The Digital Photo Guy

Sometimes, You CAN have Your Cake and Eat It, Too!

Further to my email exchange with Roy Ang, I pointed out the SX40 HS didn’t have RAW support and that would make it untenable for many advanced photographers. Roy was all over that. “Au contraire, mon frère”, he fired back. CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit) is available for the SX40 HS.

CHDK “unlocks” many features of the Canon DIGIC cpu that are not accessible in all Canon cameras. There is a CHDK version for over 120 Canon Powershot P&S models but not all are supported. CHDK does NOT work with Canon dSLRs or other brands of digital cameras. CHDK is NOT supported or sanctioned by Canon.

Not having kept up with P&S cameras for many years, I was unaware of CHDK. In the past, “hack” usually meant taking a chance of bricking a camera (as in, “I turned my Digital Rebel into a brick.”) The cool thing about CHDK is that it is external to the camera’s firmware. CHDK is loaded onto the camera’s memory card and loaded either manually or automatically when the camera is powered up. When that memory card is removed from the camera, the camera reverts to it’s original state. This is slicker’n owl snot on a brass doorknob.

If CHDK only added RAW capability, that would be cool but what makes it spectacular is the long list of other features it enables. These include, in no particular order: bracketing, full manual exposure control, live histogram, grids, DNG output and much more. It also adds features not found in any Canon Powershot such as:

• Motion detection - Trigger exposure in response to motion, fast enough to catch lightning.
• USB_Remote - Simple DIY remote allows you to control your camera remotely.
• Scripting – Control CHDK and camera features using ubasic and Lua scripts. Enables time lapse, motion detection, advanced bracketing, and much more.
• My favorites are the built-in Depth of Field calculator and infinity focus set.

If you have a Canon P&S and you want to extend its capabilities, CHDK would be a good place to start.

CAVEAT: I am not responsible for any damage you may cause to either your camera, yourself or anyone or anything else. I have not personally tested CHDK as I do not own a compatible camera. Read and understand what CHDK can and cannot do for you BEFORE installing it on a camera. Do NOT be like this reader (see Cautionary Tales.)

It’s Not the Camera but How You Use It

I received an e-mail from Roy Ang, a very talented San Diego photographer, hinting at interesting macro photos for the fiscally challenged. When I received the above photos from the San Diego Wild Animal Park Butterfly exhibit, I was impressed but not blown away as I knew the sophisticated gear Roy owned. I asked him what was so unique about these macros and received the following reply:

OK, Here is the amazing part…I DID NOT (emphasis mine) do it with the following:

Canon MPE65
Canon 100 macro
Tamron 90 macro
Kenko Extension tubes and/or Canon/Kenko TC’s

There was no cropping here.
The only post work was some recovery slider in LR3 and some clarity boost in LR3.

Further, he stated these were handheld. Now, my curiosity was piqued. Just how in the heck did Roy manage this?

Hold on to your hats! Roy used a Canon SX40 HS P&S camera with a 1/2.3″ sensor. P&S cameras have always had a reputation for good macros because of their tiny sensors. For a comparison, see the chart on this page. Notice the SX40 HS sensor is 1/6th the size of a Canon G1 X. In theory, the smaller sensor results in smaller photosites (light detectors) which, in turn, result in greater noise. But, the SX40 HS uses a Canon DIGIC V cpu, the same cpu used in most Canon dSLRs, to wring the most out of a potentially noisy sensor.

Combined with a 35x optical zoom (24mm to 840mm, 35mm equivalent) lens, the SX40 HS is able to produce some amazing macros as Roy’s photos attest.

What Can I Say? I’m a Little Slow!

I never understood the fervor over tablets. Who the heck wants to pay $500 to play games or watch videos on a tiny screen? What advantage does a soft keyboard offer over real keyboards? How can I run Lightroom on such anemic hardware?

Nevertheless, I knew my target audience was buying them so I had to understand their appeal. When Costco reduced the Vizio VTAB1008 tablet to $189, I rolled the dice. After playing with it for a few weeks, I finally understand the tablet’s role. This is the new TV, stereo, newspaper, map, GPS, Yellow Pages and Post Office, all rolled up into one device. In other words, it’s strictly for entertainment and info lookup. Instead of looking in TV Guide, use the tablet. Instead of watching TV, watch YouTube on the ’net. No more Yellow Pages, order take out Chinese on-line.

If you want to do serious work such as enhancing and editing photos in LR, PS or PSE, you still need a real PC. Analyzing the genetic makeup of a killer rhinovirus outbreak in Hong Kong ain’t gonna be on a tablet! The catchy phrase of the day for tablets is “information consumption.” The whole idea is to sell you more “stuff,” ie, e-books, videos, music, games, anything to entertain. Bottom line, tablets aren’t really computers.

I found the tablet useful during a recent roadtrip for checking diesel prices, reading e-mail and, in general, entertaining myself. But, when it came time to download, review, rate, enhance, optimize and store nearly 200 photos of bighorn sheep, my big honkin’ laptop was, and still is, the tool of choice. Writing even simple e-mails is a chore on a soft keyboard. Teens with overly developed thumbs, typing in pidgin Textglish, might like it but if you type in complete sentences with proper grammar, soft keyboards are abysmal.

I have, however, discovered tablets are wonderful portfolios. My print portfolio weighs about 10 pounds while the Vizio weighs 1.2 lbs. Of course, an 8″ screen doesn’t have near the impact of a 17″ x 25″ print from an Epson 3880. A tablet is essentially a toy, albeit a fun toy, and there’s no way it’s worth over $250.

Photos from Pt Loma Lighthouse

After all, this is a photography blog so here are some rcent photos. The San Diego Photography Collective had a Meetup at the Pt Loma Lighthouse during its 156th anniversary celebration. The very top of the lighthouse, which is normally closed, was open to the public. I used Topaz Labs Adjust and B&W Effects because those were prizes for a photo contest we concocted for this Meetup.

Given the age of the lighthouse and the docents in period costumes, it seemed appropriate to process these in B&W. The left photo above is Jimmy and a docent. Jimmy is from Quebec and he flew down to San Diego for this event! He had never been to California and thought it might be fun. He’s a great guy and a talented photographer. This was a first for us, no has ever flown in from a foreign country for one of our Meetups.

The middle photo is a docent and the right photo is the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse. Notice the ghost on the landing below! All three were processed in Topaz Labs B&W Effects. The first is an antique sepia preset while the middle is an opalotype preset. I don’t remember what I used for the right photo but I believe it was a classic B&W effect.

On the Snake Oil Salesman, I cranked up the grain and simulated an old daguerreotype. Topaz has a daguerreotype preset but it was too refined for my taste. I wanted this to look like one of the old west posters processed in chemicals long past their useful life. The last one of a gargoyle on the lighthouse roof was processed in Topaz Labs Adjust 5. Afte applying a preset, I pushed it over the top to create a photo appropriate for slasher movies. TA5 was just released and has over 130 presets to get you started.

If you’ve never used Topaz plug-ins, click this LINK and download the fully functional trials. Best of all, Topaz offers FREE upgrades. I bought the entire Topaz suite about 3 years ago and have upgraded most of the plug-ins at least once and some have been upgraded 2 or 3 times.

Ansel Adams Would Have Been Proud

For years, I’ve tried to practice Ansel Adams’ concept of previsualizing an image before releasing the shutter. To be perfectly honest, I never really felt I had a handle on the concept but, hey, it made me feel as if I knew what I was doing.

Yesterday, while flipping through a past issue of Outdoor Photographer (the only magazine to which I subscribe and read on a regular basis) I came across an article titled “Think Like Ansel Adams Today” that sparked a thought in my tiny brain. I suddenly realized I had been previsualizing many photos.

Ever since I first made this photo at Lake Tenaya, I’ve had in mind the same image on a calm, windless day when the reflection is as if on a mirror. Add in clouds and snow and the photo would, in my mind, be perfect.

This particular attempt was made late in the day when the last remnants of daylight cast a soft glow. At the time I made this photo, I was pleased with it but, now, in retrospect, I see many things I want to improve.

You don’t have to travel to Yosemite to previsualize a photo. Here’s another I made in my front yard that I’d like to replicate and improve.

In this case, I’d like to see the bee turned a bit more so I can see its eye and antenna in sharp focus. I lost the original in a hard disk crash so all I remember is that it was taken with a 20D with Canon 100/2.8 macro at f/2.8.

The take-away? Review past photos and think how you can improve them the next time. In short order, you’ll be able to previsualize new photos as you come across new scenes.

Check All Memory Cards Before Formatting

Back on October 9, I posted photos from Alabama Hills including a night shot of Mobius Arch framing Lone Pine Peak. I wasn’t happy with the full size print because the photo was slightly out of focus (OOF) and a large print emphasized the misfocus.

While taking photos of the two B&W prints in the last post, I discovered a dozen in-focus photos of Mobius Arch at night made with my Canon 40D and Sigma 10-20. I had switched to the 40D after framing the Mobius Arch with the 24-105 and realizing it was too long. I had completely forgotten these photos and nearly formatted the card without checking. Ergo, I am an idiot. The take away is very simple: Always check and double check your memory cards before formatting, d’oh!

The one on the left is 20mm and the one on the right is 10mm. These were made within 2 minutes of each other. They appear quite dark because a) it was night and b) compressing and resizing reduces the brightness. Printed at 13×19, they appear fine.

As an afterthought, although I typically print at 13×19, the Epson 3880 is capable of printing 17×24. The reason I don’t is because of increased cost and greater hassle to store and display larger prints.

The Complaint Department is Closed

I received an e-mail stating George Jardine’s video on B&W conversion was, “…filled with too much technical stuff…” I deleted the reader from my mailing list to protect him from himself. I’m sorry if everything isn’t simple and easy but, if it were, any 6 year old could make photos like Ansel Adams or David Meunch. The complaint department is now closed!