Why I love, but hate Canon right now!

Let me first start by saying, that I am not one to usually get involved with the rant about what is going to be the latest and greatest camera to come out on the market.  I must confess however, I do read these rants because I find them quite amusing.  The thing really pisses me off is how much these camera companies are ripping off consumers.  

 

It all started a few days ago when Canon announced their upgrade to the popular advanced compact camera the G10.  I, myself have not even had my camera for a year and all of a sudden…G11!?  I could post a photo here on my blog, but I refuse to give into the advertising of this camera!  I don’t want to sound piggheaded, it sounds like a great camera.  Basically, Canon decided to keep the same camera body, and simply lower the megapixel count.  By keeping the same Digic 4 processor, the new G11, promises better low light, low noise, functionality at higher ISO’s.  That’s the other thing that pisses me off!  I love the G10, but honestly, I don’t use this camera above ISO400.  This is fine by me, because the reason why I bought the camera in the first place was to have  a small, compact camera to take snapshots and for creative “on the go” oppurtunities.  So in my opinion, the camera serves me just fine.  But, why the the hell put these ridiculous ISO 1600’s and 3200’s on a compact, when they are absolutely unusable?  It’s almost as if they put it in there for the spec value only.  Now, don’t get me wrong, Canon has an excellent idea about the megpixel count.  In fact, I have never been impressed my megapixels, and would take a camera that has better low light quality over resolution any day!  In the case of the G10, I want the megapixels though.  I find myself constantly using this camera as a macro camera and always cropping in on certain things.  The 15 megpixels that is has allows me to do that.  That being said, I would not trade in my G10 for a G11 anyday of the week.  Where the frustration comes from my part, is the feeling that Canon is releasing these camera’s, knowing that their performance might be suffering because of higher megapixel count, with full intention of replacing them within the same year!  Again, I might be satisfied with my camera, but I can tell you that a lot of consumers are not going to be happy about this.  The G10 is a $500.00 compact camera.  Now comes the G11 with features some consumers might be attracted to for get this…the same fricken price as the G10 is selling for:  $500.00.  And all within a year’s time.  I don’t want for this rant to sound like I am switching from Canon.  They make an unbelievable product.  I am completely satisfied with my G10, 40D, and Rebel.  In fact, I wish Canon didn’t take the 40D off the market, because with all the portrait and wedding work I have coming up, I want another 40D.  But come on guys?  Put your money into a good product and leave it there.  Don’t try and fix what isn’t broken!  With the way the economy is, hard working people are forking over hard earned $$ and they don’t want to be hearing of their camera being obsolete 6 months after they walk out of the store with it.  It just isn’t a good feeling for any consumer.  Slow down, keep the camera’s you have, and here’s an idea…Maybe put it into some lenses which haven’t been upgrade in the last 10 years?  Now there’s a thought!  

Canon G10 in the studio.

The Bogen “Magic Arm”, it’s better than buying that new expensive camera!

We all dream of getting that camera which we think will completely revolutionize the way we take pictures.  You know the one.  It might be a full frame for some of us.  For others, it might be that 10 frame a sec machine that would enable us to capture that bird we have been after for months now.  I must thank some of the photographers out there who made me think differently about accessories.  Guys like Joe Mcnally use these things daily and the fact of the matter is, these accessories will allow you to create not only better photos, but different photos.  Show me a camera that out of the box, you can fasten to the side of a moving car!  That $8,000 DSRL might be nice, but you need something else to put that $8,000 DSLR in a place that will give you a truely different perspective.  I am talking about GRIP EQUIPMENT! 

I like to shoot a lot of creative type stock images for both my portfolio and hopefully for someone to pickup on the “micro stock market”.  It might pay pennies, but the reason why I shoot this stuff is for the pure fun and creativity that is involved.  One of the many aspects I love using in my images is motion.  Conveying motion is not a difficult aspect, but is one that can easily be captured in camera, without engineering it in photoshop.  Below is an image concept I borrowed and expanded on.  I wanted to make an image conveying the extreme sense of waste that americans have nowadays with money.  By taking a Bogen Magic Arm, fitted with a super clamp, I was able to mount my DSLR, a canon 40d, onto a corn broom handle. 

This stock image of a broom sweeping cash, couldn't have been possible to pull off in camera without the magic arm.

The bogen magic arm features multiple ball bearing joints that allow you to adjust and position anything from a flash to a camera.  The unit is rated to hold the weight of a DSLR.  There are 2 types.  One has a friction arm so that you can fine tune the position of your camera or flash, similar to the friction balheads used on tripods.  The one I use, locks into place solid.  I prefer this one, because I know it will not vibrate loose and move on me.   Since the end plate is equipped with 1/4″ or 3/8″ lighting studs, attaching a tripod plate is easy!  If you want to mount a flash, simply screw on one of the hotshoe mounts that come with your standard umbrella lightstand mounts.

 

This is how I attached my camera to the broom handle.

Sometimes you need to put a speedlight in a place that is just not feasible for a lightstand.  How about a shower?!  Below is the setup image for an image I made in a shower.

This shows the super clamp and how easily it can be fastened to a shower head!

 

Why would I want to put a speedlight in a shower you ask?

How else do you back light a subject while taking a shower?

The image below shows the mounting system of a speedlight to the magic arm.  The amazing thing is, all three joints are locked by 1 lever.

A simple hotshoe mount from an umbrella mount is all you need to mount a speedlight to the magic arm.

I sunk my G10! Dropped it into the pool!

From the deep end!

What do you think I am crazy?  Well, maybe a little!  Actually this past weekend, I took advantage of the nice, warm, weather and decided to test out the an underwater housing for the Canon G10.  It has been raining for what has seemed like months here in New England.  In fact, one day I swore I saw a big wooden arc float by loaded with animals!  I have never considered myself a risk taker.  I hate gambling and never buy scratch tickets, so putting a $500 point and shoot camera in the pool made me kind of nervous.  After pulling this housing out of it’s box, the first step was to do a dry test to check for leaks.  The manual that comes with the thing tells you to submerge it in 5 inches of water for 4 minutes.  Did I mention that I love my camera?  That test is not enough to make me comfortable!  I decided to attach a diving weight to the plastic contraption with a ribbon and threw it in the deep end of the pool for an hour.  So 5 inches turned into twelve feet, and 4 minutes turned into 60!  That is just how my mind works!  When I pulled it up it was bone dry inside.  The case did it’s job!  Now for the fun!  The camera sits snuggly inside of this little housing.  If none of you have seen this marvel of engineering here is a photo from B&H’s website:

 

It really is amazing how all these little knobs and buttons line up with the real controls on the camera!  You really have full control over the camera and there is nothing that you cannot do while it is inside this housing.  To make sure the sealing ring gasket stays in tact and maintains a seal, it is important to grease it up before each use.  My only complaint is that it is difficult to see when you are in bright sunlight shooting with it, and the case cripples the viewfinder on the G10 because of it’s size.  It is something that definately takes some getting used to.  I ended up using the camera on an automatic setting because I was not happy with the blue cast created by the water, and the “Underwater” setting provides a nice neautral white balance.  I originally got this thing to take pictures while snorkeling in the carribean.  Towards the surface there should be plenty of light, eliminating the need for me to drag a strobe around.  My test photos proved that there was ample light.  Most of the shots were exposed at ISO 80!  Who knows I might even have to use the built in ND filter in the G10!  Well, it’s off to the beach for the next week!  I am hoping to be doing some commercial type images with models on the beach, in the arcade, and maybe even catch some fireworks!  Or then again…maybe I will just relax!

Jeff swimming below.

Keeping the creativity flowing!!!

purse-web-0431, originally uploaded by craig.proulx.

Lately I have found myself creating more images on the fly. I lot of my stuff usually requires the need to setup lights, experiment with camera angles, and occasionally compositing images together. Because, I have been so busy lately with family things, I have been more opt to take along my compact camera. I think I have finally crossed the threshold where I am comfortable not lugging around a 400 pound camera and lens!

There are so many photo opps everywhere! In church, at restaurants. Even everyday things you take with you such as this purse! In fact, we where on our way to a restaurant for lunch, when we stopped to get gas. My lovely girlfriend’s purse was sitting on the floor. I picked it up and angled it by the car window so that some light poured on it. A very simple shot. I fired off a bunch of frames, trying different angles and compositions I liked. I might not have taken 20 minutes to setup for this, like I would in my studio, but it works. Whether or not I use it for anything dosen’t matter. The point is it sparked some creativity when my mind would normally be in lala land thinking of something else. In fact that day which was a weekend I walked away with close to 10 images that I am indeed going to use in my portfolio. They were all taken with a compact camera! I have to thank people like David Hobby and Chase Jarvis for doing things like daily I Phone photos for really inpiring me and showing what can be done with everyday activities!

The next photo was taken while at work at a university. The guy with me thought I was nuts! The very first time I had used this bathroom, I knew I had an image. I could see it, but just had to refine it and figure out how to manipulate it in camera and in post to get what I was seeing. When I was done, I can’t even begin to describe to you how nice it felt to have been productive in an environment which wasn’t a glamourous one! The lesson here: Always bring your compact and take it out when you normally wouldn’t! It might surprise you!