Stupid mistakes

[aam1234]

Every forum has to have a thread like this from time to time, so why don't we start one.

While shooting for a couple of contests with a tripod I thought I better use a cable release, but the light was fleeting so decided not to. Big mistake. So far I processed pic no. 30 (out of ~60) and most of them have the shake. Hope the rest aren't as bad.

Have a story to share, please do.

(Side note: Tried to look for the timer on the 5D but couldn't find it. It was right there in 20D. Time to check out the manual again I guess).

[cyclohexane]

Just yesterday, I was trying out the new Rebel XTi/400D my friend had bought, and I read the meter backwards.* Since I don't have a RAW processor that can handle the files (well, Capture One, now's the time for an update...), I have some CR2's I can't use yet, and underexposed JPEGs.* Luckily, they're not gone far enough where lightening would introduce significant shadow noise.

In July, I was shooting my FM2N with a 70-210mm f/4 and a 20mm f/2.8.* When I mounted the 20mm f/2.8 after removing the 70-210 (had been set at f/8 or something), I forgot to set the aperture on the 20mm f/2.8, and made an exposure at f/22.* I was thinking, "Whew, I'm shooting color negative film, it'll be just fine..." when I realized my film speed was set to 400, and I was using 200 film.* Luckily, it came out just fine, and it was just one of those "shoot for fun" things.

Hm, what else... I shot an event with my D70 and a slow 70-300 once, outdoors, on a cloudy day, at ISO 1000 (had been shooting indoors minutes before), when ISO 400 would have sufficed.* I was wondering why my shutter speeds were so high.* Two days later, I was reviewing more images on the screen, low ISO, and specks started appearing all over the photos.* I checked my ISO, and sure enough, it was low, so it couldn't have been noise... so it must have been a massive dust problem with the sensor!* I popped the mirror up, and looked... no dust.* I gave it a blowing-off anyways, but there was nothing there.* Not sure what was going on, I gave it a few more cycles with the blower, and the white wall test without results.* Then I looked again, and realized... the dust was oddly bright, compared to dust spots I'd had in the past.* Oh snap- it was actually light rain.* Apparently, I had forgotten that it had been drizzling during those shots.

Also, this (from early this year) was at ISO 800:

[img width=565 height=850]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/cyclohexane/02_2006/_DSC2804web.jpg[/img]

Was wondering why I was getting 1/1250 second, f/2.5 in the shade on a cloudy day.

[aam1234]

Ha ha, that rain story is hilarious, good one!

But do you know what Michael, I learned something from it. No it's not about the rain but how casually you blow your sensor with a blower. I'm frieghtend to try it but might will after what you mentioned.

( Won't go into iso 800 or I might start a C vs. N war )


Still laughing at that story

[cyclohexane]

I'm pretty aggressive with my blower; I get pretty close (without touching), and blast away. A head lamp or flashlight will really help you see the dust particles, and most nonsticky dust particles will come right off. My blower's a small one too, so it isn't quite as powerful as a big one, but I make sure to let return to full size before the next go to get maximum strength.

[aam1234]

Do you find that effective. I'm asking because I read somewhere that the blower just moves the dust from one place to another. Is that true/not true from your experience.

[cyclohexane]

Well, it works well enough. I hold the camera face down; in theory, some of the dust should be falling out of the camera, thanks to gravity. It probably gets caught on things on the way down, but seeing as normal camera operation may generate dust on it's own, I just live with it.

[aam1234]

Here are the pics that escaped my goofyness (spelling). They are here.

[jfrancho]

I make mistakes all the time. Some are little, some are big, some happy accidents. The little voice in my head screaming, "You're a peice of s**t! Give it up!" doesn't stop me. Just keep making adjustments and recognize your mistakes.

[aam1234]

I wouldn't go as harsh as that, but...

It seems I need to upgrade the connection between my brain/eyes and my finger (that clicks the shutter) to fiber optics. Heard they are lightening fast. By the time I recognize a good photo to the time my finger reacts... well...it's gone

[jfrancho]

Originally Posted by aam1234

It seems I need to upgrade the connection between my brain/eyes and my finger (that clicks the shutter) to fiber optics. Heard they are lightening fast.

That'll just make that little voice clearer.

[cyclohexane]

Well, I used to preach "squeeze first, ask questions later", but I ended up with something like 10 GB of bad images... every month, so I stopped doing that.* This means I missed the photo of my friend making faces in the stands, but it would have been an awful photo; I saved myself 30 seconds of image review by not taking it. When you take the shot, know why you're taking it; if there's any hesitation, it probably wasn't worth having.

Though, I must add, I've missed great sports moments changing out equipment when I thought there was a lull in the action. By the way, another stupid mistake: I once framed what would have been a great shot of a football player breaking free and running up the field, only to forget to hit the AF-On button; I ended up with a mish-mash of blurry shapes that I deleted before the next play.

[macmaam]

I can't seem to get over leaving the camera in timer mode (i use the remote shutter release a lot.) I grab it for a quick shot, hit the button... and nothing happens. Check for error, check battery, check flash card, check for out of range exposure and lack of focus, scratch head... notice flashing light on front of camera and smack head. Oh, and "completely miss shot" should be on that list, too. I'm learning, slowly... now the burst mode is one of the first 5 things i check. After another 6 months, i might catch on.

[cyclohexane]

Yesterday, I extended the bottom sections of my tripod legs to make sure the twist locks wouldn't sink into the sand, and promptly kick some sand over one of the legs. Now I have to figure out how to get the twist locks off to get the sand out of my Giottos; I'm also cursing myself for not spending 4x and just getting a darned Gitzo/RRS setup that I can triage by hand without tools.

[jfrancho]

That doesn't sound like a happy accident. How about compressed air - not from a can, but from a compressor?

[cyclohexane]

Shaking it down at the scene got most of it out to where it works just fine (I continued using it throughout the day without issue), but I can still hear a bit of the sand when I turn the lock, and see the scratches it's making when I pull the leg out. It'd be so much easier if I could actually get the twist lock off of the leg, but I think I need to diassemble it with a tool collection (unlike a Gitzo), and I can only see one visible screw on the back of the leg.

Luckily, we're talking a cheap (for something supporting larger lenses) aluminum leg set here, which will hopefully be supplanted by a carbon fiber Gitzo rig within the next few years.

[Jon]

My award-winning stupid mistake is forgetting to safety-wire the camera apparatus to the mounting point on the landing gear strut. Imagine my nausea when we saw the apparatus coming untethered and falling 1800 feet into the forest below...