A whole new chapter has begun at the Chronicles, well two chapters really. This weekend I became the proud owner of a previously loved D700. I know. You are probably wondering why I went with a used D700 when the replacement body is reportedly just around the corner. There are a number of reasons some of which I will talk about here.
While photography is definitely not simply a hobby for me, it is not a paying pursuit so I have to be practical and stretch my budget as far as I can. Consistently I’ve read and received advice to spend money on “glass”. I believe that’s good advice and I am slowly building a toolbox of professional grade lenses. Some photographers are also interested in shooting video. I’m not one of them so in some ways I feel like buying a full-frame camera with video is a bit of a waste for me. I could have waited for the D700 to go on sale and buy it new but frankly I’ve outgrown my D80 and I’ve been a bit impatient to move to a full-frame body. Please read this excellent blog post by my friend Stuart Sipahigil if you feel inclined to disagree with me on this point.
The second chapter is that I’ve started to learn how to use TTL lighting. This image today was made with a flash and softbox (special thanks to my model Ray Ketcham). Later this week I plan to share some of my experiments from the weekend. I’m very excited about these two new chapters and I hope you’ll join me by sharing your own experiences of either moving to a full-frame from a cropped body or with TTL lighting. I’m interested in hearing what differences you noticed when you moved to a full-frame and how those differences changed the way you photographed–if at all. With respect to TTL, I am curious to know the methods you would recommend to learn this type of lighting. Workshops, books, experimentation, etc., all of the above? I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Hi Sabrina,
Exciting times indeed! I bought a full-frame body a couple of months ago, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why I love the difference so much, but I certainly do.
My initial reaction was the amount of detail that suddenly seemed to explode out of my images. This is good and bad, because all and any faults are suddenly glaring! It’s made me up my attention when looking through the viewfinder, cause those 21MPs are not forgiving anything.
As for off-camera flash. I’ve dabbled a bit, and always get excited about the results. However, I’m just not great with lugging around loads of gear, and so don’t do it as much as I should. Part of it is a lack of confidence in using it, and I keep meaning to take some sort of workshop. With photography, it’s all about experimentation, but I think with lighting a workshop must be a huge help.
I look forward to seeing the results of your experimentations!
Thanks for sharing your experience Cathy. I noticed the detail and sharpness immediately and you are right, now the pressure is mounting to make something worthy of all those mega-pixels.
I so understand that feeling of lack of confidence and that’s why I’m going to take it slow. There’s a lot to be said for playing too! I had a lot of fun messing around in the studio with the lights and at the end, I think I came up with an image that I like.
I switched from a crop camera to a full frame when the 5D MkII came out, nearly two-and-a-half years ago. But I had been wanting a full-frame camera almost from the beginning. I started with Canon DSLRs in January 2002 and this was long before they offered crop-specific (EF-S) lenses. So all my glass was already intended for full-frame. I had nothing but a marvelous experience in my switch from a 20D to a 5D MkII.
As far as TTL flash, I use that quite a bit more often than I do manual flash, but because I have only one TTL-capable flash I have to go to manual when I shoot with more than one light. So I have an awful lot of pictures made with one light and a reflector. I do have a couple of mini-softboxes for my flashes and a couple of umbrellas. I use the mini-softboxes a *lot* more than the umbrellas.
For resources, Nikon has it all over Canon since most of the small-flash adherents and teachers use Nikon cameras. Joe McNally is the king of TTL Nikon flash, so look up some of his books or videos.
For Canon shooters, check out http://speedliting.com/ for doing E-TTL flash. Syl Arena has produced the book (well, major book, anyway, that I know of) on E-TTL flash.
Wow that’s a great testimony for a switch to full-frame, Tommy. I’m guessing it didn’t take you long to get used to the “real” focal length of your glass?
I wouldn’t mind seeing some of your images made with your TTL. Is there a set on your Flickr stream specifically with these images?
It didn’t take me long at all to get used to the natural focal length, particularly since I had been yearning for that for a while. I did stop using my Sigma 20mm prime (it was terrible in the corners on full-frame) but then I had been using it as effectively a 35, and since I had a 35 (that I had been treating like a 50) and a 50 that I hadn’t been using, it was very easy there. My 17-40, that had been my primary walk-around lens, was relegated to wide-angle duties (and gave me wide angles I hadn’t had) and I used the 24-105 that came in the 5D MkII kit as my new walkaround lens.
As far as TTL flash shots: no, I don’t have them in a group. I just have them interspersed and, to be honest, I generally try to make pictures that don’t look like they have been lit–I just try to use it to compensate for problems. I’m not always (honestly, that’s more like rarely) successful but that’s generally how I try to use the lights.
Hi Sabrina, with respect to TTl flash, for both on-camera and off-camera, I would highly recommend the books, writings and articles from Neil van Niekerk (http://neilvn.com/tangents/) – read them all and it will give you a solid starting foundation for flash lighting. As well, Syl Arena’s “Speedliter’s Handbook” (although written for Canon users, about 2/3′s of it is relevant for either Canon or Nikon), David Hobby’s Strobist blogsite and of course Joe McNalley’s books.
There is a ton of reference material online; the D700, an external Nikon speedlight and Nikon’s CLS flash system make a formidable combination once you understand the equipment.
Cheers, Craig
Thanks Craig. I’ve heard great things about Neil van Niekerk and he is from my part of the world! I’m going to make a note of all the resources you mention here and check them out. Much appreciated!
CONGRATULATIONS on the addition to the family. You must be very proud
The differences I enjoy with my D700:
1. Shallower (?) depth of field across the range – or maybe just better bokeh across the board
2. Focal length is what it is, and not x1.5
3. Hell good low light handling. ISO 6400 is still a pleasurable experience every time.
Specific to this particular camera body though:
4. More accurate and faster auto focusing than the D300 or D200 bodies, especially with the old AF lenses (I have a soft spot for old AF lenses)
5. Just better performance all around. The colour rendition and metering is better from this body than the others too.
I heart the D700.
TTL – I never get too creative with this. Just slap the flash on, turn it to ceiling/wall, control using +/- EV and it always does its job. I’m just starting on artificial lighting in general and that’s far more challenging, but I’m in no hurry with this one either, just have a play, and look for information on specific occurances later (very lazy, i know). I have a few geeks around me to pow wow this sort of stuff with which really helps, as I am lousy with learning from text, but you have a Ray
Speaking of Ray, is THAT how he gets paid for modelling??
No Charlene, Ray’s pay jar contains peanuts
I am really looking forward to the low light handling and figuring out what my new favourite lens will be on a full-frame body. On the cropped body, it was the 17-35mm but I’m thinking it might be something like the 24-70mm on the D700.
Learning from books isn’t my favourite way to learn. I use them more as references. I like to see how things work and then to play around with them.
I plan on working on that “assignment” you keep bugging me about this weekend and I’ve made Ray accountable to make sure it gets done! With the D700 in hand, I have no more excuses
That is EXCELLENT news!
Now that you have no more excuses, i have a great one to resume nagging
(Ray has to be the best bargain hire ever, ha!)
Awesome news!!!! I’m so excited for you! Can’t wait for future posts! One day I will be as cool as Sabrina.
LOL Sue. If you look up the definition of cool in the dictionary, you definitely won’t see my name there. I can’t wait to get together with you again on our next trip and we can switch lenses and bodies
Congrats! I’ve been flirting with the idea of moving to full frame too, but that will have to wait. As for TTL I’m also purchasing my first flash and want to get a set of lights, still deciding what to get. Any recs on what set of lights to buy??
Can’t wait to see your new images…
Flirting is a great way to describe how I was when I was thinking about buying a FF camera. Waiting is good–I did until I felt like I had reach the limits of my D80.
This lighting kit is very similar to one that I bought a while ago but haven’t had a chance to use yet. I hope to give it a workout this weekend and will keep you posted on the results.
http://www.dynalite.com/?page_id=385
Yay you! As usual, you’re ahead of me on the learning curve. I’ve watched Zack Arias’ One Light dvd a few times, and expect to get lots of play out of it.
Looking forward to seeing where this takes you
LOL…I think you are ahead of me, Erin. I’ve had the One Light DVD for a while and I haven’t viewed it yet. Hearing that you’ve watched it several times makes me feel really guilty for not watching it sooner. I’ll have to do that and then we can swap notes, ok?
No guilt! Life’s too short for that. But when it surfaces to the top of the pile, then yes, let’s swap notes
How exciting, Sabrina! A full-frame camera is still a few years in the future for me, but I’ll be so interested to see what you do with yours — and the flash. I attended the Flashbus event in SF last Sunday and my takeaway was that this stuff can get very complicated very fast. I need to start small and practice. Ray looks great!
It IS exciting Dorothy! Ray spent 3 hours in makeup just to get ready for this image…just kidding
I was wondering about the Flashbus so hearing your take on it is really good. Your approach sounds like a wise strategy. That’s what I’m doing because I don’t want to be so overwhelmed and then I don’t want to even try it.
I remember the buzz when I upgraded my D40 to a D300S which I love. I did toy with the idea of going the whole way to full frame but couldn’t justify the cost. Look forward to reading about your new photographic adventures.
That’s one of the reasons why I went with a previously-loved full-frame body, Julie. I know that I’ll keep it for quite a while too so I convinced myself to make the investment. I’ll keep you posted!
VERY excited for you going full frame! As for the TTL, I believe one should know how to use flash manually before going to TTL. Kinda like, you should know your camera in Manual mode before using Aperture Priority. We should always know the fundamentals first. I INSIST you watch OneLight DVD. I haven’t seen it but I am sure Zack does an excellent job of explaining how it works. In the meantime, I will dig through my books to see what I have in regards to flash.
Very nice image of Ray. He looks curious and hungry.
Yup, I think learning how to use the flash manually is next on the list. Ray knows me well and figured I needed to get excited first by using the TTL. I do think I’m hooked…at least for now.
Nicely put Monte! We are in the studio again this weekend and maybe, just maybe there will be something to show for it. Stay tuned!
Oh, and one more thing. If money was not so tight for me I would probably upgrade and the FX format is enticing. For now the only thing I seem to be outgrowing is my pants.
Hi Sabrina!
I am so excited for you on the full frame camera front
I remember when I got my 5D Mark II – my second year in the Langara photography program – ready to take on my big 4th term ass’ts. I graduated from a Canon Rebel Xti to the Mark II – so it was a phenomenal difference – primarily in the megapixel dept. and the detail/quality of the images – it was an amazing fun switch – still is. My favorite lens on the full frame is the 70-200 L IS F 2.8 – so much fun to do portraiture with and most recently shooting wildlife on the Africa Safari – it never ceases to make me smile with it’s results.
For flash resources – I personally LOVE Joe McNally’s work on this topic – his 2 books The Moment It Clicks and The Hot Shoe Diaries are jammed with great information that I continually refer to. I also understand the need for visuals while learning this area so I also peruse the Strobist site – in the right hand column of the blog is a heading called Lighting 101 – and that takes you to a whole area filled with visual tutorials on flash lighting – it’s really amazing – make sure you take a look there if you don’t already know about this – I found it incredibly useful while I was in school. Flash takes alot of practice to build confidence in – I am still working at this myself. I attended the Imaging USA conference in San Antonio and took a 2 day course with Steve Kozak – he did a great tutorial on off camera flash/lighting – and actually explained it in a way that didn’t completely lose me – I have his notes from this lecture and am willing to share with you if you like.
If you ever feel like getting together to shoot, I’d love to connect and have some fun learning in these areas together!
Have lots of fun
Ellie
When I first started out with photography, I took a look at The Strobist website and I was overwhelmed. Maybe now I have enough confidence to check out the site and actually know some of the things he’s talking about.
I’m going to take you up on your offer Ellie to shoot together. I was actually wondering if you use any of the flash techniques you learned in the architectural photography you are doing now.
Yes, lets do some shooting together in the near future…I did use some flash techniques I learned in the Architectural photography I did…in those shots, simply bouncing light off the ceiling gave me the right amount of fill to open up shadows for the livingroom and bedroom shots I took. The rest were naturally lit by the large windows in the space.
Flash is a HUGE terrain of new learning for me as well, even though I have had a good basic amount of education in it, the trick as said above by all the others is practice…tonnes of it…and get comfortable…grow your confidence as you move along…
I need to go back to Strobist Basic Lighting 101 and review…never hurts.
Very nice. Can you post a final version of this shot, not the BTS one though?
I’d say ditto to what those say above – any of the Strobist (though even his blog makes my head spin) or the Joe McNally stuff (my head spins less so) can help you. Like Ellie and the others said…it’s not hard to learn, but it is abit time consuming, just from all the setting up and stuff. Even the rare off-camera stuff I shoot, takes twice as long and my patience wanes. Then I see the results and I think I should do this more. Like anything else, practice, practice, practice.
Can’t wait to see where you go with this.
~ Mark
Sure Mark, I’ll post the final version and I’ll rename it…excellent suggestions!
I think it’s going to take me a looooooooong time to advance on this stuff but the upside is I’m sure I’m going to enjoy learning it.
PS, you should maybe call this image of one of the El Beardos…The Prospector…not the Inspector