Focus people...Please!

I have found that a tripod ($50) and a white balance card ($10 to $20) can do wonders with even a point-and-shoot for pictures.

I played with several and bought an Android app before I  found out that -

- cell phones don't have irises, or f-stop, or whatever its called, something to make the hole that light passes thru as small as possible to get as much depth of field, the closest and the furthest things in focus.

- for at least Android, there is no Auto White Balance that can be found on just about any $100++ point-and-shoot. Yeah I suppose I could try to figure out how to white balance in some software after the picture is taken, but good grief do I have to buy Photoshop or learn Gimp just to sell trains?

If I was going to buy a camera today, I would make sure it has WiFi. Then no messing with cables or SD Cards and SD card readers, and windows that pop up. Or at least, when you connect the USB cable it doesn't try to install War and Peace on your computer.

Because work does not allow WiFi, I tried to find one with Bluetooth. (My cellphone has Bluetooth). I bought a used Samsung, and the BT didn't work. Turns out almost no cameras have BT. BT is also ssssllllloooowwww. So given all that, I would say, get one that has WiFi. But warning, you will have to put your WiFi password into your camera, and if someone steals your camera, they can get your WiFi password. At home I use a DD-WRT capable router and have a virtual access points or whatever they are called, another SSID and password. BT is a bit easier to connect.

I looked into getting a DSLR, but have two problems. First is, I have kids, and whatever I buy, when I am not at home, my wife will let the kids use. At least they are getting older now. Then the next thing is, usually, I am just trying to take pictures of trains I want to sell, and I can't see sinking $1000 into a camera, it would put me $1k in the hole, it would just be cheaper to put fire sale prices on everything and head off to Dupage.

(OK, actually, there is cell phone that has an iris, its the Samsung Zoom K, but its GSM only, so that is ATT or T-Mobile only, and it has this bulge. A dual use device that is not suited well for either task.)

OUCH! PLEASE NO!

In my opinion, there is nothing more useless on a small camera than the on-camera flash. It is a very unnatural light and cannot be controlled. It has nothing to do with shooting at an angle to the light, it has to do with the source and quality of the light.

With the light on the camera, subjects in the foreground end up overexposed while the background falls off to very dark. Plus, in the real world, the light never comes from BEHIND the camera at the same height as the camera (except maybe at sunrise or sunset.) Light comes from a high angle as with the sun in the sky.

An on-camera strobe is also a very "hard" light. Shadows are very deep and distinct. They cannot be softened with a scrim without severely dropping the output level of the light, which renders is essentially useless.

The real key to getting good pictures is not the camera...today they are all about the same. The key is GOOD LIGHTING, with the light striking the scene from a natural angle and soft, open shadows which mimic real life.

My vote is, do whatever you can to give us some photos of your trains.  If you want to go nut and get the perfect picture fine.  If you want to get us some shots that have a flash, are not framed perfectly, maybe a little out of focus fine by me.

I'm always amazed by those who attempt flash photos at concerts, sporting events, and other large venues. The end results are exactly what Rich has describe, much like taking a flash photo of the moon.

I had a point & shoot that would engage the auto-flash whenever it was turned on. Invariably, I would forget to turn that feature off and spoil the first frame. I finally put a piece of black tape over the flash, same method I used to fixed the clock on the VCR.

Gruff & discouraging? Really! 

I'm a non-pro photographer and the first thing I do when reviewing my pictures is throw the out of focus shots in the trash. What happened to the adage "if at first you don't succeed..."? Is the answer "...make your audience suffer through it"?

Sometimes you just have to suck it up and try again!

I don't see how anyone can sit here and say that they enjoy looking at anything out of focus. Would you enjoy opening up your latest, greatest, had-to-have-it model train only to find the graphics are out of focus? I don't think so.

Now, you can go complain about me being gruff. You should be able to find the encouragement by judging your own work!

Hey BaltimoreTrainWorks............ya did it again......I laughed so hard!

  I hope someday to catch up with you at Faidleys at Lexington Market........some beers n' ersters n' clams are on me.

  that video is truly nucking futz!  and John Goodman?  yes!

 There is an operators manual that comes with these things.  The very old A 520 manual is a pretty good sized book.  A wealth of information there.

80% of us know push lever forward = speedup/fast, pull lever back = slowdown/stop.

I haven't been to the Market in a number of years. I used to work at Mitchells Deli down in front between Constants and Mary Mervis back in my younger days.

I really find it annoying to watch videos that have been shot in that vertical mode, don't people realize how bad/stupid it looks on a monitor or television?

As for the flash issue sometimes I'll put a piece of scotch tape over the flash to diffuse the light .

Jerry

With regard to video:

1) PLAN your shot with good light. It's not just about stabilization. Most of the videos could use some better planning.

2) On the subject of planning, avoid panning. Instead of panning, which brings with it a host of issues, take the shot from several different angles with the camera fixed. Did I mention adequate light? Panning leads to out of focus shots.

With regard to photos:

1) Spend some time composing. Figure out what the subject is and try to avoid ANYTHING in the image that does not contribute to the "story" of the image.

2) Did I mention good lighting? Use a painting light, use a flood light, use light with the same color as much as possible. Never use flash. NEVER . . . unless you know what you are doing.

3) MAXIMIZE your depth of field focus. MAXIMIZE !! EVERYTHING in focus, unless you are creating a mood shot. Out of focus images put ME in a bad mood.

4) If you want to do SERIOUS photography of model trains, get serious.

   a) Get good equipment, and that means a serious DSLR. I heave heard enough about how good "Point and Shoot" cameras and Iphone cameras have gotten. The Iphone screen is 2 inches wide. Put the image on a good monitor at 100% before you say that. 

Most of the images are shot at 72 DPI. Look at it on the monitor. Look.

   b) Get a good tripod.

   c) Get some decent, portable lights. The room light is usually barely adequate.

   d) Learn how to use photo editing software to enhance what is already there.

Then, you will be able to MAKE a photo, not just "take" a photo.

The photo below has very little negative space, if any. The lighting is uniform and even.

A story is being told. You can do video the same way. Fix the camera angle and let the TRAIN move.

The photo below is a nice "snapshot" of a model railroad. If you look at the photo and study the elements you will say, "that's a nice layout." It is. What is the subject of the photo? There is none. The key element is the bridge, but look at everything else going on. A busy harbor scene? Yes. The photographer had an opportunity, in that situation, to make some wonderful photos. Take the time to study the scene and "compose" a photo with a story. A key subject. Look through your finder (HARD to do with an Iphone) and take the time to exorcise elements that do not help the story. "Focus" on the light. Look at the differences in light in the photo below.

You really need to turn off the flash.  It makes terrible shadows and ruins colors.

(I am afraid I am beating a dead horse here)

Way back in time I worked on testing and analyzing radars made by a country that likes vodka. The company had a class taught by a radar guru from George Washington University, sorry can't remember his name. One of the key points is that the radar signal falls off as the radius to the fourth power 1/(r^4). That's because the (pointed) signal is an every expanding sphere. It hits the target, and that signal re-radiates in a (pointed) expanding sphere. Some other factors come into play like the curvature of the earth, air, moisture, radar cross section, antenna gain, pi, another pi, but its falls of as 1/(r^4).

I can't imagine that equations for light is that much different than radar. So, of course the foreground is going to be brighter than the back ground with a single flash unit.

(If you are interested, concerning the radar, it is easier for the air plane to over power the radar at long distances 1/(r^2), but at short distances, since the radar can have a giant diesel engine providing power to the electronics, the radar wins the signal power game.)

While in focus is much easier on the eyes, if the point of the video is to show how to repair something or steps in creating scenery, then being a bit out of focus doesn't bother me that much as long as I can follow the procedure.

If the point is to showcase a layout or aspects of it, then lighting and focus are very important. Not everyone wants to put out the expense for a digital SLR camera, expensive lights, etc. to take a few layout photos.

If you want artistic success, then Elliot is right on the money -- high quality equipment in skilled hands will produce excellent results, as his photos/videos demonstrate. But, not everyone has the time, energy and resources to devote to photography skills. If we just need a few pictures to illustrate how to build shelves or a video on how to repack wadding in a smoke unit, then all we need is to be able to follow the information presented.

I take it you're not real hip on railfanning videos.  You know, where the guy is riding in a car alongside a moving train.  I'd suggest you not watch this week's edition of Trains and Locomotives on TV if that is the case.  You may end up seasick..

The key is to move the flash off of the camera. When the light source is not on the same axis as the camera, the use of flash can be very pleasing and natural. The flash also needs to be color corrected (via cellophane gels) to match the existing lighting in the room so it doesn't have that washed out, cold "bluish" color that you might be referring to Dave.

Graz,

If you used a flash on your site photos, they look very nice!

Dave

Thanks Dave. 
No, I didn't use flash on those but probably should have as some are blurry.

I didn't buy the better camera and separate flash units until recently.

If we finish the basement, I'm going to install the ceiling fixtures that you used and will pretty much eliminate the need for flash altogether!

Mike

Hi Big Jim • Just as important as the camera, is your lighting, I use two soft boxes, 24 inch square. With s color corrected light, 50 watt, 2800 Lumens. & color temperature at 5500 Kelvins,

     The lighting will keep the auto focus on target and tracking the object.

I tried to tell that to CTT time and time again many years ago when you used to be able to look at their videos. Everything was so dark you couldn't see a darn thing because they were too cheap to set up some decent lighting. Of course, BK didn't see it that way and they lost my money!