Messages

1

Lenses / Re: If you can have ONLY 3 lenses, what would they...???

« on: August 14, 2012, 11:56:28 AM »

Wow a lot of people are shooting with lenses that don't even exist!

Who are you to tell me I can't have my 8-1200 f1.2 L IS IV?

Can't stop laughing. This is excellent.

2

Landscape / Re: Post Your Best Landscapes

« on: May 22, 2012, 04:13:37 PM »

Pinnacle, I've just been creeping your website. I love your work! This thread is awesome, I am feeling seriously inspired! Thank you, everyone!

Another point-n-shoot shot from Glacier National Park:

Heavy Runner Mountain by posthumus_cake ([url=http://www.pinnaclephotography.net]www.pinnaclephotography.net)[/url], on Flickr

3

Street & City / Re: what is it with the brits and DSLR cameras?

« on: May 17, 2012, 08:58:04 AM »

Yep the terrorists won.
So come and take a holiday in Australia!

at least in the UK we dont have creepy crawlies that wait till you drop you pants and sit on the john before they jump out and bite your @rse.

Pure mythology and rumour. Honestly this wouldn't happen more than once or twice a week. I'm telling you, this place is SAFE.

Paul Wright

I think once or twice a week is still too high for me to be able to handle it. *shudders* But I would love to visit Australia! Maybe one day... 

4

EOS Bodies / Re: My 5diii review..

« on: May 14, 2012, 01:45:33 PM »

This review and the photographs, more than anything, make me want to run to the store and buy a 5DIII. Thank you for your input, Phil, and wonderful pictures!

5

Black & White / Re: So..what sucks about this shot?

« on: April 10, 2012, 09:42:04 AM »

Hi,

id like to get some critique whats crappy and whats maybe not so crappy about my photo.
Id also especially like to know if its over exposed or sth, since i dont got a good PC screen for digital image processing.
Im in week 4 now of doing photography ever in my life :3

Hey, sandymandy! First off, I love the concept of the shot. The fact that you are able to catch a moment in time that shows the love between two people is wonderful. Contrary to the earlier comment about the hand being "too manly", I have to disagree and say that the hand, for me, is one of the most beautiful aspects of the photo. I agree that having too much of the mother's face detracts from the impact of the image, but this is what photography is about: learning what works and what doesn't, and how you can improve. I would have tried maybe a bit of a different angle, focusing on the child's eyes a bit more, and if I used colour I would have created an image that was a little less saturated.

I do not think it is over-exposed, but when picturing people you have to be careful that their faces don't get lost in when you adjust the contrast. I am a big fan of high-contrast pictures, but usually when dealing with architecture or other still-life... when photographing people, try to have less harsh contrasts. Other than that, and agreeing with some others over here, it is a good shot for your first month. As you go along you will discover new ways of showcasing emotion and creating moving images. That is not to say that you should strive for perfection of emotion each time. Sometimes, it's just not there, and you have to work with what you have (especially if you plan on wedding photography and tensions are running high, achieving images that are lovey-dovey and perfect can be a hassle).

Anyway, I like it, but try not to get stuck in the "black-and-white-photos-are-art" mentality, because it's not true. Experiment with a lot of different things. One great website that has helped me a LOT with composition and other tips is: http://digital-photography-school.com/ ... it has weekly challenges that help you push yourself and see a lot of different types of work. I find that I am not 100% in line with some of the composition rules that the owner of the website uses, but it is a great place to get some inspiration and try a lot of different things.

Good luck, and keep clicking!

6

Lenses / Re: Looking for lens advise - Should I get he 18-200 or 15-85 or 18-135?

« on: March 21, 2012, 01:23:42 PM »

I got a 15-85 lens in a 7D kit a couple of weeks ago. I have tried using the 18-200 and to be completely honest, if you want something a bit different (with the wide angle of the 15-85) and can, as you say, live without the gap between 85-100, then definitely go with the 15-85. 18-135 is pointless in my opinion, because if you're gonna go with that you MIGHT AS WELL get an 18-200... however, the 18-200 is not as portable and fun to use, nor does it have as amazing image quality as the 15-85. Honestly, I was about to buy a 5D2 body but I loved the 15-85 so much (and for such a great value with the 7D kit), that I had to change my mind.

My final vote goes to the 15-85, although I have never tried the 18-135 and can't say much about it. Good luck, and happy hunting!

7

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Gutted! (5DMkIII Adorama Bundle)

« on: March 21, 2012, 08:56:44 AM »

"Preorder from Adorama
Adorama has created a 5D Mark III w/24-105 f/4L IS kit bundle.

Free Bundle Items

SanDisk 32GB ExtremePRO SDHC Memory Card
Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG
Red Giant Adorama Production Bundle for PC/Mac a $599.00 Retail Value
5D Mark III w/24-105 f/4L IS Kit for $4299 at Adorama

Stock is expected to arrive this week."

At current exchange rates, that's approximately £2710 for not only the 5DMkIII but also a 24-105 f/4L IS lens and all the rest of that list thrown in for good measure. Even adding 20% for VAT that would only come to £3252.

In the UK, I've just paid £3689 ($5852 equivalent) just for the 24-105 kit ... and it's cost me another £79 ($125) on top for the identical 32Gb SDHC card that's included in the Adorama bundle ... and no backpack and no Red Giant software bundle.

Why am I feeling ripped off i.e. ripped off once by Canon and ripped off on top of that by the Chancellor of the Exchequer with his ridiculously high 20% sales tax (VAT)?

Well at least I got my hands on the 5DmkIII in time for my Far East trip on 12th April, but it aint 'arf cost me an arm and a leg!

Rant over!

Isn't it possible for you to cancel the "just-kit" order and go for the one on Adorama?

8

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 7D... not Mk 2, Not anything, Just the 7D

« on: March 19, 2012, 03:08:01 PM »

Waiting to use my 7D in anger over Easter when I go to Botswana. Calibrated my 100-400L and now I am just waiting. Oh man...the anticipation is killing me.

That's so exciting! Please share the photos when you return!

9

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 7D... not Mk 2, Not anything, Just the 7D

« on: March 19, 2012, 03:06:24 PM »

I love mine as well.  I had a nikon d7000 for a while after selling off my Canon gear for financial reasons (I figured I'd try the other side) and after numerous problems with the Nikon I sold it and bought the 7D and a 70-200 f4l.  I must say that the 7D feels like a real camera whereas the Nikon in comparison felt like a toy.  The 7d functions incredibly and I think the sensor is great.  I love the resolution available as it allows for cropping and the autofocus is the best that I've ever used (I've never had a chance to shoot with 1 series cameras).  Congratulations on the purchase and I hope you love it!

Thank you, I DO love it!  I hear you on the "feels like a toy"... compared to my T2i the 7D is a tank, and I LOVE it. it's so solid and fits perfectly with me! Only problem for me is carrying a cumbersome bag for it separately... I don't want to chuck it in my purse (just yet), for fear of it getting destroyed somehow! I've been shooting primarily with the 15-85... can't wait to use it with my 50! My next lens I think I'll go for is a 10-20 (Canon), 70-300 (Sigma) or 70-300 (Canon DO IS), or an 18-250 (Sigma). I don't know if I want an L series lens yet, primarily because I'm low on funds  . Oh well! Que sera, sera!

10

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 7D... not Mk 2, Not anything, Just the 7D

« on: March 19, 2012, 03:00:19 PM »

I too have Alstate, oops, I mean Canon 7D.  I love it and still learning new things everyday.  I made myself promise, not another new body until I can use every feature flawlessly and actualy know why I am using the feature.  If the new 7DmkII shows up sooner rather than later....what the heck, it was only a promise, not a mortgage on a new home!!!

After the the 7DmkII, maybe a FF, don't know yet.  Guess it depends on what the 5DmkVII can do.  I am thinking a FF would be good for hallway shots at the nursing home, you know-wheel chair races!

I had a long internal battle deciding in between the 5DII and the 7D to be honest... but I decided that for me, for the same price that I paid for the 7D and the 15-85, I would be getting a 5DII body and thought the 7D it would be better value for money, and I absolutely LOVE the 8fps, not to mention the AF points which are so numerous and accurate.

LOL at the wheelchair races! I'm hoping that once I get myself going and hopefully can hone my skills a bit, that I can deem myself worthy of a FF.. I find that I know too many people with ultra-awesomeness-have-everything cameras that use their machines in full-auto mode (nothing wrong with that of course), without even attempting to go beyond that and learn to control their machines. Why spend hundreds and hundreds and not exploit it?! I made sure when I got my first DSLR that I read the whole manual before touching the shutter release.. didn't do that with my 7D, but I am going through the manual slowly and steadily! All in all, I love my 7D... it's fantastic and a huge step-up from my Rebel, which did great things for me while I had it.

11

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 7D... not Mk 2, Not anything, Just the 7D

« on: March 19, 2012, 12:52:05 PM »

Welcome Aboard! (And THANK YOU for starting a thread that praises something! )

I too am a 7D owner, and I don't really have any complaints about it. With the advent of Canon reticular AF systems on the 1D X and 5D III, it would be awesome to see the 7D II get something similar for APS-C. Outside of that, the thing handles beautifully, focuses and tracks extremely well, and cranks out frames so fast 16GB CF cards are not enough for what I do!

Oh, and a small tip about maximum continuous frames with the 7D: When this beauty was released, we did not yet have the 90mb/s and faster cards. The 7D was rated at 8fps/15 continuous at the time of its release. With a 90mb/s CF card, the 7D will consistently crank out 23-25 continuous frames. When you hit the limit, unlike with 60mb/s cards where shooting pauses for a couple seconds, with a 90mb/s card you can keep firing off 2-3 frames per second with a momentary pause for as long as you keep the shutter button down. 

I have not yet tried with a faster card, like Lexar's 1000x, but I wouldn't be surprised if you could get even more continuous frames with one of those (although how much more, I couldn't say.)

Well, here's to learning what you named your 7D...

  Thank you for the info! I have an 8GB CF card that does *I THINK* 60mb/s... It seems to have an incredible amount of space. That little info-box telling me the amount of images I have left has not moved from 999 yet (even when I'm shooting a large image [no RAW just yet, I have yet to think about printing many of my images]), and I've taken almost 1000 shots with it! I'm a camera abuser (in the best sense of the word)... several hundred photos for one event (usually varied in style, composition, etc)... so this is a great camera for me! Super fast and great quality. I had never used AF with my Rebel simply because I liked having the control, but I find that the 7D really hits the mark whenever I use AF with it. With great auto-focus comes great versatility (to bastardize the popular Uncle Ben phrase).

Just FYI, my 7D has been christened "Rupert Kensington the Second"... but this is also coming from someone who named her vehicle Charlie Kenelm Sewell the First. Yes, I am strange, but it keeps things so much more lively that way! 

12

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 7D... not Mk 2, Not anything, Just the 7D

« on: March 19, 2012, 12:43:33 PM »

Kids today. *humph!* Back in my day I started out with a 6mp 10D, and that's the way we liked it. We loved it. Bleah! I say! Bleah!

 Nah, just kidding. Welcome to the forums... I'm a long time lurker too. I don't have a 7D, but I've seen some pretty incredible stuff come out of that camera. Congrats on the purchase. I'm glad that it's every bit of camera you hoped it would be.

I quite literally LOL'd at this comment. "long-time lurker"... genius! Honestly it's a great camera. A definite step-up from the Rebel!

13

EOS Bodies / Re: So when does everyone think things are going to get back to normal around here?

« on: March 16, 2012, 03:58:29 PM »

When the chicken crosses the road.

14

EOS Bodies / Canon 7D... not Mk 2, Not anything, Just the 7D

« on: March 16, 2012, 03:56:45 PM »

I just thought I'd share with you lovely folks here:

After wasting countless excellent hours on this forum, I finally got an account. And now, I have something to brag about! I just bought my very own 7D. *sigh of happiness* I love it! I upgraded from an EOS 550D after lusting for the 15-85 kit lens that comes with the 7D, decided that I had gotten enough out of my trusty T2i, and sold my dear old Rupert (that's my T2i), and used that shameful money to fund my 7D. It's fantastic!

That's just my two cents. Happy to finally be part of the CR community!!