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Shanghai, China

Started Oct 6, 2013 | Photos
jonathanj
jonathanj Contributing Member • Posts: 999
Shanghai, China
1

Some photos from Shanghai, mainly around the Bund. All Samsung NX20 and 12-24mm

We were there a few weeks ago and I'd been hoping to go back and spend some more time on photography this last week over the National Holiday here in China, but after one day there on Wednesday, the vast crowds drove me home!

View of Pudong from the Bund

Oriental Pearl Tower

View from Oriental Pearl Tower

View of the Bund from Pudong

For the first time, I noticed when posting that as well as "start a thread" there is an option to "share photos". I've somehow never noticed this before, so I'm trying it now - have no idea what difference this makes - if this post ends up in the wrong place, I might need to repost it, I guess.

Edit: ah, the difference is that if you tick the box, there is a little message at the end asking for constructive criticism! Has that always been the case? Anyway, I always welcome feedback on any photos I post...

 jonathanj's gear list:jonathanj's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Sony a7R III Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 O.I.S Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm F1.7 ASPH +8 more
Comment & critique:
Please provide me constructive critique and criticism.
TJL LTFF
TJL LTFF Senior Member • Posts: 1,728
Re: Shanghai, China

Wonderful use of the lens; thanks for sharing with us. In the nice photo of the statue, I would be tempted to darken just a little the sky by using the Luminance adjustment tool in LR; which I think does a nice job of that.

Please keep sharing.

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wstruth
wstruth Regular Member • Posts: 336
Re: Shanghai, China

Great captures. I like #4 and the last the best.  How does the 12-24 perform with focusing at night?  I have the 18-55 version 3 and find it to be pretty accurate, and I'm considering to purchase a copy of your lens.

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simontramper
simontramper Senior Member • Posts: 2,405
Re: Shanghai, China

Beautiful work I joy to view thank you .

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Samsung NX200 Samsung Galaxy NX Samsung NX1 Samsung NX 20-50mm F3.5-5.6 ED Samyang 8mm F3.5 Aspherical IF MC Fisheye +10 more
arbuz Senior Member • Posts: 2,247
Re: Shanghai, China

TJL LTFF wrote:

Wonderful use of the lens; thanks for sharing with us. In the nice photo of the statue, I would be tempted to darken just a little the sky by using the Luminance adjustment tool in LR; which I think does a nice job of that.

Please keep sharing.

What makes you think this did not happen already? I actually wanted to praise this for very good metering with no blow highlights - I can't believe shadows and highlights were not already adjusted.

 arbuz's gear list:arbuz's gear list
Nikon D600 Samsung NX300 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 Samsung NX30 Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH OIS +14 more
TJL LTFF
TJL LTFF Senior Member • Posts: 1,728
Re: Shanghai, China

arbuz wrote:

TJL LTFF wrote:

Wonderful use of the lens; thanks for sharing with us. In the nice photo of the statue, I would be tempted to darken just a little the sky by using the Luminance adjustment tool in LR; which I think does a nice job of that.

Please keep sharing.

What makes you think this did not happen already?

Because my own experience in working with bright skies with the NX20 under similar conditions when highlights aren't blown (which I think is the case here), if he shot raw. There's lots of room to play with clear and/or partly cloudy skies on NX20 raw photos (jpg's not so much). That's why I like to shoot raw.

And I agree with your following comment. Since I also think it was metered nicely and again if he shot raw, there was very likely the chance of working the sky in this photo more than he did; which was my personal taste/opinion type comment (since he asked for comments). Taste's do vary though.

I actually wanted to praise this for very good metering with no blow highlights - I can't believe shadows and highlights were not already adjusted.

 TJL LTFF's gear list:TJL LTFF's gear list
Sony RX1R II Samsung NX1 Samsung NX500 Samsung NX 30mm F2 Pancake Samsung NX 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OIS +10 more
jonathanj
OP jonathanj Contributing Member • Posts: 999
Re: Shanghai, China

TJL LTFF wrote:

arbuz wrote:

TJL LTFF wrote:

Wonderful use of the lens; thanks for sharing with us. In the nice photo of the statue, I would be tempted to darken just a little the sky by using the Luminance adjustment tool in LR; which I think does a nice job of that.

Please keep sharing.

What makes you think this did not happen already?

Because my own experience in working with bright skies with the NX20 under similar conditions when highlights aren't blown (which I think is the case here), if he shot raw. There's lots of room to play with clear and/or partly cloudy skies on NX20 raw photos (jpg's not so much). That's why I like to shoot raw.

And I agree with your following comment. Since I also think it was metered nicely and again if he shot raw, there was very likely the chance of working the sky in this photo more than he did; which was my personal taste/opinion type comment (since he asked for comments). Taste's do vary though.

I actually wanted to praise this for very good metering with no blow highlights - I can't believe shadows and highlights were not already adjusted.

Thanks for the comments!

Yes, this was shot in raw, and adjusted, highlights -20, shadows +20. My post processing skills are pretty basic, so I don't generally get as far as adjusting individual colour channels. Below is a tweaked version adjusting luminance on the blue channel - on reflection I think this does looks better, although the original is probably more true to what I saw  

 jonathanj's gear list:jonathanj's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Sony a7R III Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 O.I.S Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm F1.7 ASPH +8 more
jonathanj
OP jonathanj Contributing Member • Posts: 999
Re: Shanghai, China

I find the 12-24 pretty good focusing, whether day or night. I only briefly had the 18-55 and didn't use it much, so I couldn't compare it, but I would say the 12-24 is better than the 30mm, probably better than the 16mm, and at least as good as the 18-200mm in terms of both speed and ability to find focus. I haven't tested thoroughly, but that's my impression. Certainly with night scenery I've never had a problem as long as there is some point of contrast.

If anyone else has the lens, please give feedback, but I can't think of any faults with the 12-24. I guess a constant f4 aperture would be nice, but that's about it. If you read the tests, the 24mm end is supposed to be less sharp, but I can't see it myself. Unlike the 18-200mm, where I could see a clear difference in sharpness to the primes, I don't think I could easily pick out which photos of mine were taken with the 12-24 and which with the 16 or 30mm, without looking at 100%.

 jonathanj's gear list:jonathanj's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Sony a7R III Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 O.I.S Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm F1.7 ASPH +8 more
TJL LTFF
TJL LTFF Senior Member • Posts: 1,728
Re: Shanghai, China

jonathanj wrote:

Below is a tweaked version adjusting luminance on the blue channel - on reflection I think this does looks better, although the original is probably more true to what I saw

Of course it's just a matter of taste, but I think it looks better also. I find the changing skies interesting, so I have a lot of fun delving into the details that may be in them and how the look of the photo changes with different post-processings of the skies and their effects on the main subject.

Keep up the good work and thanks again for sharing.

 TJL LTFF's gear list:TJL LTFF's gear list
Sony RX1R II Samsung NX1 Samsung NX500 Samsung NX 30mm F2 Pancake Samsung NX 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OIS +10 more
tecnoworld
tecnoworld Veteran Member • Posts: 7,232
Re: Shanghai, China

Wow, #3,4,5 are very 'dramatic'. I like them all, bravo!

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selar rao Contributing Member • Posts: 527
Re: Shanghai, China

You compose better at 20mm than you do at 12mm

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jonathanj
OP jonathanj Contributing Member • Posts: 999
Re: Shanghai, China

I think you meant me and not technoworld whom you were replying to, and yes, you're right, I've had a lot more practice at longer focal lengths!

 jonathanj's gear list:jonathanj's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Sony a7R III Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 O.I.S Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm F1.7 ASPH +8 more
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