Monday, October 21, 2013

Lynn Canyon, North Vancouver BC

I finally met with David   (here)  and after a filling breakfast we found ourselves crossing the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge


I like it here and there are many trails which take you down to the river level and that's where David wanted to go


This gave us a chance to chat and snap photos along the way.   I loaned David my NEX-5n while I used my Canon T2i .


The trail is littered with rocks but we managed to navigate our way and jump over a few


You have to also be careful not to trip over the tree roots


Fall is in the air and there are lots of downed brown leaves.   It must be humid here as evidenced by all the moss on the branches


This is a portion of Lynn Creek and you can see how much power the water has to be able to move all these rocks.   This is also where David snapped that photo of the rushing water in the post above


In our part of the Country, when you cannot see the sun you will know that where Moss grows,  signifies NORTH.  (as opposed to South, East or West)



The tree canopy is really high so not much sun will reach the ground,  even during summer.  There is not much light here on a cloudy day


Somehow I have always been attracted to Moss and the nice green colour


Eventually all good things must come to an end and I follow David westward back to our car

I usually record video using my NEX-5n as it has an excellent   AVCHD video mode, but only 1080i 30 .  Since David was using my NEX, I had to resort to my Canon T2i which has  1080p30  which is better, however I don't usually use it much for video as it will not auto focus in video mode, so I had to manual focus my Sigma 18-250mm super zoom.   It does not use AVCHD which is more efficient but rather  Mpeg4




You may wish to see the video I recorded back in December, 2009,  below




I notice they have redesigned the landing on the opposite side

14 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Dom:

      I usually set my camera to "A" Aperature Priority so I can control the "F-stop". With Film you would pick 5.6 - 8 but with digital it is a bit different due to shorter focal plane focus distance. It was a struggle with light under the trees. It looked bright but I had to bump up the ISO quite a bit and still lower F-stop to 4.5 minimum so that's why the background was more "OOF" because of the low F-stop

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  2. David got you out hiking, good for him. A good excuse for exercise and great photo opportunities.

    I like the green moss as well and the colored leaves on the ground. Pretty.

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    1. Trobairitz:

      I am not sure of the actual definition but a walk under 10 kms is a walk, and over 10kms is a Hike, so we actually went out for a slow walk. The plan was to NOT go shopping. The last time (his last visit here) we went to MEC.ca (sort of like REI, or Capellas). This time I thought we should see some nature. The plan was to shoot video and I was going to show him how to edit them, BUT we didn't have time to do it.

      I am attracted to green moss too. This just shows you how humid it is here in the shadow of the sun

      as far as exercise goes, I am sort of limping right now. I didn't have my hiking sandals on. I should have worn shoes with more cushioning (shock absorbing)

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  3. Two handsome blokes in the canyon. I bet you had some decent food after to compensate for the huge exercise.

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    1. Sonja:

      AWW, thank you but we were chatting and snapping photos and talking about retirement plans in-between. All we did all weekend was EAT. I have to wait for David to post so we don't duplicate . . . as we share photos and I don't know which ones he is going to use

      Lynn Canyon on Saturday, and Capilano Canyon on Sunday, plus I took him to Pilot Cove. I have only taken a couple of people there, and you were one of them

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  4. It looks like a nice place for a walk/hike especially with the suspension bridge. I would've thought that an old pro like you would have preferred the ability to manually pull focus and not rely on some software program that you have no control over ;-)

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    1. Richard:

      Modern AF lenses have plastic helicoils. They are not smooth and "stutter". Older manual focus lenses have brass helicoils and are smooth as silk, and solid.

      The favourite lenses for Indie movies, many use old M42 SM Pentax MF lenses, So I had been buying thing when I see them for a good price. I have nearly a whole set of them right now and I can mount them on my Canon T2i, with appropriate M42-EOS adapter. I am not sure but I think: 28/3.5 , 35/3.5 , 50/1.4 , 50/1.8 , 135/3.5 , 200/4.0 most of these are SMC or Super SMC

      The 2nd problem is that most modern Zooms, are NOT true Zooms. On a true zoom lens, you can focus at 200 mm and then when you come back to wide angle it is still in focus. Most lenses go out of focus as you zoom which is the problem. Remember the old movie cameras where you had to zoom OUT to focus, and then zoom IN to start filming ?

      The 3rd problem is that my LCD display is fixed and not fully articulated as in the newer T5i, or 70D. Even the new Nikon D5300/D5200 have articulating screens so as I am walking I cannot fully see the screen "to focus" on the fly. With a moveable screen, I could flip it up and then look down at the image, instead of view my screen from an angle.

      The 4th problem, is that my eyesight is not good without glasses, but when I have to focus on the LCD screen so close, I have to remove my glasses so I can focus. So I have to constantly be removing and then having to put on my glasses all the time so I can see . . .

      My Sony NEX and AF in movie mode, which non of the other dSLRs can do, EXCEPT for the new 70D canon which has the new dual pixel technology, if used with their new SMT series lenses, and it also has the full articulating screen. This was why I was thinking of buying it, until they announced the new A7 FF Sony which is just coming out. There is quite the hype with all the Pro-photographers right now about buying one and using their old "alternative" lenses with it. With the new A7 I would be able to mount my Nikon, Canon, Zeiss, Leica and M42 lenses . all can be used with this new Sony FF camera

      I was probably one of the last holdouts to embrace digital and also auto focus, but now these automated systems are better than the human eye . Technology has actually made it easier to free you up to actually compose and produce better output. The control you have is selecting the correct perspective (lens) and settings.

      Maybe on my next video I will use an M42 MF Pentax SMC lens except these are all prime, single focal lengths so I would have to do numerous lens changes and hire a sherpa to carry them behind me

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    2. On this particular trip, you did have a sherpa. I'm sure that David wouldn't of minded the extra weight of the camera gear. I haven't noticed that about modern zooms but that's probably because I rely on the auto focus. I was working with someone using his 5D Mk II for HD filming and having to manually focus while filming. I think over time, his videos have been improving as he learned what to look for.

      I had thought that you were using your older lenses with the NEX already and was manually focusing and setting exposure with them already. (sounds like a lot of work) And was wondering how that whole process was going.

      I understand the attraction for the new and "improved" features but I never thought that manual focus was too much trouble. In fact, I still tend to do that when I use the 50mm f1.8. I wish it had an aperture ring as well...

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    3. Richard:

      The main problem with manually focusing is the "LIVE VIEW". If you could focus and record using the OVF then that would be easy. That's the way professional broadcast cameras work. There is either an OVF, or EVF attached to the side of the body where you look into. On a consumer camera the viewfinder is disabled and the viewfinder is your LCD screen, then you have to hold your camera in front of you and try to focus and remember that my LCD screen is fixed. If I could swivel it upwards, it would be better but I have look down at a shallow angle as I hold my camera at elbow level as you get less shake when you can brace your arms. If I held it up to eye level with both hands in front of me, then focusing is hard to do. Try it and you will see.

      That's why the NEX is easier. Using a zoom is better than using a prime lens, that's why I haven't been using them. If you were doing a production at a location, then you can bring your box of lenses with you. If you were walking around in a Canyon trying to snap photos of the Fall leaves then having a single zoom is preferable and easier to carry.

      The only lenses that I have with no aperature ring are the newer DX nikors or the EF-S canons. All of my older film lenses have aperature rings and I can mount/use them on both my Canon EOS or Sony NEX systems, with adaptors.

      Remember too that modern lenses can be focused "past infinity" due to slop in the manufacturing process. Not like old lenses which have a stop, precisely where infinity is. In the old days you could just turn your focus ring to infinity and then everything would be in focus from about 20 ft on. Nowadays you will find that infinity is not infinity anymore. If I rotated it to the end, your infinity would be "OOF: out of focus"


      another thing you may have forgotten is that everyone in the world uses lenses that rotate the same way, except for Nikon, which is backwards. It is the same with mounting lenses. Most every lens made will mount clockwise on the flange, except Nikon which turns anticlockwise, so you focusing will change direction depending which lens you use.

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  5. LOVELY PHOTOS A GREAT SHARE
    REGARDS LEN

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    1. Len:

      being in the city, Fall colours are hard to find but there is lots here in the Canyon. We don't get many red leaves, but there are lots of yellowing and some brown on the ground

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  6. I spent a lot of time in Lynn Canyon when I was young. We used to go to drink beer and cliff jump into Lynn Creek. Same with Seymour Canyon. Capilano was just too darn cold.......eeek!
    Glad you had a good time with David.

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    1. Chris:

      You are brave to be jumping in the Creek with the raging water with underwater ledges and strong undertows. Even during the summer it is cold in the creek but it's a nice place to sit on a rock on a hot day. David comes to Vancouver frequently but this is the first time I have mentioned it.

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