Orchids with new 50 1.4 and 5D

I got a chance today to test out my new 50 1.4 and 5D at the Auckland Winter Gardens. Here are some of my shots:

1)

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3)

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5)

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OOooOOOo that first ones dof is enticing. I want this lens (cant have it in the immediate future) and have been debating if I want to rent it.

Literally Ive cleared out the shopping cart 3 different times
These make me wanna go back for a 4th time

Great photos. Looks like you have that combo sorted out. What were the settings you used?
I like the first 2 the best. Looking foward to seeing more of your work.

thekid24 wrote in post #3747602
OOooOOOo that first ones dof is enticing. I want this lens (cant have it in the immediate future) and have been debating if I want to rent it.

Literally Ive cleared out the shopping cart 3 different times
These make me wanna go back for a 4th time

I know what you mean. I really want to get an 85 1.8 as well, but I have already bought the 5D, 24-105, 50, and 580EX in the last 3 weeks, and I value my marriage, so the 85 will have to wait.

water_boy wrote in post #3747761
Great photos. Looks like you have that combo sorted out. What were the settings you used?
I like the first 2 the best. Looking foward to seeing more of your work.

I think all of these shots were at f1.8, ISO 100-800 in Av mode. I have found that my 50 is a bit soft at 1.4, but by 1.8 is quite sharp (fairly typical for this lens from what I have read.) I need to learn that just because I can shoot at 1.8, doesn't mean I should all the time. The nice thing about the 5D is that you can hardly tell which ones are at ISO 800!

Thanks for your comments!

great series on the orchids. they are my favorite thanks for sharing. i was thinking of get that lens myself and sell my other one.

Bill

<imo>hmm i'm not sure about these, apart from the pink ones, most of each frame is taken up with just slightly oof blooms and only one, or part of one, sharp/clear

i think maybe more dof to include the whole of the subject blooms, with the bg clearly oof would have worked better?</imo>

somethingsimple wrote in post #3748432
<imo>hmm i'm not sure about these, apart from the pink ones, most of each frame is taken up with just slightly oof blooms and only one, or part of one, sharp/clear

i think maybe more dof to include the whole of the subject blooms, with the bg clearly oof would have worked better?</imo>

Like I said up there ^

scotttnz wrote in post #3747892
I need to learn that just because I can shoot at 1.8, doesn't mean I should all the time.

I guess I was experimenting with my new kit, seeing what it could do. I agree with you BTW. I still really like the shots, but some of them could have done with a bit more DOF.

somethingsimple wrote in post #3748432
i think maybe more dof to include the whole of the subject blooms, with the bg clearly oof would have worked better?

Maybe you could show us how that is done.

If you want the whole bloom in focus then you would need to be shooting at about F8. If this is the case then the DOF of the background will be reduced.

If you focus on the first "flower" then the flowers behind will loose focus due to the nature of the laws of optics.

Yes you could select and create DOF in photoshop.
I could of course be wrong.

water_boy wrote in post #3748540
Maybe you could show us how that is done.

If you want the whole bloom in focus then you would need to be shooting at about F8. If this is the case then the DOF of the background will be reduced.

If you focus on the first "flower" then the flowers behind will loose focus due to the nature of the laws of optics.

Yes you could select and create DOF in photoshop.
I could of course be wrong.

hmm yes. i guess it comes down to how far behind/in front of the focus plane are the various flowers chosen to be the subject, as to your limitations with aperture

maybe either close in on one flowerhead... or try to position yourself so that the bg behind the stem is distant so it will still be oof at f/6 or f/8

also best to focus on the middle flower of the group rather than closest or farthest so as to include as much of the subject group in the focus plane

some subjects are definately more fiddly than others

you seem awfully familiar...

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scotttnz wrote in post #3748489
Like I said up there ^

I guess I was experimenting with my new kit, seeing what it could do. I agree with you BTW. I still really like the shots, but some of them could have done with a bit more DOF.

sorry i missed your earlier comment lol
experimenting with new toys is great fun, and i didnt say i didnt like them LOL
my faves are the orange ones

sometimes the misty shallow dof looks nicer than having everything in focus - maybe do some at f/1.4 and get an extension tube or two on it to really exaggerate the effect