Messages

1021

Lenses / Re: Lens recommendations for real estate interior photography please

« on: December 27, 2011, 02:00:11 AM »

17-40 or 16-35 are flexible and do most of what you want if you're talking basic RE. A Sigma 12-24 is occasionally a godsend for those ridiculously tight corners.

But for more considered work the 17 & 24 TS lenses will be a must.

Paul Wright

1022

EOS Bodies / Re: Quick question about 5D mark II

« on: December 23, 2011, 05:48:30 PM »

Every camera I have ever owned, including 6-7 Canon DSLR's have all made a distinctively different shutter sound. Years ago I was appalled with the  rowdy clunk my then new Canon 20D made after the quiet snick of the previous D60 (no not 60D).

In noise sensitive situations something I love about the 1D4 is the option of the "silent" shutter option. It's not silent of course, but spreads the sound out over a longer period. Not exactly sure how this achieved, someone may post how it's done, but it is FAR less obtrusive than the regular release sound.

No, there is nothing wrong with your excellent new camera. You won't even notice it after a day or so.

Paul Wright

1023

United States / Re: Prime lenses you currently own or on your wishlist.

« on: December 20, 2011, 09:55:45 PM »

If Santa has room in the sack for a 135 f/2 & a 400 f/2.8 I'll be good as gold for all of 2012.

But seriously, the 400 f/2.8 will be a somewhat reluctant purchase to go with the 1DX.

With the 300 f/2.8 on the APS-H Mk4 with 1.3X you get 390mm. I'm not prepared to give away that reach with the full frame 1DX. I think Canon will see a spike in 400 f/2.8 sales once the 1DX starts shipping.

If the Mk4 is the last APS-H Canon, there may be unusual demand for them in the second hand market for the next few years.

The 135 f/2? Hell, I just want one!

Paul Wright

1024

Lenses / Re: Prime Lenses

« on: December 20, 2011, 08:08:25 PM »

I think that Flake and PWP misunderstood the nature of my question.  I own the 40D, 70-200 L 2.8 IS II, 24-70 L 2.8, and 50 1.4.  I'm looking to upgrade my camera to the 5DM3 once it's available and then upgrade my APS-C to the 7D.  I have several years of experience with this equipment (70-200 since it's release) and a great deal of technical knowledge regarding the features of my camera and lenses.  Since I do not own the primes I mentioned I was asking about the performance of those lenses against one another.  I understand my style and how close I'd like to be to my subjects.

OK my apologies. It can be dangerous to read between the lines! You clearly are in a far more experienced position than I interpreted from your first post.

One great way of assessing whether a new lens is a good fit with your shooting style is to rent for a weekend. My local dealer is also a lens rental outlet and will zero the lens rental amount if I go ahead and buy the lens.

Or buy second hand and lose almost nothing on the deal if it's not working for you.

Paul Wright

1025

Lenses / Re: Prime Lenses

« on: December 20, 2011, 05:53:04 PM »

Reading between the lines here I see a need to develop your fundamental photography skills and see what direction that takes you. Primes are nice but there is a fundamental trade-off with them...the fixed focal length.

A high percentage of professional photographers will regard the classic zoom trifecta, that is the 16-35 f/2.8, the 24-70 f/2.8 and the 70-200 f/2.8isII as the core kit which will do most of the work. Why do you suppose this is?

Primes will come into the picture for specialized shooting or shooting environments such as 300 f/2.8 and 400 f/2.8 for action sports, macro, tilt-shift for architecture and landscapes, ultrawides for interiors, 85 f/1.2 for specialized portraiture etc. But these purchases often come later as needs and shooting styles evolve, and as income increases!

Take care not to paint yourself into a corner with narrow choices that could ultimately disappoint. The 35 f/1.4 is probably the most useful and definitely the fastest focusing of these three lenses. But seriously...don't believe all the hype about zooms being inferior. Most times they'll help get you the best shots. Cheap zooms can be awful, yet good copies are plentiful. The L zooms probably account for a very high percentage of all published (Canon shot) photos on the planet.

The update 24-70 f/2.8II may be announced in the new year. It's got your name all over it.

Paul Wright

1026

Lenses / Re: 85mm f/1.8 or 300mm f/4 for baby photos

« on: December 20, 2011, 05:27:04 PM »

300 f/4 for babies? Twins! Hmmm, it would be very limited although there may be some suitable moments.

85 f/1.8 will be a lot more useful if a little long, but this sort of shooting environment sounds like zoom territory to me. 24-70 f/2.8 would free you up enormously. I like being close enough to small babies to touch them while I'm shooting...this is 24mm territory.

Long lenses create a sort of detachment from the subject which is often useful, but for babies? Shooting newborn twins is a great opportunity. It's tender, intimate and up close where you'll get the shots that will differ from the straight up shots your relatives may come up with. Don't shoot in a room full of people, keep it to an absolute minimum. Use window light.

If your sister lives nearby, this is a great opportunity to shoot twins across the years or decades...properly handled you could come up with a unique body of work. Shoot them as often as practical. Your best shots will come later on. That may be time to pull out the 300!

Leave your extension tubes in the bag.

Paul Wright

1027

Canon General / Re: TRIPODS

« on: December 20, 2011, 07:04:32 AM »

NEED ADVISE RE; BUYING UPGRADE NEW TRIPOD
ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT INDURO BRAND AS WELL BUT NOT READILY AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA

Welcome to CR forums. Maybe you get the prevailing feelings about caps lock? Think about this for your future posts. But keep posting!

This was an easy find...http://www.lapfoto.com.au/products_list.cfm?Cat=17
L&P is the Induro agent in Sydney. Is this near you?

Induro make nice legs, but be very careful of their ball heads. At full lock it is very easy to induce "creep", even with their biggest models. With a 1-Series body and a 300 f/2.8 you'd need a fairly solid foundation. 99% of the time when I use this lens/body combination it is with a monopod. When I do choose the tripod for long exposures, my heavy Manfrotto is prefereable to my lighter Gitzo Reporter, similar weight to 055 Manfrotto.

But yes, definitely skip the Velbon.

Paul Wright

1028

EOS Bodies / Re: any flaws in the canon 60d?

« on: December 19, 2011, 02:22:49 AM »

the biggest flaw in the 60D is that it does not have micro adjust AF
The 600D, 60D and the 7D all have the same sensor so there is no difference in image quality between them.

Wickedwombat makes a good point...microadjust is a VERY cool feature. On my 1D4 this function has brought more than one of my lenses back from virtual uselessness to highly useable. I wouldn't buy another body without it.

Which leads us to the 7D....do it if you have the $$.

Paul Wright

1029

PowerShot Cameras / Re: How many happy S100 owners are out there?

« on: December 19, 2011, 01:22:45 AM »

I had pretty much decided on the S100 as my next compact camera, but then my father-in-law bought me the Fujifilm X10 for Christmas instead... I'm not complaining though...!

To those that have used the S100 - how good is the super slow-motion feature?

Lucky you with the X10.

The super slowmo genuinely surprised me. I though it would just be a modestly performing gimmick.
Wait... it is a gimmick, but a pleasingly useful/effective one. Just keep in perspective this is a little camera bought for a few hundred dollars...it's certainly no C300!

Paul Wright

1030

EOS Bodies / Re: any flaws in the canon 60d?

« on: December 19, 2011, 01:06:49 AM »

Are there any flaws with the canon 60d? I know it's getting old...

Old? This camera was announced Aug 26, 2010 and shipped some time after that. Personally I'd prefer slowed down model cycles which I have no doubt are driven by the marketing departments. They feed on our insatiable appetite for the latest.

A bit over a year in the marketplace will reveal any 60D specific issues, but overall it's a solid performer in its price bracket. There was a perception that there was a quality drop after the metal body 50D gave way to the plastic body 60D, but in reality this makes little difference. They needed to make a tangible points of difference between the xxD series and the more upmarket 7D and body material was an obvious pickup.

Most 60D owners couldn't be happier. A few will have bought a 60D with unrealistic expectations and a few will have had the rotten luck of scoring a lemon. These will be a tiny minority. It's the same with any mass manufactured goods.


Read some well thought out reviews....
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos60D/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/E60D/E60DA.HTM
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/canon_eos_60d_review/
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-60D-DSLR-Camera-Review.aspx
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=4644&review=canon+eos+60d

And should you get a 60D? Absolutely!

Paul Wright

1031

Canon General / Re: Has Canon received the memo about small mirrorless cameras yet?

« on: December 18, 2011, 11:53:50 PM »

If they have they are keeping it pretty quiet!  My guess is they really dont take Sony as serious competition. 

Canon are the equal of Apple at keeping things quiet. They must include a "death by a thousand cuts" clause in their non disclosure agreements.

Sony are a remarkably resourceful company capable of taking a long term view. Canon, or any other of their competitors should underate Sony's potential at their peril.

Kings don't live forever. Kodak?

Paul Wright

1032

PowerShot Cameras / Re: How many happy S100 owners are out there?

« on: December 18, 2011, 09:20:55 PM »

Had the good fortune to spend a day with a borrowed S100. Nothing prepared me for how small it is. It takes up as much room in your pocket as a smartphone.

It's reviewed all over the place so I won't go into the details. I loved it.
Santa, are you listening? December 25 and I'll be good all year.

Paul Wright

1033

PowerShot Cameras / Re: Powershot Gx? [CR1]

« on: December 18, 2011, 09:14:16 PM »

One of the points of difference with the G-Series has been the optical viewfinder. It may not be the worlds finest optical viewfinder but none the less it's an important feature for a lot of people. Apart from the bright sunlight issues composing a shot on a screen held at arms length, you can hold a camera a lot steadier when it's pushed against your face.

If this camera does materialize, Canon would be making a big mistake if there is not a very good EVF in place of the optical viewfinder.

With an EVF I'd be a buyer...even at $600. Ha! My last and not lamented G Canon was a G2 and cost around triple this amount. What was I thinking?

Paul Wright

1034

Canon General / Re: New lens: need filter advice

« on: December 18, 2011, 07:10:24 PM »

Sorry to piggy back on your questions but I purchased this week 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS w/ B+W 77mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating but I noticed I have option to add one additional filter such as UV filter.  My question is can I use B+W 77mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating or do I need purchase another B+W 77mm Clear UV Haze with Multi-Resistant Coating and both?  Thanks for your input!

You're unlikely to leave the CPL on the lens except for those occasions when you do need it. Leave it in the bag. What you do need to leave permanently on your lens is a UV or clear filter. Never stack filters.  Take the UV/clear off when you need the CPL.

Paul Wright

1035

Canon General / Re: New lens: need filter advice

« on: December 18, 2011, 05:27:57 PM »

I would save my money.  Filters don't protect the lens from falls; only splashes and dust / particles.

It depends where you go to shoot. You'll find that the overwhelming majority of professional photographers leave a UV filter (or similar) on every lens they own. Something they don't mind wiping down with their shirt. Something that can be quickly replaced for under $100. Something that experience has shown them to be a very smart default position.

Run a series of tests with a clean, unscratched good quality UV filter. Filter on/filter off. You'll be very hard pressed to see any difference in your files. Wear your protection!

Filters have saved lenses from damage on multiple occasions for me. A bump against the filter thread on a lens without a hood can damage the thread more easily than you might imagine. I've bent and trashed filters then been able to unscrew them and been relieved to find the filter thread undamaged. The filter rim took the hit. For this reason I only use the slim filters on my ultra-wides. (vignetting)

Front filters are not always practical or possible such as on the 300mm f/2.8is. However, Canon knows that photographers will need to wipe these down. The front glass on the 300 is in fact relatively  inexpensive plain glass, replacable by Canon for a price, but a very small percentage of the cost of a new front element.

Paul Wright