3D Photography

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of meeting cinematographer and film maker, John Tran, son of Hai Tran -- owner of Vintage Visuals, which I have bought many lenses from in the past.  John brought a copy of his documentary "Daddy Tran - Life in 3D", which I watched partially on TVO a while back.  The documentary was filmed by John and directed by his talented and beautiful wife Siu Ta.  You can see a trailer on Youtube.  The film was about John's father, who is an obsessive collector of cameras and lenses, who eventually turned his hobby into a successful business.  This documentary resonates with me because I see some of his characters in myself. Well worth your time to watch it.  It comes up occasionally on TVO and maybe available for borrowing in Public Libraries.  John also brought with him some of his father's 3D pictures and a viewer.

The only thing I knew about 3D photography was the toy-like 3D viewers you see (or used to see) in tourist stores.  They typically have ten slides with the size of a thumb nail.  It was interesting, but that's about it.  The ones that John showed me was shot mostly in Velvia slide film in square format.  Not sure what size but might be two inch square.  When I looked at it the first time, I almost fell off my seat.  It was simply stunning.  The picture seems to jump out at you in beautiful colours, and in glorious 3D!  I never knew 3D pictures could be this gorgeous.  Hai Tran is a prolific and accomplished photographer.  The landscape pictures of Calgary's many parks are absolutely fantastic.  After looking at the 3D pictures, the ordinary pictures will look flat and lifeless.  Now I can see why some people are so obsessed with this medium.  It's addictive, because that's what our eyes were created to see -- in 3 dimensions.

For sure this is not a hobby for everyone. For one thing, the slides are prohibitively expensive if you shoot medium format, and I am sure it takes considerable amount of time to master through trial and error.

Roses -- NEX-5N & Kodak Cine Ektar 63mm f2. Vignette is naturally caused by the lens. Click for larger.

Photo Essay with Schneider-Kreuznach Arton 90mm f4 DKL

There was a gathering on Grange Park yesterday about Native land rights.  I like this kind of occasions for photography purposes.  Didn't know about this before hand and I just I happened to be there testing out the Schneider-Kreuznach Arton 90mm f4 DKL lens.  Perfect opportunity to photograph something different than the usual places/subjects.

Spectators -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Arton 90mm f4.  Click for larger.

Drummers -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Arton 90mm f4.  Click for larger.

Mohawk from the side -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Arton 90mm f4.  Click for larger.

Mohawk from the back -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreunach Arton 90mm f4

True Photographer -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Arton 90mm f4. 

Canon T4i -- Hybrid CMOS Sensor

Beauty -- NEX-5N & Tewe 200mm f3.2 Cine Lens. Click for larger.

Canon has introduced the latest Rebel -- 650D or T4i with some interesting new features.  Among them is the hybrid CMOS sensor that has a phase detect capabilities built on the image sensor itself, à la  Nikon V1/J1.  Personally, think this is the future of sensor design and where all of Canon's sensor will have this feature in the future.  There are many benefits: reduced cost of the camera when this feature replaces the dedicated phase detect AF sensor, faster auto focus in live-view, continuous auto focus in video mode, and more importantly, when combined with contrast detect auto focus, a far more accurate auto focus system than just phase detect AF, as we know contrast detect AF is more accurate than phase detect.  With AF built right on the image sensor also means that even by itself, it will be more accurate because that's basically what the image sensor sees.

Without doubt, the coming Canon EVIL camera will have a hybrid AF sensor.  With this, the Nikon J1/V1 will no longer have any unique capabilities over the competition (at least for Canon).  I want to see this feature refined to a point where the on-sensor AF will replace the dedicated AF sensor, to achieve near 100% focus accuracy.

Will this be the beginning of the end for back-focus and front focus, that's so dear to the hearts of DSLR users?  I hope so.

Canon FL 55mm f1.2 Samples

Here is another Canon FL f1.2 lens in 55mm focal length.  We looked at the FL 58mm f1.2 last time, and the bokeh leaves much to be desired. It's also not very sharp wide open, compared to other Canon f1.2 lenses.  The FL 55mm f1.2 was a replacement lens for the 58mm f1.2.  It has better multi-coating, but not the Super Spetra Coating (S.S.C) on the later lenses, but a precursor of it.  The look and feel is very similar to the FL 58mm f1.2.  Even though both lenses have an 8-blade aperture, the FL 55mm f1.2 is more rounded whereas the FL 58mm f1.2 is edgy.  That probably has something to do with the (slightly) better looking bokeh of the 55mm f1.2.

Three Doors -- NEX-5N & Canon FL 55mm f1.2 @ f1.2. Click for larger.

Optically, the FL 55mm f1.2 is quite sharp wide open. Again, not as good as the later 55mm f1.2 S.S.C or the nFD 50mm f1.2, but better than the FL 58mm f1.2.  From f2 on, the lens is very sharp.  From experience, most of these fast lenses are very good when stopping down only one stop.

Bokeh -- NEX-5N & Canon FL 55mm f1.2 @ f1.2. Click for larger.

I do enjoy using this lens.  It's not as big or heavy as the FD 55mm f1.2 S.S.C and focuses very smoothly.  It also has a A/M switch for the aperture, not that it's important when used on EVIL cameras, as the adapter would always engage the lens in stop-down mode, essentially having a built-in manual aperture switch.

A nice lens to shoot in low lights, for sure.

Pigeons on grass -- NEX-5N & Canon FL 55mm f1.2 @ f1.2. Click for larger.

Sony RX100 Large Sensor Compact

The rumors have proven to be very accurate for the Sony RX100 large sensor compact camera.  For sure, this camera will give Canon a run for its money against the G1X.  Almost from every aspect, the Sony RX100 is better, except the swivel LCD screen, very high ISO, or, the awful optical viewfinder that probably nobody uses.  Sadly, the price is not very cheap at $650.  It's $150 less than the Canon, but I think it's still too high, though I understand that there aren't too many large sensor compacts on the market, and they can ask for higher price.  When the flood of larger sensor compacts from Panasonic, Sigma, Nikon and Canon come into the market, we should see price of around $400, like the current high end compacts.

I checked out some of the sample pictures from the Sony RX100 from dpreview, they look great to me, even at ISO 1600, it's quite acceptable.

Let the large sensor compact war begin.

Primary Colours -- NEX-5N & Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.4 HFT QBM. Click for larger.

New Wave of Large Sensor Point & Shoot Coming?

I believe Sony was the first manufacturer to make a large sensor point & shoot camera with the R1.  I had an R1 briefly, but was turned off by the ONE frame RAW buffer.  It was a slow camera and was as large or larger than some DSLR.  The image quality was definitely very good compared to the P&S from the same era.  The Carl Zeiss lens attached to the R1 was excellent; possibly still one of the best lens on any non-interchangeable-lens camera.  Too bad Sony didn't continue to refine this camera and make it better.

Years later, we have the Sigma DP series, which use a Foveon 3-layer sensor.  The Sigma DP series are a niche market product and have not sold in large quantities, due to high price and unrefined design of the cameras.  Of course, there was the Leica X1, but it was priced out the wazoo.  The Fuji X100 caused quite a stir in the market and has been one of the more successful large sensor point & shoot cameras.  Let's not forget Canon, which is now the only camera maker without an EVIL camera, but they introduced the G1X large sensor compact in a much smaller form factor than the R1.  The sensor is smaller than the APS-C size, but image quality is on par with today's sensors.  But, at $800CAD, the G1X is way too expensive for more people.  It's more expensive than most entry level Micro 4/3 and NEX systems, which offers the advantage of interchangeable lenses.  But now, the upcoming Sony RX100 may change the high end point & shoot market.

What is happening is inevitable.  The smart phone has been killing the low end point & shoot camera market in recent years.  Camera manufacturers are forced to differentiate their cameras from the smart phones, and offer something unique to buyers of dedicated digital camera.  The larger sensor, in my opinion, is one of the best unique features, which cell phones will not have for a foreseeable future.

The RX100 has some impressive specs, which in many ways are better than the Canon G1X, especially the lens and video.  The one inch sensor used in the RX100 is the same size as the Nikon V1, but at twice the resolution at 20 MP, vs 10 MP on the V1.  Personally, I think the one inch sensor is the perfect compromise for a compact point & shoot camera.  The sensor is small enough for some tiny lenses, but large enough to offer much better image quality than the normal point & shoot.  I do think that Sony has gone pixel happy again and cramp 20 MP on this one inch sensor.  A 12 to 14 MP would be a more sensible option.

The pricing of the RX100 will ultimately determine how successful this camera will be.  If priced in the same ball-park as the Canon G1X, Sony will be shooting themselves in the foot.  I think they should price this camera competitively to capture the serious point & shoot market, and quickly introduce variant products, perhaps fix focal lens with fast aperture.  A large sensor point & shoot with a 28mm f1.8 or 24mm f2 would very welcome, which will cater to many of the people who consider this sort of camera as backup to this M4/3 or NEX or DSLRs.

I guess we will see soon enough.

Majestic looking cat -- NEX-5N & Tewe 200mm f3.2

Schneider-Kreunach Retina-Tele-Xenar 135mm f4 DKL Sample

Flowers -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Tele-Xenar 135mm f4 DKL. Click for larger

I do not like lenses with very long minimum focus distance, and this Schneider Tele-Xenar lens has a four meter (or 14 feet) minimum focus distance.  Totally rules out any sort of close ups.  The picture above is the best that I have been able to get.  In comparison, the Tamron 135mm f2.5 has a "close focusing" of 1.2 meters (4 feet).  This limitation really detracts from the fun of photography.

Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 45mm f2.8 DKL

The Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 45mm f2.8 was one of the standard lenses that came with the Kodak Retina reflex cameras.  Naturally, it has a DKL mount.  Few years back, I bought a small box of DKL lenses from someone who said he used them as props.  There are couple of the 45mm f2.8, three or four 85mm f4 and I believe one or two 90mm f4, all Schneider lenses.  I used a few of them briefly with my 1D III with the EOS-DKL adapter, but though expensive, the adapter was very badly made, which makes using lenses on it a pain.  Add to the fact that these lenses have pretty slow maximum aperture, which makes the optical viewfinder dark.  Consequently, they didn't get much use. 

Xenon 50mm f1.9 on left, Xenar 45mm f2.8 on the right. Note focus handle on the Xenar.

EVIL cameras change all that.  The small aperture didn't affect much of the electronic viewfinder, except when the light is very dim, then the picture in viewfinder gets very grainy.  In general use, EVIL cameras are perfect for these kind of lenses.  I have already written about the Xenon 50mm f1.9 DKL, which I like a lot. This Xenar 45mm f2.8 is much smaller it can be considered a pancake lens, if not for the very thick adapter.

Cool Bike -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 45mm f2.8 DKL. Click for larger.

I think the biggest complain about this lens is the one meter minimum focus distance, similar to most rangefinder lenses of the same focal length.  The fact that it has an f2.8 maximum aperture doesn't help if you try to shoot any close up pictures, or get shallow depth of field.  No, this lens is not suitable for this purpose, but good as a general purpose lens.  In fact, I am quite happy with it.  It's a very sharp lens when stopping down a bit but the corner is note as good as that of the Xenon 59mm f1.9 wide open.  The Xenar 45mm f2.8 is softer at the corners at f2.8.

Big Digger -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 45mm f2.8 DKL. Click for larger.

From f4 on, the lens is very good.  It's a great walk around lens.  Set the aperture to f5.6 or f8 and shoot.  With the help of the EVF and peaking level, it's very easy to focus, though the focus travel is pretty short.  For the low price, I think it's good value for the money, for a well made German lens.  It's also very beautifully made and gorgeous to just look at and play with.

Man at work -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 45mm f2.8 DKL. Click for larger.

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 - First Impression

I have recently upgraded Dillon's Canon Rebel XS to a slightly better XSi.  The XS has a very shallow RAW buffer (two or three frames).  The XSi came with a EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6.  I have always wondered how the consumer version of the image stablized tele-zooms lens compared to the L series.  When the newer 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS came out, I was very tempted to buy one, as it got really good reviews from users, but hard to justify it since I already have the 70-200mm f2.8 IS.  So I was eager to try this entry level tele-zoom.  

Looking at you -- Canon XSi & EF-s 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS wide open at 250mm. Click for larger.

I shot with it during my lunch break last week with the Rebel XSi.  Let's say that there is no surprises.  I got what I expected.  This lens is often bundled with the 18-55mm kit lens with the Rebels, and is a nice complement to the kit lens.  Focus is not very fast, being a lens with Arc-Form Drive (AFD) motor, instead of the more speedy and quieter Ultrasonic (USM) motor.  As such, you can't adjust focus manually in AF mode, like you can with a USM lens.  For the intended user group, I don't think this would be a problem, if most users who use this lens know the difference at all.

Nick Nacks -- Canon Rebel XSi & EF-s 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS.  Click for larger.

The lens can focus relatively close.  At the long end, you can get pseudo macro images.  Not a substitute for a macro lens, but enough for most people to do some occasional close up shots.  However, the best feature of this lens is the IS and the versatile focal length.  The IS works really well.  I would say it's about as good as the one on the 70-200mm f4L IS; if not, it's pretty darn close.  Very effective and useful, especially at the long end.

Grocery Delievery -- Canon Rebel XSi & EF-s 55-250mm f4-5.6 at f8.

Image quality wise, it reminds me of the original 75-300mm f4-5.6 I used to have.  Not spectacular, but very acceptable.  Not very sharp wide open, but stopping down to around f8 or f11, it's quite all right.  This lens is pretty well corrected for purple fringing and flare control.  I shot without a hood and noticed no flares in my pictures.  I would say most people who this lens is targeted to, would be happy with the image quality.  The 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS is probably better, and works on full frame, but this lens is much cheaper, especially on the used market; often selling for $150 or under.  Personally, I would not be happy with the image quality, as I am used to the 70-200mm f2.8L/70-200mm f4L IS, but if I don't have these lenses to compared to, I am sure I would be satisfied.

Girl on Bixi bike -- Canon Rebel XSi & EF-s 55-250mm f4-5.6 @ f5.6

Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 45mm f2.8 Sample

Waiting -- NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 45mm f2.8

The arrival of the DKL-NEX adapter ignites my interest in the DKL lenses, which I have quite a few.  The older DKL-EOS adapter was very badly made.  Besides, using multiple adapters (DKL-EOS-NEX) is not normally a good idea as the tolerance of each adapter would add up and this might affect the picture quality, especially the flatness may not be good enough to give an even plane of focus.

The Xenar 45mm f2.8 is very small and pancake like, but of course when mounted on the NEX-5N, even pancake lenses would look big with the adapter.