LEAF APTUS 54S

[AndrewDyer]

Hello Per Bernel
Depending on what your requirements are for the low res Jpegs, you may find that the ones automatically generated by LC11 will suffice.
In your "Shots" folder (or any folder that you are browsing with LC) there will be a folder named "LeafDB".
This contains:
LargeMonitorJPEGs
LargeRawDB
SmallMonitorJPEGs
SmallRawDB

I dont know what the "RawDBs" are (my folders are empty) but the JPEG folders have small and Large JPEGs of each shot taken, with the same name as they were captured with.
I don't know if the size of the monitor determines the size of the JPEGs but with my 1900x1200 monitor, I get generated 1023x768 JPEGs.
For me that would be big enough for a web gallery.

regards
Andrew

[perbernal]

Hello Per Bernel
Depending on what your requirements are for the low res Jpegs, you may find that the ones automatically generated by LC11 will suffice.
In your "Shots" folder (or any folder that you are browsing with LC) there will be a folder named "LeafDB".
This contains:
LargeMonitorJPEGs
LargeRawDB
SmallMonitorJPEGs
SmallRawDB

I dont know what the "RawDBs" are (my folders are empty) but the JPEG folders have small and Large JPEGs of each shot taken, with the same name as they were captured with.
I don't know if the size of the monitor determines the size of the JPEGs but with my 1900x1200 monitor, I get generated 1023x768 JPEGs.
For me that would be big enough for a web gallery.

regards
Andrew
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200139\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Andrew,
When shooting in the past with an Aptus 75 I found color and quality of these Jpegs to low in quality to send to a client. Maybe it's different now and I will have to check up on this. If better that will certainly be help full

Best, Per

[perbernal]

Per,
I'm referring to the delay [milliseconds]
between pressing the shutter release, and making the capture.
Good luck,
Billy

Also, see at what f-stop gives you the same amount of depth-of-field
you're accustomed to having with 35mm format.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200138\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Billy,
 You are absolutely right about the shutter delay and the amount of depth of field. It has to be taken into consideration. With the dslr I often find the dof to big though, when combining strobes & sunlight and the 1/250 flash sync. In order to kill the sun and the sky outdoors I believe the correct formula to be F16.5 @ 1/250 sec. at ISO 100. That takes a lot of battery power and gives a lot of dof (especially with my favorite 24-70 Canon).

Best, Per

[perbernal]

I use the Aptus 75s/H1 combo all the time for high volume studio and location fashion jobs and it works very nicely. We'll often do well over a 1,000 frames a day on many different setups sometimes shooting in bursts of 100-200 frames. And rarely have any issues, it never even slows down actually. I am the digital tech on these jobs so I'll feel the brunt of it when things get sticky and this is definitely my choice for this type of shooting.

We'll usually shoot 50 or 100 iso but the camera handles 200 and 400 nicely, as long as you aren't doing exposures over 5 seconds.

I also like it because I can set it to capture in LC11 and check focus on every single frame. And set my color in ACR to preview, edit, and process in Bridge. Both of these things are really important. I can use ACR for most stuff including Phase and Canon, but I haven't found a way to check focus as efficiently, at least not with C1Pro 3.8

I process as we shoot so at the end of the day I usually hand the art director a dvd with every image processed to jpeg. Most of the time I am also printing contact sheets of the selects and doing comps for clients in photoshop.

I'm constantly naming and renaming files too.

Admittedly I am using a really fast tower to due all this.

There are some aspects of the workflow that could be refined but overall it is very nice.

I assume the 54s would have the same easy workflow except faster capture and processing times. Can't speak for iso

I consider myself pretty non biased too, I use a P45+/afdII combo for most of my own shooting jobs.

Andrea
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200134\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Andrea,

If you're ever in the LA area and would be interested to tech please let me know.

Best, Per

[BJNY]

Hi Billy,
 You are absolutely right about the shutter delay....

I tended not to use Fuji GX680III when photographing people
because there was a noticeable delay between when I pressed the shutter release
and when the exposure was made.

I can imagine the Hy6/AFi being the latest technology
could possibly have an advantage, but it's just a guess.

[yaya]

On an 18 month old 2.33GHz MBP, 5 images take 13 seconds to process into a 2,200X1,600 pixels (approx.) jpegs. They are colour corrected and saved at 72dpi into sRGB. Sample attached.

For fast action and fast sync (1/1000) outside you might want to look at the AFi 5.

Yair

[perbernal]

On an 18 month old 2.33GHz MBP, 5 images take 13 seconds to process into a 2,200X1,600 pixels (approx.) jpegs. They are colour corrected and saved at 72dpi into sRGB. Sample attached.

For fast action and fast sync (1/1000) outside you might want to look at the AFi 5.

Yair
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200201\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

That´s impressive. Will check for myself tomorrow. Was taking your new camera in consideration but since I´m so heavily invested in H2 + lenses I will keep my system, unless someone is willing to give me an incredible deal. Let me know if you want a spoke person in LA:) I used to push Rollie 6008 in Sweden and even got to hang out with Rollie´s VP in Gothenburg.
Best, Per

[yaya]

That´s impressive. Will check for myself tomorrow. Was taking your new camera in consideration but since I´m so heavily invested in H2 + lenses I will keep my system, unless someone is willing to give me an incredible deal. Let me know if you want a spoke person in LA:) I used to push Rollie 6008 in Sweden and even got to hang out with Rollie´s VP in Gothenburg.
Best, Per
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200212\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The H2 is also quite quick and syncs up at 1/800. I'm not a great fan of some of the lenses but I guess you know your kit already.

You won't go wrong with an A54S on your H2, IMO

Yair

[mcfoto]

Hi Yair

Have you tested the 54S or 75s on the new AFDIII body yet? I heard the shutter lag has improved with this new body.
Thanks Denis

[AndreNapier]

How is it to work with a laptop on location with or without a battery powered back-up system/generator?
Hows the capture speed in real time?
Is it a stable system?

Best, Per Bernal
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Per,
It is a great system. I am not too crazy about the H cameras but if it works for you that is what matters.
Answering your question about laptop on location - it is a bit tricky and unpredictable.
When your battery is full you are doing perfect, however when the battery goes down past 70% you are in the gray area and in the mercy of the software which may or may not connect your back to laptop.
I am shooting tons of  calendar's work on beaches and never leave home without a Honda generator or at least 7 fully charged batteries for my MacBook Pro for a full day of shoot.
Otherwise I love my Leaf backs.
[a href=\"http://AndreNapier.com]http://AndreNapier.com[/url]

[yaya]

Hi Yair

Have you tested the 54S or 75s on the new AFDIII body yet? I heard the shutter lag has improved with this new body.
Thanks Denis
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200227\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have only had a limited test with the AFDIII (with A54S and A75) and it was one of the first units so I will wait till I have a proper chance before I draw any conclusions.

Personally I feel a bit disappointed as I was hoping for the lag to disappear but it is still there...maybe fractionally better than previously but there...

Same for AF...a bit quicker and quieter but you really have to put both systems side-by-side to notice the difference.

The new grip feels a bit more comfortable but on the unit I tested the silicon rubber coating was not glued properly, I'll put it down to the unit being an early production one.
The new 80mm is as good as the old one however it looks a bit chunkier (still not feeling as solid-chunky as the 120mm macro).

An H2 and especially an AFi are overall quicker for the faster shooters.

Yair

[Graham Mitchell]

I don't know if the reaction time of medium format equipment is quick enough
for your "action" type photos.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200133\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

On the other hand, the leaf shutters of MF could be really useful for this work.

[perbernal]

Per,
It is a great system. I am not too crazy about the H cameras but if it works for you that is what matters.
Answering your question about laptop on location - it is a bit tricky and unpredictable.
When your battery is full you are doing perfect, however when the battery goes down past 70% you are in the gray area and in the mercy of the software which may or may not connect your back to laptop.
I am shooting tons of  calendar's work on beaches and never leave home without a Honda generator or at least 7 fully charged batteries for my MacBook Pro for a full day of shoot.
Otherwise I love my Leaf backs.
http://AndreNapier.com
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200229\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for your usefull post, Andre. Didn't anticipate what you described about the battery power. I recently bought a Portable Power Station from BatteryGeek that is suppose to give you about 8 hours of non interrupted power (5-6 hours in real life) but should probably add a few more apple batteries to my kit then. To use generators on the beaches of LA and Malibu is a bit tricky as you will need a monitor with you at all time - which is costly.
What laptop and shade are you using and how do you rig it otherwise? I found a laptop platform at Backstage that I was planning to use on either a camera stand or junior low boy together with a shade from Hoodman. Do you find it awkward to move around hooked up to your laptop? Any special precautions not to tip it over?
 In regards of the H camera I find it OK. When shooting film, the cameras from Mamiya was probably my favorites. The RZ w/ the 180 was an incredible combo and I also liked the 645AFD with the 105-210. But if you want a fast sync & autofocus you´re stuck with Hasselblad or Rollei I guess. The H + lenses are a bit bulky but that´s why you go to the gym I guess:)
Best, Per
Best, Per

[perbernal]

I tended not to use Fuji GX680III when photographing people
because there was a noticeable delay between when I pressed the shutter release
and when the exposure was made.

I can imagine the Hy6/AFi being the latest technology
could possibly have an advantage, but it's just a guess.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200156\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I imagine you could do some pretty cool portrait shots though using the GX680III with all the swing and tilt possibilities:)
Best, Per

[BJNY]

What laptop and shade are you using and how do you rig it otherwise? I found a laptop platform at Backstage that I was planning to use on either a camera stand or junior low boy together with a shade from Hoodman. Do you find it awkward to move around hooked up to your laptop? Any special precautions not to tip it over?

Slide-on hoods tend to restrict full access to the MacBookPro keyboard.

I like the idea of a Seaport Digital case
with external battery and firewire bus-powered hard drive
mounted on the underside of the lid or on the interior side panels,
allowing for the whole kit to open & close quickly.
http://www.seaportdigital.com/ivisor-pro-p-34.html

The case would need to be attached somehow via quick release to a tripod
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2411...se_Adapter.html
or http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5541...ck_Release.html

Then, hang a camera bag on the tripod to increase stability.

A [view camera] darkcloth draped over the top would allow for more critical viewing.

[perbernal]

Slide-on hoods tend to restrict full access to the MacBookPro keyboard.

I like the idea of a Seaport Digital case
with external battery and firewire bus-powered hard drive
mounted on the underside of the lid or on the interior side panels,
allowing for the whole kit to open & close quickly.
http://www.seaportdigital.com/ivisor-pro-p-34.html

The case would need to be attached somehow via quick release to a tripod
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2411...se_Adapter.html
or http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5541...ck_Release.html

Then, hang a camera bag on the tripod to increase stability.

A [view camera] darkcloth draped over the top would allow for more critical viewing.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200270\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Good idea and you´re right about the Hoodman. Will check if samys has the seaport digital. Guess I should sandbag the contraption aswell.
Best, Per

[BJNY]

BTW, I own the BatteryGeeks as well,
but here's an interesting charger that allows charging of Apple batteries externally:
http://fastmac.com/ucharge.php

[James R Russell]

Slide-on hoods tend to restrict full access to the MacBookPro keyboard.

I like the idea of a Seaport Digital case
with external battery and firewire bus-powered hard drive
mounted on the underside of the lid or on the interior side panels,
allowing for the whole kit to open & close quickly.
http://www.seaportdigital.com/ivisor-pro-p-34.html

The case would need to be attached somehow via quick release to a tripod
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2411...se_Adapter.html
or http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5541...ck_Release.html

Then, hang a camera bag on the tripod to increase stability.

A [view camera] darkcloth draped over the top would allow for more critical viewing.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=200270\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

We use a laptop sheilded with a 8x10 type bellows that is made in England, I think it's from Chatham.

It works pretty well, though not perfectly, though after trying about everything, nothing really works perfectly on bright beach other than a huge blackout tent.

The bellows doesn't block the keyboard but it does restrict acess to the mac dock so the dock must be moved to the side.

All of this is mounted on a plexiglass base and tripod and has worked well with only one issue when an assistant didn't lock a leg down and it tumbled down a hill.

As far as battery power I have a large digital camera battery, but when using the Aptus, like Andre said if the power gets much below 70% to 60% the connection gets flaky.

As Leaf improves their product the two issues they really need to address is the ability to power the back from a seperate battery, because  the battery goes into the same space as the firewire port.  This would allow for more stable firewire conection shooting.

They also need to allow the camera lcd to operate when tethered.  This can be a lifesaver under pressure to not have to continually check the computer.

I found the battery consumption of the Aptus quite high, but I assume it's because of the large screen, though I don't know this as fact, though once I went to the phase even the battery drain on the Contax improved, tethered and portable.

We run a Honda generator (actually 2) whenever possible, even on powered locations.  

The Honda is probably the best investment anyone can make, though as the op said running a generator on an LA beach draws a lot of attention and depending on the jurisdiction, the lifegaurds can shut you down.

Of course all of this tethering on a difficult location would be unnecssary a lot of the time if someone would make a back tether to an i-pod touch or an i-phone.

JR

[AndreNapier]

Thanks for your usefull post, Andre. Didn't anticipate what you described about the battery power. I recently bought a Portable Power Station from BatteryGeek that is suppose to give you about 8 hours of non interrupted power (5-6 hours in real life) but should probably add a few more apple batteries to my kit then. To use generators on the beaches of LA and Malibu is a bit tricky as you will need a monitor with you at all time - which is costly.
What laptop and shade are you using and how do you rig it otherwise? I found a laptop platform at Backstage that I was planning to use on either a camera stand or junior low boy together with a shade from Hoodman. Do you find it awkward to move around hooked up to your laptop? Any special precautions not to tip it over?
 In regards of the H camera I find it OK. When shooting film, the cameras from Mamiya was probably my favorites. The RZ w/ the 180 was an incredible combo and I also liked the 645AFD with the 105-210. But if you want a fast sync & autofocus you´re stuck with Hasselblad or Rollei I guess. The H + lenses are a bit bulky but that´s why you go to the gym I guess:)
Best, Per
Best, Per
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Per,
with the speed I work I get about 1.5 hours from an Aptus battery and about 45min to 1 hour of usable power supply from a Mac. As with most of the things I need now days for photography I do not chase perfect solution from suppliers and instead make the items myself or at least the spects for it and have someone create it. Firewire 800 has a horrible connection to a MacBook and any cable movements will disconnect it. We designed a molded plexiglass bracket with attaches to Mac via commercial velcro providing solid connection. Never had problem with it again. Shooting tethered became a way of life for me. I am on a leash all the time and like a good dog I know my boundres and never pull the leash. With time it gets to you so hard that the other day when I was shooting my kids at home to CF card I was telling my wife to move the lights because I thought that I could not reach them myself.
My camera tent is home made and so is my stand. It is not only light protection by mainly a sand blocker which is a hell when working beaches.
I own the H system matter of fact my A75S is H mount, but it is sitting mostly on Rz/110mm.
I find Rz's 110mm perfect magical lens for digital application which outclasses both 100mm and 120mm fro HC.
Rz adapter for H mounted back maybe something that you will want to look into in the future.
I find the ratio of keepers from Rz about 4 times higher than from HC.
When shooting D3 I find myself clicking a 1000 images where 100 from Rz will do the job and hopelessly searching for a usable picture.
It could be just me but with Rz I never shoot more than 50 actuations an hour and always satisfy myself and my clients.
[a href=\"http://AndreNapier.com]http://AndreNapier.com[/url]

[James R Russell]

This is what we've used on location for the last few years.

Not perfect, but so far it's held up well.



From this angle it looks fragile but have only had one huge spill when a leg wasn't locked down and it went down a hill in San Francisco and though the computer screen was trashed, everything else survived.



JR