Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

It looks very nice.

cool Go Kart R/C

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BlueTsunami wrote in post #8635181
Another "Mosaic" with this lens (you 50mm shooters will probably notice the dramatic increase in Field of View. This was shot with my Canon 350D)...

Wow, these are amazing.

tupper wrote in post #8597597
How many of you have experienced the auto focus failure on this lens? Or is it manly all hype..

Yep, I have and it was less than 6 months old. It's intermittent though. It's been sent off to Canon and they couldn't find anything wrong but at least it's been recorded that I have reported a problem. I have been assured that if it fails after the warranty runs out I will still be covered for this problem.

Krypty wrote in post #8640268
Wow, these are amazing.

Thank you Its a very fun technique to use!

BlueTsunami wrote in post #8640790
Thank you Its a very fun technique to use!

Very cool, but what exactly is the technique?

ahh wrote in post #8640797
Very cool, but what exactly is the technique?

Its been called the "Brenizer Method". Its using a set Focal Length and taking a shot of your subject then taking individual shots around the subject until you capture the larger frame you want to create. You then take those frames and have a program stitch them all together.

For instance, the tree shot on this page, one frame was actually of the flowers around the middle tree. I then shot around the flowers to capture everything else around it.

I could have used a wider lens (like the 24mm f/1.4) but the DoF at the distance I was standing probably wouldn't have been as dramatic and the perspective would not have that "normal" 50mm look.

In a sense, its almost as if I'm shooting a 50mm lens on a Medium Format or Large Format camera (due to the increased Field of View). The original file of these "Mosaic" images weighed in at about 60MB images (so you can imagine the large prints that could be made from these).

If anyone wants the exact way I go about it (as far as camera settings and details on the software end), let me know.

Also here's a link to the Flickr group that utilizes this method: http://www.flickr.com/​groups/brenizermethod/

BlueTsunami wrote in post #8640826
Its been called the "Brenizer Method". Its using a set Focal Length and taking a shot of your subject then taking individual shots around the subject until you capture the larger frame you want to create. You then take those frames and have a program stitch them all together.

For instance, the tree shot on this page, one frame was actually of the flowers around the middle tree. I then shot around the flowers to capture everything else around it.

I could have used a wider lens (like the 24mm f/1.4) but the DoF at the distance I was standing probably wouldn't have been as dramatic and the perspective would not have that "normal" 50mm look.

In a sense, its almost as if I'm shooting a 50mm lens on a Medium Format or Large Format camera (due to the increased Field of View). The original file of these "Mosaic" images weighed in at about 60MB images (so you can imagine the large prints that could be made from these).

If anyone wants the exact way I go about it (as far as camera settings and details on the software end), let me know.

Also here's a link to the Flickr group that utilizes this method: http://www.flickr.com/​groups/brenizermethod/

Yes, please.

If you can point out some reading material or tutorials it will be great.

Krypty wrote in post #8640858
Yes, please.

If you can point out some reading material or tutorials it will be great.

*Camera settings*

1) Set to Manual
2) Set exposure based on the aperture that you want (I used my 50mm wide open). Make sure Auto ISO isn't on (if applicable)
3) Decide on if you want to shoot RAW or JPEG (I do these with JPEG since processing all those RAW files, then exporting them would be a pain).
4) If you chose JPEG, make sure to set your White Balance to the current lighting scenario (Auto White Balance will cause color shifts when you want every frame to be the same). If you're shooting RAW, you obviously don't have to worry about White Balance.

With all that set, you're ready to start shooting

*Shooting*

1) Focus your lens (Auto or Manual) on your subject. Once you've done that make sure to turn off the AF (via the switch on the lens or don't worry if you use AF lock) so that every image stays in that focused position.

2) Shoot your subject then shoot in a spiral formation around your subject, making sure to clip each frame by 25% with the former frame. Doesn't have to be exact but you want to keep a little of the former frame in the next frame so that photomerging can line each image up nicely (just like you would in a Panoramic image). This is one area that feels awkward at first, so don't worry if you feel you may not have done it right. You'll see any problem areas when you get back and render it then learn from that.

3) Keep shooting until you've increased the Field of View around your subject to your desired amount

*Post Processing*

You can use Photoshop but as I stated, you may run into Photoshop leaving seams where each frame overlaps. I use Kolor AutoPano but its expensive (albeit, very good at what it does). I don't have any experience with it but I've read good things about Hugin *Click Me*. Its a open source Panoramic stitching software (which is also available on OSX, I think). So I would recommend trying that over Photoshop first.

Post processing just involves you taking all those JPEG images and using whatever software you choose to stitch them all together. Once its done stitching them and outputting the file, you'll be able to do whatever you want with it. The file will be extremely dense (well, depending on how many frames you've shot and at what resolution).

I end up taking that large file and editing it Photoshop (cropping, level adjustment and resizing). Just make sure your system can handle such a big file.

Great tips, BT!

BlueTsunami wrote in post #8640977
*

2) Shoot your subject then shoot in a spiral formation around your subject, making sure to clip each frame by 25% with the former frame. Doesn't have to be exact but you want to keep a little of the former frame in the next frame so that photomerging can line each image up nicely (just like you would in a Panoramic image). This is one area that feels awkward at first, so don't worry if you feel you may not have done it right. You'll see any problem areas when you get back and render it then learn from that.

to clarify, does this mean that for example you would take 6 shots

using the tree picture above as an example

to top left, bottom left, top middle, bottom middle, top right and bottom right...

have i understood this correctly?

spelunker wrote in post #8621201
I mean, it's not like I don't do conversions in PP either. But if b/w is my vision, then I appreciate the control and restriction of keeping it that way, all the way.

If you don't mind my asking, are you setting the camera to B&W then treating everything as if you were shooting B&W film? Carrying and using a set of colored filters, for example?

dynamitetony wrote in post #8643424
to clarify, does this mean that for example you would take 6 shots

using the tree picture above as an example

to top left, bottom left, top middle, bottom middle, top right and bottom right...

have i understood this correctly?

When using a spiral capture, I think its best to start with the subject, so shoot that first. After that its up to you where you want to spiral out. I would shoot the flower, then the top of the flower then go left or right. So I choose to go to the top left of the flower, directly to the left, then bottom left, bottom of the flower, bottom right, directly right, top right etc. After I make a full rotation, I go above where I last started (which was directly above the flower) then spiral around that.

That's one technique but you can also pan your camera and capture the scene that way. Say, start from the extreme left and pan to the extreme right in a single row, then do it again from right to left. Its totally up to you and how you think it would be suit your subject. Just make sure you set the focus on your subject first, then pan.

Just a tip, the spiral technique is good for getting your subject right in the center of the frame. If you choose to pan, you're not restricted to having your subject in the center of the frame (which is what I did in the bridge shot).