70D question

[newshooter]

This is probably going to be a really dumb question, but I am going to ask anyway.  I just bought my first dslr camera, the 70d, and it's all a bit overwhelming for a newbie.  I intend on buying one of the DVD sets that explains the cameras features but in the meantime, the one thing I haven't been able to find in the manual or by clicking through the cameras menu is this, and it's my dumb question;

I will use this camera for wildlife photography and while watching the numerous camera review videos before I made my purchase I heard where they kept talking about how this camera has a crop sensor of 1.6x and by using this feature it would turn a 255mm lens into a 408mm lens?  Ok, so is this a feature you turn off and on or is this camera just always using this crop sensor?  And I think crop sensor was the correct term?

[Yorptunes]

Ok figured out how to post a photo.  This was taken several days ago with my new 70D using the "sports" setting, with stock canon 55-250 lens that came with the camera.  I have better lenses, but wanted to test out not only the camera but the lens.  I am pleased with both.  

[newshooter]

To me, and I'm not an expert at all, that is a GREAT picture. 

My untrained eye, but after doing a lot of reading, would say there is some "depth of field" going on there??

[ebiggs1]

Dee,

If you have PS6,  that is the choice. I suggest you concentrate on learning it. It is the best, except for CC.

Lightroom is more aimed at professional photographers that shoot a great deal of pictures and need to keep track of them.

It does some post but nothing like PS6 does. LR is a data based system.

IMHO, of course, Yorptunes needs to slow down on the color saturation a bit. No need to make the flowers bleed. Almost always in photography, less is more!

[Yorptunes]

Ebiggs:  Thanks for the feedback.  I did not adjust the saturation in that photo, that is what the camera produced using the "sport" preset.  However, I quite agree the picture does bleed and hurt the eyes.  Those flowers are part of a fire tree when they are in full bloom the colors are so bright they actually look on fire.  However, it does detract from the butterfly which is the reason I like the photo.  I went back and cropped, desaturated and came up with a photo I like better and which still highlights the beauty of the monarch.  The beauty of the fire blossums are still conveyed, but more pleasant to look at.  I cropped out some of the edge clutter.

John

[newshooter]

Yep, I gotta learn how to use this camera.  I'm robbing myself of some photo ops.  I came home this evening and saw the deer moving into my pasture to feed.  Ran and grabbed the camera and with light fading fast, began to click.  I tried different settings but was pretty much clueless as to what I was doing.  There were 3 bucks out there and they were running does, so not staying in one place.  I was having to steady the camera on my porch post, trying to focus on one deer, and even with my ignorance, got some decent pictures.  There were only mere minutes of daylight left, and I could barely see the deer in the view finder.  These deer are probably between 200 & 250 yards, again, well beyond my normal range of 100 when I'm actually in a deer blind with clients.  I am satisfied with what they look like and can only hope with time and experience I will be able to get the most out of the camera?

The moon is almost full tonight, I'm going to go out and and see how well I do with some moon shots.

These were all shot in JPEG mode, not RAW

[ebiggs1]

Those pictures are nice especially for f5.6 @ 1/13 and ISO of 6400. Matter of fact really good for those settings! 

A rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed that is the reciprocal of the focal length of the lens. As a minimum shutter speed!!!!!

I.E., a 250mm lens equals a shutter of 1/250 second. This is why it is so important to own fast glass.

The Action Program mode works well as it favors the shutter speed. But I prefer Av. You set the aperture value you want and let the camera set the shutter which will be as fast as it can be.

Have you considered a tripod?

[newshooter]

They were moving too fast for a tripod.  And I am thankful for the tips.  I am trying to pick it all up and when I'm out there and the deer are running, it's hard to concentrate on all of the buttons and dials.

Here is probably the best moon shot I got.  I was set up on a tripod, using the ios from my phone to take the pictures, and was really experimenting with all of the settings. 

My hats off to all of you guys that make it look so easy.  From now on, when I pick up a magazine and see those awesome shots of the moon, a football player in action, or a lion crouching for an attack, I will fully appreciate what it truly takes to actually get those kind of pictures.

[ebiggs1]

You need pro-act, not re-act. Set your camera first. Before you go out hunting for deer.

Remember it's always day time on the Moon!

You just need more practice with the tripod, too. How about a monopod?

I am impressed with your progress. 

[TCampbell]

The moon is a tiny bit different from daylight only because it has an exceptionally low surface albedo -- roughly resembling the surface reflectivity of a black sidewall tire. While you can use the "Sunny 16" rule on the moon, it will look pretty dark at that setting. For this reason, we open up a stop from a daylight exposure.

The moon gets it's own exposure rule called the "Loony 11" rule. That rule says that if you shoot at f/11, then you can set the shutter speed to the inverse of the ISO. e.g. at ISO 100, use 1/100th. At ISO 400 you'd use 1/400th. You don't have to use f/11 but that's the only aperture where the shutter speed is a simple inverse of the ISO.

[newshooter]

Ok, will try the looney 11 rule tonight.  My buddy, the Nikon man, has never heard of that, so thanks for making us Canon guys look good.    He's going to try it tonight with his Nikon D800.  We'll compare our photos tomorrow.

We're here in the office and just set my 70D in M or manual mode, 1/100th, F11, ISO 100.  I'll give it a try, thanks.