When I bought my camera, a variety of accessories arrived with it. I haven't had time to figure out how many of them work, but I had some extra time to mess around with them today.
The first experiment involved a macro lens and wide angle lens attachment combo as shown below.
This seemed like an odd combination, so I initially took off the wide angle portion to test the macro portion alone. First, I took a picture with my 18-55 mm lens (not zoomed in at all), and then I took the same picture with the macro attachment. These were the results:
Without macro attachment
With macro attachment
Clearly, the second picture allows for a much closer view in the same picture. I tried to go as far in as I could, which resulted in many very blurry/grainy shots. This was the best one I managed:
As close as possible
The macro attachment definitely allows for a "zoom-in" effect, but the extreme close-up was less than desirable. I don't want to judge it too quickly because my poor technique or the wrong setting may have caused the extreme blurriness. I'll have to try this on a flower or some other outdoor subject to see if I can improve my results.
As for the macro/wide angle combo, here's an example. I'm not wildly impressed, but as stated before, I might just be using this wrong. The top photo is with my kit lens alone, and the bottom photo is with the attachments. I'm still not 100% sure if these attachments are supposed to be used together always. Until I can figure out a way to attach the wide angle attachment directly to my lens, they'll have to be a combo set.
Without any attachments
With macro/wide angle lens attachment combo
I'll be doing plenty of my own internet research on these accessories, but let me know if you have any opinions/advice on how to use these (or if they're even worth it).
Early this summer, I made the decision to upgrade my camera. I had been rocking the Canon Rebel XSi for three years, and while it still worked just fine, I wanted to sell it while it still had some value. After a lot of Googling, I decided to buy a refurbished Canon Rebel T4i, a newer model of my old camera. My goal was to save money (which generally excludes the newest model from consideration), but also to have a model new enough that it wouldn't seem insanely outdated after a year or two.
I got the camera right before my trip to Spain and Italy...but I took the old camera. I was too worried about something happening to my brand new camera in a foreign country, so I decided I'd rather risk the old standby instead. I only really started experimenting with my new camera after I got back in mid-June.
So far, I'm very pleased with the results I've been getting. One of my major complaints with my old camera was that I never felt like the colors I saw in person translated to pictures. This new camera, on the other hand, produces vibrant photos right from the start. Probably the strangest thing to get used to is not having to do as much processing with my photos. I was so used to having to punch up the color for every single picture, that I over-processed the first couple pictures I took and ended up using the unedited original.
One other major difference between my current camera and my old camera is the ability to take video. I haven't had an opportunity to experiment with the video setting just yet, but I'm excited to try it out to see what I can do. My GoPro (see previous post) is wonderful for quick videos, but if I ever want to try something a little more artistic, I need to know how to film on this camera. As a disclaimer, I will say that videography is well outside of my wheelhouse. I dabble, but I don't really know what I'm doing...
Anyway, here are a few sample pictures I've taken since getting the new camera. I'm pleased so far, and I should be able to have more material for blog posts as I sift through all of the accessories that came with it!
This past Christmas, I was lucky enough to get a GoPro Hero3 from my boyfriend. I've had a few months to mess around with it, so I decided to do a quick pros/cons list to sum up some of the features that I appreciate and ones I'm not as wild about.
Pros:
1) It's fairly indestructible. I can't say I've really put it to the test yet, but the container is air tight and water tight (if you use the correct back plate).
2) It's tiny. This makes it less of a hassle to carry around in a purse or camera bag. It's so small that you could probably get away with stuffing it in your pocket.
3) The GoPro app allows you to see what the camera "sees" if you set up the wifi to connect your GoPro and phone. Additionally, you can watch any video currently on the camera through the app and control recording remotely.
4) The wide angle lens is pretty sweet. It's definitely a different perspective compared to any other camera I have. It makes for realistic, intriguing footage no matter what you're filming.
5) It allows for extended filming and has a long battery life. I believe it allows for approximately 2-3 hours of footage before the memory is full. The battery, in my experience, usually has enough juice to film beyond that.
Cons:
1) You have to buy most of the accessories and attachments. Precious little comes with the GoPro itself, so in order to have clamps, belts, or any additional accessories, expect to spend a little money. I was fortunate enough to be given a few attachments, but there are more that I would like to have.
2) It's easy to lose the plastic piece that covers the USB port. There's a small, square plastic piece that protects the area where a USB cord can be attached. Unfortunately, unlike most cameras, this little flap is NOT attached to the camera. I have almost lost that piece every time I use the camera because it's easy to forget that it's there.
3) The GoPro cover can be a pain in the neck. I'm too paranoid to use the camera without some kind of cover, but that also means I have to constantly take the cover off and on. It's not always the easiest to open, and it's just one more part (other than the little plastic cover) to keep track of while using the camera.
Overview: I was being a tad picky with the cons just to present less one-sidedness in my post, so my response to the GoPro is overwhelmingly positive. To sum it up in the simplest way possible, it's just really COOL.
I do not live a particularly extreme lifestyle, but here are a couple videos I have taken with the GoPro thus far.
This first video is of my boyfriend's dog playing in the snow. The "attaching the camera to the dog" idea is still one I want to pursue, but attaching it to her collar didn't work so well. I'm still trying to find a GoPro dog attachment that actually has good reviews. If you've ever attached your GoPro to your pet, let me know what kind of contraption you used if you had success.
My next experiment was attaching it to my dashboard. I thought this could be a really cool way to record scenery in a more interesting part of the country. I think the video is still cool, but the trip from Omaha to Lincoln in the winter isn't the most breathtaking sight.
Here are two more transportation-based examples from my recent trip to Europe. I feel that the GoPro definitely lends itself well to motion. The first video was taken during an international flight, and the second was taken from a high speed train crossing Spain.
Finally, it can also be used for more personal applications such as recording a day in the life of your ridiculous dogs. These last two examples also illustrate the difference between a GoPro Hero3 and a GoPro Hero3+. The Prairie video was able to be uploaded in HD, while the Luna video was not. However, I'm still not 100% sure if this was a computer problem or a camera difference. My computer is older, so maybe my iMovie doesn't allow HD videos for some unknown reason. I'm sorry these aren't embedded. The YouTube embedder was having issues finding these videos when I tried to search for them.
