Taking Images with a Dirty Lens

kurtmunger.com

Most Photographers are pretty tedious when it comes to keeping their glass clean. They carry around at least a micro-fiber cloth, or a cotton corner of their shirt in case of an emergency cleaning. At the very least, it certainly is annoying to be walking around with an oily fingerprint on the front of your element. But when it comes down to it, how often have you taken a photo, and said "oh, this Smudge got in the way?" Probably not that often. And why would someone name their kid Smudge?

Whenever you do have an obstruction on your image, it is probably due to dust on the sensor itself. There are tests you can do to explore this, but if you can't see it in the image, why bother? Cleaning the sensor is not exactly wiping off a front element. It's not so much that it's a hassle, and a delicate process, but the fear that you could actually make it worse. If you are confident and handy, take your time and it can be done well. Otherwise send it in to the manufacturer if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself.


Image Copyright Christine Gacharna

In the image above, Christine clearly marks the dust on the image. She also guides you through her [dangerous] cleaning endeavor. Here are a few tips to make sensor cleaning easy:

1) Look for menu items to aid in cleaning. Newer cameras such as the Canon 40D include options like "auto clean" and "clean manually." Cleaning manually locks the shutter open, giving you access to the sensor.

2) Try to remove dust without even touching the sensor. Blower

3) If you are not comfortable calling yourself a technician, send it in to one.

Another thing worth mentioning is that some cameras provide special features just for "removing dust." Many EOS cameras include the "Dust Delete Data" function, which allows you to communicate the issue with the DPP software. It allows you to add additional information to your photos, as you take them. When you import to your library, DPP will give you an option to automatically remove dust on all the images. This won't be ideal for every situation, but sometimes could be a great help. Personally I would set up a Photoshop action. This is if the camera's auto cleaning isn't suffice.

Another way to test this is to evenly light a white wall. Set your aperture to f/16 and take the photo. Import into your editing software and zoom in to 100%. Any obstructions will be apparent.



For more on this "Dirty Lens" write-up, and to see what type of image this lens takes, visit Kurt Munger's website.

Compulsion - Jason Wingrove

This is the teaser for Compulsion, a short by Cinematographer Jason Wingrove. It was shot with Sony's new PMW-F3 and Zeiss lenses. Additional Cinematography by Tom Gleeson.

BlackBerry Playbook and iPad Comparison

Some Photographers, including some major players, make use of the iPad as a viewing tool for their images. This is a pricey monitor, but chances are they make use of the other features as well. Some are choosing to wait and see what other options become available. Right now a reputable contender is the RIM Playbook. This is the first side by side comparison [posted by BlackBerry].

DigitalRev talks about some tools and related apps that Photographers might consider. Also, you can join the conversation over at Photo.net

New Body, Old Flash

Each Photographer is different. Different ideas, different needs, different budgets. A popular discussion that is always brought up is the possibility of using older flashes on newer bodies. It is a dangerous thing to do because of the different voltages present in each device, but some brave souls do it. Not everyone can afford the SB900, and not every one needs a 580EXii. Some of us will go for the Vivitar or even the Opteka. If you are say shooting on a Canon 50D and looking at the Vivitar 283, this may be a bad idea. Not only because of it's low power output, but because of the risk of frying circuitry on the flash or even the camera body. And personally, I would recommend the YongNuo units if you're considering a third party.

Why does it have to be so difficult, right? Well it's not. Wein makes a product called the Safe-Sync. This device regulates and reduces the flash sync voltage of the flash from up to 400V to less than 6V, making it safe to use all flashes on your camera. It also provides a PC female flash connection, in which you can feed to a second flash if you so desired. B&H Photo sells these for less than $50.

If you haven't purchased a flash yet and don't want to worry about extra accessories, the Vivitar 285HV is made for the newer camera bodies like the 50D. Or for a few dollars more, you can grab one of the YongNuos mentioned above. Be sure to look for the features you may need such as ETTL, Guide Number and swivel head etc. The ultimate goal is to have controlled light. Any of the units mentioned will take you leaps further than an on-camera flash.

Sony Announces PMW F3K

Earlier this week, Sony officially announced the much speculated PMW F3K. The super 35mm CMOS chip sits comfortably behind the cinematic PL mount, and you also have the option to purchase it as a body only [PMW F3L]. It records in 1920x1080, 1440x1080, and 1280x720 at 23.98/25/29.97p, 50/59.94i and, in DVCAM mode, 25/29.97PsF and 50/59.94i. It records to the 4:2:0 color space, but by the use of HD-SDI dual-link output you get 4:2:2 1080 50/59.94P as standard; and RGB 1080 23.98/25/29.97PsF as an option.

Take all of these great features and add them to the XDCAM workflow, and you have the film-maker's camera. The DSLR footprint in the industry demanded more options for film-makers, and now we have them. The Sony records at a "modest" 35mbps, but remember it is an actual video camera, made to shoot video. Pricing is not official, but expected to be around $22,000USD body only and $28,000USD for the kit. The PMW F3 is currently set to ship in January, so pricing should be made apparent very soon.

PRESS RELEASE:
Sony strengthens super 35mm digital production line-up with groundbreaking new camcorder
Nov 8, 2010
New PMW-F3 joins F35 and SRW-9000L as latest S-35mm innovation, delivering high-end performance at an "indie" price

Basingstoke November 8th, 2010:- Representing a breakthrough for filmmakers in terms of features, performance and price, Sony Professional is adding to its line-up of Super 35mm digital motion picture camera technologies. The family, which includes the legendary F35 and the recently announced SRW-9000PL, is now joined by the all new PMW-F3 camcorder.

Each camera in the line-up is based on a Super 35mm sensor and PL mount technology, and illustrates Sony's unique ability to offer filmmakers access to the highest-quality imaging tools and most complete digital production workflows.


The new PMW-F3 is the latest example of Sony's efforts to combine performance and price into a powerful and affordable production tool. Designed for television, commercials, music promos and budget features, the new camcorder is offered at a price point that will bring Super 35mm shooting within reach of a wider audience.

That, and the availability of a low-cost PL lens kit model which includes 35/50/85mm T2.0 fixed focal length lenses, makes it ideal for use as a 2nd unit 35mm camera or as a B camera to the SRW-9000PL.

"Sony has a long and successful track record of developing digital motion production technologies," said Bill Drummond, Strategic Marketing Manager at Sony Professional Europe. "Our cameras have shot everything from documentaries to big-budget blockbusters, totaling many billions of Euros at the box office. With the new PMW-F3, we're putting the full power of our expertise to work, to bring precise control over depth of field, and access to the huge range of cinematic lenses available to a wider range of users."


The new PMW-F3 camcorder is based on Sony's XDCAM EX workflow (codec is MPEG-2 Long GOP 4:2:0 8bit, 35 Mbps), and uses Sony's SxS™ ExpressCard-based recording media format. Its Super 35mm CMOS imager delivers shallow depth of field, with high sensitivity and low noise levels (ISO 800, F11; and S/N ratio of 63dB in 1920x1080/59.94i mode), as well as wide dynamic range.


The camcorder offers a wide range of image creation options, as well as the ability to seamlessly inter-cut PMW-F3 footage with content shot on Sony's F35 or SRW-9000PL cameras - through the use of an HD-SDI dual-link output for external recording (4:2:2 1080 50/59.94P as standard; and RGB 1080 23.98/25/29.97PsF as an option).


Additionally, "S-LOG" and "Hyper Gamma" can be selected. This can allow users to take full advantage of the CMOS imager's wide dynamic range, giving them the ability to tailor their images during post-production in the same way they would in a film based workflow.


Recording formats include 1920x1080, 1440x1080, and 1280x720 at 23.98/25/29.97p, 50/59.94i and, in DVCAM mode, 25/29.97PsF and 50/59.94i. Filmmakers can also take advantage of 'slow' and 'quick' recording, also known as "overcranking" and "undercranking" from 1 to 30 fps at 1920x1080 (17 to 30 fps in dual-link mode) and 1 to 60 fps at 1280x720 (17 to 60 fps in dual-link mode).

The PMW-F3's PL mount adapter can accommodate both PL and zoom lenses, and will offer compatibility with a variety of cine lenses such as Cooke, Arri, Fujinon and Zeiss.

Sony is also announcing its plan to introduce a compatible SR Memory Portable Recorder for the PMW-F3 camcorder. This will add a high-end workflow option as well as full RGB capability providing native recoding in HDCAM SR codec.

"We demonstrated a prototype PMW-F3 on our stand at IBC and have been inundated with requests for more information ever since. It's great to be able to unveil the full list of features, and announce that first deliveries will be made well in advance of what many customers may have been expecting," concluded Drummond.

Two configurations of the PMW-F3 will be available (PMW-F3L body only and PMW-F3K with PL lens kit). First deliveries of are scheduled for January 2011.

Street Photography - Stephen Jackson

Photo by Stephen Jackson

Street Photography isn't always capturing what you "see," but capturing what's really there. It is easy for any Photographer to slap on a 70-200 and go out capturing everything that meets the eye; but lets not forget the objective of Photography, which is to visually represent a moment in time. If you see someone in a pair of flip flops sipping a cup of coffee from across the street at 6am, sure, you can capture that. But what story can you tell? What if you took the time to find out why someone in flip flops would be up that early? Maybe you will find that they are a college student getting free internet before an exam, or maybe he's a Surf Photographer waiting on a client? How will this change the way you photograph this person? How will this change what you see?

Stephen Jackson is a 24 year old Photographer out of Valdosta, GA. He very much embraces the art of communication when it comes to photographing others. This is Street Photography at it's best. Photography that not only shows what meets the eye, but goes a step deeper. More on Stephen's blog.