Messages

1

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikons and Canon's equivalent

« on: January 01, 2013, 02:25:15 AM »

...I would venture that it is related to your skills rather than the camera.

I have very limited experience shooting sports so it's definitely my skills that I need to improve on. I've never had anyone to teach me to use a camera so I had to learn through trial and error.

...I also have limited free time, so I want the best gear possible, to make the most of the time that I have. 

It's awesome to be able to maximise your free time with your collection of equipment. I wish I'll be able to do that one day (perhaps in 2 or 3 years) but not in the near future. My priority is my studies for this coming year.

It appears that you like the Nikon D700, so why not just get a D700?  If you're going to shoot sports/action, the D700 can shoot 8 fps with a battery grip, and the the 51 point auto-focus system is better than the 5D MarkII for action.

My original post was made out of curiosity; I wasn't looking for purchase recommendations. Thanks for sharing those photos!

2

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikons and Canon's equivalent

« on: December 31, 2012, 09:47:22 AM »

Excuse my ignorance, but what kind of sports is it that you feel that I cannot shoot?

Sorry, I don't really get your question. 

Are you looking for only used cameras?

No, but I am looking out for FF cameras which can be used for sports. It's time to upgrade, but I have a major examinations in the coming year which means that I will have less free time to shoot. This also means that I do not really have a pressing want for a new camera.

However, some of my friends do the the D700 and love them so much that they will not give them up.

I understand why they felt that way. I was reluctant to return the D700. For me, high resolutions are not required since I shoot as a hobby. Also, I am comfortable with high ISOs on the D700 (I would go up to 6400 for theatre since no flash was allowed). The small file sizes (lesser MP) were also welcome. My only regret was not having an opportunity to try shooting sports with the D700.

I used to own the D700 with the Nikon 28-300mm lens, which made for a fun all in one set-up, which produced some good results, if you're not pixel peeping.

Used to? What do you use now then?

On an unrelated note, is it possible to shoot sports with a 5D2? How much harder is it compared to using a 7D?

3

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikons and Canon's equivalent

« on: December 28, 2012, 02:40:47 AM »

I don't really think I have a decent set of lenses (It's really what's in my signature plus the 18-55mm kit lens). I do feel that the 1000D is beginning to be insufficient for what I (try to) do. Being a student, a 5d3 will really be a luxury item since I don't make any profits from my hobby. I really like the look and feel of full frame, but am willing to wait for the 7d2 to come out (if ever) since I don't have pressing needs.

But what surprises me is that both the 5d2 and D700 came out in the same year (2008) and to me the D700 is a better all around camera. (This is definitely not a fair comparison to the 5d2 since I have only used it once.) Specs-wise it does seem like the D700 can also be used for sports as well unlike the 5d2.

4

Third Party Manufacturers / Nikons and Canon's equivalent

« on: December 27, 2012, 11:38:02 AM »

Recently I managed to borrow a Nikon D700 from a friend's friend together with a few other lenses including the AF-S 24-70mm f2.8 and the AF-D 50mm f1.4. Full frame quality is really a huge step up from what I am used to with the 1000D and 85mm f1.8 USM. Going back to the 1000D may now be a problem. My experience with the D700 + 50mm f1.4 was really good. Fast and accurate focusing even with outer non-cross type AF points.

As such, I want to know what is the Canon "equivalent" of the Nikon D700. I know that there will definitely be problems in comparison. I know that the 5D2 doesn't really match up to the D700 in terms of specifications like AF points, FPS, etc.

Also, is the EF 50mm f1.4 as good as the AF-D 50mm f1.4 in terms of accurate focusing (I know this varies with different lenses), speed of focus, colour rendition etc? Individual lens reviews can only say so much so I hope to know if they are comparable.

5

Lenses / Re: what 5 lenses would you want (exclude factors such as buissiness and body)

« on: December 03, 2012, 10:34:10 PM »

70-200 f2.8L II IS
85 f1.2L II
24-70 f2.8 II
24 f1.4 II
300 f2.8 II IS

6

Pricewatch Deals / Re: Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body is $2999 Most Places

« on: December 03, 2012, 10:30:34 PM »

Just noticed the mark 2 is off the refurbished list and mark 3 is in at $2799

http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_10051_309850_-1

Mite be able to pick it up for $2100 if it has another 25% off sale sometime in the future.

I like how Canon advertises the savings to us consumers.

You Pay:   $2,799.20
Was:   $2,799.21
Price Drop:   $0.01

What a difference!

7

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Tamron SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD with VC Problems

« on: October 06, 2012, 02:48:42 AM »

I also own a Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 VC. I have it for almost 2 years now, I believe. Mine doesn't face any wobbling of the lens element like yours. It also doesn't have any problems with VC. I use mine with a 1000D.

I should think there is really an issue with your VC though, mine doesn't jump anything like yours.

8

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

« on: September 20, 2012, 04:35:14 AM »

24-70L II
70-200L II
85 1.2L II

Probably these 3.

9

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Crop factor impact on maximum magnification?

« on: August 17, 2012, 07:54:44 AM »

Not sure where this should belong but...

Does crop factor have an impact on the maximum magnification (MM) of a subject? I heard before that if you use a 2.0x teleconverter to increase the effective focal length of a lens the minimum focusing distance (MFD) stays the same and you effectively increase the maximum magnification.

So does shooting 1:1 with true macro lenses actually give you more than 1:1 magnification on APS-C crop bodies?

10

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon 40D or XS

« on: August 17, 2012, 07:49:51 AM »

I have the XS / 1000D and I have used the 40D before. Go for the 40D, it's the better body even with more shutter actuations. You may feel limited by the 1000D in just one or two years like I have (I bought it 3 years back and now I regret not getting a better second-hand 40D).

11

Lenses / Re: 50mm 1.4 or 40mm 2.8?

« on: July 14, 2012, 01:03:29 AM »

If I had a strict choice between the two, I'd get the 40mm lens.  Why?  First, it's cheap.  Second, it's sharp.  Third, it's 64mm on your camera which is pretty good.  However, as RLPhoto hinted at, what focal length do you need?  I would be happy with 64mm, but really the reason I shoot all FF is because when I buy a 40mm lens, I prefer not to deal with a crop factor for most shots.  I have a 1D4 because I don't mind the crop factor for sports.  So it really depends on what you need.  Picking between your two choices though, I would personally pick the 40mm.

I realised I have missed out a lot of great lenses when looking for a lens to mimic the "normal" perspective on a crop body. Any other things that I should take note of?

12

Lenses / 50mm 1.4 or 40mm 2.8?

« on: July 10, 2012, 11:05:43 AM »

I'm a amateur student photographer using a 1000D (which I bought a few years back). I currently have the kit lens 18-55, Canon 85/1.8 and a Tamron 70-300/4-5.6 VC. I love shooting anything from sports to school events. I really love the 85mm lens a lot but sometimes I feel that the focal length is too narrow on a crop body like mine.
Also, the minimum focusing distance of the 85 really annoys me sometimes.

I do not think I would buy both lenses since they have very similar focal lengths.
As the title suggests, I'm torn between choosing the 50/1.4 and the newly released 40/2.8. What should I do?