tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59462184130779754862024-03-05T16:16:00.401+00:00Bryan's Photo BlogAn occasional set of photographs taken in and around north east England.Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-50216592109689559032017-09-15T17:59:00.000+01:002017-09-15T18:00:56.894+01:00Manual focus adapter problemsNothing serious, but, on two occasions now, and with different types of adapter, I've had the flange that mates with the lens become loose from the body of the adapter. As might be expected, this results in out of focus shots, and that's the way that I have been able to identify the problem. Unfortunately this also means some spoiled images.<br />
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I now carry a small precision Phillips screwdriver that I can use to tighten the fixing screws. I guess a drop of loctite would provide a more permanent solution.<br />
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-63377180559392545142017-08-09T07:59:00.000+01:002017-08-09T08:16:07.633+01:00Sony NEX 6 death throesIt had been threatening for some time, with a tendency to automatically click through the menus - cured by rotating the top control wheels a few times, probably dirty contacts. Now, however, a more sinister fault has appeared the dreaded "Camera error. Turn power off then on."<br />
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Searching on the Internet this appears to be a fairly common fault and may be related to a small spring attached to the shutter mechanism. The cure would probably cost more than my battered camera is worth, but a get by fix is to switch off the Front Shutter Curtain. It clatters when used, but it works a bit.<br />
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The camera did well to survive as long as it did under adverse circumstances. I've taken many thousands of shots and it has been carried around on a bicycle, dropped and generally not looked after. The paint has long gone on the corners and the strap looks ready to snap. It did have the good sense to continue working until I had invested in a new Sony a6500.<br />
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I've enjoyed the NEX 6 immensely, I had become tired of lugging a heavy DSLR around my neck. The NEX freed me from the volume and mass of the DSLR while it allowed me to shoot using my old film era lenses, the excellent electronic view finder enabling easy and precise focus. I have always admired the compact and beautifully made Leica rangefinders, but they were way out of my price bracket. The NEX provided a similar shooting experience and I suspect that the Sony sensor was as least as good as that fitted to the more prestigious marque!<br />
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So it has more or less died. It has served me well and I have no regrets!<br />
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-83556801493771227002017-05-23T18:58:00.000+01:002017-05-24T08:02:20.665+01:00NEX 6 versus Sony a6500I was interested to see how the sensors compared in the two cameras. Was it indeed possible to cram all those extra pixels into the a6500 sensor without losing quality?<br />
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I set up a simple test. Both camera were configured for ISO1600, with no exposure compensation, and I fitted a Zuiko 50mm f1.8 lens. I know from previous testing that this lens will blow the standard Sony zoom out of the water, as far as the resolution of detail is concerned. The camera was mounted on a sturdy Manfrotto tripod and a 2 second delay selected. I focused with the lens wide open and at maximum viewfinder magnification, but the shooting took place at f8. Two shots were taken with each camera and the best selected for comparison - actually that was the difficult part as each of the two images taken by each camera looked to be pretty much identical.<br />
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I let the camera decide the exposure, choosing aperture priority.<br />
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The view is one within my untidy garage, and the lighting supplied by overhead fluorescent tubes. The door was open so there was also a touch of ambient light, but the predominant illumination came from the fluorescent tubes.<br />
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The a6500 chose to use 1/25th sec and the NEX 6 1/40th sec. The histograms were quite different, with the NEX underexposing slightly and the a6500 getting it spot on.<br />
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I processed the RAW files using LR and the default setup without any further adjustment, creating 16 bit TIFFs in PS. Again no adjustments were made in producing JPGs from the TIFF files.<br />
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This is the overall view (not pretty)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpUWjYrgdotNENdUFix-3-PJHXGlFjkl571Rxz3w7UVAFtlb3x2ulNHc_qmzeTkspsBVbBsFxhAXUGtYSedfRNYZlghDKhcK_yW9fAB6o4CHIu6WZSGJE_HnVTmVcErgrSGMYXDTGTJ4/s1600/a6500+ISO1600+test+170523-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpUWjYrgdotNENdUFix-3-PJHXGlFjkl571Rxz3w7UVAFtlb3x2ulNHc_qmzeTkspsBVbBsFxhAXUGtYSedfRNYZlghDKhcK_yW9fAB6o4CHIu6WZSGJE_HnVTmVcErgrSGMYXDTGTJ4/s320/a6500+ISO1600+test+170523-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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and here are a couple of crops, first the NEX 6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9cnhRuyfNjRZqC6f1U3DeQrmIRtWuntg5_6junnWJolRcOt7QGdeprXx2DzAHBxgygNZ9GwU8nTqthSL3vyTunnqsobe6qUzL11ojmKxmqQUMLoMVLczbYKGASAMi90HMDGDsdBv_BQ/s1600/NEX+6+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9cnhRuyfNjRZqC6f1U3DeQrmIRtWuntg5_6junnWJolRcOt7QGdeprXx2DzAHBxgygNZ9GwU8nTqthSL3vyTunnqsobe6qUzL11ojmKxmqQUMLoMVLczbYKGASAMi90HMDGDsdBv_BQ/s320/NEX+6+crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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then the a6500</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGYTO6EwjO9qd6HEqT9A6R1T5y3ALn-jC2n1nDxBkZjwD7WS1ZA6aDJcpNo6VqhvaBoj85n0eKvUrpuhM0_jiR1uOHzumRntjBIDdPGuvCiOUqw6ZruiBmAiweh6YbBZBfXbaSV_LvL0/s1600/a6500+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGYTO6EwjO9qd6HEqT9A6R1T5y3ALn-jC2n1nDxBkZjwD7WS1ZA6aDJcpNo6VqhvaBoj85n0eKvUrpuhM0_jiR1uOHzumRntjBIDdPGuvCiOUqw6ZruiBmAiweh6YbBZBfXbaSV_LvL0/s320/a6500+crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click on any image for an enlarged view, the crops are 100% pixels.<br />
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The a6500 is recording more detail without, in my view, incurring a greater noise penalty. Look in particular at the detail in the cloth, although that may be a result of the longer a6500 exposure.<br />
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To get a better idea of the noise performance of the two cameras I have selected a couple of crops showing less detailed areas of plain tone.<br />
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First the NEX 6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoO-yMRiAxTh1QAQ3r_fcI9aHudcpZJbGJTleh4iJpkkEKvBWQKSHkaBYz19-ECo9S6Iq_portTuhbqjiBuX0TKZiFKzundp6acEh82_cc7_e0c5SC-alyuOF0aTDQlUFONypSV_pcCE/s1600/NEX+6+crop+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoO-yMRiAxTh1QAQ3r_fcI9aHudcpZJbGJTleh4iJpkkEKvBWQKSHkaBYz19-ECo9S6Iq_portTuhbqjiBuX0TKZiFKzundp6acEh82_cc7_e0c5SC-alyuOF0aTDQlUFONypSV_pcCE/s320/NEX+6+crop+2.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
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Then the a6500</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR6pzjVttxRQe7N9jsDudKzU9pNMZ8GYNPt2E7CftBgyuVWBPWTxwUDwIwnNzEbOfWurmS4FPOUp9N8R7W4XOUxB9JA9LJDKrUONAoBigF5P-kdTy_ryqsVPpGQcXBf4MSyXTy6DerNo/s1600/a6500+crop+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR6pzjVttxRQe7N9jsDudKzU9pNMZ8GYNPt2E7CftBgyuVWBPWTxwUDwIwnNzEbOfWurmS4FPOUp9N8R7W4XOUxB9JA9LJDKrUONAoBigF5P-kdTy_ryqsVPpGQcXBf4MSyXTy6DerNo/s320/a6500+crop+2.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
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The a6500 image looks cleaner to me.</div>
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Something else I should perhaps mention, the contrast detect feature on the a6500 was usable at maximum viewfinder magnification whereas it was not on the NEX 6.</div>
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You can't read too much into this simple comparison, but, for what it's worth, the a6500 sensor does appear to come out the stronger, you get both more detail and less noise. (Oh, and before you ask, the Acetone is used to make repairs to the ABS components of my caravan, ABS is dissolved in Acetone, so you can make up a repair solution using, for example, Lego bricks.)</div>
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23-5-2017</div>
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-69850941070432198342017-05-18T08:28:00.000+01:002017-05-18T08:28:13.969+01:00Sigma lens - Dodgy ContactsI've had trouble with my Sigma 19 mm lens not responding when attached to my Sony mirrorless cameras. I was concerned that this was a warning of imminent failure, but, to date, cleaning the contacts has cured the problem.<br />
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I've tried cotton buds and that appeared to do the trick for a while, but after the latest episode of non response, this was not enough.<br />
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As a measure of last resort, I used the buds in conjunction with some Eclipse E2 sensor cleaning fluid. This worked, and saved me the cost of a new lens - I believe that Sigma regards these budget lenses as being disposable, and don't offer a repair service ( please correct me if that is wrong!).Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-23519033830026886422017-04-11T11:29:00.000+01:002017-08-12T07:42:20.657+01:00Sony a6500 - First thoughtsMy long suffering NEX 6 has been showing signs of age, in particular there were times when the camera would start clicking through the menu options. This I have been able to fix by switching off and rotating the control dials, so it is probably caused by dirt on the contacts. It's a very intermittent fault, and most of the time the camera is just fine, despite having taken a humengous number (39433) of shots.<br />
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So it came to pass that I decided to add an a6500 to this year's tax allowance.<br />
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First impressions, it's a bit heavier than the NEX and the grip is more ergonomically shaped and protrudes more. I'm not too keen on the extra mass, but the grip is better.<br />
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The electronic viewfinder is very good indeed, I had thought that it might be the same as that used in the NEX 6, but, combined with the extra pixels on the sensor, this does appear to be an improvement. I am finding that, with contrast detect set at minimum, I can now accurately focus using that aid and with the lower 5.9 x viewfinder magnification. I was never fully confident of contrast detect on the NEX6, but this camera appears to have raised its game in that respect.<br />
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However the apparent increased sensitivity of the contrast detect function sometimes means that, even at the minimum setting, the focused image is a mass of colour, making composition more difficult. It would be useful if contrast detect could be switched off when not using a magnified view. I have programmed a button (C3) to allow me to quickly change the contrast detect mode, but I'm not sure if I will be making much use of it!<br />
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Then there are the menus, an overwhelming array of choices, but, for heritage lens users, the camera now appears to default to release without lens. whereas previously you would need to set that parameter.<br />
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I like the fact that you can program a button (C1 in my case) to select the focal length in use, in body stabilisation is a real boon for users of old lenses. It's early days as yet, but IS brings a real improvement to the use of heritage lenses on this camera. I've not carried out any rigorous testing, but I've used my 75-150 Pentax zoom (112-225 mm FF equivalent) at 1/100th and obtained crisp results. It's not a panacea, if you bounce on the shutter release you will get blurred shots!<br />
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It also seems that you need to remember to change the focal length to be used with the IS system. I've inadvertently left it set at 150 mm and taken shots using a 12mm lens resulting in some motion blurred images. Of course this only applies to manual focus lenses, auto lenses automatically inform the camera of the focal length.<br />
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A further improvement is the ability to set the minimum shutter speed to be used with auto ISO, again I have programmed a button (C2) to set this. I need to do some rethinking about what those minimum values should be, now that I have IS in camera, but for static subjects, and shorter focal lengths, the previously available (NEX 6) 1/60th minimum is far too pessimistic.<br />
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Actually my needs are few, I normally shoot raw using auto ISO, and aperture priority, with the occasional descent into shutter speed priority and manual operation, so I don't need all those menus etc.<br />
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One slight negative, possibly due to my ignorance of the camera's capabilities, is the need to restore full frame magnification before shooting, whereas my NEX would jump back into shooting mode at a half press of the shutter. The manual states that this should happen with the a6500 too, but for some reason mine does not. It's probably user incompetence!<br />
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Update - a helpful chap on the DPreview forum pointed out that AF in Focus Mag. = OFF will enable the shutter release to cancel the magnification mode and jump back into shooting. I don't know if there are any drawbacks as yet, but my autofocus lenses seems to work fine with this setting.<br />
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My old lenses appear to be coping well with the increased pixel density, although the edge definition provided by my Pentax 28mm f2.8 is not great on distant views. It's fine close up, so I wonder if this is a field curvature problem?<br />
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I've now published the results of a <a href="http://bryansphotographs.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/nex-6-versus-sony-a6500.html"><span style="color: cyan;">quick test</span></a> comparing the NEX 6 and a6500 at ISO1600<br />
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Revised 12-8-17<br />
<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-3655945525881444852017-03-17T08:36:00.000+00:002017-03-17T08:36:04.947+00:00Jesmond Flint Mill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I walked from Newcastle's Freeman Hospital to Gateshead, following the valley of the Ouseburn.</div>
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Once this was a major trading route from the river Tyne northwards, the valley providing a steady incline for the horse drawn vehicles of the day. Years ago the burn was enclosed in a culvert, south of Armstrong Park, and material heaped above, so blocking off the road. You can still walk the route but it involves climbing over the substantial man made barrier that stands in the way.</div>
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I had to ask for directions as I approached the covered section and was fortunate to come across a local resident who knew all of the history of the area, and who drew my attention to the site of Jesmond Flint Mill, close to where he lives. Sadly I didn't get his name, but this information and photos are down to his kindness.</div>
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The flint mill was built to grind flint, carried as ballast by colliers on the London trade. The ground material was used in the local pottery industry, presumably including the nearby Malings factory.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA35z81nPBgrg0ajR5ugadQSTGs1h3QbRDjRRaKmBwB46d_VoEl308lQDy0UzQFo7v9WIoMKOrdHsl6OdSkadXG3UMa_kUwxAWDM0ClEcVKnFrDnYq9eVlDgOF79vZEDoAEzafKenexs/s1600/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA35z81nPBgrg0ajR5ugadQSTGs1h3QbRDjRRaKmBwB46d_VoEl308lQDy0UzQFo7v9WIoMKOrdHsl6OdSkadXG3UMa_kUwxAWDM0ClEcVKnFrDnYq9eVlDgOF79vZEDoAEzafKenexs/s320/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Originally the mill was powered by a water wheel, supplied by a mill race dug alongside the Ouseburn to an upstream location near Jesmond Dene.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoDQqwVneJsRv4DlJ1uC2nVEnD1Kvzz7OycDLDEbSF5hMuOQqqAc4juDkfUwRf2WG78hOEqqGVSMPKEEdxKSN3rHYmt7GkYk4HHv_z2ttTu4Pviz-LFNxoy6tNtm36IA16E47Ij53_qk/s1600/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoDQqwVneJsRv4DlJ1uC2nVEnD1Kvzz7OycDLDEbSF5hMuOQqqAc4juDkfUwRf2WG78hOEqqGVSMPKEEdxKSN3rHYmt7GkYk4HHv_z2ttTu4Pviz-LFNxoy6tNtm36IA16E47Ij53_qk/s320/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Later a stationary steam engine was installed, rumoured to have been engineered by a young George Stephenson, who was at that time employed as a colliery engineer nearby. The photo above shows the site of the mill and the plinth in the foreground might have been the engine base.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyyRfussD-9kAboV9aKD0Zyfcf0B8wG7EUwLzJ5TNYIb1YR7-F2XalUWINMgBJCLL77fnaSyqlM1NUt_cPY7-56fepvzBoKypWhBF8Udg_oA-N_syaq3tf0KXLtjz2yfB72MTpwtgdwk/s1600/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyyRfussD-9kAboV9aKD0Zyfcf0B8wG7EUwLzJ5TNYIb1YR7-F2XalUWINMgBJCLL77fnaSyqlM1NUt_cPY7-56fepvzBoKypWhBF8Udg_oA-N_syaq3tf0KXLtjz2yfB72MTpwtgdwk/s320/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Further evidence of the mill seen in this stone wall built into the west bank of the burn.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L8_zzIbQsfZI9iA_93B4qp7zlMJVjeq4UYXUEuzFkMqDWNlTzi2VrcM7RiS2SEhY-3MuhxAAVsSN2SR8Vhyphenhyphen0o1qXZ6OteYdFbInXsJ6IF_7OF9UED4JukaZvbDFCGlZi5eE7V-y04aU/s1600/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L8_zzIbQsfZI9iA_93B4qp7zlMJVjeq4UYXUEuzFkMqDWNlTzi2VrcM7RiS2SEhY-3MuhxAAVsSN2SR8Vhyphenhyphen0o1qXZ6OteYdFbInXsJ6IF_7OF9UED4JukaZvbDFCGlZi5eE7V-y04aU/s320/Jesmond+Flint+Mill+170312-008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The stone arch may have been the discharge from the water wheel.</div>
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Sony NEX 6, Pentax lenses.</div>
<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-19076729096411239082017-03-03T19:08:00.000+00:002017-03-04T08:57:54.788+00:00Spectacles and PhotographyIn my late sixties I need reading glasses, but my distance vision is not too bad. How does this impinge upon my photography?<br />
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Well I find it difficult to read the control dials on the top of a camera, and data on the rear screen, without the aid of specs.<br />
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However my compact mirrorless Sony NEX 6 camera can be controlled almost exclusively from the electronic viewfinder (EVF), as that has a built in dioptre correction that enables me to see all of the necessary information without using glasses. I also find that I can manually focus using the 9.6x magnification that the camera provides through the EVF.<br />
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Moving from camera to computer screen it's a different story. I need to use glasses to clearly see what I am doing. Question is, what is the best solution overall?<br />
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I've tried bifocals and varifocals. My bifocals were setup to allow me to read at a close distance or see my computer screen, i.e. two distinct degrees of magnification. This worked well enough, but further deterioration in my eyesight has meant that I now need assistance for viewing middle distance objects, i.e. small road signs maybe 20 yards away etc.<br />
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Solution, a pair of varifocals, providing a continually variable range of magnification from close up to distant viewing.<br />
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Nothing is perfect, there are pros and cons.<br />
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They are great for reading, and using a small computer tablet, while in the car they allow me to read the Satnav clearly, and give an enlarged view of those middle distance objects. In the shops I can read the prices on the products etc. So far so good.<br />
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How about the negatives?<br />
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In order to best use the range of magnification, you need to look through different parts of the lenses. I.e. Lower down for close up and higher for distance. This involves moving your head.<br />
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They are not good for reading the large computer screens that I use for image processing. This involves far too much head movement to keep the required zone of vision in focus. Similarly they are not good for reading music, there I've enough to worry about without having to constantly adjust my line of sight! For distance vision they do provide a slightly enlarged image, but at some expense in the level of contrast and brightness. As a consequence I tend not to wear them when out and about.<br />
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The computer screen/music problem has been resolved by the purchase of a pair of specs of fixed magnification optimised for objects 18 to 24" away. They are far superior to the varifocals within their limited range of application.<br />
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Now everyone's eyes are different and what works for me won't necessarily work for you. Consult a qualified optician for advice!Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-78203552634915196932017-02-19T16:28:00.000+00:002017-02-19T16:28:36.253+00:00Progress on new river Wear bridge, SunderlandI missed the raising of the supporting pylon, combination of a bad cold and a horrible day!<br />
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However these two shots were taken shortly afterwards. Look out for the heron in the foreground of the vertical format shot.<br />
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-89659153856592249732017-01-14T19:23:00.001+00:002017-01-14T19:28:57.625+00:00Tidal Surge RokerA combination of a tidal surge and strong north westerly winds led to some impressive waves crashing over the pier at Roker, Sunderland. Friday 13th January 2017.<br />
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Canon 5DII Sigma 100-300 f4Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-20343305177344178132016-12-25T16:18:00.000+00:002016-12-25T16:20:17.255+00:00Christmas Day, Alnmouth beach, NorthumberlandWe went for a walk around Alnmouth, it was very warm for the time of year, with occasional full sun, but a very strong south westerly wind blowing sand on the beach and spume from the waves.<br />
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-6595336816427509372016-12-24T19:56:00.000+00:002016-12-25T09:28:50.134+00:00Marsden Bay, late December 2016A break in the overcast winter weather allowed me to walk from Marsden to South Shields along the north east coast. There was fabulous sunshine and a deep blue sea.<br />
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Sony NEX 6 manual focus lens.Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-64280754536861356932016-11-04T08:26:00.000+00:002016-11-04T08:26:45.203+00:00Autumn Colour in Weardale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shittlehope Burn, which runs into the river Wear from the north at Stanhope.<br />
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There is a circular walk from Stanhope taking in the burn and, later, the great disused Ashes quarry.<br />
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It was muddy underfoot at this time of year, and you need to hop across the burn at a couple of locations, but on a bright autumn day, a magical journey.</div>
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Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-44851470317052121092016-10-30T07:57:00.000+00:002016-10-30T07:59:50.612+00:00Work progresses on new Wear Bridge, SunderlandWork is progressing on the new road bridge over the river Wear in Sunderland. The deck is being assembled on the south bank and pushed out across the river on temporary supports. There will be a tall pylon to carry the suspension cables, but that has as yet to be installed.<br />
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Sony NEX 6 probably Zuiko 50mm f1.8Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-10894724538890464202016-08-06T09:33:00.000+01:002016-08-06T09:33:20.423+01:00Hadrian's Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The section of the wall just to the west of Housesteads is one of the most dramatic. I probably used my old Olympus 50mm f1.8 Zuiko lens for this shot, which takes in Hotbank Crags, looking east.</div>
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-57565403418720991872016-07-26T08:19:00.000+01:002016-11-06T21:02:40.609+00:00Photoshop - The Pen ToolThere is a variety of selection tools available within Photoshop, and they all have their area of application.<br />
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Perhaps the most difficult to use, and the most time consuming, is the pen tool, where you painstakingly draw an accurate boundary around the parts of the subject that you wish to work on.<br />
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I came upon the pen tool quite late in my PS career, but I regard it as being one of the most valuable selection methods, as it can accurately select to the nearest pixel.<br />
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You can use the pen tool in conjunction with say the Quick Selection tool, tidying up edges that have been missed, or ensuring that a straight line is indeed straight.<br />
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I normally work at either actual pixels view or one stage of magnification above that when using the pen, in order to ensure an accurate selection.<br />
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There is a learning curve, but take heart, it's worth persevering. As with most things in PS, you can easily step back if you make a mistake.<br />
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Where do I use the pen tool?<br />
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It provides a nice clean boundary for a cutout (when you want your object surrounded by, normally, white space)<br />
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To preserve a section of an image when cloning, particularly if straight lines are involved. You pick the bit that you want to keep, and then select the inverse of your selection. Any cloning will then not impinge upon your important area.<br />
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To improve the accuracy in drawing a layer mask.<br />
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etc<br />
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26-7-16Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-80802970034034826132016-03-13T21:21:00.002+00:002016-03-16T08:22:45.936+00:00Frogs in the pondThis is the froggy mating season, and they have been at it in my garden pond<br />
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I don't have a proper macro lens, and the only extension tubes in my possession are M42 screw thread, so my solution is to use an elderly Takumar 135mm f 3.5 lens along with an 11 mm extension tube.<br />
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Click for a bigger image.<br />
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Not bad for a lens maybe 45 years old! This is the M42 Super Multi Coated version, in production from 1971-1975.<br />
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Sony NEX 6Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-8955058199392434882016-03-08T08:44:00.001+00:002016-03-09T16:07:01.666+00:00Snow on The CheviotsTravelling on the top deck of the X1 express bus to Newcastle through the heights of Gateshead, you get a fabulous view of the city of Newcastle with the Cheviot Hills in the background. This promoted me to set out to capture a view of the Cheviots with some aspect of the city in the foreground.<br />
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St James Park with snow covered Cheviot Hills</div>
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I took this shot using a Sony NEX 6 camera fitted with a 500 mm Tamron SP mirror lens, giving an angle of view equivalent to a 750 mm lens. This lens has a fixed aperture of f8. A tripod would have been a good idea, but, in its absence I used shutter speed priority and chose 1/1000th second to reduce the effect of camera shake to a minimum. With auto ISO selected the camera decided upon ISO 250.</div>
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On the full size image you can read the writing above the entrance to the football stadium, Gallowgate Stand.</div>
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Photo available from Alamy stock number <span style="background-color: white; color: #323248; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.1428px;">FK5871</span></div>
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-19686674329572077822016-02-28T15:46:00.000+00:002016-02-29T13:54:32.131+00:00Coal Train day on the Tanfield RailwayOn the coal train day they run a demonstration coal train in addition to the normal passenger service.<br />
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Photo used by the Times newspaper 29th Feb</div>
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Sony NEX 6 Samsung 35 mm f2Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-13208532312799217002016-02-28T15:43:00.000+00:002016-02-28T15:43:23.778+00:00New Bridge over the river Wear at SunderlandWork has started on the new road bridge over the river Wear at Sunderland.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_gWjKrS6easeUiRqch7JHO3meJ8XILUfI9QJL5RZ4jPcJ2ZKJVZWK9KGE71NxHO4pt2Wx_cjy90KncYt9T42I6pDGyY80Mo537n3lBePGmc9Evngb1fwWXuBziiBbbdGYfQSymzRH04/s1600/River+Wear+new+bridge++160224-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_gWjKrS6easeUiRqch7JHO3meJ8XILUfI9QJL5RZ4jPcJ2ZKJVZWK9KGE71NxHO4pt2Wx_cjy90KncYt9T42I6pDGyY80Mo537n3lBePGmc9Evngb1fwWXuBziiBbbdGYfQSymzRH04/s320/River+Wear+new+bridge++160224-008.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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Sony NEX 6Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-17001305210184478342015-12-22T11:12:00.000+00:002017-01-28T20:37:58.115+00:00Using Manual Focus Lenses on Sony Mirrorless camerasIt's horrible outside, windy and raining, so I've time to kill. Just the opportunity to write about my experience of using manual focus (MF) lenses on the Sony NEX 6. I guess that all of this is transferable to the a6000, and some to other Sony mirrorless cameras.<br />
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<b>First of all, why use a manual focus lens?</b><br />
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In my case I have a collection of them most of which I acquired in film camera days, but, having found them to be superior in many instances to the kit lenses supplied by Sony, I have since bought additional manual focus lenses. The emergence of the Chinese company Rokinon/Samyang now means that you can buy a quality MF lens new that will fit directly onto your Sony camera.<br />
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Then there is the consideration of cost. Cheap secondhand manual focus lenses, even those made many years ago, often provide superior image quality to the Sony zooms.<br />
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I should add that I have tried using manual focus lenses on my Canon DSLRs, but not obtained satisfactory results, as their viewfinder screens are not designed for the purpose. Live view is better, but not convenient for many purposes. Enter the Sony NEX 6 with an excellent electronic viewfinder (EVF) and we have a game changer. It brings back fond memories of focusing with an old Pentax film camera which had a large, bright, optical viewfinder, complete with focusing aids.<br />
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<b>What are the snags?</b><br />
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If your manual focus lens was made to fit a Pentax, Canon or Nikon etc camera, you will need an adapter to fit it to your Sony camera. There is an incredible range of adapters available to suit most marques, but do check that one exists before you buy. I have found that adapters costing as little as £20 are perfectly acceptable for use.<br />
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As the name suggests, manual focus means just that, no autofocus. There are times when autofocus is a real benefit, for example when trying to photograph your young children or grandchildren, but most of the time you don't need it. Buildings don't move, while cars, trains boats and planes normally follow fixed trajectories and you can pre-focus to get a sharp shot. OK planes are a bit tricky! Using a lens wide enough to get interesting shots in the street, the depth of field is usually enough to see you through in most circumstances.<br />
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I have lost some shots due to not being able to focus rapidly enough, but I have also lost shots due to auto focusing systems missing the target completely!<br />
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Then there is the aperture. Automatic cameras focus with the aperture fully wide and then stop down to the required setting immediately before shooting. You do the same with manual glass, but you have to remember to stop down before you press the trigger.<br />
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You might miss lens stabilisation, although the new Sony full frame cameras have that built into the body. I'm hoping that, should it ever appear, the replacement for the NEX 7 will have that feature.<br />
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Finally not all old lenses are entirely happy with digital sensors, and this can result in the appearance of colour fringing due to chromatic aberration (CA), or ( I am told, never seen it) occasionally edge effects. CA can very largely be dealt with by a single key press in a raw converter like Lightroom. Again cheap, and not so cheap, modern lenses also produce CA but often software is used to reduce or eliminate the effect. I have a very nice copy of a Canon 24-105 L lens that revels in CA.<br />
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<b>Lenses to avoid</b><br />
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You need to restrict your choice to those lenses that have a manual aperture ring - most modern lenses don't as the aperture is controlled from the camera.<br />
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Cheap plastic bodied consumer grade zooms from the film era are often pretty poor, even from the major players.<br />
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You can't go too far wrong with fixed focal length lenses badged by the original camera company e.g. Minolta et al, or lenses fitted as standard by some of those companies. e.g. Zeiss. Third party lenses are more problematic, there are no doubt some very good ones about, with Tamron and Sigma probably better than average, but we are getting into murky waters here.<br />
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Old lenses might have developed faults in use, sticky apertures, tight focusing, or be infected with internal fungus growth. You need to be vigilant and reject anything that isn't as it should be. Don't be put off by external condition, if the glass is clear and everything works properly, it could be a real bargain. Your'e not buying a collectible, rather something to use and earn its keep.<br />
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<b>Camera Settings and Use</b><br />
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Firstly you have to tell your camera that a manual focus lens is fitted, as otherwise the lack of electronic contacts will have it assume that there is no lens at all and it will refuse to work. On the NEX 6 you need to tell the camera to "Release w/o lens", an option in the Setup menu. This does not affect the operation of your auto focus lenses in any way, so you might as well just leave it at that setting.<br />
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There are three viable settings on the control dial for use with MF lenses: -<br />
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A - Aperture priority, you set the aperture and the camera selects the shutter speed<br />
S - Shutter speed priority, I'll come back to that.<br />
M - Manual, you set both the aperture and the shutter speed.<br />
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Then there is the ISO setting on the rear control wheel<br />
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I try to shoot at the lowest ISO that will give me a fast enough shutter speed to avoid camera shake.<br />
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There is an Auto ISO setting, which will choose a value to enable a shutter speed of 1/60 th second or faster. Unfortunately 1/60 th is not fast enough for many situations, while it's over generous for others. A better system would enable users to select the minimum shutter speed associated with auto ISO, but read below for more on that.<br />
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(Edit - Apparently the Sony a6300 has the ability to select the minimum shutter speed to use with Auto ISO, a very welcome improvement, how about a software upgrade Mr Sony? - Pigs might fly)<br />
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Depending upon the circumstance I therefore either use Auto ISO or I set the ISO myself.<br />
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Most of the time I use Aperture priority, and keep a weather eye on the shutter speed that the camera has selected, adjusting the ISO if necessary. I probably use this setting for 90% of my shots.<br />
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Interestingly Auto ISO enables a greater number of possible choices than the dial provides.<br />
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When I want to freeze the action, or, conversely force auto ISO to allow a slower speed, I will occasionally select Shutter speed priority. Auto ISO then performs in a more reasonable fashion, selecting an ISO to enable that shutter speed. The problem with this selection is that it can lead to overexposure, as occasionally you need a faster shutter speed than the one that you have selected, even at the base ISO of 100. I therefore don't leave this as my default setting.<br />
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I normally only employ the Manual setting either when using an external flash, or when I take Panoramas and need a guaranteed uniformity of exposure.<br />
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I find that the exposure provided with manual focus lenses tends to be rather less than the optimum, you normally get a usable shot, but it's often beneficial to dial in a half stop or more of over exposure. The (exposed) histogram is your friend, adjust the exposure and take another shot if necessary. Lenses vary in this regard, you have got to learn by experience, while, of course a white cat against a white wall will fool all metering systems, and you occasionally have to make quite radical adjustments.<br />
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Perfectionists might use an incident light exposure meter and set the camera accordingly, but life is too short, take a few shots, look at the histogram and adjust if necessary.<br />
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<b>Focusing</b><br />
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The NEX 6 has a very good electronic view finder, enabling a 5x and almost 10x magnified view. This, coupled with full aperture focusing, generally allows a very precise focus to be obtained. The viewfinder on the a6000 does not have as many pixels, and I've not had the chance to try it, so I can't comment on that.<br />
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An alternative is the contrast detection system that the camera provides, when sharp edges show up in colour. There are three levels of contrast detection available for selection on the NEX6 and my camera is permanently set at the lowest level. Despite this, it occasionally picks out a false positive, so I much prefer to rely upon the magnified viewfinder image.<br />
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As a pensioner, my eyes are not getting any younger, but I find that the range of dioptre correction on the viewfinder eyepiece is more than sufficient for my purposes, allowing me to focus without glasses.<br />
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Do be aware that many adapters do not provide a sufficiently accurate register to allow you to use the distance scale on the lens, most providing focus beyond infinity. I guess that this is in order to enable rather slacker manufacturing tolerances and so hold the cost down. I do have some cheap Pentax bayonet adapters that provide a sufficiently accurate alignment for the shorter focal lengths - and this is very convenient, shooting a distant object you just wind the lens up to infinity on the scale and fire away - but even they go slightly past infinity with the longer telephotos. You need to test your gear!<br />
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<b>Using Unstabilised Lenses</b><br />
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Modern lenses generally have some kind of anti shake mechanism built in, while older manual focus lenses do not. I was taught to shoot at at least 1 over the effective focal length in order to have a decent chance of getting a sharp result, e.g. a 100 mm lens would require a minimum of 1/100 th second. Of course the angle of view is reduced by the crop frame Sony, effectively increasing the focal length by 1.5x, so you need to fire at 1/150 for a 100 mm lens etc. Always check to see what speed the camera is coming up with, and, if necessary, use Shutter speed priority along with Auto ISO to ensure that you have a realistic chance of avoiding camera shake.<br />
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Being brought up with unstabilised lenses this does not bother me, and I use the techniques learned with film cameras to get sharp results. For example if you are shooting with a telephoto try to find a wall, post, or doorway etc to lean against, while you might also employ the delayed time setting on the camera so that you don't vibrate it while the shutter is released. Don't snatch at the shutter button, squeeze it gently. I rarely use a tripod, but for long telephotos you need to, while, a monopod is better than nothing.<br />
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It is relatively difficult to get sharp images with a handheld unstabilised telephoto lens, I generally take a few shots in order to increase my chances of a success.<br />
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Of course if you are considerably more affluent than me, you might just shell out for a Sony a6500, which comes with in body stabilisation.<br />
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<b>Practice Makes Perfect</b><br />
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You can't reasonably expect to fit a manual focus lens and immediately start taking super sharp, perfectly exposed, photos, there's so much to remember and to do. Take heart, and persevere, with practice you will become a very slick and skillful manual focus operator!<br />
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<b>Personal Favourites</b><br />
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I'm not, I hope, a "fanboy" having used a range of photo gear over time, including Rollei, Bronica, Canon, Pentax, Sony and Olympus, so I don't have any axes to grind or want to get into Canikon warfare.<br />
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The NEX is a wonderfully compact and light camera, and I see no sense in hanging large and heavy lenses onto it. I therefore tend to use a collection of Pentax and Olympus lenses that were notable in their day for their compact dimensions. Old rangefinder camera lenses would also be a worth a look, although many are out of my price range.<br />
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I have experimented with some old Canon FT lenses, but don't see any significant difference in their performance over the Pentax or Olympus glass of the same period, while they are more bulky and require a more complex adapter. If I had an arsenal of FT glass I would probably use it, but I'm more than content with my other gear.<br />
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The bargains have to be those lenses that were fitted as standard to film cameras during that era, and the popular additional lenses that most people bought to enhance their range of shooting opportunities, i.e. those lenses that were mass produced by the leading marques.<br />
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The "Standard Lens" would normally have been a <a href="http://bryansphotographs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/50-mm-lenses-on-sony-nex-6.html"><span style="color: cyan;">50 mm</span></a> at around f1.8 (Pentax f1.7) and you can buy these very cheaply. There are also f1,4 variants that command higher prices, but they are larger and heavier and not necessarily any better at say f8 where most of your shooting is going to happen.<br />
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A 50 mm lens on a NEX 6 or a6000 is equivalent to a 75 mm lens on a full frame camera, it makes a good portrait lens, but I also find it a generally useful focal length out and about.<br />
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The next choice of our film era photographer might have been a <a href="http://bryansphotographs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/pentax-k-28mm-f35-on-nex-6.html"><span style="color: cyan;">28 mm</span></a>, at f2.8 or f3.5. There's loads of these about and they are not expensive. 28 mm was harder to get right than a 50 in days gone by, so you will probably see some distortion and CA, but nothing that would break the deal.<br />
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A 28 becomes a 42 on a Sony NEX, which is a very useful general purpose focal length. It's my fitment of choice as I leave the house.<br />
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The next buy for many photographers in the past would have been a 135mm lens, but this is becoming 202 mm on the NEX, and not abundantly useful.<br />
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Both Pentax and Olympus made 75-150 f4 zooms however and they provide a more practical solution. They're both sharp, but the Olympus design lacks contrast and I prefer the <a href="http://bryansphotographs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/sony-55-210-versus-pentax-75-150-and-200.html"><span style="color: cyan;">Pentax</span></a>. A 2x zoom at this focal length range was not too much of a challenge at that period, so the lens is more than OK. I bought a Pentax 75-150 new for around £75 many years ago, but, much more recently, picked up a pristine example for less than £20.<br />
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Very wide is much more of a problem. Wider tends to be harder to get right, and I would be tempted to steer you in the direction of a new <a href="http://bryansphotographs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/rokinonsamyang-12-mm-f2-wide-angle-lens.html"><span style="color: cyan;">Samyang/Rokinon</span></a> lens rather than an antique. Voigtländer (Cosina) make some very nice lenses, but you need deep pockets to be able to afford them.<br />
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Last edit 28-01-2017<br />
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-35193970995578014762015-12-17T17:52:00.001+00:002016-11-08T09:19:05.866+00:00Adjustment Layers in PhotoshopI use adjustment layers for most of my shots, I can't imagine being without them.<br />
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My workflow is as follows. I shoot in raw; title, keyword and adjust/develop in Lightroom; then transfer to Photoshop as a 16 bit TIFF for further work. The final image is stored as an 8 bit JPG. I don't normally keep TIFFs, which are very large files, but I do retain the original raw files.<br />
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What is an adjustment layer? My way of thinking about it, which may or may not be the whole story or even correct, is that an adjustment layer is analogous to placing a filter over the camera lens. The filter can change the contrast or colouration etc of the image, but can't change the basic content.<br />
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You can't therefore clone bits out of your image on an adjustment layer, you must return to the background layer for that purpose.<br />
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Adjustment layers are cleverer than filters however, as you can optionally mask off some of the filter effect so that it only affects a section of the image. Using a so called layer mask, you can choose the sections that you want the adjustment layer to influence. Further, you can return at any time to the mask to change it, using the brush and eraser tools to extend or reduce its active area (use the Channels window and select your active layer mask).<br />
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You don't have to have hard edges to your mask selection either, and most of my work is carried out using graduated masks, so that transitions don't stand out in the final version.<br />
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It can take a significant amount of time to construct a layer mask to suit your purposes, particularly if you are working at pixel level. Fortunately it is possible to re-select and re-use the mask, or, usefully, an inverse of the mask, later in the process. I recently learned that you can also copy a mask between layers.<br />
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The other great thing about adjustment layers is that, unlike a camera filter, they can be removed or made dormant at any time after the shot has been taken. So you can play with the image to your heart's content but then undo any wrong moves at a single key press. This means that you can experiment in a non destructive manner, always able to backtrack without changing the basic image.<br />
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You can use as many adjustment layers as you wish, but I rarely get beyond 5.<br />
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Why not do this in Lightroom? Well you can't, at least not with my knowledge/edition! True there are various graduated filter effects available, but with Photoshop you can accurately choose the exact area of an image that you wish to work on, working to the nearest pixel if need be.<br />
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Here's an example of how I have used two simple levels adjustment layers, sky and foreground, to enhance the appearance of an image. I hope that the differences are not too profound, in my view the best editing leaves a viewer believing that the image accurately represents the scene.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPupfk6cK-JcQP2fPszCnWyUU_biTC7eHCza5DjZTQ8DaplFOdsHrkhJF7CjKzvZfCa3nM5vS27F7sAl1Xw7yS_DX9Z6UE0p3rUJmErUAxfTFlzwhHr4JsJUTz096NAXneQpiuVBx6BOE/s1600/Ch%25C3%25A2teau+d%2527Arques-la-Bataille+150702-019+raw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPupfk6cK-JcQP2fPszCnWyUU_biTC7eHCza5DjZTQ8DaplFOdsHrkhJF7CjKzvZfCa3nM5vS27F7sAl1Xw7yS_DX9Z6UE0p3rUJmErUAxfTFlzwhHr4JsJUTz096NAXneQpiuVBx6BOE/s320/Ch%25C3%25A2teau+d%2527Arques-la-Bataille+150702-019+raw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the image after developing in Lightroom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghThzHhWAzhV3LRbp8LKYWvsHJzzKnQluBM3g0aegM-3oK2a7x5JinD57JXLkNYtVpoK757YVV-kawwoexkb8NgNRFGoCPY1rVtAYbaqUGpPGIrE32RXBbTHnjQ9Dkn6t2Q8fARgWYyRU/s1600/Ch%25C3%25A2teau+d%2527Arques-la-Bataille+150702-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghThzHhWAzhV3LRbp8LKYWvsHJzzKnQluBM3g0aegM-3oK2a7x5JinD57JXLkNYtVpoK757YVV-kawwoexkb8NgNRFGoCPY1rVtAYbaqUGpPGIrE32RXBbTHnjQ9Dkn6t2Q8fARgWYyRU/s320/Ch%25C3%25A2teau+d%2527Arques-la-Bataille+150702-019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This one has had a few additional tweaks in Photoshop.</div>
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Ok, so how do you do it?</div>
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Easy, to obtain an adjustment layer select Layer, New Adjustment Layer, followed by the layer type that you want, e.g. Levels. At this stage you can give it a name.</div>
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It is useful to have the Layers window open in PS, when your new layer should appear above the background layer. There is a little eye symbol to the left of each layer and that determines its visibility, click to remove the eye and the layer is switched off. Another click and it is restored. Right click on the layer and you have the option to delete.</div>
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Layer Masks - again easy. Click on the background layer in your layer palette and then select a section of the image using any of the selection tools. You can optionally refine your selection, e.g. Select, Refine Edge. Now open a new adjustment layer. Rather than covering the entire image its scope of influence will be restricted to your selection. </div>
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How do you see the area affected? Open the Channels window and ensure that the little eye symbol is selected on the layer mask. The area of the image that is not affected will appear masked in red and your area of interest will not be masked.</div>
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How do you change the mask? Use the brush and eraser tools to extend or reduce it.</div>
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Simple.</div>
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If you do a lot or work on a layer mask, you might want to use it for another layer. No problem, you can copy a layer mask between layers.</div>
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Last edit 8-11-16</div>
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-71722954708538702092015-11-17T21:54:00.000+00:002016-03-10T20:16:20.684+00:00Rokinon/Samyang 12 mm f2 wide angle lensI had been procrastinating over whether or not to buy this lens for a long while and eventually took the plunge after a more than usually lucrative sale of a photograph. My initial impression was very favourable, it's a manual focus lens, beautifully constructed, and it focuses readily using the EVF on the NEX 6. Images have plenty of bite being contrasty and sharp in the centre, but not quite so hot at the edges.<br />
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It does focus beyond infinity, so you do need to check the focus in your viewfinder rather than rely on the scale.<br />
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I'm still not 100% convinced that the lens is quite right and have been carrying out a few tests to see what it is capable of. Here's a few results (click for enlarged views) : -<br />
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1) The traditional brick wall text. This is a series of 100% crops from a rather uninteresting brick wall shot.<br />
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There's a bit of distortion, but for an 18mm equivalent lens, it's not bad. The right hand side is not quite as sharp as the left, and there is a fall off from the centre at both f2 and f8. The centre is impressive at f2!</div>
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2) A challenging side lit scenic shot</div>
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The river at Durham</div>
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Two sections from the above view. That on the left shows flare occurring due to the strong sidelight, sun just out of shot. The right hand sample is from the top right corner of the frame and is creditably sharp ( I wish that my Sigma 19mm f2.8 was as good at the edges!).</div>
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3) Chromatic Aberration - Always going to be a problem with a lens as wide as this one, but most instances largely fixable in Lightroom. Extreme cases might need additional cloning work in Photoshop. </div>
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Showing CA top right corner</div>
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After treatment in Lightroom</div>
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In this instance the one click solution did not provide a sufficient cure, but a touch on the defringe slider took care of the situation.<br />
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LR 6.4 includes Rokinon lens profiles but they don't appear to correct CA. They do make a pretty good job of fixing distortion and vignetting however.<br />
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A bit of fun, the interior of the Scottish National Gallery, an HDR rendering courtesy of LR.</div>
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Conclusion - pros and cons, but pretty good overall!</div>
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For guidance on using manual focus lenses on the Sony look <a href="http://bryansphotographs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/using-manual-focus-lenses-on-sony.html"><span style="color: cyan;">here</span></a></div>
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Sony NEX 6 Rokinon 12 mm f2</div>
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Last edit 30-1-16</div>
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<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-68066275821517430302015-11-17T13:51:00.000+00:002015-11-17T13:54:43.324+00:00Durham Lumiere 2015I went on the last day of operation, on Sunday evening. Unfortunately the Whale exhibit had been shut down due to high water levels in the river, but the rain did hold off for most of the time. On previous occasions I have taken a tripod, but, knowing the density of the crowds, this time I decided against it.<br />
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Click photos for larger views.<br />
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Sony NEX 6 various lenses.</div>
<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-9739783192252164062015-09-12T19:14:00.000+01:002016-12-27T08:17:46.229+00:00Perspective Correction Part 2In an earlier <a href="http://bryansphotographs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/managing-perspective-if-you-point-your.html"><span style="color: cyan;">epistle</span></a> I listed a number of methods for shooting tall buildings and reducing or eliminating converging verticals. I listed the technique of stacking several images but noted that I had not tried this method.<br />
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Well I have now given it a go and have been reasonably impressed with the outcome, see for yourself below.<br />
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This is the Emerson Chambers building in Newcastle upon Tyne, situated at the head of Grey Street and currently occupied by Waterstones bookshop. </div>
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I used a Sony NEX 6 camera fitted with the standard Sony 16-50 zoom lens at about 28mm focal length ( 42 mm equivalent full frame). The combined photo used 5 shots, starting at the base working upwards with a healthy overlap between them. </div>
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The images were developed in Lightroom, with the only adjustment being a standard lens profile correction.</div>
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The developed images were transferred to Photoshop (CS4) as 16 bit TIFF files, and two different methods of combining them were tried.</div>
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1) The easiest way to do this is to use the File Automate Photomerge command, selecting all of the currently open images. This did a job. The main building was not too bad but there was some weird colouration in the sky while the buildings to the rear right were well distorted.</div>
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2) The next method is a tad more complex, but produced a better result.</div>
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I selected and copied all of the images over to the base layer (the bottom of the building) so as to obtain a layer stack of images. I then selected all of the layers and used the Layer Align command, followed by the Merge Layer command.</div>
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The resulting image was a great improvement on that produced by method 1, but there was still some distortion of the buildings to the rear right, and a little chromatic aberration along a couple of edges. </div>
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Some Photoshop skulduggery was able to sort all that out to produce a final photo that is 6616 x 4628 pixels in size. Printing at 300 dots per inch would result in finished dimensions of about 22 x 15.5 ", but the quality of the original and, taking into account a sensible viewing distance, would allow a much larger reproduction were it required.</div>
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Edit - I've played around with this technique rather more now and have found that the degree of perspective correction appears to be related to the geometry of the base level shot. If your camera is completely level as you take the first shot, the software tries to mimic that geometry as it adds the layers above. While this may sound a good thing, an image without any trace of convergence of the verticals looks a tad strange, while the top layer has to be contorted rather more than might be considered comfortable in order to comply. I guess that I'm still in the experimental stage, but I am beginning to prefer a base level shot that is just off the horizontal, so that the resulting image has some degree of natural perspective after assembling all of the layers.</div>
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I've also tried the automatic panorama feature in Lightroom 6 (Right click, Photomerge), which is surely the quickest software fix for this problem, but I have not been as impressed with the results as with those that I have achieved using my venerable copy of Photoshop.</div>
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Last edit 25-2-2016</div>
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Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946218413077975486.post-24511422335691723082015-09-06T20:04:00.000+01:002015-09-06T20:05:01.830+01:00Wildflower seeds September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rose hips</div>
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Rosebay Willowherb</div>
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Rosebay Willowherb</div>
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Creeping Thistle</div>
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I went for a walk this morning - beautiful sunshine here in the North east - and the seeds of wildflowers caught my eye. Rosebay Willowherb and Creeping Thistle are both a complete nuisance in the garden, but, in a more natural environment, they do look rather nice!</div>
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Sony Nex 6 Pentax 35mm lens</div>
<br />Heedladhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850177363452509043noreply@blogger.com0