Tour boat near the Falls

[Manfred M]

This is a shot of one of the tour boats that takes tourists right to the edge of the Niagara Falls (the Horsehoe Falls).

[NorthernFocus]

Nice shot. You didn't ride the boat and get a shot from the bottom? I guess keeping the lens dry could be a challenge.

[Shadowman]

Nice shot. You didn't ride the boat and get a shot from the bottom? I guess keeping the lens dry could be a challenge.

To me, it seems like a hassle to try photographing from the boat and trying to keep your gear dry. From the way some attendees look afterward, keeping themselves relatively dry is a challenge. I always thought that if I ever did attempt what you are suggesting, it would be one camera in a waterproof casing.

Also, nice image, Manfred.

[Mike Buckley]

The rich green tones in the water are just terrific!

I believe I heard that the Maid of the Mist is no longer operating there. Right? Wrong?

[Manfred M]

The rich green tones in the water are just terrific!

I believe I heard that the Maid of the Mist is no longer operating there. Right? Wrong?

I believe that the Maid of the Mist still has a contract with the US authorities and is operating there and the new company "Hornblower" is operating from the Canadian side. The boat in the image is one of the new boats. A Thursday evening in late May is not prime tourist season (as can be seen by the sparse numbers on the top deck).

[Manfred M]

To me, it seems like a hassle to try photographing from the boat and trying to keep your gear dry. From the way some attendees look afterward, keeping themselves relatively dry is a challenge. I always thought that if I ever did attempt what you are suggesting, it would be one camera in a waterproof casing.

Also, nice image, Manfred.

Thanks - I had a bad experience with a camera the last time I was at the Falls a few years ago.

Not being totally stupid, I had wrapped my high end video camera in a rain cover for the camera. I had definitely successfully used this combination in some fairly significant downpours around the world, so was quite comfortable with how well it worked. Unfortunately, it was no match for the Falls and a bit of moisture got in and "killed" the camera.

I was most impressed by Panasonic's pro camera department. They found a tiny bit of corrosion caused bymoisture on a circuit board and removed it, tested that camera and sent it back to me within a few days for minimal cost.

[NorthernFocus]

To me, it seems like a hassle to try photographing from the boat and trying to keep your gear dry. From the way some attendees look afterward, keeping themselves relatively dry is a challenge. I always thought that if I ever did attempt what you are suggesting, it would be one camera in a waterproof casing.

Also, nice image, Manfred.

I was being facitious. Due to everyone in the photo wearing slickers it is hard enough keeping lenses dry shooting relative trickles.

[Mike Buckley]

I was being facitious.

No doubt you were also being facetious, as am I.

[Kaye Leggett]

Nice shot. Although I had the silly thought that you could title and process it differently and make it into a horror movie shot

[Manfred M]

Nice shot. Although I had the silly thought that you could title and process it differently and make it into a horror movie shot

Thanks Kate - I thought that the mist and roiling waters of the Niagara River would be enough.

How about a Film Noir look for the shot?

[Kaye Leggett]

Yes, i like this too.

[Wavelength]

That is superb indeed

[bnnrcn]

Hi Manfred. Was the image shot with GX7 as SkyWheel was? I have asked this question intentionally because I see some noise in both color images if my eyes are not wrong . I don't know if the noise is related to GX7 but because you said these were test shots I just want to say what I see. I think you added some noise to the B&W intentionally with PP and it works fine. I like both versions

[Manfred M]

Hi Manfred. Was the image shot with GX7 as SkyWheel was? I have asked this question intentionally because I see some noise in both color images if my eyes are not wrong . I don't know if the noise is related to GX7 but because you said these were test shots I just want to say what I see. I think you added some noise to the B&W intentionally with PP and it works fine. I like both versions

Yes, both shots were taken with the GX7. Shot at ISO 3200, the SkyWheel is indeed noisy; but in my view, the shot works in spite of the this. I did try noise reduction as I was working the image, but because of the overall softening, I preferred the original image with the noise in it. Being a mechanical construct, I find that the gritty look works well for me.

The B&W image above had noise added in the conversion step; the original was shot at ISO 200; which is the base ISO in the GX7 and the image, i.e. it is based on the same image as the original coloured image. In going with a film noire look, the grittiness was something that I felt enhanced that look.

I think this stems back to my B&W film days where I would sometimes shoot with a high speed, grainy film just to have the gainy effect in the image. I find that noise works in some images, while it needs to be softened in others. A B&W sports images, I find work very well with noise, whereas a colour portrait of a child or woman does not generally work well at all.

[bnnrcn]

Well, it is not a problem if your camera works properly Manfred. I just wanted to say so because you said you were testing the camera. We all have the same problem with different equipment and with different shooting conditions. I agree with you about noise suiting some scenes very well . Your B&W is one of them

Yes, both shots were taken with the GX7. Shot at ISO 3200, the SkyWheel is indeed noisy; but in my view, the shot works in spite of the this. I did try noise reduction as I was working the image, but because of the overall softening, I preferred the original image with the noise in it. Being a mechanical construct, I find that the gritty look works well for me.

The B&W image above had noise added in the conversion step; the original was shot at ISO 200; which is the base ISO in the GX7 and the image, i.e. it is based on the same image as the original coloured image. In going with a film noire look, the grittiness was something that I felt enhanced that look.

I think this stems back to my B&W film days where I would sometimes shoot with a high speed, grainy film just to have the gainy effect in the image. I find that noise works in some images, while it needs to be softened in others. A B&W sports images, I find work very well with noise, whereas a colour portrait of a child or woman does not generally work well at all.

[Manfred M]

Well, it is not a problem if your camera works properly Manfred. I just wanted to say so because you said you were testing the camera. We all have the same problem with different equipment and with different shooting conditions. I agree with you about noise suiting some scenes very well . Your B&W is one of them

It has nothing to do with the camera working properly; one gets high ISO noise, quite frankly by design. The sensor signal is amplified; and the higher the level of amplification, the more spurious electrical signals, from both the sensor and other electronic circuitry there is, and these are the two main sources of noise. If you take long exposures (more than a few secongs), the sensor heats up and creates spurious data, which again manifests itself as noise. The small 16MP sensor (with the relatively small photodetectors) requires a fair bit of amplification, high ISO noise is a known issue with the GX7; in fact I feel that I am pushing my luck at any ISO setting about 800.

Usually, with a properly exposed image, the impact is kept to within tolerable levels, but this depends on a lot of factors (pixel peeping is alway one way of detecting noise, whereas viewing the image from a "normal" viewing distance reduces this "issue".

[bnnrcn]

I can't go upto ISO 800 with my Canon 1100D too , it gives noise I'm thinking of buying a Canon 70D in October if my pocket allows me. I didn't know photography was going to cost me so much money when I started shooting. But it is too late to get out of it, I'm addicted

It has nothing to do with the camera working properly; one gets high ISO noise, quite frankly by design. The sensor signal is amplified; and the higher the level of amplification, the more spurious electrical signals, from both the sensor and other electronic circuitry there is, and these are the two main sources of noise. If you take long exposures (more than a few secongs), the sensor heats up and creates spurious data, which again manifests itself as noise. The small 16MP sensor (with the relatively small photodetectors) requires a fair bit of amplification, high ISO noise is a known issue with the GX7; in fact I feel that I am pushing my luck at any ISO setting about 800.

Usually, with a properly exposed image, the impact is kept to within tolerable levels, but this depends on a lot of factors (pixel peeping is alway one way of detecting noise, whereas viewing the image from a "normal" viewing distance reduces this "issue".