Ross' Guide to Simple Flash Portraits

Over the years that I’ve been a photographer and a teacher, I’ve been continually annoyed by the tendency of some people to try to turn simple flash photography into some kind of black art. In the days of film, flash was more difficult requiring sophisticated metering and preparation, polariods and lots of correction.

Those days are past.  Our digital single lens reflex and digital single lens mirrorless cameras make great flash images pretty simple.   And, while I believe that every serious photographer needs to have and use a handheld light meter, what I will teach you here DOES NOT require you to have a sophisticated light meter.

For starters...

You’ll need a camera that can be set to manual exposure mode.  You’ll need a lens suitable for your subject.  Since most photographers would like to make better images of people, that’s the route this article will be oriented to.  You’ll also need a shoe mount flash that has a manual mode, and the ability to control its power output in manual.  At the core, that’s it but since you want better flash control, there’s a gear list coming up.  Before we get there, let’s talk about flashes. Oh and don't worry, I have a gear listing at the end for you.

Your camera probably has some variant of through the lens flash exposure control.  This is a wonderful feature and can be really helpful, and we won’t be using it in this session.  TTL flash is not the end, it’s a starting point on it’s best day because it can be fooled like any reflected light meter.  So for simplicity sake, we aren’t going to use it.

Your camera might also have some type of sophisticated remote flash control magic built in.  Nikon calls this the Creative Lighting System, Canon has one as do other vendors as well.  They can be awesome.  They can also be a major pain in the butt because they are line of sight, are dependent on infrared control and often fail when it’s most inconvenient.  So we won’t be using that either.

Your camera may or may not have a PC sync port.  Your flash, if you already own one, may or may not have a PC sync port.  Whether they do or don’t won’t matter because cables are a pain and we won’t be using them.

Before we get to the rest of the kit...

You need to know how to make some settings on your camera, so before we go further, let’s make sure you can make these settings.  First, put your camera in Manual mode.  This is often a dial or menu setting highlighted by a big capital M.  M means Manual.  This is a very good thing.  Next, you want to set your shutter speed to 1/125 of a second.  You do this be setting your shutter speed with dial, wheel, menu or however your camera does this.  Remember we are in manual mode so this is a simple manual setting.  Next set the aperture on the lens you are using to f/5.6 via whatever method your camera uses.  Last of all, set your ISO to your camera’s native ISO, which is the lowest ISO that you can set manually without having to go into a Low mode.  For most Nikons, this is ISO 200, for most Canons it is ISO 100.  If you don’t know or cannot tell or your camera doesn’t matter, pick ISO 200.  Set that via whatever means your camera uses.  Ok, that’s it.  Settings are basically done.  Time to move on to the rest of the kit.

The Flash

Not Barry Allen in this case, we mean the flash you will use on your camera.  Your camera might have a built in pop up flash.  Fortunately you won’t be using it, since its only real claim to fame is that it makes your photos look like crap.  I mean the flash that slides into the hot shoe of your camera.  If your camera does not have a hot shoe, best to stop reading now since you have a much bigger issue facing you.  If you already have a flash, make sure it can be set to work in manual mode and that you can control the output power of the flash.  By this I mean that you can set the output to full, 1/2th, 1/4th, 1/8th power etc.  Ideally it would go as low as 1/64th power but that’s not critical.  1/16th power is the least you should accept.  The head on your flash should bounce and swivel, but if it doesn’t, you’ll still be able to use the flash.

Flash is a lot like a race car.  In a race car, horsepower matters.  In a flash maximum output matters.  Fortunately there is a standard by which you can compare different flashes.  This is called Guide Number.  You probably don’t care how it’s calculated, you just want to know the Guide Number (GN) in either meters or feet for the flash.  I promise that there will be NO math.  Just remember that a higher guide number is ALWAYS better.  If you do not have a flash, go buy yourself a Metz 58 AF-2 for your camera type.  This flash is available to fit all major brands of camera, will integrate with the TTL flash capability of your camera for when you want to use TTL, has full manual power control capability and has LOTS of power.  Not surprisingly, it’s guide number is 58 in meters.  Canon’s 580EX II has a guide number of 58 in meters.  Nikon’s SB-910 has a guide number of 34 in meters.  The SB-910 has less power but still works well but I will suggest not going lower in output than a guide number of about 28 in meters such as found in Nikon’s SB-700.  Metz also has a model 50, a model 52 and a model 44 all with guide numbers matching their model designation.  Remember what I said first.  Power matters.  Buy the most powerful hot shoe mount flash you can afford.  There are now some clone flashes coming out of China that are very inexpensive like the Yong Nuo.  I’ve heard good things but since I’ve personally never used one, I won’t offer a recommendation.

Now go get yourself some rechargeable batteries with the highest milliampere hour rating possible.  You will readily find a variety of power ratings.  2100mAh is the minimum to buy.  I personally recommend the Powerex batteries from Japan that are rated at 2700mAh.  They are available in retail stores and online.

The Rest of the Kit

Bounce flashes can be bounced off of ceilings, or use bounce cards or reflector cards and any manner of Rube Goldbergian strap-on, tape-up, sticky mechanisms to diffuse the very small flash source into a larger source of light.  You can also put a diffuser dome on your flash head.  Whatever.  For this exercise we are going to bypass all this stuff and go right to a Soft Box.

What is a soft box?  A soft box is a relatively simple construct.  It is a device built to form a consistent shape, square, rectangle, octagon, that usually has a dark fabric exterior and that is lined with either a silver foil or highly reflective white surface.  Then a shoot through scrim velcros to the front edges to further diffuse the light.  Diffusers do not soften light, they spread it around.  Larger sources are softer than smaller sources at a given distance in general.  When the flash goes off, the light bounces around inside the softbox and comes out as a much larger area of light.  Moving the source closer to the subject makes the light wrap more, and therefore looks “softer”.  That’s it.  The trade off with soft boxes is really size and portability.  A giant box placed close is super soft but needs more power to light and is a transport pain.  A small softbox is easy to transport but may not be that soft.  Here’s a general guideline.  Anything smaller than 20” x 20” is not optimal for people, and anything bigger than 30” x 30” will need multiple heads or studio flash to get good light.

The softbox needs a way to be placed so you don’t have to have an assistant to hold it, it needs a way to attach the flash and it needs a way to be tilted.  So a softbox kit would include a light stand, a tilter bracket, a flash mount bracket that won’t short out the TTL pins on your flash’s foot and a bracket to hold the softbox in addition to the box itself.

I’ve looked at dozens of softbox kits and bought more than I should on the strategy of hope.  You don’t have to repeat my mistakes.  What you want to buy is the Lastolite Ezybox Hot Shoe Kit.  It includes a 21” x 21” softbox that folds flat, a mounting bracket, a flash bracket, a tilt adapter and a light stand, along with carry bags for the softbox and the rest of the kit.  It’s your money, you can buy whatever you want, but if you buy this product, it’s going to work, you won’t be frustrated and you will get better images

There are knock-offs of this kit also available that may save you some money.  I recommend the Lastolite, but you’re your own person.  One critical thing to note is that you will be altering the power of the flash often, so DO NOT buy a softbox kit that puts the flash inside the box, such as any of the Westcott Apollo umbrella type softboxes.  Once the flash is inside the box, your camera’s infrared control won’t work and making adjustments to the flash will make you nuts.  Plus the construction is not great and the umbrella framework bends if you stare at it directly.  Westcott products are generally very good.  I’ve just had bad experiences with this line.  They’re cheap though.  Get the Lastolite.

Other Kit

There’s a couple of other must haves and some nice to haves.  The first must have is a radio trigger system.  Infrared is for people who want migraines.  Radio is not affected by walls, partitions, line of sight or other impediments.  You can buy very expensive radio systems such as those from Pocket Wizard.  Don’t.   Get yourself the Cactus Wireless Transceiver Set V5.  Do NOT buy the transmitter / receiver set V4.  It will save you $10 but will work only if it feels like it and you will be furious.  We’ve tested the V5 kit and it worked through brick walls from inside to outside.  For $100 you cannot beat the system.  Each unit can be transmitter or receiver.  The units come with table stands and can be light stand mounted.  The unit has a hot foot and a hot shoe.  There is no TTL but that’s ok because you won’t be using it anyway.

The other must have is a sandbag.  Buy it empty and fill it with sand.  Drape it over the leg of the light stand so if you knock the stand, or you are shooting outdoors where there’s wind, your kit doesn’t demonstrate the consistent power of gravity by falling over and smashing your flash to bits.

The nice to haves are modifiers.  I like having a collapsible reflector around 20” in diameter, that at least can offer a silver side and white side.  5 in 1 kits are cheap and add gold and sunfire (white/gold) mix plus black to use as a flag.  The other modifier I really like especially for people are gels for the flash.  Flash light is more blue than orange and for some skin tones imparts an unpleasant bleached look.  I recommend the Rogue Flash Gel kit since it has every gel you’ll ever need, an easy way to attach the gels to your flash head and simple wallet to keep everything in place.  If budget is an issue, order yourself a sheet of 1/4 CTO and a sheet of 1/2 CTO and get some painter’s masking tape.  Cut several pieces of gels that will cover the flash head and throw them with the tape in your kit.

And now on to the shooting...

Position your model, who could be your family member, friend, drop in, or even an old store mannequin where you would like to photograph the person.  Move the softbox on its stand as close as you can to your subject without it being visible in your viewfinder.  Put it at a 45 degree angle to your subject so you get some shadowing and raise the softbox and tilt it so it’s pointing down at about 30 degrees.  You don’t need a protractor because these are starting points.

Turn the flash on and set it to 1/8th power in manual mode.  Turn your camera on and turn on your radios.  The one on your camera should be set to Tx (transmit) and the one under the flash should be set to Rx (receive).  I’m assuming you’ve figured out how to put the softbox kit together and to put the flash on the receiver and mount both on the bracket.  Push the test button on top of the transmitter and the flash should go off.  If not, check switch positions and batteries.

Ok now that the flash is going off, go make a test shot using the settings you made earlier on your camera.  Too bright?  Turn the flash power down.  Too dark?  Turn the flash power up.  Rather than adjusting aperture, shutter speed and ISO, try exhausting the power options on the flash first.  I have found that for the Canon 600EX-RT flash in this softbox kit placed close to the model that for these camera settings, I need the flash somewhere between 1/16th and 1/32nd power.  The reason you bought that high powered flash is that it doesn’t have to work too hard for each flash.  Batteries last longer and the flash is less likely to overheat.

If you cannot turn the flash power down enough, then move on to decreasing the aperture size.  Try f/6.3, then f/7.1 and on until you get the brightness level you like.  The flash ideally doesn’t look like it’s blasting like a laser cannon.  The initial camera settings will allow for some room or window light to be retained.

Once you get an exposure that you like, now you can work on posing your model.  If you keep the distance between the model and the softbox consistent you won’t have to be playing with your settings.  Try turning your model towards the light.  Try away from the light.  Try whatever you like, experimentation is fun and this is how we learn.

Once you’ve got your initial shots, take a break and look at the images on a larger screen.  That little LCD on the back of your camera is kind of useless for any real value judgements, so get the images onto your computer or tablet.  Does the light look a little too cool?  Want to warm up the skin tones?  Attach a 1/2 CTO gel to the front of the flash and do a couple of tests.  Too warm?   Switch to a 1/4 CTO.  Shoot some more.  I know that you can do all manner of magic in post production, but get things as right as possible in the camera and you will be happier.

Now look at the images.  You should see dimension because one side of the face will be brighter than the other.  Flat light is boring and makes people look like crap.  You want some shadows, but if those shadows are too dark or too harsh, pull out your reflector and try some shots with the white reflector opposite the softbox to throw some light back onto the darker side.  Don’t adjust your exposure, adjust the placement of the reflector.  (This is where an assistant or human reflector stand is very helpful).  Remember how reflectors work, they need to be pointed towards the source. Do you remember about angle of incidence and angle of reflection from high school science?  If not, check the little diagram for clarity.

There you go.  Of course there’s an entire process map for retouching and cleaning up images in post production but that’s not part of this article.  You now have all the gear you need, at the lowest expense possible, to make great flash portraits.  Now go make some shots.

Now in case you want to know how much all this will cost and where you might get it, I've prepared a little chart for you.  Please be advised that since I am in Canada, I used infomation from a couple of photographic retailers here.  Both have supported The Photo Video Guy site.  Sadly while most products are available everywhere, the Lastolite Ezybox Kit is only available in Canada at Vistek, so if you are not near a store, you'll be ordering it online.  US readers will find all this gear available from The Photo Video Guy sponsor B&H.  There's a link for the Ezybox from B&H at the bottom of the article.

Ross’ Guide to Simple Flash Lighting
	Description	Retail	Webcode	Store
Flash	Metz 58-AF2 TTL Flash	419.99	VARIES BY CAMERA	Henry’s
Weight	Sandbag	29.99	357BOO003	Henry’s
Wireless Trigger Kit	Cactus Wireless Transceiver Set V5	99.99	029BOO060	Henry’s
Gel Kit	Rogue Flash Gels	34.99	131RED026	Henry’s
Reflector	5 in 1 Reflector Diffuser	24.99	360WEES056	Henry’s
Softbox	Lastolite EZ-Box Hot Shoe Kit (includes 21” softbox, flash bracket, tilt bracket, light stand, extension handle, stand bag, softbox bag	279.95	240609	Vistek

Talk to you soon.

Ross

P.S. I want to thank Kevin Kertz for the awesome Strobist templates for Omni Graffle that makes diagramming setups so simple.

Want to learn more?  Contact me at ross@thephotovideoguy.ca

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Using High Pass Sharpening to Enhance Edged Subjects

My friend Gabe just took an assignment photographing jewellery for an auctioneer and we've been talking a lot about lighting. One technique that I really like for sharpening edged subjects, like jewellery is to use High Pass filtering in Photoshop.

Here's how I do this, you may have an alternative method, but I promise this one works

1. Open the image in Photoshop.  I'm using CS6 but high pass sharpening has been around for a while.
2. Convert the background layer to a Smart Object.  This is a critical step in case you want to make changes after the fact
3. Choose Filter | Other | High Pass
4. In the dialog box that appears slide the controller to some level of sharpening balancing sharpness with haloing, click ok
5. This creates a Smart Filter mask that you can alter after the fact.  Right click on the High Pass filter and change the blending mode.  Because the filter's transparent space is grey, using any of the blend modes in the Overlay group, will make the grey parts of the filter transparent.  Overlay adds a fair bit of contrast, Soft Light is less "edgy" but for jewellery, I tend to prefer Overlay
6. Because this is a smart filter, you can always click on the filter and change the pixel settings in real world view to alter the amount of sharpening to taste.  Zoom in on the image, then right click the High Pass filter and Edit Smart Filter.  Now move the slider to set the sharpening to suit the image
7. This last step is often missed and I think it's very important.  You probably don't want the entire image to be sharpened, especially backgrounds and other neutral areas.  Because you are working with a Smart Filter, this is easy to adjust.  Click on the Smart Filter to select it.  Set your foreground color to black (this means that you will be masking the effect of the filter) and taking an appropriate sized brush, paint over the areas where you don't want the sharpening to be in effect.  To make it easy to see where you've painted use Option-Click (mac) or Alt-Click (windows) to see the mask overlay so you can quickly paint over areas you've missed.
8. That's it!  Now you have a really nicely sharpened image with a mask to control what part of the image gets sharpened and because it is done with a Smart Filter on a Smart Object, you can always go back and make changes later on.

Credit where credit is due, I learned this technique from the brilliant and talented Julieanne Kost of Adobe.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 43

Stupid mall cops, breathing on your lens and Pirelli.  Nikon news and rumours, Canon news and rumours, Canon 6D quick look.  DxO Optics version upgrade.  Snapseed is FREE!  ThinkTank starts Mindshift Gear. Processing tools and the best tripod EVER.

REVIEW : Hahnel Giga T Pro II Wired / Wireless Release

The truth is that I have had this critter for nearly a year.  I bought it for its intervalometer and long exposure capability to use with my Canon DSLRs, particularly for night shooting and to shoot multiple images for stacking. It's not Infrared, it's radio and works in the 2.4GHz band.  Hahnel claims a range of 100m, I've tried it at distances of over 30m but then I get nervous about my gear and move in closer.

I had initially considered using Pocket Wizards as remote triggers, but discovered that the retail price of the PW cable is as much as the Hahnel full kit.  Have I mentioned how much the arrogance of the PW people bugs me?

Now I also wanted to be able to wirelessly trigger my Hasselblad H4D-40 and another member at the AWESOME Hasselblad Digital Forums had mentioned that he found that Canon Rebel appropriate wired remotes worked with the Hassy.  Since the Hahnel kit can be used wired or wireless I thought I'd give it a shot.

The Hahnel kit comes with cables for both the Canon pro bodies and the consumer bodies.  How convenient that the Hasselblad connection is the same configuration of the 3/32" (2.5mm) jack as the Canon Rebel.  So I connected the Rebel cable to the Hassy and to the transmitter.  Push the button and the shutter fires.  Cool!

Unplug the transmitter, plug in the receiver and walk across the room and press the button.  The shutter fires.  So I set up an interval sequence and yes that worked too.

Hahnel doesn't say anything about Hasselblad. Hasselblad doesn't say anything about Canon remotes.  All I know is that I now have a solution for the Hasselblad that cost nothing because I already owned the solution.  I got mine at Henry's, but I expect that they are widely available.

For more information on the Hahnel, go to http://www.hahnel.ie/index.cfm/action/productSearch/pid/80

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 42

Fuji X series frimware update improves AF performance.  Analysts see smartphones impacting compact camera sales.  Nikon patents 58/1.2.  Check your software for Windows 8 compliance before upgradiing.  Rest in Peace Bruce Bayer.  UK copyright idiocy. Canon 2013 rumours.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 41

End of life for the Nikon 16/2.8 fisheye?  Nikon patents a 55-300/2.8-4.D600 sensor dust continues to show up.  Canon rumours for 2013 and a new Canon user forum.  Olympus releases a 17/1.8 in thime for the holidays, Sony's 16-50 sharp enough.  Apple updates Aperture and thoughts on what constitutes fast enough.

The Best Tripod I Have Ever Owned

And boy, have I owned tripods.... Like many of us who have been photographers for years/decades, I've accumulated a number of tripods over time, some I still have, many are long gone and others are "in process".  This week I received the tripod that is the best I've ever owned.

Following a series of conversations with the very helpful folks at Really Right Stuff, I ordered a leg set to go with my existing head.   My kit today consists of:

• TVC-34L legs
• TA-3-QC Quick Column
• BH-55 Ball Head
• TA-2-LC Leveling Base
• TH-DVTL-55 Dovetail adapter for the Ball Head
• B-150B Package Macro Rail Set
• PCL-1 Panoramic Clamp
• PCL-DVTL Dovetail Adapter for Panorama
• 192 Precision Plus Package Rail Set for Panoramas
• TQB-89 Tripod Case

I love the construction quality of the RRS equipment.  While the legs and pano gear are new, I have used the other gear for some time on Gitzo GT3541 legs and loved it.  What I needed was a taller tripod that gave me stability without necessarily having to extend the centre column fully.  The 34L legs do that.  They are slightly larger in diameter than the legs of the Gitzo and have a refined construction method to their carbon fiber tubing.  The leg set is only nominally heavier than what it replaces and delivers the stability I want.  I like the wider domed rubber feet and that I can easily exchange the feet for rock feet or spikes should the need arise.

I added the quick column not because I really wanted a taller height but to give me flexibility on slopes.  I rarely find that the ground where I shoot is level or flat.  The wider diameter legs feel more stable, especially with the weight of the Hasselblad H4D-40 and 300mm lens mounted up.

On top of the column I mounted the TA-2-LC leveling base.  Mine was actually a universal base that I converted from a 3/8-16 screw on top to a Really Right Stuff lever clamp.  This way I can level out whatever head assembly I choose to use before adjusting the head.  It adds a bit of length to the unit and some weight but the fast levelling capability more than overshadows the additional size.

I added the TH-DVTL-55 dovetail plate to the bottom of my existing BH-55 ball head.  The BH-55 is without a doubt the best ball head I have ever used.  It handles everything, is easy to deploy and never creeps.  By putting the dovetail plate on it, it makes it easy to change heads or insert accessories such as the Panoramic clamp.  At some point I might want to get one of the Omni Pivot Packages and the ability to change heads quickly is appealing to me.

The PCL-1 Panoramic Clamp also has the PCL-DVTL plate on it so I can quickly mount it on top of the BH-55 or between the BH-55 and Levelling Base depending on my needs.  I find that the RRS Lever clamps are superb, fast to lock and unlock and take up less space than the knob style clamps.  Don't get me wrong, the knob style clamps are extremely secure, I just like the speed of the levers.  I also got the 192 Precision Plus rail kit to make it simple to find the nodal point and to be able to use either camera body or lens mount orientation on the rail, because the mini-clamp is rotatable.

The macro rail kit is extremely precise and very smooth.  I had been using the simpler Manfrotto macro rail before and it worked fine for lighter cameras but it was a bit awkward with the Hasselblad and macro lens.  I added the adapter in the package as my Canon 180mm macro is a collared lens, so I can mount either body or lens orientation quickly.

I do have other RRS gear purchased over time and have never been disappointed.  I am always impressed by their team's knowledge and customer first attitude.  I've never had a quality issue and the one time I thought I had an issue, it was actually my fault for using a clamp wrong.

The main reason that took me to Really Right Stuff was the ability via L-Plates on my camera bodies to switch from landscape to portrait orientation without altering the lens plane.  To some this sounds like an expensive solution to a simple issue, but for me, I took a chance and have been proven right.  All my Canons, my Hasselblad and the Leica have L plates.  Nothing to lose, fast and secure mounting and no hassle makes this system hard to beat.

I don't sell Really Right Stuff gear.  I'm just a customer.  But I have to say I think it's the best gear out there and well worth the investment.

Holiday Shopping Ideas

A lot of new stuff has come out this year, some still to come but I wanted to give readers a head's up on what I think is pretty cool and what's less so. Please understand that these are my own opinions and may not be congruent with others. The Entry DSLR

If ever there was a year to be able to get into the DSLR game with incredible quality at unprecedented prices this would be it. Nikon's D3200 is a 24MP powerhouse that is a terrific first step into the DSLR world. It does stills and 1080P video and can use most all Nikon lenses (they have to have an AF motor inside as the body does not). It is fast to use, quick to focus and a great launch point. You will see D3000 and D3100 models at low prices this season but given the light year step forward that the D3200 brings, my opinion is stay away from end of life stuff.

BTW, the Nikon D5100 has been replaced by the D5200 everywhere EXCEPT North America. If you want a current D5X00 buy a gift card and wait. The D5100 is a fine camera but is End of Life.

Canon is now six months in on the Rebel T4i. Rebels have always been a great value, but this Rebel knocks it out of the park. It is an 18MP sensor but in a move never seen before it uses 14 bit processing instead of the 8 bit processing usually found in consumer DSLRs. That means that the tonal range and the overall amount of information is the same as what you would find in a 7D, for a lot less money. The Rebel T4i is also one of very few DSLR cameras that can autofocus in video mode with Canon's STM lenses. Pair this with the 18-135 lens for a truly rocking kit.

The Serious DSLR

In my mind there is a killer choice this season and it's particularly grand if you are a Nikon user, or want to be one. The D600 is stunningly good. Many pros are using the D600 to back up their D3 and D4 bodies instead of the D800. It has a brand new 24MP sensor, speedy autofocus, great handling and when bought as a kit with the brand new Nikkor 24-85 zoom lens you have a good to go offering. The D600 is a full frame sensor so you are maximizing the use of the sensor and the image quality that the camera can deliver.

Canon should have the 6D out before the buying season really starts, although if I were spending coin on a new Canon body in this niche, I'd also look at the clearance pricing on 5D Mk II bodies. The 5D Mk II set the stage for DSLR video and while its autofocus is a bit slower than newer models and has fewer focus points, it is proven worldwide and well over $1,000 cheaper than the 5D Mk III. The 6D will also be full frame and have nominally better autofocus and a slightly higher burst mode fps as well as built in WiFi. The 6D will likely be a few hundred more expensive than the 5D Mk II body when it shows up

The Digital Single Lens Mirrorless

Kudos to Lumix for picking an acronym that finally makes sense. We've seen the Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Format, the Compact Systems Camera and a variety of others.

In this space despite new versions of the Nikon 1 series replacing the unsuccessful J1 and the nominally more successful V1, Sony rules the space. The NEX-5R and the NEX-6 are unstoppable when it comes to image quality, performance and ease of use. The NEX-6 brings most of the functionality of the market leading NEX-7 to a much more attractive price point and the Sony glass in the space is as good as any other player. The NEX-6 is also a full APS-C sensor instead of the smaller 1" sensors and M4/3 sensors in some of the alternatives.

The Canon EOS-M has finally arrived and I'm sad to say it's not on my hot list. The construction is great, the fit and feel are good but the autofocus is glacial in performance. So long as those mountains in the distance don't move you'll be fine but forget any kind of action. Plus the NEX-6 also offers an eyepiece viewfinder in addition to the rear LCD.

The Lens Quest

Well the lens quest is always a big deal during the holidays. And there are always plenty of options out there so I'm going to try to synthesize the list down for you.

For the person looking for a very fast 50mm that is tough and tack driving sharp, go with the Sigma 50/1.4 It's optically better than the Canon or Nikon options, costs a bit more and uses larger filters. It's better glass and fits both full frame and APS-C sensor cameras.

Want an all in one walkaround lens? Nikon's 28-300 is hard to beat and while Canon's 28-300 variant is both expensive and heavy, it's also great. I cannot say the same for the Nikon 18-300 or the Canon 18-200 as neither fares well in independent testing. Sigma's 18-250 (not the old one, the new one) is a strong player in the space and reasonably priced for what it delivers.

If you have that super-telephoto wanter on your list, or you are that person, allow me to recommend a lens that is expensive, heavy and absolutely brilliant. It's Sigma's 120-300/2.8 zoom. It's actually less expensive than their fixed 300/2.8 and is a joy to shoot with. If 300mm is longer than you want to carry and you don't want to spend as much but want amazing image quality consider the Canon 70-200/4 L IS or the forthcoming Nikon 70-200/4 ED VR. Today's cameras do well at higher ISO so the one stop down from the more expensive and more massive f/2.8 variants will save you money and weight and give you amazing images. You can also consider the Sigma 70-200/2.8 as it will be in a similar price point to the Canon or Nikon f/4 lenses. Many of my TV co-host Bryan's students on Daytripper events have shot amazing images with the Sigma. It's great value for the money.

Tripods

This is the number one time of year for tripod sales. We all know the value of a good tripod but let me share a thought that both Bryan and I have shared on the TV show.

Buy your last tripod first

Sounds simple? It actually is. Most serious photographers find that they end up with multiple tripods or are trying to sell older tripods to fund newer ones. Save time and money and buy the best you can up front. My personal choice is ALWAYS the gear from Really Right Stuff, but as most people like to see before they buy, allow me to use two words. Gitzo and Manfrotto. It's hard to go wrong with either brand, although in keeping with the last first sentiment, also think carbon fiber or basalt. Manfrotto does carbon, Gitzo does both. Lighter is better than heavier if you are the person carrying the tripod and either material transmits less vibration than the less expensive aluminum versions. Your choice of tripod head will make a difference as well so sometimes a new head for an existing tripod is a good move. In this case, if still photography is what the photographer will do most, get a ball head. Those multi-arm heads are awesome for video but take more time to get aligned than a simple ball head. Again, if you go Gitzo or Manfrotto you won't be disappointed.

Looking for more ideas?

Send me an email with your query and I will try to help you out.

Model Releases, Copyright and Where to Learn More

Last week, the Canadian government changed the Copyright Act to ensure that the copyright to work produced by a photographer is the same as for any other artist.  Simply, you retain your copyright whether you do the work for yourself or are commissioned to do so.  In the past, being prior to November 7, 2012, commissioned work became the property of the commissioning agency unless specifically excluded by contract.  Well done Canada! I regularly listen to Frederick van Johnson who hosts the This Week in Photo podcast.  Like any podcast, some episodes are more interesting than others depending upon what you are looking for.  A recent episode featured Mr. Jack Reznicki and Mr. Ed Greenberg of TheCopyrightZone.com and their critical book, The Photographer's Survival Manual.  (Link to purchase this book at the bottom of the post)

Even though I own the book and recommend it to students, repetition is the mother of skill and so I learn something whenever I listen to these gentlemen.  What was my learning this time?

Electronic model releases may not stand up in court because electronic documents can be edited.

I have looked at, and purchased, electronic model release systems for the iPad, and liked the one from the American Society of Media Photographers very much.  (Others left me underwhelmed).  Until Mr. Reznicki and Mr. Greenberg did their little role play, I missed completely how an electronic release could be challenged in court.  Paper is the way to go.  Listen to the episode of TWIP here.

Support The Photo Video Guy by purchasing the book from Amazon through this link.

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The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 40

Correction, the new Sony pro video camera is the F55 not the F5S as reported last week.  Nikon has changed the protocol for the back focus button on the D4, the D800 and the D800e.  Nikon has announced the D5200 everywhere but in the US and are dropping the SB400 flash.  Canon has announced the 24-70/4L USM IS and the 35/2 USM IS.  Canon no longer includes USB cables in the boxes with some cameras frustrating buyers.  DP Review posts downloadable RAW files from the Pentax K5 II and the K5 IIs.  Sigma announces pricing on the new 35/1.4.  Adobe makes release candidates available for Lightroom 4.3 and ACR 7.3.  CAPIC wins fight for copyright retention for Canadian photographers.  Soft lens?  Try focus calibration.  Free lighting diagram app from Sylights.

What Canon's new MAP pricing policy means to you

As mentioned in the Episode 39 of the podcast, Canon is implementing a MAP pricing policy.  Most of us know of MSRP or Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.  It's suggested because to make it a requirement would be determined to be price fixing.  Resellers tend to stick pretty close to MSRP in their advertised prices, especially on Accessories because it keeps the margin very high and if everyone does it, discounting on these items becomes rare. MAP is Minimum Advertised Price.  This is a completely different game.  Basically MAP is a vehicle by which the manufacturer does set the lowest advertised price for their products by any authorized reseller.  Reseller authorization grants the reseller access to purchase the products for resale, MSRP provides a suggested selling price and MAP defines the lowest price that a product can be advertised for.

The theory is that MAP eliminates what social engineers (and I say those words with all the venom I can) call dog eat dog competition.  It's also a way for a vendor to cancel reseller authorization if MAP is not followed.  MAP does not prevent a reseller from selling below MAP, it simply holds an axe over their necks if they advertise a lower price.  In Canon's case we saw the prices rise on many items concurrent with the advent of their MAP policy. I'd say I was surprised but Canon is simply following the same tune as others before them.

What this means to you is that if you are an educated buyer who has done his or her research you will not be able to price shop the way you have in the past as all resellers will be held to the minimum advertised price.  There is a popular theorem that MAP reduces grey marketing, but this is spurious as warranty and serial number management make grey markets a caveat emptor entity already.  It's not price fixing, but it's close.

So how will you get a lower price than MAP allows?  Resellers work with manufacturers to prepare bundles that are reseller unique that have approved pricing thresholds.  These bundles are not generically available, and so makes comparison shopping more difficult.  It's an obfuscation scheme at best.

So how to deal with this buyer hostile model?  Choose your reseller based on your needs.  If you like the idea of a photographic centric reseller that will help you after you have made your purchase, and that provides additional service that you value, be they training programs, extended warranties and knowledgeable staff, then deal with that reseller and negotiate your own purchase to the best of your ability.  Price match policies become useless when every reseller must hold advertising at a certain level, so the differentiation becomes the reseller added value.  If you don't care about that, or think that it is fair to buy from a jobber or warehouse/big box store and then go waste the time of photographic professionals to whom you have brought only questions and no business that it your choice, although I do not see how this helps those resellers with a service orientation stay in business.

Who does MAP help?  It helps the manufacturer that implements it and the reseller that complains of price competition and who has no value to offer to buyers beyond a low price.  It doesn't help the buyer and that may cause you, if you are a thinking person, to be suspicious of any manufacturer that uses MAP as a stick.  No responsible reseller is going to sell below their burdened cost and their necessary profitability to keep the doors open.  MAP is the closest thing to price fixing a manufacturer has and is only spun as a "value" to those foolish enough to believe that they can have their lunch and eat it too.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 39

Nikon updates software and rumours D5200.  Reviews of EOS-M.  Canon sets MAP pricing policy.  Sony intros F5 and F5S video cameras and RED drops prices.  More bags from Think Tank

The New Apple Drinking Game

Many folks know that I prefer Macintosh computer systems to alternatives. However, I am exhausted by recent Apple "nonovations" and propose a new drinking game. Here's how to play.

1. Sit down in a safe place with access to any recent Apple event keynote. You will not be driving ANYWHERE after this
2. Equip yourself with a shot glass and bottle of your favourite intoxicant
3. Pour a shot
4. Start the event keynote and every time any Apple executive uses either of "beautiful" or "thin" to describe any Apple product, drink the shot.
5. Refill quickly because this is an easy game to win and very fast paced
6. Prepare to be hammered in the first few minutes, first minute if you are watching Phil Schiller.

Both sad and pathetic.

I still prefer Macintosh computers, although I do wish that Apple would get their thumbs out and update the Mac Pro, and not f*ck it up in the process.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 38

Canon to produce a new 8800/5.6? Nikon announces the 70-200/4 and Nikon 1 V2. Nikon announces development of new 1 series lenses. Phase One updates Capture One Pro to V7. DxO announces DxO Optics Pro v8. Apple updates their RAW converter. Short hands-on with the Alpha 99

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 37

Nikon announces new remote controls and is set to release a new 70-200/4 VR by the end of November. Canon has a firmware upgrade for the 1DX, the 1D-c is not just a 1Dx in different firmware, and the expected early availability of the EOS-M is not early. Canon has a rumoured 700D that leaves me shaking my head. Sony closes a DSLR lens factory and updates firmware on NEX and Alpha cameras. Lenrentals.com now has Sigzilla for rent. Go Pro announces the 4K Hero 3 Black. I close the episode with kudos for the Toronto Zombie Walk

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 36

Nikon press release on Oct 24, may be the V2? Rumours of a D4x exxagerrated, new 32/1.2 for 1 series. EyeFi cards don't work in the D800 family. Canon to release new lenses in 2013, 18-0300 EFS and 24-300 EF. New firmware for OM-D EM-5. Adobe updates Lightroom and Camera Raw, releases lossy DNG format. DxO Optics updates include support for the 1Dx and D600. I close wiht an opinion on the short term future of APS-C

Layers in Lightroom? Absolutely!

The number one draw for photographers to use Photoshop is Layers, at least according to those who would know.  Let's not kid ourselves, Layers is an awesome function but only barely touches the depths of design genius that Photoshop can unlock.  But, what if you only have Lightroom and REALLY NEED the functionality of Layers, but don't have the cash or time to get into Photoshop? It's all good.  Just click the graphic to the left and download Perfect Layers 2.  It's free.  It brings the power of Photoshop style Layers to Lightroom.  For free.  It's easy to use and plugs right into your workflow.  You call it as an external editor in Lightroom like any other plugin.  Did I mention the part about free?

It also works with Photoshop and Apple Aperture as well as in standalone mode.

Once you open an image in Perfect Layers, you can do all those cool layerly things that you want to do, like retouch, mask out section, control blend modes or add more layers with colour blends.  Heck it also comes with Perfect Effects 3, also at no charge so you leverage over 20 custom photo styling effects.  For free.

Now you are probably asking why the heck the nice people at OnOneSoftware would give these amazing tools away for free.  They aren't insane.  But the tools are so good, it might (should) encourage you to try out their full suite for 30 days to see if (how) it will make your post-processing workflow easier, richer and faster. There's a lot to like in the suite. The coming Perfect Photo Suite 7 has a number of modules including;

Perfect Layers 3 Perfect Portrait 2 Perfect Effects 4 Perfect Resize 7.5 Focal Point 2 Perfect Mask 5 and the brand new Perfect B&W

I like the way these tools integrate into Lightroom. I also like that OnOneSoftware make available a stack of USEFUL Lightroom presets at no charge. LR presets are available in lots of places but with rare exceptions, they're worth what you paid for them. The OnOne presets are usable, and provide a great starting point for your own creativity.

In fact you can order Perfect Photo Suite 6.1 by clicking the banner below and get Perfect Photo Suite 7 at no charge when it is released. So you can get to beautiful work today and be assured to get the new version as soon as it ships.

Give Perfect Layers 2 a shot. The photo you save may be your own.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 35

Nikon drops the D5100?  Nikon finds the focusing problem in the D800 and has a fix.  The Nikon V1 is cheaper than the J1 in the US.  The Canon 1C is a 1Dx with different brains.  Price drop on the 5D Mk II.  EOS-M is shipping in Asia.  New 35/1.4L II at Photoplus? A new sensor for 2013 and a new 400/4?  Metz does a touch screen flash.  Sony invest in Olympus.  Red Giant releases PluralEyes 3.  Adobe turns Elements up to 11.  Color Munki releases the Smile and purple flare in the iPhone 5 is your fault.

Announcing the Hasselblad Lunar

You'd think that the Hasselblad company had gone out and run over the family dog based on the vituperance about the announced Lunar. Hasselblad hasn't lied about the Lunar at all.  They say it is a style oriented camera and benefits from special materials including carbon fibre, wood, leather, titanium and precious metals including gold.  They have made no claims at all about making the electronics or the sensor or even the glass.

Internally the Lunar is a Sony NEX-7.  In my opinion, at time of writing, the NEX-7 is the best Compact System Camera, Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Format, fill in your own name here camera on the market.

The NEX-7 is easy to use and well suited to committed photographers with dual control dials, a built-in viewfinder, blazing autofocus and superb exposure control.  Sony E lenses are pretty darn good and we've recently learned that they are full frame capable.

So Hasselblad isn't making the guts.  They are doing the physical casement.  It will cost around $5,000 more than an NEX-7.  If all you need is delivered by the NEX-7, then go out and buy one.  If you have the coin, and the desire, as well as the willingness to drop $5K on what is, imho, basically bling, then go rock your world.  It's not going to make better images than an NEX-7, but you might feel that your image is enhanced.

There are folks out there who like this sort of thing.  They put gold emblems and giant spinner rims on their cars.  They self-adorn with jewelry.  Those "into photography" have been buying Hermes limited editions of Leicas.  So don't really hammer Hasselblad.  You and I may not buy a Lunar, but if this product generates revenue to help Hasselblad to keep doing amazing "real" (my word) cameras, good for them.  And to their credit, when they went outboard for the guts, they picked the best choice out there.

Specifications courtesy Victor Hasselblad AG

Recording system (still image)
Image quality modes.	RAW, RAW & JPEG, JPEG Fine, JPEG Standard
Media
Media	Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO HG Duo, SD memory card, SDHC memory card, SDXC memory card
Slot	Multi slot for Memory Stick Duo/SD memory card
Exposure control
Exposure modes	IAUTO, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed (S), Manual (M), Sweep Panorama, 3D
Exposure Compensation	Sweep Panorama, Anti Motion Blur, Scene Selection
Bracketing	3 continuous exposure in 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps
LCD monitor
Brightness control	Auto, Manual (5 steps between -2 and +2), Sunny Weather mode
Display contents	Graphic Display, Display All Info., Big Font Size Disp, Info., Live View Priority, Level, Histogram, For viewfinder
Flash
Type	Built-in flash
Flash compensation	+/- 3.0 EV
Flash modes	Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync
Shutter
Type	Electronically controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type
Shutter speed	1/4000 to 30 sec., Bulb
Flash sync. speed	1/160 sec.
Electronic front curtain shutter	Yes, On/Off
Drive
Modes	Single-shot, Continuous, Speed Priority Continuous, Self-timer (10/2 sec. delay), Self-timer (Cont.) (with 10 sec. delay: 3/5 exposures), Bracketing, Remote Cdr
Interface
Pc Interface	Hi-speed USB (USB 2.0): Mass-storage, MTP
HD output	HDMI® mini connector (type-C), PhotoTV HD
Others	Auto-lock Accessory Shoe, Microphone jack, Remote sensor
Weight
Body only	Approx. 420 g
Dimension
W x H x D (including protrusion)	Approx. 140 x 83 x 67 mm

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 34

More Photokina joy. More info for and on the D600. Canon lights up the 6D and G15 and new printers. More small Fuji goodness. Olympus re-PENs. PhaseOne Mamiya bring a new medium format out. Lumix adds a new CSC and lens. Google commits to photography. Sigma brings out new glass and a new lens strategy. Hassleblad brings you the moon. Leica announces the next M series. Think Tank helps you travel in style.