Messages

1

Lenses / Re: 70-200 f/4 vs. 200 f/2.8

« on: October 04, 2012, 12:23:45 AM »

I shoot action sports regularly. I also own both the 200 f2.8 v1 and the 70-200 f4 IS. In my opinion, the 200 f2.8 is the right choice for sports. F2.8 gives twice the shutter speed to stop action and F2.8 enables superior autofocus on many canon bodies including my 60D. In addition, using both lenses on a tripod, under controlled lighting, on the same subject, the 200 f2.8 lens gives clearly superior image sharpness, resolution, and contrast relative to the 70-200 f4 IS (itself an extremely good lens). I was also able to buy my used copy of the 200 f2.8 v1 for <$400 so you should consider this over the current version. Hope this helps.

Paul

2

Lenses / Re: Travelling zoom

« on: August 14, 2012, 11:48:00 PM »

Michael

The best travel setup is something I struggle with as well. It requires balancing image quality against size and weight. As one post mentioned, the Tamron 18-270 VC can be an attractive option. I own this lens and took it on several trips that included shooting wildlife, landscapes, and urban environments. Strengths include reasonable size and weight, excellent VC (I get 4 stops advantage), do-everything focal length, and good maximum magnification. I was very happy with this lens when my main camera was an 8 megapixel 30D. I am less happy using this lens with my current 18 megapixel 60D, and I have not travelled with this lens since upgrading my camera. Compared directly to other lenses I own or have owned, the Tamron has better IQ than the 18-55 IS and 28-135 IS kit lenses. It has inferior IQ to my 10-22mm EFS and 28-70 F2.8L lenses, but the Tamron does quite well in the 18-135mm focal range. The weaknesses in this range are more distortion than the 10-22mm at wide angle and slightly reduced sharpness/contrast. The real weakness of the Tamron 18-270 lens is the longer focal lengths. It has clearly inferior IQ (sharpness, contrast, CA) to Canon's 70-200 F4L IS and 100-400mm IS lenses at longer focal lengths. I also don't know how Tamron measures focal lengths because at typical subject distances its field-of-view at 270mm is nearly identical to my Canon lenses at 200mm. Reviewing my photos with the 18-270mm lens, I used the extremes of 18mm and 270mm more than all other focal lengths combined. My current travel setup with my 60D is the 10-22mm EFS + 60mm EFS macro + either the 70-200mm F4 IS or 100-400mm IS depending on the potential subject (i.e. the 100-400mm if the trip will include significant wildlife). Good luck.

Paul

3

Lenses / Re: Thoughts on some classics

« on: April 08, 2012, 06:00:50 PM »

I have the EF 200 F2.8 version 1. I have compared it directly to several of the better Canon zooms that cover 200mm including the 70-200mm F4L IS, 100-400 L IS, and the 70-200mm F2.8L IS v1 on my 60D. My copy of the prime lens has significantly better sharpness, contrast, and resolution than any of the zoom lenses (although all of these zooms are excellent so the difference is really only relevant for very large prints or for crops). Hope this helps.

4

Canon General / Re: How many of use self standing Monopods?

« on: February 29, 2012, 11:47:20 AM »

I have used the Trekpod XL when traveling and hiking. As a lightweight monopod, it works great. As a hiking aid, it would not support my weight (170lb) out of the box because the joints between sections would slip. I applied Tacx Carbon Assembly Paste to the the joints, and then it would support my weight. As a free standing tripod, I have only used it occasionally with a DSLR. It must be used on level ground with little/no wind for me to feel comfortable with the support. Good luck.

5

Lenses / Re: what is the most contrasty lens you have used????

« on: February 23, 2012, 11:22:18 PM »

By my count, I have used (borrowed, rented, owned) 18 EFS and EF compatible lenses including 6 L-series lenses. I do own the 50mm f1.4 canon lens. The lenses that I have found to be superior in contrast to the 50mm f1.4 include the macro lenses I have used (EFS 60mm, EF 100mm f2.8, and EF 100mm F2.8L), and the best IQ Canon lens I have used which is the 200mm F2.8L mk1. My copy of this lens has clearly superior contrast and sharpness on my cameras (30D, 60D, 5D) to all other Canon-compatible lenses I have used (I have never used any of the big white primes).

6

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Help with my "itch" for a FF

« on: February 23, 2012, 10:24:07 PM »

I empathize with your position. I have been very curious about the advantages of full-frame over my 60D. I am still uncertain about the yet-to-be official 5D mk3 considering the likely $3000+ price tag and speculative features. Given that you don't print above 10X14, resolution is really not an issue (the 12 megapixel 5D mk1 is more than enough). I decided to evaluate the full-frame option in a step-wise manner. There are currently great deals out there on a 5D mk1. I recently purchased an excellent 5D mk1 copy + battery grip on CL for $599. Given the current ebay prices, I know that I can sell it for a profit or minimal loss. I am still deciding if a transition to full-frame is right for me, but buying an older camera used will allow me to really evaluate my wants/needs without the big financial commitment/risk. I kept my 60D for uses like sports/wildlife where the high frame rate, better autofocus, and crop are very useful.

7

Lenses / Re: Recommendation: Tele lens for 60D

« on: February 15, 2012, 09:23:37 PM »

I have used both the Canon 70-200mm F2.8L IS v1 and the Canon 70-200mm F4L IS on my 60D. These are both great lenses. They are sharp from center to corners on my 60D, and they both have color and contrast that I find very satisfying. I have not used the 70-200mm F2.8 IS v2, but I am sure that it is a great lens and likely better in terms of sharpness than the older lenses based on the reviews I've read. The questions are, what do plan to use the lens for, and how big to you plan to print your photos? The older lenses are plenty sharp for prints up to A3 (~12 X 17 inches, largest I've done). The F2.8 lenses will be better for sports and portraits, but the F4 lens is much smaller and lighter so it has a big advantage for travel, hiking, etc. Good luck.

8

Lenses / Re: Which lenses for travel kit?

« on: February 14, 2012, 10:10:32 AM »

Everyone,

Thank you for the suggestions. There are definitely good ideas that could work for me. I'll update after my next trip.

Paul

9

Lenses / Re: Which lenses for travel kit?

« on: February 14, 2012, 01:14:59 AM »

my feet cover the missing focal lengths so dont care really
50mm gives me a nice small lens that covers all low light use
tripod essential for landscapes / long exposures
I usually keep the flash and a gorillapod and a stofen omnibounce clip on difusser just incase i want to do some off camera lighting the gorillapod is super handy to set up a flash on quickly.
I have been considering if it is going over the top to keep a shootthrough umbrella in my tripod bag though I might try that on my next trip away incase i want to do an impromptue portrait shoot
the cheap ebay povery wizards are small and light and cheap so i take them i may take my yongnuo st-e2 copy next time instead so i have ettl and high speed sync though
i have the kenko DGX teleconvert it will work with any lens and is really small and light (much cheaper than the canon too nice for a little extra reach on the 70-200 if i need it)

Thank you for the clarification. I thing your lens strategy could work well for me. I'm not certain the additional equipment will fit with my carry-on only travel strategy. I'll probably try this in stages during my upcoming trips.

Paul

10

Lenses / Re: Which lenses for travel kit?

« on: February 14, 2012, 12:48:45 AM »

I'm probably the worst person to ask about this because when I travel light photography gear wise the list includes
5Dmk2
16-35 f2.8L
70-200 f2.8L
50mm f1.4
1.4 Teleconverter
a flash
and a tripod
plus some filters cable releases batteries chargers etc


I could take my 60D with the Canon 10-22mm (own it), 50mm f1.4 (own it), and 70-200mm F4 IS (own it). I am curious how much use you get out of the other items. I own an off-body flash and tripod/ballhead. I do not own a teleconverter. Also, do you miss the standard range focal lengths between 36 and 69mm?

Paul

11

Lenses / Which lenses for travel kit?

« on: February 14, 2012, 12:28:09 AM »

I am new to the forum, but from what I have read there is a great volume of knowledge and experience here. I am seeking advice on what other forum members find to be a great travel kit. I am an amateur, and a variety of subjects interest me including sports, wildlife, street photography, landscape, macro, etc. When I am shooting locally, I can choose the right lens for the job. When I am traveling, I compromise for weight and space. I have taken several trips with the Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens as a do everything with one lens solution. This lens has some good features including great focal range, effective VC, good maximum magnification, and small size. However, limitations with overall IQ and focus speed have been more important as I have upgraded my camera from a Rebel XT (8 megapixel) to a 60D (18 megapixel). I also now own more high quality Canon lenses that put the Tamron to shame. I am looking for relatively light and compact multi-lens solutions that will improve the IQ and/or versatility of my travel photography kit.

My style of travel includes both travel to cities and outdoor/hiking/adventure trips with lots of wildlife. I usually fly. For trips under 1 week, I prefer to travel carry-on only so space is at a premium. Comments on bodies, lenses, bags, and other gear are all welcome. Upcoming trips will include Washington DC, Chicago, IL, and Ashville, NC. Comments on interesting photographic opportunities in those areas are also appreciated.

Thanks
Paul

12

Lenses / Re: EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro vs. EF-S 60 f/2.8 Macro ?

« on: February 07, 2012, 11:14:48 PM »

I have both. My copies are both very sharp on my 60D 18 megapixel crop sensor camera. They both also have great overall IQ. Get the 100mm EF if you plan to upgrade to full frame in the future. The longer working distance and narrow field of view of the 100mm are also advantageous in some situations. The 60mm EFS is much smaller and lighter so I find it very easy to take with me as part of a multi-lens kit for hiking, travel, etc.

13

Lenses / Re: 70-200mm f4L vs 200mm f2.8L (vs 70-200 f4L IS?)

« on: January 20, 2012, 12:11:22 AM »

I own both the 200mm f2.8 (mark I) and the 70-200mm f4 IS USM. For my copies of these lenses, the 200mm f2.8 is clearly superior in contrast, sharpness, and resolution (under controlled conditions on a tripod with constant lighting), but both deliver excellent results hand held under real world conditions. I generally find the zoom flexibility and IS a big advantage for the 70-200 under most conditions. However, for fast moving people or wildlife, the 200 f2.8 focuses faster and tracks better using AI servo focus on my 60D. I get very satisfying results with both lenses and the zoom is mounted on my camera more often.