Messages

61

Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: What are catchlights? How do you achieve them?

« on: September 08, 2012, 03:24:51 AM »

There are many ways to achieve catchlight. Googling will definitely give you most if not all the ways. But here is some short pointers.

Catchlight is the reflection of some light source on the eye.

Therefore the light source must be placed in the line of sight of the subject (that is the subject must be able to "see" it even when looking towards the camera).

The light source need not be "light generating" (that is a light bulb, or flash, or window), it can be a white (or close to it) reflective surface of appropriate size as well.

62

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Too good to be true?

« on: September 08, 2012, 03:10:53 AM »

Need not be "too good to be true". Things happen and people need cash. As PeterJ says this guy probably still needs a camera but also some cash.

I recently bought a 50D with less than 3000 shutter counts for $380 on craigslist.


However, if you choose to buy/trade up to the 7D in question, make sure that you put the camera through every possible workout before you agree to the trade. Meet somewhere in public and tell the guy to come with at least 45 minutes in hand (to allow you enough time) to let you test the camera thoroughly. In fact I would suggest you to sit down with your own camera and a 7D manual and make a list of tests that you would like to perform and how you would like to do that test. Take that list with you on the day of the trade if possible or memorize it.

63

Lenses / Re: Need advice on indoor low light lens choices.

« on: September 06, 2012, 02:22:53 PM »

You already have a f/1.4 lens, if that is not enough then I am not sure if the other lenses you have mentioned will help you either. the 24-70 is slower than f/1.4 and does not have IS, so not much of a help. If your 50 f/1.4 is not fast enough then 35 f/1.4 will also not be fast enough. Same applies to 135 f/2. Moreover, none of the primes have IS either to support slow shutter speed. Then again at slow shutter speed if you are shooting your friends and relatives there will surely be subject movement blur, where IS is useless.

Therefore, you definitely need an external flash.

Not happy with the quality of harsh light? then use it in manual mode and bounce it off the ceiling or wall to soften it. If you are using it in manual mode then any flash (old or new, canon or nikon or anything will do, provided you can manually control the power level).

Never sell the 24-105 on full frame. when you travel or take an outdoor trip it shall always have a better range than any other lens. In fact with Flash you can use it indoors as well.



 

64

Lenses / Re: Sigma 50-150 2.8 OS vs Canon 70-700 2.8 IS II for crop cameras

« on: August 28, 2012, 01:05:49 AM »

A 70-700 2.8 IS II would cost a bit I reckon. 

and think about the size and weight!!!!! No handholding possible I guess.... 

65

Lens Gallery / Re: Canon 85mm f/1.8

« on: August 26, 2012, 01:27:17 AM »

buttery smooth..

Very nice. I love the composition.

66

Lens Gallery / Re: Canon 85mm f/1.8

« on: August 26, 2012, 01:25:45 AM »

I love this lens.


Highkey Baby Shreya by alo-chhaya, on Flickr

67

Sports / Re: Newbie - some feedback please!

« on: August 22, 2012, 05:44:47 PM »

I neither do sports photography nor have I ever done white water canoeing (hopefully that is what the photograph is of). But what is that white and red pole sticking out from the top of the frame?

68

Canon General / Re: Adorama issues anyone? Ever try to return a product?

« on: August 22, 2012, 05:40:52 PM »

We have spent three pages of forum stating-restating-counterstating how good or (in some small instances) how bad adorama has been to us. But interestingly the OP has not chimed in at all after the original post. He has not put forward what problem he faced, nor has he come forward to state what is the current condition of his problem - resolved or still lingering. At this point I cannot even be sure if he at all had any problem or it was something stemming out of some kind of buyers remorse.

69

EOS Bodies / Re: Show your love for the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS

« on: August 22, 2012, 05:31:38 PM »

This one was taken just few days before I decided to return the Canon 70-300 in favour of the Tamron 70-300


Squirrel by alo-chhaya, on Flickr

70

Animal Kingdom / Re: I'm going squirrely trying to improve these photos (help)?

« on: August 22, 2012, 01:44:12 PM »

Maybe I'll head back out in the woods today and try a wider aperature f/4.0 as you suggested.  I was hoping to salvage these shots though.

Photo 1
Body: Canon 7D
Lens: 70-200 f/4.0 IS
Shutter speed: 1/25 sec
Aperature: f/7.1
Focal length: 200mm
ISO: 400

Photo 2
Body: Canon 7D
Lens: 70-200 f/4.0 IS
Shutter speed: 1/30 sec
Aperature: f/7.1
Focal length: 200mm
ISO: 400

Instead of f/4 I would suggest to go with something like f/5.6. A bit stopped down but not so much as f/7.1 as to make the background non-blurred (if that is a word).

For the current photos, why do not you try to crop around the squirrel a little tighter and use blurring in post processing for the background (using layer and layer mask).

For squirrels I always find my 70-300 lens to be handy to get close (of course cropping from your lens at 200mm will probably give better results than my third party lens).

I cropped the following pretty severely and reached this resultant photo.


Squirrel by alo-chhaya, on Flickr

71

Lenses / Re: Choice for a landscape lens

« on: August 16, 2012, 03:53:20 AM »

Since cost is not an issue

17mm TSE or 14mm wide prime....

Why would you shoot landscapes that wide?

The OP only said he/she is in the market for a landscape lens. Who knows what is a "landscape" lens? As Aglet has said it can be any focal length. Correct.

The OP also said he has 24-105 and I read into his post that as if the wide/short end of that lens is kind of limiting to him (he said that the "widest" he has is the 24mm side of that lens). So my assumption was he wanted to go wider, although he did not mention anything specifically.

Of course if not making the above assumption then any lens can work depending on what is the photographer's personal taste (as dr croubie said).

72

Lenses / Re: Choice for a landscape lens

« on: August 16, 2012, 01:14:27 AM »

Since cost is not an issue

17mm TSE or 14mm wide prime....

73

Canon General / Re: Adorama issues anyone? Ever try to return a product?

« on: August 16, 2012, 01:11:11 AM »

Most of my purchases are from Adorama. I generally shop at B&H if only Adorama does not have something in stock (that is not to say that B&H has been bad). I have returned two items till now in the last one year. Both of those were second hand items. I have never faced any problem. Just downloaded the form, filled it in and send the item back with the form and invoice copy. No questions asked, I have been refunded my money.

It might be helpful if the OP makes the problem he is facing a little bit clearer (unless of course there is some privacy issue involved). There are many experienced users here who might be able to give some specific tips in that case.

74

Lens Gallery / Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

« on: August 14, 2012, 10:32:57 PM »

Here are some from me


1-2-3-4 by alo-chhaya, on Flickr


Light and Shadow by alo-chhaya, on Flickr

75

Lenses / Re: Landscape Question

« on: August 12, 2012, 08:29:13 PM »

The digital picture website has a page which lists the DLA aperture for most of the Canon (sensors) cameras.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Field-of-View-Crop-Factor.aspx

its shows with 5DIII you can probably go till f/10 and with 1DX till f/11. You might find the page useful for your later works (as I think "today afternoon" is already gone).

It looks like 5DC, 1DIIN and 1DII had the largest sized pixels of any canon DSLR till date and hence also allowed the smalled apertures till diffraction limits set in (all f/13)

[I rounded down all the DLAs to the nearest full stop]