Picures with my NEW 24-70 L Please help me critique this

[jimchapin468]

Thanks so much for helping me critique my pictures.

PArameters:

f/2.8
Shutter Speed 125
100 ISO
100% crop
focus on the eyes
flash bounced
6 feet away
hand held
50 mm

[ayotnoms]

ISO # disclosed: check
Shutter speed disclosed: check
Distance info: check
Focal length: oh oh Houston, we have a problem

Subjectively, the photo look fine. How do you fine about them?

[jimchapin468]

"How do you fine about him" What doou mean? Thanks Jimmy

[Tom W]

"How do you fine about him" What doou mean? Thanks Jimmy

I think that means "how do you feel about them. :)

[jimchapin468]

I feel they look good but I wished they had more "pop" to them (3D). Any recommendations? Thanks Jimmy

[paulhillion]

I think what they meant is how do you feel about the image'? Do you think it's acceptable. yes? then keep the lens and get out and start using it. No? well then send it back, post lot's more images from probably lot's more of the 24-70's you'll have to try until you get the feedback you desire. I've had my 24-70 for a couple of months now & from day one I've just used it as my everyday walkabout lens, and it's been great. Now I have had lot's of shots from it that have not been perfect and if I'd posted one of them here to be critiqued as you've done I'm sure someone would have replied that it doesn't look sharp etc etc....I'd panic and then the thoughts of me maybe having a defective lens would be upon me and probably drive me nuts until I'd exchanged what's most likely a perfectly ok lens.

For what it's worth the images look fine, run a little usm on them, print them out and I'll bet they'll look even better!

Enjoy the lens :)

[buze]

Personaly, I think that it's a lemon, the pictures are considerably fuzzy around the ears, surely it's a bad sign. If I had that lens, and took that shot, and then had to bug a whole conmunity several times a day to try to figure out if it was good or bad, then I would most defintly return it immediately and get a new one.
Canon QA is SO lame these days! unbeleivable.

[Tom W]

I feel they look good but I wished they had more "pop" to them (3D). Any recommendations? Thanks Jimmy

A lot of that "3D" comes from practice. People develop an eye for getting the correct depth that will make thier images come alive. The choice of background, aperture, colors, and such all contribute to that "pop". Also, the pop is more apt to show up in a normal-sized image than in a 100% crop. After all, you're spreading those pixels out pretty far when you stretch to 100% on the screen.

BTW, I think that the first of these two images does have some of that "pop" to it. Look at the eyes!

[Tom W]

Personaly, I think that it's a lemon, the pictures are considerably fuzzy around the ears, surely it's a bad sign. If I had that lens, and took that shot, and then had to bug a whole conmunity several times a day to try to figure out if it was good or bad, then I would most defintly return it immediately and get a new one.
Canon QA is SO lame these days! unbeleivable.

Consider being a little less insulting - if the thread bugs you, you may choose to avoid reading it.

[summerwind4]

like ayotnoms said....everything is check..........for a shot like that at f/2.8 and 6 feet away, i'd say you have a keeper indeed.
now for the "pop". and stay with me here, i have been going through old photos from my 24-70 to find some f/2.8 shots that had "pop" so as to please ol Tom, and what i noticed is that RAWs converted with C1 still look good to me, but using RSE, gave them some "pop" i never noticed before. i'm not one to sharpen images much as i find it give that plasticky look i so hate, so i dropped sharpening in RSE to zero, (sharpen and detail extraction sliders all the way to the left) and the images look zesty. of course this set me into motion to try some others that i never really thought were all the great from the lens when shot at different apertures. man how i miss it now, but i have to remind myself of what i really do with my pictures, and the fact that i hated the wieght.

you might want to give RawShooter Essentials a go using RAW files and see how you like it.

here is a link to RSE in case you want it, but again, those samples look right on to me. errrr, try the cake shot again too.....

http://www.pixmantec.com/index2.html

[jimchapin468]

The ears are fuzzy becuse hit was shot with f2 focused on the eyes. Have a good evening -- Jimmy

PS: I like to look at others pictures and I like other people to look at mine to see what I can improve on.

[jimchapin468]

Buz -- Lets see some of your pictures, Have a good evening BUZ...

[Bob_A]

Hi Jim,

I think your lens is excellent and I understand completely now that you have moved on to just trying to improve your technique. Maybe start posting your pics in the "Sharing Knowhow" - Critique Corner section instead of the lens forum. :D

One tip for the critique section though. Lots of the members click on "new posts" instead of visiting some of the sections directly, so don't get discouraged if once in awhile no one responds. Also, be as clear as you can be about what you don't like about your photo and ask for feedback on how to improve.

I'm happy to see that there is nothing wrong with your lens ... now get out their shooting and have some fun!

[ayotnoms]

I think that means "how do you feel about them. :)
Thanks Tom
That's exactly what I meant. hmm
I usually catch those mistakes...

I'm at a loss to figure out what you're going to do, Jim. Unless you're taking the steps to really learn your camera, basic photography principles (such as the interaction between ISO, shutter speed, focal length, DoF etc.), and practice practice practice you're going to be continually dissatisfied with what is otherwise top-of-line equipment.

Hopefully, that's exactly what you're doing. Post after post after post asking "is this good?" is not going to get the job done in the long run.

On the other hand, you can continue to take pictures like those you posted here and be content that they are perfectly fine.

Regards

[DavidEB]

try shooting from a slight angle rather than full-on, which might give a bit more sense of 3-D to the face, and try stopping down just enough to get the entire face, including ears, in focus.

also (this is a problem I don't know how to solve), with bounce flash the tops of the heads often look a little too bright, especially with light-haired or -- worse yet -- bald people. I've sometimes gotten OK shots bouncing off a wall instead of the ceiling.

good luck,