Photographer's Corner - equipment

[audreyh1]

Check out our new photo and video editing workstation. It's the new iMac with 27 inch 14.7 megapixel display, 5120 pixels across. Here we are comparing it to our previous editing platform, a MacBook pro retina with a 5.2 megapixel display, 2880 pixels across. Both images are shown at 100%.

We've been waiting a long time for the large screens to go "retina" - i.e. high res. Up until late last year you couldn't get a larger retina display than our 15.4" laptop screens.

The iMac has the computer built into the back of the display - so no separate computer "box".

 

[RonBoyd]

Wow!

 

[photoguy]

Sweet setup. And nice macro image.

Since downsizing I've been editing mainly on a 15 rMBP and boy do I miss using a bigger monitor. Global adjustments are fine but spotting is a total pain. I'm also a mouse lefty (except for games when I'm a righty).

One question -- your retina iMac screen is a little cooler than the laptop. Is this difference real? and did you calibrate them?

 

[audreyh1]

One question -- your retina iMac screen is a little cooler than the laptop. Is this difference real? and did you calibrate them?

They appear about the same in real life. It's the photo I took that's crappy - an iPhone at a poor viewing angle and side lighting from the windows. The big screen has truer color off axis. So it's an artifact. There was no way to take the shot full on. Supposedly the iMac comes calibrated. The laptop has been calibrated - but I don't remember how recently.

And the mouse is sitting on the left because it's been pushed out of the way. LOL! After 10 years not using a mouse we were hopeless and had to get the trackpad. Still trying to figure out where to place the trackpad - it wants to be center.

About the butterfly photo. That butterfly is about the size of my (small) thumbnail. Butterfly photography is one of DH's passions.

 

[RonBoyd]

Canon reclaims resolution crown with 50-megapixel 5DS and 5DS R | Ars Technica

For the longest time, Canon was the go-to choice for high-resolution crop sensor (APS-C, APS-H) and full-frame digital cameras. Once the company's cameras hit 20 megapixels, though (a few years ago now), the focus shifted towards higher quality pixels, better image signal processing, better autofocus, and other features that made more sense than just mindlessly adding mo' pixels. Eventually, Canon was overtaken by Nikon with the 36.3-megapixel D810, Nokia's 41-megapixel Lumia 1020, and others. Now, clearly, Canon wants to prove that it can be good at all those other bits and still dominate the resolution race.

 

[RonBoyd]

Microsoft Unveils Image Composite Editor v2.0: Auto Completion and Video to Panorama

Microsoft Research has announced version 2.0 of its Image Composite Editor (ICE) software, a free program that offers advanced panoramic photo stitching technology. If you’re on a Windows machine and need a way to combine multiple photos into single shots, ICE is a download you may want to look into.

A new Automatic Image Completion feature is similar to Adobe’s Content Aware Fill, except Microsoft’s version is geared toward filling in the missing sections that are often found in stitched panoramas. This creates (albeit artificially) a nice clean look without having to crop your panorama and throw out details.

There’s also a new video-to-panorama feature that lets you take frames from a video and stitch those together to create a motion panoramic image that shows a subject multiple times as they travel through the frame.

 

[Ronstar]

They appear about the same in real life. It's the photo I took that's crappy - an iPhone at a poor viewing angle and side lighting from the windows. The big screen has truer color off axis. So it's an artifact. There was no way to take the shot full on. Supposedly the iMac comes calibrated. The laptop has been calibrated - but I don't remember how recently.

And the mouse is sitting on the left because it's been pushed out of the way. LOL! After 10 years not using a mouse we were hopeless and had to get the trackpad. Still trying to figure out where to place the trackpad - it wants to be center.

About the butterfly photo. That butterfly is about the size of my (small) thumbnail. Butterfly photography is one of DH's passions.

Nice Mac, Audrey! And a great butterfly photo! What lens does your DH use for macro shots like the butterfly you posted?

 

[Walt34]

What a nice setup!

 

[Ronstar]

Another question for Audrey (I think I remember a post saying that you used Lightroom), or for anyone else using Lightroom on multiple computers: How do you handle managing photos on multiple computers running Lightroom? I read online that Adobe recommends keeping the catalog (and I assume photo files) on an external drive, and access the external drive from multiple computers. Anyone doing this?

 

[RonBoyd]

I read online that Adobe recommends keeping the catalog (and I assume photo files) on an external drive, and access the external drive from multiple computers. Anyone doing this?

That's exactly how I do it. I have a Seagate Backup Plus 2 TB Portable Hard Drive that I use. It goes with me "on the road" and at other times is on my desktop. As long as Lightroom knows where your catalog is, there is no problem. One of the problems with moving a HD between computers is that Windows like to re-letter the drives. It is simple to rename them but it is an irritant so thank goodness it doesn't happen often. You do need to have your image files on this same drive... or, at least, as portable. (Well, a small portfolio could use the Cloud, I suppose.)

Again, let me recommend this Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lightroomhelpgroup/. Your question is quite popular <chuckle> and there is plenty of advice to go around.

An equally good source of LR information is Lightroom Forums if you are somehow Facebook adverse.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks for all of the info, Ron!

 

[audreyh1]

Nice Mac, Audrey! And a great butterfly photo! What lens does your DH use for macro shots like the butterfly you posted?

The Canon 180 macro, often with a doubler. He gets really close. It's a non IS lens, but he manages. He also shoots manual focus. He's been using that setup for almost 10 years now.

 

[audreyh1]

Another question for Audrey (I think I remember a post saying that you used Lightroom), or for anyone else using Lightroom on multiple computers: How do you handle managing photos on multiple computers running Lightroom? I read online that Adobe recommends keeping the catalog (and I assume photo files) on an external drive, and access the external drive from multiple computers. Anyone doing this?

Yep - all my Lightroom catalogs and image files will be on an external drive now.

 

[explanade]

Another question for Audrey (I think I remember a post saying that you used Lightroom), or for anyone else using Lightroom on multiple computers: How do you handle managing photos on multiple computers running Lightroom? I read online that Adobe recommends keeping the catalog (and I assume photo files) on an external drive, and access the external drive from multiple computers. Anyone doing this?

That's one reason I'm wary of moving from Aperture to Lightroom or even Aperture to the Photos app that Apple is coming out with.

I process the RAWs on my iMac but then create iCloud Photo Streams of some photos and share it with my Retina MacBook Pro and a Windows laptop.

Then I can run slideshows on the other computers but I generally just run them as screen saver.

The same photos look much sharper on on Retina MBP than the iMac, which is not the 5K one.

I don't think Lightroom would make it as easy to share across, though I believe they do have an iPad app. and you can set up some kind of sharing if you subscribe to Creative Cloud, which I have absolutely no interest in doing.

 

[donheff]

I'm jealous Audrey. I have a 21 inch screen running photos in screen saver in my kitchen. It is pretty nice but that Mac! I'm finally tempted to cross over.

 

[Chuckanut]

I believe Apple is now testing the next version of the Mac OS. It is supposed to have the replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture. We will see if that is correct. However after seeing the poor support for Aperture, I will stick with Lightroom.

 

[RonBoyd]

I don't think Lightroom would make it as easy to share across, though I believe they do have an iPad app. and you can set up some kind of sharing if you subscribe to Creative Cloud, which I have absolutely no interest in doing.

I am confused. Just exactly what would you be "sharing"? When you process an image in Lightroom, the image file is not changed in any way. What LR does is create a catalog of your instructions. This catalog (or file, if you will) would not be useful to any other program, therefore, there would be nothing to "share." Lightroom can, however, export the image as a JPEG (or whatever) file that can be shared in all the usual ways.

if you subscribe to Creative Cloud, which I have absolutely no interest in doing.

An why is that?

 

[photoguy]

Canon reclaims resolution crown with 50-megapixel 5DS and 5DS R | Ars Technica

I'm looking at this pretty closely (still haven't chosen a replacement for my 5dii). But it's not clear to me if it improved on dynamic range.

The CPS employee in this video: Interview About the EOS 5Ds & EOS 5Ds R with Mike Burnhill « Canon Rumors
basically says contradictory statements: the "dynamic range is equivalent to the 5Diii" but "there is much lower noise floor therefore more ability to pull out detail in the shadows and highlights".

I guess I'll have to wait for sample RAWs and quantitative testing.

 

[explanade]

Because I don't like Lightroom that much from what I've seen of it and secondly, if I switched, I would buy the program outright, not rent it indefinitely.

Don't believe in renting software.

Yeah I'm not sure what LR does for sharing photos across multiple computers and devices. Maybe they don't have a solution, though I thought I heard there were additional benefits for the LR app. for CC subscribers.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm jealous Audrey. I have a 21 inch screen running photos in screen saver in my kitchen. It is pretty nice but that Mac! I'm finally tempted to cross over.

The $2400 new iMac retina costs less than what we paid for our MacBook Pro retina laptops two years ago. Of course now 15.4" MacBook Pro retina laptops start at less than the cost of the new iMac with retina display, and quite a bit less than what we paid for them two and two and a half years ago. It's amazing how much the computers with retina displays have come down.

 

[audreyh1]

I don't use Lightroom to share my photos, just to process them. Once the images are ready to "publish" they go to various locations and services.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks everyone for the Lightroom storage tips!


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[RonBoyd]

Yeah I'm not sure what LR does for sharing photos across multiple computers and devices. Maybe they don't have a solution, though I thought I heard there were additional benefits for the LR app. for CC subscribers.

I don't use Lightroom to share my photos, just to process them. Once the images are ready to "publish" they go to various locations and services.

Let me try again. I am unsure what is being meant by "Sharing" in this context.

"Sharing" to me, since Lightroom does not alter the original image, means placing a "finished" image in a location that other's (person or thing) can view (or use in some other manner).

Lightroom, actually, does this quite well and in many ways. Ways that are, to put it simply, much better (easier/simpler) than any other image software. These methods include:

.....The "Publish Services" that quickly & easily post your "finished" image to social media such as Facebook and Twitter or to Photo Specific websites such as Behance or Flickr.

....."Export" an image as a JPEG (or whatever) file.

.....A Google Map with embedded images.

.....A "Book" -- either printed or as a PDF file. (See below)

.....A "Slideshow."

.....Hard copies of your image in the "Print" module -- from Posters to Contact Sheets... etc.

.....As "Web" galleries.

Where have I gone wrong in my thinking?

In any event, Lightroom is simply an Organizing Program that is pretty fair at processing images.

How to Create a Simple Blurb Photo Book in Lightroom

 

[Chuckanut]

Canon reclaims resolution crown with 50-megapixel 5DS and 5DS R | Ars Technica

Oh, the pixel wars. One of the best photos I have ever taken was taken with a 6 megapixel point and shoot.

Still, I have to admire their marketing skills. Zillions of photographers with perfectly useful, high quality cameras, will now suddenly find them to be nothing more than obsolete junk, not worthy of doing much more than keeping a door open.

My current best camera is my 16 megapixel Olympus micro 4/3. It takes the best photos because it's small and light enough that I always take it with me.

 

[RonBoyd]

One of the best photos I have ever taken was...

... It takes the best photos...

What size prints are making?