Messages

16

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Sigma Announces 18-35 f/1.8 DC HSM Art for APS-C

« on: April 18, 2013, 10:01:41 AM »

Don't get me worng; it's great to see fast glass coming to APS-C, and it's great to see Sigma throwing mud in the big boys's eyes. But "all" they've done is give APS-C some glass as fast (for the format) as what 135 has had for ages. It's high past somebody did this, but it's high past time precisely because it's no more remarkable than an f/2.8 zoom for 135 format.

Now, an f/1.8 zoom for 135, or an f/1.0 zoom for APS-C...that would be something truly remarkable.

And insanely heavy, expensive, etc. I'm only aware of Sigma's 20mm f/1.8 as something that fast, that wide, and it has an 82mm filter. It's also not a good lens. Obviously 24mm f/1.4 is doable by several companies. Perhaps a 24-70 f/1.8 zoom would be doable for full-frame, but, I can only imagine the weight and price.

That said, should be much easier for APS-C; I'm hoping the results are good, because I'd definitely buy one

17

Third Party Manufacturers / Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 DC?

« on: April 17, 2013, 07:27:54 PM »

May be fake, but, the rumored specs are thus. I hope it's true, because Sigma has really been pushing things forward lately

    Designed for APS-C based DSLR cameras
    Ultrasonic autofocus (HSM)
    9 aperture blades
    Type A (Art), which guarantees quality materials, metal bayonet
    Filter size: 72mm
    Minimum aperture: f/16
    Lens construction: 17 elements in 12 groups
    The maximum magnification ratio: 0.23x
    Weight: 810 grams, length: 121mm
    Angle of view: 76.5 - 44.2°
    Internal zoom and focusing
    Minimal focusing distance: 28cm

http://photorumors.com/2013/04/17/sigma-18-35mm-f1-8-dc-hsm-lens-leaked/

18

Lenses / Re: I have just lost confidence with Canon Rumors & B&H

« on: April 17, 2013, 04:33:05 PM »

The most confusing things about this thread are A) This particular lens is not listed in the latest rebate announcement, and B) both Amazon and B&H are still showing this lens at $2049. So I have no idea what the OP is talking about.

Perhaps he meant the 70-200? Not sure. Either way, it's a silly thing to get upset about, especially when those posts are very specifically tagged as ad posts.

It's on the lens buyer to find the best price.

19

Lenses / Re: EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x Availability

« on: April 16, 2013, 05:12:06 PM »

So basically this is a 200-560mm f/4-5.6 lens? Now, due to the IS, if it is a highly portable (hand-holdable) lens ... great for sport and stalking game. If not, still, what's the point?

Well, a 400mm f/4 lens will cost you $6000+ from Canon. A 500 or 600mm lens from Canon will cost you $10k (though, they will be f/4, not f/5.6). A 200mm lens is another $750, and a 300mm f/4 is another $1000. So, in pure focal length you are getting a 50% discount. And of course you'd have to change between all of those. A 100-400 would presumably be an alternative, but, its an older design and you need to add a teleconverter to get to 560.

The point is that you get 200-400f/4 and 280-560 f/5.6 while not having to take a lens off the camera. In rough conditions (rain, snow, sand, etc), that's a big advantage. And in sports where the action moves from end to end quickly, you don't need one camera with a 200mm and one with a 5-600mm lens. Plus, with how the 1DX handles high iso, f/4 isn't too bad.

Definitely a very niche product, but, makes sense from a design standpoint if it's as sharp as the primes

20

EOS Bodies / Re: A Bit of EOS 70D Info [CR1-CR2]

« on: April 15, 2013, 09:25:30 PM »

Exactly! To be honest, I wouldn't mind if my 5D III was 18 MP (without hearing it would be 22.3).
And 6.5 fps is a big improvement on the 60D's frame rate.

And to hear it has a magnesium alloy body? Wow, why is everyone being so ungrateful about it.  If these are true, then these are good upgrades.

Yeah, though the AF will be telling. If they give it something similar to the 19pt system, then it's basically a single Digic V version of the 7D, which ain't too shabby. Of course, if they give it the usual 9pt AF sytem, it'd make me worried for what the 7dII will end up getting

21

EOS Bodies / Re: A Bit of EOS 70D Info [CR1-CR2]

« on: April 15, 2013, 09:16:44 PM »

A 70D priced at $1199 will be more expensive than the 7D at this time.
Does this make sense? I think not.

Did it make sense that a T4i cost more than a 60D when it came out? Or the T5i vs 60D for that matter?

New technology comes out at retail prices, while 3.5yr old cameras drop in price. For the 50D, retail was $1399, the 60D was $1099. So, a camera that is a little higher spec'd than what the 60D was on release retailing for $1199 makes perfect sense. The 7D retailed at $1699, so, a camera that is better than the previous 7D likely couldn't go for anything less.

22

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 6D or 5D MKII - Which is Better for Video?

« on: April 15, 2013, 08:00:06 PM »

If your purchasing decision is purely derived from cost, then my advice would be to spend the least amount as possible (i.e. a used 5D2 which I'm sure you can find in good shape for around $1500 or less), and keep saving up until you can afford the Blackmagic Pro camera which is really what you ultimately want if you're serious about video but can't afford the Alexa.

Well, and at $2995 vs $1999ish for the 6D, I'd say your DIT would be a heck of a lot happier getting ProRes or RAW out of the BMCC instead of the .mov's of a DSLR.

If you're looking for absolute sharpness and someone else is handling the final look, then the GH2/GH3 would produce sharper shots.

For me, I find Magic Lantern pretty irreplaceable, so the 5dII would be the option over the 6D.

23

EOS Bodies / Re: A Bit of EOS 70D Info [CR1-CR2]

« on: April 15, 2013, 07:53:14 PM »

Unless they did a body redesign, I assume the built-in flash is gone too?

That's not a complete spec list, so, I imagine the flash is still there. Even the 7D had that; and for the 70D, at $1199 for the body, it's still a consumer/enthusiast model. If it doesn't have it, it would be a signal that no future Canon camera will have them

24

Canada / Re: Camera calibration/checkover

« on: April 11, 2013, 08:07:38 PM »

too many hand offs  Vistek has to check it, decide if they send it out, ... get it back, check it again, .... all adds cost and delay.  Best would be send it directly to Canon.

Except if you send it directly to Canon, your absolute best case scenario is you get it back in what, a week? Couple days each way for shipping plus the few hours they look at it. Going in store, best case, you drop it off and have it back 2hrs later. And if it needs something more major, you can decide if you want to send it off the Canon.

Seems an easy choice to me...unless the place is a really long drive away

25

EOS Bodies / Re: Will Canon release a Pocket BMCC competitor?

« on: April 11, 2013, 11:33:14 AM »

Hahaha Canon releasing something other than 8-bit H.264 for less than $20,000 – not a chance.
Think about it – the EOS M is almost $1,000 – A small RAW camera with the Canon label on it would cost at least $3000, and it would still have line-skipping moire.

Yep, and I honestly don't expect any Canon DSLR to ever shoot in RAW. I doubt Canon sees this as competition to their DSLR or mirrorless lines, seeing as it has a smaller sensor than even some of their P+S's, and it basically doesn't do stills (2mp screen grabs...). It's targeting a very specific niche of people...especially using ProRes and Raw formats.

Gonna be awesome for any pro that has to do nature stuff with long hikes; to be able to shoot in an easily editable fashion with a good crop, that's a strong package. But, way too niche for Canon to jump in until it's a proven market segment

Also, wide enough doesn't really exist as far as I know for S16. You're basically at a 3x crop factor from full-frame. I know a lot of people were struggling to get wide enough with the original BMCC because of it's 2.4x crop factor. I think the Metabones adapter would be almost required for wide stuff

26

EOS Bodies / Re: Dilemma: Need new body by May 1st (7d alternatives/successor timeline?)

« on: April 09, 2013, 07:29:50 PM »

I'm with the non-renting crowd but disagree with the 7D crowd also. If you were used to a 20D, & then a P&S, just pick up a refurb rebel direct from Canon & you will see a significant improvement in your shots.  If you want video, the T3i (the digital zoom on that model is nice) is a fairly good deal

Agreed, as someone who owns a 20D and 60D, the 60D is a very nice step up in terms of usability and user experience. And I much prefer the images. If the OP is a larger guy, a 60D would work better than a T2i/T3i, and the price difference is negligible anymore.

The AF on my 60D has no problem with moderate action sports, and I don't know of any baby under the age of 2-3 that moves faster than that. And I can't imagine you'll be taking your baby out in the rain, snow, wind, sand, etc...so, the real advantages of the 7D are wasted in that scenario. Personally, I'd save the $400 or so and get a nice lens instead

27

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: yes or no..6d for video...

« on: April 08, 2013, 12:48:28 PM »

Canon isn't really the place to be if your are only going to use the DSLR for video.

Yep, especially since Black Magic just announced a micro 4/3 camera for $995, and they have their BMCC for $2995.

28

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: EOS-1D C Firmware After NAB

« on: April 03, 2013, 01:31:37 PM »

I hope the people at Magic Lantern get their hands on this and reverse engineer the technology for the 1DX and 5DMK3.

Last I read, they have no intentions of ever bringing Magic Lantern to the 1DX, and explicitly stated they will never attempt to hack it to become a 1DC.

And I agree completely.  It's not really a gentlemen's agreement, being one sided and all; more like a gentlemen's nod.  As long as Canon doesn't try and stop them, and they've been WAY more generous in that regard than Nikon would ever consider, the ML team has no intention of pushing too far.  Turning a 1DX into a 1DC in firmware would be too far.

They're (ML Devs) even speculating that a few "suspiciously convenient" hooks were left in recent Canon firmwares just for them.  Which if it's true, means Canon isn't just turning a blind eye, they're passively assisting.  That's huge, and bodes well for the future of ML.  And shows that Canon sees the benefit of having them around, much like a robust 3rd party ecosystem benefits them.

Agreed completely. Also, since its been confirmed that the internals of the 1D-C are different than the 1DX, I think the ML crew would have trouble with overheating and have to worry about cameras getting damaged with the hack. It's one thing to be able to up a bit-rate or change frame rates...it's a whole other animal to offer much higher resolution, and in the case of 4k, 4x the resolution

29

Lenses / Re: New or Refurbished Lens?

« on: March 31, 2013, 03:43:58 PM »

Does Refurb L lens come with all the accessories (Hood, Soft pouch etc) which comes with the new one? Canon site does not show what is in the box!!!

Usually, yes. It also comes packaged in a different box that says refurbished

30

Lenses / Re: small primes to go with SL1?

« on: March 27, 2013, 12:04:01 PM »

Sigma 30mm 1.4
really small, old school lens, not sure if the electronic works with anything newer than 60d

They actually just updated this lens, so, while not as cheap, it should work with all newer cameras.

And I'd go with the Samyang 14mm over the Sigma, but, there's also the Tokina 17mm too. Not a lot of great wide options if you are going for small