Reread manual for XTi, now I have more questions

[BradfordBenn]

Hello All-

As I am learning more, I am expanding what I do manually a little more. So I figured I would reread the manual for my cameras and see if I learn anything new. Yes, I did. Apparently reading it the day you get it as a gift, doesn't really stick. However it raised a few more questions. So I figure I might as well ask.


In the Shooting Closeups section, these two sentences made me go :scratch . "With a zoom lens, use the telephoto end. If you have a zoom lens, using the telephoto end will make the subject look larger." I googled it a little, is the telephoto end mean completely zoomed it?
Is Red-eye Reduction good to use on the camera or just take it out in post processing?
In the Picture Style Effects section there were some things even google couldn't help me solve. "Neutral is for users who prefer to process images with their personal computer. For natural colors and subdued images." and "Faithful is for the users who prefer to process images with their personal computer. When the subject is photographed under a temperature of 5200K, the color is adjusted colormetrically to match the subject's color. The image is dull and subdued." Does changing this have an impact? Would it be reflected and handled in ACR? The one that I really didn't understand was "the color is adjusted colormetrically" any help?
For noise reduction of Bulb Exposures is it better to use the on camera one or Post Processing?
When setting the Color Space should one use Adobe RGB if using LightRoom and Photoshop or stick with sRGB? Can it be converted in processing?
Why does it indicate that one should set white balance with manual focus? More curious than anything else.


So in terms of learning something new, I learned how to use AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) and used it to attempt at a Glaring Green effect using HDR and some color darkening in PS, fairly quickly just to get an idea of the concept. Figure I should at least post a picture. Thanks for helping me understand these concepts better.

http://bradfordbenn.smugmug.com/photos/738613469_kHXAX-L-1.jpg

[pyry]

In the Shooting Closeups section, these two sentences made me go :scratch . "With a zoom lens, use the telephoto end. If you have a zoom lens, using the telephoto end will make the subject look larger." I googled it a little, is the telephoto end mean completely zoomed it?
Is Red-eye Reduction good to use on the camera or just take it out in post processing?
In the Picture Style Effects section there were some things even google couldn't help me solve. "Neutral is for users who prefer to process images with their personal computer. For natural colors and subdued images." and "Faithful is for the users who prefer to process images with their personal computer. When the subject is photographed under a temperature of 5200K, the color is adjusted colormetrically to match the subject's color. The image is dull and subdued." Does changing this have an impact? Would it be reflected and handled in ACR? The one that I really didn't understand was "the color is adjusted colormetrically" any help?
For noise reduction of Bulb Exposures is it better to use the on camera one or Post Processing?
When setting the Color Space should one use Adobe RGB if using LightRoom and Photoshop or stick with sRGB? Can it be converted in processing?
Why does it indicate that one should set white balance with manual focus? More curious than anything else.

1. Yes. Long end, maximum focal length.

2. I've never tried the built-in red-eye reduction. You can do this manually too: lock the exposure (*-key) with flash enabled gives you a pre-flash. This way your subjects has time open their eyes again.

3. Picture styles are jpeg processing parameters. They won't have any effect on raw output.

4. Post gives you better results, if you are able to take multiple exposures and multiple dark frames and stack them together. The in-camera long exposure noise reduction does a dark frame correction for each image as they are shot. You will see a delay equal to the length of the exposure as the camera takes the dark frame with the shutter closed. If you only take one or two images, this works well enough.

5. Depends on what you want to do with your images. Web and many photolabs use sRGB, the printing industry uses Adobe RGB. Colour spaces can be converted, but coverting from sRGB to Adobe RGB can go wrong because sRGB is narrower. This setting is also jpeg only.

6. Manual focus allows you to throw your focus off which smooths out any texture in your WB target. And besides, if you use a white wall for example, what's there focus with anyway :D

[Dan7312]

If you are shooting raw neutral won't affect in the raw image, but you might want to choose neutral to get more accurate blinkies and histogram. See this thread by Scott Quier.

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=121623


Hello All-


In the Picture Style Effects section there were some things even google couldn't help me solve. "Neutral is for users who prefer to process images with their personal computer. For natural colors and subdued images." and "Faithful is for the users who prefer to process images with their personal computer. When the subject is photographed under a temperature of 5200K, the color is adjusted colormetrically to match the subject's color. The image is dull and subdued." Does changing this have an impact? Would it be reflected and handled in ACR? The one that I really didn't understand was "the color is adjusted colormetrically" any help?

[ziggy53]

#2, you are much better off "preventing" red eye than correcting it, but if I experience red eye, it's simple to remove in many newer image processing software and the eyes look better too.

With the red eye reduction on cameras the flash fires twice, the first time it is to cause the eye to close down the iris. Then there is a delay before the second flash. You wind up with an eye with a small pupil.

Preventing the problem involves using an external flash and modifier to lift the light away from the lens axis, or bouncing the flash off of a ceiling or wall. Any of these will produce much better light than using the on-camera flash, which makes your images look like they are shot with a P&S. The only time you should use the on-camera flash is for fill light, and that would be using an FEC of -2 or so.

Off-camera flash is another great way to move the flash away from the lens axis and gives a stronger directionality to the light.

I do get red eye occasionally with a long telephoto and an external flash used as direct flash but in a fill mode. In that case, Photoshop and other software make short work of the correction in software and leave a pleasing large dark pupil, usually with a catch light too.

[BradfordBenn]

Thanks for the comments. I am torn on the Red Eye reduction as I wonder if the Red Eye Reduction will hinder some of the action candids.

It is funny how rereading a manual after having the camera for almost a year, things make more sense.