Switch Theme:

Re:Little Camera, Big Results - LCBR - updated march 7th  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
  • No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
  • Times and dates in your local timezone.
  • Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
  • Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
  • Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.




Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada









Episode 2




So just after x-mas I decided to pick up a little point and shoot.



Now one thing these little bastards can do better than DSLR's is take macro (close up) shots. DSLR's have big sensors, which is generally a good thing when it comes to image quality and low light performance. The downside of big sensors is that they require large optics and as such the range of what's in focus is generally lower. That can be a really good thing most of the time as it gives a sharp subject focus and a nice out of focus background. The downside however is when you want to photograph something very small, the range of what's in focus is razor thin and the only way around that is having a crapload of light and/or a tripod. Enter the point and shoot.

Now the nice thing about this little guy (canon 300hs) is it has a decently wide lens at 24mm. Which means you can put it right down on the table and get pictures that are more immersive. I've tried doing that with my slr and even at F/11-F/16 I can't get results that my point and shoot can get. I also picked up one these:

Manfrotto MP3-D01

Spoiler:



The main reason you want to mount the camera on is that hand help pictures end up having some blur because if you care about having optimal image quality you will be using the lowest possible ISO (light sensitivity) which will likely result in exposures (pictures) taken at 1/30th of a second or slower (exponentially more if zoomed in). Most pics I take in my basement range from 1/5th to 1/30th of a second, so if I try and hand hold the camera, even with image stabilization, it almost always has motion blur.

The trick is doing the following: turn the flash off, turn macro mode on (it's the little picture of a flower), leave the lens zoomed out (a big mistake people make is trying to zoom in which f**ks everything up), set the camera to delayed shot(usually looks like a stop watch with a number), most cams will have either 2 or 10 seconds delay, brace the camera against terrain or models or place on the table enough so that it's balanced and won't move at all, half press the shutter button to lock in the exposure/focus, press all the way down and wait for the magic. The camera will be so-so at getting the exposure down so you may want to add a bias like +1 or -1 EV or if you have a point and shoot with a manual setting you can just use that. Also, it's worth pointing out that if you have control of your ISO keep it at the lowest possible setting, which is usually iso100 or 200. This ensures the best quality when it comes to noise.

The biggest mistake everyone makes is zooming in. What happens when you zoom is you take your nice f/2.8-3.7 apertures (the bigger holes that let in the more light) and quickly reduces them to f/5.6 or f/8 (smaller holes, less light). So basically you take an already slow exposure (think blurry) of less than 1/30th of second into a death spiral to the point where unless you're on a tripod you'll get a lot of blur. The other problem with zooming in is the minimum focus (the closest you can get the subject to the lens) goes way up. Most point and shoots can be a couple of inches away and still get focus when they're zoomed out but the second you zoom in all that math changes and the minimum focus can now be couple feet.

I would also reccomend turning off image stabilization when shooting this way (braced/tripod with delayed shutter) because it may actually cause blur if left on. Some higher end compacts may be smart enough to autodetect the complete lack of motion and disengage is automatically, but the majority of the lower end point and shoots won't be that smart.


The main benefit of shooting wide is your camera can get right up to the "action" and if the models are decently painted it can look really cool to see the world from their perspective. The other benefit of shooting wide is you'll have room to crop however you want. I know I mentioned never zooming earlier because it would increase the minimum focus (how close you can get a model in focus) but so long as the camera is completely stable it can be worthwhile to zoom a little bit and shoot some things tighter to reduce distortion and tighten the focus. Overall though, a lot of point and shoots will trend towards being sharpest wide open, which is not the case for most dslr's where you usually have to stop down a bit (lower the amount of light entering the camera by making the aperture smaller) to get the the sharpest possible result from the lens.


Cell phones can also take great shots, the same rules apply, make sure it ain't moving and it's place pretty low to the table. There are fantastic apps out there that unlock all sorts of manual controls for your phone's camera and are totally worth it in the long run.





Feel free to post camera/photography related questions, I can usually recommend what gear I like currently if you're in the market for a new camera so don't be shy.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, here's some shots from my last 3 games. I played against berzerker's necrons, b-dizzle's ultramarines and sallieman's salamanders.





































This message was edited 108 times. Last update was at 2020/03/07 18:26:56


Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in gb
Lone Wolf Sentinel Pilot





Southampton, Hampshire, England, British Isles, Europe, Earth, Sol, Sector 001

I would so pinch some of these images, rework them to look like real photos of the combat. Next time you do a battle report try using this set up and you'll be golden

<--- Yes that is me
Take a look at my gallery, see some thing you like the vote
http://www.dakkadakka.com/core/gallery-search.jsp?dq=&paintjoblow=0&paintjobhigh=10&coolnesslow=0&coolnesshigh=10&auction=0&skip=90&ll=3&s=mb&sort1=8&sort2=0&u=26523
Bloodfever wrote: Ribon Fox, systematically making DakkaDakka members gay, 1 by 1.
 
   
Made in us
Lone Wolf Sentinel Pilot





Fort Benning, Georgia

   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

Ribon Fox wrote:I would so pinch some of these images, rework them to look like real photos of the combat. Next time you do a battle report try using this set up and you'll be golden


Pinch away dude, just saw long as you post the edit


Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in ca
Been Around the Block





Awesome scenery and beautifully painted models bud!
   
Made in us
Ultramarine Master with Gauntlets of Macragge





Boston, MA

Great pictures, great paintjobs, and great terrain!

Check out my Youtube channel!
 
   
Made in ca
Stormin' Stompa






Ottawa, ON

now that I've seen these pictures, I want to try it myself. But alas, my camera's the size of a brick.

Ask yourself: have you rated a gallery image today? 
   
Made in us
Battlewagon Driver with Charged Engine




Ye Olde North State

Good stuff man, good stuff. I enjoyed it.

grendel083 wrote:"Dis is Oddboy to BigBird, come in over."
"BigBird 'ere, go ahead, over."
"WAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!! over"
"Copy 'dat, WAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!! DAKKADAKKA!!... over"
 
   
Made in us
PanOceaniac Hacking Specialist Sergeant




Great Falls MT

It only is worth it if you have well painted armies and tables..... dang I wish it was worth it for me XD This looked amazing, thanks for sharing

When your wife suggests roleplay as a result of your table top gaming... life just seems right

I took my wife thru the BRB for fantasy and 40k, the first thing she said was "AWESOME"... codex: Chaos Daemons Nurgle..... to all those who says God aint real....  
   
Made in ie
Norn Queen






Dublin, Ireland

Goddam, is the camera you use a "commercially available one"? i.e not 1000 quid?!

Forgive my ignorance, I know nothing about them!

If so.....whoa is all I can say, truely amazing pics, the Termis coming across the river is absolutely cinematic.



Could you write and article/post on your tips/tricks/recommendations on those sort of shots?

I'd love to include it here under the photo section for reference and info:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/432378.page

Thanks Crable!


Dman137 wrote:
goobs is all you guys will ever be

By 1-irt: Still as long as Hissy keeps showing up this is one of the most entertaining threads ever.

"Feelin' goods, good enough". 
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

Ratius wrote:Goddam, is the camera you use a "commercially available one"? i.e not 1000 quid?!

Forgive my ignorance, I know nothing about them!

If so.....whoa is all I can say, truely amazing pics, the Termis coming across the river is absolutely cinematic.



Could you write and article/post on your tips/tricks/recommendations on those sort of shots?

I'd love to include it here under the photo section for reference and info:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/432378.page

Thanks Crable!



Yup, it goes for about 145$ Canadian here but its available in most markets, it just might have a different name in some. In north america it's called the canon 300hs, it might be slightly different in europe or asia.

I'd love to write an article, shoud i just pm it to you so you can update the post?

Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

A few pics from a recent game. My buddies guard army is inspired by command and conquer's brotherhood of nod. There's some really amazing conversions and scratch built stuff in it.










Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in ca
Infiltrating Broodlord





Oshawa Ontario

I love your valk/copter and missile trakk.

Looking for Durham Region gamers in Ontario Canada, send me a PM!

See my gallery for Chapterhouse's Tervigon, fully painted.
 
   
Made in gb
Esteemed Veteran Space Marine




Sheppey, England

Everything looks fabulous - very impressed with the C&C conversions!

Thanks for the tips on using the compact camera - I'll give it a whirl myself.

Click for a Relictors short story: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/412814.page

And the sequels HERE and HERE

Final part's up HERE

 
   
Made in au
Warning From Magnus? Not Listening!






Adelaide, Australia

OMG! Its an Apache Valkrie.

Notice: If you notice this notice you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing
 
   
Made in us
Ultramarine Master with Gauntlets of Macragge





Boston, MA

I would love to see more of those NOD IG!

Check out my Youtube channel!
 
   
Made in gb
Sneaky Striking Scorpion






Deep in the Webway

This is awesomeness incarnate (that's the correct use of the word, right?)... I especially love the Valkyrie!
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

Pix from a big 40k game we had on the weekend. Sallieman and Andilus Greatsword vs myself and b-dizzle, all marine death orgy.



























Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in ca
Dour Wolf Priest with Iron Wolf Amulet






Canada

Man I still can't believe how well those Scouts performed. For those who weren't there, they destroyed a autocannon/lascannon Predator, 2 Typhoon Land Speeders and ran a combat squad off the table in combat, under heavy fire the entire time.

   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

You should promote those men, a damn fine job they did. Only downside I guess is you won't have the element of surprise but they're still pretty damn solid.

Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

Game vs An00bis's tau. The updated forgeworld stuff is pretty sweet, tetras rock now. I used a little blue led flashlight to sex things up a bit.















Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in gb
Lone Wolf Sentinel Pilot





Nottinghamshire, UK

Just goes to show that with a bit of careful positioning you can get some really dramatic and characterful scenes.

Driven away from WH40K by rules bloat and the expense of keeping up, now interested in smaller model count games and anything with nifty mechanics. 
   
Made in jp
[MOD]
Anti-piracy Officer






Somewhere in south-central England.

Nice conversions and dioramas.

Nice paint.

Nice photography.

It is full of WIN!



I'm writing a load of fiction. My latest story starts here... This is the index of all the stories...

We're not very big on official rules. Rules lead to people looking for loopholes. What's here is about it. 
   
Made in ca
Dour Wolf Priest with Iron Wolf Amulet






Canada

That Tau command console is EPIC (pun kind of not intended )

   
Made in au
Norn Queen






That Tau objective marker is probably the best objective marker I've ever seen. Impressively done.
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

Ann00bis's tau are the coolest tau I've ever seen, the first time he showed me that objective marker my jaw hit the floor.

Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in nz
Trustworthy Shas'vre





In a hole in New Zealand with internet access

These are some dam fine models, terrain things and pictures. So insperational for me.

   
Made in gr
Perfect Shot Ultramarine Predator Pilot




This sir, is our hobby in its finest form!!!
Congratulations and keep the pictures coming!
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

Had a game vs andilus greatsword's nids. It was my first game against nids in 5th ed and I had a blast. Hive guard and genestealers are vicious.





















Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in nz
Trustworthy Shas'vre





In a hole in New Zealand with internet access

Great picture once again. I was right to subscribe to this thread!

   
 
Forum Index » 40K General Discussion
Go to: