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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: SL1 or Fuji X-EX1 or Sony Nex 6?? Would like your thoughts

« on: Today at 05:50:48 AM »

These r the kind of questions which start arguments and make divorce lawyers wealthy. Dump the old gal for the young spirited model who just fascinates u with her sleek lines and taste in lenses. If u really like the Canon u have I agree with others: stay the course and buy another Canon to find a second home 4 your lenses. But if u want to experiment w/o getting rid of your soul mate than pick up a new one at the corner store and take her for a spin. There is no answer. Only u can decide. Is the IQ good enough? How's that DR. What's the ISO capacity? That's all old school. You want the latest. You know what. Open the wallet and get yourself the one u've been eyeing. That's the only way u'll ever know.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Am I crazy to sell my Canon gear?

« on: Today at 05:35:25 AM »

Have u gone bonkers? No just kidding. People ask themselves from time 2 time if they're going in the right direction. Fortunately 4 u it's not a career. With a little perspective and insight u'll discover or re-discover why u went into photography 2 begin w/. Is it the semi-pro fatigue that u weren't discovered so 2 speak by Nat. Geo. or Glamour or SI or some modeling agency or creative director at JWT? Or just got bored. Didn't find the stimulation and intrigue captivating anymore? Or did time just catch up and you feel different or some other psychological event of nature took place? Obviously I can't pin it down 4 u and I suspect u don't want to "share 2 much" on a forum in the blog-o-sphere.
Is it simply u fell in love w/ the wrong equipment or the new idea has taken root and now that's what u really wanted all along. I think u have shared a thought that's all 2 common for hobbyists. Personally I like to point the finger at the marketing departments. For as little as - fill in the blank- u can become the next brilliant whatever. Make your friends admire u even more. I'm just kidding.
It maybe that u don't like taking pictures which r supposed to be ready 4 prime time, and u simply prefer a fun camera. U don't want to enter the PopPhoto contest anymore. U don't need a $12K lens so u can get a close up of a kestrel. Whatever it is you're not alone. If it weren't for u and thousands like u and I share your consternatin from time 2 time, Canon would be forgotton. Why do u think they continue to add fairly useless features every year and spend zillions on announcing the new item will blow u away? Of course u know why. But I wouldn't sell the equipment just yet. The 5Dc ought to last u into the next decade despite all the promises of each succeeding iteration. Think of all the truly serious amateurs and pros alike who dive deep into ebay to locate a legacy lens. There's still value in your purchase to swap out and try something else just 4 the sake of it. Sorry I can't be much help but it's really up to u to decide.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Unimpressed with 6D + 24-105. Am I doing something wrong?

« on: May 20, 2013, 03:10:15 PM »

If u want to test cameras u'd do well to check out the results on dpreview under different ISO ranges. The 6D is an entry level camera useful for some things but really not a bargain unless u feel u must have a full frame. I would hope its DR is far superior and more important than ISO numbers up into the 5 and 6 digits. Their tests are very useful and u might find that for your circumstances you don't need an ISO over 1600-3200. Most cameras regardless of marketing departments really shouldn't surprise one that they're absolutely useful at low numbers but rather not as u reach the heights of their speculative and questionable tests. Now if a camera was passing its limits below 800 I'd be concerned especially if you need to take shots of bands in clubs as a living. Lighting is the most important thing perhaps to good results and while u are testing specifically high ISO one might find it more useful to compare them under your average shooting conditions because that's when u'll be most often using it. Just because a truck has a speedometer that goes up to 140 doesn't mean to suggest that's a good idea under any circumstances.

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EOS Bodies / Re: The Future of EOS M [CR1]

« on: May 06, 2013, 08:03:45 AM »

The mirrorless offers from other manufacturers opens up the field for some photographers. While I have never seen a Leica at an NFL game or a MLB game I imagine there are a lot of retail shops in LaJolla that sell their products. When all is said and done the mirrorless don't offer much compared to a dslr for still shots. It's more a gimmick at this point. But I have seen the best results with the EM-5 and I attribute that to the photographer. If u go Canon u want to be able to buy lightweight lenses. Of course u can use your already owned but lightweight black is the idea for being unobtrusive. The RX1 is something only Sony could dream up and find someone to buy. U can get a D800 for the price. The 4/3's offer the largest number of legacy lenses from assorted sources, but when u start adding it up you're back up to a FF if u go picking among the possibilities. However, for hand held lightweight travel w/o the use for a big tele I think they hit the spot. Right now the 5D3 is by far the best out of the box camera offered which almost anyone can use to get good results.

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Lenses / Re: A Walk Around Lens for a Trip

« on: May 01, 2013, 01:34:10 PM »

My adult children visited Israel last year as part of the Israeli Birth Right visit. It's a two week tour staying in various locations being escorted by guides who are largely made up of IDF soldiers who have chosen to make this there gift back to the State of Israel once they complete their compulsory tour of duty. They used a phone camera. What they learned and what they took back with them in their hearts will be remembered long after the pictures figuratively fade. Sleeping in the desert and witnessing a falling star; speaking to Israeli farmers and towns people who are daily the target of missiles from Gaza not to mention the Holocaust Museum and the photos of nearly every person who died there being remembered with a picture as a view to the future. That the past led us thru this misery and the future of Israel is what is truly Zionism- that being a strong Jewish nation not a diaspora of Jews led to their graves. Never Again. I wish u well but what you and your congregation live and learn and memorialize in your tradition is the best "picture" you'll have.

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Lenses / Re: Anyone upgraded from their 24-70L to 24-70L MKII?

« on: May 01, 2013, 06:16:24 AM »

I don't know which is "better" aesthetically or under a microscope. But if you perennially return any brand lens maybe there's another problem.

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Canon General / Re: That's my money you are profiting from Canon!!!

« on: April 24, 2013, 11:50:52 AM »

to think a multi-national has "your" money is a joke. They wouldn't know if u were dead or alive unless u owned at least 5% of the common. So much for your L list.

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EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Upgrading...Canon 60D to...GH3

« on: April 23, 2013, 07:32:42 AM »

Pros for Panasonic are weight, and numerous lenses. Cons: selling your Canon will leave a dent. That's the marketing skill of admen. Addressing the 60d low light and ISO: they r fine. If anything the only difference in that sensor and a full frame Canon is more often than not the 6D/5D3 will give u the uumph that the 60d can't. As for low light the 6D may only depend on the user because samples from amateurs online are mediocre at best to very good and you're not spending much less than the big one. The 6D is an entry level camera and that is sheer nonsense. It's going to make a lot of buyers have remorse than didn't pull the trigger on the D800 or 5d3. That's a financial decision and that's not the best way to choose. So I'd look at the OMD-EM5 and NEX 7 or the XPro1. it's very hard to get objective about these unless u've rented them and used them for a considerable time. For this much of an investment in time and energy and mostly satisfaction and enjoyment it may pay to rent it for a weeks vacation and shoot a thousand or more shots in different conditions. Once u take it off the lot that car is worth a lot less. But if you're serious about the 5D2 I'd look at the 7D also. It's easily as good if not better and resolution for size is not the equalizer. It's the quality of the sensor. Look over the list of lenses u can buy with whatever choice u make. Unless u shoot in bars or a cave all the LL talk is foreign to me. It's a delicate subject that some users brag about when there is nothing else for them to say.

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EOS Bodies / Re: 21mp Sensor in the 7D Mark II? [CR1]

« on: April 22, 2013, 07:13:40 AM »

21 24 is that a lottery pick? I would be happy with a good AF like the 19 all x type rumored. But I would want some kind of zone selection similar to the 61 AF pt system in the 5D3. As far as the 6D I'm not in love with FF anymore than pretending a M9 is truly manual when it gives hints and tips and bells ring to tell u which way to move the switches. Results is what matters not the ad. Some 6D shots I saw on this site were very capable and generally equal to the color rendition of the big boy 5D3, but as for the claimed low light? These pics were taken in a bar and the photographer must have had a few because only a bit here and there was even resolved enough to see what was going on. I suspect the 7D2 will be priced closer to the 6D than the what is that thing Nikon makes the D7200? It's crazy that Nikon offers that for so much less. Strictly marketing. Canon reminds me of Sony back in the 80's and 90's. Priced too high so status seekers would buy it. If it costs too much it must be better.

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Reviews / Re: Review - Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM

« on: April 13, 2013, 06:44:48 AM »

Justin from your article "Vignetting is incredibly prevalent on this lens, enough so that you may have to adjust your metering accordingly." What aperture did u use on the last shot in the review of the boy reading? I suppose one could just crop a bit or as u say use post editing to wash away the added imperfection. Funny that proprietary s/w enables people to add vignetting but that's another story. I really loved the shots and the other pro shots I've seen with the 5D3 are incredibly sharp and the color tuned to "what that can't be" level. Wish I could get those results. Checked out your Huff review and the pros who liked your stuff on Flickr, Best of luck with your career and being a "stay at home dad".

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Lenses / Re: ok so i did it and bought into FF... now i need a good standard zoom

« on: April 08, 2013, 12:33:51 PM »

Well first congrats on the ff. Should be great for landscapes to capture the color and lighting nuances. I like taking close ups of flowers in gardens whether at conservatories or at home, a park whatever. Then there's landscape like the Grand Canyons or the Swiss Alps, beaches, wetlands and the ocean. So decide what it is you want to capture in landscape. Then match the lens to your needs. I use a 24-70L and sometimes the 70-200L. If I were doing it all over again I'd weigh well the weight of the lens I"m comfortable carrying. If I wanted an all around lens I guess the 70-200 is terrific. But instead of a 24-70 I would look for a wide angle with a large aperture. You may not have such a need right now. The 24-105 is also very good. Remember u have to carry these suckers around perhaps all day maybe on long hikes. Good luck.

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Lenses / Re: 135L vs 85L vs 70-200L II

« on: January 17, 2013, 07:29:24 AM »

from aaronh: "I was thinking of selling the 70-200, 5D2, and 24-105 and getting a 5D3, 85 1.8, and 135. BTW, I also have a 35 1.4 and a 50 1.8."

First of all this is a quality thread. I don't read many forums but this thread has a lot of helpful comments. Anyway, what I've seen of the 5D3 is very sharp by many users. So I'm saying I'd consider which lenses I'd use w/ that model.

from aaronh: "I'm doing quite a bit of traveling this year and hate to lose telephoto but also am wary of lugging around a big white lens (I'm going to Africa, China, and potentially SE Asia)." "I do a fair amount of portrait work and some weddings."


I'm guessing u won't do wedding shots on your travel but perhaps street photo shooting. Having giving thought to the 135 v 85 in the past and from the experience of others the 85 is the preferred portrait lens for pros. Your mileage may vary. But I know u r aware of that. I'm surprised to hear so many voices say it's slow. And since I don't have actual experience w/ either I'd adjust the choice to think the 85L. But that's not too helpful. If I were u la de da I'd choose the focal length and forget the nuances based on their equally good reps. As long as I said I was stepping into your shoes I would find it hard to travel without at least one good telezoom. But u seem to have made up your mind. Most of the shots I've seen of Africa include animals and I can't imagine trying to get up close and personal with a beast with a 35 prime and expect much. But that's just me. U may not be interested in animals but rather landscape and so forth.

5D3 a magnificent choice. plus 85L . Keep the 35 and the telezoom. Drop the 50, 5D2 and 24-105. You don't have to bring the 70-200 but I don't believe in painting w/ a broad stroke when I'm thinking detail.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Thinking of downgrading my 5d3 system

« on: January 16, 2013, 09:36:26 PM »

KCCFamilyMan I'd sleep on it. Before u return anything of the quality u bgt consider what u'd get in return. The AF sys on the 5D3 is worth the dough. The 6D has been reviewed and the best idea I read was for a studio shooter to use it as a backup or a photojournalist to use it as a less expensive backup. The AF tracking if it's as good as advertised is awesome if u have the need.  I don't think family shoots require tracking but if they're teens involved who play sports it would be good. A one cross type focus pt system to me for a full frame is really cheap. I can't use any other word. Not the two grand. But for Canon to try and bait people with that is beyond me. But that's business. Anyway all the good ideas have been mentioned so I'll add something about competitor systems which might allow u to compare what u have already and than rethink what u think u'll get with a trade. In any event don't act impulsively unless u really hate the dang. And believe me there are a lot of amateurs who would pry it out of your hands but unfortunately for a lot less than u paid. Best of luck


First I'd look at the mirrorless for lighter and still functional sets.
Assuming u don't want a film Rangefinder of which there are some Voigts which cost considerably less than your Canon think about an ILC with some small primes. And finally I think a worthy idea is a fixed focal length DSLR. So look at the Olympus, Sony and Fuji sites to start. And than go to the store. Feel the things around. Read about them. Think it over. do your due diligence. And in the end pick something u want not what the rest of us dream about. Good shooting.

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Lenses / Re: Need an affordable 300mm

« on: January 10, 2013, 06:57:09 PM »

I have both the EF 70-200 f4 IS and the EF 300 F4 IS. The 1.4xii on the former to make a 280 is not what I would do if I had to do it over again because I found the 280 wasn't enough. It was like a 70-300 but it wasn't. So I use the 1.4 on the 300 f4 IS for a 420.

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EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Cannot Keep Screwing It's Customers Over

« on: December 30, 2012, 10:38:04 AM »

As an investor one should know something about pricing and marketing and not act so naive. BTW, when Christmas rolls around the stores have an incentive to lower prices.