Panasonic DMC-FZ50 resolution test! (and why Lightroom sux)

As espected:  the combination of 10Mpx sensor and Leica lens produces amazing results when it comes to resolution, check out this pic (notice nice bokeh of this lens!):

And this is a 100% crop - the details are almost pixel-size!:

To make this crop I had to use freeware Gimp - Lightroom simply don't allow u to crop to a certain size!

Other bad thing about LR is lack of scratches-removal tool I had a very bed time trying to remove few scratches from my scanned films - and we're talking about quite pricey software here!

How to make a good photo of Your bike?

I am a big bike-hobbyist. What I always had problem with was how to do a nice-looking photo of my bicycle. I tried many times with the same effect: flat, dull, unexciting.

Only recently I managed to find a proper technique: IT'S ALL ABOUT DOF!*

*depth of field

Remember: this shot was made with Canon S2IS, which is a cheap 5mpx superzoom digicam and 2.7-3.5 lens.

What I did was:
- waited for a perfect light (CLOUDY DAY! - almost no shadows!)
- chosen possibly non-distracting background
- kept distance between me and a bike AND bike and background - I had to zoom in to fit the bike in the frame!
- shoot in Aperture priority mode and set the largest aperture possible

This is the final effect:

In the details I managed to squeeze even shallower DOF/ stronger 3d effect!

"Das neue Lehrbuch der Fotografie" - book recommendation!

"Das neue Lehrbuch der Fotografie" by Günter Spitzing

If You read in German - this book is a extremely useful source of informations for those, who search for some basic to intermediate photographing tips. It contains not only usual hardware-using tips, but also elements of psychology of photography.

Publisher: Laterna Magica

First edition: 1988

Series: "Information foto"

How to properly convert color pics to bw?

I'm using Lightroom and its Grayscale Mix feature (Develop--->Grayscale). I used a color pic from my previous post. Left is converted without color adjustments, right with AUTOMATIC grayscale mix. The diffrence is massive!

Of course - You can also use manual settings to adjust the levels better to Your taste!