Messages

1

Lenses / Re: AFMA Accuracy vs. Precision

« on: May 13, 2013, 03:33:16 PM »

I may be missing something, but I am perplexed by the suggestion of having your body calibrated to the lens. If you have several lenses which are off at varying +/- values, then should we have a dedicated body for each lens?

That is taken care of - cameras store AFMA values separately for each lens (e.g. +5 for your 24-105, -2 for your 16-35 etc). With newer cameras and lenses, you can even store different AFMA values for different copies of the the same lens.

2

EOS-M / Re: Long Blackout

« on: May 08, 2013, 09:17:52 AM »

Check in your custom functions if "Long Exposure Noise Reduction" is on, or on Auto.

3

Lenses / Re: Canon 85L II AF speed on 5D III???

« on: May 03, 2013, 12:43:15 PM »

Thanks - you learn something new every day!  One more reason to love back button AF...

Neuro, I took your recommendation and tried the back button AF setup a few months ago.  I used it for about a week (personal use) and switched back to normal on my first job (I would have been terrified otherwise).  I like the idea, and it's very useful in situations but not sure I can use it for long enough to get really comfortable with it.

I learned to like it because I now can have AI Servo on all the time. If I need to focus-recompose, I just take the thumb off the button. No more need to switch back and forth between One Shot and Servo

4

Lenses / Re: Canon 85L II AF speed on 5D III???

« on: May 02, 2013, 12:40:02 PM »

Impatience, perhaps?  Though my 85 won't engage manual focus, even after spinning it.  My point was if that's my only complaint, it's a very small one and that the 85 is a wonderful lens.

AFAIK the camera has to be on for the manual focus of the 85L II to engage. In other words, you need to set it to MDF before you turn the camera off.

5

Lenses / Re: New Tilt-Shift Lenses in the Wild [CR2]

« on: May 02, 2013, 12:18:37 PM »

ahab,

That simulator is very cool, I haven't seen it before, excellent link, thanks.

yes, it definitely helped me. Only counter-intuitive thing in the simulator is that focus distance gets shorter as you move the slider to the right (maybe not for view camera users).

6

Lenses / Re: New Tilt-Shift Lenses in the Wild [CR2]

« on: May 02, 2013, 11:49:58 AM »

[...]
 See here for a couple of cool gif's and more info http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/using_tilt.html

Basically the longer the focal length the more tilt you need for the same effect, AND, and this is the really important bit for a potential macro tilt lens use, the closer the camera is to the plane of focus the more tilt you need. Bear in mind a 90mm TS-E needs 36º of tilt with a J distance of 6", current Canon T/S lenses have 8º of tilt.

This http://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2011/04/tiltshift-photography-an-introduction-to-tilt/ is also a good resource, especially the simulator here http://static.timparkin.co.uk/static/dslr-tilt-shift/ is interesting. You really don't need a lot of tilt for most landscape applications with the camera on a tripod, but for shorter Js and longer focal lengths that changes a lot.

7

EOS Bodies / Re: Why not higher resolution video?

« on: April 26, 2013, 01:22:16 AM »

Because it is not trivial to process the larger amounts of data per second. Processors need to be fast enough and be able to dissipate the heat.

I can see that, but the new GoPro does 4k.

True, but I don't think it takes 18MP stills. I'm not an engineer, but often you have to optimize for one or the other. Both at the same time is difficult.

8

EOS Bodies / Re: Why not higher resolution video?

« on: April 26, 2013, 12:40:42 AM »

Because it is not trivial to process the larger amounts of data per second. Processors need to be fast enough and be able to dissipate the heat.

9

Software & Accessories / Re: What external 'scratch' disk setup do you use/recommend?

« on: April 25, 2013, 11:11:44 AM »

NAS is great to store files. I can also recommend Synology.

For the you are currently working on (especially video projects), I'd consider an external drive attached with Firewire 800, USB 3 or Thunderbolt (not for the 2011 Macbook though). The network connection of a NAS, even over a Gigabit network, could still be a bottleneck, depending on the networking performance of the NAS and/or your computer.
Use the internal drive as the Scratch disk, and keep the video files on the external drive until your done. Use the NAS for long term storage and backup.

10

EOS Bodies / Re: How can lens focus ever be "off" in a way that AFMA fixes it?

« on: April 19, 2013, 12:44:55 PM »

Interesting, I've always assumed it was closed loop, since well, that's how I would have designed it, and all the pieces are there to close the loop. Perhaps the focus speed is hit too hard, but frankly I can't believe that since the second "look" would be nearly instantaneous.

That said, I'm no expert, I'm sure if it's true that focus using the phase detect is open loop, Canon has a very good reason for that.

TTYL

If it was closed loop, with a second look, we would be only a few steps away from a self-learning AFMA built in into the camera. Now that would be nice, wouldn't it.

11

Lenses / Re: EF 70-200 f2.8 IS L USM MKII weird noise (attached)

« on: April 16, 2013, 12:51:11 AM »

[...], and during operation the sound was almost a low growl.

I wouldn't be concerned about it...

It's life Jim ...

12

Site Information / Re: Minimum CR Forum IQ?

« on: April 12, 2013, 01:11:57 AM »

Why 'stop' @2.8.   That's not fair '2' those more 'open-minded' or those who have had 1.2 many cocktails. 

Careful with those, corner sharpness will deteriorate, and you can expect increased vignetting

Only if you have a full frame! Some of us have a more slender boy type 

Yes! Me 2 I too have the reach advantage. Although sometimes I wonder if I'm just narrow minded, or have tunnel vision.   

13

Site Information / Re: Minimum CR Forum IQ?

« on: April 11, 2013, 04:49:20 PM »

Why 'stop' @2.8.   That's not fair '2' those more 'open-minded' or those who have had 1.2 many cocktails. 

Careful with those, corner sharpness will deteriorate, and you can expect increased vignetting

14

Lenses / Re: Focusing Advice on a Canon 24mm TS-E

« on: April 10, 2013, 07:17:19 PM »

Thanks for all the great advice. That e-book might be very useful.
I was checking focussing screens .
Am I correct there are no Canon focusing screens for the 5D Mark III.
Is it even necessary / helpful?

As far as I know, changing the focusing screen is recommended for wide aperture lenses (f < 2.8 ), so I don't think it will help with the TS-E 24mm.
Replacing the screen on the MK III is not as easy as with the II - it is not intended to be user-changeable.
Best option for focusing is live view, zoomed in, and scrolling across the image to see if the focus plane is in the right position

15

Lenses / Re: Prediction for 200-400

« on: April 10, 2013, 01:21:14 AM »

I say, don't count on it. If you have to buy or make reservation now, plan without it.