Messages

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EOS Bodies / Re: Comparing 6D with 5D3

« on: September 28, 2012, 03:22:28 PM »

[quote author=neuroanatomist link=topic=9675.msg175990#msg175990 date=1348669813

Who's this mythical 'everyone', and does it include anyone besides you?     I suppose the 'everyone' would include those users who just shoot every photo with their main subject smack in the middle of the frame.  To heck with pleasing composition..

As Canon-F1 correctly points out, using the center point and recomposing is fine if you're shooting with a slow lens (f/4 or f/5.6) and/or with a distant subject, because in those cases the deep DoF will mask the focus error.  But focus-recompose with a fast prime shot wide open results in back focus - that's geometry, plain and simple.  The closer you can get an AF point to your subject, the better.  That's one reason why the AF point spread on the 5D/5DII was unliked (it didn't help that the outer points weren't very accurate, either). 
[/quote]

I think the mythical 'everyone' are people like me who used to make a living with a pair of the original 5D's, where center point was the only point worth using, and that method of working carried over to the 5DmkII, partly out of habit, but mostly out of necessity still. Having used the 85L+35L for 90% of my portrait work in that time, I've always able to nail focus where I want it in more than enough shots to get what I needed by focusing and recomposing. Granted, I am talking about portrait and wedding work, mostly. It only takes a little practice and finesse to figure out what works, but it's not like I ever have a bunch of back-focused shots in any given take, and it's not a problem to finding pleasing compositions at wide apertures.

Now that we are onto the 5DIII, I find myself actually changing focus points all the time, and it's been it's own small learning curve, and I focus and recompose less. That being said, my keeper rate is higher overall, regardless of focusing technique, with the 5DIII because it really is just so much better overall and I'm learning to actually trust my camera, which says a lot. (finally canon, thanks).

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Who upgraded from 5d mk2 to mk3 ?

« on: September 21, 2012, 10:28:30 PM »

My lens kit matches yours really closely, and I definitely trust the 5DIII to nail focus in ways that I never enjoyed with the 5DII. My keeper rate is definitely higher than with the 5DII due to focus, especially in darker situations when people are moving. For shooting music, I love being able to trust that I will nail focus at f1.4, and go to ISO 3200 or 6400 without any problems. 

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Watch those CF pins on your 5D3

« on: September 21, 2012, 09:57:03 PM »

I had the CF reader replaced in a 5DII early this year, and my bill came to $38.00, which also included a new door for the CF slot. The cost of replacing another one doesn't scare me, but it would be a hassle I wouldn't expect with the 5DIII.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Best flash for 5Dmk3?

« on: September 20, 2012, 09:07:50 PM »

The 600EX RT's have been in heavy rotation since I picked up three of them to replace my aging 580's. Not having to deal with PW's / triggers, etc. has made working with the speed lights a lot easier, and the ETTL metering seems to be a lot more consistent and predictable paired with the 5DIII. They're definitely pricey for speed lights, but worth it for me.

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Canon General / Re: Is it time for the "CEO" of Canon's DSLR division to resign?

« on: September 18, 2012, 08:10:53 PM »

So basically Canon updated and reissued the 5DII as the 6D for less than the original price of the 5DII. Maybe it's a boring move, but it's still a smart one. Considering the 5DIII is so close in key features to the 1DX, it seems foolish to complain that the 6D isn't a lot closer to the 5DIII for $2.1k. How it compares to a D600, I don't care since I trust the 5DIII and the new flash system. By the time I sold off my L glass to buy the Nikor counterparts, I'd be out a ton of money.

When I deliver a job, my client would never be able to tell if the files came from the 5DII or 5DIII, and I'm sure it would be no different with the 6D....the results can be similar, but I definitely trust the 5DIII a lot more in critical situations because it handles so well. Had they fit the 7D focusing system into the 6D, I think they'd have a big winner on their hands, but probably at the expense of the 5DIII, as other have already said.

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EOS Bodies / Re: 6D or 5D Mk II

« on: September 18, 2012, 03:13:43 AM »

Since the 6D is post-600EX-RT, I assume there would be some advantage to having a 6D over a 5DII for HSS off-camera, though I know some people are not feeling limited by the 5DII in that regard. The only other possible advantage I can think of is that if the sensor + digic V more closely matches the color and noise of the 5DIII, it could be a capable back-up camera for me...but I'll still buy another 5DIII.

 If I was a hobbyist primarily into portraits, I'd be thinking the 6D+85L combination looks pretty good at $4,100 versus $3,900 for a 5DIII + 85 f1.8. For the photographer that wants to go FF, but have money left over for glass, I imagine the 6D will be a nice option once the 5DII is nola. For that matter, you could buy two expensive 600EX-RT's to go with a 6D and still come out less than a 5DIII....not ahead, just less.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: How much does a dual-card slot matter?

« on: July 04, 2012, 08:55:20 PM »

I've got my 60d camera and am going to buy some 5d - does that count as "two bodies" for you, tough not both are ff? I've gotten really used to the 60d and Magic Lantern, and as a second body with a faster lens even the crop sensor should do ok, or at least that's what I hope.

I shot for almost a year with a 5D+30D combo and it worked out fine, though I usually had a gap in focal length between the two bodies that was just another thing to deal with. Plus, looking through the 30D felt like shooting through a keyhole compared to the FF viewfinder. I think the crop+FF has advantages though, at least in terms of reach. My point was really more about the SD slot being worth the extra money if the other features ( already well enumerated in this post) aren't your main concern. I personally have yet to buy any SD cards to use in that slot, though I've shot 4 or 5 weddings, which I realize is foolish considering I have that option.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: How much does a dual-card slot matter?

« on: July 04, 2012, 05:50:26 PM »

From a wedding photography perspective, having never had the second card slot option on my previous 5D's and 5DII's, I see more value in affording two bodies going into your career than I do in spending the same money on the 5DIII  alone. Now that I've gotten used to the 5DIII, I definitely prefer it for the way it handles and the color it produces, but I literally had to sell two 5DII's to get one. That being said, I've always shot with a body on each shoulder and I've never missed a shot due to card errors anyway. In a sudden 'oh-crap' moment I could always swap a card from the other body much faster than swapping lenses. Paying attention to how many shots are on your card leading up to important moments is part of the job anyway.

Someone mentioned shooting the whole day on a pair of 128GB cards, which I think is smart in terms of redundancy,
but there can also be drawbacks to not spreading the day out over several cards, if for instance your body is stolen at  the end of the night ( It happened to one of my colleagues at a high-end venue...1DmkIII) then all of your pictures are gone. Odds are low, so I guess it all comes down to what we perceive to be the bigger risks.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon EOS-1D X Review

« on: June 27, 2012, 06:23:49 PM »

That's great Brian. Since I've met and worked with a lot of other full time photographers, it makes sense I wouldn't know anyone that would pony up for a 1 series outside of that circle. The guy who used to valet in at my building had a 1DII a couple of years ago, but he was a working pro overseas before coming here, so he still counts. In my point I was responding to the idea that photographers would buy a 1 series to shoot their cats (sarcastically) and I agree that it's not a hobbyist camera. The people I've met who approached buying a camera to tote around like buying a watch, bought Leicas. I'm sure their cat photos are very nice.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon EOS-1D X Review

« on: June 27, 2012, 06:10:59 PM »

I cant understand why so many 5DMK3 owners are saying  ... "I'm glad", "It does", "It doesn't", "Cant do", "Can do", blah, blah, blah ... ON ALL OF THE 1DX THREADS! 

WE GET IT! ... you payed less for less of a camera!

Be happy & go use it.

Quit spending time counting your $$$ in front of those who spent more for what they wanted!!!!!!

Jeeeeez us! 

The review of the 1DX includes direct comparisons between both cameras. That's WHY.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon EOS-1D X Review

« on: June 27, 2012, 06:08:13 PM »

I'm really pleased to see how well the 5DIII compares to the Flagship model 1DX. Everyone is complaining about the cost of a the 5DIII, (with a grip and sales tax here in CA came to $4200) but considering how close it got me to a 1DX w/out the added expense for features I won't utilize, I'm happy; especially now that I've enjoyed how well the 5DIII handles on a couple of jobs. I couldn't make a business case to upgrade, as the pair of 5DII's I'd used for a while had been getting the job done, and it's not as if my clients will offer to pay me one penny more to use a newer body (let alone a 1DX).  All in all, I would think it would be tougher to holding a recent 1DsIII and figure out what to do....

Supposedly the advantage to the new bodies is full functionality of the new 600 EX RT's, though in my experience I haven't noticed a practical difference between using them off-camera with the master on the 5DII or III.

I agree that the 5DIII is engineered for photographers that make money with their gear, but no one said they aren't also marketed to all photographers. I've never met anyone with a 1 series that didn't make money with it. I think you are more likely to see well-heeled hobbyists sporting a Leica if they're shopping for a status symbol as much as a camera.

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EOS Bodies / Re: 5D Mark III vs 5D Mark II Raw Image Quality

« on: June 19, 2012, 10:30:46 PM »

The color to me is better straight out of the camera on the 5DIII, which to me factors into image quality, and also saves me more time editing high volume events (definitely a nice return on the investment.) My keeper rate in difficult focusing situations has gone way up too, so I find I have more to choose from after the shoot as well. Even the flash system is more useable and reliable with the 600 RT's, which also contributes to overall image quality. With ISO set under 800, you probably can get files to look nearly identical, but you have to have a quality capture to start with, which I feel like I can count on getting with the 5DIII in ways that I never did with any other Canon to date. From ISO 1600+, it's definitely got more room to move.

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Canon General / Re: The Future of the Canon Speedlite [CR1] & More

« on: November 29, 2011, 11:34:09 PM »

Radio trigger features would be nice, since Nikon's already done that, but I'd give that up any day of the week for a more predictable and consistent ETTL. If they solve that, I'll upgrade at the soonest opportunity. 

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Software & Accessories / Re: Is $650+ too much for a 6hr (one day) Lightroom session?

« on: November 29, 2011, 11:24:09 PM »

I think someone who has spent some time in LR already would benefit more from this kind of intensive workshop. There is a crazy amount of information to absorb and you can only take in so much on one day. You will probably end up working through all the study materials and take-home papers in the months following, which is an awful lot like working from a book anyway. It is a pretty intuitive application and you might be surprised how much you can learn on your own.
Unless you have a really high volume workflow issue to solve, I would save the money.