New Forum

[Swampy]

Shawn has graciously allowed me to moderate this new forum which will be used for posting photos from various lenses that you have used here. We welcome many photos from any lens that you have used on your S2. Please be very selective as to what you post here to make sure we show off the best these lenses have to offer. I will start this off by repeating the 70-200mm VR lens photos that I have posted previously, and will add shots from the 60mm Micro, 50-500mm Sigma, 24-70mm Sigma, 50-300mm Nikkor and 80-200mm Nikkor Macro.

Please post just photos, camera settings, handheld, tripod, liquid nails to a tank turret, and a small blurb on conditions if possible. Please continue to use the Lens forum not the Lens Test (this one) for discussions and questions on these lenses. This forum is designed for quick reference to lenses and what they can do.

Reminder - These images are often edited by the user who posted them and are not straight out of the camera shots. You should expect that these images are cropped, levels adjusted, UnSharp Masked and/or a number of other processes applied. These images (unless otherwise specified) were produced by the S2 with the lens listed. If you would like to see some other shots, please feel free to ask the user who posted the shots to accomodate you. Remember, due to bandwidth limitations, the shot will still have to be resized to meet the limitations of the file size restrictions.

Any suggestions in here are always welcome!

Bryan

[ronlcox]

I wold like to contibute but having a hard time getting photos to post. Sometimes nothing and then other times the pic is so big as to be usless for anyone to view.

[Swampy]

Ron,

Edit your picture in Photoshop or other program and resize the image to 800x600 (or around there) for landscape photos or 600x800 for portrait photos. Save all sharpening (Unsharp mask) for right after you resize. Save the picture in around medium compression.

Start your new post/reply, type your message, then hit the browse button on the bottom and find your edited picture. Hit submit and wait for the board to come back with a message saying it's been posted.

Try that out.

Bryan

[Wichita Wayne]

Select the picture you want to post and then [right click] and select [Batch Resize]. It will give you the option to select several sizes and 800 X 600 is one of them. This is also great when you want to downsize an entire wedding for posting to the internet or making a presentation slide show. The pictures will look good on the screen but won't print very well.

[Ben]

Bryan,

Since this is going to be a lens test section, is it possible alow only certain pics ?????

Yah right you might ask, what a stupid question, but hear me out...

I personally am interrested in a lens for certain qualities, sharpness of elements, vignetting or not etc.

Let this section reflect only certain images, that are done 'scientifically' or to a recipe:

For example, no sharpening allowed via PS, only original images (resized to fit forum) without any external manipulation.
No image cropping as to show the extreme edges of a pic.

An image must carry full S2 info, ISO, zoom settings etc.
Was a tripod used or not, VR lenses especially !

I`m thinking of buying a 24-120 VR ??, but so far how does it really perform with the S2 ?, there are some nice pics, but a we only see what the author want us to see.

I feel the PHOTO section can carry the bulk of photos manipulated or not, let this section carry a 'restriction'.

Like to hear your coments.

Ben
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Do my deeds speak louder my words .... ?
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[Swampy]

Ben,

I originally wanted to create this forum for a quick reference to what people have done with particular lenses. I don't want to limit what is posted here, as long as the images are the best that have been shot so show what can be accomplished with the particular lens. I don't think people will take the time to do seperate shots, unless specifically asked for.

Putting a limit on what can be posted, in my opinion will drop the activity here considerably, as well as take more time for me to moderate.

I'm thinking for now, if you're looking to see particular abberations and issues with a lens, you can post under that lens for that person to post a shot of it if/when they have time to do it.

There is structure here, in the form that every title is a particular lens manufacturer and type, which is far better than what the photos or lens forums are doing.

I like the idea Ben, don't get me wrong, the pictures are going to be hard to come by though without specifically asking and a whole lot of admin work.

Bryan

[sandman]

Ben as the only contributer to the nikon 24-120 lense test,i reckon you must mean me ,when you say ' you only see what he wants you to see'' .what do you want?. i said i don't do action, glamour, or still life shots, the only P.S. work i've posted, and i feel it does'nt detract from the picture in any way.
And of course i've only photographed what i want you to see , be a bit silly not to really.
Sorry if this comes across a bit hard , but i don't know what you want from this lense.

[sandman]

Just a couple more comments Ben, the post processing in P.S on my pix are usually levels and USM, incorrect levels are the fault of the exposure system in the camera NOT the lense, but i wll admit that too much USM can give an incorrect impression.
Also you have to remember that these pix are posted as web size ,so you will never see all the detail. the best you can hope for is a adequate impression.
Different moniters will also give different pix, i've a good expensive laptop with a top notch TFT screen, but it does'nt hold a candle to my 19'' desktop moniter.
So in my opinion unless you've got the oridginal shot in front of you , you'll never see exactly what any lense is capable of

[Ben]

Sandman,

I`m sorry for causing such a misunderstanding, but I actually wasn`t making any comments about your pic in particular.
I was talking in general, anyone publishing a pic under the lens section. I only mentioned 24-120mm since I`m interested in buying one, but again no mention to your pics at all !!!

The mention about seeing only what you want, actually refers to the fact that people crop their photos, thus one would only show the best parts of a pic, or subject, unknowingly cropping the edges off and also the blemishes, sometimes created by a bad quality lens (vignetting).

I wasn`t talking subject matter, although some subject WILL bring out the worst and best in a lens, tall trees, stark buildings, high contrast...

"As for PS manipulations, the USM is a particular culprit, when testing lenses is involved, I know the S2 isn`t the sharpest there is when it comes to in camera processing, but when one does a USM or any sharpening for that matter, it gives, me personally, the wrong impression that a lens is SUPER sharp" (my opinion)

Hope this clarifies some things.

[sandman]

glad you replied Ben, i know you were'nt picking on my pix personaly but as you mentioned the 24-120 i was guilty by association.
I agree the USM if overdone can give the wrong impression, however most if not all digital shots will be better with it being done properly, and it's vital if you print larger than 7'' x 5''. As most members would have already sharpened for there own use, before posting in this forum, unless they keep an original copy ,they will post the processed one.

About the nikon 24-120 it's a medium priced lense £480 english, so it's not a bank breaker, it's not the greatest lense in the world, but it's by far the best lense i've had. keep it on all the time for general shots now. The shot of the stairwell really surprised me , i know there was shake , but it was literally swing and shoot @1/4 sec , great little lense, buy one.

no misunderstanding Ben, we're all grown up photographers , and can give and take , some of us even revel in it.
Hope you liked the test pics . But there are over 1000 members now ,and i can't be only one with this lense , it's a disapointment no one else has posted, then you might get another view, or even the kind of shot you need.

[Swampy]

Ben,

It shouldn't be too decieving as every shot taken with any lens on the S2 is going to be soft. It's the way it was designed, as are most cameras. It's going to be a while before you're going to see right out of the camera knock your socks off sharpness from digital in my opinion. Most people are doing a good job at using USM here, so now it still becomes what the lens can produce.

If you want other test shots done, please post a message in the thread of that lens and I'm sure someone will be able to accomodate you.

Let me know if you have any other ideas, as much as I like this one myself, it's just not going to happen easily.

Bryan

[Ben]

Bryan, Sandman

Thanks for all the comment

I`ll let the forum take its course and ask if anyone posts something of 'lens interrest'.

[brenz45]

An extreme technical aspect to this part of the forum would certainly be interesting enough Im sure but after spending the last 3 months studying and learning post shot techniques to clean up or improve my "bad" shots it is quite refreshing just to admire other peoples pics and view their EXIF info etc, this gives me much needed confidence that I am on the right track.

While it is true that most digital images can benefit from varying degrees of manipulation,sharpening etc,we all agree the S2 is amazing at producing unbelieveably crisp clean and rich shots given the right conditions lenses etc.

Id like to keep it simple and see some straight outa the camera piccies