1st shots with new camera for c&c

[Carla_]

I was dying to try out my new canon 7d so due to rainy weather I took these at a local greenhouse. I accidentally shot in jpeg instead of raw but otherwise I am figuriing out the settings. As usual, please give me your honest c&c.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. This waterfall actually only was about 5 feet tall.

 

[MLeeK]

These all seem very soft. What lens are you using? Do you know the shutter speed on these?

 

[CMfromIL]

I think #4 is the best of the bunch, but as MLeeK said they are a bit soft. What lens?

 

[Carla_]

Thanks for the quick response. I am using the Sigma AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS lens. These were fairly long exposures with tripod due to low light (1/50 sec to 1/8 sec for flowers and 4 sec for waterfall). Should I increase the ISO more?

 

[MLeeK]

Thanks for the quick response. I am using the Sigma AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS lens. These were fairly long exposures with tripod due to low light (1/50 sec to 1/8 sec for flowers and 4 sec for waterfall). Should I increase the ISO more?

Yeah. Those shutter speeds are way to slow to hand hold a camera. That requires a tripod. You've got to be above 1/200 at the full extent of that zoom and you could be as low as maybe 1/125 at the not zoomed end

 

[fjrabon]

Thanks for the quick response. I am using the Sigma AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS lens. These were fairly long exposures with tripod due to low light (1/50 sec to 1/8 sec for flowers and 4 sec for waterfall). Should I increase the ISO more?

Yeah. Those shutter speeds are way to slow to hand hold a camera. That requires a tripod. You've got to be above 1/200 at the full extent of that zoom and you could be as low as maybe 1/125 at the not zoomed end

I think she was saying she shot on a tripod?

 

[fjrabon]

These look like they were shot fairly close with a fairly long focal length. I think you missed focus. You have a pretty shallow depth of field, and if you're not dead on, you'll miss focus. 1 looks like you focused on the top left pink leaf. 2 looks like you focused on the inside of the flower instead of the (stamen? do I have my plant terms right?) 3 the focus looks like it was on the base of the stamen. 4 looks like the focus was at the base of the second row of whatever those things are.

5 is likely just blur from the leaves blowing around, due to the ultra long exposure.

What apertures are you shooting these at?

 

[Carla_]

Yes, I shot with a tripod using the 2 sec timer to avoid camera shake.

frabon, thanks for the comment! I nearly missed your siggy comment.

 

[Carla_]

1. f/5.6, 1/8 sec, ISO 200
2. f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO 200
3. f/5.6, 1/15 sec, ISO 200
4. f/18.0, 4 sec, ISO 800
5. f/6.3, 1/60 sec, ISO 320

I was using single point focus which is much narrower on the 7d than my old Rebel XTi. Hopefully I'll get more shots in tomorrow.

Thanks!

Carla

 

[fjrabon]

1. f/5.6, 1/8 sec, ISO 200
2. f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO 200
3. f/5.6, 1/15 sec, ISO 200
4. f/18.0, 4 sec, ISO 800
5. f/6.3, 1/60 sec, ISO 320

I was using single point focus which is much narrower on the 7d than my old Rebel XTi. Hopefully I'll get more shots in tomorrow.

Thanks!

Carla

Yeah, DoF with f/5.6 can be pretty shallow when you're zoomed on something from very close with a long telephoto.