Panning blur, MKT Trail, Columbia, Mo. | Canon 7D and 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens; exposed 1/6 sec. @ f/8, ISO 400.
Yesterday, while gathering some video and making images of the “real” nature offered to the people of Columbia along the MKT Trail (vis-a-vis the artificial nature at Stephens Lake Park), I made an unintentional panning blur. Hand-held. And it didn’t suck. As Artie Morris would say, “you gotta love it!”
Normally, the trick to and panning blur is to have the camera on a tripod and to slowly pan downwards. This is hard to do on a ball head, but easy to do if you have a big lens mounted on a Wimberley or other gimbal-style head, or if you’re using a video head.
Usually, the hardest part is going slowly enough on the pan that you get the effect that you want, but not so slow that it just looks out of focus! Start with a shutter speed of 1/15 second and slow down from there. In this example, my exposure compensation in aperture priority brought me to 1/6 sec. before I even realized it–I just heard the slow shutter and cursed under my breath. Only when I looked at it did I jump for joy. Then I tried making more blurs, and they all failed! Again, you gotta love it.
Mannequins gone fishin', Columbia, Mo. | Canon 5D Mk. II and 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS lens @ 115mm; exposed 1/160 sec. @ f/5, ISO ISO 250.
This past weekend, my parents came to visit me in Columbia and my dad brought with him his new 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS zoom lens. It’s the only other “diffractive optics” lens made by Canon–the other being the 400mm f/4 DO IS super telephoto that he and I co-own with Dad. I’ve been curious about this lens for a while now, which is an obvious interest given that I have been more than impressed with the 400mm DO.
It’s an impressive zoom range: sure, there’s the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens that I already own, and combined with a teleconverter you would get the same zoom range, but that combination weighs 2.3 pounds (1.05 kilograms), whereas the 70-300mm DO weighs 1.6 pounds. Add to that the cosmetic appearance of the lenses: the 70-200 is a white lens, and stands out in a crowd, but the 70-300mm’s only distinguishing mark is the green line around its barrel. And why not the other 70-300mm lens? The DO should be sharper, although I cannot do a side-by-side as I would need a 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS lens to test, but one thing is certain: it is more compact.
Gannett Hall reflections, University of Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, Mo. | Canon 5D Mk. II and 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS lens @ 275mm; exposed 1/200 sec. @ f/8, ISO 400.
My time with this lens was relatively short, and the photographic opportunities somewhat limited, but I was pleased with the results that came from the lens. Was it tack sharp every time? Nope. But it’s difficult to say how much of that was the 5D Mark II”s somewhat haphazard focusing abilities and how much was the lens?
The exception to my personal "no photos of people eating" rule: Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, Mo. | Canon 5D Mk. II and 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS lens @ 70mm; exposed 1/30 sec. @ f/4.5, ISO 1000.
What I can say is that, while this lens could never replace a dedicated 70-200 mm lens, I could easily see using this lens in lieu of its more “professional” cousin for travel photography because it’s smaller, lighter, and makes images that I would still be more than happy to frame or to sell. Go to Europe and take this lens and the 35mm f/1.4L and you’d be set for street photography!
Twilight over HyVee Gas, West Broadway, Columbia, Mo. | Panasonic Lumix G1 and 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 21mm; exposed 1/60 sec. @ f/5, ISO 400
This is the view that greeted me as I pulled into HyVee last evening to pick up a couple of groceries. I thought it a fitting tribute to our picture story class’ ongoing exploration of the street that connects so much of the city.
I made this image last Friday while scouting for locations for a group “painting with light” project. I had just gotten off of I-70 and was headed back home when I noticed the way that the “Chevy’s Fresh Mex” sign was framed by one of the car wash stalls. I turned around and pulled over to make a couple of frames. The weather cooperated to to give this an eerie feel.
Photographed with a Canon 5D Mark II and 70-200mm f/4 IS, exposed 1/40 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 200.
