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The Chatterbox => Creation Station => Topic started by: Spectere on January 20, 2008, 09:56:41 PM

Title: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on January 20, 2008, 09:56:41 PM
So I figured that since I bought this new camera and everything (http://www.spectere.net/smf/index.php?topic=149.msg8425#msg8425), I might as well make a thread for pix.

I also figured that if I'm going to have to wait for my work computer to upload crap, I might as well do something with my time.  Since I figured that taking a picture of a half-decent camera with a crappy cell phone camera (http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/nikon-d40.jpg) was blasphemous, I might as well take a picture of the aforementioned cell phone with the aforementioned half-decent camera.  This is the result:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/objects/razr-v3x.jpg)

Eeeee, I love this thing! :D

I took this picture with everything set to manual.  I'm starting to get an idea of what ISO and exposure settings to use in indoor, artificially lit environments.  As you can all clearly see by the blurriness toward the back of the phone, I still need to learn a bit more about properly setting the aperture...heh.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: cristian989 on January 20, 2008, 11:07:36 PM
Ahhhhh, great purchase, and nice pic! D40 is very good camera (both image quality and for learning).
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on January 20, 2008, 11:46:14 PM
Thanks. :)

It was sort of a toss-up between the D40 and the Canon Rebel XL for me.  They were the same price and the Rebel was 8 megapixel vs. 6.1, but I really loved how the D40 felt and it seemed to be easier to use, overall.  It also helps that I have more SD cards (3) than CF cards (0).

I've only had the thing for eight hours so far and I already love digital SLR.  I've been snapping shots around the hotel room simply because I couldn't wait to use it. :P  Speaking of which...

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/objects/hotel-lamp.jpg)

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/objects/coins.jpg)

Also, high exposure is fun:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/other/orange-streak.jpg)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on January 21, 2008, 03:54:50 AM
Fuck, I want a D40.... Nikons are great cameras and the D40, as mentioned is a great way to get started.

I think if/when I get money from whatever I job I get if/when I get it, one of the first big purchases I'll make will be a D40 myself, lol.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on January 22, 2008, 02:13:51 PM
lol treez:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/mainsail/trees.jpg)

Kind of a hasty shot (I literally stepped on the patio or whatever you call it, snapped it, and went back inside); I just wanted to get at least one outdoor picture before work. ;P
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on February 24, 2008, 01:33:51 AM
If anyone's curious as to how the D40 handles higher ISO settings, here you go.

It's not exactly a good, balanced test, only one light level and all, but it does a good job of showing what the shadows and mid-tones look like at the various settings, and why you should NEVER set a D40 to Hi1 (which they say is roughly equivalent to ISO 3200).  Pumping up the brightness on a lower-exposure ISO 1600 shot actually yields better results.

GOD I can't wait to get home and actually get to use this thing. ;_;
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: cristian989 on February 24, 2008, 01:45:56 AM
<img>

813 area code huh...someone's in the tampa bay area.

I deal with alot of florida people in my job, and I'm always dialing the 813 area code :)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on February 24, 2008, 02:44:56 AM
813 area code huh...someone's in the tampa bay area.

I deal with alot of florida people in my job, and I'm always dialing the 813 area code :)

Haha, yeah, I've been in Tampa for over a month now...yay, job training.

I'm going to be going back to snow on the 29th.  I hope it isn't too cold. :)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on February 24, 2008, 03:16:38 AM
Wow, that clipping of ISO200 looks great.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on February 24, 2008, 03:27:10 AM
Yes indeedy!  400 is pretty good, too.  800 and 1600 look okay, but they definitely aren't something I'd use for high contrast, shadowy scenes.  They're a little noisy for my liking (that said, you only really notice the noise with them if you zoom in, so if I bump the resolution down they still look pretty sharp).

I think we can all agree that Hi1 is borderline useless, though, haha.

Oh, I replicated that shot with my cell phone camera just for fun (I took this one from a higher angle...oops).  The only thing I did with the attached JPEG was rotate it (my phone takes pictures with a vertical orientation).  I had to use a -1 exposure compensation on the camera side to prevent the shot from being overexposed.

Not bad for what it is, I suppose.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on February 24, 2008, 03:33:26 AM
Not bad at all. What do you call that bit of red around the edges of the phone (predominantly on the bottom edge)? I've noticed stuff like that in a lot of cell phone and webcam pictures. There are certain edges that tend to sorta have a color bleed out of them, and stuff like that.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on February 24, 2008, 11:19:44 AM
I'm guessing it's just due to the lower quality and smaller size of the lens and CCD.  The lens on the camera, and the plastic piece covering it, is also completely uncoated.

I don't recall the red band issue occurring in all of the pictures I've taken with my phone.  In that particular case the plastic cover would have been perpendicular to the light source, which could have helped caused that to happen.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on February 24, 2008, 06:15:59 PM
Well, stuff like that seems to be pretty common on cheap camera things, like cell phones and webcams. So it're pretty likely that it's either from a crappy lens, or cheap CCDs.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: flaffl on February 24, 2008, 09:49:12 PM
gg applying the rule of thirds

ps take pictures of your dick


and where do you live? Kansas just got snow so if you happen to get any snow when you're nearing march, go get some pix.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on February 24, 2008, 10:07:06 PM
Still livin' in Ohio, though I'll be moving back to Maryland soon.  I doubt there's any shortage of snow up there right now, haha.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on February 25, 2008, 06:17:51 PM
bump cuz pix

dis be fotoshop'd (durr):

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/mainsail/stop-please.jpg)

And SALAMANDER:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/mainsail/salamander.jpg)

I wish the salamander photo would have come out a bit nicer.  Unfortunately, the focus ring on the Nikkor that came with my D40 kit is rather dinky, so every little breeze knocked the focus off.  I would have attempted another shot, but the sound of the camera working scared the little guy off. =(  Oh well.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 05, 2008, 08:53:53 AM
BUMP AGAIN.  These pics are from...uh, last month.  I have a pretty big DNG backlog right now. :x

New lens, GET:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/lenses/nikkor55-200vr.jpg)

I snapped about a hundred shots with it the day after I got it and daaaaamn, it can get close.  I'll post some of those...sometime.

Also, just for good measure, here's a picture of my kit lens in all of its ISO 1600 glory goriness:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/lenses/nikkor18-55ii.jpg)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: MortifiedocAlot on April 05, 2008, 06:17:08 PM
That's no salamander, but still a nice pic.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 05, 2008, 10:51:55 PM
That's no salamander

Ja, I know now...I did not know then. :o  I was going based on what someone else said which was obviously a BAD IDEA. D:

Also, thanks. :)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on April 06, 2008, 12:22:56 AM
What is it?
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: MortifiedocAlot on April 06, 2008, 12:35:30 AM
What is it?

A...lizard? I've seen the same exact type down here all over the place, but salamanders have different heads and "feet".
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on April 06, 2008, 12:53:56 AM
Well, I don't know much about lizards, since we don't exactly have any around here.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 06, 2008, 01:47:30 AM
DUCKIE!

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/animals/daffy2.jpg)

...and proof that tele lenses rock.

Here's a shot at 55mm (also, lol barrel distortion):

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/others/building-full.jpg)

...and here's a shot taken from the same spot at 200mm:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/others/building-sign.jpg)

I didn't do much of anything to them with Photoshop.  The lighting was horrible for both of those shots (i.e. the sun was behind the building) and, in the first one, there was a row of trees between me and the building.  I was able to do a little bit with the sign but eh.  It's still very meh, methinks (slapping my polarizer filter on might have helped bring out the sky a bit more, for one).  Oh well, it was only a test shot anyway.  In case it wasn't obvious, the first is only to show off the lens; the picture itself is terrible.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: MortifiedocAlot on April 06, 2008, 03:18:28 AM
That building really reminds me of half life 2, also nice duck butt.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Alice on April 06, 2008, 04:56:14 AM
hah, the duck kicks ass :>

almost as much as jupichan's squirrel
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Malwyn on April 06, 2008, 05:33:40 AM
Should try light painting. It's difficult to make it look good (I couldn't), but it's just so much fun to do. Light painting and fireworks would make a sweet mixture, I think. If they're legal there.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on April 06, 2008, 03:23:15 PM
Which reminds me. Now there's a law limiting the sale of fireworks in my town to 1 week before and 1 week after Victoria Day (May 24). This sucks ass.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 20, 2008, 01:07:15 AM
yay moar picks

Here be Necrons.  My friend painted them:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/w40k/necrons.jpg)

ANOTHER DUCK WTF IS WITH ME TAKING PICTURES OF DUCKS GOOSE (and proof that I need to better organize my DNGs!):

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/animals/goose.jpg)

And a squirrel (^^):

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/animals/squirrel1.jpg)

And here's another one of the same squirrel:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/animals/squirrel2.jpg)

LOL YOU CAN SEE HIS PENIS

...yeah, I'm mature.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Alice on April 20, 2008, 11:50:55 AM
Nice figures, your friend did a pretty good job.  I've been meaning to get into figure painting but I don't have the motivation

but THAT'S A GOOSE YOU FURFAG LOLZ

squirrel is kawaii desu ^_^;;
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 20, 2008, 02:51:01 PM
but THAT'S A GOOSE YOU FURFAG LOLZ

ur mum's a goose

Also, yeah, that was my bad.  I have a ton of duck pictures on my card, too...must have mixed them up when I was shuffling images around.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: MortifiedocAlot on April 22, 2008, 12:32:28 AM
Warhammar. Nicely taken. Also their is a new war hammer RTS coming out :3.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 22, 2008, 03:38:33 AM
Warhammar. Nicely taken.

Tanks! :D

There is a bit of blur on the large image due to camera shake (mainly because that shot was a 15 second exposure).  I should probably get a better tripod -- mine's a bit wobbly. :x

Also their is a new war hammer RTS coming out :3.

I KNOW. :D

I still need to pick up DoW: Soulstorm.  Come to think of it, I still need to rally up my orks and beat the campaign in Dark Crusade. :x
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 25, 2008, 09:28:56 PM
BUMP for new toys:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=310043921084&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=310043921084&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=280221123927&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=280221123927&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI)

I've been wanting to shoot film for a while now so this should be quite interesting.  I can't wait for everything to arrive. :3
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: cristian989 on April 26, 2008, 03:17:08 AM
BUMP for new toys:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=310043921084&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=310043921084&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=280221123927&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=280221123927&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI)

I've been wanting to shoot film for a while now so this should be quite interesting.  I can't wait for everything to arrive. :3

The F4 is a sweet sweet camera, it's heavy as f*ck tho :(
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 26, 2008, 05:21:33 AM
Yeah, I'd say the body alone is going to be close to 3 lbs with the MB-21 and a full set of AAs.  Ah well, at least I'd be able to use it to drive nails through concrete should the need arise.  I suppose within a week I'll find out whether it's as beastly as my dad's camera and lens:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/objects/daddy-cam.jpg)

His is a Pentax Spotmatic F with a big ol' Sears telephoto lens (not sure what the specs are on it) and I swear, pretty much every inch of that thing is solid metal (though my camera body is definitely going to be heavier than his...not sure about the lens yet).  One thing that is particularly nice about the F4 compared to that (aside from the F4 having matrix metering, auto-focus, and all of those fancy 80's amenities) is that it takes standard alkaline AA batteries.  My dad's camera took mercury cells, which are quite illegal now, so he has to specifically look for substitutes for that technology (I think he uses zinc-air batteries).

Also, is there any particularly kind of film that you recommend?

And, last but not least, here's a picture of my parents' dog (Macy) that I took in early March but forgot to upload:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/animals/macy1.jpg)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: cristian989 on April 26, 2008, 02:44:43 PM
For crazy saturated colors (daylight film): Fujifilm Superia Reala (ISO 100)

For B&Ws that can be processed in any color-film lab: Kodak CN 400 (ISO 400)...if you want true black and white films, than you either have to process them yourself or send them out to special B&W labs that are moderately $$$. 
But if you are interested in true black and white, than the Fujifilm Tri-X 400 (ISO 400) is a widely used film.

Some say that the only advantage that film has over digital now a days is...slide film.  And if you're to attempt to shoow slide (by the way, alot of mini-labs, including walmart, process slide films), then you gotta use Fujifilm Velvia 50.

Ofcourse, you could always go for the regular FujiFilm Superia 400 that they sell everywhere, and to be honest, I really like the results.

That's all I can think off the top of my head.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 26, 2008, 03:42:45 PM
Very good -- I'll see what I can dig up.  Thanks! :)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: MortifiedocAlot on April 26, 2008, 08:31:41 PM
Aaaaaawwwwwwwwww.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 26, 2008, 08:38:04 PM
Yeah, Macy's a cute ol' girl. :)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: jinxie on April 28, 2008, 01:49:46 PM
macyyyyyyyyyyyyyy <33333333333

NEEDS MOAR PICS OF JAMES.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on April 28, 2008, 09:05:49 PM
James is either too smart or not lovable enough to have his picture taken. D:  Every time I came near him with my D40 he was like "aw hell naw."

Macy, on the other hand, practically poses.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on May 02, 2008, 02:16:13 PM
New lens - GET!

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40-nikkor70-210.jpg)

Since I obviously couldn't take a picture of my D40 with my D40, here's a crappy cell phone shot.  The lens is an AF Nikkor 70-210mm f/4-5.6.  It doesn't autofocus on my D40 but whatever, it's for the F4 anyway. :P
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Zakamiro on May 02, 2008, 02:42:41 PM

Since I obviously couldn't take a picture of my D40 with my D40

Obviously, you're not thinking in terms of portals again. Or elaborate mirror work.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on May 02, 2008, 05:07:35 PM
I thought about using portals but I suddenly remembered that I forgot my Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device at my parents' house.

The mirrors would work if I weren't lazy.

Hah!  All of your points have been refuted.  WHAT SAY YOU?
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Zakamiro on May 05, 2008, 05:39:25 PM
That you're a lazy, forgetful bum. Also, excuses can hardly be considered as points to refute an argument.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on May 07, 2008, 12:02:25 AM
HAY, no need to be so honest. :(

i h8 u nao
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on May 08, 2008, 06:33:09 PM
I GOT MY F4!  And awww, they look so cute together:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40-f4.jpg)

(D40 has a AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G attached, the F4 has an AF Nikkor 70-210mm f/4-5.6G VR attached, and my AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G II is sitting on the side; picture taken with my cell phone, obviously)

This camera is badass, not to mention quite large and heavy (it dwarfs the D40).  It's obviously built like a tank.

Here's a better shot of the F4, taken with my D40:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/objects/nikon-f4.jpg)

I LIKE IT.

And finally, here's a shot I took of my roommate's Tomb Spyder a couple of weeks ago:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/d40/w40k/tomb-spyder.jpg)

brb, playing with big heavy camera
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on June 03, 2008, 11:44:39 PM
Cristian posted a "sun shining through trees" shot, so I have to do the same:

(http://files.spectere.net/pictures/photos/f4/vegetation/sun-and-trees.jpg)

Taken on 5/10/2008 with the tank F4 with 400 speed Fuji film and was dumped onto a CD by Ritz when I had it developed.

I need to get a film scanner...I'm not too impressed with the quality of the CDs that they produce, and my scanner (a Visioneer OneTouch 8100) doesn't do too hot of a job when it comes to scanning anything with detail (though it awesome for what I paid for it -- $0.00).

I'm still on my discovery phase when it comes to the F4 and, for that matter, film in general.  The shots seem to be a touch overexposed with the Fuji 400 film (you can't really tell with this scan, since I already color-corrected it, but the original shot is on the washy side), so I'm playing with the fun exposure compensation dial to try and tone it down a bit.

Also, I have to say, Photoshop's "auto levels" feature does a mighty fine job on photos. :>
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Sqthreer! on June 04, 2008, 02:57:21 AM
Hey if you want some REAL good retouching tools on Photoshop, go the options and in the File Handling section, check Prefer Adobe Camera Raw for JPEG Files. I don't know if you knew that already, but it's some good stuff either way.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on June 04, 2008, 03:58:28 AM
I shoot nothing but RAW on my D40*, so I use Camera RAW a ton. 8)  It certainly wouldn't replace a full RAW workflow.  From what I've used of the Capture Pro 4.0 evaluation, it totally blows Photoshop completely out of the water when it comes to working with RAW files.  That said, it is a highly specialized tool.

The only real advantage of using Camera RAW with JPEGs and other 8 bits per channel formats is that it combines all of the major balance tools in one place (which is a major advantage, don't get me wrong ;)).  The real advantage that RAW has over JPEG is increased color depth (12 bits per channel for most cameras), giving you a chance to save a slightly under- or over-exposed shot.


*The only JPEG that came out of that camera was the one that I posted yesterday in the Lame Replies thread showing the F4's knobs.  The original shot even was RAW, but it was processed, cropped, and saved to JPEG on-camera, then pulled onto the compy with a mini-USB cable, then resized with Irfanview, then uploaded.  The things I do to post pictures while I'm sitting at a gas station (it was Sheetz (http://www.sheetz.com/), so it's okay) using a system without Photoshop (my work laptop). ;)
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Bobbias on June 04, 2008, 09:26:43 AM
And one major disadvantage is that unless you have a high speed card, those things can take forever to save :P
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Spectere on June 04, 2008, 01:05:46 PM
They save at roughly two shots per second on a 155x SD card.  Those cards aren't much more expensive than the slower ones, so they're definitely worth grabbing if you want to shoot RAW.

That said, the D40 has enough of a buffer for four RAW exposures before you have to wait so it's not too bad.  If you shoot JPEG it's extremely unlikely that the camera will ever have to wait for the card to catch up (I think the buffer can hold something like 40 full resolution, fine JPEGs).  Modern dSLRs don't completely lock up during saves like a lot of point-and-shoots do.
Title: Re: SpecPix - My Photogramatic Thread
Post by: Zakamiro on June 04, 2008, 05:16:47 PM
I absolutely love my 2 GB 200x SD card.. Think it was only $30 when I got it. Card is faster than my camera. ( A Canon PowerShot A550 ) :>>

Love the pics, Spec. Sheetz and Irfanview ftw.