Fisheye on the Auto Show

wxwax

I took my new toy, a 15mm fisheye lens, to the auto show last weekend.

This was my first foray with a fisheye. However, since my camera has a 1.3 crop, the lens wasn't giving me its full fisheye glory. That's alright, though. I'd been counting on the crop factor to give me a more usable lens - not sure I want the real deal.

I figured I could get close to vehicles, and make the foreground prominent. I also harbored hopes of getting cabin interiors and engine shots. The latter didn't work out.

But on the plus side, I did learn a little about using the fisheye for wide shots, something that I thought not possible.

Like this one.




Here's the type of shot I figured I'd come home with: sticking the lens as close to the car as possible, and getting a cool effect.






IMHO, the Canon 15mm Fisheye is a little soft. Normally, I'd hesitate to say something like this. I figure I wouldn't know a soft lens from an ice cream cone. But after playing with it a bit, I've noticed that nothing is super duper sharp. I think it may also be prone to purple fringing, but the car show's not the best place to measure that, because blue highlights were everywhere.

So, y'all can have your egrets and 600mm lenses :bad, me, I'm in love with the wide angle view of life!

ehughes

Cool stuff Sid, I really like the 2nd shot, How far were you away from the car, couple of feet?

patch29

ehughes wrote:

Cool stuff Sid, I really like the 2nd shot, How far were you away from the car, couple of feet?

I can't really say, but this guy kept following me around getting in my shots.

patch29

gubbs

Those last 2 shots are excellent Sid

DoctorIt

that's a neat toy waxy! i want a fisheye someday, regardless of softness or distortion, I love 'em!

Now for the subject matter, just thought I'd share a little story. My dad sells BMW and Mercedes and his dealership just deliverd TWO of these babies:



Upon delivery, the mechanic (there is only one one mechanic qualified to even touch this car in the Boston area) hands you his business card with his work number, home number, pager number, and alternate number. He then tells you very seriously "If anything is wrong with the car at any time, any place, I don't care how minor you may think it is or if you're in Texas! Please do me and yourself a favor: Don't touch it, don't let anyone else touch it, call me immediately!"

My dad tells me that an oil change on this beast requires an engine drop and about 24 hours of labor. Nevermind the ridiculous price of the special oil it needs. Brakes? that'll be $1500 per ceramic rotor.
:eek1

These are things you don't think of when viewing these beauties at the show...

patch29

DoctorIt wrote:

My dad tells me that an oil change on this beast requires an engine drop and about 24 hours of labor. Nevermind the ridiculous price of the special oil it needs. Brakes? that'll be $1500 per ceramic rotor.
:eek1

Even knowing that for some reason I was oddly attracted to this car.

patch29

wxwax

ehughes wrote:

Cool stuff Sid, I really like the 2nd shot, How far were you away from the car, couple of feet?

Thanks. Yeah, about that!

wxwax

patch29 wrote:

I can't really say, but this guy kept following me around getting in my shots.

wxwax

patch29 wrote:

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patch29

wxwax wrote:

hmmm, what else can I find?

mercphoto

Cool wide angle car shots! Here's a "Porsche in a Porsche"

gus

Cool shots mate. What the hell is that merc ?

DoctorIt

Humungus wrote:

Cool shots mate. What the hell is that merc ?

SLR McLaren... you can have one too for a cool $460k USD. It's one seriously badass luxury race car.

patch29

DoctorIt wrote:

SLR McLaren... you can have one too for a cool $460k USD. It's one seriously badass luxury race car.

MB USA, has some cool info here.

gus

DoctorIt wrote:

SLR McLaren... you can have one too for a cool $460k USD. It's one seriously badass luxury race car.

Ta mate...no doubt i wouldnt fit in it no matter how much money i had.

DeanMcM

Great...
Pretty Sweet!! Great shots!!

DoctorIt

patch29 wrote:

MB USA, has some cool info here.

that's some cool stuff, eh? i'm really bummed I missed it when it was in my dad's showroom. But it was during the week and I couldn't get out of work .

System

cool shots, sid congrats on your new toy - i need to get myself a fisheye too... someday... if i ever get caught up with the long list of other toys, lol

i don't think i'll be seeing an slr in wyoming anytime soon

sash

wxwax

gubbs wrote:

Those last 2 shots are excellent Sid

Thanks, Gubbsie! Looks like you're running away with that FM contest, well deserved.

wxwax

As I said, I was surprised at being able to shoot wide shots with the 15mm Fisheye. I figured everything would be too distorted. I guess my camera's 1.3 crop has something to do with it, because a few wide shots worked out OK.

Angelo

waxy, these are great.

wxwax

Angelo wrote:

waxy, these are great.

Thanks Angelo!

Ok, I have a couple more. But they're not as good, IMHO. The distortion in this one isn't advantageous to the shot. But when shot from the front (normally a better angle) the distance from front wheel to engine was too great, left a big ol' empty space.

I don't think I'd want to take this machine for a spin. Appropriately, it was called a Lincoln.

gubbs

Thanks Sid,

I like the distortion, it gives a different take on the shots, both those last shots are

wxwax

One more, again, highly distorted. That doesn't bother me, I like it. What bothers me is what appears to be CA (purple fringing) on the chrome highlights. At first I thought it was a product of the lighting in the hall. Now, I'm not so sure.

What I am sure of is that my flash batts had died by then, and it took a lot of PS work to make this thing even halfway bright. Using a flash is one of many things I really need to learn more about. I don't understand why some flash shots turn out darker than non-flash shots.


Say hi to Patch29 in the headlight. And admire his lovely legs in the bumper.

mercphoto

wxwax wrote:

Using a flash is one of many things I really need to learn more about. I don't understand why some flash shots turn out darker than non-flash shots.

You will likely find that in your dark flash shots that you had something very bright and reflective in the scene that bounced back so much flash energy that it tricked the exposure metering of the camera. Mirrors, glass and chrome are good sources for this.

wxwax

mercphoto wrote:

You will likely find that in your dark flash shots that you had something very bright and reflective in the scene that bounced back so much flash energy that it tricked the exposure metering of the camera. Mirrors, glass and chrome are good sources for this.

Ooh, good one Merc. Thanks.

wxwax

Here's the man behind the curtain, the guys who pulls the rods and pushes the strings (which explains why things are the way they are around here. )

Ladies and gentlemen, the master buyer (), the man for whom the Auto Show is the home show, friend to credit cards everywhere, I give you.... Patch29.

DoctorIt

Hi Patch


when did you get a wee baby camera???

wxwax

DoctorIt wrote:

Hi Patch


when did you get a wee baby camera???

I think he was born with it.