Chimping-Right or Wrong?

I don't know why i bother but sometimes i comment on Dpreview, Its always been know as an argumentative forum and it has more than its far share of jerks that seem to just want to wind people up and live under a false name, The other day a guy put up an image that was very under exposed and asked why his image was so dark, I made a comment that he should take a shot and then check the histogram and adjust using exposure compensation as needed and then retake the shot getting a good exposure, Now i used the word test shot and i am guessing that my comment was mis-read as is easily done as i was basically told that this was bad practice and if you shoot wildlife you do not get the chance to take a 'test' shot and reshoot, I guess the guy does not know what i shoot!!, Now i did not say that i do not know how to take a good exposure without using the histogram i just said that the guy should have checked the histogram and that way he would have known straight away that he had made a booboo and could have reshot, I shot slide film for many years and as anybody who shot slide will tell you its very unforgiving, if you are 1/2 stop out its in the bin, These days i still tend to meter off of something like grass or like in Japan i would meter off of the snow and then add a couple of stops, After shooting for so many years you tend to know or have a good idea of what your camera should be set for, however i have a histogram on the camera and like to check and confirm that my exposure is bang on, This means that i will have to do little adjustments in processing, So the question is, Is it bad practice to look at your histogram or chimp as its known or does it make you a bad photographer?? Well all i can say is that i am happy to use mine, I understand what a histogram should look like and teach people how to check their exposures by using a histogram, We have a lot of features on a modern day Dslr and i think that you should know how to use them and if it gives you a better image or makes your life easier then so be it, I am not saying to take a shot willy nilly and then check your histogram and adjust and retake and adjust, What i was saying is take an image after you have say metered off of some grass or a white cloud or whatever you are comfortable metering off and then have a quick look at your screen and histogram, I like to shoot to the right i.e overexpose the image but not to the extent of blowing highlights, To do this i will meter and adjust, So as a for instance on a beach shooting a white bird i may spot meter off of the bird and add 2 stops, I will check the histogram and maybe be able to add another 1/3 so i am on the edge of getting blinkies on the back of the screen but not blowing the actual highlights, This way i can get the maximum amount of detail in the whites and the shadow areas, I am not saying that this is right, What i am saying is that this is right for me,its difficult when you try to help somebody on a forum only to get flamed by those that should know better but thats the way life is on the internet and certainly on Dpreview

Dave

Nikon D7000 review on Dpreview

Its taken a while but Dpreview has published its findings on Nikons newest baby, The test is pretty much up to my findings and they class it as the best cropped sensor body on the market at this moment in time, Personally i still like the D300 and the only reason for me changing is the higher ISO performance advantage of the D7000, Bang for the buck though its a lot of camera for the money, This time next year i am sure i will be saying the same about the D400
For more details see here

Nikon D3s review on Dpreview

Dpreview put their review up yesterday on Nikons D3s, Their reviews are always worth a read as they go in great detail all the features as well as IQ etc, The D3s does seem to have a bug in the AF that needs sorting as a few people are finding in certain circumstances the AF can be very slow to initialise, Apart from that it seems a dream camera, I have considered upgrading not for the higher ISO capabilities but for the sensor cleaning, Quiet mode and easy Live view access, I like to hit the LV button and use the live histogram feature to set my exposure, On the Canon this was quick and easy, On the D3 i have now its not a quick method and hence i now dont bother, I am going to hold off for the time being as the D4 will be out sometime next year, For me to upgrade would cost around $2000 so i have just put this towards a couple of weeks in Florida in April, Going back to the review it compares the D3s to the D3,D300 and Canons 1D4, What it does show is that the ID4 is about the same as the D3 when comparing ISO an thats something Canon users will be very pleased with, Being able to shoot grain free at ISO 1600 is very liberating, Dpreview will publish the Canon 1D4 review soon so keep your eyes out for that
Review on the D3s here

Reviews and a bit of News - Canon 5Dmk2 and other stuff

OK a few bits and bobs for you today, gathering up a few reviews and videos.

I have to say the images that I have seen from the 5Dmk2 look pretty stunning, but then again there was nothing much that wrong with the old 5D. It certainly gained a cult following. I owned one for a while alongside my old 1Dmk2N and it used to provide significantly better images in many circumstances. the AF system was clearly never going to be a patch on the 1D and I was never happy to shoot in the rain as I did on many an occasion with the 1D.

Anyway, I would like the new 5D but given the current financial situation - thanks for that Mr Brown by the way, you might blame the US, but most of us here blame you. OK politics over.

Here is a full detailed review from dpreview so I will let you all make your own minds up on that one. Certainly, the video option appeals for me simply for this reason. There are many times when shooting stills of our subjects we see some wonderful behaviours. It is as times like that I would love to just press another button and capture some moving footage, and then just quickly click back to still mode. OK so I will have to wait.

It seems that a few models succumbed to harsh weather conditions in the Antarctic recently judging by this post from Luminous Landscape . I wouldn't be to worried about the authors comparison with the Sony Alpha as there were only two on the trip it seems, so hardly a representative sample. I would be good to hear from Sid Jervis how he is getting on with his, as I know he has been giving it a run out in very low temperatures in Canada, so if you are reading this Sid, comments would be welcomed.

A good friend, Dave Newton who works with Canon has recently being showing off his latest movie star Hollywood style on the the Canon Professional Network with a interesting set of videos on the 5Dmk2 and also the 50D.

I have manage to blag a 50D from a friend for a try out later this week. I am hoping to be catching a bit of wildlife photography later this week, so will see how it pans out with some of the more distant stuff and see how it compares with the 1Dmk3.

Finally, some good news from a Politician - yes very rare I know, and I did say politics was over earlier, but if this does get away then it will be good news for wildlife in the UK. When I read last year the the 'set aside' programme was coming to an end, I was very upset as this has proved to be a major lifeline to our farmland wildlife, that is still very much under pressure. But this story on the BBC gave me cause for a little cheer. Lets just hope that they do deliver on it, and it is not just yet another round of spin. But I really am trying to set aside my own cynicism and hope this one comes off.