Joe Rossell sent in these great shots from the Yuri’s Night show on Saturday. He used a Canon 40D and from what I’ve read, it’s a comparable model to the legendary 5D but at half the price (there’s a good discussion of this issue at the Flickr 400D group). I want to ditch my Nikon D80 sooooo bad, I really loathe that thing. Seeing filmic results like this from the 40D just makes the decision so much easier. But I feel like I should hold off since there’s been talk of the 5D’s successor being release very soon, supposedly early 2008.
The show itself was a pretty interesting event. I played in the day time but the whole thing went on until 2am (here’s a shot of the same stage later in the night, a bit different vibe). The day set was great though, a very mellow vibe and a totally great crowd. And besides all that, how often do you get to play on a billion watt sound system inside of a NASA research hangar? The only issue I had with it was the DJ format. I don’t really like when they hide you way up there behind all these counters and gear, it sort of takes away the intimacy of the show. But then again, it was an airplane hangar, so how intimate was it really going to get. I also couldn’t do visuals since it was still daylight, but not much you can do about that.
And by the way, the observant might notice the 1976 variant I’m wearing. It’s brand new and will be available at the shop in the next couple hours. I’ll be doing a proper release and newsletter tonight, but consider this an early warning.
very nice man… 🙂
i love your hair, scotty~
Do you know what processing was done to these shots?
Moni-
no, but I would bet on some cyan shifting in the color balance, particularly in the shadow-range. note how blue-ish the “1976” is on the shirt in the second shot. Maybe some curves work going on in there as well. Either way, the base images are really solid quality, the 40D is looking like the go-to camera the more I look into it. Wonder what lens was used.
it’s not the camera it’s the photographer…you can take incredible photos with a camera phone….
so tiring hearing people complain about hardware…it’s the vision behind the lens silly…you should know that!
I was eating at this place in Santa Monica called the Library Ale House last summer and a kid strolled by my table wearing one of your shirts. We exchanged high fives and carried on.
The stage looks awesome. Love the reds.
jon — true. a d80 is a great camera.
if you are going to make an investment, i suggest a new lens or two..
jon-
I have never bought that line of reasoning. yes, it’s mostly about the vision and the photographer, but if the equipment gets in the way of that vision then it starts to be about the equipment really quickly. I’ve managed to get satisfying shots out of my D80, in fact I have got many I am very proud of (these: https://blog.iso50.com/?p=688 for instance.) but it’s always so much work. when I played with my friend’s 5D it was more about my vision without the hardware limitations standing in my way. I just shot the shots I wanted and they worked, the camera actually focused and did the things I intended it to do. The D80 is a good camera, but it has many annoyances that begin to become very large issues under the right circumstances. The reality is that the D80 is not a professional camera, and at $1000 I didn’t really expect it to be. It certainly outperforms the CP8800 I had before it, but I guess I have just outgrown it. I understand that comparing the D80 to the 5D is sort of apples and oranges given the price difference, but if the 40D is on par with the 5D and comes in at the same price point as the D80, well, that’s a no-brainer.
Anyways, I get your point, but for me personally, I want equipment that works fast and works well so I am free to be creative and not be handicapped by my gear. But I am by no means even approaching the skill of a professional photographer, it has always just been a hobby, so I can’t really say that I am pushing any camera, the D80 or otherwise, to it’s limits.
Gotta agree with Scott here, I used a Minolta Dimage 7 for a couple of years, and I’m not a skilled photographer, but my father bought himself a nikon D300, and I got his D200. Dammit that was a change. Suddenly my photos are beautiful, right out of the camera, and I don’t have to fine-tune as much before I’m happy with the end result
Of course the skill is in the photographer, but a good camera does a better job on lightning, colors etc.
Also, it’s all about which cameras works for you, and what you expect from them.
Great shots! Looks like you own the place 🙂 I would love to see some video of the event too!
I’m currently in the process of looking for a new camera. Currently I have a Sony N1 point and shoot and would love to go DSLR – even though it’s gonna brake my bank, hehe. Thanks for sharing info on the Canon 40D. I’ll look more in to that as it seems to be quite the devil.
Only problem I have with going DSLR, is the fact that a new lens costs almost the same as the camera itself. It’s SO expensive. But hey, if anyone knows a cheap place to get quality lenses, please throw in your 2-cents – or what ever currency you might be using :p
Why are you talking about cameras? didn’t you notice Scotties hair? haha
Anyway… was the billion watt sound system hidden in the giant snare drum you were standing in front of?
You loathe your camera? I loathe living in Nashville where Big and Rich are the end-all for creativity.
I have a D80 and I feel your pain Scott.
I personally prefer the D40 to the D80, surprisingly. I’m in love with the D300 though and lust for the D3… full frame images? Yes, please!
Besides, Nikon glass is so much better than Canon. Just like Mac is better than PC. 😉
That stage looks amazing!
(Third shot down… Modeselektor T-shirt and mohawk)
Great set! I can’t wait to see another.
Some more shots form the event:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gritphilm/sets/72157604539117115/
A quick video during your set (compression is the suck):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8GbiiXaTSM
Hey Scott,
I used to have the Nikon D80. It’s a great camera. Reliable for the most part. I was happy with it. But when the 40D came out, it looked like the right camera to jump for. I was waiting for the 5D successor but I realized it’d be out of my price range so I bought the 40D instead.
You’re right. The images I could make with it have a filmic feel – and it’s been great since I’m an avid film shooter. I love its low-light performance with the 50.
By the way, great work man. I’ve been following you for years and finally decided to post a comment up.
Yeah the camera does make a difference, but a lot of it has to do with the processing too, usually even more so.
I don’t want to start a Nikon v.s. Canon debate, but have you looked into the d300?
What it really comes down to is which camera’s interface clicks with your brain and body better, regardless of image quality and all that stuff. If you find Canon works better for you, then that’s cool… Although rather strange as Nikon has always had one thing over Canon- and that is UI.
Go the d300!
I had a d70 and recently moved to a d300, and I know the limitations you must feel. If you’ve already got the nikon glass, try the d300 before you completely decide to go all out canon wear. You’ll be suprised the difference.
Also I think the lens selection plays a big part.
BTW very nice work always… a fan for a while now…
was great to meet you at yuri’s night scott. (i was the guy you ran into at the beginning with the tycho shirt on). I really enjoyed your set. Looking forward to the new album! keep up the new designs… i need some more shirts =).
P.S. do get a canon.. i have one and its awesome.
As for the processing that gives these pics a filmic feel:
– lower the exposure if necessary
– add cyan to the shadows, yellow to the highlights
– add a vignette to make the borders darker
– increase overall contrast or just push the blacks
All of this can be done with a few clicks in Adobe Lightroom, and even Adobe Camera Raw when importing in Photoshop.