Topics

1

EOS Bodies / Is the DSLR in danger of becomming an endangered species?

« on: June 01, 2012, 03:58:41 AM »

Maybe an odd question at first glance, but there is a lot of substance behind it.  Canon in particular has pushed up prices of its higher end DSLR models to such a degree that the really need to produce something pretty special - the trouble is that they don't produce image quality that much better than the previous models.

Last month Canon held a management briefing here  The interesting thing is what they said about comming compact cameras:

"we will further differentiate and enhance our lineup by launching new cameras offering the image qualities that approaches SLR cameras; furthering the improvement in design and qualities, and by incorporating features such as network, connectivity capabilities."



Now I'm sure that there will be those who view this as some kind of heresy and won't believe that this is even possible, but have a look at these images taken with the Olympus E-M5 and a Canon FD 50-300mm f/4.5L and then ask yourself seriously if a DSLR would have returned better image quality.

Falling sales of high end product will reduce profits, and put pressure on manufacturers to raise high prices even higher, but what is the real point of paying so much for something which isn't returning images significantly better than those which can be obtained for a tenth of the outlay?  Of course we know that clients expect to see a big camera, better than something they might own, and for those users, there's little choice

2

Lenses / Why buy Canon when third party are this good?

« on: April 26, 2012, 03:01:52 PM »

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/tamron-sp-24-70mm-f-2-8-vc-usd-lens-review-19056

This lens is half the price of the Canon version and it has VC (IS), when the results are this good what is the point in paying twice as much for a lens which hasn't even made it to market properly yet, weighs a ton & doesn't have IS?

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EOS Bodies / Finding specific camera rumours

« on: April 18, 2012, 07:32:26 AM »

It used to be the case that we could search for rumours via a list on the right hand side of the home page, but now that list has gone replaced by a list of forum topics (useless I can look at those myself) so searching for the 7D replacement requires a search which then includes every single item which mentions the old 7D.  Am I missing something?  The list was good because it featured products which weren't direct replacements and many may not have heard about.

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Software & Accessories / Canon RAW codec

« on: March 28, 2012, 02:16:16 PM »

Can't you tell I've got a new camera!

The Raw codec hasn't been updated since Nov 2010, it's never been Canons highest priority, but with so many new models it's becomming really out of date.

5

EOS Bodies / DPreview - problems?

« on: March 21, 2012, 03:49:51 AM »

Many people including me value the in depth reviews of cameras, and following the release of so many new & exciting new DSLRs there's an expectation that one of the premier review sites will post it's findings soon.  But DPreview has not posted a DSLR review since the Sony SLT-A65 way back in mid November last year.  Since the turn of the year they have only posted  four reviews, and all of those have been compacts.

The Nikon D4 was previewed 6th January, surely there has been enough time to review one by now?  Prior to DPreview, Steves digicams was perhaps the best review site, it looks like DPreview is taking far too long, and that means it's going to lose relevance quite quickly.  A shame as it's reviews were excellent.

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PowerShot Cameras / Canon FA-DC58C Filter adapter for G1X What a Rip Off !!

« on: March 18, 2012, 05:06:45 PM »

Come on this thing is little more than a step up / down ring and yet it's selling for up to £55.00 delivered!! A far East sourced ring costs about £1.00

I understand Canon & the camera shops need a profit, but this is plain ridiculous, I thought the 'C' type adaptors for the MT24 EX were overpriced but they're a positive bargain at less than half the price of this thing.

Roll on the day someone makes a lookie likie and sells it at a price which is closer to what it's worth (and still makes a reasonable profit!

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EOS Bodies / 5D MkIII instructions - Rant !!

« on: March 16, 2012, 09:41:06 AM »

Please forgive this rant but there are times when I find instruction manuals so annoying!  I understand there needs to be a section of 'get out' sentences for the terminally stupid for legal reasons, but this time I think that Canon believes the 5D MkIII will be bought by the mentally deficient.

Page 36

On turns the  camera on !

'Off' turns the camera off & it will not operate!  (How many people would expect it to continue working after it's switched off?)  There's even a diagram of how to turn it on & off.

Page 39

A whole page dedicated to how to change a lens.  What are people doing buying a camera like this if they don't even know how to change a lens??

Page 40

An entire page about how to zoom a lens! and how to then detach it again (Obviously they're too dim to reverse the attachment instructions)

Page 41

How to attach a lens hood ! (for goodness sake if you can't work this out you shouldn't be allowed out alone!)

Page 42

The image stabiliser a whole page which basically amounts to turn it on & take a picture!

Page 43

How to hold a camera (because you're obviously not clever enough to work it out)

Page 44

How to press the shutter release (sheesh!)

Sorry for the rant, but this is supposed to be a 'high performance' professional digital camera, it just insults the intelligence of users to tell us these things, and wastes our time having to plough through them.

I'm also not sure you can have an approximately 100% viewfinder, it's either 100% or it isn't (approximately 99% perhaps).

Health & safety are incredibly important issues for photographers, cabling & electrics in studios are risks to be aware of, and outdoors there are far too many Utube clips of photographers walking backwards to compose shots, and falling down flights of stairs, or into water features, all things we should all be aware of, but the level of these instructions are frankly insulting.

Rant over - smite away!

8

EOS Bodies / 1D bodies focus faster true or false?

« on: March 07, 2012, 01:07:52 PM »

Various reports used to tell that the 1D series bodies would focus the same lens faster than other lesser bodies.  Firstly is it true? secondly if it is how did they manage this seeing as the drive is electric, more power?  Or is it possibly the more advanced focus system?

Of course if the latter is the case it leads to the inevitable 5D MkIII question as to whether this camera with the 1D focus will focus a lens just as quick?

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Syl Arena tests the ST-E3-R3 & three 600EX flash guns!

« on: March 07, 2012, 03:14:56 AM »

http://pixsylated.com/blog/canon-600ex-rt-first-impressions/

The first impressions, but also the first test with a multi flash set up, worth a read from the expert on Canons Speedlight system.

10

Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / BG-E11 questions

« on: March 05, 2012, 05:03:41 PM »

Not sure if this is the first post, but there seems to have been little interest in the grip, but I have a couple of questions, one of which will probably not be answered until it goes on sale.

First one is that it seems from the pics of the alloy shell that the batteries will go in from the side like the 1D series instead of from the back in the BG-E6.  If this is the case then the batteries will need a carrier, but I do wonder why a battery grip couldn't have the NP-E3 type battery pack of the 1D series?

The second is the issue that the battery grip has had with compromising the weather sealing, not just on the 5D MkII but others when water entered through the cameras battery compartment.  I doubt anyone can answer this unless Canon has mentioned it or they've asked a rep.

I like a battery grip, it makes the camera much easier for me in portrait, especially with an extra set of controls.

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EOS Bodies / DPreview Nikon D800 D4 what the professionals think

« on: February 28, 2012, 04:47:20 AM »

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/2896866820/nikon-d4-d800-what-do-the-professionals-think

Well normally this would have gone into the third party section, but I think it's an interesting insight into what pro photographers are looking for in a camera, and might well illustrate what design criteria Canon have used for the 5D MkIII.

Points of interest are the importance of video - good video, low light performance, and perhaps surprisingly the number of photographers who say they cannot afford to upgrade.  MP count seems unimportant to most if not all, with one saying that 12MP is sufficient for print & web use.

If they are representative of pros in general then the 5D MkIII rumoured specs look to be very well placed.

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EOS Bodies / 22MP - 36MP how much more resolution does it equal

« on: February 24, 2012, 12:47:45 PM »

A question because I can't work it out!  I do know that you need an awful lot more pixels to double the resolution (Square of?) , and that a jump of 14MP might look impressive on paper, but I have this funny feeling that it doesn't actually translate to all that much more in terms of a percentage gain in resolution, all of course at the cost of extra noise, loss of dynamic range, and early onset of diffraction issues.

Please would some one do the math & let me know just what kind of percentage advantage 36MP is over 22MP.

13

EOS Bodies / Lack of information with announcement so close

« on: February 20, 2012, 02:43:56 AM »

Every other camera which has been launched has had loads of rumours, we are now supposedly within a few days of the most anticipated camera, and there's hardly anything. Why is this?

A rumours not too long ago was that Canon have a number of possible cameras and have been awaiting the reaction to the D800 before making a choice as to which one to produce, but surely that decision must have been taken a while ago?

Why would Canons security for this camera be so much better than it has been for the other cameras?

Or could it be that we're not going to see the 5D MkII replacement announced on the 28th?

14

EOS Bodies / Nikon D800 Canon 5D MkII comparison

« on: February 16, 2012, 08:34:26 AM »

OK I know it's digital rev reviewing the two, but they appear to have had their hands on the new Nikon, I think it's interesting reading in the abscence of anything else.

Oh & if anyones offered any cheap Nikon gear some one stole the van with all the Nikon roadshow gear last night in Southern Ireland, including the D4 & the D800 round about £100K worth (Don't we know someone here with links there?)

http://www.digitalrev.com/article/nikon-d800-vs-canon-eos/OTE5NzQxMQ_A_A

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EOS Bodies / Worth being one of the first with a new camera?

« on: February 11, 2012, 06:22:00 AM »

No doubt when the 5D MkII replacement is announced there will be a rush of preorders, for what will almost certainly be a very desireable camera, but what are the drawbacks of doing this.

The price is at its maximum, give a month or two and discounting will reduce the price by hundreds of £ or $

Early teething problems may appear that are addressed in later models such as the black dots, or the focus issue of the 1D MkIII

No RAW support for some time.  It seems to take an age for software providers to update to the latest cameras, being without photoshop is a real PITA waiting for them to release the next ACR update, and sometimes they don't release one, making you buy a new version of the software.

Of course the upside is that you get your hot little hands on the latest tech before everyone else, and the camera you sell to fund it probably fetches a little more.

I think on balance though, I shall wait, I can't deal with having to convert all the files to .dng before they can be processed, and the length of time that adds to workflow.