More From the 50D

On the Hunt

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec., ISO 800


Today I went to the arboretum to give the 50d another try. There was a woodpecker there when I had my G10 and I wanted to see if I could get some good up close shots. In the past I would have used my 20d, but that would not have allowed for much cropping at 8 megapixels. The woodpecker was there, but I didn't get a good angle, like I had last visit, plus I was crunched for time so I focused on the squirrels busily hunting for their hidden nuts. After a walker startled these guys, they carefully came back to their position, where I was waiting with my camera.


Munch, Munch
Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec., ISO 800

Platte River Ice Jam

During this time every year the Platte River tends to freeze up and thaw several times. This creates several ice jams on the river which create a matrix of interesting ice pattens throughout the river channel. I went down by Schramm State Recreation Area to capture some of these patterns and channels of the water as it flows through the ice.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 34mm, f/14, .3 sec
Schramm State Recreation Area

Platte River Sunrise

Today's image is one that I shot last August and have processed a few different times. Previously, I really didn't feel like the image evoked anything in me and so I left it in the archive. After I went back to it and processed it again, I felt like the image was closer to what I experienced that morning when I climbed the Platte River State Park tower and captured the rising sun hitting the fog across the Platte. It was a quiet, chilly morning with some birds chirping. It was a very calm way to start the day.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 140mm, f/16, 1.3 sec.
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

Reaching Out: Revisited

A couple of posts back I mentioned how many of my images have a "life". Essentially, some are never quite finished for me. Tonight's image is one such example. In a blog post on March 2, 2008 found here, I mentioned going back through some old photos and finding one that I liked the intricate details. Well, after reviewing that same image, yet again I felt I could add a little more to the photograph. One processing technique I use, especially with images with high contrast of color is a method called the "Orton effect". Essentially, this effect takes an out of focus image and sandwiches with an in focus image to create a somewhat dreamy version of reality. It was originally used with slide film, but a technique still exists for digital. For more information, visit this tutorial on Orton imagery: http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0106/dw0106-1.html.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/11, 1/5 sec., Orton
Alberta, Canada

Candid Duck!

Once again I found myself at Schramm testing a new camera while my wife and daughter fed the ducks. I got some cute video on the G10. Anyway, here's the story with the new camera. Due to some unfortunate circumstances with my old 20d which only had a little less than 30,000 shots taken with it - died, two days before the repair plan was to expire. No, I did not hasten it's death, it just happened to have never really been repaired from the previous 4 times I had it in (not a fun experience, mind you). They finally gave up trying to fix and gave me a 50d. I won't say who, but let's say it's a big multi-national chain store that specializes in electronics.

Whenever a new Canon camera comes out (or probably any manufacturer for that matter), there is always fierce arguments on message boards about which is the better camera - the old or the new. And these always include what the poster would have done differently, or how Canon should have done B instead of A, or how Canon is genius. The 50d was no different, and actually received more pounding than any other recently released DSLR. Canonrumors.com even put it as the worst DSLR release of the year (really, that bad?). The price has fallen from $1,300 to $1,050 in less than 3 months (could be the economy too - but that is rarely to blame, I guess) For the most part I don't care. I read because I want to know what's new, but I always reserve judgement until I have it in my hands.

Here's what I think about the 50d after about 100 shots -no, not a thorough evaluation by any means. I like it. There I said it, I like it. The detail is better. The ISO performance? I think better, although I no longer have my 20d to compare, but then again I do have some old photos (30,000?) to look through, and my gut feeling. The features? Live View, Autofocus Adjust, better frame rate, spot metering (yep the 20d didn't have it) etc. Don't get me wrong, I loved my 20d, but the 50d is definitely a step up.

Oh, and the autofocus, better than the 5d Mark II. There was some discussion on this one and it's true. I hate to say it, but it's true, the autofocus on the outside points is faster on the 50d. I guess the posters were right about one thing.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/400 sec., ISO 3200 - Noise Ninja used (barely)
Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

Frozen Patterns

Recently, I had been wanting a camera that was portable, but still had some of the main features I wanted in a camera, namely the RAW format and a flash shoe. I also wanted something with a video function, that way I could easily bring it to family functions without lugging some big gear. I settled on the G10 after looking at the G9 for sometime and deciding it had the best mix of funcationality and portability. Overall, I have found that the G10 is a fun camera to shoot. It's nice to just pull it out and snap a quick shot. On a fairly cold day last week I decided to take it to the OPPD arboretum and just walk around with it and see what I could capture. During this time of year crazy ice patterns emerge from the bottom of a little ravine. I got down and used the macro mode, all hand-held. I found the image stabilization of the camera really helped. I also found that the nearly 15 megapixels made for some really detailed images. The big drawback, however, is the noise at higher ISOs. After shooting with a Canon 5d Mark II, I really found the noise objectionable at anything more than 200, and even then that could be pushing it. If you stay in the 80 or 100 range the photographs are simply sharp and beautiful for a "pocket" camera. It has very seldom left my side in the past couple of weeks and I look forward to capturing some more spur of the moment type shots.

Technical Details:
Canon G10, 6.1mm, f/4, 1/250 sec.
Desaturated with a cyan-blue tint (more like how I saw the ice)

Beaver Hut Sunrise

Today's image is the first of the new year. Before sunrise on New Year's Day I ventured out to near Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge at a little lake called Nathan's Lake. When I arrived I found several beaver huts where the inhabitants I am sure were in deep hibernation. Nothing like starting a new year with a beautiful sunrise!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 21mm, f/13, 1 sec.
3-stop hard Singh-Ray ND Grad Filter