Comments on: Equipment http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:11:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Art Wolfe http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-6214 Art Wolfe Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:04:44 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-6214 Christian- The answer is all of the above. Anyone that chooses to capture an image and wants to know how to do it better will benefit. This is not a technical program, but a unique way to approach the aesthetic of the photograph. If you are shooting with your iPhone, or a PhaseOne Medium format, you will get something of value out of this program. How we create the image and compose it is the thing that makes it interesting and beautiful. I can show you new and different ways to SEE and CREATE. Join us in Chicago. Christian-
The answer is all of the above. Anyone that chooses to capture an image and wants to know how to do it better will benefit. This is not a technical program, but a unique way to approach the aesthetic of the photograph. If you are shooting with your iPhone, or a PhaseOne Medium format, you will get something of value out of this program. How we create the image and compose it is the thing that makes it interesting and beautiful. I can show you new and different ways to SEE and CREATE. Join us in Chicago.

]]> By: Christian Werth http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-6209 Christian Werth Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:22:07 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-6209 Art, For your up and coming workshop in Chicago (May 20th) what level students is the class geared towards? Is it a advance class, or can intermediate photographers attend? A big thank you to you and your team for all you help. Christian Art,
For your up and coming workshop in Chicago (May 20th) what level students is the class geared towards? Is it a advance class, or can intermediate photographers attend?
A big thank you to you and your team for all you help.
Christian

]]> By: Art Wolfe http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-5821 Art Wolfe Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:32:45 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-5821 Michael- I don't have a 7D, but I do use a 5D MKII and it has great features. If you are doing mostly AF and the reviews are much more favorable, then the 7D may be the right choice. Remember the 5D has a full-frame sensor which provides the 21mp output and the HD video. It is a nice fit in the hands, too, but I use a tripod almost always. Good luck with your decision. Michael-
I don’t have a 7D, but I do use a 5D MKII and it has great features. If you are doing mostly AF and the reviews are much more favorable, then the 7D may be the right choice. Remember the 5D has a full-frame sensor which provides the 21mp output and the HD video. It is a nice fit in the hands, too, but I use a tripod almost always. Good luck with your decision.

]]> By: Michael D. http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-5817 Michael D. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:46:27 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-5817 I am looking to trade up my 40D and cannot decide to purchase a 7D or 5D body. There is so much conflicting information and opinions out there, I thought I would ask to throw yours in the mix. Given that I would prefer use the L series lenses I have (70-200 IS USM f4 and 24-105 IS USM f4), do I need to heavily weight the apparent superior low light performance of the 5D? I do use AF and also understand that 7D is superior there. It seems there is a bunch of 7D bashing from the 5D'ers re: full-frame and IQ shortcomings of the &D. Thanks for your help. BTW, I will see you next summer in Los Angeles at your seminar. I am looking to trade up my 40D and cannot decide to purchase a 7D or 5D body. There is so much conflicting information and opinions out there, I thought I would ask to throw yours in the mix. Given that I would prefer use the L series lenses I have (70-200 IS USM f4 and 24-105 IS USM f4), do I need to heavily weight the apparent superior low light performance of the 5D? I do use AF and also understand that 7D is superior there. It seems there is a bunch of 7D bashing from the 5D’ers re: full-frame and IQ shortcomings of the &D. Thanks for your help. BTW, I will see you next summer in Los Angeles at your seminar.

]]> By: Art Wolfe http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-5568 Art Wolfe Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:51:45 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-5568 John- Not sure about the spotting scopes. Best to head down to the camera store and see if the lens mounts are compatible. I would guess not, but there might be an adapter that they make that would work. Good luck on this and thanks for writing. John-
Not sure about the spotting scopes. Best to head down to the camera store and see if the lens mounts are compatible. I would guess not, but there might be an adapter that they make that would work.
Good luck on this and thanks for writing.

]]> By: John T. Jones, Ph.D. http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-5547 John T. Jones, Ph.D. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:10:18 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-5547 I have a couple of inexpensive cameras, a Cannon which has magnification to about 14x and a Fujifilm camera that has a magnification of about 30x manually adjusted. I like to shoot birds but a lot of time I would like to have 60-70 x magnification or enough detail in the image to allow enlargement. I know you use a 21 megapixel camera. I would assume that you can enlarge a 21 megapixel image to a much greater extent than a say 8 megapixel image so you would not need as much magnification. I have spotting scopes with high magnification. I use to use a 35 mm film camera (Cannon ?-50)with an adapter on one of these scopes. I still have that equipment but not the film camera. It would be nice to fit a digital camera to my fixture. I can't afford the lenses you use as a professional but I would like to get better bird images if possible with less expensive gear. Now you know how little I know about photography. In the past I took a lot of video at the Brigantine (Edwin Forsythe) Bird Refuge when I lived in the east. I prefer that but a professional video camera is also out of sight for me. My wife has ALZ so her care comes first. Thanks, Art! John I have a couple of inexpensive cameras, a Cannon which has magnification to about 14x and a Fujifilm camera that has a magnification of about 30x manually adjusted. I like to shoot birds but a lot of time I would like to have 60-70 x magnification or enough detail in the image to allow enlargement. I know you use a 21 megapixel camera. I would assume that you can enlarge a 21 megapixel image to a much greater extent than a say 8 megapixel image so you would not need as much magnification. I have spotting scopes with high magnification. I use to use a 35 mm film camera (Cannon ?-50)with an adapter on one of these scopes. I still have that equipment but not the film camera. It would be nice to fit a digital camera to my fixture. I can’t afford the lenses you use as a professional but I would like to get better bird images if possible with less expensive gear. Now you know how little I know about photography. In the past I took a lot of video at the Brigantine (Edwin Forsythe) Bird Refuge when I lived in the east. I prefer that but a professional video camera is also out of sight for me. My wife has ALZ so her care comes first. Thanks, Art! John

]]> By: Jay Goodrich http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-5059 Jay Goodrich Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:38:39 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-5059 Hi Tom, I use that lens almost everyday I shoot architecture photography. It is one of the sharpest lenses that Canon has in it's lineup. It does take a little learning and trial/error to get the best results from it though. It is sharper than the 16-35 zoom, but the zoom has the obvious ease of use and ability to make compositional changes without moving the camera. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jay G. Hi Tom,

I use that lens almost everyday I shoot architecture photography. It is one of the sharpest lenses that Canon has in it’s lineup. It does take a little learning and trial/error to get the best results from it though. It is sharper than the 16-35 zoom, but the zoom has the obvious ease of use and ability to make compositional changes without moving the camera. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Jay G.

]]> By: Tom http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-5058 Tom Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:05:08 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-5058 Do you have any experience with the 24mm TS-E II? If so, how does it compare to your 16-35 in terms of ease of use and also in terms of results? Do you have any experience with the 24mm TS-E II? If so, how does it compare to your 16-35 in terms of ease of use and also in terms of results?

]]> By: Art Wolfe http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-4711 Art Wolfe Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:22:29 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-4711 Adrienne- Forget gear right now. Take my composition class. This can be applied to even iPhone photography and you will get great results. I suggest you get used to using any kind of camera and just start making images. Of course, I do use high-end camera equipment to obtain larger files and obtain the sharpest image with great lenses, but all of this is is secondary to the composition. Once you have that down, the gear will naturally present itself as to what you need. Adrienne-
Forget gear right now. Take my composition class. This can be applied to even iPhone photography and you will get great results. I suggest you get used to using any kind of camera and just start making images.
Of course, I do use high-end camera equipment to obtain larger files and obtain the sharpest image with great lenses, but all of this is is secondary to the composition. Once you have that down, the gear will naturally present itself as to what you need.

]]> By: Adrienne http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-4708 Adrienne Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:45:35 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-4708 Thank you in advance for your guidance. Am interested in an entry level camera, but not alot of gear, good for landscape and general outdoor use, and in attending one of your workshops. For the beginner/amatuer, what are your comments on performance of the newest interchangeable lens cameras - Canon EOS 600D/Ti3, Nikon D5100, Panasonic DMC-G3, or even Sony's NEX-5? Thank you in advance for your guidance.

Am interested in an entry level camera, but not alot of gear, good for landscape and general outdoor use, and in attending one of your workshops. For the beginner/amatuer, what are your comments on performance of the newest interchangeable lens cameras – Canon EOS 600D/Ti3, Nikon D5100, Panasonic DMC-G3, or even Sony’s NEX-5?

]]> By: Jay Goodrich http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-4552 Jay Goodrich Tue, 24 May 2011 16:56:15 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-4552 Hi Pat, Thank you for your comment and question. Art typically uses a set of extension tubes with his 70-200mm lens. The extension tube is a hollow piece of metal that allows you to pull the lens away from the camera body giving a closer focusing distance. This gives Art the close focus distance of a macro without having to carry a macro lens. At times when he knows he is going to be shooting a lot of close-up work he will carry the 100mm that you have just purchased. I think your depth of field/sharpness issue is coming from the fact that your film or sensor plane is not parallel to your subject. If you are shooting at an angle no amount of depth of field will allow you the sharpness that you are talking about with Art's macro images. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jay G. Hi Pat,

Thank you for your comment and question. Art typically uses a set of extension tubes with his 70-200mm lens. The extension tube is a hollow piece of metal that allows you to pull the lens away from the camera body giving a closer focusing distance. This gives Art the close focus distance of a macro without having to carry a macro lens. At times when he knows he is going to be shooting a lot of close-up work he will carry the 100mm that you have just purchased. I think your depth of field/sharpness issue is coming from the fact that your film or sensor plane is not parallel to your subject. If you are shooting at an angle no amount of depth of field will allow you the sharpness that you are talking about with Art’s macro images. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Jay G.

]]> By: Patricia Dorin http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-4550 Patricia Dorin Tue, 24 May 2011 14:30:35 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-4550 Hello, Art, I have long been a fan of your macro work and wondered what lenses, accessories and settings you use to achieve such outstanding front-to-back sharpness, especially while working in the field. I just bought the 100-macro for my 5D-Mk II but can't seem to get the depth of field or sharpness I want. Grateful for your inspiration and help! Pat Dorin Hello, Art,

I have long been a fan of your macro work and wondered what lenses, accessories and settings you use to achieve such outstanding front-to-back sharpness, especially while working in the field. I just bought the 100-macro for my 5D-Mk II but can’t seem to get the depth of field or sharpness I want.

Grateful for your inspiration and help!
Pat Dorin

]]> By: Jay Goodrich http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-4519 Jay Goodrich Sun, 15 May 2011 19:45:01 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-4519 Hi Chuck, I have used Photoshop and Genuine Fractals (now Perfect Resize) for enlargements from previous 10 and 12mp cameras. Essentially anytime I made a print that was 30x40 or larger I used Genuine Fractals and anything smaller I used Photoshop. Now, I pretty much just use Photoshop as I am shooting with a 16mp camera. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jay G. Hi Chuck,

I have used Photoshop and Genuine Fractals (now Perfect Resize) for enlargements from previous 10 and 12mp cameras. Essentially anytime I made a print that was 30×40 or larger I used Genuine Fractals and anything smaller I used Photoshop. Now, I pretty much just use Photoshop as I am shooting with a 16mp camera. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Jay G.

]]> By: Chuck Trotter http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-4516 Chuck Trotter Fri, 13 May 2011 13:06:19 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-4516 Jay wrote " We use Photoshop for most of the enlarging mainly because Art is shooting with a 21 megapixel camera and the size is already there in the raw file ". This begs the question that if the images are being captured on a lower megapixel full frame camera (say 12mp) what would he suggest for enlarging? Thanks, Chuck Jay wrote ” We use Photoshop for most of the enlarging mainly because Art is shooting with a 21 megapixel camera and the size is already there in the raw file “. This begs the question that if the images are being captured on a lower megapixel full frame camera (say 12mp) what would he suggest for enlarging?

Thanks,

Chuck

]]> By: Jay Goodrich http://blog.artwolfe.com/2009/01/equipment/comment-page-2/#comment-4406 Jay Goodrich Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:23:41 +0000 http://artwolfe.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-4406 Hi Jeff, We don't have any issues with Art producing images with zoom lenses these days. Yes, there is always a difference between primes and zooms with primes having a bit more sharpness to them, but we as photographers are really good at splitting hairs for hairs sake--in my opinion. The new zooms are much sharper than ever before and carrying two lenses while hiking in the wilds of the world is much easier than hiking with 10 primes. Art's gallery is full of 30 x 40 prints taken entirely with zooms and their sharpness is un-compromised. Digital capture has actually opened many doors in the printing process as now we do not need to create a secondary scan to produce a fine art print and the sharpness gained in this step alone has improved the print quality ten-fold. We use Photoshop for most of the enlarging mainly because Art is shooting with a 21 megapixel camera and the size is already there in the raw file. The other keys to the success of Art's prints are that he always uses a tripod, a cable release, and sets his camera to allow for mirror lock-up. A great base starting point always transfers to a final print as well. Cheers, Jay G. Hi Jeff,

We don’t have any issues with Art producing images with zoom lenses these days. Yes, there is always a difference between primes and zooms with primes having a bit more sharpness to them, but we as photographers are really good at splitting hairs for hairs sake–in my opinion. The new zooms are much sharper than ever before and carrying two lenses while hiking in the wilds of the world is much easier than hiking with 10 primes. Art’s gallery is full of 30 x 40 prints taken entirely with zooms and their sharpness is un-compromised. Digital capture has actually opened many doors in the printing process as now we do not need to create a secondary scan to produce a fine art print and the sharpness gained in this step alone has improved the print quality ten-fold.

We use Photoshop for most of the enlarging mainly because Art is shooting with a 21 megapixel camera and the size is already there in the raw file. The other keys to the success of Art’s prints are that he always uses a tripod, a cable release, and sets his camera to allow for mirror lock-up. A great base starting point always transfers to a final print as well.

Cheers,

Jay G.

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