[narlus]

i got around to doing some more white balance, cropping, and other clean up tasks among the slew of photos i took thursday night, so here they are for your viewing enjoyment.

A Whisper in the Noise

Moby-like drummer:

knit-hatted singer:

french horn player, resting:

i kinda liked the effect of the hallway light in this shot:

Arab Strap

Aidan, no doubt telling a remorseful tale of woe:

drummer action:

malcolm:

a spell at the keyboard:

thanks for indulging me.

 

[maxyedor]

Good shots but they all look depressed. That wasn't an EMO. show was it?

 

[Mike B.]

Nice shots narlus, all with the 50/1.8? The Malcolm shot is probably my favorite.
Edit: Exif says yes

Wonder if parts will be along when he see his old screen name in the title?

 

[narlus]

Good shots but they all look depressed. That wasn't an EMO. show was it?

not emo, but judge for yourself

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149968

 

[narlus]

Nice shots narlus, all with the 50/1.8? The Malcolm shot is probably my favorite.

thanks!

yeah, that lens is my best low-light lens by far...even w/ it all the way open, i've still got to use ISO 1600 for most of the shots in these low-light clubs. still, it would be nice to have zoom capability, but i doubt i could find a fast enough lens...i'd probably need to shoot 3200 at 2.8, and my camera doesn't support that ISO.

 

[justsomeguy]

Tough shooting conditions. Most look great, a few are too soft for my tastes.

Can you use a monopod in that kind of venue?

p.s. Opanda's Firefox EXIF plugin is pretty cool

 

[Toshi]

Tough shooting conditions. Most look great, a few are too soft for my tastes.

make sure that you focus on the face vs. on the hands or whatever is nearest, assuming you want the faces to be in focus...

 

[DamienC]

I just noticed that Arab Strap is playing a show at Iota (Arlington, VA) on Monday night (4/10). If I can I'll swing by and check them out.

 

[narlus]

make sure that you focus on the face vs. on the hands or whatever is nearest, assuming you want the faces to be in focus...

yeah, i definitely know what you mean ...i actually resorted to manual focus for a few shots, as i am not sold on the AF capability of that lens on occasion, but not sure if it really made much of a difference.

JSG, a monopod would probably be allowed, but then i'd feel even goofier! there were a couple of others taking photos but they used mainly flash (w/ a white piece of something taped to the back, i guess to get a more diffuse flash?). i'd much prefer non-flash but would be curious to see their results.

ps - thanks for that opanda link.

 

[justsomeguy]

JSG, a monopod would probably be allowed, but then i'd feel even goofier! there were a couple of others taking photos but they used mainly flash (w/ a white piece of something taped to the back, i guess to get a more diffuse flash?)

Yes, bouncing the flash against a white card difuses/softens the flash.

If the club allows flash and you can deal with people knowing you're a complete photo geek, that would be cool to experiment with.

 

[BurlyShirley]

I dont know if I could respect a band much with a french horn player...

 

[Toshi]

yeah, i definitely know what you mean ...i actually resorted to manual focus for a few shots, as i am not sold on the AF capability of that lens on occasion, but not sure if it really made much of a difference.

maybe this kind of situation is where the superior 30D (20D?) AF capability that transcend writes of would come into play . does the 300/350D have a cross center focusing point? except when shooting action i almost always only use the center point on my 20D since it has twice the accuracy, or at least greater accuracy if my hyperbole doesn't check out.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/20d_pg2.html

The sophisticated 9-point autofocus system has a high-precision cross-type sensor in the center position. This new design seen for the first time in the 20D provides full cross- type performance with maximum apertures as small as f/5.6, yet it achieves up to 3 times the standard focusing precision when used with EF lenses featuring maximum apertures larger than or equal to f/2.8.

woot. 3x. a brief page through of the dpreview 350D review shows no mention of cross type sensors, so this may well be the fabled answer.

 

[brungeman]

Yes, bouncing the flash against a white card difuses/softens the flash.

If the club allows flash and you can deal with people knowing you're a complete photo geek, that would be cool to experiment with.

I always look at people with cameras and good equipment and automatically give them a little extra room... but maybe that is just cause I would like the same in return if I was the one with the cam...

BTW... that Opanda is like big brother... I was checking out the link and got freaked just reading about it... it can tell the type of cam the settings, the processing???? am I correct did I read that correct? that is awesomely creapy and cool at the same time!!! right on thanks!

 

[narlus]

maybe this kind of situation is where the superior 30D (20D?) AF capability that transcend writes of would come into play . does the 300/350D have a cross center focusing point? except when shooting action i almost always only use the center point on my 20D since it has twice the accuracy, or at least greater accuracy if my hyperbole doesn't check out.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/20d_pg2.html


woot. 3x. a brief page through of the dpreview 350D review shows no mention of cross type sensors, so this may well be the fabled answer.

that's a good point...the 350D has a 7 AF point selection, but i use the one which gives the best framing in the viewfinder, not the center one exclusively. maybe i should experiment? i had assumed that any of the AF points would have the same accuracy, but maybe that's not true? by 'cross type', are you describing the pattern of the AF points? if so, then yes, the 350D does have this. it kinda looks like this through the viewfinder:

            +

+   +       +       +   +

            +

 

[tmx]

always dig your photos narlus. these are superb.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Oh, they are good photos BTW.

That's something I could never really get right when I was in photo school was shooting bands under wierd stage lights. Good work.

 

[Trainwreck]

Superior work, beats the hell outta mine. Nice job.

 

[Toshi]

by 'cross type', are you describing the pattern of the AF points? if so, then yes, the 350D does have this. it kinda looks like this through the viewfinder:

            +

+   +       +       +   +

            +

that isn't what i mean. normal AF sensors are like a strip (so your drawing should be with | instead of + for higher ascii-realism). the cross type sensor really is what it sounds like, a cross + at the single point. its benefits are as stated in my previous post, namely 3x higher focusing tolerances when using f/2.8 or faster lenses and that one particular center focusing point.

 

[narlus]

that isn't what i mean. normal AF sensors are like a strip (so your drawing should be with | instead of + for higher ascii-realism). the cross type sensor really is what it sounds like, a cross + at the single point. its benefits are as stated in my previous post, namely 3x higher focusing tolerances when using f/2.8 or faster lenses and that one particular center focusing point.

i will see if using the center AF point yields more accurate results.

the other part of yr post kinda went over my head.

 

[Transcend]

that's a good point...the 350D has a 7 AF point selection, but i use the one which gives the best framing in the viewfinder, not the center one exclusively. maybe i should experiment? i had assumed that any of the AF points would have the same accuracy, but maybe that's not true? by 'cross type', are you describing the pattern of the AF points? if so, then yes, the 350D does have this. it kinda looks like this through the viewfinder:

            +

+   +       +       +   +

            +

The cross on the 20d is only center point i think?

Most of the focus points are only sensitive to contrast in one direction - vertical lines, horizontal sensor. Under 2.8, the center point converts to a cross sensor, it is sensitive to both horizontal and vertical lines.

On the 1 series it is 7 points up the middle i think (3 center, 2 above and below and then 1 above and below that...I think).

Great pics, BTW. Little selective sharpening could help on a few of 'em as others have mentioned. I would probably push the exposure 1 to 2/3 of a stop as well and punch up the color. It would probably help a bit to add a bit of life to the softer, paler ones.

 

[maxyedor]

Yes, bouncing the flash against a white card difuses/softens the flash.

If the club allows flash and you can deal with people knowing you're a complete photo geek, that would be cool to experiment with.

The Stoffen Omibounce is the cure for the photo geek look, They also don't require the constant fiddling that a white card does. For $18 you can't go wrong.

Narlus, good choice going with the 50 f/1.8, the AF is a little slow in really dark situations, but it is one of my favorite concert lenses, after the 85 f/1.2 the 50 f/1 and the 200 f/1.8 but those three are hard to get, the latter two are out of production. One other thing to do after you hook up your flash with a bounce card, or other light sodtening device, is to shoot at about f/5.6 so the subjects get blurry as they move then stop them with the flash. You seem to go to enough shows that you'll have time to experiment,

 

[Toshi]

i will see if using the center AF point yields more accurate results.

the other part of yr post kinda went over my head.

i think it will yield more accurate results in that you'll be certain of where you're focusing. the other part of my post basically said that if you had a 20D/30D/1-series and fast lenses (nyah nyah, well you have half of that equation ) then your camera would focus more accurately than the default level*

* the default level being that of the digirebel/xt and the focusing points other than the center point on the 20D, etc.

 

[MikeD]

Nice shots. But does Partsbara know these guys stole his screenname and spelled it backwards??

And if AF is pissing you off, ditch the tech for an evening and pick up a rangefinder camera. Works like a charm when it gets dim. Plus, you get cool points similar to a rigid singlespeeder...

MD