Should I upgrade body or change system?

[SamPaul]

I've the same problems as u when started with my 400D 2 years back. Tot of jumping ship to Nikon for more saturated color but eventually I didn't.

As many said, both C & N can produce as good images. Correct exposure + some pp is very important. I've recently bought a very good CD rom explaining about getting the correct exposure, correct use of exposure compensation etc..really very good..u may want to pm me for more detail...

 

[ricleo]

o.0 Eh the color was processed base on your recommendation by using landscape profiles and setting saturation to +2. =)

I guess everyone really have different taste.

ha.....ok.

when i suggested using picture styles, it was more for getting the JPGs direct out of camera. not subsequent lightroom/DPP manupilation. I thought you were tired of playing with software for all your shots and wanted good color right out of camera.

will post some samples of what i mean by jpgs using landscape picture styles. no raw used.

ok here are the samples. Canon 5D. custom picturestyle within camera. Landscape with Saturation +2/3

personally, i feel that canon picturestyle for landscape does blues and greens exceptionally nicely.

 

[qingtian]

I've the same problems as u when started with my 400D 2 years back. Tot of jumping ship to Nikon for more saturated color but eventually I didn't.

As many said, both C & N can produce as good images. Correct exposure + some pp is very important. I've recently bought a very good CD rom explaining about getting the correct exposure, correct use of exposure compensation etc..really very good..u may want to pm me for more detail...

PMed!

 

[qingtian]

ha.....ok.

when i suggested using picture styles, it was more for getting the JPGs direct out of camera. not subsequent lightroom/DPP manupilation. I thought you were tired of playing with software for all your shots and wanted good color right out of camera.

will post some samples of what i mean by jpgs using landscape picture styles. no raw used.

ok here are the samples. Canon 5D. custom picturestyle within camera. Landscape with Saturation +2/3

personally, i feel that canon picturestyle for landscape does blues and greens exceptionally nicely.

The shots are AWESOME! They are great! Nice coloring, sharp and crisp!
Care to share what are the len u use? L len? Any filter like CPL? Len hood?

DPP is canon PP software, when I look through it actually have the setting to set the pictures styles which is similar to the one found in my camera. I guess it is the same things as I could see familiar parameter in DPP and that where I set saturation to +2 as what you suggested. From there I guess I will manipulate the same setting to my camera picture style.

Care to share your custom pictures style setting pls? Only Saturation +2/3?
Could I also check with u is there a +2/3 Saturation in ur 5D as I am not seeing this is 500D

 

[conkeychua]

Thanks, #2 is actually taken by D80, #1 is D300 & #3 is D700.

Not saying that you don't need a better camera, but currently the problem you are having is more of a handling problem.

Hi Leong,

Before i start asking, i would like to emphesize that i am not complaining on your pictures as they are very nice and sharp so please don't get me wrong.

I notice that the #2 picture that you mentioned was taken by D80, (althought i guess wrongly haha) and the #1 picture was by D300 right?

And as mentioned that the camera were different but using the same lens. For the D80, ( Probably the as voted the best out of the 3 pics, seems to have the darkest corners out of the 3pics, #1 has lesser and #3 is great.

Can i conclude that this is because it is taken by a full frame camera or maybe because lens not compatible with cropped ( i thought its usually the other way round )?

Cheers!

 

[Leong23]

Hi Leong,

Before i start asking, i would like to emphesize that i am not complaining on your pictures as they are very nice and sharp so please don't get me wrong.

I notice that the #2 picture that you mentioned was taken by D80, (althought i guess wrongly haha) and the #1 picture was by D300 right?

And as mentioned that the camera were different but using the same lens. For the D80, ( Probably the as voted the best out of the 3 pics, seems to have the darkest corners out of the 3pics, #1 has lesser and #3 is great.

Can i conclude that this is because it is taken by a full frame camera or maybe because lens not compatible with cropped ( i thought its usually the other way round )?

Cheers!

The background are all vegetation lighted up by natural lighting, so the tones or shades are due to the environment, not by the camera or lens itself.

 

[conkeychua]

The background are all vegetation lighted up by natural lighting, so the tones or shades are due to the environment, not by the camera or lens itself.

I see I see..... Thanks alot... Cause i was hoping to see the difference in the picture taken from a full frame... Thinking of upgrading...

 

[ricleo]

I notice that the #2 picture that you mentioned was taken by D80, (althought i guess wrongly haha) and the #1 picture was by D300 right?

Can i conclude that this is because it is taken by a full frame camera or maybe because lens not compatible with cropped ( i thought its usually the other way round )?

Cheers!

btw both the D80 and D300 are crop APS-C cameras.

 

[ricleo]

The shots are AWESOME! They are great! Nice coloring, sharp and crisp!
Care to share what are the len u use? L len? Any filter like CPL? Len hood?

DPP is canon PP software, when I look through it actually have the setting to set the pictures styles which is similar to the one found in my camera. I guess it is the same things as I could see familiar parameter in DPP and that where I set saturation to +2 as what you suggested. From there I guess I will manipulate the same setting to my camera picture style.

Care to share your custom pictures style setting pls? Only Saturation +2/3?
Could I also check with u is there a +2/3 Saturation in ur 5D as I am not seeing this is 500D

by saturation +2/3 i mean + 2 levels or + 3 levels saturation from the mid point in the picture style, not 2/3 of a level hee.... I have 2 landscape settings, so can't remember which was used for each pic.

Getting the white balance right is also very important to get the correct/pleasing colors, so this may be a factor too in getting the colors you want.

 

[dashtan]

Hi TS,

I just bought my 1st dslr 500D about a month ago too. At first i also find that it don't have the puchy look and saturation that a Nikon does. But as i learn to play around with the picture style, i realise that it can be as puchier or even more saturated and vivid color. Everyone has their own taste and liking. Not every camera comes out to be the perfect color that the person who bought it desired for. So try and play around with the Picture Style to get that specific color that you are looking for. Best still if you can shoot in raw and PP later.

By the way here is a first night shot straight out of the camera.

 

[qingtian]

by saturation +2/3 i mean + 2 levels or + 3 levels saturation from the mid point in the picture style, not 2/3 of a level hee.... I have 2 landscape settings, so can't remember which was used for each pic.

Getting the white balance right is also very important to get the correct/pleasing colors, so this may be a factor too in getting the colors you want.

LOL, My bad thanks for the correction. keke
I thought 5D have a more advance customisation for the picture style.

Yes agreed on the white Balance part, normally should this selection is screw up... normally it will give very weird coloring and ambience of that shot.

I normally set my White Balance as 'Auto' and should the white balance look out/weird from JPEG. I will made adjustment for the RAW. =)

 

[qingtian]

Hi TS,

I just bought my 1st dslr 500D about a month ago too. At first i also find that it don't have the puchy look and saturation that a Nikon does. But as i learn to play around with the picture style, i realise that it can be as puchier or even more saturated and vivid color. Everyone has their own taste and liking. Not every camera comes out to be the perfect color that the person who bought it desired for. So try and play around with the Picture Style to get that specific color that you are looking for. Best still if you can shoot in raw and PP later.

By the way here is a first night shot straight out of the camera.

Nice shot! Somemore is straight from JPEG.
Care to share what the setup when you took this shot?
What are the setting in your picture style pls?

While playing with DPP with my landscape shot, I notice that landscape pictures look better with the following setting.
Sharpness: +7
Contrast: 0
Saturation: +2
Color Tone: 0

I guess I would match the above setting to my camera landscape picture style. And at the same time enable Canon "Highlight Tone Priority" to test the output of my JPEG. I would only be able to do that for my next shooting as I am pretty tied down with works that even my last weekends is burn...

I also found a good link on picture style and it look promising with a lot of tips:-
http://www.canon.co.jp/imaging/picturestyle/index.html

Here are one of the sample shot for my first few nightshots when I get my DSLR in June.
Per check from it EXIF, the shot was processed by DPP. I think I am conviniced DPP process it own raw file better than LR.

Cheers!

 

[dashtan]

Hi qingtian,

The setting that i use is landscape picture style together with:
Sharpness: +5
Contrast: +1
Saturation: +1
Color Tone: 0

By the way you got some nice night shot over there too.. Cheers!