[Sh0eBoX]

received my 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM today

i didn't really have much time to play around with it so i just took a couple snapshots indoors to make sure focus was okay, IS worked, and it was sharp. and yes, yes, and OMG yes it was! i can tell i am going to fall in love with this lens...

100% Crop

55mm, f/2.8, 1/125s, ISO100, Av Mode, tripod mounted (IS off)

40mm, f/3.2, 1/15s, ISO100, Av Mode, handheld (IS on)

100% Crop

55mm, f/2.8, 1/30s, ISO100, Av Mode, handheld (IS on)

100% Crop

the above images are just tests/snapshots, please bear in mind --- when i get the opportunity, i will go out and do some real shooting

 

[Mrvile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif the 50 1.8 is really quite sharp at f/4.0!

Hmm, the image looks pretty oversharpened. What are your post-processing steps? Post-processing is a vital and rather sensitive aspect of digital photography and can truly make or break an image, so make sure you learn it very well.

 

[Mrvile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh0eBoX /img/forum/go_quote.gif received my 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM today i didn't really have much time to play around with it so i just took a couple snapshots indoors to make sure focus was okay, IS worked, and it was sharp. and yes, yes, and OMG yes it was! i can tell i am going to fall in love with this lens... 100% Crop 55mm, f/2.8, 1/125s, ISO100, Av Mode, tripod mounted (IS off) 40mm, f/3.2, 1/15s, ISO100, Av Mode, handheld (IS on) 100% Crop 55mm, f/2.8, 1/30s, ISO100, Av Mode, handheld (IS on) 100% Crop the above images are just tests/snapshots, please bear in mind --- when i get the opportunity, i will go out and do some real shooting

Holy cow, that is one sharp lens! Sharper than a lot of L's I've seen. That's definitely a step up from your current kit lens, nifty fifty, and Sigma 7/3 APO lineup

Have fun with it and enjoy Hawaii

 

[Sh0eBoX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrvile /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy cow, that is one sharp lens! Sharper than a lot of L's I've seen. That's definitely a step up from your current kit lens, nifty fifty, and Sigma 7/3 APO lineup Have fun with it and enjoy Hawaii

haha yeah a HUGE step up... but after seeing how this little bugger performs (ESPECIALLY wide open) i'm SO happy i took the plunge... i can tell it will be worth every penny. i can't believe it's as sharp as it is, and the colors as good as they are, with zero post processing! oh --- and thanks haha i'm really excited for hawaii

hopefully my photog skills are up to par with this lens, so i can produce the kind of pictures this lens is capable of turning out!

 

[TheChemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrvile /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm, the image looks pretty oversharpened. What are your post-processing steps? Post-processing is a vital and rather sensitive aspect of digital photography and can truly make or break an image, so make sure you learn it very well.

edit oops lightroom sharpened it a little, hold up.

RAW>Lightroom>Crop>export

http://picturemonger.com/Images/IMG_6749-4.jpg

still effing sharp.

 

[Mrvile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif edit oops lightroom sharpened it a little, hold up. RAW>Lightroom>Crop>export http://picturemonger.com/Images/IMG_6749-4.jpg still effing sharp.

Looks better than before, though.

Does Lightroom have USM?

 

[TheChemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrvile /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looks better than before, though. Does Lightroom have USM?

lightroom's sharpening is pretty awful, to be honest. its really a big bummer, because other than that, LR is really spectacular. the library is awesome and the RAW processing is much more fluid than in photoshop. i still do all of my sharpening (USM) and resizing in photoshop though.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif edit oops lightroom sharpened it a little, hold up. still effing sharp.

I've noticed on POTN that people say that the defaults for the Rebel are too sharp. Could be that you need to take down sharpness on the camera....

Actually, Camera Raw in PS CS3 extended is pretty good: seems to have more usable controls.

 

[TheChemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've noticed on POTN that people say that the defaults for the Rebel are too sharp. Could be that you need to take down sharpness on the camera....

Uh I shoot in RAW, it's unprocessed on the camera.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uh I shoot in RAW, it's unprocessed on the camera.

I don't use Lightroom, but almost all the RAW apps that I've used keep the exposure settings and set that as the default when you first open the image. RAW is actually processed (otherwise you wouldn't be able to see it at all)....it's just a larger format because its keeping all the capture data from the sensor. Are you sure it's not defaulting to the camera's sharpness setting?

 

[TheChemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't use Lightroom, but almost all the RAW apps that I've used keep the exposure settings and set that as the default when you first open the image. RAW is actually processed (otherwise you wouldn't be able to see it at all)....it's just a larger format because its keeping all the capture data from the sensor. Are you sure it's not defaulting to the camera's sharpness setting?

The sharpness setting on Lightroom is always moved to 0; and in any event, there's no place on the XT to change the RAW sharpness. I don't even know what the issue is, the images don't look oversharpened to me out of the camera.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif The sharpness setting on Lightroom is always moved to 0; and in any event, there's no place on the XT to change the RAW sharpness.

RAW sharpness is the same as JPEG.....your camera's color profile effects the RAW image in the same manner as a JPEG: it's just that there's extra data in the RAW that lets you adjust the image afterwards. If it's not a Lightroom issue, I've found this review of the 350D....which says that the Rebel does apply more sharpness then other Canons, and that you can set "Parameter 2 (no out-of-the-camera enhancements)". So it's possible that Lightroom is opening up the RAW to the defaults of the camera. Worth testing out at least

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...XT-Review.aspx

 

[TheChemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif RAW sharpness is the same as JPEG.....your camera's color profile effects the RAW image in the same manner as a JPEG: it's just that there's extra data in the RAW that lets you adjust the image afterwards. If it's not a Lightroom issue, I've found this review of the 350D....which says that the Rebel does apply more sharpness then other Canons, and that you can set "Parameter 2 (no out-of-the-camera enhancements)". So it's possible that Lightroom is opening up the RAW to the defaults of the camera. Worth testing out at least http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...XT-Review.aspx

whatever, my parameter is flat and i have no problems simply zeroing sharpness in lightroom then using USM in photoshop.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif lightroom's sharpening is pretty awful, to be honest. its really a big bummer, because other than that, LR is really spectacular. the library is awesome and the RAW processing is much more fluid than in photoshop. i still do all of my sharpening (USM) and resizing in photoshop though.

I haven't had a chance to use lightroom. the RAW processing of CS3 seems fine to me. Is there really more to the RAW workflow in lightroom that makes it better?

I don't do resizing in Photoshop. Bicubic isn't the best resizer. Try using anything with Lanczos. It's just sharper and has more detail. I use just a tad little USM after.

 

[lan]

Sh0eBoX, congrats on the lens! It looks sharp enough. I wouldn't get too crazy about the sharpness. One thing about spending $ on some lenses is they perform well wide open. It takes time to master a lens... to see what it's limits are.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your pics from this.