kefran 0 #1 February 6, 2008 Hi guys, just thought that maybe some of you are using the same so i'm asking about wide angle converters mounted on a Rebel XT. I got one from ebay for under 35$ so even if it's not up to a standard wide angle lens ... so your advices about those stuffs ? best !-------------------------------------------------- I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #2 February 6, 2008 Ehm, buy a real lens? ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cashmanimal 0 #3 February 6, 2008 Takes cool pictures. Also takes crap pictures. Ya know what I mean? It gets nice, fun, wide-angle shots that I would consider nice for having around, but rarely if ever printing or looking at too closely. The combination of the glass, their optics quality and the fact that it (probably) passes through a couple adapters just doesn't bode well for the images. When you get down to it, they are just plain low-quality pictures. I have been pained on many occasions that I took an awesome picture, well-framed, in-focus and well-timed and when I get into the picture, it isn't what it truly should have been. I found that it work well enough on BRIGHT days... evening or moderately cloudy days, don't count on anything better than a C+ photo. I attached a few pictures I took with the adapter... I didn't really take the time to optimize them or anything, so sorry if they are a bit small. But the low clouds one is an extreme example... granted, that is not all the lens' fault, but it is exactly what I am talking about. Low-light conditions make it look like the ISO is WAAAY off... even if it wasn'tIt's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cashmanimal 0 #4 February 7, 2008 I thought of a couple more points.... Assuming you got the same one that I have screwed on in the attached photo, consider your mounting position, depending on what camera you use. For about a month all my videos has part of the adapter in the video fram because I never took the time to fix it. Annnnd.... in my experiences with it, I found it was a wise choice to shoot with AF... in MF, even with lots of gaffers, the weight of the adapter alone was enough to adjust any focal length I had set. Might not be the case for you or everybody else, but it was for me. That caused a little bit of anguish. After crapping all over your new purchase, I would like to say once more that it works just fine. It's a $35 screw-on adapter. That's what you paid for, that's what your getting. Get creative with it, it is possible.It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #5 February 7, 2008 3 words. They are junk.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kefran 0 #6 February 7, 2008 thanks guys ! as you said : i will have fun with it, at least at this price it's not really a big problem. and the tandems passengers will be happy anyway to have the pics ;) cheers !-------------------------------------------------- I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cashmanimal 0 #7 February 7, 2008 Quote3 words. They are junk. Yeah, that was way easier than what I said.It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kefran 0 #8 February 7, 2008 Quote Quote 3 words. They are junk. Yeah, that was way easier than what I said. but way less instructive ... -------------------------------------------------- I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #9 February 7, 2008 Quoteand the tandems passengers will be happy anyway to have the pics ;) This is what I take offence to in your thoughts... why is its ok to give paying customers a low quality photo just to save you a few bucks? Remember that your customers are paying usually close to $300 US for a tandem with video, that is still a good chunk of change and they should be provided a high quality product. That means crisp, sharp photos that are suitible to enlarge and not get fuzzy on anything past 8*10, it means photos that are centered and properly exposed, it means giving them a product that you'd be willing to put your reputation on, on every jump. I am guilty of using the kit lens since it was inexpensive but I also take a lot of care to make sure my photos are as close as I can get them to being centered, correctly exposed and I even shot for not needing cropped on every jump. Will I be upgrading my gear in the future? Sure thing I will.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kefran 0 #10 February 7, 2008 QuoteI am guilty of using the kit lens since it was inexpensive but I also take a lot of care to make sure my photos are as close as I can get them to being centered, correctly exposed and I even shot for not needing cropped on every jump. Will I be upgrading my gear in the future? Sure thing I will. don't get me wrong, i for sure will take great care of the paying passengers. what i meant is that i will have to make my tests on non-paying for video nor pictures passengers, i pay my slot for that as the passengers in no way are here to pay our training ! but the results can be .... surprising sometimes ! i'm sorry i hurt you-------------------------------------------------- I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #11 February 7, 2008 QuoteQuoteand the tandems passengers will be happy anyway to have the pics ;) This is what I take offence to in your thoughts... Ditto. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccordia 73 #12 February 7, 2008 QuoteQuoteQuoteand the tandems passengers will be happy anyway to have the pics ;) This is what I take offence to in your thoughts... Ditto. Why.... I do a lot of tandemvideos on my home DZ, and when pictures are not included in the deal. Just for fun and practice I take stills along every once in a while. And if there are nice pictures in there, I mail one or two good ones to the costumer. I understand why you guys (and girl) are upset if it's commercial pictures they payd for. But if its just playtime, and the (maybe less then optimal) pictures are just a mere bonus...why take offence in that...JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #13 February 7, 2008 Because it's better imo to give no pics than crappy ones. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PharmerPhil 0 #14 February 7, 2008 QuoteBecause it's better imo to give no pics than crappy ones. Amen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peej 0 #15 February 7, 2008 QuoteBecause it's better imo to give no pics than crappy ones. I agree. Even when my passengers say they don't want stills i shoot them anyway, the same way i would if they are paying for them, and nine times out of ten when they see them on the ground they end up buying them. Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fast 0 #16 February 7, 2008 QuoteQuoteBecause it's better imo to give no pics than crappy ones. I agree. Even when my passengers say they don't want stills i shoot them anyway, the same way i would if they are paying for them, and nine times out of ten when they see them on the ground they end up buying them. My dz doesn't even distinguish. Everyone who buys video gets picture included. Also, I 100% agree that no product is better than a crappy product!!!!~D Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #17 February 7, 2008 The photos coming from those "Wide Angle converter" lenses that get put on the end of another lens degrads the photos and just makes the edges no longer sharp and crisp. On a 3*5 its not that noticible, on a 4*6 you might get some hints at it, on an 8*10 its seen with out looking that hard and blowing it up past 8*10 is a ral crap shoot in terms of it is sharp enough or not. The weight hanging on the frint of a zoom lens is enough to change the focal length so that means you are now defeating the purpose of the WA adapter. The better money is spent on getting a nice piece of glass that will be sharp all the way through the range.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kefran 0 #18 February 7, 2008 to get bakc to the real topic : something i don't understand : why an added converter will degrade (i understand about the light) the pictures when it works just fine on our videocams ? and yes : i'm a total newbie at aerial photography cheers-------------------------------------------------- I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peej 0 #19 February 7, 2008 QuoteMy dz doesn't even distinguish. Everyone who buys video gets picture included. I've been trying to push for this at my home DZ for ages. Unfortunately we have two major tandem operations so there has to be an agreement between the two. Sorry. that's off topic i know. Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #20 February 7, 2008 Quote Because it's better imo to give no pics than crappy ones. Not to the customer! They want to see themselves skydiving. Charging big bucks for sucky pictures is obviously wrong, but not giving the customer pictures at all because they aren't the photographer's best work is wrong too, in my opinion. I've seen people post here before that camera flyers are better off destroying inferior videos than giving them to the customer for free. I just don't agree... Tandem students just want to see themselves skydiving, and while they would prefer the best quality pictures and video possible, they deserve something, even if it's not perfect. But in the case of a wide angle converter, I just don't see the point of ruining the optics of a perfectly adequate lens. If it's not wide enough, fly farther away. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #21 February 7, 2008 Video lenses lower the quality of it too but usually since things are in motion and you are not staring at a single frame for minutes you do not notice that there is color fringing occuring or that the person is a bit blurry or anything else. A Still is something that is going to be printed then looked at for long peroids of time. If the slightist thing is off its easy to notice it on a still since its a single moment in time that is undestracted by the fame before it or the frame after it like a video is. Video cameras can only resolve to no more then roughly 2000*1100 pixels and thats on HD cameras, you standered camera only resolves to around 720*480 pixels. This is a HUGE difference since video can only be so sharp at that low quality level but digitial stills have 4-10 times as many pixels in them and can render things sharper and clearer. For video the lenses don't lower the quality enough to worry about usually, for stills its a bigger difference and its seen easier.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #22 February 7, 2008 That, plus the fact that a converter on a still is usually used on a kit lens which isn't a good lens to start with. Result: ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the_sarge 0 #23 February 7, 2008 Quote That, plus the fact that a converter on a still is usually used on a kit lens which isn't a good lens to start with. Result: This statement doesn't apply to the lens (18-55mm IS) supplied with the 450D. Build quality isn't top, but the sharpness almost matches L-class lenses of the same focal range. Of course... A wide angle converter will screw up any picture, regardless of the lens. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccordia 73 #24 February 8, 2008 Quote Not to the customer! They want to see themselves skydiving. Charging big bucks for sucky pictures is obviously wrong, but not giving the customer pictures at all because they aren't the photographer's best work is wrong too, in my opinion. I've seen people post here before that camera flyers are better off destroying inferior videos than giving them to the customer for free. I just don't agree... Tandem students just want to see themselves skydiving, and while they would prefer the best quality pictures and video possible, they deserve something, even if it's not perfect. I fully agree with this one...as alone as we may stand in that viewIf someone is learning to take pictures with some cheep gear, untill he can shell out the cash for something good. Good for him. The pictures may be far from perfect in terms of quality (due to optics, not due to flying!). But to the person making the tandem, that (free) picture is gold. If ANY money is asked for the pictures..then yes...Id definately object to handing someone anything substandard and less then perfectly sharp.. Remembering my first jump...I have a photo of my first staticline exit. Shot from the ground by another students dad. Its a picture where the plane is barely visable, and you only see a spec thats most likely me.. But to me, that picture was like 'the one ring' at that point..gold! As shitty as a picture may be...it can be of great vallue to a person (note I didnt say costumer)JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
