Messages

1

Lenses / Re: Tele for backpacking

« on: June 03, 2013, 02:49:38 PM »

I had two versions of the non-L 70-300 (I + III) and I never got happy with them. The pics were not too bad but not too good either (lack of contrast and sharpness). But where the non-L version really do not deliver is build quality: the barrel is made of plastic and not weather/dust sealed at all. There is a considerable amount of lens creep to deal with too. The L-version on the other hand is extremely well built and has a zoom lock. I never regretted shelling out the money for this lens .

2

Lenses / Re: Tele for backpacking

« on: June 03, 2013, 05:39:06 AM »

+1 for the EF 70-300L
Not only great optical quality and very usable IS (translates into good pictures) but also a rather compact and portable and weather sealed lens as well. It's one of my two lenses I put on my 7D for hiking and mountaineering (the other one is the EF-S 15-85).

3

Lenses / Re: Need Some Advice

« on: May 01, 2013, 04:49:59 AM »

If it is not too dark I would bring a good tele (like the 70-200 f2.8 ) for the reception too. I like to shoot people from a distance without them noticing – much more natural than the cheesy smiles you get when they are aware of being photographed (just my two cents).

4

EOS Bodies / Re: 21mp Sensor in the 7D Mark II? [CR1]

« on: April 19, 2013, 08:01:34 AM »

I'm still saving the money to buy a 5DIII and the glass to match it (24-105 and 16-35 II). But if Canon puts out a 7DII with better DR, good high ISO capabilities (i.e. pictures without ugly banding noise up to ISO 6400), AF system, frame rate and weather sealing at least as good as the one of the 7D I would gladly take one. Even if the body would be more expensive than the original 7D I would take it because I would not have to spend anything on new lenses.

5

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 18, 2013, 02:09:03 PM »

Yes but it was not because of the brush he used...

  Good one!

6

Video & Movie / Re: 800 pictures in 4:02 minutes

« on: April 18, 2013, 08:58:12 AM »

Wow, very impressive and very well done! Cool one!

7

Technical Support / Re: MacBook Pro : Best RAW Processing Software?

« on: April 17, 2013, 03:10:17 AM »

I use DPP for my RAW conversions. Yes, its user interface feels clunky and cumbersome but the possibilities to correct aberrations (lens specific profiles), sharpen and optimize your files before producing a TIFF or JPEG (or whatever format you prefer) are rather good. For my eye, DPP delivers the best output files. As you can't apply corrections like noise reduction only to specific parts of the picture, you might want to a) be careful with the NR and sharpening sliders and b) use some other app for the finer touches – I use PS6 with NIK software mainly for NR and sharpening the  final output files.
For all of this you could use LR or Aperture or DXO or Capture One which all do a good job – in the end it comes down to user preference. One important thing DPP is lacking is the possibility to add keywords/tags and manage the files. LR, Aperture and all the other apps do this.

8

Lenses / Re: Lightweight lens for backpacking and bicycle touring

« on: April 16, 2013, 10:33:33 AM »

If you stick to your 7D I would take the 15-85 – it is a good all around lens with a very decent optical quality. To complement the focus range of the 15-85, I take my trusty 70-200L f4. It is light and has an outstanding optical quality.

9

Software & Accessories / Re: Anyone know any good Noise Reduction programs?

« on: March 14, 2013, 03:17:08 AM »

In most cases where there is only light noise in the picture (i.e. no banding noise) I use DPP's noise reduction functions. It does a decent job if you use it very moderately. I never push the luminance NR slider higher than 5 because it is a bit heavy handed and you lose quite a lot of detail. For noisier pictures I use NIK Dfine 2 (available as stand alone app or as plug-in for PS, LR, and Aperture). Dfine has a lot more options than DPP. For instance it lets you define where in the picture noise is measured. It is also rather good in retaining detail even if you have to apply stronger luminance NR. Dfine also lets you tackle banding noise but I am not too happy with that function: although it removes (most) of the banding patterns it tends to introduce its own artifacts, especially along contrasty edges. But all in all it is the best NR application I ever used.

10

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Red light a challenge for band photos. Strategies for red light?

« on: March 06, 2013, 04:33:36 PM »

The only thing I can think of may sound too simple and stupid but it worked best for me: waiting for the other lights to come on 

11

Pricewatch Deals / Re: Win a Canon EOS 6D (Or Other Brand Body) Plus Other Prizes!

« on: February 19, 2013, 05:05:03 AM »

I have no facebook acount (and I won't get one) – is there some other way to enter?

12

Canon General / Re: Why did you choose Canon?

« on: January 27, 2013, 04:08:45 AM »

When I started working as a journalist for a local newspaper almost 20 years ago, all the other reporters and photographers were working with Canon gear. So I got myself a Canon EOS 100. Since then it's pretty much a case of path dependency: Once you invest in a system (lenses, accessories etc.), it gets more and more costly to change. Therefore I still am a Canon shooter. And with the 5DIII they built kind of a dream body for my needs. I only have to find the funds to get it and some accompanying lenses – and I will continue to be a happy Canon user.

13

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS not good for NASA?

« on: January 17, 2013, 10:40:21 AM »

Great. After lens envy and body envy, I now got location envy. Badly.

+1 

14

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 6D weatherproofness, tested.

« on: January 15, 2013, 07:20:13 AM »

I would not do with my 7D what that crazy military guy did with his Pentax cameras but I never had any troubles with shooting in heavy snow fall or light to medium rain (7D + ef-s 15-85/ef 70-200 f4 L) over shorter periods of time (up to 15 minutes). I would be VERY careful about changing lenses in those conditions though (best not to change them at all).

15

Software & Accessories / Re: Snowboarding with a DSLR

« on: January 14, 2013, 09:19:02 AM »

PS: Maybe you want to check out http://www.cottoncarrier.com/ too – they produce a camera vest that allows you to carry your camera safely but ready for shooting on your breast. Not very cheap either but rather thought through and very reliable.