Photography through windows...

[MrFSS]

One of my favorite from a train photos was shot from the window the Empire Builder's dining car at breakfast. Other than some smudges on the glass, you can't tell. I have no idea how I got so lucky.

And those smudges can be removed very easily with a photo editor. Here I used a soft healing brush, a smart sky brush, and a gentle noise filter. Se the before and after results of a simply beautiful picture your took.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

One of my favorite from a train photos was shot from the window the Empire Builder's dining car at breakfast. Other than some smudges on the glass, you can't tell. I have no idea how I got so lucky.

And those smudges can be removed very easily with a photo editor. Here I used a soft healing brush, a smart sky brush, and a gentle noise filter. Se the before and after results of a simply beautiful picture your took.

Thanks. At the time I wasn't experienced with Photoshop. I'm now learning that, and I've been meaning to go back and edit that photo. Thanks for showing me the possibilities!

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

My camera is nothing fancy, the Panasonic FX75 (mid-range point-and-shoot), so maybe it is just a lack of processing power that would be improved with a more powerful processor in a better camera?

I went and looked up your camera. It's got a 1/2.33 inch sensor.

This equates to a sensor about this big:

(this is actually for a 1/2.5 inch sensor; but you get the rough idea)

This is what my current camera -- a Rebel XSi with a APS-C sensor; the lowest level of a DSLR you can get -- carries:

(Sensor sizes are all to scale).

Basically P&S do just fine in bright sunlight; but if you bring them indoors or put them in very difficult low light situations, they just horrifically fail.

I shoot APS-H in a 1 D You are SPOT on ..

To clareify what is going on here ..

A Pixel is a photo site . Kinda like a Photo diode .

Its Size is how much current it can put out .(CCD VS CMOS is not relivent at this point ) ,

Full frame cams have the advantage that for a Givin MP rating they have HUGE Pixels .

This is why my Older 1D mk2 8 MP cam can still Blow the top off most 10MP cams out there.

for more dense Pixels you Need to AMP them more to drive the Image proc Chip ( like a DIGIC 4 Ect )

the Noise you see is partly Jonson ( shot ) noise and some is thermal noise )

the same "noise" you hear on a mIc on large PA .

its the same noise is with Old TV amps .

Thus If you don't Need High MP go low MP and BIG chips .

this is on the 1 D My link at HIGH ISO ..( no flash in the theatre )

This is the S5 IS Point and shoot cam same MP My link Lower ISO .. out doors

so as you can see the ISO VS Chip size issue is a big factor ...

Peter

 

[HerMamma]

I picked up a couple of rubber hoods for my lenses before my last trip. Because they are flexable you can put them right up against window eliminating reflexions. The only problem I had was the dirty glass on the outside... 'solved' by depth of focus for sure

 

[jis]

Sometimes it is the smudges that makes the photo

Rainbow at dusk in pouring rain from a fast moving train

Taken from 50 running almost 4 hours behind schedule near Culpeper VA, near the end of a massive thunderstorm.

 

[Henry Kisor]

I carry cheap ($10) screw-in rubber lens hoods designed for 50mm lenses (on full frame 35mm cameras) to fit my two traveling zoom lenses (17-70mm, 55-300mm), used with APS-C sized DSLRs (Pentax K20D and K-5). Holding the rubber hood on the window locks out reflections from the rear, and the flexible rubber allows for some movement of the lens as well.

There will, however, be vignetting if the shorter zoom lens is used much under 35mm focal length. A wide-angle rubber hood would help here.

Post processing the photos in Lightroom 3 and/or Photoshop Elements helps dirty-window shots a lot.

Of course, shooting from an open vestibule window is best, but Amtrak and VIA do not allow that. Alaska RR provides convenient open-air platforms for that purpose (but hold on to your hat at speed -- I've lost two on the Denali Star). The White Pass & Yukon allows photography from its open vestibules.

 

[jis]

Just ordered a 55-300mm Nikkor AF-S VRII Zoom Lens. Should have it in hand by tomorrow and take it out for a spin on Saturday to Albany, weather permitting. Should be able to get some neat pictures along the Hudson through the window of Empire Service.

 

[Ryan]

I'd be interested in hearing your review of the lens - I love my 70-300VR.

 

[bay state bruce]

This is a photo taken from the door on the last car of the EB. We were in North Dakota at sunrise.