Messages

46

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: DPReview: Canon EOS 6D Reviewed

« on: February 13, 2013, 07:53:42 AM »

nothing but a re-packaged 5D II, crippled all around.
Still a tired old sensor with 2 EV less DR than any Nikon FF camera.
Still totally inadequate AF-system, only suitable to "but I only ever use the center AF-point"-shooters.
Overall even weaker than the nothing-to-write-home-about Nikon D600.

And dpreview is a totally uncritical review site. The will highly recommend any piece of crap as long as it may  sell well on amazon, their corporate parent.

47

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: GEAR GRINDING - or, what bug's you about your equipment

« on: February 12, 2013, 06:05:30 AM »

Overall I like my 7D still a lot .. after 3 years.
Got only Canon glass [10-22, 17-55, 40 pancake, 60 Macro, 50/1.4, 100/2.0, 70-200 2.8 II, TC 1.4x II] and Canon speedlites [580EX II, 2x 430EX/II].
No third party gear whatsoever - for fear of autofocus issues and due to zoom rings turning the wrong way round in Sigma, Tokina and Tamrons.

Shortcomings:

7D
* useless Auto-ISO implementation [much better in almost every Nikon]
* ISO 100 IQ could be way better ... especially +2 EV DR [compared to e.g. Nikon D7000]
* no fully articulated LCD
* no WiFi built in
* no GPS built in (less of an issue to me)
* tracking AF could still be better

Canon glass
* would love to finally get a sensibly priced 50/1.4 II with IQ like Nikon 50/1.4 AFS and with Ring-USM AF and built quality exactly like 100/2.0
* still waiting for a - sensibly priced - 100-400/4.0-5.6 II turning-zoom, fully weather-sealed
* otherwise no complaints ... except recent pricing of new lenses

flash
* no second curtain sync with Canon wireless ETTL
* no 360 degree turnable flash head on 430EX/II
* no Canon-RT radio receivers for my Canon speedlites available

That's it, i guess. Short list. Would be really cheap to fix for Canon.

48

Lighting / Re: An open letter to Canon regarding the Canon RT system

« on: February 05, 2013, 04:00:44 PM »

I expect the reason first curtain sync is the default is to avoid the issues of second curtain sync when photographing (still) people.  If ambient light is low (as it often is when needing flash), shutter speeds are longer, and there's a noticeable lag between the E-TTL preflash and the second-curtain flash - that often results in people blinking during the flash exposure, and a few people with closed eyes in a group photo.

yes, valid point. 

49

Lighting / Re: An open letter to Canon regarding the Canon RT system

« on: February 05, 2013, 02:46:01 PM »

as matter of fact, I would prefer 2nd curtain sync as default setting. There are far less situations where 1st curtain sync is really required. Almost all the time, 2nd curtain sync woul do the job. :-)

 

50

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Confirms 70D; Future of Semi-Pro DSLR is FF

« on: February 03, 2013, 10:46:38 AM »

it' s funny that some people still refuse to believe, that APS-H is dead and buried forever. It will not come back.

the question at hand is whether both Canon and Nikon have already decided to also kill-off APS-C in higher end semi-pro cameras, relegating it to rebels and totally lacklustre xxD bodies ... or a somewhat more inspired Nikon D7100.

To me Maeda sounds like they are just contemplating this very issue. "Shall we bring a last semi-pro APS-C DSLR (7D II) and then stop it or shall we stop it already before that ?"
And Nikon is playing the same game by not introducing a D300s successor.

51

Lighting / Re: An open letter to Canon regarding the Canon RT system

« on: February 03, 2013, 10:40:54 AM »

I would extend the letter to Canon.

They really need to
1. add second curtain sync to radio wireless [and optical wireless too]
2. add zoom head control over radio wireless
3. finally introduce cost-effective RT-receivers that allow full integration of 580EX II and 430EX II into a radio wireless setup
4. quickly introduce 440EX-RT, reasonably priced! 
5. introduce an improved ST-E3 RT Mk. II with laser-diode AF assist
6. build RT-master commander into all pro and semi-pro cameras [7D II, 5D IV, 1D-whatever, the one after 1D-x]

I will start buying RT-gear, once items 1-3 are provided.

52

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Confirms 70D; Future of Semi-Pro DSLR is FF

« on: February 01, 2013, 06:29:29 AM »

the interview confirms my worst fears.

* a few more gazillions of consumer compacts with 1/2.3" sensors, until the will all sit unsold in a huge warehouse
* APS-C will be condemned to cumsumer cr*p only (70D)
* Hi-End specced 7D II is NOT going to happen
* High-End EOS-M is  NOT going to happen
* Full-frame mirrorless - with or without mount - is NOT going to happen
* Canon has no new sensor generation anywhere near ready that could compete with Sony (Nikon)
* Canon will fail in the stills imaging market

They really need to fire this Masaya Maeda guy and get somebody in with an understanding of the market.

Note to myself: no more investments in Canon glass, it'd be wasted.
And If I am forced to buy a FF camera just to get a halfway decent AF-System and specs ... it'll be the Nikon D800.

53

Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Where is this new flash?

« on: January 30, 2013, 05:34:57 AM »

What I'm wondering is whether anyone will launch a 3rd party receiver to use with a legacy speedlite - to make it possible to use a 430EX(II) or 580EX(II) with a ST-E3-RT.  That would save having to replace all our old Speedlites...

I agree with you and really hope Canon gets hammered very soon by a USD 39,- RT receiver by Phottix or Yongnuo or any number of other Chinese makers.

One thing is for sure - apart from the radio trigger, Canon has really made the menus on the 600EX-RT more usable.  The same goes for the ST-E3-RT.

Now that was NOT exactly difficult. They just had to follow the Phottix Odin design and menues and to somewhat hide the old-fashioned, stupid-as-hell Canon "group-ratio" crap. 

Other thatn that I am totally underwhlemed by the Canon 600  and ST-E3 functionality. Canon was not even able to finall implement 2nd curtain sync on iots witeless E-TTL protocol. And the ST-E3 does not have  AF-assist  ... it should have come with a flash unit somewaht upgraded from the ST-E2 - it would thena have allowed line-of-sight triggering as well. Possibly even in combination with radio wireless. Or otherwise - also froegoing optical triggering - they should hav put a dirt-cheap AF-assist laser-diode into the ST-E3.  The way it currently is .. it's an underspecced piece of gear at an outrageous price.

I am holding out on any 600EX or ST-E3 purchase until Canon finally manages to offer me a complete system .. with full wireless functionality ... at less-than-outrageuos prices.

54

Lighting / Re: Canon ST-E3-RT Mark II???

« on: January 27, 2013, 09:19:08 AM »

I would not expect them to change their minds any time soon.

I would guess that the st-e4 arrives once rt flash master mode is available in the camera bodies, i.e. 5d4 or maybe 7d2 - imho this would have been a real valuable addition to the 6d: They can add 2.4ghz wifi, but not rt?!

If the st-e3 is obsoleted then Canon needs a new reason for customers to buy additional equipment, i.e. the version with af beam and maybe e-ttl3 with remote 2nd curtain sync for the upcoming 660rt flash :-p

+1 ... that is exactly how I see it. But unfortunately for Canon I will now play that way! :-)

55

Lighting / Re: Canon ST-E3-RT Mark II???

« on: January 27, 2013, 09:17:58 AM »

I like the ST-E3-RT the way it is, no need for a bulky AF assist light.

I would greatly prefer an AF-assist light built into a Canon flash commander! I occasionally run into shooting situations where I am no able to AF without the ST-E2 AF-asist light.

Then use a 600-RT on your camera.

If on-camera flash is not needed, why  should one use a 600EX-RT?
* freakin' bulky and top-heavy
* bloody expensive

Just because Canon refuses to build an AF-assist IR-laser-diode into every camera body and into its low-specced-but-high-priced flash commander? No way!

56

Lighting / Re: Canon ST-E3-RT Mark II???

« on: January 27, 2013, 06:31:13 AM »

I like the ST-E3-RT the way it is, no need for a bulky AF assist light.

I would greatly prefer an AF-assist light built into a Canon flash commander! I occasionally run into shooting situations where I am no able to AF without the ST-E2 AF-asist light.

Really up to date would be an ST-E4 with radio wireless and a non-bulky, but rather tiny, industry-standard  IR-laser-diode as AF assist illuminator ... similar to the (Non-IR) laser-AF-assist seen already years ago on the Sony F717, F828, V1 to V3 cameras.

And in addition, finally a Canon wireless-radio RT-receiver to also control 580/II and 430/II speedlites via radio wireless. As long as Canon does not offer tjhose - and at a VERY reasonable price [around 50 USD a piece!] - I will NOT buy into the Canon wireless RT-system. 

57

EOS Bodies / Re: Any news on the 7dMk2 now that CES is done

« on: January 24, 2013, 03:16:13 AM »

I purchased my 7D on the first day of availability at full MSRP.
Did not regret it for a single moment. It is an amazing camera. Still love to use it today.

By now, I would happily buy a 7D Mk. II with the following improvements:
* current state of the art sensor, at least on par with Sony/Nikon sensors, especially as far as DR is concerned: +2 stops DR and +2 stops in Hi ISO, meaning, ISO 6400 behaving like ISO 1600 on 7D. And ultra-clean ISO 100. 
* 18 MP are enough for me, but up to 24 MP would be fine too, since I do have lenses to match 
* AF further improved,  ideally in via a really fast hybrid CD-AF + in-sensor Phase-AF
* WiFi build in, GPS built in
* wireless EX-RT flash transmitter built in
* retain pop-up flash / optical master 
* touch screen LCD, fully articulated!
* significantly better new generation battery packs ... with higher energy density like on Hero GoPro 3
* locking mode wheel [as on 5D III] with 4 Custom Mode Settings
* price not higher than 7D MSRP ... USD/€ 1700

That alone would make it a sure winner.
If Canon had any marketing genius working for them, they would just go ahead and bring it in two versions - DSLR AND mirrorless - with exactly the same specs, performance and functionality [except OVF vs. EVF and loss of regular phase-af on the mirrorless version] and at exactly the same price. :-)

7D Mk. II
DSLR - size, weight, shape exactly like 7D, again with 100% OVF and regular Phase-AF in addition to hybrid-AF [CD-AF+ in-sensor PD-AF ... only used in live view] 

EOS-M7
mirrorless, size, weight, shape very similar to  EOS-M ... only slightly larger due to brilliant, state-of-the-art EVF. Loss of mirror-dependent Phase-AF but still 80% AF speed and performance with hybrid AF system. EF-M mount, further improved kit-lens, plus a few pancake fixed focals. All EF-S and EF-lenses fully functional via existing EOS-M adapter.

I would take the mirrorless version, because I always wanted only one camera with only one ergonomic layout to use "ultralight" for travel, mountainieering and street photography ... and to use "like a DSLR" for specific tasks, where size & weight do not matter e.g. because large lenses and/or tripod are required anyway. 

Within a few months all Canon, its competitors and all of us would finally know for sure, where customers stand on DSLR vs. mirrorless.

As I said ... pure genius. :-)

58

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 7D - How bad is it? Really?

« on: January 23, 2013, 07:03:21 AM »

but I also realize that the standards on this forum is VERY high.

Wrong. Most of the people on this forum are pixel peepers who don't enjoy photography. The 7D will be a huge upgrade over that 30D in exactly the areas you need it to be. Buy one and enjoy for years to come...

+1!

I upgraded from 40D to 7D - on the first day it became available. I shoot quite a lot in low light situations - concerts, theaters ... where flash is not allowed. I routinely go to ISO 3200.

As long as the exposure is to the right ... only very little NR is needed. I use Lightroom 4 native NR for both lumi and chroma noise - and only a little.

ONLY if you pull up the shadows by more than 1 EV, banding and ugly noise in Hi-Iso will become a problem. In those instances I occaisonally use Topaz 5 Denoise in "Raw, Medium" setting.

Overall, the 7D was my first DSLR ever, that never left me wanting for more. In my opinion, it was and still is the only recommendable APS-C DSLR from Canon. I may eventually move to FF, but only once a really good successor to the 5D 3 [in terms of sensor performance, specifically DR] will ever be released.

59

Lighting / Re: Canon ST-E3-RT Mark II???

« on: January 22, 2013, 10:13:03 AM »

first time ever I hear a Mk. II rumor regarding the ST-E3-RT.
I'd love to see that thing come with an AF-assist-laser [not a flash tube, not an led, none of that yesteryear crap].
Would  be very surprised however, if Canon would really update this rather new item which still has not reached full availability everywhere any time soon.
Do you have a source for that rumor by any chance?

60

Lenses / Re: How do you test a lens at a store?

« on: January 21, 2013, 04:24:58 AM »

i don´t test at all in stores.
all stores in my area suck.

i order a copy at amazon, test it at home and if it´s bad i send it back.
 
returning a lens to amazon is much more hassle free then arguing with a clerk.

+1 ... exactly!

Why would one try to test a lens in a store when it is done so much easier and better at home.