[edit - Sigma today announced the new version for PC and Mac here as well as first DP1 update]
I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on a beta of the next SPP 2.x and for those of you being irritated of green corners I can now tell you that green corners are now only a bad memory! :D I could only test the PC version but it ran extremely quick under vm-ware, actually much faster than my Mac version of SPP3.1. I did try some SD14 files and especially reds are now better. But this article will concentrate on DP1 images.
I thought that my photos from Elmia foto video 2008 could be used for this preview and at the same time you can see what I do in SPP and maybe learn something about processing. In every image there is important data inside. Exposure, ISO, White balance as well as processing. All kinds of situations ranging from high iso mixed light to long exposures in tricky situations. And as an extra bonus – studio shots! Continue to read this article.
First some studio shots. Something fun here is that the photographer (Jonas Jensen) uses a Mamiya with PhaseOne P30+ and lens always set to F22. The DP1 can only go as far as F11 so we had a problem (scene was way to bright). I could run around and change the light every time – big job with four active flashes – or could I make use of the fact that it’s a central type shutter? I set the camera at 1/640 f9 and to my surprise picture came out perfectly exposed! So – no longer do I have to think about x-sync and slow shutter times in studio environment.
All these images are screen dumps and have not seen photoshop. Hopefully they’re in correct sRGB. You can’t judge sharpness if the loupe is not seen in the SPP screen shot. Remember, these images comes from a Beta version of Sigma Photo Pro and might look different in the final version. (probably only to the better if possible)
1/640 at f8 and ISO200 (gives slightly wider dynamic range). Note how clean this shot is, no tendency for colored corners. I’m very pleased with skintones too. Pretty amazing really.
Different sources of red and pink hitting this model. test shot before. I love the way DP1 handles red.
1/640 at f8 – a close look at 100% eye lash. Note how much sharpness is applied. :)
Here I played with different WB. Sunlight WB gives slightly different colors and works well in some situations and skin-tones. Worth a try if you have a problematic shot. I use Sunlight WB when shooting because it look the best on the LCD. (important when showing, I often change to flash WB back in SPP)
This shot came out under exposed and I have like three different versions that I like in different ways of this shot. (stronger reds etc) but this is one of the less dramatic.
Skin tones with the new SPP are all very nice looking. The flash wb is not perfect thou and I have to compensate some with the color wheel. Not a big problem but probably fixable.
Pretty cool uhu? :D Not much to say here, open it up and enjoy. Once more I settled with Sunlight WB creating more dramatic red.
Little bit fixed crop from above image. Different adjustments done. Click for full size.
Peter Walström, a photographer and friend posing for me.
The Danish photographer Jonas Jensen who also is responsible for the light setup in all studio shots. Very cool guy. (and very good at his profession)
Martin – note sharpness on magnified area.
Picture to show setup a little bit. :) Can you guess the flash brand used? Model: Martin Widén.
Martin Widén sitting and Jonas Jensen testing the PhaseOne P30+ back on a Mamiya 645 body. Amazing quality from that combo. I’d like a PhaseOne back on my DP1. haha
Per Holmén – Testing light. Note loupe.
Iso400 in a very tricky situation. Auto white balance used. (I had no idea what lasers and UV light would be). I used a mini mini fourpod on a table. 1s.
Same as above. ISO400 – 1s
Laser beam directly into the camera during long exposure – 3.2s – using ISO100. Look at those colors! Amazing feeling to open up. Auto WB used.
2.5s at ISO100. How would a bayern camera do in UV light situation like this?
ISO800 at 0.8s – When shoting ISo800 I always saturate some. It brings back lost color and you don’t really see a great difference compared to lower ISO’s. Admit it’s nice looking ISO800! :D
2s exposure. Underexposed shot saved. F4 is sharp. Loupe showing 100%
Mixed light at ISO400. This guy wanted to see how bokeh was seen using a half person at F4. It was very tricky light and I had a hard time deciding WB setting. I could have gone for a bit higher exposure and burn windows in backgrund. Loupe showing 100% magnification. Hand held.
ISO800 taken by unknown at the stand. Could be myself but I have no clear memory. Light was terrible but came out ok.
ISO800, hand held. Note how Highlight slider is down -2 in order to restore lost data in the beer glass. I sometimes wish that that slider would go all the way down to -3. There is so much highlight detail at higher ISO and sometimes you need to restore.
Pär Holmén – 0.5s – The built-in flash used with long shutter – (fill light)
This shot was a bit boring in color so I changed to monochrome white balance. I wish I had that option in the Dp1 as well with new options of ISO1600 and ISO3200 (in mono mode). Would greatly improve the usage of the DP1.
Not sure I got WB right here but it shows how well a long exposure (0.3s) in mixed light works. It’s extremly sharp (f4) and I think I’ll put this one in the next raw pack. Auto WB.
Nothing important, but note that the loup is set to +++ (highest magnification, and I guess that’s 200%) – this picture would look wonderfully sharp at very big size.
Juha in the sunset. Evening light is tricky and I’m not sure I got this one perfect. Works for now. ND grad used.
Photographer Jonas Jensen – with one of his bad faces! :D ND grad filter used.