*OFFICIAL* Snapshot of the Day (one image per post please) #2

[MaximusJ]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

they say 50-70 miles from any major city to eliminate the brightness. You need a PITCH BLACK sky for good shots

I think I will be ok. Quebec city is small for a major city. I checked things out yesterday and on the soccer field close to my place, you dont get any city glow when you turn your back to the city.

Angling to that side with the forest at the base of the frame should be good.

I will be putting my 12-24mm on my d5000 and my 24-70 on my d7000. If i'm lucky, the D800 will show up today, but i'm not counting on it.

[UdubBadger]

nice. excited to see how it comes out

[Diver]

dcstep, Breakfast/Beer is one of those weird things that photographer can't pass up, thank you. Chewy, what I think is uber strange about the sidecar rig are the wide tires.

[triton3k]

Pink Sky by Denn-Ice, on Flickr

[MaximusJ]

So much for the perseids; its raining buckets. I wasnt too optimistic because of the clouds throughout the day, but now its pouring hard.

[MATT0404]

From today:

6 by mkrepp, on Flickr

[MaximusJ]

A rosebud on fire.

[panicos81]

i'm gonna start editing my Italy photos (after two months)
this was in San Marino, i like the leaning castle

[rdub315]

iphone pic, with black and white effect

[rdub315]

[Diver]

"Ranger Anna"

August, 2012, Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, Michigan, USA

Other images from Michigan are presently at the top of my Wordpress Photoblog.

[M_Six]

I've been reading some claims that the recent 7D firmware upgrade improved ISO performance. I didn't see that in the description of the changes, but it did strike me that images at 1600 ISO suddenly seem to need little or no NR. This was shot at 1600 and I applied just a smidge of NR to the background areas. Maybe there is something to those claims.

[dcstep]

I'll do some things different next time, but I'm reasonably happy with my first attempt at the Milky Way and Perseid meteor storm:


Milky Way during Perseid meteor shower (2012) by dcstep, on Flickr

ISO 6400, f/4, 25-sec. with 5D MkIII with 24-105mm at 24mm.

Next time I'll go up to ISO 12800 or 25,600 and stop down just a bit to reduce vignetting. I think that I was far enough out of town for the Milky Way, but for something low in the sky, like Perseid, I need to be another 20 or 30-miles out.

Dave

[dcstep]

Mark, nice and sharp. It would be nice if the 7D's high-ISO performance suddenly improved. I hope you're right.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I didn't see that in the description of the changes, but it did strike me that images at 1600 ISO suddenly seem to need little or no NR.

Press Release
London, UK, 28 June 2012 – Canon today enhances the EOS 7D with firmware v2, adding a range of new features for enthusiasts looking to push the limits of their photography. Building on the camera’s high speed, advanced handling and creative versatility, the new firmware provides photographers with a host of new benefits including higher maximum RAW burst rate, in-camera editing functions, user-definable Auto ISO and support for Canon’s latest GPS Receiver, GP-E2.

Originally launched in 2009, the EOS 7D was carefully developed based on the feedback from thousands of photographers from across the globe. Offering the perfect combination of outstanding image quality and exceptional versatility across a range of photography styles, even today it is still considered to be one of the best APS-C cameras on the market. When developing the new firmware Canon followed a similar approach, gaining direct user feedback to bring the EOS 7D up to date with enhanced performance and a greater range of shooting capabilities and creative functionality.

Enhanced RAW performance
With an 18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, Dual “DIGIC 4″ processors and an extended maximum ISO of 12,800, the EOS 7D offers fast, high-quality shooting at speeds of up to 8 frames per second. Thanks to the new firmware which adds powerful memory management algorithms taken from Canon’s flagship EOS-1 series, photographers will now be able to enjoy greater flexibility in continuous shooting, with the maximum RAW buffer now extended to a new high of 25 RAW files or 130 JPEGs. Combining with the camera’s high 18MP resolution and 14-bit image processing, this will allow photographers to capture the decisive moment with rich detailed images.

In-camera image editing and rating
A range of newly-added editing functions also gives photographers more control over how images look, allowing post-production to begin in-camera. Photographers can now process their RAW files and correct artefacts such as peripheral illumination, distortion and chromatic aberration. Additionally, adjustments to white balance, sharpness and Picture Style, as well as a host of other parameters, can now also be made immediately after shooting, with the results saved as new JPEG files. JPEGs can also be instantly resized, without the need for a PC or Mac.

Photographers can now easily filter large volumes of pictures on their way back from a shoot using an image rating facility. Image rating data is stored in each file’s metadata, which can be read by a range of editing applications, including Canon Digital Photo Professional, and other industry software such as Apple Aperture, Adobe Lightroom and Bridge.

Extra control in stills and movies
The EOS 7D’s new firmware provides extended versatility across both stills and movies. Newly-added control of Auto ISO enables photographers to limit the maximum ISO speed to any point within the native ISO 400-6,400 range. Offering greater control over exposure, this will enable photographers to customise the maximum automatic ISO speed to suit their personal preferences, or to adjust parameters in different situations to meet specific creative goals.

Improved audio functionality in movie mode also provides aspiring videographers with greater control while shooting videos. Users can complement the camera’s Full HD (1920x1080p) movie footage with 16-bit digital stereo sound, sampled at broadcastquality 48KHz, and new manual control of audio levels allows users to choose from 64 sound levels. A digital wind-cut filter also reduces noise made by movement of air around the microphone, ensuring sound is clear and free from peripheral interference.

Track your travels with GPS compatibility
Firmware v2 also provides added capacity for users to track the location of their images with new support for the GPS Receiver GP-E2 – Canon’s latest high-performance GPS unit. The GP-E2 is attached securely to the hotshoe, and connected to the camera via a cable, making it easy for EOS 7D photographers to geo-tag photos with longitude, latitude and altitude data as well as the direction in which the shot was taken – adding the information to the EXIF file of the image1. A GPS Logger tracks movements by downloading GPS data at regular intervals, and compatibility with Google Maps means users can easily view their route in Canon’s free Map Utility software.

Firmware v2 will roll out across the region from August 2012.

Canon EOS 7D firmware v2 – new features:

Improved maximum burst for RAW images (up to 25)
In-camera RAW image editing
In-camera Image Rating
In-camera JPEG resizing
Maximum Auto ISO setting (ISO 400-6400)
Manual audio level adjustment in movie recording
GPS compatibility
File name customisation
Time zone settings
Faster scrolling of magnified images
Quick control screen during playback

Originally Posted by dcstep

I'll do some things different next time, but I'm reasonably happy with my first attempt at the Milky Way and Perseid meteor storm

nice shot Dave!

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I'll do some things different next time, but I'm reasonably happy with my first attempt at the Milky Way and Perseid meteor storm:


Milky Way during Perseid meteor shower (2012) by dcstep, on Flickr

ISO 6400, f/4, 25-sec. with 5D MkIII with 24-105mm at 24mm.

Next time I'll go up to ISO 12800 or 25,600 and stop down just a bit to reduce vignetting. I think that I was far enough out of town for the Milky Way, but for something low in the sky, like Perseid, I need to be another 20 or 30-miles out.

Dave

Cool Dave. I was debating on trying it tonight too

[MATT0404]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I'll do some things different next time, but I'm reasonably happy with my first attempt at the Milky Way and Perseid meteor storm:

ISO 6400, f/4, 25-sec. with 5D MkIII with 24-105mm at 24mm.

Next time I'll go up to ISO 12800 or 25,600 and stop down just a bit to reduce vignetting. I think that I was far enough out of town for the Milky Way, but for something low in the sky, like Perseid, I need to be another 20 or 30-miles out.

Dave

Nice shot, Dave. I'd be tempted to try this tonight if it wasn't cloudy here.

[Chewy734]

Horsey

Canon 1D X, EF 70-200mm f/4L
150mm, f/4, 1/500s, ISO 100, Av, RAW

FYI, any noise you see really isn't noise, but rain.

[triton3k]

Lights leading down Broadway by Denn-Ice, on Flickr

[Chewy734]

^ cool shot with the light trails!

[spanner1751]

This little guy has been hanging around my lanai for years. I finally got a few pictures of him.


green anole lizard by Spanner1751, on Flickr

[Chewy734]

nice shots spanner... really vibrant colors.