F200exr Tips

[Kim Letkeman]

Kim- I'm only on day 1 with my F70 so really am behind the curve here. Probably shouldnt even join in here. But what you just wrote is really surprising to me. You are saying that the maximum image size (L) gives worse IQ than (M). That seems crazy! Am I missing something here?

I put in "as ISO rises" ... but in fact the F70 shoots better in M mode all the time in my opinion ...

People have shown that HR mode on the F70 is poor in shadows ... NR wiping details too much ... but in M size, I think it works great and when upsized it can compete even with the F200 in HR mode. But then, that's just me on this site ... we have people on here who swear that the F70 simply cannot meet their standards ... whatever ...

Every one of the following at 1600 ISO ...

Leaving forum to go read your blog....

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

 

[Kim Letkeman]

OK, I think I might be getting onto this a bit. Is setting the camera to (M) the downsizing to 5 megapixels? I understood that cutting the resolution in half was best for EXR cameras but I thought that the cam did this when the EXR mode was engaged. Not true? So the operator is the one who downsizes from 10 to 5 megapixels?

Yes ... EXR DR mode will shoot at 5mp, as will EXR SN mode. But shooting at M size (5mp) in P mode shows no difference in image quality and can therefore shoot at all ISO with a single mode ...

I can't imagine how much work went into your blog setting up this camera. Sooo many options in those menus! Thanks for your hard work Kim.

You are welcome ... Fuji really need an enema in their software team to flush out bad thoughts and bad habits ... these cams could be so easy to use if they would just think about what and how people shoot instead of being so technology driven ...

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

 

[potownrob]

I too am led to believe those Fuji technicians don't know their own cameras, and to call your shots taken in P mode mediocre?!?! Kim, those shots you just posted (which I had seen before on your blog) are nothing short of excellent, especially for the low light and varying contrast. I forget, did you use the built-in flash for any of those or just the umbrellas and lights from the set (it doesn't look like you used the built-in flash)?? Thankfully, we have people like you Kim who can help us with getting excellent (not mediocre!) real world results.
--
too many cameras...

 

[rattymouse]

OK, I think I might be getting onto this a bit. Is setting the camera to (M) the downsizing to 5 megapixels? I understood that cutting the resolution in half was best for EXR cameras but I thought that the cam did this when the EXR mode was engaged. Not true? So the operator is the one who downsizes from 10 to 5 megapixels?

Yes ... EXR DR mode will shoot at 5mp, as will EXR SN mode. But shooting at M size (5mp) in P mode shows no difference in image quality and can therefore shoot at all ISO with a single mode ...

I can't imagine how much work went into your blog setting up this camera. Sooo many options in those menus! Thanks for your hard work Kim.

You are welcome ... Fuji really need an enema in their software team to flush out bad thoughts and bad habits ... these cams could be so easy to use if they would just think about what and how people shoot instead of being so technology driven ...

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

The shots you just posted are amazing for a pocket cam set at 1600. My F20 is awful at 800, much less 1600.

I pity the poor sap who buys an F70 and doesnt like to tinker around. This camera is phenomenally complicated compared to my SLR. Still, I think day 1 went OK and look forward to day 2.

 

[potownrob]

Hi guys. I have an F70 (Fuji F70EXR that is, not to be confused with the Nikon F70) but want to post in here since it seems to be the main thread about tips for using the F70 & F200.

Not too likely that we'd assume you were talking about an old Nikon film SLR here ...

Hey, it's one of the few older cameras I've used that doesn't feel old when I use it. That F70 has one of the coolest user interfaces I've seen on a camera and has been good with the metering and AF, IMO. I've gotten some decent shots with that camera using the 35mm f/2.8 AI and 50mm f/1.8 AF-D lenses and plain old Kodak 400 Gold (or Max) film.
--
too many cameras...

 

[Kim Letkeman]

I too am led to believe those Fuji technicians don't know their own cameras, and to call your shots taken in P mode mediocre?!?! Kim, those shots you just posted (which I had seen before on your blog) are nothing short of excellent, especially for the low light and varying contrast. I forget, did you use the built-in flash for any of those or just the umbrellas and lights from the set (it doesn't look like you used the built-in flash)?? Thankfully, we have people like you Kim who can help us with getting excellent (not mediocre!) real world results.

Those are all available light ... a main window casting the majority of the light, some nasty orange halogens above, hence the B&W treatment ...

1/50s @ 1600ISO is more than you get in your living room, but not exactly tons of light ...

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

 

[Kim Letkeman]

Hey, it's one of the few older cameras I've used that doesn't feel old when I use it. That F70 has one of the coolest user interfaces I've seen on a camera and has been good with the metering and AF, IMO. I've gotten some decent shots with that camera using the 35mm f/2.8 AI and 50mm f/1.8 AF-D lenses and plain old Kodak 400 Gold (or Max) film.

My film days were mainly Pentax ... one Canon interlude that ended badly (cam stolen from my house) ... wish I'd gone Nikon much earlier ... would have been nice to have a few AI and AIS lenses kicking around ... although I must say that I just sold some superb copies of AI(S) lenses to revamp my whole kit ... AF is too important to me ...

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

 

[potownrob]

Kim Letkeman wrote:
... AF is too important to me ...

I hear you. Never did do too well with the manual focus here, even using MF cameras, though I've had my moments. I've been tempted to try out Canon, Pentax and other brands but, for what little I shoot and Nikon being as good as it is (if not better!), there's really no need.
--
too many cameras...

 

[potownrob]

Ok, I shot a decent amount last night at a bar and tried out both EXR SN and P mode with the right settings (5mp, auto 1600 ISO, DR400, -1/3 exposure compensation, screen darkened a notch..) and the two modes seemed to behave almost identically other than the EXR SN mode not having adjustable DR and I think the flash choices were different. Exposure compensation and ISO settings were the same as P mode. EXR SN mode kept using DR100... I couldn't tell the difference for what I was shooting (at least on the camera screen, but I ended up using just P mode after I saw that it wasn't using DR400 at all in EXR SN mode.
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too many cameras...

 

[potownrob]

I also have to note that the pictures came out amazing for shots taken at ISO 800 and 1600. The noise is no wheres as bad as I was led to believe while looking at the camera screen (zoomed in).
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too many cameras...

 

[Kim Letkeman]

I also have to note that the pictures came out amazing for shots taken at ISO 800 and 1600. The noise is no wheres as bad as I was led to believe while looking at the camera screen (zoomed in).

Sounds good ... I agree that the noise often surprises when shooting P mode and half res (M size) ...

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

 

[potownrob]

Shots at the bar (no pun intended):

'] http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4211723859_125285c2a6_b.jpg[/img] [/URL]

'] http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4211719891_03269e000c_b.jpg[/img] [/URL]

'] http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/4211712487_3348fc1c43_b.jpg[/img] [/URL]

'] http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4211708531_123429066f_b.jpg[/img] [/URL]
and one from work last weekend:

'] http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4211695995_a1fd0ae97c_b.jpg[/img] [/URL]

--
too many cameras...

 

[potownrob]

for some reason it won't let me edit my own post, so here it is redone; might still have to click on the links...

Shots at the bar (no pun intended):

[/URL]

[ img]
[/I]

[URL='http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4211719891_03269e000c_b.jpg'] [IMG]http://www.dpreview.com/files/w/TS400?url=http%3a%2f%2ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2f4059%2f4211719891_03269e000c_b.jpg [/URL]

[ img]
[/I]

[URL='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/4211712487_3348fc1c43_b.jpg'] [IMG]http://www.dpreview.com/files/w/TS400?url=http%3a%2f%2ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2f2553%2f4211712487_3348fc1c43_b.jpg [/URL]

[ img]
[/I]

[URL='http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4211708531_123429066f_b.jpg'] [IMG]http://www.dpreview.com/files/w/TS400?url=http%3a%2f%2ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2f4019%2f4211708531_123429066f_b.jpg [/URL]

[ img]
and one from work last weekend:
[/I]

[URL='http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4211695995_a1fd0ae97c_b.jpg'] [IMG]http://www.dpreview.com/files/w/TS400?url=http%3a%2f%2ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2f4033%2f4211695995_a1fd0ae97c_b.jpg [/URL]

[ img]
--
too many cameras...

 

[LuckyD50]

Las night was my very first outing with the S200EXR and here are
some of the results but now that i read Kim's blog and fixed all the
settings, i am very curious to see what is going to get out of it, thanks Kim !

1, M mode @ 100 ISO, 2 seconds F/3 on tripod



2, EXR Auto mode @ 1600 ISO, 1/8 seconds F/3.6 hand held



3, EXR Auto mode @ 1600 ISO, 1/10 seconds F/3.2 hand held



Nothing spectacular but i like them !
--
Nikon D300S / Fuji S200EXR
Sigma 10-20, Nikon 50 F/1.4G, 85 F1.8D, 70-210D