Messages

301

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 19, 2012, 03:59:03 AM »

I'm intrigued though why the 100mm macro USM is the only f/2,8 lens in group E, when even the older non-USM macro is in group C. I notice it's even worse with the 180mm macro, as it is in group G with or without the 1.4x extender.

Yeah it is odd. Glad I upgraded to L.

Maybe it is to sell more L versions. 

If not then maybe something about the internal baffles and how it heads into macro mode as a non-extending lens, maybe the larger elements in the L get around this. The older non-USM uses an extended barrel type macro design. It is interesting that even the 100L is one of the few lenses faster than f/4 that does not get the central point to work as a super precision double cross point. Gotta be something to do with the way macro lenses are designed. Once you are at 1:1 I think they act more like f/5.6 in how much light they let in even when set to f/2.8 too, not sure where they decided to class the AF rating for it, at normal distance or macro.

Could be something like that, certainly you're losing around two stops at 1:1. I know some of that is due to light loss within the lens, due to the design and physics, as well as some light loss from being in your own light . Also, there is no way anyone would be daft enough to want to use zone AF for macro work, so they could have left them selectable for non-macro work, considering it also makes a useful portrait lens among other things.

302

Lens Gallery / Re: Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 II L USM

« on: August 18, 2012, 04:13:05 PM »

I plan on using it for some portraits tomorrow. It's a bit out of my comfort zone, but it should be a good experience.

303

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 18, 2012, 04:05:06 PM »

Thanks, yes I do, it was one of the first things I did. I think the key sentence is the second one under "Selectable AF Point". "In the case of automatic AF point selection, all 61 AF points will remain active, regardless of the setting. I was considering only only all points as automatic AF, but I suppose in zone AF, it is still choosing a point automatically, it is just that it has been limited to the nine adjacent ones, whereas in AF point expansion, you have chosen the centre point, but allowed the other eight to kick in if the centre point can't obtain a lock. I think the two mistakes I made were, being a bit slow initially (even though I noticed before when I looked at the list) working out that the non-L USM macro was in group E and then not thinking about automatic AF points in zone AF. I got there in the end with some help, hopefully this thread will help someone else too.
I'm intrigued though why the 100mm macro USM is the only f/2,8 lens in group E, when even the older non-USM macro is in group C. I notice it's even worse with the 180mm macro, as it is in group G with or without the 1.4x extender.

304

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 18, 2012, 02:55:11 PM »

...it is still slightly illogical that the outer 20 cross points (on other lenses) are selectable when switching to zone AF for group E lenses.

No, the outer cross-type points are not selectable with a group E lens in any mode.  The points are selectable, just not as cross-type points.

I'm not saying they are cross type with a group E lens, that is why I had "on other lenses" in brackets, I'm saying they are selectable with zone AF, but they are not selectable with single point (or any of the point expansion modes). To me, logic dictates they should be selectable in all modes or none. If that was the case, the manual wouldn't be confusing at all (at least not in that section anyway).

I agree, Manuals Suck!

Lets go out and shoot, I've actually spent more time with the manual than shooting this bad-boy! 

I'm in agreement there. I'm actually going on a themed portrait shoot tomorrow at a heritage railway, out of my comfort zone, which was why I was playing around in the first place . Had it not been for the preparation, I proably would never have found out.

305

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 18, 2012, 12:01:14 PM »

The Guide does actually state what you're asking. Pg.36-39 below:

Take a look at the AF Guide, and right next to or below the Group A through Group E Charts it does state that, AF focusing is possible with all 61 points and All AF area selection modes are available.  Group F & G states that, All 61 points is not possible, however All AF Area modes are available. 

Rich

Thanks, I did miss the diagram when I looked through the guide, however, the way it is worded is clumsy (the same as in the manual). If the manual didn't refer to the single points in the AF area selection section, then it would make more sense to read.

however All AF Area modes are available.

Suggests that the zone should only select from those 21 points, but it also allows selection of zones in the outer 20 high sensitivity points, even though it states that group E lenses don't have access to them.
Sometimes knowing too much can result in reading manuals in less detail and it probably highlights that as much as anything else. I do have a tendency to experiment rather than follow instructions .

306

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 18, 2012, 11:52:12 AM »

the 41 point selection

There is no such mode.  The setting you are thinking of is called "only cross type AF points" and with a group E lens, only the 21 center points act as cross type AF points, so that's all you can select.

That's the mode I meant and granted it is only 21 points on group E lenses, but I was trying to be clearer, unsuccessfully. I know camera manufacturers have a lot to learn when writing manuals that make sense when reading them, but it would only take a sentence to actually state that single point (and others) are not available, instead of stating "All of the area selection modes are selectable". In fact, it would be clearer if they used "Only the..." instead of "All of the...". In fact, when the manual describes each of the modes, the section is titled "AF Area Selection Modes", then describes spot, single point and expanded point in that section, so the whole section is rather confusing. The confusion lies around the fact that it behaves differently for zone and single point (with or without expansion). While I can see to some degree why zone AF is going to increase the chances of a successful AF, it is still slightly illogical that the outer 20 cross points (on other lenses) are selectable when switching to zone AF for group E lenses. I think knowledge of that in itself is useful to know. It's also interesting that it is the only f/2.8 lens listed in group E, all the others are in groups A, B or C. I'm intrigued now, why that lens is different, as it can't be down to age, considering the non-USM is in group C.

307

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 18, 2012, 10:51:23 AM »

Yes, the 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro is group C and the 100mm f/2.8 non-L Macro is Group E.  So, the combo is functioning properly.

I just had another look. The EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro and EF 100 f/2.8L Macro IS USM are both in groups C, but the EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is in group E, so that's where the confusion is. However, it still doesn't state that it behaves differently between the 41 point selection and all the other modes. In 61 point, 14 point and 9 point, it is possible to select a single AF point (or any of the options surrounding the point) for any of the points, it is only when in 41 point mode that only the 21 point centre points are selectable. To me that is illogical, it should be the same for all of them for any given lens. The outer points don't suddenly become less sensitive just because you choose the most sensitive 41 points, particularly as they are selectable for teh various zones.

308

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 18, 2012, 10:37:02 AM »

I do have the non-L lens and maybe I looked at the wrong list. It would explain why it was different to all the other lenses, but it's probably worth otheres being aware that it behaves differently for single/expanded point and zone.

309

EOS Bodies - For Stills / AF Point Selection Oddity on 5D MkIII with 100mm Macro

« on: August 18, 2012, 09:14:40 AM »

I've found an oddity with the AF on the 5D MkIII. For a couple of weeks, I've been scratching my head over how I would select the outer points when using single point focus. After playing around this afternoon, I have found that if I select only the 41 most sensitive points, I can only select the central 21 points when using single point, single spot, or expanded, but if I switch to zone, I can select the outer zones. Switching to all 61 points or 9/14 points allows me to choose any point. Trying it out with other lenses (all in group A as opposed to group C for the 100mm macro), I can select any point I wish in any selection mode, including 61 points. I then tried another group C combination, the 300mm L IS iwth 1.4x extender. Again, I didn't have any problems with selecting any point I wished, so it isn't as simple as applying only to certain lens groups. From all of my lenses that are f/2.8 or wider maximimum aperture (I didn't try either the 24-105 or 17-40), it is only with the 100mm macro in 41 point mode where I can't select the outer 20 points and doesn't affect zone AF. I may have mised it, but I couldn't find any reference to the phenomenom in either the 5D MkIII manual or the 1D X AF guide. It isn't really a major issue, as most of the time, I would be using manual focus for macro work and I would be inclined to use the 135mm for the little portrait work I do.

310

Landscape / Re: The Ship

« on: August 18, 2012, 03:38:22 AM »

Thanks all, this is the original:

Classic example of why you need grad filters for landscapes. At a guess, a 3 stop grad on the sky and maybe a 1 stop on the sea would have helped with the light around the ship. Overall, the image is underexposed by around a stop, so with the grads 4 stop extra light would have helped lift the photo, with less need for over the top processing. If you have Lightroom, a slight increase in the highlight saturation only, would have prevented the weird colours in the blue sky.

311

EOS Bodies / Re: 5D Mark 3 - Please help!

« on: August 17, 2012, 06:42:43 PM »

5D3 Samples: LINK http://www.glenargov.com/Other/5D3-Test/24800438_Zw5jbH#!i=2029849496&k=73Mshxf

Looks a bit too mushy for a full-frame sensor. Though, I don't think it's a reason to return it. It's still a great camera and I don't think you can get better results from a Canon right now.

There also appears to be quite a bit of moisture in the air on that one, so pointing at a high level, with a telephoto lens will compress all the particles, diffracting the light and therefore softening the image. The most comparable image on the MkII had much less moisture in the air (yet still lacked detail) and was at ISO 100 instead of ISO 400. The image of the alsation I looked at had plenty of detail, despite being at ISO 1000.

312

EOS Bodies / Re: 5D Mark 3 - Please help!

« on: August 17, 2012, 06:34:05 PM »

Regardless of whether it's better to shoot with or without noise reduction (first thing I do is switch it off), to get an idea of whether there is a problem, shoot some low ISO shots on a tripod, with it switched off. That will be the only way you can be sure whether or not there is a problem.

313

Landscape / Re: Post Your Best Landscapes

« on: August 17, 2012, 04:22:22 PM »

It doesn't take much of a tilt, after all, the maximum tilt is 8 degrees on most TS lenses and typically only 1 or 2 degrees is used. While it is slightly different for a normal lens and tilting the whole camera, the fact that you are getting a significant amount of the ground level, suggests the sensor plane wasn't exactly perpendicular. Also, regardless of how good the resolution of a lens is, you can't overcome the laws of physics.

314

Lens Gallery / Re: Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 II L USM

« on: August 17, 2012, 04:15:32 PM »

The 24L II is my fav food lens too!

One of the things I like about the 24L MkII is the close minimum focusing distance and while food and product photography isn't something I get excited about, it shows off the low levels of distortion from the lens.


Orange Dusk at Watchet by Kernuak, on Flickr

Watchet Summer Sunset by Kernuak, on Flickr

315

5D MK III Sample Images / Re: Wedding Photography Photos - 5d MK III

« on: August 17, 2012, 04:09:30 PM »

Mor ethan likely they get the normal color version as wel as the edited one. Thats how i do it at least.

I would hope so! than to be stuck a crappy style that some dude thought was a great 'style' last decade. Is that like ugly is the new beautiful? I recall  another photographer on these forums posted his wedding pics that were shot on his brand new 5d3, they were overly hazy and was discussing that the client was so pissed off they demanded the RAW files and their money back for ruining their wedding pics.  We are partly responsible for promoting what good looks like. Soon enough other are going to want it. A gain I must apologize for being honest here. I cant tell you how many times i have see lightroom filters for sale and wonder why would anyone want their pics to look like that. We are going to get over this Instagram mentality and to me the sooner the better. BTW my comments in this post are not about the photographs posted here. Its about wedding photography in general.

Most informed wedding couples would research the photographers they are considering and be aware of their style. Likewise they and a responsible wedding photographer would meet before hand to discuss what they wanted and how much leeway to give, they would also formulate a shot list of images that had to be done. Personally, I quite like the styles (I didn't look closely at the focus) and if everyone shot in the same style it would get pretty boring without any choice. Photography would stagnate and noone would have a reason for anyone to hire them above another photographer. In business it's all about finding something that nobody else offers.