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DanPhotoMan

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Tyne & Wear, UK
I'm relatively new hear and I'n not really sure I understand the social dynamics.

I regret that my first ever post was a direct request for answers to questions that were troubling me. In the really real world I would have, at very least, said hello first.

I ride motorbikes and am even newer to http://www.superbikeforums.com but over there, there is a dedicated board for nebies to say hi. Over there the atmosphere is much more friendly regardless of which bike you ride (which is not to say that I personally have encountered any animosity here).

So, anyway, I just wanted to say hello and post a little bit about myself. I'm hoping 149 other users will do the same and that we can all be friends!

I'm 26 and have been a photographer for almost 7 years. My first camera was a Yashica, I loved it but after that I was always a Nikon kid!

When I finally joined the digital revolution I kept my Nikon lenses but whent to a Fuji body as I liked the extended DR and Fuji 'pop'. I was alwyas dissapointed by what I now know to be bayer mush but at the time thought was the Fuji's inability to focus correctly!

I came to Sigma/Foveon by chance; all my gear was stolen from a rented studio and I had to start afresh. After some research I liked the sound of the foveon sensor but had misgivings about the performance of the SD9/10. Fortunately the SD14 had just been released and I like taking chances so here I am! I admit its not the easiest camera to use but I do think it produces sharper images than Bayer.

I liked the SD14 so much I bought an SD9 and SD10! i don't like Sigma's yellow glass and need to learn about converting lenses to SA mount - that was, originally why I joined this forum.

I currently specialize in event work and model portfolio's. i also shoot weddings. My favourite things to photograph are lanscapes, skyscapes and loe light city scapes - I just need to figure out how to get paid for it!

I am in the process of setting up a website so I can provide links to my pictures.

Thanks for reading, please tell me about yourself too =D)

Dan
 
Hi to you too! what a nice way you chose to introduce yourself - and interesting too :-)

My name is Ole, I'm 59 and I have to kids almost your age, a young man and a young woman. I live in Denmark near Copenhagen. I've been with this forum since 2002 and I have both the SD9 and the SD10. Before that I had a little film experience with a Minolta SLR. I'm into the phototaking side of things and have very little interest in the technicalities of the sensor. I do like exotic diy-projects though and have experimented with m42, Nikon and pinhole lenses.

I've mostly done photography where the Sigmas weren't that well suited, but I found ways around the problems: like doing jazz photos combining my music interests and photo interest, but I've had a lot of problems with low light and not being able to use flash in concert situations. A solution has been B/W photos at ISO 1600. I've thought about supplementing the sigmas with a say Nikon D80, but have found that fullsize pictures from this camera were not sharp enough to satisfy me. Having said that I must admit that a lot of my Sigma photos aren't sharp enough either for many reasons....

Another photointerest has been streetphotography which I find immensely interesting and strange how my ability to 'see socially' changes very much from time to time. The Sigma is great here in good light, but it has been a problem that I'm a lot faster than the camera and often see and shoot situations very fast. The faster I shoot, the more I see:-) One way around the slowness of the sigma cameras has been to shoot medium og low resolution - but then I miss the fullsize sharp photos that the camera can produce. I know it's a little crazy to shoot pictures like a machinegun, but that's my style I guess.

I like macrophotography too and have spent a lot of time getting closer and closer with rather little reward so far :-) Some of the posters here have shown remarkable skills and results in this area. Nothing like a bug enlarged many times in it's natural habitat.

Ole
--
http://www.pbase.com/thofte
 
Welcome. This forum seems to go through paroxysmal spasms from time to time. Welcome, and don't ever sweat the small stuff.

tjh
--
'To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding
something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to
do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you
see them.' - Elliot Erwitt

pbase gallery: http://www.pbase.com/tjhanlon/
Sigma Users Group: http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/tj_hanlon
 
Thanks for the introduction Ole,

I too tend to shoot like a machine gun, I had hoped that would be something I could reign in with age and wisdom so your news is not good! - only kidding =D)

I used to have preoblems with my SD10 in low light but somehow I just got the hang of it - thanks largely to an email from a regualr poster here, wish I could remember who in order to credit him!

I would like to try macro at some point and I also want to develop my ability to 'see socially' - have you seen Vermeer's street pictures? I wish I could see like that!

I'm just flicking through your gallery as I type and it seems like you and I definitely have similar shooting styles =D) I ove all the comments on your pictures; my favourite so far:

"How come women are so attractive?

...they just sit there, and yet... it's a mystery."

So true!

Dan
 
Oh the small stuff doesn't bother me - except when I get sucked into reading 150 post threads!

I would rather learn about people in a thread like this than by how well they defend certain points of view in a raging debate!

More responses like Ole's please! I'm nosey ha ha ha!

Dan
 
Hi Dan, welcome and that's a very nice introduction. It's late here now too, and perhaps I'll reprocess a birthday photo tomorrow that gives more than a subtle hint about me. I just looked at it online and it defiinitely needs a reprocess through Photoshop Elements v5/ACR4.1. Hmm, you've probably read me posting that before.

I came to the Sigma forum and photography in a different manner than most, through the technology connection rather than as a photographer initially. I was introduced to Foveon (the company) and its founder through the author I work for; his first writings about Foveon and Carver Mead I recall were in the late 1990s, actually before the Sigma SD9 was in-hand. I met Carver Mead in 2001, met an early SD9 in 2002 (and still have a photo from it in the living room, thanks again DM) and at that time went back to film photography being awed by the beauty of Lake Tahoe (SD9 conference time). I probably hadn't taken 2 rolls of film in a row since the kids were little years before, but I shot about 4 rolls of film in that afternoon at Lake Tahoe. And was hooked.

Then 2003 I had a 2MP digital camera and bought a Sigma SA7 (with cheapie lenses) to start learning an SLR, and for Tahoe 2004 finally the Sigma SD10. And about 10,000 photos later... my interests still are mainly nature photography and landscapes. I sometimes describe this as rocks and trees, mountains and lakes. Although I'm trying daily to learn more, push myself into new subjects and settings, and learn more about the darn processing how-to's.

I initially intended to hold off on the SD14 purchase for a while, since my SD10 is so satisfactory for my purposes. But I had the chance to use a SD14 at Death Valley before PMA March 2007, came home March 11 and began the next day to find one. Mine arrived March 22, I now have about 3000 photos with it. I think it handles differently than the SD10 and has many advantages over the SD10 such as greater ISO versatility. Frankly I find the in-cam flash useful when I remember it's there. I shoot almost exclusively RAW, but an occasional JPEG hi resolution, settings just to try it.

Again, welcome, as you've noticed I'm usually online, since I work online plus am thoroughly hooked on all the info here and with the great people I've grown to know in person or online through the Sigma/Foveon connection.
Best regards, Sandy
[email protected]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann (newest SD14s)
http://www.pbase.com/sandyfleischman
 
Hi Again Dan,
DanPhotoMan said:
I used to have preoblems with my SD10 in low light but somehow I just
got the hang of it - thanks largely to an email from a regualr
poster here, wish I could remember who in order to credit him!
Click to expand...
That poster would be me. You already credited me nicely for helping in a post you made a few weeks ago. It made me feel good that I was able to point you a direction that yielded positive results. It also gave me more confidence in my analysis of the Sigma metering and flash system. I knew what I told you was working for me but wondered if it might all be a happy coincidence of my typical shooting/testing environment and my particular SD9 and X530.

Your report of good results played a role in me deciding to purchase the SD14 (along with the price drop). I had always planned to try to hold off until the first significant price decrease but I think I purchased immediately upon the drop largely due to your feedback.

I've had my SD14 less than a week but OMG this is a GREAT camera! I don't have a whole lot to say about it just yet as I am still testing and learning but I am very impressed so far. Everything works and works well right out of the box. I have had absolutely zero issues or glitches. I have had the camera less than a week but I have shot over 1500 test images putting it through its paces. One pleasant surprise is just how good it can be at ISO 1600. I was amazed. Anytime the SD14 produces a clunker image I can trace it back to a mistake I made or a variable I did not control.

Sigma Photo Pro 3.0 Release 24 works well for me in general. Sigma does need to fix the double-size output option and of course it could be a little faster and more stable but I find that I now need to do so little work on the images that it isn't overall much slower than 2.1 was with the SD9. SPP 3.0 was kind of unstable when I first put it on my machine, long before I got the SD14, but somehow stability has improved greatly on its own. I used to get the build-up of temp files but it seems that ever since the first time I plugged the SD14 into the USB port of my computer it stopped generating temp files. Strange but I'll take it.

For those of you struggling with your new SD14's, exposure, exposure, exposure. It's not the sensor you're struggling with it's the cameras metering system. The meter works right but it works different than other cameras. Matrix metering is your friend but you must learn to set the proper EV+- setting for the type of situation you're shooting in. This is not as trivial as it sounds and any experience you have shooting other cameras like Canon or Nikon is only going to help you get it wrong. You need a good incident light meter an Expodisc and a ColorChecker to figure this out and really prove it to yourself so that you can make the right setting and then trust your meter from there.

I know for a lot of very experienced old-school photographers this goes against the grain but in the case of Sigma cameras I'm with Ken Rockwell, the matrix meter is smarter and faster than you are. Once you learn the correct base EV setting you can still do the old tricks like center area metering off of your own hand and it works like a charm.

I'm just starting another photo class where I'll be shooting the SD14 side by side with the D200's 30D's and 5D's so I should have more to say about it in a few weeks. I like the Canons, the Nikons and the Sigmas. They all have their strengths, I wish I could afford them all. I plan on buying a Nikon D40 to play with along side the SD14.

To sum up Dan it's good to see you're still here. I have expanded and revised some of my ideas about metering and shooting flash with Sigmas since our last exchange I plan to email you to compare notes when I get a little more SD14 time under my belt.

On with the fun,

Ken
 
DanPhotoMan said:
Thanks for the introduction Ole,

I too tend to shoot like a machine gun, I had hoped that would be
something I could reign in with age and wisdom so your news is not
good! - only kidding =D)
Click to expand...
He, he, some personal traits get more accentuated with age. Other traits tend to mellow: like being punctual at work:-) I just want to note too, that the most important thing for me in the machinegun shooting is the 'high feeling' of awareness that is the reason for this way of shooting. I think of it as a kinf of Zen of photo. It doesn't allways result in good shots, but the experience itself and the process is entoxicating in a way! And dangerous too some times: once I just about fell in the harbour here in a shooting frenzy.
DanPhotoMan said:
I used to have preoblems with my SD10 in low light but somehow I just
got the hang of it - thanks largely to an email from a regualr
poster here, wish I could remember who in order to credit him!
Click to expand...
He turned up himself - and with an interesting story of his correspondance with you. I will try to follow his suggestions!
DanPhotoMan said:
I would like to try macro at some point and I also want to develop my
ability to 'see socially' - have you seen Vermeer's street pictures?
I wish I could see like that!
Click to expand...
Georges photos! Yes - but they are Georges. Can't be immitated. But they can serve as an inspiration to find one's one style, I think/hope....
DanPhotoMan said:
I'm just flicking through your gallery as I type and it seems like
you and I definitely have similar shooting styles =D) I ove all the
comments on your pictures; my favourite so far:

"How come women are so attractive?

...they just sit there, and yet... it's a mystery."

So true!
Click to expand...
Thanks - well, the comment: I think I realise this has to do with me/men - we have this ability to see attractiveness in women :-) They take it for granted, I'm not sure if they realise it exists, but mistake it for something else - like some people are attracted to flowers, others are not. Those who aren't don't know much about how this attraction feels inside. I'm also rather sure that most women do not have this kind of attraction to men - but how would I know .... :-)

Ole

--
http://www.pbase.com/thofte
 
Welcome Dan, wish you a delightful stay here. There are a lot of really nice people here. Just one note... don't believe the hype about yellow sigma glass... Have fun shooting!

Bob
--------------------------------------------------------
Make the world look nice once in a while.
--------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to take a look around the following sites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobnl
http://bob.sigma-bits.com/
http://bob.sigma-bits.com/gallery2
http://www.rondje-ypenburg.nl

 
Gunter B said:
DanPhotoMan said:
i don't like
Sigma's yellow glass and need to learn about converting lenses to SA
mount - that was, originally why I joined this forum.
Click to expand...
Hi Dan,
last time I checked, none of my Sigma glass was yellow. Who told you
it were?
Click to expand...
Hi,Gunter if I remember right there was speculation a while back that the coatings of the lens caused the famous yellow cast.........

Introduction... well started in highschool, got my 1st slr in 69 or 70, it used 126 film. I liked the size and it fit in my coat pocket nicely. Went to 35mm mid70's, a Pentax, and still use it some now, strange, I have a lot more glass for Sigma's than mount....hum...... My wife is a very sweet soul who indulges me even when she thinks I'm crazy.
--
Rick Wilkinson
From Gobblers Knob
http://www.pbase.com/short243
 
ole thofte said:
Georges photos! Yes - but they are Georges. Can't be immitated. But
they can serve as an inspiration to find one's one style, I
think/hope....
Click to expand...
Hi, Hope you don't mind Ole.

I have a friend who is well know in this area. It really bothers him that people try to copy his images exactly. He is flatered but...well we discovered a little falls and got some nice images, he doesn't tell where it because " someone will be there looking for his tripod footprints"........ Boils down to learn from everyone how to be yourself........
--
Rick Wilkinson
From Gobblers Knob
http://www.pbase.com/short243
 
short243 said:
Hi,Gunter if I remember right there was speculation a while back that
the coatings of the lens caused the famous yellow cast.........
Click to expand...
Nope, that speculation is based on nonsense.

The yellow cast is caused only by SPP under certain circumstances, not at all by the lenses.

That hoax was brought up here by our friend Suzie long time ago, who wanted to sell his converted Canon lenses. He even showed some ridiculous "proofs" - comparisons between the 50EX and a Canon 50/1.4, where the Sigma lens showed severe and not removable yellow cast.
He was proven wrong more than once.

I happen to have both of those lenses, and there is no yellow cast on the Sigma one. The most I can say is it is slightly warmer than the 50/1.4, but thats about all.

Granted, the Canon 50/1.4 is extraordinarily sharp and has near to zero CA, but color isn´t much of a difference between both.

--
--
--
Cheers
Günter

http://swiss-landmarks.ch
http://www.pbase.com/ghoerdt

 
I did it, edited the birthday photo again through PSEv5/ACR4.1 now, the silly picture of me edited for about the 5th time. I forget whether this was firmware 1.00, 1.01 or 1.02. Now my hair looks green, which it actually does in some light (it's a funny khaki blond color) but the skintones are about, unevenly, right. I kept the background very dark, because it just detracts. The default processing on PSEv5/ACR4.1 wanted to pull up detail from the dark background. Aside from DM's 2002 SD9 photo of me from a conference, Dominic Gross' photo in his galleries from PMA2005 is the photo I like best....

This latest from April 2007, SD14, you can find in my pbase, click recent ;-) The candles tell the story...what lady tells her age.. oh well... with age maybe comes knowledge ;-)
Best regards, Sandy
[email protected]
http://www.pbase.com/sandyfleischman (ref photo above)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann (newest SD14s)
 
Hi, Dan,

Welcome. Sorry you dropped by in the midst of a little family set-to. I'm a relatively new adoptee on the forum, but I think we're "processing" our way through it. Don't be put off. As I think we're having to re-learn ourselves, starting with a civilly worded question or comment goes a long way toward a cordial and helpful reply. And if someone is out of sorts and reacts "over the top" a little sleep and natural fiber usually helps.

As for myself, I'm even younger that Sandy F ;-) (Sandy - that's a compliment!)

I'm a "recovering electrical engineer" with - ahem - "over 20 years" in the telecom industry. Got a masters in counseling in 2000 and have been messing up the work and academic lives of students, alumni, and staff at a large university for about 8 years now. I've been a photographer (amateur) since high school shooting mostly 35mm rangefinder and slr (with a little Polaroid for holidays) and a fair amount of VHS video since color consumer equipment became semi-affordable. My first DSLR was the SD9 and I recently added the SD14. I shoot mostly for myself but a lot of community service shooting for church and a fraternal organization.

Ignore us when we're cranky - and enjoy the information and fellowship.

Regards,
--
Ed_S
http://www.pbase.com/ecsquires
 
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