Pages: 1 ... 11 12 [13] 14 15 ... 54   Go Down

Author Topic: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences  (Read 615122 times)

BarbaraArmstrong

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 288
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #240 on: October 19, 2012, 06:19:36 pm »

Quentin, your panorama is gorgeous, and all the more so seeing it up on the wall writ large.  I remembered your comment about doing it handheld because I have done a number of them that way, with good results with the DP2M and some other cameras.  I've wondered what I should get if I go to a specialty head, and so was also interested in your comments about your setup.  I'm sure with the handheld, aside from any considerations of loss of absolute stability, I'm losing some areas of the image top and bottom when it is stitched, as I'm not getting the precise registration I would get with a leveled tripod-taken series.  Keep showing us your results as they are both lovely and inspiring.  --Barbara
Logged

Quentin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1222
    • Quentin on Facebook
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #241 on: October 20, 2012, 04:18:16 am »

Hi Barbara, many thanks.  The advantage of a pano head and tripod as you know is that it removes most of the issues with stitching at the outset.  I have a tendancy to tilt a tad to the right when hooting handheld.  I think I have the horizon straight but then later I realise I was just a little bit skewed  ???   But the beauty of my current DP2M / Nodal Ninja / levelling head / lightweight tripod is the whole kit and kaboodle is lightweight, easily carry-able but large format pano quality.  I have used bigger pano set-ups before but I have needed to know in advance I want to shoot a panorama or I have just had to make do without a pano head with potential risk to the panorama.  Usually it is the latter.  

The other more subtle advantage is for the non-panorama panoramas - using the set-up for a larger file or wider but not obviously panoramic view.  Why lug around a huge medium format camera etc when you have similar quality available in a smaller more compact and versatile form? Of course that has been the case for some time but the quality of the DP2M files makes it a more compelling proposition, for me at least - particularly as I am not getting any younger!
« Last Edit: October 20, 2012, 04:20:18 am by Quentin »
Logged
Quentin Bargate, ARPS, Author, Arbitrato

Hulyss

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 734
    • H.Bowman
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #242 on: October 20, 2012, 04:34:26 am »

Yes. The  advantage of the Merrill, one of his big points is his power and his weight. Even a D700 weight like a brick when I go out now (and I'm kinda young). For landscape he rules. But I have some problems, sometimes, with horizontal lines such as sea. Autopano do not stitch correctly some horizons (hand-held). I'm looking for a new tripod who is ultra compact. I seen it the other day but can't remember where. He is made like tent picket...

Some more photo from the toy store. Hand-held, all at 2.8 and somewhere near 1/30, 1/20... not bad for a 15 Mp non stabilized !











« Last Edit: October 20, 2012, 04:36:47 am by Hulyss »
Logged
Kind Regards -  Hulyss Bowman | hulyssbowman.com |

Quentin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1222
    • Quentin on Facebook
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #243 on: October 20, 2012, 04:41:49 am »

Looks geat Hulyss - but as we know, these are not ordinary pixels!
Logged
Quentin Bargate, ARPS, Author, Arbitrato

Hulyss

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 734
    • H.Bowman
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #244 on: October 20, 2012, 05:02:41 am »

Looks geat Hulyss - but as we know, these are not ordinary pixels!

Yea it is great hand-held for a 15 Mpix at low shutter speed. I will try do do best photos next time I was in a hurry (and there were ppl looking at me ;) ).

EDIT: not ordinary pixels and not ordinary lens !!! The bokeh out of this lens is sumptuous.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2012, 07:20:57 am by Hulyss »
Logged
Kind Regards -  Hulyss Bowman | hulyssbowman.com |

Adam L

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 220
    • http://adamlozo.com
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #245 on: October 20, 2012, 09:41:26 am »

My camera arrived last week.  I've been having difficulty with exposure consistency.  In both manual and aperture priority the exposures are not consistent from one shot to the next.  I get some over and some under exposed.  

I suspect it has more to do with me than the camera but I'm also suspecting that something is compromised while the image is being written to the card.    What steps are you all taking to minimize this issue if any?

Edit:  It is user error again.  Nothing is wrong with the camera.   I had bracketing on in a single shot mode.  Each time I clicked the shutter it went to the next sequence in the bracket.  This happened even when changing settings and regardless of the time between shots.   I was hoping I would soon graduate from the beginner forum but it's clearly back to summer school for me.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2012, 08:15:16 am by Adam L »
Logged
"That's a lot of money to move a few pix

villebon

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #246 on: October 20, 2012, 11:40:42 am »






Hello Quentin,

This is a spendid printed panorama. Congrats.

I imagine that all shots where taken as RAW? And did you have to double the rez as you save the images to tif?
Logged

Quentin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1222
    • Quentin on Facebook
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #247 on: October 20, 2012, 12:38:12 pm »

Hi villebon, and thanks.

I always shoot raw, and never interpolate in Sigma Photo Pro.  I've tried and the results were...poor.  You would also be stitching larger images than necessary.  Better to use a decent interpoloation program like Photozoom Pro (which I use) on the final image (post stitching) so long as you have enough memory! I dropped it down to 8 bits for the final size tweak.

This print ended up the size it did because I had intended to to print it at the max size my Epson 7900 can handle - 24" high.  In the end its a perfect size for the intended position. However I could have used a different size.  It has resolution to spare.

Quentin
« Last Edit: October 20, 2012, 12:43:59 pm by Quentin »
Logged
Quentin Bargate, ARPS, Author, Arbitrato

BarbaraArmstrong

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 288
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #248 on: October 20, 2012, 01:23:18 pm »

Quentin, thanks for your elaborations on your shooting and work in post.  Would you mind telling us how you mounted the pano and how it is hung?  --Barbara
Logged

Quentin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1222
    • Quentin on Facebook
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #249 on: October 20, 2012, 02:28:06 pm »

The printing and perspex encapsulation was done by Spectrum Photo

See http://http://spectrumphoto.co.uk/perspex-reverse

It's reverse mounted using a subframe.

The end result is very smart but pretty costly.

Quentin
« Last Edit: October 20, 2012, 02:30:02 pm by Quentin »
Logged
Quentin Bargate, ARPS, Author, Arbitrato

Hulyss

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 734
    • H.Bowman
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #250 on: October 21, 2012, 06:53:00 am »

Yea. Printing cost a lot if we want to do it right ;) But this is a joy. The photo is alive after that :)

Some sky from yesterday night :





And some macro from today :)







« Last Edit: October 21, 2012, 02:31:09 pm by Hulyss »
Logged
Kind Regards -  Hulyss Bowman | hulyssbowman.com |

BarbaraArmstrong

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 288
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #251 on: October 21, 2012, 05:12:17 pm »

Quentin, so here I am back with another question.  I went to the Spectrumphoto site via your link, and after an introduction about the Perspex process, they say, "Please note Perspex reverse mounting is NOT available for Giclee prints."  Aside from my not liking use of the term "giclee," could they be referring to dye-ink printers?  Or do they just not want to take responsibility for the results with inkjet prints?  What does this mean?  --Barbara
Logged

Quentin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1222
    • Quentin on Facebook
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #252 on: October 21, 2012, 05:33:52 pm »

Hi Barbara, it won't work with inkjet prints because the system uses silicon gel which is not compatible.  That is why they use Lambda C-type prints which are at least as good in any event.

Quentin
Logged
Quentin Bargate, ARPS, Author, Arbitrato

Hulyss

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 734
    • H.Bowman
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #253 on: October 22, 2012, 02:08:56 am »

Just a try of longer exposure. The new Merrill series has been gift with 15 more seconds of exposure. This one is 20' @ f5.6, manual focusing without any problem, no real loss of details at all.



Logged
Kind Regards -  Hulyss Bowman | hulyssbowman.com |

pflower

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 456
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #254 on: October 22, 2012, 05:54:40 am »

Huylss

I liked the macro shots.  Were those with the AML-2?  If so how do you find it?

Thanks
Logged

Hulyss

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 734
    • H.Bowman
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #255 on: October 22, 2012, 06:07:44 am »

Hello pflower,

I did the macro shoot with the AML-1 lens and an adapter 49 to 46 mm. For me it seems to work good, so far. If you want the AML-2 there is no problem to find it in France, in some shops. here is a link : http://www.lapetiteboutiquephoto.com/boutique/liste_produits.cfm?type=22&code_lg=lg_fr&num=11

Morning walk with the Merrill :




« Last Edit: October 22, 2012, 08:37:24 am by Hulyss »
Logged
Kind Regards -  Hulyss Bowman | hulyssbowman.com |

anfat

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #256 on: October 22, 2012, 08:50:34 am »

Hi all, I'm new to this forum as I own a DP2M from last friday; I love very much the camera but...it seems to me that it underexpose a lot, I think one half stop to one stop; I'm confused by what I've read on forums in the matter of sharpness in SPP for exporting tiff to lightroom or PS, that is which corrections do you make in SPP before exporting the file to other developers and how much sharpness do you do after the exporting? thanks
Logged

NancyP

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2513
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #257 on: October 22, 2012, 12:11:47 pm »

I had my first chance to shoot on Saturday.  I am still getting the hang of this camera, and one thing that I miss is the ability to steady your camera on your face using the viewfinder. I have been an SLR-only photographer since age 13, and never realized how much help that third contact point on the face gives to stabilization. DP2M is pretty unforgiving of even minimal movement. Now I am looking into some handy way to hook up the Hoodman to the camera, involving some combination of plastic from milk bottles, velcro strips, and/or elastic to create a harness for the Hoodman. If I like what I make, I may post instructions and snapshot. Re: tripod use: As for the A-S plate, I have a small "universal" plate which works - for portrait orientation, it will be necessary to flip the ball stem into the "90 degree" slot of the head.

SPP - ow! I am more convinced than ever that Lightroom is a brilliant program. SPP falls into the category of "oh well, I guess that it will do..."
Logged

ndevlin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 679
    • Follow me on Twitter
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #258 on: October 22, 2012, 03:42:13 pm »

Nancy: you're right about sensitivity to movement. With the best sensors, figure about 4-5x focal length for the minimum hand-holdable speed to kee full rez. Worse of course if there's a mirror or focal plane shutter involved.

I joked the other day that the DP Merrills are basically minature tech-cameras: tripod based (for both composition and stability, base-ISO, shot with self timer.  For optimum results, that's not too far from the truth. Used that way, the camera is potentially a fine-art tool.  Used casually, it's just a really bad point and shoot.

Anfat: you should adjust highlight, shadows, white balance and sharpness in SPP.  Sharpening is an interesting question. Michael has found (ro heard) that "0" in sharpening is actually not "nill".  You have to do in a negative amount to get a truly unsharpened file.  Personally, I find 0 to -4 are about right. That still might add some capture sharpening, but I don't object to that. I just sharpen less in LR4 -- which you would do anyway since these files are so sharp to begin with.
Logged
Nick Devlin   @onelittlecamera        ww

villebon

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3
Re: Sigma DP2 Merrill Experiences
« Reply #259 on: October 22, 2012, 04:23:13 pm »

Hello Quentin,

Thank you so much for your helpful reply. You have peaked my interest in doing panoramas with the Sigma DP2M!

I have downloaded PTGUI and presented it with a three jpeg images shots handheld to render a panoramo. To my surprise, it couldn't do it and asked me to do something with control points. CS5 Photomerge easely did it in a few minutes. So I looked elsewhere and found Autopano Pro and it automatically assembled the three shots pano in a few seconds. So I decided to test it to its limits.

Next I mounted the camera on a tripod, shot eight raw images. All converted to double size tiff in SPP, saved to disk and then I fed the images (2.77 gig total) to Autopano Pro 3.0 Beta trial. To my utter astonishment, it assembled the panorama in about 1.5 minutes and rendered a kind of semi cylindrical image (sides higher than center) of 26211 x 13399 pixels which I then had Autopano crop to a rectangular image of 25957 x 9545 pixels. Wow, the speed and ease of execution was something unexpected.

Even though it has 8 gigs of memory, the computing power of my desktop is best described as being mid level. So I'll give PTGUI another try, but I can see that it will be fighting an uphill battle!

Again, thanks for your clear explanations and taking the time to respond to my query.

Logged
Pages: 1 ... 11 12 [13] 14 15 ... 54   Go Up