Beginner's Guide to Shooting with M10 - Kindergarten Post

[Daedalus2000]

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5 hours ago, MikeMyers said:

If I was doing this image to submit it to someone, I wold probably personalize it with these settings.  

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I prefer your first version, feels more natural. This seem to have that clear view filter which feels too strong for me. Personally, I seldom use it.

Another thing I wanted to say is that for such a picture an F4 aperture may be too wide. I would choose f8 or f11.

Where do you try to focus? Or do you use zone focusing?

 

[MikeMyers]

38 minutes ago, Daedalus2000 said:

I prefer your first version, feels more natural. This seem to have that clear view filter which feels too strong for me. Personally, I seldom use it.

Another thing I wanted to say is that for such a picture an F4 aperture may be too wide. I would choose f8 or f11.

Where do you try to focus? Or do you use zone focusing?

 

First version....     OK.  Basically, that's pretty much right from the camera, which is a good thing. DxO Smart Lighting was on, but set to zero.  Would f/8 or f/11 still be as sharp as at f/4 ?  As to Zone Focusing, I've read about it, I've tried it, but I rarely get a chance to try it.  I'm staying away from people.

Focus?  Infinity.

 

Here's the sunset version, where I adjusted to eliminate the clipping.

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[feelssadman]

This thread is pure gold.

[MikeMyers]

I agree 100%.  Thanks to some very helpful people here, I've gone from "lost" to "feeling comfortable".   I'm still learning almost every day, but at least I have a firm foundation.  I'm happy if this helps other people too!

[jaapv]

On 11/16/2020 at 11:46 PM, MikeMyers said:

Worded differently, is the flashing red a warning that you're approaching a point where data will be lost, or does it mean you've already reached that point?

It is hard to tell, as the flashing will start just slightly before you have burnt out but obviously indicates vast overexposure as well. Check the Histogram to know. If you have a huge spike up to the righthand side that indicates burnt out highlights. But  it is open to interpretation: It is impossible not to burn out the open sun without vastly  underexposing the rest of the image, for instance.

[MikeMyers]

3 hours ago, jaapv said:

It is hard to tell, as the flashing will start just slightly before you have burnt out but obviously indicates vast overexposure as well. Check the Histogram to know. If you have a huge spike up to the righthand side that indicates burnt out highlights. But  it is open to interpretation: It is impossible not to burn out the open sun without vastly  underexposing the rest of the image, for instance.

'Jaapv'  -  I think later today I need to learn if the M10 has the ability to quickly take an "HDR exposure", three bracketed exposures, at least two f/stops apart, and probably use a starting point of the camera already being set for underexposure.  If not, I guess this is a dead-end street.  For many years, taking a sunset photo, I know it's useless until most of the sun is blocked, giving me a few seconds to capture the image I wanted to take.  

My Fuji X100 series camera has a setting for dynamic range, which I just leave on 'auto'.  As far as I know, there is no such control on the M10.  I suspect it wouldn't work on a 'raw' image anyway, since that's just a copy of what was happening to the sensor.

Until when/if I find another tool to accomplish what I'm after, I'll accept what you wrote as the final answer.

[nuc001]

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On 11/17/2020 at 7:36 AM, Daedalus2000 said:

I prefer your first version, feels more natural. This seem to have that clear view filter which feels too strong for me. Personally, I seldom use it.

Another thing I wanted to say is that for such a picture an F4 aperture may be too wide. I would choose f8 or f11.

Where do you try to focus? Or do you use zone focusing?

 

Same here. The 2nd version looks purple to me for some reason.

I would also choose F8 here so everything is in focus. 

Lots of useful tips in this thread though. I've only been shooting with a rangefinder since April this year so still a beginner also 😆

[MikeMyers]

Having not looked at these two photos for a while now, I agree - I also prefer the first version.

I can't think of any reason not to use f/8 for photos like this.  I don't think I need more depth of field, when everything is so far away.

As to focus, I leave the camera on "infinity".

 

I've learned a lot more about using PhotoLab 4.  The recommended way for most corrections is to use "Local" rather than "Global" changes.  I'm in the middle of a discussion about this in the PL4 forum.  It's not obvious from the above photos, but I like to be wearing my "photojournalist" hat, meaning the photo shows what I saw, not what I felt.  Other people think I should consider the photograph as "art" and make changes as needed to make a pleasing image.  I do have an hat labeled "artist", but every time I try that, I go too far.  

I also go back and look at the photos I've been posting in the past month or so, and now I see ways in which I could have done bette.

 

 

Regarding the photos we were just discussing, 'Daedalus2000' said it very clearly - one photo looked more natural.  That is, and should have been, my goal.  Hopefully I'm now improving.