Messages

1

Lenses / Re: Do you wish your 70-200L were black?

« on: May 23, 2013, 02:07:02 PM »

Yes white reflects more light than black and causes less temperature build-up. However, as far as lenses are concerned its irrevelevant. Some time ago I saw an interview with Chuck Westfall were he basically admitted that the off-white coloring on some Canon lenses is pure and utter marketing S___.

Canon uses the white coloring even on some L-lenses - e.g. 70-200/2.8 L and 70-200/2.8 L IS without any fluorite element. http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/education/infobank/lenses/fluorite_aspherical_and_ud_lenses.do
 
There are only two valid reasons for the white coloring used in many Canon L-tele-lenses and a few Minolta G-tele-lenses:
1. white lenses stand out at large (sports and other) public events   
2. white color as well as the red L-ring are used by Canon and Minolta to create the impression of "premium grade" in order to charge more than for equally good black lenses

2

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS 70D & EOS 7D Mark II

« on: May 23, 2013, 12:44:04 PM »

Except that Canon would have had to have different camera body models because radio spectra and requirements vary from country to country.

Nope. Just another urban legend.
Canon is selling its Speedlite 660EX-RT and trigger ST-E3 globally.
These devices are apparently using the very same frequency range/channels everywhere. 
Otherwise we would be seeing product variations - like "model A" or "B" ... or "Euro" vs. "US" vs. "Asia" type.

3

Lenses / Re: Do you wish your 70-200L were black?

« on: May 23, 2013, 06:27:24 AM »

I do not need lenses in screaming pink, fresh turquoise, champagne gold or in off-white.
I would prefer them all in matte black.

4

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS 70D & EOS 7D Mark II

« on: May 23, 2013, 06:11:11 AM »

I knew that this answer will come and it seems to be a valid answer, but as I told... there are small external out there
which can do the same. When I used build in flashs to trigger external ones, they always needed to "look" to the
cam
because they need a visual connection. This was mostyl no help while shooting, and furthermore the small central
flash on the cam had to be bright to trigger, but I can't get rid of them for the result (I just want to flash from the
sides).
I think just getting a real flash is the way to go. I understand why someone needs an internal, but I totally disagree
that this belongs to a "professional" cam.

Yes any "professional camera" from Canon introduced since 2012 should really have come with a RADIO flash trigger built in. It is totally absurd that  Canon did not equip 5D III and 1D-X with a built-in EX-RT radio commander. It would have caused a lot of Canon users to dump their not-so-old speedlites 580+430EX/IIs along with their not-so-old pocketwizards and buy boatloads of new Canon 600EX-RTs ... plus ideally also somewhat less expensive 450EX-RTs as slave flashes.   

And it would have given Canon a truly unique product feature - since neither Nikon nor Sony no any other competetitor have benn able to provide built-in radio ETTL-flash mastering in their cameras. 

Such a radio trigger would come without moving parts, pose no sealing issues and no constant battery drain. And would probably cost less than 5 $  to integrate into a fairly large, "professional" DSLR. :-)

5

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 7D and rear curtain flash :(

« on: May 15, 2013, 04:08:46 AM »

Canon's wireless flash protocol sucks big time.

This is the only culprit for all the difficulties you and all other Canon users are experiencing if they wish to use 2nd curtain sync over wireless. A few newer items of Third Party gear - al of them listed in this thread - do offer workarounds - but all of them are both limited in functionality and ergonomically cumbersome. 

Even when they introduced their new, expensive as hell Speedlite 600EX-RT and ST-E3 trigger with radio wireless technology, Canon refused to implement an improved version of its wireless [ETTL] flash protocol, that would allow a straightforward workflow and direct control over all relevant flash parameters - including 2nd curtain sync and power zoom of flash reflector - directly on the Camera's LCD panel and flash menu. 

Nikon CLS allows all of this -  of course including wireless 2nd curtain sync together with iTTL - for more than 2 decades by now. It also does not stuff the totally stupid concept of "flash ratios" - "A:B" - down its users throats.

This is one of the reasons why I am refusing to invest any more money in my Canon gear. Until they got this sorted out. Or until I finally make the switch to Nikon and send Canon to hell. 

6

Canon General / Re: Announcement: Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x

« on: May 14, 2013, 05:25:28 AM »

MFD = 2 meters
magnification factor: 0.15x / 0.21x with extender

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/product/lenses/EF200_400mm_f_4L_IS_USM_EXTENDER_1_4x.do

7

Lenses / Re: Poll: Most Wanted New Lenses of 2013.

« on: May 07, 2013, 04:52:21 AM »

1) EF 100-400/f4.0-5.6 IS
turning zoom, IQ and build quality as good as the 70-200 / 2.8 L IS II
price approx. USD 2,200 - including tripod ring!

2) EF-F 50-150/2.8 L IS
IQ and build-quality as good as the 70-200 2.8 L IS II but as compact, light and black as the Sigma 50-150 / 2.8
price? USD 1,300

3) EF 16-35 /2.8 L IS
optically as good as the 24-70 II
price USD 1,500

4) EF 20/4.0 pancake
as compact, cheap and good as the 40/2.8 pancake
priced at 250 USD

5) EF 24-105/4.0 L IS II 
IQ and build quality like the 24-70 II
priced at USD 1,000

8

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: What made you choose Canon in the first place?

« on: April 13, 2013, 12:02:58 PM »

quite simple ... EOS350D ... there was no comparable product avaliable back then at that pricepoint.
later I stayed with Canon, beacuse
1. i was familiar with the user interface + ergonomics
2. Nikon never got around producing a 17-55 with IS (or VR).

First day the 7D became availbale I got it an will hold on to it, until I finally get a compact, but very hi-end mirrorless system camera with FF-sensor. My preference would be a Canon FF mirrorless with D800 sensor, AF-performance like 1D-X and body size like SOny RX-1 ... :-)

9

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Announcements on April 23, 2013? [CR2]

« on: April 07, 2013, 09:41:40 AM »

BOOOORING ... don't care at all for a 70D

Would be much more interested in a hi-end Canon mirrorless .. EOS-M "done right" ... :-)

10

EOS Bodies / Re: What is missing from the 7DII specs

« on: March 28, 2013, 04:33:24 PM »

so far the most credible rumour re. 7D II ...  so perfectly  INCREMENTAL, UN-INNOVATIVE and MARKET-DIFFERENTIATED ... so 100% Canon .. geriatric ward!

3% more performance at a (probably) 30% higher price tag

11

EOS Bodies / Re: Big Megapixel Development Announcement in the Fall? [CR2]

« on: March 24, 2013, 06:12:41 PM »

WOW, Canon still at least 2 years shy of the Nikon D800 sensor ... 
Confirms what I thought all along.

Geriatric ward really missed the boat big time.

12

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon EOS 100D Detailed Specs Appear

« on: March 23, 2013, 09:36:00 AM »

The 100D/SL1 has 9 Af points but only one is cross type just like the 6D so the CR info is wrong. I was really excited when I read it had 9 cross type! I was going to buy one as a small second camera to replace my mirrorless because I like a proper viewfinder.

From Canon "9 AF points (f/5.6 cross type at centre, extra sensitivity at f/2."

yes. evry disappointing. Canon obviously felt the need to market differentiate between SL1/100D and T5i/700D ... the latter has all cross points. Really ridiculous and disappointing.

13

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon EOS-b Images Leak & a New Kit Lens

« on: March 21, 2013, 11:41:44 AM »

What the metabones adapter does is quite sensible. The image projected by a FF SLR lens covers (for example) 4x the area of a u4/3 sensor.  The adapter functions like a reverse-teleconverter, so that the entire FF image is reduced to cover the area of the smaller sensor. By all accounts (e.g. lens rentals) this works extremely well, even with the additional optic elements.

There is no "free-lunch". You are simply using all the light that the lens gathers, rather than throwing it - and the field of view - away.

I understand perfectly well, what the metabones thingy does. And no, it does not "make a NEX a 35mm camera" .. not by a long shot.
And I would not want to fiddle around with exotic thrid-party lens adapters that will always deliver less functionality than original Canon gear and - in the case of the anti-teleconverter will also degrade image quality.
Again, this is me ... others may love it and consider it the greatest thing since sliced bread. :-)

I would much rather take a Canon 100D instead of any NEX or other mirrorless currently on the market, since it has native and full compatibility with my existing Canon EF- and EF-S glass, supporting all of its functionality

What I truly want however is a High End FF mirrorless camera with lens mount. Ideally with the Nikon D800 sensor plus Canon UI and a Canon-adapter for Canon EF- glass  ... at a price not higher than the D800. :-)

And if the Sony RX1 had come with a lens mount and a selection of first rate ultracompact fix focal pancakes and an ultracompact, decent kit-zoom ... it would have been the very first camera from Sony ever, to appear on my  shopping radar screen.  But unfortunately Sony is as stupid as Canon and Nikon regarding their current mirrorless offerings.

14

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon EOS-b Images Leak & a New Kit Lens

« on: March 21, 2013, 10:40:20 AM »

FINALLY! I consider the EOS 100D/SL1 the camera that rebels should have been all along over the last 10 years!
It will probably sell extremely well, once initial price levels drop.

Unique advantages
* a DSLR finally "small and light enough" ... compared to m4/3, Sony-Nex and other ILC-systems
* optical viewfinder
* takes EF-S and EF- lenses natively without an adapter
* no loss of funcationality compared to T5i/700D - except articulated LCD

critical issues:
1. sensor / IQ - unknown, but I do not expect a major upgrade in that department (DR, Hi-ISO noise)
2. AF performance - unknown, but early hints (dpreview) are: AF-speed still sucks big time

Sidenote: looks like the lens mount/bayonet is made of plastics, rather then steel/metal?

15

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon EOS-b Images Leak & a New Kit Lens

« on: March 21, 2013, 07:56:14 AM »

Meanwhile metabones has a. EOS to nex focal reducer to gain a stop of light and make your nex like a 35mm sensor.

Free lunch! Free FREE LUNCH!!!
ROFL ... hahaha!!!

I do not want a NEX. I do not want any Sony product as a matter of fact, even if it were given to me for free.
And the last thing I would want is a totally wacko third-party lens adapter with glass in it to reduce rechnical image quality. :-)