Messages

1

Canon General / Re: Desired fantasy gear

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:53:09 AM »

Weather sealed RX1 with built in viewfinder.

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Landscape / Re: Life is a blurr

« on: April 20, 2013, 11:30:03 AM »

Yes. Sorry.

#2 is kind of neat though, I like the motion blur in the foreground.

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Lenses / Re: Which extender is best

« on: December 26, 2012, 07:00:43 PM »

Ok, so I am look at the samples  from cyberphoto.se, and the Sigma 2x converter looks considerably sharper than the Canon 2x III both at f/5.6 and especially at f/8. Do my eyes deceive me?

I tried the Sigma 2x vs the Canon Mk2 and found the Canon noticeably better in colour and contrast though pretty similar in sharpness. I later traded The Canon Mk2 2x to get the Mk3. Basically My Canon Mk2 2x was staying at home as I felt cropping was better (remember I found the Sigma significantly inferior to the Canon Mk2) in other words it was a waste of money giving mediocre results on my 300 & 600mm lenses. The Mk3 2x however is enough better to make it worthwhile (it is VERY good on F2.8 primes) to use and carry around. Though very expensive the 2 x Mk3 is significantly better than the Mk2 which was significantly better than the Sigma. Though the Sigma wins hands down on price!

Wow, thank you for that insightful post! Much appreciated

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Canon General / Re: Recommended photography books

« on: December 26, 2012, 06:58:06 PM »

My recommendation would be Joey L - Photographing shadow and light for the avid portraiture photographers out there.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Quick 5Dmkiii WiFi Question

« on: December 19, 2012, 09:18:43 AM »

I plan on getting the new Transcend wifi SD card. It should suffice, and its pretty cheap. The app is looking promising on my android phone.

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Lenses / Re: Which extender is best

« on: November 13, 2012, 01:39:53 PM »

Ok, so I am look at the samples  from cyberphoto.se, and the Sigma 2x converter looks considerably sharper than the Canon 2x III both at f/5.6 and especially at f/8. Do my eyes deceive me?

7

Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Help me decide: 270EXII vs 90EX

« on: November 12, 2012, 04:29:01 PM »

If you want to use a 90EX then that would clearly limit you creatively somewhat as it will always be there to act as a fill flash whether you want it to or not, and also it will limit the range. Of course you could always make a snoot that directs the flash from the 90EX away from your subject and onto your 430 but then again a dedicated trigger would be all the easier.

The optical pulse generated by Optical Masters precede the actual flash and are not captured in the shot. For example, you can use the 7D to drive off-camera slaves without the pop-up flash filling in the shot.

I'd go with the 90EX among the two choices since you already have the 430EX II and just need something for fill flash and can occasionally drive the 430. The only thing you'd gain by getting the 270 is a lighter and far less capable alternative to the 430. Not worth it in my opinion.

If I were to choose, I'd just carry the 430 and get some RF triggers.

Of course! My mistake. Terribly sorry!

Then I tend to agree with your tip, unless range is an issue (which I doubt since Daniemare is even considering the 90EX).

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Help me decide: 270EXII vs 90EX

« on: November 12, 2012, 03:02:41 PM »

You need to decide if you want manual or ettl-capable triggers first. Manual triggers are dirt cheap. If you have the time they are great. For macro, still life and low paced studio work, manual triggers work just fine. Manual triggers will make you better at estimating the needed flash output faster, where as ettl-capable triggers will let you use more of a effortless run-and-gun approach. Also, like I mention earlier, with ettl triggers like the YN-622Cs you can adjust flash output from the screen on the back of the camera, which is a nice feature if you are going to be working a lot with off camera flash.

Don't forget to set aside some funds for modifiers too. The final impact of the added light in your photography is of course just as much affected by the quality of light as the direction(s) from which it comes.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Help me decide: 270EXII vs 90EX

« on: November 12, 2012, 01:28:55 PM »

For off camera stuff, the 90EX would clearly be the only viable choice, unless you want to go with dedicated third party triggers like the Yongnuo YN-622C. A pair of 622Cs with your 430EX II would make a killer one flash setup. If you want to add more flashes later then you have all the flexibility you need to do so. If you want to use a 90EX then that would clearly limit you creatively somewhat as it will always be there to act as a fill flash whether you want it to or not, and also it will limit the range. Of course you could always make a snoot that directs the flash from the 90EX away from your subject and onto your 430 but then again a dedicated trigger would be all the easier.

If you are ambitious, get some triggers, if you just want to horse around a bit then the 90EX would probably do the job just fine. That said, I don't see much value in a flash that cannot be tilted and twisted to bounce off of stuff.

I have the Yongnuo triggers and I like them a lot. With on-camera control they are way smoother in use than my previous manual triggers.

10

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: What do you Love about the 5D3? POLL!

« on: November 10, 2012, 08:02:37 PM »

I like that there is nothing in particular that I dislike with the camera. They must have really listened to the feedback from mk II owners. The larger full coverage VF is my one favorite improvement.

11

Lenses / Re: Bokeh Quality from Different Fullframes vs APS-C´s DLSRs?

« on: November 06, 2012, 10:42:23 AM »

In my opinion bokeh is produced by exposure (light waves under specific angles) and lens design (set of lens elements that pass through the light). Sensor is responsible for capturing the light and that's all.

But what about the different sensor size + distance from the lens, as I understand it the f-stop comparison needs to be adjusted from APS-C to FF, so perhaps this explains why the Bokeh on a crop may appear better at say f2.8, but using the same lens on a FF a direct like-for-like comparison would require a smaller aperture to get the same field of view...so really need to compare bokeh by adjusting aperture first??

When you say field of view I think of the width of the angle. I would rather say that a like-for-like comparison would require a smaller aperture to get the same depth of field...

As for the relationship between bokeh and sensor size, they key point must be that with a larger sensor you get more space for bokeh in your picture. True, at the edges on FF bokeh could be considered to degrade somewhat, compared to an EF lens on a crop body (since the not-perfectly-circular bokeh will be cropped out), but still, I would argue that the quality of the bokeh benefits from a larger sensor. Why? Because the larger the sensor, the longer the focal length you employ  for any certain field of view. Case in point: It should be easier to design a 35mm lens for full frame than a 17,5mm lens for micro four thirds that enables pleasant bokeh, since the latter lens will be more of a wide angle design. Am I wrong?

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon 5Dc as an entry for FF? yay or nay?

« on: October 07, 2012, 01:22:43 PM »

For me, the 5D classic experience was just that, classic. With the low res joke of a screen (by today standards), only a single focus point that is trustworthy, no live view and no auto ISO, you really have to adapt to the cameras limitations and become one with it, keeping your current settings in mind and moving thoughtfully, calculating the impact of every change in light and so on. The files are gorgeous, and quite robust in post processing, so it's a very rewarding experience, especially in low contrast scenes where you can expose to the right. In fact I doubt they are much worse than the files from the 5D II or even the mk III, unless you print big. The one major drawback for my use was the never ending sensor cleaning sessions. I would not recommend the 5DC unless it came with Copper Hills Basic Kit and the will to use it. The 5DC is for those who value hard earned file quality and price above all else.

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Reviews / Re: Review - Canon TS-E 24 f/3.5L II

« on: October 04, 2012, 01:18:56 PM »

Measurebating and test charts alone does not provide the same amount value in a review, as writing about the lens based on extensive experience with the lens itself and how it compares in relation to a selection of competing lenses. Also, the rental service perspective is a very nice touch, giving us a hint as to what is most likely to be the first component that brakes.

All I miss is even more samples. With regards to the 24 TS-E II, it's not a logical investment for my use, but I may try out the Samyang alternative one day.

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Software & Accessories / Re: Need help - setting up a 5D on a windows7 PC

« on: September 09, 2012, 09:05:40 AM »

Yup, that's quite handy. Just remember to choose MicrosoftCodecPack_amd64.msi, which is the one meant for 64-bit systems. All systems that are less than a few years old are based on 64 bit architecture. To make sure, open the start meny, right click on Computer and select properties. It should say system type: 64-bit. If it says 32-bit, then MicrosoftCodecPack_x86.msi is the correct file.

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Software & Accessories / Re: Are Ultrabooks Fast enough?

« on: September 09, 2012, 07:56:16 AM »

The Asus UX31A with a 13" 1080p IPS panel should be a safe choice. A 15" is coming up soon also. With the limited storage capacity of SSD drives, you might want to consider putting aside some funding for a NAS.