DSLR 'unplugged'

[andysiddens]

Well not unplugged totally, they need a charge occasionally, my point is using it without all the bells and whistles the modern DSLR offers.

So forgetting all the fancy modes etc and using it in the style of the classic rangefinder days...

So my settings for this... it seems to change your work.

B&W mode
Fixed 50mm lens (I use a 35mm fixed lens... on my cropped sensor Canon this makes it effectively a 56mm)
Often with a wide aperture (f2.0 or better)
Centre weighted exposure metering mode
I usually up the contrast in the camera settings
Sometimes turning off the autofocus
No flash


....and it makes me take things like this....



http://andysiddensphotography.blogspot.com/2011/02/search-for-style.html



anyone else out there using a similar setup... the DSLR type does not obviously make a difference... and yes I'm aware it does not give the full rangefinder experience.


Also, Canon 'Picture Styles'.... there are a few you can download, but I've not yet found a good B&W picture style.... anyone found I good one ?

 

[Nuffles]

I made my own B/W picture style using one of the three custom ones. I barely use it as I prefer to shoot in full colour and desaturate afterwards in PP but it's there if I go through a B/W phase.

 

[CaptainPenguin]

Some of us use the real unplugged with old manual focus lenses which takes you even closer to the old way of doing things,but why use Black and white mode rather than converting it in your Post Process software

And it allows me to take things like this

 

[andysiddens]

I like to set the jpeg as B&W, but I record jpeg and Raw files.

So this gives me the best of both worlds.... It helps me think in B&W when I see the shot on the back of the camera... and if I want I can use the Raw file to get the best from the shot later on.... and also have all the colour information should I prefer the photo in colour.

...and yes... hats off to anyone using B&W film... truly a raw experience.

 

[Nuffles]

I dig out some of my collection of MF lenses sometimes but frankly now that I have a decent AF lens I hardly use them. I do still use my Konica film camera for college work though.

 

[Musicman]

I'll quite often go manual exposure with my Sekonic meter at hand and either my 50mm f/1.4 or 35mm f/2.0 lenses (or any of the others TBH). It engenders a certain sort of freedom and directness, allowing you to think more closely about the light in a scene.



Not necessarily for B/W, though sometimes I'll set out to be thinking that way. I still shoot RAW... but then I also still use 35mm and 120 film with cameras with no built-in metering

 

[TheBigYin]

Well not unplugged totally, they need a charge occasionally, my point is using it without all the bells and whistles the modern DSLR offers.

So forgetting all the fancy modes etc and using it in the style of the classic rangefinder days...

So my settings for this... it seems to change your work.

B&W mode
Fixed 50mm lens (I use a 35mm fixed lens... on my cropped sensor Canon this makes it effectively a 56mm)
Often with a wide aperture (f2.0 or better)
Centre weighted exposure metering mode
I usually up the contrast in the camera settings
Sometimes turning off the autofocus
No flash

When I want to do something like this I use...



and some of this...