Trey Ratcliff shelving his D800 for NEX-7

[fractal]

At least for 2 weeks while in China. I know a few of you are not big fans of him but as a Sony NEX-7 owner I'm pretty excited by this and looking forward to how his "experiment" goes.

Some of the reason he lists...

http://www.stuckincustoms.com/



Okay, but, still, what are the main reasons I have made this decision? Here they are:

• The new 10-18mm lens on the Sony NEX-7 is amazing. It’s a cropped sensor at 1.5x, so I’m really getting 15-27mm, which is not that different than the 14-24mm that I am used to. I love landscapes, so just backing up a few more feet is quite easy most of the time.
• The camera is SHARP. Oh god… that mirrorless sensor system is just so sharp… never blurry.
• It has all the basic lenses I need (which are not many – a wide angle and a telephoto)
• 24 megapixel — more than enough. Sure, the D800 has 36 megapixel, but, that doesn’t translate into many more horizontal pixels… Since I’ve been shooting with the D800, I haven’t been printing any bigger or doing any different licensing deals because of the higher resolution.
• Smaller. The NEX-7 is 5.9x smaller! Let’s just say SIX TIMES SMALLER for the sake of argument. Six Times. 6X. 111x49x38mm for the NEX-7 vs 146x123x82mm for the D800. It takes up hardly any space AND is…
• Lighter – 2.9x lighter (350g vs 1,000g) – I like measuring things in grams… I feel like a drug dealer.
• Faster at shooting 10 fps vs. 4 fps
• Screen that flips around – That is more useful than I ever knew…
• I have a Leica lens adapter on my NEX-7 that lets me use amazing Leica lenses, like this sweet f/1.2 that sometimes makes a surprise appearance !

 

[ddbowdoin]

HDR... phew, that's a fad that needs to end

 

[fractal]

HDR... phew, that's a fad that needs to end

Lol! I knew I'd get a comment from you. I guess it is a fad but it's also fun to do.
Film shooting and developing also seems like fun but way too much work and cash for us hobbyists.

 

[ddbowdoin]

Lol! I knew I'd get a comment from you. I guess it is a fad but it's also fun to do.
Film shooting and developing also seems like fun but way too much work and cash for us hobbyists.

haha, that's what I am here for man!

love the photo people on this website, it's a mix of both worlds I love

 

[NowInc]

The problem with HDR is the amount of people who overdo it. I myself have purposely went overboard on it just to test the dynamic range of my camera...but the best HDRs are the ones that are subtle.

 

[Allen C]

Over time Trey has become more subtle and less "over-the-top" with his HDR processing. There's a definite change when you compare his earlier work to his more recent images.

 

[CP_alum08]

The problem with HDR is the amount of people who overdo it. I myself have purposely went overboard on it just to test the dynamic range of my camera...but the best HDRs are the ones that are subtle.

Yes. Even more, how easily accessible these programs are that make over doing it easier...ike HDR settings on p&s cameras and apps on your iphone easy!

I think there will come a day when these mirrorless bodies surpass DSLR quality, I just don't think it's there yet.

 

[gsrjedi]

I think this isn't a huge deal for the kind of stuff he shoots, and he's shown that with his sample photos.

I think it comes down more to the lenses than the bodies for the mirrorless cameras. The NEX line uses the same size sensors and sensors that have been tested to be shown better than what you get on the crop-sensor DSLRs. The problem is they don't have Canon L or Nikon G equivalent lenses yet. Some people will complain about the OVF and other things always, but I think the output of these cameras in the right hands is there.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I think this isn't a huge deal for the kind of stuff he shoots, and he's shown that with his sample photos.

I think it comes down more to the lenses than the bodies for the mirrorless cameras. The NEX line uses the same size sensors and sensors that have been tested to be shown better than what you get on the crop-sensor DSLRs. The problem is they don't have Canon L or Nikon G equivalent lenses yet. Some people will complain about the OVF and other things always, but I think the output of these cameras in the right hands is there.

the only upside to battle this is that you can buy M mount adapters for these mirrorless systems and slap a 4,000 dollar Leica lens which in theory is the best lens in the world, optically speaking... so the industry professionals say.

 

[Zman-ks]

haha, that's what I am here for man!

love the photo people on this website, it's a mix of both worlds I love

Awesome!

 

[thomas998]

HDR... phew, that's a fad that needs to end

HDR is probably not going to ever go away. Some people like it some people hate it, much like b/w photography... it isn't for everyone but then again what is.

 

[ddbowdoin]

HDR is probably not going to ever go away. Some people like it some people hate it, much like b/w photography... it isn't for everyone but then again what is.

I agree, but general consensus from professionals it's a no go. It's goes against the standards of journalism, will never see its way into fine art circles. It's just amateur.

 

[gsrjedi]

I agree, but general consensus from professionals it's a no go. It's goes against the standards of journalism, will never see its way into fine art circles. It's just amateur.

I'm no art historian, but from what I remember reading about Monet and other impressionists, that's how their works were judged when they first started. The same could probably be said for any type of artwork when it's new, be it paintings, music, movies. New styles are always judged by the veterans of the field as not equaling what's been done traditionally.

I'm not a fan of the overdone HDR look, but I know there are plenty of people who are. I use it some, when I'm in a situation where I have a hard time getting the entire scene balanced, but I try to keep it neutral.

 

[thomas998]

I'm no art historian, but from what I remember reading about Monet and other impressionists, that's how their works were judged when they first started. The same could probably be said for any type of artwork when it's new, be it paintings, music, movies. New styles are always judged by the veterans of the field as not equaling what's been done traditionally.

I'm not a fan of the overdone HDR look, but I know there are plenty of people who are. I use it some, when I'm in a situation where I have a hard time getting the entire scene balanced, but I try to keep it neutral.

exactly, it is new and a lot of people like it. The "pros" of the day will grow old and die, at that point who is to say that HDR wont be considered the only way to go in the future. Look at the many different styles of oil painting, the popular flavor of the day hasn't always changed from generation to generation, I suspect the same will be for photographs... maybe HDR will be the new standard, maybe something else... simply because someone doesn't like it doesn't mean that it isn't good or acceptable it is just a reflection of the critics taste or lack of taste.

 

[CP_alum08]

I'm no art historian, but from what I remember reading about Monet and other impressionists, that's how their works were judged when they first started. The same could probably be said for any type of artwork when it's new, be it paintings, music, movies. New styles are always judged by the veterans of the field as not equaling what's been done traditionally.

I agree, except that HDR isn't new, it's just recently become popular. The theory behind HDR - merging multiple exposures into a single shot - has been done for a long time, way before digital cameras were around.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I'm no art historian, but from what I remember reading about Monet and other impressionists, that's how their works were judged when they first started. The same could probably be said for any type of artwork when it's new, be it paintings, music, movies. New styles are always judged by the veterans of the field as not equaling what's been done traditionally.

I'm not a fan of the overdone HDR look, but I know there are plenty of people who are. I use it some, when I'm in a situation where I have a hard time getting the entire scene balanced, but I try to keep it neutral.

I agree, except that HDR isn't new, it's just recently become popular. The theory behind HDR - merging multiple exposures into a single shot - has been done for a long time, way before digital cameras were around.

eh, apples to oranges. There are foundations in medium, and in painting foundations are much wider and simply put, subjective.

Photography is about capturing a moment and is supposed to reflect reality. It's the reason why if a photographer for the New York Times manipulates an image to remove or add a non-original element he is fired. This ALSO includes HDR, which is considered a compositional image.

People will often bring up a painter, but thats like talking about the Isle of Man roadrace and bringing up Nascar. Sure, there are tires involved and something that involves speed but they are worlds apart.

Photography has a very tight definition.

just my 2 cents though.

 

[fractal]

eh, apples to oranges. There are foundations in medium, and in painting foundations are much wider and simply put, subjective.

Photography is about capturing a moment and is supposed to reflect reality. It's the reason why if a photographer for the New York Times manipulates an image to remove or add a non-original element he is fired. This ALSO includes HDR, which is considered a compositional image.

People will often bring up a painter, but thats like talking about the Isle of Man roadrace and bringing up Nascar. Sure, there are tires involved and something that involves speed but they are worlds apart.

Photography has a very tight definition.

just my 2 cents though.

...and when he gets fired from the NYTimes he gets to work at People or Shape magazine to make the stars look skinnier and blemish free.

 

[ddbowdoin]

...and when he gets fired from the NYTimes he gets to work at People or Shape magazine to make the stars look skinnier and blemish free.

Lawl... Touché my friend, touché!

 

[thomas998]

Photography is about capturing a moment and is supposed to reflect reality. It's the reason why if a photographer for the New York Times manipulates an image to remove or add a non-original element he is fired. This ALSO includes HDR, which is considered a compositional image.

But if you are trying to provide an image that reflects reality then HDR would seem to be much more realistic. When you look at a bright scene with shadows in real life your eyes adjust and while viewing it you the view experience what might be more than 20 stops of range... Yet a photo from a camera that isn't using HDR is only going to be showing what maybe 13 stops? HDR when overdone might look cartoonish, but HDR when used sparingly and judiciously is more realistic than a simple photo.

 

[ddbowdoin]

But if you are trying to provide an image that reflects reality then HDR would seem to be much more realistic. When you look at a bright scene with shadows in real life your eyes adjust and while viewing it you the view experience what might be more than 20 stops of range... Yet a photo from a camera that isn't using HDR is only going to be showing what maybe 13 stops? HDR when overdone might look cartoonish, but HDR when used sparingly and judiciously is more realistic than a simple photo.

I am going to put this as delicate as I can.

A compositional image that is used sparingly shouldn't be called HDR. The entire process was simply created to bridge the dynamic range gap between digital technology and those that existed in larger format films. I believe I am correct, but I believe the compositional process was first pioneered in digital architectural work... since most of this work that was done in film was being done using 4x5 film as the smallest medium. The dynamic range of 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 is worlds apart from 35mm which is what most people here were familiar with back in the day.

This is what Trey became known as, as a major player in "HDR" photography, this is the standard that many come to think of when they hear the term HDR