And sometimes opinions count Don.

Using auto and semi auto is a way of getting the users head around to fully manual. Lets not taint fully manual as some sort of hard task because it isn't.

No one here has asked what metering the camera was set to, but why? Does anyone here understand digital camera metering and manipulating it?

Forgive me for being a little direct but I feel most replies are from little knowledge scraping the surface of digital camera capabilities.

Had this image been correctly metered then the focusing mechanism would have had succeeded.

I just sold the FZ150 after owning it for 3 months. The technical specs speak volumes and I'm a big fan of Panasonic goods however the plastic felt too cheap to me and if felt way way too light, almost like a fake camera.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that's my feelings on this subject. Probably best to go handle one and se what you think.

Having used both at the same time I can say there's more of a difference than many think.
For starters, if you're paying good money for a wide angle lens of say 18mm the full frame sensor will make full use of the field of view, whereas a cropped sensor of say 1.6 will make that hard earned 18mm wide angle lens 29mm.
On the flip side a cropped sensor will make zoom and telephoto lenses longer for nature shots, so a 300mm lens on a cropped sensor of 1.6 would become a 480mm lens.

I ran the Nikon D60, a Canon 7D and a 5D2 and ended up with just the 5D2 purely for the full frame sensor. My working range has always been under 200mm so the extra pixels were welcome in grabbing all the detail from within this.

Is it possible to rent one locally? It would be worth making a field trip with both cameras so you can make your own mind up.

Zuzanne, there is good and bad cropping but it can be a personal interpretation at times.

Do you have some images to show your concerns?

I don't want to sound mean but when driving a distance and then waiting for a model you'd expect as little PP to do as possible.

If only this was always the case.

Taken during sunset with a grip hand directing a silver reflector. Also using a flash head honeycomb.

Original


Post process

The gentle shadow under his chin and around his head & arms in #3 is superb Erv.
Lovely catch-lights too.

I like the first one, it spices her up some.
Tattoos don't bother me on women when they're tasteful as these are, but not on inbreds.
For all anyone knows if she had a long sleeved shirt on she could be your bank manager!

What's with the Texan influx of members? Is someone putting out flyers in the area?

Mustn't complain with a welcome smile like that though.

Greetings.

Hi Woody, Smitty?

I really do like the 'waiting for the right moment' image. Its simplicity and anticipation draws me in.
If it were me this is what I would do. Give the ladies gaze some perspective by stretching the track a little and removing some of the ground behind her. I also had to remove the black post sticking out of her back although I understand with grab shots that these things happen, however post processing was built for simple things like this. (Don't look too closely!)

I sometimes see people say that they'd be happy to hang another's image on their own wall and is something I've never said before, however I would with this one. In fact its a shot I wish I'd taken. Well spotted.

Large version

Number three is a killer, well maybe not literally but I like the room you've given the image. Sometimes room can let an image breathe whether intentional or not.

I also agree with selling them. If it wasn't for children my Ebay wish-list would be 10 times longer.

Don't try this at home.

Danny.

2 stops it is which it taking you into ND country and because the polariser has already pushed the sensor to the limit I'd try the ND's and regain some playing ground.
I'd also check that the camera isn't metering 'evaluative' or 'centre weighted'. I'd go with either partial or spot metering and work my way into the highlights but also paying attention to dark area detail.

I normally use ND10 glass but this is with seascapes and even with what little river and waterfall work I've done I would always use ND filters to give me more control and thinking space. Its just how I like to work. The more time in hand the larger the adjustments available.

Experimental shot playing with the 'modelling' look.

The first thing that came to mind was to try taking it in portrait mode so you'd get the castles reflection in the water, all be it a blurred reflection with a long exposure.

Do you know what the shutter would have been at f22 without the polarizing filter?