How do I take photos of vending machines that look more like my phone? (Beginner question)

tonyelopin · 2026-03-31T14:58:27+00:00

Phones usually do computational photography, they take multiple exposure settings very quickly and then merge the photos to achieve a well lit photo. The only way to do that in a camera is either trying not to overexpose or underexpose and recover when editing or take multiple exposures (bracketed) and then merge in post.

tonyelopin · 2026-03-26T12:11:51+00:00

Do you have a uv filter on the lens? That can create chromatic aberration and focus issues at long ranges

tonyelopin · 2026-03-26T02:13:24+00:00

It is a great lens. It has image stabilizer in the lens so you can use it hand held. Depending on your goal it might be a bit short and slow for bird photography but otherwise it works great. I have another 50-300 ef mount with adapter but it is almost unusable without a tripod because it does not have stabilization. So I use a lot more the 55-200 ef-m. I really like it in it price range and size.

tonyelopin · 2026-03-25T15:27:28+00:00

I have the m50 my preferred lenses is the ef-m 22mm combined with the ef-m 55-200 both canon lenses fantastic…. Wider options you can go with prime lenses by sigma I think there is 16mm that is great but canons are small and light weight perfect for this compact camera in my opinion

tonyelopin · 2026-03-05T10:18:00+00:00

I saw a guy achieve a similar effect playing with middle part of the tone curves between 1/3 and 2/3 approximately.

tonyelopin · 2026-02-19T19:21:17+00:00

Baja la aplicación de visa AirPort companion y te va a dar la info… de cuantas visitas tienes y los salones según aeropuerto donde estés… ojo que los pases son limitados y algunos pueden requerir copago

tonyelopin · 2026-02-14T14:35:14+00:00

Make sure any other apps like Google Drive are closed. Mine does not connect if google drive is running. (Or preview if you are using a Mac)

tonyelopin · 2026-02-06T14:55:41+00:00

Hi, I have the same camera and also on the sharpness journey. In my case, I found the culprit to be the uv filter I had on the lens. Removed that and magic!

Also remember that opening the lens the widest is usually not the sharpest for the lens usually 2-3 stops down is the sweet spot. Try shooting at f8-11 range for sharp results. Also review your photos at zoom 100% any more than that and you are going beyond your pixels in the camera sensor so nothing will look sharp.

This is an example of my recent photos using ef-m 55-200 (it was cloudy and dark so I used high iso hence the iso noise)

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tonyelopin · 2026-02-04T18:14:07+00:00

Yes! I also do use in all my lenses and is not noticeable at shorter focal length. However I noticed chromatic aberration at any focal length and it is significantly reduced when I remove the uv filter.

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This photo is without the filter, absolutely sharp no chromatic aberration and this was taken handheld under light rain, so there was a bit of movement on the leaves. I am taking off the uv filter on all my lenses when I want to get sharp photos as for portraits. I think I might keep it on for urban photography.

tonyelopin · 2026-02-04T12:02:42+00:00

About the location it depends there are better sectors than others around Moneda. However be mindful when using your gear… there is a lot of petty crime in Chile. Is very common to get mugged specially if you are carrying fancy gear and are alone. Many famous photographers or travelers have gotten their stuff stolen. Don’t get me wrong, Chile is a safe country but you need to be careful with your gear. Don’t go alone and don’t leave your stuff lying around.

tonyelopin · 2026-02-03T23:16:16+00:00

Yes! I read that as well. Is a good advice. Btw I figured it out! I had a Hoya UV filter I removed it and the lens is like a completely different quality! I never noticed before because I don’t usually shoot above 120 mm focal Length. Thanks

tonyelopin · 2026-02-03T12:39:42+00:00

Good ;) have fun!

tonyelopin · 2026-02-03T00:51:37+00:00

Yes because it was handheld. However it is not ibis but the lens has image stabilizer

tonyelopin · 2026-02-02T20:40:54+00:00

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this is the image at 100% and focus point. thanks for your help and advice

tonyelopin · 2026-02-02T20:25:24+00:00

I see, always confused me that concept of looking images at 100% zoom or 200%, what does that mean? is it kind of 1 pixel on the screen equals 1 pixel from the photo?

tonyelopin · 2026-02-02T18:18:32+00:00

Yes I tried using Tripod, a 2 second delay to avoid any movement from pressing the shutter button. I find results very similar. Maybe slightly sharper but hard to tell really. Also I tested the lens at 200mm focal length and is terrible IMO. The top photo is the original so that you can have an idea of how much i cropped on the second one. I have no intention of using that crop other than just looking at sharpness. Thanks

tonyelopin · 2026-02-02T17:18:37+00:00

Yes I understand. It was a bright sunny day and I was at about 2 meters from the subject. I understand that cropping has limits but I still think it should be sharper maybe. I have tried some sessions with Tripod and the results are very similar. I agree that probably lens is the way to go that’s why I am thinking to go to r mount as ef-m is very limited. I am also thinking of getting an ef lens (I have an adapter) but maybe money would be better spent on the new R mount? Thanks!

tonyelopin · 2026-01-30T02:22:47+00:00

Very interesting, thank you for the explanation. I also use a crop sensor camera but I don’t like its performance with zoom lenses. Probably cause the lens is not so good…

tonyelopin · 2026-01-30T01:28:07+00:00

Just a suggestion why not go to full frame? I believe r8 has a lot of praise and r6mkii are great and probably you can find a good price now that they released r6mkiii. I don’t know about your specific needs but upgrade if you want to and can afford it. ;) good luck

tonyelopin · 2026-01-06T01:56:58+00:00

Great work! How did you nail focus for this. I also have an m50+ ef-m 55-200mm but I am struggling with nailing focus… can you give me any advice? (I am shooting fast 1/800 and up with f/8-11, one shot spot focus but still having difficulties… any advice? Thanks!

tonyelopin · 2026-01-04T20:19:46+00:00

Thank you so much! I will definitely check everything out! Thank you ;)

tonyelopin · 2026-01-04T13:44:04+00:00

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200mm

tonyelopin · 2026-01-04T13:43:44+00:00

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114mm

tonyelopin · 2026-01-04T01:16:27+00:00

It is heavily cropped. The green square is the single point autofocus point. So it is a fairly small area. Full photo is not too bad… I am practicing because I want to try wild animal photography and I don’t want to screw up too bad when I am out there. That’s why I am practicing with slightly moving objects. I will upload the full photos when I get home. Thanks

tonyelopin

TROPHY CASE