Messages

16

Lenses / Re: List of rumored lenses

« on: December 13, 2012, 12:09:51 PM »

It's great to have a stickied summary of rumored lenses, but the first post hasn't been updated in over two years.  Could we find another volunteer to take over maintenance and updates, or unsticky this post to prevent confusion?

17

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Help: Cheap FF or high end Crop for next body?

« on: December 13, 2012, 11:36:25 AM »

Thanks for the replies!  Some thoughts on those points:

Support: Already have tripod and monopod, but don't use them much.  I agree that they're great if you have the time and carrying capacity to devote to them, but as I mentioned I'm sensitive to weight and bulk issues.  Moreover, as I mentioned I sometimes do stuff on travel, which further limits the space and time I have to devote to carrying and setting up equipment.  I've been learning to brace myself (or even better, the camera) on a steady surface to steady shots when necessary, and I also break out the Gorillapod from time to time.  Thanks for the tip though, it's a good one for those who can carry dedicated support equipment!

Macro: I'm indeed intrigued by it, and I'm definitely interested in adding it to the capabilities of my lenses, which is one of the reasons why I'm interested in the 24-70/4 L IS.  While FF may be less ideal for Macro due to DoF issues, it's well-compensated by FF's advantages in low light.

Nikon Crop Sensors: Isn't one of the reasons that Nikon has a 1.5 crop factor?  FF > 1.3 > 1.5 > 1.6.  I would be surprised if Canon actually regularly outshone Nikon with its smaller sensors. 

7D II: I'm definitely going to wait.  If the 6D has a pricing history like the 5DIII, it should come down pretty well in price by next summer or so.  By that time the 24-70/4 might also drop a bit (given the pricing history of other recent lenses), making the upgrade to FF more palatable.  Since this is just one hobby among many, I really can't devote too much to it.  I also need to upgrade my 2008 Macbook, for example.     Thanks for reminding me of the anticipated 7DII though!

How Shaky: I haven't really bothered to quantify it, but my shots were regularly soft when I used my Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.5 (non-OS version).  They instantly got a lot better when I got the 17-55/2.8 IS.  Sure the glass might be sharper, but I know that's not the whole story. =)  I appreciate the fact that a heavier body (perhaps with a lighter lens) will feel better balanced and more stable, especially when combined with the better ergos of the grip.

Other Lenses: I definitely agree that the world doesn't begin and end with f/4 zooms, and in fact I'm looking to get some fast primes now that they're being released with IS.  I've been waiting for reviews on the 35/2 IS, but if I go FF I'll likely turn my eye towards the rumored 50/1.x IS.  That said, slower zooms are cheaper than faster ones and still make versatile walk-around lenses, so I'd like to retain options in that arena. 

Conclusion: It seems like FF is indeed the best option for the type of shooting I like to do, as I thought it might be.  It's just a matter of seeing how much money the upgrade would really cost next year, and what the available options are at that time.  If the 6D ends up getting a lot cheaper or the 7D II exhibits significantly less noise than the 7D, that will help inform my decision one way or another.  I'll also be waiting on reviews of the 24-70/4 IS. 

And despite me calling that the conclusion, feel free to post if you have other thoughts or recommendations. 

Thanks for the feedback!

18

Lenses / Re: Canon EF 50 f/1.4 IS in 2013 [CR2]

« on: December 13, 2012, 11:08:03 AM »

I didn't need IS with my FD 50mm f1.4, and I don't need it now, especially for the extra $400 over the current lens....

Then I'm glad you're not Canon's only customer, and you're glad this won't be Canon's only 50mm option. 

19

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Help: Cheap FF or high end Crop for next body?

« on: December 12, 2012, 06:05:35 PM »

Thanks!  Just to be clear, I wouldn't be looking at any model number that starts with a 1 or a 3 (or a 5) due to my budget.  I guess I'll have to wait for some more comprehensive reviews of the 6D before making my decision, but I wasn't going to upgrade until spring at the earliest anyway.

20

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Help: Cheap FF or high end Crop for next body?

« on: December 12, 2012, 05:26:48 PM »

A reply from another thread with similar goals but more focused on shooting people rather than nature.  Any thoughts on these comments?

Noise: The 6D is about 1.5 to 2 stops better than the 60D.  I find I can shoot at ISO 3200 and get results that look as good as ISO 800 on the 60D.  And ISO 400 is just as good as ISO 100 on the 60D - which means I can shoot at ISO 400, and set my shutter speed 2 stops faster - which is great for action shots.   Also when I say 2-stops better that's comparing the amount of noise I see in RAW files.  However the real world advantage is actually a little better since with more detail you can apply more NR and still keep the minimum required detail for most applications.

AF: I'm finding the AF on the 6D to be very good, it's at least as fast as the 60D to lock focus, and clearly faster in low light.  However my understanding is that the 7D has a great AF system for tracking moving subjects which are off center.  So if you are finding you use the tracking AF a lot, and/or are using the points far from the center of the frame, you may want to keep the 7D for that.  I find that with tuning, you can make the 6D's tracking fairly good, however you have to keep your subject near the center of the frame.

(I suppose if it's safe to drop a stop in aperture and I want to maintain reach, I could always replace the 70-200/4 with the 70-300/4-5.6.  That's a lot of new glass to pay for though.)

21

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Help: Cheap FF or high end Crop for next body?

« on: December 12, 2012, 05:15:00 PM »

Background:

I shoot wildlife, landscapes, travel, indoors, low-light, etc.  Not much portraiture or action.  I currently have a 450D with a 17-55/2.8 IS and 70-200/4 L IS.  My main non-artistic weakness is shaky hands, which is why I use, and only seriously consider, lenses with IS.

Goals in upgrade:

• Better noise in low light/high ISO situations.
• Good AF (AF point coverage and performance, speed in focusing, UI for point selection).
• Availability of lenses.
• Low weight/physical size. (related: I won't be using two bodies)
• Environmental sealing.

Crop/FF vs. Goals:

If I upgraded to a newer crop body, I'd gain better ISO performance, potentially better AF, opportunity for me to reuse my 17-55, maintenance of reach of my 70-200 (to 320mm), and likely lower weight than a FF option.  The environmental sealing may or may not exist on the body, and definitely doesn't exist on the 17-55.

If I went with a 6D, I'd get better low light performance and better ISO performance, potentially better AF, and environmental sealing.  I'd have to replace my 17-55 with the 24-70/4 L IS, which while smaller, sealed, and capable of near-macro performance represents more expense and one lost stop.  I'd be able to continue using my 70-200 but would lose some reach on the FF sensor.  And lastly, the 6D would likely be bigger and heavier than crop options. 

How does the noise compare on something like a 60D with 17-55/2.8 IS, vs. a 6D with 24-70/4 IS?  If the 6D has to go up in ISO to compensate for the smaller aperture, will the resulting noise generally be more or less than the crop body at a lower ISO?  How about a 7D instead of a 60D?  In short, how does the low light benefit of going FF compare to the loss of a stop in aperture?

Thanks for any advice and help you can offer.

22

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 6D Experience

« on: December 12, 2012, 04:28:03 PM »

Besides, lens compatibility, my main concern with the 6D was the small coverage area of the AF points within the frame.  Dpreview notes that it's due to having to cram the AF sensors into a smaller body, but a little unfortunate all the same.  How does AF point coverage compare to your Rebel?  I have a 450D and am considering an upgrade in the coming year. 

23

Lenses / Re: Canon EF 50 f/1.4 IS in 2013 [CR2]

« on: December 12, 2012, 04:16:00 PM »

I've always thought these wide lenses with IS were for stabilized video, but honestly my shaky hands need all the help they can get.  If the 24-70/2.8 II and the 24-70/4 IS had a /f.28 IS baby I'd be more tempted to go full frame, but for now I'm clinging to the IS on my 17-55/2.8.

Also, is the price really that high?  IS puts a $300-400 premium on the lens.  Add an upgraded ring-type USM and optics on top of the existing $300-400 price and it doesn't seem exorbitant.  I'd also hope for environmental sealing, but if it's not "L" it's less likely.