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Old 08-16-2014, 11:38 AM   #1701
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Just bought an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens (Silver) from BH Photo/Video. It should be delivered next week. I plan on taking it to Europe next month. I didn't want to lug around my DSLR so I am hoping this camera suits my needs. Does anyone have any experience with these?
I have the E-M5, which is an older model than the E-M10, but very similar. Prior to that I had an E-PL2, another Olympus mirrorless camera. I've been very happy with both.

Can't compare with a DSLR since I've never had one. They all seem rather large to me. But if you're used to a larger camera, the controls on the E-M10 may seem a bit fiddly at first, although I don't have problems. Picture quality is certainly on a par with crop sensor DSLRs, and can approach full frame results when the light is good.

The 14-42 is a decent kit lens; I've taken many great shots with mine. But one of the big advantages of the Olympus system is the wide range of other lenses available, both from Olympus and also Panasonic.For example, both of these manufacturers have 40-150 telephoto zooms, which give you 300mm effective reach at a fraction of the cost and size of the equivalent DSLR lens.

Enjoy your trip, and your new camera!
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Old 08-17-2014, 12:46 PM   #1702
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Our lunch partner is back, climbing the outdoor table

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Old 08-17-2014, 03:10 PM   #1703
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Our lunch partner is back, climbing the outdoor table




Lol - nice shot. Like the composition. Does he eat much?



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Old 08-17-2014, 03:18 PM   #1704
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Lol - nice shot. Like the composition. Does he eat much?



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Went to a hydroplane regatta for some reason. Took the full complement of gear, but it was threatening rain on and off, so left the expensive stuff in the trunk. Used the AW1, 35-70 kit lens on the FT1 adapter (about 85-189 equivalent), metered f5.6 at 1/500, set the camera for f8 at 1/800 (overcast day, narrow dynamic range), and set the focus so I got a depth of field about 30' to infinity, and never touched the settings again. The AW1 has a slight shutter lag, and you can't do continuos frames ( no viewfinder), but it did a decent job. The D800, 2.8 zoom and 7 fps would have been nicer, but...

ImageUploadedByEarly Retirement Forum1408310221.672361.jpg

AW1 has a greenish cast which needs filtering out, as did the D800. May have bumped the focus ring in the above shot. Not as sharp. They are well cropped, though.



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Old 08-17-2014, 03:22 PM   #1705
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ImageUploadedByEarly Retirement Forum1408310519.368745.jpg
ImageUploadedByEarly Retirement Forum1408310492.224806.jpg

Actually, comparing with the original file, these images suck at sharpness. May place on flickr and link...

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Old 08-17-2014, 03:32 PM   #1706
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Camera Roll-30 by -jglennhart-


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Old 08-17-2014, 03:49 PM   #1707
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Lol - nice shot. Like the composition. Does he eat much?



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Thanks - he doesn't eat much. He lives in the table umbrella and jumps out when we put the umbrella up. Here he tried to jump into the bag of chicken.

Great boat race shots!
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Old 08-17-2014, 04:56 PM   #1708
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Grandson's first soccer game of the season.

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Old 08-17-2014, 05:07 PM   #1709
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And another.

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Old 08-17-2014, 05:25 PM   #1710
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He doesn't look real happy about taking photos of him.

I inherited one of myself at about that age with the identical expression.
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Old 08-17-2014, 05:33 PM   #1711
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Ah, found it. Me with my two sisters, ~1964 at a cousin's house in Buffalo, NY.
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Old 08-17-2014, 06:48 PM   #1712
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Trying to hone my photo software skills, comments welcome.



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Old 08-17-2014, 07:21 PM   #1713
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He doesn't look real happy about taking photos of him.

I inherited one of myself at about that age with the identical expression.
It was 90°F and humid today and he wasn't a happy camper but he refused to cool off under the umbrella.
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Old 08-17-2014, 07:50 PM   #1714
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Frayne- great portrait shots. First one looks better than the second to me. Awesome lighting on the face, skin tones. What software are you using?


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Old 08-18-2014, 07:43 AM   #1715
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Thanks Ronstar. The software is from PortraitPro : Photo Retouching Software Free Download
and you can download a free trial. The only issue is you can't save what work you do. It does however let you see how easy it is to use the software.
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Old 08-18-2014, 08:24 AM   #1716
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Frayne -- Great shots. I like the framing and facial expression in both (it's the same shot processed twice right?). And subject looks terrific.

I think I prefer the second one even though there is some noise/blotchiness due to camera ISO. The first one I think is a little overcooked on the face skin (too smooth) and eyes (too bright). Maybe there's a happy medium between the two? Does the software give you a layer where you can reduce opacity?

Both shots keep the stray hairs. Not sure if you want to process them out as it would take some time.

Catchlights are better in the second but could be emphasized more. The pupils are not quite round (due to a reflection?) but this appears more noticeable in the first. Hair in the first is burnt out on top.
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Old 08-18-2014, 08:52 AM   #1717
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Thanks photoguy, it is the same photo and I agree about the first being a bit over cooked. I don't know if the software allows layers to reduce opacity. Since I just started using this software a few days ago I think I am trying too hard to get the perfect photo.
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Old 08-18-2014, 10:54 AM   #1718
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I checked out your link and some if the before and after images are very impressive with that software. Like the difference between using makeup and not.


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Old 08-18-2014, 03:04 PM   #1719
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On my end both images have a distinct overly orange cast almost as bad as shooting on a daylight setting in tungsten light. Since no one else commented on it I'll assume that's something "lost in transmission".

I'm familiar with Portrait Pro and use it some, although I haven't upgraded to the latest version yet. I think the defaults "overdo" the effects, especially skin smoothing and I sometimes tend to overdo things myself, so what I do is put everything on different layers in PS so I can tweak the opacity and therefore the effects without having to redo everything.

The eyes look a bit too bright - I would tone that down just a bit with a layer mask, again so I'm not making permanent changes. Also the burned out highlights in her hair.

Scott Kelby wrote a good book on portrait retouching a while back and it is still relevant. Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers using Photoshop. I liked that book a lot and it has a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
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Old 08-18-2014, 06:57 PM   #1720
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If someone can look at a photo and notice it's been photoshopped, the retoucher has done too much. Two things would be sufficient for this lady: diffused lighting from the front at face height ( to remove shadows that make crow's feet stand out) and a bit of soft focus, which can added in with software. Slight overexposure with the original lighting would help smooth out skin, and maybe a reflector high and from behind her, to backlight her light colored hair.

The 20s - 30s era glamour lighting setup was the same, except they generally put a reflector beneath the model's face, putting more light on the mask of her face to completely eliminate facial shadows. No shadows, no wrinkles.


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