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May 23, 2013, 01:43:23 PM
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Lenses / Re: Sport lens - low budget
« on: May 10, 2013, 07:47:31 AM »
Hi Alrik,
I think it depends on what kind of sports you're shooting, and under what conditions.
I once had a 70-300 IS USM (the non-L to which you refer) & used it extensively. It was OK but on the long end anything over 200mm was really not so hot. Photozone & other tests confirm this. I was using it on a 40D and your 1DsII has a much lower pixel density so it won't push the resolution limitations of this lens as hard, but I'm still not sure this lens is such a good choice for you. Also the AF is not full "ring USM" so you don't have full-time focus adjust available & the AF is not as fast as a full "ring USM" lens. In short, it's OK but not great.
If you're shooting sports where you can get a bit closer to the action (e.g. indoor sports or something outdoors where you're not too far away), you may want to consider a used or refurb 70-200 F/4 L. I started out with one of these & it was really great. Super sharp at all focal lengths, fast AF, not too heavy. I sold it because I found myself using my 135L most of the time instead, and was quite long & didn't fit well in my bags or balance so well with my smaller bodies. But with a 1Ds you're already used to dragging around bigger gear, so this shouldn't be a problem for you. When refurbs & used lenses are in stock they're under $500 so just keep an eye on it (also check B&H & Adorama used inventory).
Also all the 70-200s (unlike the various 70-300s) work great with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. The mkII 1.4x is quite good but if you were going to go for a 2x TC I'd say either splurge for the mk3 or don't mess with it. But a used/refurb 1.4x II turns the 70-200 f/4 into a 100-280 f/5.6 with very good quality & fast AF for not a lot of money. Removing a TC takes more time than just turning a zoom ring, but the benefit is that your base lens is lighter and more luminous for closer indoor stuff.
You only need to worry about IS if you're shooting in situations where you can't use a tripod. For a shorter lighter lens like the f/4 zooms a monopod is also quite acceptable. IMHO a tripod collar is necessary for the heavier lenses, (use a 3rd party tripod collar or find a used Canon collar as the new ones are ultra-pricey) but especailly on a bigger body like the 1DsII the f/4 zooms should be fine using the camera's tripod mount & a good ball head. For sports, most likely you'll have your shutter speed fast enough to be able to hand-hold a 200mm lens anyway in order to freeze the action. If you've got a monopod, you can really move around quickly & easily & still get down to 1/100th or so at 200mm with good shooting technique. Your subject is probably going to be pretty blurry at that speed anyway unless they're standing still.
The Tamron 70-300 VC is supposed to be the nicest of the budget zooms, but unless you really need the IS I'd stick with the white ones with the red rings :-).
I think it depends on what kind of sports you're shooting, and under what conditions.
I once had a 70-300 IS USM (the non-L to which you refer) & used it extensively. It was OK but on the long end anything over 200mm was really not so hot. Photozone & other tests confirm this. I was using it on a 40D and your 1DsII has a much lower pixel density so it won't push the resolution limitations of this lens as hard, but I'm still not sure this lens is such a good choice for you. Also the AF is not full "ring USM" so you don't have full-time focus adjust available & the AF is not as fast as a full "ring USM" lens. In short, it's OK but not great.
If you're shooting sports where you can get a bit closer to the action (e.g. indoor sports or something outdoors where you're not too far away), you may want to consider a used or refurb 70-200 F/4 L. I started out with one of these & it was really great. Super sharp at all focal lengths, fast AF, not too heavy. I sold it because I found myself using my 135L most of the time instead, and was quite long & didn't fit well in my bags or balance so well with my smaller bodies. But with a 1Ds you're already used to dragging around bigger gear, so this shouldn't be a problem for you. When refurbs & used lenses are in stock they're under $500 so just keep an eye on it (also check B&H & Adorama used inventory).
Also all the 70-200s (unlike the various 70-300s) work great with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. The mkII 1.4x is quite good but if you were going to go for a 2x TC I'd say either splurge for the mk3 or don't mess with it. But a used/refurb 1.4x II turns the 70-200 f/4 into a 100-280 f/5.6 with very good quality & fast AF for not a lot of money. Removing a TC takes more time than just turning a zoom ring, but the benefit is that your base lens is lighter and more luminous for closer indoor stuff.
You only need to worry about IS if you're shooting in situations where you can't use a tripod. For a shorter lighter lens like the f/4 zooms a monopod is also quite acceptable. IMHO a tripod collar is necessary for the heavier lenses, (use a 3rd party tripod collar or find a used Canon collar as the new ones are ultra-pricey) but especailly on a bigger body like the 1DsII the f/4 zooms should be fine using the camera's tripod mount & a good ball head. For sports, most likely you'll have your shutter speed fast enough to be able to hand-hold a 200mm lens anyway in order to freeze the action. If you've got a monopod, you can really move around quickly & easily & still get down to 1/100th or so at 200mm with good shooting technique. Your subject is probably going to be pretty blurry at that speed anyway unless they're standing still.
The Tamron 70-300 VC is supposed to be the nicest of the budget zooms, but unless you really need the IS I'd stick with the white ones with the red rings :-).
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Lighting / Apple product photographer shares his lighting setup & workflow
« on: May 09, 2013, 04:31:35 AM »
http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/8/4311868/the-illusion-of-simplicity-photographer-peter-belanger-on-shooting
Great article.
All I need to say is
.
Great article.
All I need to say is
.
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PowerShot / Re: A New Large Sensor PowerShot Coming [CR1]
« on: May 09, 2013, 04:21:32 AM »
The concept is very nice; a potential competitor for the RX1 and other large-sensor compacts.
But I question the accuracy of the rumor that states that the sensor will be APS-C. In a one-piece compact I think the sensor is much more likely to be the same format as the G1X, if not the same unit (at the very least I'd think it would include phase-detect AF on-chip like their other new sensors).
The whole point of using the "APS-C with the sides chopped off" sensor in the G1X was to be able to use a much smaller lens than possible with a 3:2 format sensor, as a lot less of the image circle of the lens is "wasted" (i.e. doesn't land on pixels) in close-to-square format sensors (like μ4/3 & G1X). Somewhat smaller sensor, much smaller lens.
The other reason I think they wouldn't go full APS-C for such a camera is simple: is there really much difference between this concept and simply releasing a short fast large-aperture zoom for the EOS-M system (perhaps along with an "enthusiast" body)? The sensor size would be the same, there's no mirror box or backward compatibility to worry about so it's not like the size of the lens would be much different vs. a one-piece compact. Panasonic's "power zoom" lenses have proven that there doesn't have to be much size discrepancy for interchangeables vs. built-in lenses.
But I question the accuracy of the rumor that states that the sensor will be APS-C. In a one-piece compact I think the sensor is much more likely to be the same format as the G1X, if not the same unit (at the very least I'd think it would include phase-detect AF on-chip like their other new sensors).
The whole point of using the "APS-C with the sides chopped off" sensor in the G1X was to be able to use a much smaller lens than possible with a 3:2 format sensor, as a lot less of the image circle of the lens is "wasted" (i.e. doesn't land on pixels) in close-to-square format sensors (like μ4/3 & G1X). Somewhat smaller sensor, much smaller lens.
The other reason I think they wouldn't go full APS-C for such a camera is simple: is there really much difference between this concept and simply releasing a short fast large-aperture zoom for the EOS-M system (perhaps along with an "enthusiast" body)? The sensor size would be the same, there's no mirror box or backward compatibility to worry about so it's not like the size of the lens would be much different vs. a one-piece compact. Panasonic's "power zoom" lenses have proven that there doesn't have to be much size discrepancy for interchangeables vs. built-in lenses.
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Lenses / Re: Best Lens for FF 6D
« on: May 06, 2013, 10:46:23 PM »35mm Sigma 1.4
50mm 1.4
135L
Primes+FF = why did I ever shoot crop?
Yep, that's pretty much the gist of it.
If there's one reasonably-priced standard zoom I really like on the 6D, it's the 24-105L. They can be had refurbished at very good prices these days. This is also a lens that will hold its value very well. I love my primes but sometimes one "do-all" lens with a stabilizer is awfully convenient when walking around. This is pretty much my only zoom.
But (depending on what the OP is shooting, assuming he's still reading this) you don't really need the zoom if you get enough primes and you're rarely in situations where you don't have time to change lenses. If you're just starting out, I'd say this is a great prime collection that won't break the bank:
- Samyang 14mm
- Canon 40mm pancake
- Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM
And maybe add a Canon 28mm f/1.8 USM, though around the 20-24-28mm focal length you might be better off waiting a while & putting more money into a better lens later as there are a lot better options out there, but none of them are under $500.
Alternatively, if you don't want to go as wide as the Samyang you could put a little more money into a Voigtländer 20mm Color Skopar, which gives you a nice 20/40/85 kit (doubling your focal length each time you change up). Also two of them are pancake lenses, so the kit of all three is about the same size as a 24-105L <grin>. Obviously this is what I have (plus a 135L and 1.4X TC at the long end, and a Zeiss 35 & 50).
I shot a 10D for 5 years, then moved up to a 40D & used that for 5 years, and just got a 6D at the beginning of the year (so that should be good for at least another 5 :-). Ever since I started buying lenses I always made sure not to spend any real money on anything that wouldn't work on FF (the GF's crop camera has an 18-55 IS and 55-250 IS but I didn't spend more than $300 for the pair of 'em).
This may sound funny, but this is the reason that I stuck with Tokina for ultrawides. Both the old 12-24 f/4 and my current 11-16 f/2.8 are technically "crop" lenses, but unlike the Canon 10-22 the Tokinas have a normal EF mount. At the long end they both work just fine on FF cameras (I tested this back in the day on my old EOS 1N film body; the 12-24 didn't vignette appreciably until 20mm or wider). So my Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 is now a 16mm f/2.8 on the 6D, which is still quite a nice lens on FF (pretty much the same deal as the Samyang above, except the Tokina has AF :-).
Tokina does have a very nice FF ultrawide zoom, but that's a lot larger, heavier, & pricier of course.
BTW you really want to avoid the old micromotor lenses like the "nifty 50" f/1.8 if you have any intention whatsoever of shooting video or using live view on your 6D. At least with mine, the contrast-detect process and the old AF micromotor just seem to fight with eachother and never really achieve focus. I suspect this is why they developed STM focus drive as an alternative to the old micromotors.
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Lenses / Re: Poll: Most Wanted New Lenses of 2013.
« on: May 06, 2013, 10:04:50 PM »
I'll take any stabilized mid-telephoto prime at f/2 or faster! (or a stabilized 50mm f/1.4)
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Lenses / Re: Stuck on whether to return sigma 35mm for 35mm 1.4L or 35f2 is
« on: May 05, 2013, 04:27:07 AM »QuoteIt's nice of Sigma to actually deliver the USB dock, but the fact is Sigma should tighten up its QC process so we don't NEED to use the dock.
well canon should be the first then to make lenses that need no AFMA.
As much as all that would be nice, revamping the production lines to provide this level of tolerance would likely be cost-prohibitive for both companies. Given the choice between having to do AFMA and having 25% more expensive lenses & camera bodies across the board, I'll stick with the AFMA, thank you very much. The fact is that the majority of consumers buying these devices won't notice the difference.
Sigma (& other 3rd party mfrs) likely have an additional issue as they have to make lenses that work with a whole bunch of camera mfrs & not just Canon, and that likely contributes to their lenses being "way off" more often than house-brand lenses.
I applaud their innovation in releasing the DIY AFMA dock so that the customer can adjust lenses even for bodies that don't have AFMA (and for those that do, you don't have to mess with it in the camera).
Given that the AFMA USB dock is probably a single-use device for most people, I believe they priced it accordingly given that it's quite a specialty item and most customers will likely either:
- rent one for a weekend, or
- buy one & return it
BTW it occurred to me that they could have just integrated USB into their lenses, but then everyone gets to pay for the extra rarely-necessary electronics in every lens and drag around the extra bulk & weight. It also adds another point of entry for dust & moisture.
So I'll stick with the dock :-).
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Third Party Manufacturers / Re: 135mm f/1.8 DG OS ART Next from Sigma? [CR1]
« on: April 29, 2013, 06:57:29 PM »Both of these lenses need IS and/or f/1.8 for me to drop my current 135L.
Agree. The Zeiss is certainly better wide open, but not $1200 better. It's more than double the price and almost double the weight.
I love MF wide-angles (especially lenses with good markings so it's easy to set hyperfocal), but for me anything longer than about 50mm *really* needs AF, preferably fast AF.
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Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Zeiss 135mm f2 Apo Sonnar Preview
« on: April 29, 2013, 05:06:58 PM »
Here's another review, from Lensrentals: http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/04/zeiss-ze-135mm-f2-vs-canon-135mm-f2l
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Third Party Manufacturers / Re: 135mm f/1.8 DG OS ART Next from Sigma? [CR1]
« on: April 29, 2013, 05:03:58 PM »
Just in time to throw some more fat on this fire:
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/04/zeiss-ze-135mm-f2-vs-canon-135mm-f2l
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/04/zeiss-ze-135mm-f2-vs-canon-135mm-f2l
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Third Party Manufacturers / Re: 135mm f/1.8 DG OS ART Next from Sigma? [CR1]
« on: April 24, 2013, 05:05:42 AM »
Here's a comparison between the 135mm f/2.0 and a much sharper lens:
I can't see the difference at f/2.8. I should hope that the 200 f/2L should be better wide open!
This is all really picking nits anyway. Compare thine Sigma 105 macro @f/4 with the 135L @f/2.8 & the Canon looks a bit sharper.
I'm really not concerned about the minor differences of these test charts. They're all plenty high resolution lenses to get the job done.
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Third Party Manufacturers / Re: 135mm f/1.8 DG OS ART Next from Sigma? [CR1]
« on: April 22, 2013, 04:59:32 AM »
Maybe this means that a Sigma spy within Canon has gleaned that they won't be adding IS to the 135L anytime soon.
If it's as good as their Art 35 and the AF is close to the 135L then I'd certainly consider it.
Canon's probably already scrambling to get a 35L II out the door to catch up with Sigma... An Art 135 OS and 50mm would really hit Canon where it hurts.
If it's as good as their Art 35 and the AF is close to the 135L then I'd certainly consider it.
Canon's probably already scrambling to get a 35L II out the door to catch up with Sigma... An Art 135 OS and 50mm would really hit Canon where it hurts.
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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Anyone use Wasabi Power Batteries?
« on: April 20, 2013, 04:24:56 AM »
I have a pair of them for my Fuji X10. No complaints...
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Software & Accessories / Re: Adobe Lightroom 5 Public Beta Available
« on: April 18, 2013, 07:32:51 PM »15
Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Digital Film (for use in old camera's)
« on: April 18, 2013, 07:31:25 PM »Take your Spotmatic, screw off the back (the flap that opens to allow access for loading film) at the hinges, screw on the digital back with all the buttons, etc. and voila! one Spotmatic-D.
It's a great idea (Leica did this with the Digital-Modul-R); the only issue is that you'd have to make an awful lot of different models to work with all the different manufacturers' camera systems out there...