TTL flash for the simplicity and speed

Okay, true strobists might recoil in horror, but I often prefer using TTL flash to sweeten an image when shooting on location. I just get to the final image faster than if I had gone the more methodical route of manual flash.

For some situations, manual flash is the only way to go. For example, when your subject is static in relation to your lights and you have to get consistent lighting, image after image, then manual flash makes the most sense. But for times where you want to shoot faster, and shoot on the run, I find that TTL flash is the easiest and most fun option for me.

This image of Aleona was from a recent individual photography workshop in New York. As a starting point in explaining how to balance flash and ambient light, we initially work with an easy scenario where the available light isn’t harsh, but also not all that exciting. Now we can easily finesse it with a bit of flash from a softbox …

The technique is simple in this case – under-expose slightly for the ambient light. A stop or so. Maybe 2/3rd stop. Just a bit. And then let the TTL flash, diffused by a softbox, pick up the difference in exposure. This screen capture from Bridge will show the same image without flash, and then with flash added.

Of course it helps in using sensible camera settings:
1/200 @ f/4 @ 200 ISO
Equipment used:
Canon 5D Mark II;  Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II  (B&H)
Canon 580EX II speedlite, triggered with RadioPopper PX units,
Lastolite Hot Shoe EZYBOX Softbox Kit (24″x24″) (B&H)

With a multi-shooter setup like a workshop, the RadioPopper PX units turned out to be the most reliable in use.

Back to the image at the top. I’ve been playing around with the new Lightroom presets from Totally Rad, called Amped!

I wanted a cross-processed look that would help give the photo a more edgy feel. I like these presets since they give me a good starting point for a specific look, and then I can change it however I feel. You can use the discount code: MOMSDAY to get $50 off any product more than $99. This discount is valid until May 16, 2012

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

taking photos in harsh sunlight

Taking photographs of people in harsh sunlight will always be one of the more daunting lighting situations we can find ourselves in. Without additional lighting, or the use of scrims, we have a few basic ways of dealing with the harsh sun:
- pose our subject into the light,
- pose our subject with their back to the sun, or
- just suck it up and accept that our photos will look bad.

Well, that last option isn’t really the way to go if we have any pride in our work as photographers. Which leaves us with the two other options …

We had Aleona again as our model during a recent individual photography workshop in New York. During one of the scenarios we covered, we had Aleona in some seriously bright sunlight. Since I like her too much to have her sear her retinas, looking towards the sunlight, she wore sunglasses.

With these two photos, you can see how the lighting pattern on her face changes, simply by having her move her head towards the sun. Now add a dramatic gesture or pose, and we have an image like the one at the top here. Even better if we use the shadow as part of the composition.

It’s as simple as that – pose your subject “into” the light, and watch how the lighting pattern changes – especially, how the shadow of their nose falls.

further articles:
- photography using the available light  (Kristy & Tom)
- shooting wedding portraits in bright sunlight
- photographing in hard sunlight, with or without flash  (flower girls)
- photographing in bright sunlight – find the shade! (Amy, maternity)

Still not using any additional lighting, the other way to deal with the harsh sun, is to simply turn your subject away from the sun. In this case we expose correctly for the shady side of our subject, and just allow the background to blow out. The sunlit parts of our subject will also blow out. We will lose detail, but depending on how high the sun is above us, the areas that are blowing out, will hopefully just be rim lighting that enhances our subject. Even if there are larger areas blowing out, it’s still better than having our subject’s face partially lit by sun, and partially in shadow.

Going about it this way, gives pleasant even light on the our subject’s face.

This photo isn’t much more than a test shot, to show a shortcut that I use to get to close enough to the correct exposure settings.
The shortcut is that I set my camera to 1/250 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO, and this is close enough a lot of times.

Using a Canon 5D Mark II with the  Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II  (B&H),
this photograph of Aleona was shot at:
1/200 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO

Let me explain how I got there:
Remember the Sunny 16 Rule … when you photograph something in bright sunlight, then your exposure settings are:
the shutter speed is the inverse of your ISO, for an f/16 aperture

For example, if you are shooting with a 100 ISO setting in bright sunlight, then the shutter speed is 1/100 for an aperture of f/16 … or 1/200 at f/16 for 200 ISO.  Simple, round numbers.

I memorize these two combinations of settings:

1.  Instead of setting 1/100 for 100 ISO at f/16, I usually go to 1/200 or 1/250 @ f11 @ 100 ISO … the higher shutter speed helps with subject movement and camera shake … and also happens to be maximum flash sync speed for most cameras. Great for when we do want to use flash.

2. Alternately, to get a shallowed depth of field, I just take my camera to these equivalent settings:
1/2000 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO

In my experience, if you’re shooting in bright sunlight, then the shaded side is around 3 stops under the sunlit area. This of course, is a very rough guide. But these settings: 1/250 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO, surprisingly , will bring me close enough to correct exposure that I can nail the exposure with just one test shot to see how close I am.

The benefit of working like this, is that if I step out of a building into sunlight, then I have camera settings at hand that save me a lot of dial-twiddling:
for the brightly sun-lit areas:
1/250 @ f/11 @ 100 ISO, or
1/2000 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO

for the shaded area of my subject, I am usually close enough with:
1/250 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO
(which is 3 stops away from 1/2000 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO)

These settings give me a pretty good starting place.

While you could argue that you might just go to Aperture Priority or Program mode for the sunlight areas, with an extremely backlit photo like the one shown here as an example, shooting in Manual Exposure Mode is usually the easiest.

All of this a long explanation for a simple technique. But with these simple guidelines, we’re hopefully better able to cope when shooting in harsh sun.

If we decided to use flash to help us out, then we’d use this simple algorithm to get to our basic settings:

1. set your camera to maximum flash sync speed,
2. go to your lowest ISO,
3. find the aperture at which you’re not overexposing the brightest part of your subject.  Now add aperture value’s worth of flash to your subject.

further articles on using flash in bright sunlight:
- overpowering hard sunlight with flash  (model – Johannie)
- photographing in hard sunlight, with or without flash  (flower girls)
- overpowering the sun with flash  (models – Sarah & Mark)
- using direct off-camera flash  (model – Lea)
- shooting wedding portraits in bright sunlight

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

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Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

Fashion photography lighting and styling

A shout-out for my good friend Chuck Arlund – one of the most innovative photographers that I know of when it comes to lighting. His styling with Fashion photography is also outstanding.

Chuck is presenting a 3-day long photo retreat planned for Aug 6-8 at the Lake of The Ozarks in Missouri. Details on Chuck Arlund’s blog. (The code: BEFEARLESS gets you $300 off.)

As mentioned before on the Tangents blog, Chuck is also presenting a workshop in New York, May 22-23, and there are still a few spots open. (for photographers following the Tangents blog, there is an incredible $250 discount code: NEILVN which brings the fee for the workshop down to $500.)  Again, details on Chuck’s blog.

Now you may well wonder about the techie details for these images – click through the images, and you’ll see the accompanying lighting diagram. Chuck regularly posts these on his blog. Check them out.

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

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best photography tips contest winner

I was stunned at the flood of responses to the recent contest where everyone had the chance to mention their best photography tips. An overwhelming response, which made it even tougher to pick a winning entry. A tough call, but I finally decided on the tip entered by Jim Schofield, who then wins the LumoPro flash.

The reason we picked the entry is, because one can always become paralyzed by trying to get things “perfect” and then end up with nothing, because nothing is perfect. But if you always just try to make your next shoot better than the last, then you will steadily improve and learn.

To read more, check out the thread. Thank you everyone who entered!

The response was so good, that I’d love to make this a regular item on the Tangents blog, and our friends over at  B&H said they’d love to help with some prizes. So we’re on for more.

Check back regularly, or add the Tangents blog to your RSS feed, or subscribe to the monthly newsletter to keep up to date.

review: Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT

Summary: Right off the bat, let me say it – this speedlite, the Canon 600EX-RT (B&H), is going to change the industry. Nothing is going to be the same again.

A speedlite that has radio transmitters built in, has been anticipated for quite some time now. It just makes sense.  So it was just a matter of time before one of the big camera manufacturers did this … and Canon is the first. And they didn’t drop the ball on the rest of the speedlite’s features, or with the functionality of this piece of gear. It’s easy to use, with an obvious menu – even for a complex flashgun like this.

Before the Canon 600EX-RT, we had various options how we could trigger our Canon Speedlites, but right now our option is clear – it’s the the Canon 600EX-RT  (B&H)

About the photo at the top …

I attended another of the shoot-outs arranged by the Hudson Valley Click group. (I’ve used images from their past shoot-outs in various articles here.) This weekend the theme was a Retro-Futuristic CyberPunk, and I had the pleasure of photographing Karyn. And as you can see, her outfit was in fact full-body paint, courtesy by Kelly Torres of NY Body Art.

We were shooting at a disused foundry, which turned out to be a great setting for the theme. I chose to isolate Karyn with a longer focal length, in the one open factory area. There was enough distance to have the background completely melt away.

camera settings:  1/40 @ f/3.5 @ 1600 ISO
Canon 5D Mark III (B&H);  Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)

The majority of the light on Karyn was from the late afternoon light streaming through the windows. I purposely posed her into the light … and then used a  Canon 600EX-RT (B&H) for that rim-light around her and to create a subtle hot-spot behind her. This really helped etch her outline against the out-of-focus background. With the dust in the area, it gave that slight halo effect around her body.

Here’s the pull-back shot where you can see the windows, and where the speedlite was positioned on a breeze-block.

The speedlite was controlled by an on-camera 600EX-RT as the Master.  I had the Master flash’s output disabled so it doesn’t add any light. I just wanted to fire the flash in the distance behind her.

This is the kind of set-up where just using the built-in optical wireless system of a flash like the Canon 580EX II, would’ve been a limitation. It might be just out sight there. Which meant, I would’ve had to use radio transmitters of some kind. This always implies more cables, connectors, cradles, batteries, settings. It’s complicated. With just two Canon 600EX-RT speedlites (B&H), I have the same kind of control … but it is much easier to set up and control.

I didn’t have an ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter (B&H) yet to try out, so I used the on-camera speedlite as Master. I’m a little ambivalent about the separate Speedlite controllers like the Canon ST-E2 or Nikon SU-800. It just seems like you’re half-way to buying a speedlite anyway. Besides, you could always use another back-up speedlite.

I used the speedlites in a basic way here, just so I could enhance the available light.

Related articles on using flash and ambient light:  flash photography concepts

an overview of Nikon and Canon speedlites

When I moved from the Nikon system to the Canon system several years ago – Nikon D2x to Canon 1D Mark IIN – the one thing that truly revolutionized my photography, was that the Canon 580EX Speedlite could rotate 180 degrees to either side. The Nikon SB-800 was limited to 90 degrees in the one direction. That extra90 degrees had a huge impact. I could now be specific about the direction of my light when I used on-camera bounce flash. As I said .. this was huge!

Then Nikon updated the SB-800 to the phenomenal Nikon SB-900 which brought in a lot of extra features, but most importantly, allowed the flash-head to rotate 180 degrees to either side.

Then Canon updated their flash to the Canon 580EX II, and honestly, it felt like a step backwards. The 580EX was so easy to switch from Master to Slave, and back to normal. With the 580EX II though, it felt like I had to relearn how to do this if I didn’t use the flash like this for a few weeks. It was obscure.

Equally obscure was the menu system of the 580EX II. Well, the 580EX was also obscure with the various custom functions which you needed the manual or a cheat sheet to know what they affected. The SB-900 on the other hand, was dead easy to set up with beautifully clear and obvious menu system.

So with the Nikon SB-900 and Nikon SB-910 Speedlight (B&H), it really felt like Nikon was steps ahead of Canon in terms of the ease of use of their speedlights. Definitely in how Nikon allows you to control the individual Slave flashes in discrete levels, made more sense.

But the one area where both systems were hampered, is that their built-in optical wireless systems were limited by line-of-sight constraints. Bright sunlight also affected how well they worked. So you had to resort to various wireless radio triggers to get past these constraints.  Until this bold step by Canon!

Better yet, the Canon 600EX-RT speedlites (B&H) has an obvious menu system with obvious controls. This is important!

Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT features

1. Ease of use.
As mentioned earlier, the previous Canon speedlites where a pain when you had to change custom settings, and had to refer to the manual or cheat sheets. The Canon 600EX-RT changes all that with a clear menu systems, and clearly marked controls. Surprisingly, for such a complex machine, the speedlight is easy to understand if you have some knowledge of the previous Canon speedlights.  I was able to set the two speedlites to Master / Slave modes, and be sure that they were linked, without reading the manual. I like that. Basic functions need to be obvious.

2. backwards compatibility
Another wonderful thing about the way the Canon 600EX-RT works, is that you can use it with cameras prior to the Canon 5D Mark III.  It works just as well with the Canon 5D Mark II, and the other Canon SLRs.<

Also good is that the Canon 600EX-RT works with the older optical wireless controlled speedlites like the 580EX / 580EX II. However, you can’t have it work with both the radio and optical modes simultaneously.

3. High-Speed Sync
On p.51 of the manual it states that for cameras prior to 2011 then the max flash sync speed is one increment lower.  I assume this means that for cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II , the max flash sync speed with the 600EX-RT is now 1/100. In fact, a (!) warning signal appears on the speedlite’s display at any shutter speed higher than that. The manual also states that HSS isn’t possible.

Well, I can confirm that HSS is indeed possible. And from a few tests I have done, it seems like the output takes a small knock at 1/200 and HSS .. perhaps 1/3rd of a stop by the looks of it. At 1/250th, there is a distinct drop in flash output. This is consistent with how speedlites work in HSS mode. So I’m not sure if I am missing something here, but I would have to disagree with the manual on this. HSS is indeed possible with the 5D Mark II, and quite possibly then with other previous models as well.

4. Group mode (Gr)
With this mode, you can control up to 5 groups of flashes, and each group can be set independently to E-TTL or manual. This is only possible with newer cameras, such as the 5D Mark III and 1D-X.  I haven’t tested this mode yet, but will try it out and update via future posts.

5. color filter / gel holder
Similar to the Nikon SB-900 / Nikon SB-910 the Canon 600EX-RT offers a holder for a filter that corrects for Tungsten light. These are keyed to the camera’s AWB settings to adjust the WB of the camera if it detects a gel on the speedlight.

6. flash firing restriction due to over-heating
When shooting in bursts, the flash may overheat. The 600EX-RT limits the tempo with which the flash can be fired, is slowed down to help prevent the flash head from damage from over-heating.

As I mentioned earlier, I used the speedlites in quite a simplistic way here just to enhance the available light. But as an indication of how well the speedlites work and how easy they are to set up, I am quite impressed already. The options and capabilities are endless. This is going to be an interesting piece of gear to explore, and I’ll continue to add more articles relating to it.

My final verdict might be quite a bold statement, but for me, this is an automatic upgrade from the Canon 580EX II. There are so many improvements in the handling of the flash, that it is much easier to use and set up. And then, the cherry on top of it all is the radio control of the slaved units.

You can order the Canon 600EX-RT speedlite from this B&H affiliate link.

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

exploring the spinlight – a new video

A new video on how to use the Spinlight, has been put online by the maker of the Spinlight. (You can view the higher-resolution clip here.) To order the SpinLight 360, here is the discount code for readers of the Tangents blog.

best photography tips

There are numerous tips and ideas in photography that helped me improve as a photographer over the years. This came via magazines and books and other photographers. Many sources.

One of the best tips that helped me develop a style over time – when using a zoom lens, zoom to the longest focal length, and then frame your shot by walking forward or back, to where you have the composition that you want.

Doing so will result in the most compression in the image, helping to isolate my subject against an out-of-focus background. (Of course, using a long lens with a wide aperture makes the difference here.) I touched on this topic with a recent article: composition for full-length portraits – step back!

I would like to hear from other readers of the Tangents blog, what their best or favorite photography tips are.

And we’ll make it a contest for the best entry.
The contest has now closed, and a winner has been announced – check my comment #190

So to keep this interesting, here’s incentive – the best entry will win a LumoPro LP160 flash, courtesy of Midwest Photo Exchange.

The Lumopro LP160 is a manual only flash, and is ideal for photographers who want a low-cost flash that has solid spec. If you like working with a light-stick – a speedlite on a light stand or monopod – then this flashgun will be well-suited to your needs. Check the Midwest Photo Exchange site for specs and details.

The contest has now closed,
but here are the rules for the contest:

1. Post your best photography tip that has made a difference to how you shoot and how your photos look. Any topic.
2. The best entry, as chosen on Monday, April 30th, wins the speedlite. Along with the advice from a few friends, I’ll pick the best entry then.
3. I have final say.
4. No whining allowed.

Entry #50, by Jim Schofield was picked as the winner.

I discuss the entries in my comment #190

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

Nikon D4 / Nikon D800 time-lapse photography – review

The highly anticipated Nikon D4 (B&H) and Nikon D800 (B&H) are loaded with features, and both cameras offer exceptional image quality. Hidden in the list of camera specs, is an item which is of specialized interest – Time-Lapse Photography. So if a photographer doesn’t have a specific interest in this, they are most likely just going to gloss over this – but this is quite a powerful feature.

With Time-Lapse photography, as with video, it just looks much more interesting if the camera moves as well. With movies too, the cinematography and how the camera moves, make all the difference. Last year some time, I stumbled on the Time-Lapse photography by MindRelic. The movement of the camera as the city scenes unfolded, blew my mind. This was done via a motorized dolly – specifically, the Dynamic Perception Stage Zero dolly. So of course, with no prior interest in Time-Lapse photography, I immediately bought a Stage Zero dolly. It all just looked that cool.

But then the winter approached and it was just too cold to venture outside at night to try out Time-Lapse photography. So the dolly lay dormant, still boxed, in my office. Until my Nikon D4 cameras arrived a few days ago!

time-lapse photography with the Nikon D4 / D800

If there is any motion with time-lapse photography, the photographer previously had to figure out the number of frames, and exposure intervals, to calculate the duration of the final clip. The Nikon D4 and D800 does this for you.

Even better – previously, with time-lapse photography, the photographer had to try and visualize how the movement of the camera, from the starting point to end point, would finally appear when the images are compiled as a movie clip. I can just imagine how frustrating it must have been to spend time setting something up, only to realize later on when compiling the clip, that the duration is too fast or too slow, or there was some kind of hiccup.

This is where the Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 shine – they compile the time-lapse sequences into a .mov file for you, in camera!

You shoot the sequence of images from start to end, and then hit playback on the camera, and the movie plays back for you. Right there!  So if there are any changes you’d like to make in the sequence, and how the camera moves during the time-lapse sequence, you can adjust it right there and then. Beautifully elegant. This has to be very attractive to any photographer interested in time-lapse photography.

Setting it up is very easy. So easy that I was able to shoot the time-lapse sequences without referring to the manual.

The time-lapse movie file is generated at the settings that you have for the camera’s video settings. In retrospect, I should’ve shot this at 24fps. Perhaps a minor difference.

For quick access, I have this enabled in My Menu of the camera:

And in turn, to quickly access My Menu, I have the DoF preview button set to be the quick access to My Menu instead.

about the New York time-lapse sequence

Erik Colonese and I went in to New York late last night to shoot time-lapse sequences to compile into a longer movie clip. A first attempt at this! In fact, a first attempt at time-lapse photography, aside from a test sequence in my garden to see how the Dynamic Perception dolly works.

We rained out at some point, and the traffic in Manhattan on a Saturday night is dreadfully slow. So between the rain and traffic hold-ups, we managed to shoot 7 sequences which looked good. The opening sequence there was our 2nd try on that 1st set-up. And then the rain came down and we scrambled for cover. When we played it back … wow! High-fives! I was stunned at how cinematic it looked.

I can see a few things I’d do differently now – two of the sequences need to be slower, for example. But as it is, I am very proud of this first attempt.

Here is Erik setting up the MX2 Motion Controller on the dolly. This sets the duration and speed with which the dolly would travel. We usually had the dolly up on two tripods. A few times we had the dolly at an angle with one tripod, and the one end of the dolly resting on the ground.  For two of the sequences, we wanted the camera at this low an angle, and took the dolly off the tripods.
The mysterious girl in the 2nd sequence, is Elmira, who I have used as a model a few times recently.  She was lit by an iPhone, which I purposely moved around a bit during the time the time-lapse intervals. This helped to give it that shimmering look.

Since the Nikon D4 (and Nikon D800) produce the .mov files in-camera already, compiling the video clip is a very simple matter, using iMovie.

Equipment used to shoot the timelapse clip shown above:
Nikon D4  (B&H);  Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S  (B&H)
Manfrotto tripods & quick releases  (B&H)
Dynamic Perception Stage Zero dolly

Soundtrack courtesy of TripleScoopMusic

everything you want to know about time-lapse photography:

TimeScapes forum – the ultimate FAQ on time-lapse photography 

Time Lapse Tutorial – Timothy Allen 

You can order the Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 and other goodies from B&H, via these affiliate links:

Nikon D4

Nikon D800

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

Stay informed of new articles via the monthly newsletter.
Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

review: Canon PowerShot G1 X

A good all-around walk-about camera is something I’ve been looking for, for a while now. The Fuji X100 is arguably the most desirable of the compact cameras on the market right now, but only has a fixed lens … and some auto-focus issues in low light. But there are a number of other serious compact cameras on the market now.

As I mentioned in my recent review of the Fuji X10, this year is going to be an exciting year with all the major D-SLR releases from Canon and Nikon, as well as some high-spec mirror-less cameras. The  Canon G1 X (B&H) and the Fuji X-Pro-1 (B&H) and Sony’s two cameras, the Sony NEX-5N (B&H) and Sony NEX-7 (B&H), all looks really good options for photographers who are serious about their  photography, but want more compact options.

I’ve had a loaner Canon G1 X (B&H) for the past few weeks, to see how I like it. What interested me most about the G1X is that the sensor size is just smaller than the Canon’s APS-C sensor. The larger sensor promises better image quality. But a camera is quite often more than the sum of the parts – it should have a feel that appeals to the photographer.

Features and Spec of the Canon G1 X

They key features and specs are:

• 14.3 megapixel CMOS Sensor
• 3.0″ LCD Screen that flips out
• high quality zoom lens,  (35mm equivalent: 28-112mm)
• lens aperture: f/2.8 (wide) – 5.8 (tele)
• Hybrid Image Stabilizer
• Optical Viewfinder
• 1080p 24 fps Full HD Video
• High Dynamic Range Scene Mode
• native aspect ratio is 4:3

… and a bunch of exposure modes, metering modes and white balance modes. And such.

Some of these specs are standard for any camera these days, such as 1080p video. I don’t think we’ll ever see a camera (or smart phone) on the market that doesn’t offer 1080p HD video.

The optical viewfinder is entirely under-whelming if you’re used to something as “oh wow!” as the optical viewfinder of the Fuji X100. There is a diopter adjustment, but as much as I am a photographer used to looking through a viewfinder, with the G1 X it was more convenient to just look at the back of the camera.  The optical viewfinder only shows 80% of the frame, and the lens barrel obscures part of the frame. Really not wonderful.

The lens has a sweet range. Very useful, but the widest aperture at the longer focal lengths become f5.6 and this drops the shutter speed much lower … exactly when you need the faster shutter speed to compensate for the camera shake inherent in using longer focal lengths. The Fuji X10 (B&H), has an f/2.0 – f/2.8 aperture, but with a much smaller sensor.

In using the camera, I found the Image Stabilization to be quite effective.

Oh, and there is a minutely small pop-up flash too. But we won’t mention this.

Handling of the Canon G1 X

If you’re used to the Canon G12, then you’re going to feel right at home with the G1 X. The top plate will immediately be familiar, and also feel familiar. The G1 X isn’t much larger than the G12, except that the G12 lens retracts more.

The LCD screen flips out, making it easy to get images with the camera held high, or from low angles.

The button layout is fairly logical, and easily understood.  The one button that was oddly placed for me, is the “Play” button which is recessed from your fingertip’s touch unless the LCD screen is flipped out.

The camera is comfortably chunky in your hands, and it is as compact a camera as you could make a camera be with this size sensor and lens. The lens retracts so that the camera is only 2,6″ long on the lens’ axis.

The ‘S’ button there on the left-hand side, is a customizable button with which you can access and change any one of 16 settings, including White balance, Drive Mode, Self Timer, ND filter, Aspect Ratio, RAW / JPE, AF Lock.

There is a knurled knob in the front to change the shutter speed when in Tv mode. In Av model, this affects the aperture.  However, when you’re shooting in manual exposure mode, the front knob controls the shutter speed (still), and the aperture value is changed via the rotating dial on the back. Typical of Canon D-SLRs as well. Simplicity.

Simplicity.  Yet, this is a camera where you would need to delve into the manual to figure out all the settings. For example, the focusing modes.

Focusing modes

AF Frame Mode
- FlexiZone – where you can change the position and size of the AF area, and then lock focus.
- Face AiAF – the camera detects faces, and then focuses.
- Tracking AF – for action photos where your subject is moving.

The AF-point zoom feature is interesting. If you hold the shutter button down (without tripping the shutter), an enlarged view of the focused area appears. Nice enough to see if your subject is in focus. However, this feature also interferes with your composition, since part of your subject is now obscured by the enlarged portion. You need to enable / disable this in the menu.  Easy enough to access, but it’s one of those things – this feature is handy, until it isn’t. Then it’s just in the way … but you need to go into the menu to disable it.

Setting the AF Frame Mode, is one of those things where you’d have to go through the manual.

Which brings us to the Auto-Focus performance of the Canon G1 X 

For me, it felt like the camera took a bit too long to grab focus. Since Canon appears to be aiming this camera at the serious photographer market, it just felt to me that the AF wasn’t up to par compared to the build quality of the camera.

Also the maximum shooting rate is a mere 1.6 frames. Very slow for a mirror-less camera.

There is an AF assist beam which helps in low light. However, this is the kind of thing I immediately disable on any camera. And the beeping. Ugh!

While the G1 X does take the Canon speedlites, you only have TTL control in one of the Auto exposure modes.  With manual exposure mode on the camera, you lose TTL flash. That just doesn’t make sense.

Be aware that the G1 X doesn’t focus particularly close, unless if you flip into the Macro Mode … where the AF performance goes down even further.

From the spec sheet:
Wide angle : 1.3′ (0.40 m) – Infinity
Tele setting: 4.3′ (1.31 m) – Infinity

Video:

In playing around with the Video recording mode, it was frustrating that you couldn’t set aperture / shutter speed or ISO to change your exposure. Not even the Exposure Compensation dial on the top of the camera applied. To change your exposure, you have to hit the Exposure Lock Button ( * ) and then dial your exposure compensation via a new menu on the screen. Not entirely intuitive. Once again, it is one of those things you have to delve in the manual for.

The Video quality looked good though.

Image Quality of the Canon G1 X

Now, the sensor is the most attractive thing about the Canon G1 X. The sensor, as mentioned, is slightly smaller (20%) than the APS-C sensors on the Canon D-SLRs. But the pixel count of the G1 X is slightly lower. So this would imply that the image quality from the G1 X should rival the crop-sensor D-SLRs from Canon.  As an aside, the G1 X sensor is 4 times later than the sensor of the Fuji X10.

Elmira is the same model that I used for my initial review of the Canon 5D Mark III high-ISO performance. Using a camera like the Canon G1 X for this type of portrait photography on location, felt clumsy though because I am much more used to working with an SLR. The image quality is great though. This was shot at 800 ISO. The high-resolution file can be downloaded from here. (I did use the healing brush on a few skin blemishes.)

The aperture I used was (according to the EXIF data), f5.8
Now, with a smaller sensor, the apparent depth-of-field is affected. So this would be equivalent to about f11 on a full-frame SLR. Which means, that if you like shallow depth-of-field, you need to look elsewhere than a compact camera.

A camera like the Canon G1 X is much more suited to general photography. A camera to walk around with and explore places with. I strolled along the Highline in Manhattan, grabbing a few frames of people and my surroundings there.

I was able to hold the camera up high over my head, using the flip-out LCD screen to get the composition I wanted. (Shot in manual exposure mode.)

Playing around with how the sun fell on the front of the lens, so I could get flare. The lens seems to be quite resistant against flaring. Even here, it kept the contrast. Impressive.

Again, shot in manual exposure mode to get the exact exposure I want. One quirk of the camera, it remembers your specific ISO for manual metering mode … which could be different than your chosen ISO for the Auto exposure modes.

So it might even make sense to have your camera set to Auto ISO with the camera to P mode … but have a specific ISO setting for Manual exposure mode when you flip into full manual control of your exposure.

The high-resolution file can be downloaded from here.

Moving further afield than the Highline …

The Jessy Carolina Hot Mess, busking in Washington Square Park. (Jessy Carolina is out of frame here.)

The high-resolution file can be downloaded from here.  (100 ISO)

I was quite happy with the results from this camera – the images looked good.

The G1 X also offers in-camera processing of images via Image Effects … something I didn’t play with, but these are options if you enjoy messing with the images in-camera.

There’s a range of effects you can apply to images:
- HDR (where the camera takes 3 images, and combine them for greater tonal range)
- Toy Camera Effect
- Fish-Eye Effect
- Poster Effect
- Nostalgic
- Monochrome
and more.

Canon G1 X – the final verdict

The Canon G1 X was a camera that I was quite keen to try out. The promise of superb image quality from a compact camera is very appealing.

The image quality certainly is there. 800 ISO looked very good, and even 1600 ISO looked good. The lens delivers, and I couldn’t see any softness or anything that bothered me.

The controls and user interface is for the most part quite intuitive, but you will have to go through the manual to get the most out of this camera.

For $800 this camera is positioned at an interesting intersection – low enough in price and with great image quality, to appeal to the serious photographer who wants a camera to carry around. But for a little bit more money, an entry-level SLR with kit lens could be had. A tough decision to make.

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