Newbie Help! How to take great photos through windows of home?

[bobmax]

I see, sorry to have invaded your thread then.

I know what you mean> I don't have an iPad (yet) but my two sons have them welded to their hands...LOL

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[PixelRabbit]

I will add to Buckster's examples and also say that I have noticed when processing these shots taken through glass they tend to need a little more saturation added back in during post and may look a little on the "blah" side colour wise in camera compared to a shot taken w/o the window. Not sure if Buckster has the same experience?...

You will see in my example some "ghosting" around the bird because I was shooting at an angle through double pane glass.

[shefjr]

I see, sorry to have invaded your thread then.

I know what you mean> I don't have an iPad (yet) but my two sons have them welded to their hands...LOL

No worries. I highly recommend the iPad. I use mine for TPF, all my owners manuals, DOF calculator, my photography books, and the web. Searching the books and manuals is great when I want to reference something quickly.

[jrasche2003]

I have another somewhat related question... filters. Is a UV filter helping me when taking shots of birds and animals whether through glass or not-or does it just end up putting too much glass between the lens and the camera (in regards to light).

[ph0enix]

I have another somewhat related question... filters. Is a UV filter helping me when taking shots of birds and animals whether through glass or not-or does it just end up putting too much glass between the lens and the camera (in regards to light).

A UV filter never helps you if you're shooting digital. Take it off and throw it in the garbage or give it to your worst enemy.

[CanonJim]

I have another somewhat related question... filters. Is a UV filter helping me when taking shots of birds and animals whether through glass or not-or does it just end up putting too much glass between the lens and the camera (in regards to light).

Not needed. Can not help. Can only degrade. Take it off. You want as little additional glass between your front lens element and the subject as possible.

[jrasche2003]

You guys are awesome!! Thank You so much!! I used the filters on 35mm SLR's about 10 years ago so i'm in a whole new ball game with digital. Finding this forum was a godsend! I hope to learn so much from you seasoned pros!

[CanonJim]

You guys are awesome!! Thank You so much!! I used the filters on 35mm SLR's about 10 years ago so i'm in a whole new ball game with digital. Finding this forum was a godsend! I hope to learn so much from you seasoned pros!

DSLR sensors have a built in filter that negates the need for, or use of, a UV filter. And nearly all the effects that filters provided on film SLRs can be duplicated to a higher degree with digital post processing. The only filter that most agree is still useful in many situations is a circular polarizer.

[jrasche2003]

By the way, those above were shot with a "Nifty Fifty" - 50mm f/1.8 lens, so don't let any gear snobs fool you into thinking you need a thousand dollar (or more!) lens to do this either.

Question for you.. If you are using just a 50mm-how far away are these birds? They seem so close up and very detailed almost as if they were right next to you. Did you crop and zoom? I am curious. Today on my lunch break I walked down a nature path with my 55-250 zoom, and zoomed in on a few birds at a distance of 10feet-20feet away. Then when I zoom in on my lcd on my camera it appears that the birds get fuzzy. Not detailed. Do I need to focus on trying to get closer? (A feat that seems almost impossible with the silly jump hop everywhere birds...lol) Thanks!

[Buckster]

By the way, those above were shot with a "Nifty Fifty" - 50mm f/1.8 lens, so don't let any gear snobs fool you into thinking you need a thousand dollar (or more!) lens to do this either.

Question for you.. If you are using just a 50mm-how far away are these birds? They seem so close up and very detailed almost as if they were right next to you. Did you crop and zoom? I am curious. Today on my lunch break I walked down a nature path with my 55-250 zoom, and zoomed in on a few birds at a distance of 10feet-20feet away. Then when I zoom in on my lcd on my camera it appears that the birds get fuzzy. Not detailed. Do I need to focus on trying to get closer? (A feat that seems almost impossible with the silly jump hop everywhere birds...lol) Thanks!

Probably about 2-3 feet away, at most. There's another post in the thread that describes my setup, if you're interested.

[AlMusallam]

Hello..
Was wondering.. Are UV filters pointless for use with Canon 650D? I am very new and almost have one for all my lenses lol. Was shocked while reading this thread.

Also..
What exactly is a polarizer? English is not my first language and I want to learn more than half pressing the button to auto focus and then take the picture :p

I am sorry if I should not have gotten into the thread and asked about something unrelated. I was puzzled.

[pgriz]

UV filters for digital cameras is a great way for the camera salesman to fatten his commission. Other than that, and the specific case where you have mud or sand flying at your lens, the extra glass just creates problems. I used to use them religiously when shooting film and slides. When I made the transition to digital, I found out quickly they were pretty useless.

A polarizer is a filter that passes polarized light of a specific orientation. Useful when trying to minimize or eliminate reflections from glass, water, glossy organic surfaces such as leafs. Does not work on metallic reflections. Also useful in deepening sky colour in clear sky, as the atmosphere tends to polarize light somewhat.

[pgriz]

What Buckster is showing us is how some planning and preparation can reduce the need for fancy equipment. Those images would require lenses of 500mm and up, if the photographer was just running around outside trying to take pictures of the birds. What we see is that with some careful thought applied, Buckster was able to get very good images with rather basic equipment. Granted, he'd probably have a difficulty convincing a bald eagle to come to his roost, but that was not his objective.

[CanonJim]

Hello..
Was wondering.. Are UV filters pointless for use with Canon 650D? I am very new and almost have one for all my lenses lol. Was shocked while reading this thread.

Also..
What exactly is a polarizer? English is not my first language and I want to learn more than half pressing the button to auto focus and then take the picture :p

I am sorry if I should not have gotten into the thread and asked about something unrelated. I was puzzled.

No need to apologize. Your English is better than my Kuwaiti (Arabic?)...

A UV filter is not needed on a DSLR, because, unlike film, sensors have a low-band filter built in that keeps UV light from striking them. Most people agree that even when used for "protection", a cheap UV filter does more harm than good. However, in a dusty/windy/sandy environment (such as Kuwait?) a good quality, clear filter on the front of a lens may indeed be a useful device.

A polarizer, or Circular Polarizer, or CPL, is a filter that is rotated on the front of a lens, to counter-act the effects of sunlight glare on water or other surfaces. If you've ever seen or used "polarized" sunglasses, it's the same effect. They are quite useful in direct or bright sunlight. They can also be used to make a sky more blue. They are of little use indoors. They are best used when the sun is at a 90' angle to you, for example to the left or right side. They do NOT work well with ultra wide angles, such as below about 18mm.

Hope this helps.