirrorless more affordable and they've managed to break physics seemingly with their new 70-200mm 2.8 lens which looks 2/3rds the length of the SLR versions. 

    Not that I'm buying anytime soon, but it's an exciting time and any new camera is a stunning piece of kit.
    Yeah I'd love the 50f2. 
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  • RMJ said:
    Ok starting to love this camera now. Using it in manual with back focussing and spot metering.

    Also been creating some custom versions of the film simulations and am really liking the jpg files direct out of camera.  

    Definitely not going to upgrade any time soon. 

    https://imgur.com/a/4LCmABV

    Edit...this 35mm f2 lens is amazing. Love the field of view and when I nail focus it's tack sharp, in the middle at least. 

    I use the 23mm 1.4 and 50mm f2. The 50mm is absolutely stunning, really tiny, sharp and fast focusing with plenty shallow depth of field when needed.

    I'm excited for the future of photography - Canon are making full frame mirrorless more affordable and they've managed to break physics seemingly with their new 70-200mm 2.8 lens which looks 2/3rds the length of the SLR versions. 

    Not that I'm buying anytime soon, but it's an exciting time and any new camera is a stunning piece of kit.
    The reason the new 70-200mm is shorter is because it extends when you zoom - so it ends up being the same length at 200mm. The regular versions zoom internally. The latter is better for pro gear because lenses that extend are more prone to water and dust intake in difficult environments. 

    Oh, that seems super weird. I assumed, being an L 70-200 it was IF. 


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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    Made a FIP (fuck it purchase) yesterday.... 


    Traded in my Canon 550d and lenses and the XT10 for a Fuji xpro2! 

    This was, in hindsight, completely unnecessary as the XT10 Wasa fine camera. However, I was gassing hard for that range finder style, better processor, weather sealing and downright sexiness. It's much snappier than the XT10. 

    Do NOT tell the missus
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  • RMJ said:
    Made a FIP (fuck it purchase) yesterday.... 


    Traded in my Canon 550d and lenses and the XT10 for a Fuji xpro2! 

    This was, in hindsight, completely unnecessary as the XT10 Wasa fine camera. However, I was gassing hard for that range finder style, better processor, weather sealing and downright sexiness. It's much snappier than the XT10. 

    Do NOT tell the missus

    It's such a great camera, I use an xt2 because I'm left eye dominant... If an xpro was available left-eyed I'd be all over it.

    Enjoy the extra pixels! 
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    Paging Mrs J. Your husband did a naughty thing. 

    Enjoy.  ;)
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    I bought an XT3 last week... CAS thread to come...
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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