Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Hi, I took my new SX50 out today for the first time - only got it last night. I was driving a bunch of daycare kids to a stable, so I thought it was a good chance to try it out.

Here are a couple of samples, including my first HDR attempt, made using the supplied DPP program. The horse moved between shots, but the program handled it well.
Most of the horse shots I took have kids in them, so I can't post them here.

Anyway, I have CS2, and I have been reading a book called "Camera Raw with CS2", or words to that effect. It says in there that Camera Raw will start as soon as you point Bridge at a folder which contains raw files. Well, it doesn't. Not only that, but the "open in Camera Raw" option on the menu is greyed out. Can anyone tell me what I am missing here? This is the first time I have had access to any raw files to try this out.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the program I use for general viewing (Irfanview) handled the raw files with no problem at all. I didn't try to edit them in there, though.

My first impressions of the camera itself are a bit mixed. It is very small in the hands, but with all the extra controls it has over my little P&S, my thumb keeps selecting stuff accidentally. I had bracketting turned on for a while, until I could figure out how to turn it off again! Good job film is cheap! Also, the self-timer kept setting itself. I am sure I will get to grips with it, though.

I am impressed with the 'reach' of the lens, of course. The 3rd picture shows that quite well. My old camera has a whopping 5x zoom on it, so this is an embarrasment of riches in that regard!

I appreciate comments, but do bear in mind that this was just my first stumbling try, and it was freezing cold, too!

my first HDR

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

Forget CS2 for handling raw files - it won't even open my old NEF files from 2005.

Open in Irfanview, save them as Tiff, then open in CS2, you will not have lost any data worth talking about. After processing, save as jpg, tiff or psd.


Like your photos.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

To render your RAW files, you'd need Adobe camera RAW 7.2 or later. &.2 was only released a year ago. CS2 can't use it.

Instead of converting to the bloated TIFF format, you can download a (free) DNG converter from Adobe that will convert your proprietary RAW file to a universal DNG RAW file which CS2 will handle fine.
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5645

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

I'm cracking up - I forgot all about dng files

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

That was another question I was going to ask... Is there any advantage/disadvantage of DNG over CR2? Other than my current program not reading CR2, of course!

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

DNG is an open sourced specification.

There are even some cameras that now have DNG as their native RAW format.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Should just use the Canon DPP that came with the camera, then save as TIF or JPG with minimum compression (best quality) settings.

tequilacvx Loc: Sarasota, FL

Thanks for sharing the downloads with us. I am using CANON DSLR cameras, but have a diabolical urge to add the SX50 for a "quick grab subject" camera. I might sneak it past my wife for Christmas.
The resolution on the downloads seems very acceptable for a "bridge" camera. .. "Webby"

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

You could always buy it for your wife, but then you would have to test it.

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

I have had my sx50 for about a month now. For the first few days I hit that silly timer just about every time i used the camera LOL. Now I sometimes can go an entire shoot and not hit it once. Notice the word "sometimes" LOL. And I don't have huge hands, either. However....it sure is a fun camera to use.

Sylvias Loc: North Yorkshire England

I think your first pics are great !! I only have small hands and after two weeks I am still hitting the timer set up and other things, they are all so close together on the dial. Practice is my motto :D :D

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

I was planning to get my first dslr, but after seeing some of the photos posted on here by sx50 owners, and knowing how much it would cost for a lens that long, I just couldn't resist this one!

I really like the way the pictures came out, especially since most of them were 'grabbed'. Oh, and perhaps I should have said, but none of them were cropped at all. They are resized from 4000x3000 down to 2000x1500, and run through jpegmini for smaller upload size, but that is all. If I wanted to crop in on the full resolution original, I could get even closer! After going from a P&S with a 5x zoom, this is a whole new world!

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Yeah, I wouldn't say I have *large* hands, but I guess they aren't small either. I had never really thought about the size factor, but having pretty much all the controls of a full-size slr on a body this small, well, they *have* to put them somewhere I guess. Being right-handed, it would have been easier for me if the controls were more over on the left - but I may change that opinion when I start using the features in earnest...

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

I did use the DPP in the end, although to be honest, I don't see much difference in the quality between the raw and the camera jpegs... I used the raw to generate the HDR, but the other 2 were plain jpegs. I suppose when I start getting more clever with my shots and what I am doing with them, the raw will come in more useful.

I am just a bit disappointed that this book I have been studying seems to have lead me right up the garden path, in regards to CS2 and Camera Raw.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Good work!! Keep up the practice and you will really enjoy it!!