Sigma DP1 in Yellowstone

"Excellent pictures! I'd be interested to know your post-processing techniques."

1. I shoot RAW.

2. No, none of these images are HDR. You are looking at what has been extracted from the camera's normal image data in a single shot.

3. Post-processing.

a. They get imported as RAW into Sigma Photo Pro with minor adjustments made to the RAW files to correct white balance and exposure. Then they go to Photoshop, where:

b. I'll add a curves adjustment layer and correct curves for the black and white points only. On some occasions I will put an inflection point in the curve and adjust accordingly.

c. I may use one or more of: gradient layers, photo filters, lab color, shadow layer, but only if needed and only if it doesn't screw up the colors. I don't like artificial color imparted in the images.

d. I then resize the image to the medium for which it's going to be delivered, create an Unsharp Mask to apply sharpening, then Fade Sharpening, but only on the luminosity channel, which gets rid of some of the ghosting around the bright areas of the image that were sharpened.

Ryan

Ryan,

Just out of curiosity, where did you learn all of your photo/processing skills?

Obviously, photography is an easy hobby for the backpacker, but you seem pretty adept at the craft. I'm thinking about taking some classes at the local community college to enhance my skillset.

How have you found battery life and not having a view finder?

Thanks

Sure, it takes great pictures, but there are two major downsides to the DP1, both already pointed out: (1) 28mm fixed lens and (2) pitiful video recording.

I've been scouring the camera market for at least a year looking for a compact camera that fulfills the following criteria, in priority of importance:
1- Top-notch image quality, ideally with a RAW option
2- Wide angle lens
3- Small enough to store in a side/water pocket, waist belt pocket, or shoulder strap pocket; and light enough (<10 oz) that it doesn't kill my base weight
4- HD-sized video recording (1024 pixels minimum)

As far as I know, there is no model out there that fits the bill, so I've been continuing to use my 2.5-year-old Canon S80, which should have been technologically surpassed by now: it lacks the image quality and RAW capability of an SLR, and the video recording is only at 15 fps.

My question to all of you: Do you know of other cameras that fit this niche?

I have been greatly encouraged by the recent announcement from Panasonic about their new models (particularly the DMC FX-150 and Lumix DMC-FX37). But I have not seen reviews of these cameras, and I know there have been noise issues with past Panasonic models.

Hi Andrew,

In cameras you can actually *buy*, the Ricoh GX200 is about it. Photokina should reveal much about the availability of the new Panasonic and Nikon, as well as the G9 replacement with which, hopefully, Canon get's off its corporate butt and adds wide angle.

p.s. The Ricoh is a beautiful little camera.

Anyone want to comment on the Nikon P5100? It has the same image capture chip as the Ricoh, full manual control a good stab at focusing control. It lacks RAW capability.

Hi Kevin,

Have you read DP Review's review? It might be helpful. In sum, the camera appears nicely made and a decent, if not impressive performer. Other than lack of RAW, the 35mm eq wide range would be really limiting. If I were willing to "settle" for 35mmm, I'd probably go for the G9 with its superior feature set.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikonp5100/

The forthcoming P6000 *should* correct several of its shortcomings. (One of rhe amazing things about digicams is their fleeting half-life.)

Ryan -does all that alteration mean what you took is far from what we see?. I hate all that curves and effects. I'm fine with shutter speed use to get a water fall to look good and other thing like maybe touching the colours to show what it looked like – but nothing more as the true image should be as it was at the time. What we see, should be what was photographed.

The p6000 has a 28mm (equivalant) lense, some sort of RAW capability and an internal GPS for geotagging. I'm used to the Coolpix line (from my 3100, 3500, S2) and placed a pre-order today.

Hi Ryan,

How do you carry the dp1 on the trail? Case, strap to pack etc? Do you leave on the lens hood? Thanks

Found this blog tonight. Some really good stuff that probably will interest this crowd: http://www.seriouscompacts.com/.

Nice shots Ryan. I like the shot w/ the new shelter (even though the new shelter is in it B) the inability to use filters (like a cirular polarizer and grad ND and regular ND filters. Im hoping that the Olympus micro four-thirds lenses will be able to take filters.