Topics

1

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Considering an EOS 35mm (film) body

« on: May 30, 2012, 10:21:50 AM »

Does anybody have any tips or advice on either the EOS-1V or the EOS-3? I'm looking at purchasing one of them.
Do they work with the same lenses that the 5D works with?
Ebay okay to buy from, or would you recommend elsewhere?

Thanks.

-MS

2

Third Party Manufacturers / Amazon top selling DSLRs...

« on: May 29, 2012, 07:02:12 PM »

...http://amzn.to/LD69bx
Lots of Nikon there. I'm assuming Canon will gain some ground with a new Rebel release, but they are not performing in the sales department right now.

3

Lighting / McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries

« on: May 28, 2012, 10:09:48 PM »

I just finished reading through McNally's book (Hot Shoe Diaries), again, and it is awesome. Even better the second time through. Tons of great lighting advice in there. I highly recommend it.
This one: http://amzn.to/K6eAQZ

McNally has a real down to earth style about how he sets up his scenes and just makes it work, very very well, with what he has - which is small light in this book.


Great stuff, especially with the new 600EX-RT (http://amzn.to/I616Ey) out.


-MS

4

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Amazon top photography books...

« on: May 14, 2012, 04:39:23 PM »

...good to see Martin Evening near the top. I always like his stuff. He's very accessible as well (responds to emails within a few days and gives you more than a one word or sentence response).


Some good stuff here:
http://amzn.to/IUqY0O

5

EOS Bodies - For Stills / 5dM3 dual card write speed results

« on: May 05, 2012, 05:24:16 PM »

I did some 5dm3 testing and came up with some write speeds for the SanDisk memory cards. Full size raw for all tests. High speed continuous.

The cards I used
SD: http://amzn.to/IxaUC2
CF: http://amzn.to/KrRKE4


Dual CF/SD
1 through 14: 0.225 seconds each
Image 15: 0.6 seconds
Image 16 and higher: 1.35 seconds

CF only
Images 1 through 20: 0.225 seconds each
Images 21 and higher: 0.55 seconds each

SD only
Images 1 through 15: 0.225 seconds each
Images 16 and higher: 1.3 seconds each

6

Software & Accessories / CF card holder

« on: April 05, 2012, 08:41:49 AM »

Anybody have a good recommendation for a CF card holder/wallet?

7

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Microadjustment (fluke?)

« on: April 04, 2012, 10:13:02 PM »

I just spent a lot of time doing AF MA on the 5dm3.
When I was finished I wrote down the adjustments for future reference.

Here they are:
24-70 wide: -5 tele: +5
70-200 wide: +5 tele: 0
50: -3

When I wrote down the numbers I noticed that the adjustments seem to correspond to the focal length, regardless of lens.
Wide is negative 5 and increases to positive 5 by the time it hits 70 for all lenses. By the time I reach 200, I am at zero MA.

Is this just a fluke or are most people seeing this?

8

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Autofocus Guidebook for 1D/5D (canon link)

« on: April 03, 2012, 10:26:53 PM »

I didn't see this posted...

http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2012/1dx_guidebook.shtml?categoryId=12

9

Lenses / Looking for ideas/feedback/opinion...

« on: March 31, 2012, 12:26:54 PM »

Current bodies: 5dm3 and 7d
Current lenses: 10-22, 50 1.4, 24-70L, 70-200 F4L, 70-200 F2.8L IS II

(The 2.8 IS II was a gift, that is why I have two in that focal range.)

So.
I'm thinking of:
selling the 10-22 and the 70-200 F4
buying the 17-40 F4L and the 85 1.8

I'm looking for feedback on if you guys think this is a good route to take or if you would do something different.
With the 5dm3 the 10-22 is limited to the 7Dd only.


Please...
Give me a +1 if you think the sell/buy combo is good.
Give me a different idea if you disagree.

Thanks!

-MS

10

Software & Accessories / geotagging DSLR with iPhone

« on: March 30, 2012, 09:55:25 AM »

Does anybody use their iPhone to geotag their DSLR images?

If so, how are you doing it?
What do you recommend?

Thanks.

-MS

11

Software & Accessories / LR4 update later this week

« on: March 28, 2012, 08:06:09 AM »

As per Tom Hogarty.

https://m.getsatisfaction.com/photoshop_family#/topics/lightroom_4_update_from_the_team_update_scheduled_for_this_week

12

EOS Bodies / 5DM3 auto lighting optimizer and high ISO NR

« on: March 27, 2012, 01:28:06 PM »

Does anybody know this:

Auto Lighting Optimizer
Does the auto lighting optimizer get applied to raw images? The book says (p 142) that  "with jpeg images, the correction is applied when the image is captured." To me that implies that the raw correction is applied at a different time. Thoughts? Or is it not applied at all to a raw image? Would it be applied to a DPP raw but not a DNG conversion?

Next up.
High ISO NR
This is a very misleading menu title in my opinion. The menu title says "high" but the book (p 143) says the NR is applied to all ISO speeds. Raw images that are viewed in camera have NR that "looks minimal." Does DPP add to the minimal NR automatically? Is there minimal NR applied to a DNG converted raw?

Thanks for any info.
Canon's instruction manual is as awesome as their DPP software.

-MS

13

EOS Bodies / Question about the 5dm3 IQ processing issues...

« on: March 26, 2012, 12:03:55 AM »

There are lots threads (here and elsewhere) regarding image quality (mostly softness related) when using Canon's DPP. At this time, there really doesn't seem to be a way to properly generate a sharp image from a CR2 captured with the 5DM3.

I find it hard to believe that Canon would put out a product that isn't as sharp as the one it replaces. They must have done substantial testing with the Camera. I believe the issue is with the software, not the sensor or camera.
So....
How did Canon process the images?

14

EOS Bodies / Crutchfield customer service - excellent

« on: March 22, 2012, 12:30:15 PM »

I received a call from Jimmy at Crutchfield today. He called me to apologize for the mess of a situation that occurred yesterday and the day prior.

Background: I was erroneously told that my phone order for a 5DM3 was shipping out Tuesday and would arrive Thursday (which is now today). I received an email confirmation on Tuesday of the order and cancelled my very early preorder with Amazon. Yesterday I checked my Crutchfield order and it had not been processed yet. I called and was told that the 5DM3 that was pulled from inventory wasn't actually pulled from inventory and crutchfield did not know when I would get my item.
At this point a trumpet thundered, the skies turned 18% grey, and 6 locusts per second starting appearing.

Anyway. It was a fiasco and I was disappointed. I cancelled my order and went elsewhere (and received my 5DM3 this morning from the new vendor).

Today I received a call from Jimmy. I did not ask for a call or email a complaint or anything like that. Crutchfield called me, to apologize. The 5DM3 is obviously a very hot item and places are selling out very quickly. Things like what happened to me are painful and shouldn't happen, but people are human and it is what it is. The call was a nice gesture. Apology accepted.

Kudos to Crutchfield for going out of their way to call me. Jimmy did not know that I received a camera from a different vendor and was going to do all that he could to get me one asap. Also, everybody that I spoke with at crutchfield was very well spoken, polite, and understanding. They seem like genuinely nice people to me. Also, they can clearly sell every 5DM3 they get in stock and don't need me for the sale. They went out of their way to right a wrong. This rarely happens these days. Good for them.

Try calling Amazon and see if you can even understand whoever it is you speak with. Join an Amazon chat with a rep and it is often very clear that the typed response you receive is a cut and paste job.


I thought I'd share a positive customer service experience. I didn't end up making my purchase through Crutchfield but I will certainly be using them in the future.

15

EOS Bodies / crutchfield

« on: March 21, 2012, 10:53:00 AM »

Wow.
Just got off the phone with crutchfield.
I ordered through them last night via phone with Dean. Dean pulled a 5dm3 body and put it in his system/cart while I was talking with him. I pulled the trigger on the item, paid for super fast shipping, and was told the 5dm3 body would arrive Thursday morning before 10:30. When I received email confirmation of my order, I cancelled at Amazon. I was a March 2nd 2:30am Central time Amazon orderer.
Today crutchfield tells me that there were actually no 5dm3s left when Dean placed my order.
"Sorry, I understand your frustration."
No, I don't think you do.