Messages

1

Animal Kingdom / Re: Wildlife of the Kruger National Park

« on: October 29, 2012, 07:21:29 PM »

I am hoping to go to South Africa and Kruger some day, if I can ever afford it (the expensive private reserves are likely way out of my budget).  Do you find self-driving through Kruger on a two or three day stay can warrant some good photo opportunities?

Its all about luck, but there are plenty of opportunities by self-driving. I was there a few weeks back after also going to Madikwe on the Botswana border where we drove around with a ranger in a game vehicle, and I found in some ways it was better to have control of the vehicle my self and move into the right position without asking the ranger to move or stop all the time.

Of course he rangers can drive where they like and so can often get closer, espcialy to the cats. But if money is tight, there is still plenty of great opportunity doing it the cheaper way.

I'll post some shots later from my trip.

2

Landscape / Re: Post Your Best Landscapes

« on: October 24, 2012, 08:55:15 PM »

A few from the great African bush, Kruger Park two weeks ago. Taken with 7D and Sigma 17-70 and polarizer.

3

Animal Kingdom / Re: Show your Bird Portraits

« on: October 19, 2012, 01:46:17 AM »

Just returned from the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

All these shot with 7D and 100-400L.

The bateleur is eating a terrapin, think it was squashed by a car.

4

Animal Kingdom / Re: Birds with attitude

« on: August 25, 2012, 04:09:10 AM »

A whistling kite in Perth, 7D and 100-400 L.

He chased off a peregrine falcon just before I got a shot of it!

5

Animal Kingdom / Re: Show your Bird Portraits

« on: August 20, 2012, 10:02:48 AM »

Australian shellduck..lings,

7D, 100-400L @ f5.6 and 1/750, 275mm, iso 400

6

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D Firmware?

« on: August 01, 2012, 07:40:26 PM »

Thanks again Neuro, the Safety shift was enabled.

Thanks Neuro, I will check that Safety shift setting. I understand about the pop up firing the slave, I thought it was radio frequency though.

...Canon introduced RF (radio frequency) trigger/flash with 600 EX-RT and ST-E3 this year in March (so no possibility in 3 years old camera). No other flash or camera has this tech inside.

With rumored new 4xx EX-RT I would be tempted to look at Canon's RT technology - but for now I keep using my trusty 430EX II with Pixel King triggers.

Thanks, that probably explains my confusion.

7

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D Firmware?

« on: August 01, 2012, 10:04:17 AM »

My 7D ignores the shutter speed set in TV mode. So if I set it at 180, or 250, it fires the flash but at a slow speed of whatever the non-flash exposure be, say 1/3 sec in a low lit room. Manual works fine, AV just uses 1/60 all the time.

If the shutter is set to over 1/250 s, it will drop to that value (the max sync speed), but else, it should be manually set between 1/250 s and 30 s.  However, the camera will always expose for background, since the metering is done without flash activation.  So...if you have Safety Shift (C.Fn I-6) enabled, in Tv mode it will override your shutter speed setting to obtain a 'correct' exposure without considering the flash (and if you need flash, the resulting shutter speed will likely be pretty slow). 

Also the built in flash fires along with the slave 430 even when it is set to fire just the slave.

The 7D controls the slave flash(es) via light pulses from the pop-up flash - that occurs before the exposure, so the light from the onboard flash will not contribute to the exposure.

Thanks Neuro, I will check that Safety shift setting. I understand about the pop up firing the slave, I thought it was radio frequency though.

8

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D Firmware?

« on: August 01, 2012, 09:26:04 AM »

Slightly off topic, but maybe not. Anyone else found these problems? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

My 7D ignores the shutter speed set in TV mode. So if I set it at 180, or 250, it fires the flash but at a slow speed of whatever the non-flash exposure be, say 1/3 sec in a low lit room. Manual works fine, AV just uses 1/60 all the time.

Also the built in flash fires along with the slave 430 even when it is set to fire just the slave.

 I think I have been through all settings at least three times, but maybe I am missing something?

Otherwise eagerly awaiting the new firmware for the auto iso change.

9

5D MK III Sample Images / Re: Post Your Summer Beach Shots here

« on: July 28, 2012, 08:36:23 AM »

Perth summer a few months back.

10

Canon General / Re: "Time for a Change at Canon?" -Barons

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:28:15 AM »

He has a tough task ahead. Some financial insight from Bloomberg news:

"Canon Inc., the world's largest camera maker, plunged the most in more than three years in Tokyo after cutting its full-year profit forecast because of a stronger yen and expectations for weaker global growth.The shares declined 7.8 percent to close at 2,470 yen, the most since November 2008.

well bad fo shareholders but that´s the problem with stocks.
you can make a profit but as long as you don´t make MORE profit then last year every shareholder will scream and whine... 


i think he will maybe have a though task to keep shareholders happy (they are a bunch of greedy morons anyway) ... but not to keep canon profitable.
 

I agree about the stock price, but if cashflow is drying up as suggested by the analysts, the global economy is slowing rapidly,  then the incentive to spend big on R&D is low, better to sweat some more return out of existing lines and work already done.

That's why it is tough. Balancing keeping shareholders and tough crowds of users wanting state of the art equipment happy.

11

Canon General / Re: "Time for a Change at Canon?" -Barons

« on: July 26, 2012, 04:42:51 AM »

He has a tough task ahead. Some financial insight from Bloomberg news:

"Canon Inc., the world's largest camera maker, plunged the most in more than three years in Tokyo after cutting its full-year profit forecast because of a stronger yen and expectations for weaker global growth.The shares declined 7.8 percent to close at 2,470 yen, the most since November 2008.

The company kept the sales target for single-lens reflex cameras, used by professionals, unchanged at 9.2 million units. Appreciating YenThe maker of EOS models said earlier this week the company is introducing its first mirrorless model in September, joining Nikon Corp. in tapping growing demand for lightweight cameras with interchangeable lenses.

“Even as the worsening macro economy and a stronger yen were expected to damage Canon's earnings, an intensifying competition in laser printers was unexpected,” Tetsuya Wadaki, an analyst at Nomura Securities Co., said in a report yesterday. It was also a surprise that sales estimates weren't improved after a new mirrorless camera model was unveiled on July 23, he said."

12

Lenses / Re: The one waiting the new version of 100-400 IS, investegation

« on: July 25, 2012, 08:16:05 AM »

I just bought a very good condition used one, 18-months old, for $1300 and it is fantastic, can't imagine how good the new one will have to be to justify a price that would probably be at least double.

I did some comparisons with my very sharp 70-200 f4L and it was hard to tell the difference, actually almost impossible.

13

Lenses / Re: Lens to take to Kruger National Park South Africa

« on: July 19, 2012, 10:34:48 AM »

While you will have 400mm with your 2x on the 70-200, more is always better there as lions, cheetahs, leopards and rhino are usually 50-100m from the road. You can't follow them anywhere like you see in many safari videos.

 I will be there in October and just got a 100-400 for my 7D, plus I have a 1.4x and feel well prepared with that.

Last year I had a 70-300 on the crop and it was ok, but its not really enough.

Elephants and buck are usually very close, right next to the road and you can be lucky to have lions that close too, but often they are just crossing.

Go long!

14

EOS Bodies / Re: Let's see some great shots taken with old, cheap gear!

« on: April 25, 2012, 09:55:31 AM »

350D, an old 70-300 film lens for the cheetah and 18-55 kit for the rowing shot.

15

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Confused! Upgrading my camera.....Advise Pleasssssssse

« on: April 03, 2012, 09:43:20 PM »

After a year of waiting for for new models I upgraded to a 7D from a 350D a few weeks ago and wish I had done it sooner. The autofocus is superb and alone worth the money.

My wife, who is also a greenbox shooter, also loves it and now gets about 90 percent of shots in focus, including difficult running dogs, compared to less than  half with the 350D, although I guess the 40D focus is better than the 350D.

It is very easy in these forums getting drawn into technical nitty gritty between cameras that create minimal difference to amateur photographers. From my experience with wife and daughters, good autofocus trumps everything, because no matter how good a sensor is, if the shot isn't in focus it is useless, even with all the latest PP.

Some here say the 7D IQ is a bit soft, but last week there was a post by jrista explaining that good quality glass, which you have, is important on higher pixel density cameras like the7D because they basically magnify the lens imperfections. I can see the difference between my superb 70-200f4 L and Sigma 17-70, which is why I am deciding what lens to buy next.

I could have afforded to get a 5DIII, and even though I have made money from photography in the past, the 7D is a much better value for money package relative to the 5DIII, and the $2000 saved now will probably get you great FF in 2-3 years time when you have advanced your skills to justify one.