Messages

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D Mark 3 Queue @ B&H

« on: March 10, 2012, 01:08:05 PM »

2 thumbs up for a thread full of PRO mkIII! Was at the local shop (Basel, Switzerland) yesterday one day after a mkIII preview session, everything seems on time, maybe even earlier according to the Canon rep, everybody raved about the camera. Promising!

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EOS Bodies / Re: Who thinks this is an ANTI-CLIMATIC product? As in, the 5DIII

« on: March 03, 2012, 04:24:20 AM »

On paper and in the first hands on it just seems to be the perfect camera at a reasonable price, the more I look at it the less the itch for a end of this year-1DX is lurking, this could be the perfect step from my 5dII which will make for a magnificent 2nd body. Great times at Canon and still happy I invested in their FF system and not Nikon! But let's wait for the reviews anyways.

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EOS Bodies / Re: Mark III Price turning you off? Considering a different model now?

« on: March 02, 2012, 05:22:48 AM »

I think the mark3 is awesome in its specs and will prove to be a very nice camera, really a 1dx in a cheaper package, and the pics will be far from bad. As I just got the markII, which seems to be a horrible camera unable to take a decent picture according to many forum members, I don't yet feel the urge to upgrade and rather learn my way around this beauty of a cam and towards end of the year I'll probably be able to choose between the 1dx, 5dIII and probably even a high mp (3?)d if until then all the reviews are out and some bugs corrected and the gadget bug bites me.
But lets face it, we are at the point of diminishing returns, it makes more sense to jump one generation (unless of course you need a new feature, here the AF comes to mind, which I find to be awesome according to specs) if you want to see substantial improvement or upgrade 1 step.

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EOS Bodies / Re: The (un)official I'm switching to Nikon thread

« on: March 01, 2012, 06:32:58 AM »

But I'll never part from the 85Lii

Funny. Different strokes for different folks, as the 85/1.4 Nikon is another reason I'd consider a switch... The ergonomics of the 85/1.2, which I own, are silly. If you take the lens off extended, you can't un-extend it, since it needs to power the motor to retract. Watch out for that rear glass element that sticks all the way out; you don't want to scratch it/hit it as you're mounting it to your body.

Furthermore, the CA on the sides is bad enough to make even in-focus objects on the sides appear soft. Then the 8-blade aperture means that out of focus highlights are no longer a pleasing circle at apertures smaller than f/1.6 (yes-- they're only really circular at f/1.2-f/1.4). Canon knows 9-blades is the way to go -- something they updated in their new 24-70 zoom. It gives you more circular OOF highlights AND 18 point sunstars... seems win-win to me. Yet all their professional primes only have 8-blades.

At f/1.2 though, it does let in a LOT of light. For any given f-stop, it actually appears to let in 1/3 stop more light than any equivalent aperture on the Sigma 85/1.4. Also has shallower DOF for any given f-stop than the Sigma, hinting at the possibility that it actually just opens up wider at any given f-stop in comparison to the Sigma. These are really its only redeeming factors, IMHO. But it is in sore need of an update.

As often with a special lens with extreme aperture there are shortcomings, rather big ones in consideration of the price tag, but wow, until now many of the shots and that aperture are worth every penny, it makes the Nikon cream machine look like an ice crusher (wide open) (tongue in cheek). I actually only took one single photo above 1.4, for more DOF I think the 70-200 is the way to go indeed. Sometimes a certain love cannot be explained....

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EOS Bodies / Re: The (un)official I'm switching to Nikon thread

« on: February 29, 2012, 08:00:43 PM »

Crazy! 
I switched to canon but only because I knew from Nikonrumors that the D800 will be a mp-monster, the 5dii had an awesome price tag and a nice resolution and none of my lenses were FF so that's it. At heart I am a nikonian but I much prefer the canon lens line-up concerning affordable lenses FF and aps-c. I am now lucky enough to afford the expensive stuff so I'd be a happy Nikon camper, too but go look for F/4 zooms, a decent newish 17-55 (IS...), oh and did I forget the lack of AF-S in the last years (finally they are catching up) which ditched you if you were below D7000/D90 level? The only friendly outreach was the 35 F/1.8 2-3 years ago, oh my, thank you very much (I could go on like this, that was often the tone on the Nikon forums, canon grass just so much greener)

I now am a happy Canon camper, my pics please my eyes (though others may bleed, sorry) in spite of the maybe pharaonian/roman whatever tech in the sensor. And if ever I feel a need I get a Nikon with the lens needed/suitable and hope that I can work myself around two camera systems in parallel. But I'll never part from the 85Lii

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Software & Accessories / Re: Filter for EF 17-40 f4 L

« on: February 29, 2012, 04:12:39 PM »

I get Zeiss uv filters for all lenses, my camera shop swears by them and they are slightly more expensive than the Hoya pros, they propose them over the bw's also due to being more cost effective and use but these themselves. So I just trust them and am happy til now though only have one hoya pro hd to compare. I get a filter for each lens and never take them off, should help keep up the resale value of my lenses if ever i sell one.

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Lenses / Re: Waiting for 100~400mm f/4~5.6 IS II.Who do know the actual day of its born?

« on: February 25, 2012, 05:29:57 PM »

But I believe the 200-400 is in front of the door.

Maybe...but still, there has been no official announcement of the lens, at least not one that I can find.  Do you have a link to one online?  Does Canon Switzerland have a page about the lens?

Canon Switzerland has nothing about the lens, but the text on the online portal of the shop reads like a publicity text. Here's the link:
http://www.fotomarlin.ch/290/

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Lenses / Re: List of rumored lenses

« on: February 25, 2012, 04:37:58 PM »

Just posted this in the other thread:

My local cps/nps shop already has the 200-400 posted on his website, below is the thumbnail.
I don't know if the photo is just a placeholder, also his canon official links goes to the main page of canon switzerland. But I believe the 200-400 is in front of the door.

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Lenses / Re: Waiting for 100~400mm f/4~5.6 IS II.Who do know the actual day of its born?

« on: February 25, 2012, 04:36:40 PM »

No one (outside of Canon) knows. The latest info was a new patent on the lens. But, there was a 100-400 patent published a couple of years ago, too, with no resulting lens.

If you want an xxx-400 zoom, get the current 100-400mm, it's an excellent lens. The 200-400 will be over $10K, assuming it's actually released - it's been announced as 'in development' but not yet even formally announced as a forthcoming lens, so it could easily be 1-2 years before its available (the 500/600 II lenses were announced in Aug 2010 and still aren't available!).

My local cps/nps shop already has the 200-400 posted on his website, below is the thumbnail.
I don't know if the foot is just a placeholder, also his canon official links goes to the main page of canon switzerland. But I believe the 200-400 is in front of the door.

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Lenses / Re: FF lens acquisition path

« on: February 21, 2012, 01:36:57 AM »

Thanks for your comments, after looking through the photos of the last weeks I'm longing for outdoor opportunities. It was just unbelievably cold january/february. For the spring/summer time it's more reach I'm looking for, I believe the 70-200 makes most sense as the 100-400 is (forever) due for an update. It's awful how expensive the tele primes are...

The 24 will be important from next winter on for available light indoor wide, that's where the 16-35 is lacking (I think I'll love this lens outdoor and on city trips and forget about the 14).
Afterwards it's more about lighting that I must learn, must look for a good book or course for that matter, and then just go on shooting and no more care about gear too much.
About the macro I'm phobic to insects, a friend biologist loves to run around the house (always used my d90/tamron 90) and got me some very nice shots, so maybe for that and the from time to time food photos I'll get a macro if it isn't too expensive.

On preview there is a nice list about different types of forum characters, I definitely fall into the gear head category...

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Lenses / FF lens acquisition path

« on: February 20, 2012, 04:53:53 PM »

Hi!

Since xmas a happy 5dII owner and contemplating my lens path.
I am a hobby photo/gear freak, main usage is family, several vacation/business trips in the next years with the usual suspect places as cities, safari (planned once), mountains and beach (good to live in the heart of europe) as well as a little street photography.
Until now I got:
Sigma 50 (rarely used), 16-35 II and my big love and long standing dream 85LII which is glued to my camera at present.
A must buy in the near future will be the 24L and I might sell the 16-35 and 50 to get a 14L.

I'm a prime type, means I can pass a whole vacation with just one or two focal lengths. Its my b-day soon and I have some bonus money itching in my pocket:
-everybody loves the 70-200 II and it would add a nice reach, but I keep salivating over the bigger primes though I don't want to spend 10000 on one lens and am looking for a prime alternative. I really frame badly with zoom, one thing too much to think about but I'll probably have to learn it one day

-How would you spend my money in order to get some classy reach and stay below 4000 dollars? If I get the 70-200 I'll add TCs for the times I need more reach? Shall I get the 135 and wait and hope a 400/4 may come out some day?

I must add that after years of cutting edges with my family I am at present heavily investing in my photo gear and only want high quality lenses without too many compromises (as long as it makes kind of sense and will be used frequently enough to somehow explain the expense).

Thanks, Andreas

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Landscape / Re: Post your best pictures of fireworks

« on: February 15, 2012, 11:58:09 PM »

+1
Beautiful!

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Landscape / Re: Post your best pictures of fireworks

« on: February 15, 2012, 04:15:38 PM »

Not nearly as beautiful as your shots, but these were taken handheld with shutter speeds from 4-8 seconds during a storm (max winds of up to 80mph), you never knew if these little bugger rockets would shoot up or sideways..... I just like the ambiance. Was my 1st week with the 5d, didn't know how to raise the iso in the dark and slight rain, was at 3200. Next time I'm sure to get out the tripod.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Does FF make your photos pop?

« on: February 12, 2012, 09:02:43 AM »

Thanks for the info!
There are so many steps I can improve on - especially PP.

I take photos mostly while traveling.
When I am back home I am too busy with work to do PP.
So, I've just shot in jpg but I want to change that.

Regarding the "poping"  I don't think it is so much about aperture and DOF.
In the portrait galary there is a great pic by JR:
5D mkII, 70-200mm f2.8L IS II, taken at 200mm, f4.5, ISO 320


The sharp face contour gives the image a great three-dimensionality.
It is almost like looking through a window.

To the last comments:
I don't claim that I mastered APS-C and now need a FF to push the technical boundaries.
I have just noticed that some photos have a great three-dimensional impression and they were all taken by 5Ds.
The reason is not clear to me. It might be PP that most 5D owners use.
Many of the pictures I admire don't look like they took hours of waiting for the right light and it is also not about the largest aperture.
You also don't need a complex composition, as you can see in the picture above.

I think I understand what you are getting at, it sounds stupid but after changing to FF I prefer my photos, though I certainly did not improve my photographing skills from one day to the other, and my D90 and X100 certainly were/are great cameras, but there just is something to these FF pictures, the tonality of the x100 plus the DOF control plus some L-magic. I get way more compliments now than before just shooting the same... Everybody says it's more important to take courses and read books on getting a better photographer, which is absolutely true, but if you have the funds for FF and other goodies it makes your photos better in an instant and you still can go on improving your skills...

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Lenses / Re: 85mm f1.2 II or 70-200mm f2.8L IS II

« on: February 12, 2012, 04:45:35 AM »

Unfortunately, if you have the funds, get both! I got the 85 2 weeks ago before the 70-200 because of the canon rebates, the salesman wrote me down the price he'll make me for the 70-200 on a business card, so I wasn't in a hurry an fetch it for my b-day in march.

2 different horses:

85 is just an uber portrait lens and marvelous for indoor candids (af mostly fast enough for kids running around if in the zone)
70-200 for the range, is and speed.

If I hadn't had the funds to get both in the same year I would have probably opted for the 70-200 for its versatility and waited to get the 85. The 85 blows a fifty 1.4 out of the water with ease, just yesterday I put the 50 (Sigma) back on again and just found it lacking in many ways.