I think I shot some of my best fencing images ever at this tourney. Check these out, complete with commentary (click the images to see a bigger version):

Some Images of Victory

I believe the fencer on the right may have gotten the touch.

I know that the fencer pumping his fist got the touch. I think.

How about some Nifty Blade Captures?

I still want to know how the hell Hogan did that.

Looks like the dubbing of a curvy knighthood.

Seems that a parry came a bit too late. But that’s okay. Courser got her C the other weekend in Portland, which is teh awesome.

Okay, maybe Flying Is Your Thing

‘Scuse me.

Oh no, excuse me.

What? I have to land before I can look at the box?

This is how sabeurs do it:
  

Or perhaps you prefer More Artistic Photographs?

The director leans back and it seems all the other spectators do too.

And how’s that for a weird perspective shot?

So, yeah. I’m fairly pleased. *cough*understatement*cough*

That was the bronchitis, I swear.

Categories: fencing
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Important Function Differences between the Rebel XT and the Original Rebel (from digitalreview.ca):

Image Size
OdR—(RAW) 3072 x 2048
XT—(RAW) 3456 x 2304

Write to CF card speed comparison (from Rob Galbriath’s CF card database):
Using my fastest card, the Sandisk Ultra 1GB
OdR—1.232 MB/sec
XT—4.464 MB/sec

…that’s 3.6 times faster! The Sandisk Ultra 1GB is on the lower end of the CF card database for the XT. If I picked up a Sandisk Extreme III I could write up to 6.263 MB/sec, which is five times faster than the OdR.

Hot damn. Even a Sandisk Ultra II would write at 6.083 MB/sec.

Did I mention that I can finally use 1600 ISO and that’s part of why I can 1. bump the shutter speed up to 1/500 and freeze more blade movement AND the higher ISO also moves faster to grab the action.

Let’s compare, shall we? Same venue, same time of night, different cameras.

Technical Crap

Original Image Size
• OdR— 3072×2048 (shot aligned vertically)
• XT— 3456×2304 (shot aligned horizontally)

File Size
• OdR— 36.1 MB
• XT— 45.6 MB

Shutter Speed:
• OdR— 1/400 sec
• XT— 1/500 sec

Aperture
• OdR— f/4.0
• XT— f/2.8

ISO
• OdR— 1600
• XT— 1600

Lens
• OdR— Sigma Zoom 1:2.8-4 28-70mm
• XT— Sigma Zoom 1:2.8-4 28-70mm

Focal Length
• OdR— 47mm
• XT— 28mm

Now for some visual comparison:

Full Frame Maximum Quality JPEG image with size reduced to 25% of original (so it might have a chance to fit on your screen)
• OdR
• XT

200 by 200 pixel section at 100% zoom (lookin’ at some feet here):

OdR—       —XT

Mmmmmmm.

Categories: reviews
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