Self portrait a decade later, from Canon to Panasonic

I posted this over in the portrait forum, but figured it was a fun look at MFT photography too. Ten years ago I wanted to try some studio-style setups using only the sun and a piece of cardboard covered in aluminium foil. Now, ten years later, I live at the same location, work in the same town, and wear the same jacket. How could I not try to recreate the old portraits?

The original was shot on a Canon Digital Rebel; my first digital camera, purchased used on eBay. Since then I've used a Canon T2i, Panasonic GH4 (still use it at work), Samsung NX500, Panasonic G7, and now a Panasonic G85, which I really enjoy. So this is what ten years of changes, both organic and technical, can look like...

Decade Self-Portrait #1: raw

Decade Self-Portrait #1: edited

Decade Self-Portrait #2: raw

Decade Self-Portrait #2: edited

It took a few evenings, and of course the sun position was wrong (May versus September), but overall it's a pretty close match. Even the location is almost the same, just the opposite side of the pond. I replicated nearly the same processing approach as well:

1. Process the raw file (basic image data prep).
2. Remove transient skin injuries with the healing brush.
3. Use a soft light layer to retouch skin details (for better or worse, it can be dramatic...but none of the original skin texture is ever removed or blurred, simply lightened/darkened).
4. Use curves and masks to created the desired image values.
5. Use channel mixing to convert to black and white (same as always).
6. Use more curves for contrast.
7. Sharpen recursively at different levels (though I use highpass overlays instead of the unsharp mask now).

Original settings:

• Canon Digital Rebel with 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens at 55mm
• Shutter 1/125
• Aperture f/5.6
• ISO 400
• Photos taken 2008/05/24 between 7:20 and 7:40pm (part of a longer shoot)

New settings:

• Panasonic Lumix G85 with 42.5mm f1.7 lens
• Shutter 1/2000
• Aperture f/2.0
• ISO 200
• Photos taken 2018/09/18 between 7:10 and 7:15pm (part of a longer shoot)

Accounting for crop factors, the setups are almost an exact focal length match, though (hilariously) the depth of field is shallower on the MFT camera. In time-lapse mode with C-AF eye tracking, the Panasonic G85 made recreating the old self portrait so much easier than before! I had to use a hanging leaf to focus ten years ago, then just hope I was close. Now I can see everything on a flip out screen, compare the original shots on my phone, and adjust constantly for changing lighting conditions as the camera just keeps firing off shots. Awesome.

In no way could this ever be a comparison between camera platforms or lens qualities, but it was fun to revisit an old portrait setup with new equipment (and new wrinkles! ha).

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Adielle wrote:

Indeed far too different conditions to be suitable for a "close" comparison, but nice and I have to say those earlier pictures' quality is pretty horrible (no offense, of course).

Oh, none taken! It's amazing what kind of quality I was ok with 10 years ago (maybe not happy about, but ok with). If nothing else, I hope at least that part of my craft has improved a tiny bit. Haha.