Review Canon EFS 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS

Canon EFS 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS is a great lens to start of with to learn the basics but also a great backup lens but mostly its a great lens for several occasions: Night Party Events, Landscapes, portraits, tight spaces or wide angle on a steadicam. Also mostly when there is a new camera you want to buy and sell your old camera, it is easier to sell it with a lens then the body only and also you get much more than when you are just selling the body only.

The lens brand new cost around 100 to 200 euro but I would advice to look for a secondhand mostly 2nd hand you can easily find decent almost brand new ones, because allot of new models are sold with a kitlens instead of body only and the people sell of the lens pretty fast for prices around 75 to 100 euro. However dont be fooled by the old version without the Image stabilization which you can buy for 25 to 50 euro second hand.

For filming with this lens is a nice wide angle, I use to own 18-200mm by Sigma but found that I only used that lens for it being wide and not for it zoom, also because the aperture was to slow when you zoom in while I do more night photography instead of daytime. However for day time it is better to have a larger range, because in open space you can get nice shots from a distance and the 55mm might not be far enough of a zoom. However for filming the f5.6 is not a nice aperture to use for a nice film looks so you might want to consider buying a nicer 50mm lens with a much faster aperture.

The focal length is 18-55mm however it is an EFS and only fits for a crop camera and the actual focal length on a crop compared to a full frame are actually different numbers. 18mm is comparable to a 28mm and 55 would become a 88mm on a crop sensor.

Conclusion is to keep the lens just for when you want to change from body its easier to sell your camera. However if you are able to get a decent cheap secondhand one and find a new body it might be a nice cheap option then buying a new set.

My camera the 550D

Ok this is not a review just a bit of talking about the camera plus also one big feature that nobody really talks about which is editing of the videos inside the camera itself. Its really a useful feature to have which actually not allot of camera's got. Also few quick tips but this video still a bit of trail error trying to film myself. Sorry for not having allot of shots of the 550D itself but mostly I was filming myself with the 550D. At the end its bit overexposed cause the sun came shining into the room and had to reset a bit, but the next video should be much better trying to film at more controlled environment en also trying external recording to clear up the sound better, cause at the moment the AGC is making a hiss on the background. Until Canon release a firmware with the upgrade I have to use external to film for better sound.

DIY Cardboard Ringflash

This cardboard ringflash is made for Canon EOS models with build in flash. It was build around a 1000D but also fits a 500d and 550d. The special things about this ringflash is that you can build it fast with simple materials but also you can take it apart and have it flat inside a briefcase. I actually shot an event using this and fell in love with the nice soft lighting and almost shadow less look. I might even consider buying a ringflash instead of a normal flash.

The best material to make it is a 300grams cardboard with one side black and otherside white. And have the inside white so that the flash would diffuse the white, while the blackside actually makes light only to come from the ring so you would see more of a ring shape instead of the shape of that ringflash.

Here are few pictures that were taken in Hong Kong at an Event, you can see the nice soft lights while also almost no shadow cast on the background. It looks way more professional than any event photography using normal flash with a diffuser. However using the onboard flash does use more battery and would not advice using it for event photography unless you have allot of batteries or a batterygrip. Click the pictures to see a bigger version.

And here is the template, you just have to cut the black lines and fold the red ones. Follow the numbers which part hooks to which or follow the instructions in the video. The template is for an a3 size paper so either could print overlay on 2 a4 sheets of find a printshop to print one out.
DIY cardboard Ringflash

Digital back for an old SLR

This is an easy tutorial showing you how to make an old film SLR digital again by adding a digitalback, however this is also a tutorial making an old SLR into a DOF adapter for small pocket camera's like the Kodak Playsport. Watch the video for most of the basic info needed to build one.

What are the material needed to make it possible. Actually the picture above already shows you the 3 main element, however this is the faster easiest and cheapest way. I have a pack of designer rubberband for a lunch box but you could also achieve this by using 2 rubberbands. And the result is here below the Kodak Playsport as my Digitalback for my Pentax Super ME or the other way around the Pentax Super ME is the DOF adapter for my Kodak Playsport.

This is probably the easier setup to make a DOF adapter. I came across this idea fairly easy as I had played around with my Kodak Playsport and found it could film in the viewfinder of my Canon EOS 550D however cause it is a crop sensor you have to zoom in quite allot to get the full view, then I tried an old SLR which is a full frame and what you know it works there too. Actualy would work on larger frames too, like Pentax 645, Bronica and Hasselblad.

So how does it works?
Basically you are filming what is projected on the focusing screen or mat glass. This is how a normal DOF adapter works too, however it is more compact and what you are filming is not upside down. Its compact cause of the Prism mirror, cause the projected images is mirrored and added a virtual distance. However due to the use of this it loses few stops in lights, however this is in most cases while using a DOF adapter and you would not be able to film in very low light conditions. Also depending on which camera you have there might be more things in the viewfinder you rather not see like focusing point or shutter speeds. However the much much older SLR do not have those and should be easy to change the focus screen. I would not advice using a crop DSLR cause it would not work good cause of the small focus screen.

Here is a test footage directly uploaded from the Kodak Playsport showing DOF.

You might have noticed the circle in the middle of the screen which is actually an aid for focusing if you are using manual lenses, this screen have a prism and split screen. However if you want to film or photograph with this setup its advised to change the focus screen with one without it.

Also could make one with using some adapters or specially build a rig so you can align the viewfinder of the SLR and the lens of the pocket camera better. However I like this DIY cause you are not destroying anything to build a new product. You can still use the old SLR to take pictures with film and you can easily remove the pocket camera if you don't need to achieve nice DOF.

I was thinking of taking apart a new camera but then I though way too much work hehe. But I have to say I could actually build a working digital back by using parts of a new small pocket camera. However this would be cool to make a digital back for old SLR camera's but its just much too late, cause everyone will rather buy a new DSLR. However my research is that there were no real digital backs for SLRs, there was a concept which was called E-film but mostly hoax prototype that would had never worked back then. Cause back them a digital camera would been very bulky and the electronics would not had fitted inside just a roll of film, also you did not had any things to activate it or to view your result with. How I now made it would be much better plus everything is on the outside of the camera making easy to have a screen plus able to press a button to record of to take a picture.

I will be making weekly videos and giving tips about design, photography or cinematography. You can subscribe to my Youtube channel here to get updated each time.

Halloween ready yet?

Halloween is around the corner so Dai Fu Lou getting ready trying all kinds of suits. Also do you spot what is wrong with the picture?

Death outside my window

There is an actual dead bird outside my window, not sure how it died but it actually dont have eyes anymore so means its dead for a quite while. Also there are no predators that can eat it, cause it is on a rain cover above the entrance.

Have to say its fascinating but from my window I didn't saw much interesting angles, especially it has the back towards me. Also was able to try out different lenses and best one to use was my Tamron 70-300mm cause of it Macro function, so I could get more closeup details of the bird. Now have to find a way to get rid of it before it get attention from flies and bugs, cause it is right under my window.

Canon EOS 500d Iso progress

Havent done much with this yet due too allot of preparation and doing bit of a double promotion of my company plus a brand. However have to say working for my self have less stress, plus deadlines are mine to make. However would like to finish this body soon and start with the lens.

Tech news/ Magic Lantern for Canon 550D t2i

Magic Lantern - 550D/T2i port from Trammell Hudson on Vimeo.

Magic Lantern is well know for making a costum firmware updating the Canon 5D mark2, so it would get better functions to film and afterwards Canon decided to make an identical safer firmware. But between now and then there are few camera releases by Canon, however they miss a key function people really wanted which is to be able to control the sound. Actually the 5D mrk2 has gotten the function so you can use the onboard mic or an external mic without a sound mixer.

This week I've check the progress on Magic Lantern's Wikia and found he released a beta which includes sound control. However did not saw anyone trying the firmware yet, however today found on Youtube a video a test of the Magic Lantern on a 550D however the video does not show anything but only let you hear the sound difference. However I hope there will be more people testing and showing it.

I either would want to try the firmware so I would able to film and get some decent sound or hope Canon would pick this up and release a safer version. Cause pretty much its unfair for the new Canon EOS 60D to be able to control the sound while 7D and 550D is missing this function.

If you are interested in the Magic Lantern firmware and want to try it you can visit http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/550D , however I have to warn you that the firmware is not official release by Canon and have a possibility to break or ruin your camera. Also you will no longer have a warranty.

Future
What is also interesting is the Magic Lantern developer Trammell Hudson is not only adding simple sound control feature but also real film feature like zebra stripes to show over exposure area, but also histograms to check the exposures and colors.

Trends
What I also see is pretty much the future of many products which is people building apps for them. We now have computers and cellphones with apps, but if camera technology in the future wants to compete with mobile phones who are competing with camera's at the moment. The mobile phone at the moment getting upper hand in all sort of extra effects and filters. And with Canon EOS 60D with added fun filters like toy or miniature, you can see they are trying to add more to the camera. However this is now all inhouse own design and programmers, however if they made the camera's more open so people could develop own apps for them, the camera's would develop much faster, with new features and wanted features.

At the moment iPhone 4 is actually one of the major competitor for normal photo and video camera's. With full HD film abilities and 5mp its quite a good camera, also people can develop apps for it and also for movie and camera function. Also one of the biggest things might be that you can edit movies within the camera which can be partially with few of the Canon DSLR which can cut the movies but not stitch together. So hope future of DSLR they would get open sourced to develop new features by consumers and mostly surprisingly is that consumers could develop interesting features that own development team might never had though of.

Especially when I use my Canon EOS 550D I do not use any of the auto settings. Basically the full auto, night, portrait, sports and creative assistant settings are never used by me and very useless too, main setting I use is full manual and aperture priority . Mainly those are settings for amateurs who never use DSLR camera or use it for the first time, however I found people actually if they have a DSLR, it would be full auto instead of turning the dial to the other settings. I actually have many ideas and features I would like to be added to make life easier to take certain pictures or filming. For filming I would like to be able to cut and stitch movies together, also if filmed in 60p would able to be changed into slomo inside the camera instead of afterwards using a software.

Car vs Motorcycle accident!

Today went to the hospital to visit my dad who had gotten ill last friday. But on the way home we had to make a detour cause the street was blocked off, cause it was close to where live just few streets away, I went home got my camera and bike and cycled to the accident.

I first though the car rolled over cause I only saw one side first, then from the other side could clearly seen the motorcycle with allot parts on the ground and also biker clothing and helmet.

From looking at the car damage and where the bike is, I have to say the bike had hit the side of the car and flew on top and over the car. And looking on how far the bike landed, the bike might had been riding a bit too fast. However from the signs on the road the car should had let the bike pass.

The picture were shot with Canon EOS 550D T2i with Vivitar f2.8 35-85mm lens with an m42 adapter with AF confirm chip and picturestyle used was Kodachrome. Too bad didn't took the 70-200mm lens instead cause there were few things I saw that would made a very cool shot. Am pretty much having hit or miss with grabbing the correct lens but atleast learned next time if a place lined off with a pretty big distance use a 70-200 and not any shorter.