Messages

361

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon D4 Specs Revealed? 1D X Has Competition.

« on: December 11, 2011, 05:24:35 PM »

If this rumour did turn out to be true, it'd make you wonder if Canon and Nikon had signed a cooperation agreement.  Apparently, quite a lot of that goes on in Japan anyway...

362

Canon General / Re: An EF 70-200 f/4L IS II in Mid January? [CR1]

« on: December 11, 2011, 10:27:55 AM »

If ever there was a lens less in need of an upgrade it was this one... So I'm sure that this rumour will come true!

363

EOS Bodies / Re: A Bit About the 5D Mark III? [CR1]

« on: December 07, 2011, 01:37:31 PM »

But the point is, some within Canon do recognize that a decent level of AI Servo performance is needed - after all, it's not jsut a studio/landscape camera, it's a wedding camera, too...and brides do move (just not very fast).  But it will remain a fact that if you want an AF system that will deliver the best keeper rate, you need a 1-series body Nikon!!!

 

364

EOS Bodies / Re: A Bit About the 5D Mark III? [CR1]

« on: December 07, 2011, 01:36:08 PM »

The purpose of the 5D Mrk III is not:
-   to be a great professional landscape camera
Landscaper Shooters who keep saying this is so popular.. please be realistic.

A real “pro” landscape photographer would be using medium or large format:
either 4” x 5” or 8” x 10” film (which is very affordable compared to digital a system),
or
a $12k+ Hasselblad cam system or  $9,995 penta 645D. Im sure pentax and hasslblad arehaving a hard to meeting the demand for these cameras!

You could not be more wrong !

Some of the best landscape photograpers here in the Netherlands use the Canon 5D Mark 2 and these people do shoots all over the world all year long at the most beautifull and sometimes difficult to reach places as I  learned in a seminar of one of them.

Being there at JUST the right time , catching the moment with magical light , the right season etc etc thats what counts in getting greater pictures in landscape.
They use big Gitzo tripods and Lee ND filters but seem to be very satisfied with 'just' a Canon camera.

Actually you are somewhat correct, I'm not saying the 5D Mk II wont produce great results as a landscape camera. You must realize my point, the quality of a digital sensor at 21.1 MP is NOTHING compared to 4" x 5" film processed with a pro scanner. A real professional landscape photographer can get prints for museum displays and large prints over 3' x 4'. You absolutely CANNOT get high quality large prints using the 5D Mk II, the larget print you could get at 300 dpi is about 13" x 19".

source = http://www.design215.com/toolbox/megapixels.php

Using 4" x 5" film and a high quality drum scan process, you can get an approximately a 500 MP image. The quality difference is simply to great.

Here's a great article comparing a digital cameras to film, after reading maybe you will under stand the reasoning I had behind my statement.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htm

Do you think Ansel Adams would use a digital camera for landscapes?

Even Ansel Adams moved to medium format in his latter years as film emultions improved and he got too old to lug around a huge pack full of large format kit.  Go and have a look at the weight of a large format camera system and compare it to a DSLR, not to mention the amount of set up time required for each shot (and the expense of the film).  That's not to say that the quality of large or medium format isn't better, it's a trade off of quality versus convenience (if you don't agree -why aren't you carrying around a 8" x 10" instead of mere 4" x 5"?).  There are plenty of landscape photographers out there using DSLRs or digital medium format as it allows them to be more experimental and prolific in their shooting style.  It's far better to get the shot on a smaller, faster format than to miss it messing around trying to set up large format kit.  Large format is already on the wane as more landscape photographers move to the ever improving digital medium format systems.  It's all about convenience...

365

EOS Bodies / Re: A Bit About the 5D Mark III? [CR1]

« on: December 06, 2011, 08:08:21 AM »

Isn't it a bit sad that if this and the current Nikon rumours prove true, then this time next year we will have to buy a 1D X to get a camera that is even remotely as good as the equivalent Nikon? I guess we'll heve to wait and see.  Is anyone else beginning to wonder if they've bought into the wrong system?

366

EOS Bodies / Re: Noise: shrinking High-MP vs Native Low-MP

« on: December 03, 2011, 07:27:30 AM »

Try this comparison between the NEX-5 and NEX-7 downsampled:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/sony_nex_7_rolling_review.shtml#size-return

Probably a more meaningful test of a same-generation high resolution sensor downsampled versus a lower resolution sensor.  That's not to criticise you dr croubie, I understand that you were trying to do your best with limited resources available. 

367

EOS Bodies / Re: A Canon Move into MF: Not in the near future (from NL)

« on: December 01, 2011, 07:14:27 PM »

Interesting that they've decided to make the body out of Lego...

5 Smites?!  Guys, that was humour. Take a closer look at their photo:


Man, tough crowd...

I wouldn't worry about the smites, they are from people who are either too lazy or too illiterate to post an actual reply. 

368

EOS Bodies / Re: *UPDATE* How to Lose $2400 in 24 Seconds

« on: December 01, 2011, 04:52:54 PM »

What exactly was he thinking? Personally, I'd have grabbed the camera as soon as I realised the wave was bigger than I was expecting -who cares about getting wet feet!

369

EOS Bodies / Re: Where and how do you keep all your gears?

« on: November 27, 2011, 02:12:46 PM »

mine gets left all over!!  half seems to be on my desk right now...  maybe i should have a better system for storage!

I seem to operate the same system as you (i.e. none)! It's been fine for me so far; I hope I'm not tempting fate by stating that... Basically it just sits in my office in one of my bags until I decide to grab some of it to go out shooting, which involves some frantic packing (I'm not one of these people that makes sandwiches the night before).  Works OK until I forget to move something into the bag I'm taking; last time it was my filter holder adapter rings -annoying rather than disasterous. 

My overriding philosophy is that if you can't afford to replace it, you should either insure it or not buy it in the first place. 

370

EOS Bodies / Re: Big savings on unknown Canon DSLR [Nov 27, 9:15 PM PST]

« on: November 27, 2011, 01:59:45 PM »

More likely to be the 1100D or 550D.  The 500D is gone now and the 650D is due early next year, so retailers will be looking to clear stocks of the 550D over Christmas.  There are quite a few deals to be had on the 550D here in the UK at the moment. 

371

Canon General / Very strange lens mug

« on: November 26, 2011, 09:48:07 AM »

Take a look at this bizarre hybrid:

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/10380179.html

The design looks Nikon, but the markings are a curious mixture of Canon and Pentax!

372

EOS Bodies / Re: 5DIII will come

« on: November 22, 2011, 06:43:47 PM »

I will admit that it's possible that the 5DIII will use the 7D-type AF, but you seem to be suggesting they'll re-use the actual AF sensor from the 7D, without compensating for the larger frame.  If they compensate for the larger frame, it means developing a new sensor.  If they don't, it means the 5DIII would have more AF points, and better ones, but the area coverage would be even less than that of the 5DII, as you can see in the attached image (5DII in blue, 7D in black).  Canon has expressed a willingness to take things away from new models, as discussed above with f/8 issue.  But the AF area coverage of the 5DII was already not a strong point.  When they released the 5DII, they touted the fact that the horizontal point spread was the same as the 1DsIII, conveniently ignoring the fact that the vertical spread was a full row shorter.  The 7D's AF sensor on the 5DII would mean the loss of a horizontal row, as well.

I was aware of the implications of using the 7D AF system in a future 5D, but I've never seen it drawn as well as you have done, so bravo.  I don't think that Canon would bother to design a new full frame version with a greater spread (although I hope I'm wrong).  AF point frame coverage vies with the lack of cross type sensors as the reason for the inadequacy of the 5D's AF system, even for people who don't shoot action.  You've previously mentioned the problem with the focus and recompose method of focusing at large apertures.  But marketing loves numbers and 19 is better than 9... I wouldn't like to make statements about the 1D X's AF system before it's been released or without any information about the design decisions made.  I personally favour the trade off explaination for the lack of any f/8 capable AF points.  Canon would have to be pretty confident to drop a good marketing differentiator just to try and sell people longer lenses; it's a hazardous enough move asking their customers to change formats without adding further risks to acceptance.  Having said that, many companies have made stupid decisions like this in the past! 

373

EOS Bodies / Re: 5DIII will come

« on: November 22, 2011, 01:37:43 PM »

Heck, even 5DIII's sales would suffer because of it's increased price (highly advanced AF would obviously cost more). Why would Canon take such a risk?

Its increased price? What, like the D700 was significantly more expensive than the 5D MkII? Higher production cost and lower profit margins are more likely, as well as the fact that they'd risk 1D X sales. 

I'm not going to revisit old ground (I think that Neuro and I will have to agree to disagree for now), but I would predict that the 5D MkIII will have the 7D's 19pt AF system.  My reasoning is that it's inferior enough to the 1D X AF system, already developed (hence no R&D expenditure), and is used on the 7D; thus it would become Canon's new mid-market standard. 

374

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon D800 Outed?

« on: November 20, 2011, 08:13:46 PM »

If so then we could expect the next D4 to be low in MP like the 1DX and maybe also expect a new body from Nikon between the D4 and the D800 with smaller MP (like a D4) and a smaller form factor compared to the D4 right?

The D300s replacement (D400?) would fit perfectly in that spot, in the 18-24MP range, to compete with 7DII
I also expect D4 to be quite close to 1DX, in almost all areas.

If this is true, then Nikon are being very strange as well... This D800 will more or less kill off the D3x.  and The D4, which will presumably be presumably lower resolution to get better high ISO & frame rates for action shooters, is due for release first (Olympic year)? So maybe it's both Canon and Nikon that see no future for a large body, high resolution camera? Roll on the 5D MkIII at 300MP+! 

It will kill the D3x but not the D4, no, they will be in different leagues.

Erm... Sorry, I think a punctuation error slipped in there somewhere... and a typo! This was probably the the most poorly written post I have made so far, please accept my humble apologies.

375

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon D800 Outed?

« on: November 20, 2011, 05:03:13 PM »

If this is true, then Nikon are being very strange as well... This D800 will more or less kill off the D3x and the D4, which will presumably be presumably lower resolution to get better high ISO & frame rates for action shooters, is due for release first (Olympic year)? So maybe it's both Canon and Nikon that see no future for a large body, high resolution camera? Roll on the 5D MkIII at 300MP+!