Messages

46

Lenses / Re: Help me justify the 17mm TS-E

« on: January 31, 2012, 05:28:37 PM »

The filters are the main reason to go with the 24 TS-E.  But I've started doing HDR photos, so some of that can be simulated in post processing. 

That does raise the question if I use my 1.4x on a 17 TS-E, could I use a square ND filter?

Does Canon make a tripod collar for the TS-E like this: http://www.adorama.com/CATMRA2B.html ?  Could that or a similar model be modified to fit?

Hi, if there is no filter threat, how do you want to use the square filter? IMHO the only way (except for hand-held) is to build an filter adapter yourself. Here you can see how to do it: http://www.linsenschuss.de/index.php/blog/79-canon-ts-e-17mm-f4l-filterhalter. BTW, a ND filter can be used but there will be some light leaks between the lens and the lens cap with filter holder, which will lead to adverse effects with strong ND filters (LEE Big Stopper etc.) So you should put some black drape on it to avoid any stray light.

47

Lenses / Re: Help me justify the 17mm TS-E

« on: January 31, 2012, 05:13:02 PM »

Hi, I got the TS-E 24L II a few months ago and really love this lens. The TS-E 17 is very similar and the wider angle of view would be amazing. But for proper landscapes I need filters and this is easier done with the TS-E 24L II. To use at least the lee filter holder on the TS-E 17mm you would have to adapt the lens cap by yourself because this lens has no filter threat.

Panorama shots are very easily done with the TS-E 17mm with the shift. Oft course the main application for the shift feature is architecture and it makes really a lot of fun with such a lens.
The tilt is quite useful to get an extended depth of field in landscape shots. The miniature effect is as big as with longer focal lengths.

BTW, do not get the Hcam lens adapter. It's too expensive and less useful than this one: http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Neue-Adapter-von-Zoerk (you can buy it directly from Zoerk if you drop Mr. Zörkendorfer an email (see his website). He will quote 220€ for it and it's available in the EU & USA). I got it myself and use it 90% of the time. This tripod collar is really useful to avoid parallax errors and because the larger hole in its base is directly located in the nodal point of the TS-E 17mm and TS-E 24L II. I put it onto a panorama plate and so I can use the shift and take panoramas. This not possible with any other lens + tripod collar combination with a Canon DSLR. Such a shifted panroma is useful for architecture and also for lanscapes.

Where Can I buy that tripod-collar? And the one that fits the 24, maybe it doesn't fit the larger 17?

Hi, the Rear-Shift-Adapter is not listed on the Zoerk website. The Zoerk websites in German and English are outdated and will be updated anytime this year. I found out about the adapter through the website mentioned above and gave Mr. Zörkendorfer in Munich a call (I'm German, so it was easy for me). You can write him an email at info(at)zoerk.com to order the rear-shift-adapter. I guess he speaks at least some basic English.

In November 2011 I paid €180 + €6 shipping + 19% VAT = €221,34 But he told me that he wants to increase the price soon. I don't how much the increase will be. The hand-made brass ring alone costs €90 + VAT. The aluminium chain is sources from a supplier and adapted by hand. The whole RSA looks and feels like a DIY product but it is very solid and does a great job because both tilt and shift can still be used (with the Hcam adapter only shift can be used). BTW, Canon does not offer any compatible adapter for the TS-E lenses.

The Zoerk RSA fits the TS-E 24L II and the TS-E 17mm, so it's the same for both lenses. For both lenses the larger 3/8" hole in its base is in the nodal point of each lens. The smaller 1/4" hole is not the nodal point, so I use an 3/8" to 1/4" adapter to put it onto the quick-release plate. This way there are no parallax errors, even with close objects just a half meter away.

Maybe you need to be a perfectionist to appreciate such an adapter but with a €2000 TS-E lens I'd like to get exceptional results or else I can also use the EF 24L instead.

48

Lenses / Re: Heliopan 105mm CPL, any one used one?

« on: January 30, 2012, 07:06:16 PM »

Hi, I don't know the Heliopan pol filter but I got for the lee filter holder a Sigma EX circular PL filter in 105mm (it's not a slim version). I use it for about a year know and I am satisfied. The effect seems to be a bit less strong than my other pol filter. But it was the only effordable 105mm pol filter I could find. I paid last year 130€ for it at Amazon Germany.

I haven't tested it an UWW for vignetting, yet. Until 18mm on full format it should be OK with 2 filters slots in the lee holder. 

49

Lenses / Re: Help me justify the 17mm TS-E

« on: January 30, 2012, 06:50:51 PM »

Hi, I got the TS-E 24L II a few months ago and really love this lens. The TS-E 17 is very similar and the wider angle of view would be amazing. But for proper landscapes I need filters and this is easier done with the TS-E 24L II. To use at least the lee filter holder on the TS-E 17mm you would have to adapt the lens cap by yourself because this lens has no filter threat.

Panorama shots are very easily done with the TS-E 17mm with the shift. Oft course the main application for the shift feature is architecture and it makes really a lot of fun with such a lens.
The tilt is quite useful to get an extended depth of field in landscape shots. The miniature effect is as big as with longer focal lengths.

BTW, do not get the Hcam lens adapter. It's too expensive and less useful than this one: http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Neue-Adapter-von-Zoerk (you can buy it directly from Zoerk if you drop Mr. Zörkendorf an email (see his website). He will quote 220€ for it and it's available in the EU & USA). I got it myself and use it 90% of the time. This tripod collar is really useful to avoid parallax errors and because the larger hole in its base is directly located in the nodal point of the TS-E 17mm and TS-E 24L II. I put it onto a panorama plate and so I can use the shift and take panoramas. This not possible with any other lens + tripod collar combination with a Canon DSLR. Such a shifted panroma is useful for architecture and also for lanscapes.

50

Underwater / Re: Please share your most vivid photographs of underwater creatures

« on: January 30, 2012, 06:00:11 PM »

Hi,
I shoot for years already quite a lot (thousands) of ornamental fishes, snails, shrimps etc. Here are two examples:

51

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Photography magazines

« on: January 30, 2012, 05:19:52 PM »

Hi, if you are looking for a magazine with a focus on landscape photography, of course this one: http://landscapephotographymagazine.com would be best. I also like Outdoor Photography and Professional Photographer.

52

Lenses / Re: I can't believe I bought a $2000 prime.

« on: January 26, 2012, 03:50:47 PM »

Hi, I know the feeling very well. In November I bought the TS-E 24L II, my most expensive lens so far. For months I wanted this lens but a new one costs about 1900€ (~$2500). To get a used one is almost impossible. Then I found an ebay auction one night and did not think twice. I got it used for 1640€ (~ $2000). It came from a small camera shop which opened the box maybe once or twice. The lense arrived in a perfect condition and I couldn't tell it from a new one. After the first shots I'm really in love with the lense and never gonna sell it again. The lens is worth every cent and will probably last a lifetime. And I can sell it for them price like I bought it...

When I bought my first DSLR in a kit (450D + EF-S 18-55 + EF-S 55-250) I was much more sure to spend the 800€, although with an income of a student it was a lot of money for me. I never did regret more a purchase than this one. The 450D is great but both lenses were a totally waste of money... Since this purchase I bought all new lenses and even my 5D Mark II as used. It saved me a lot of money (20-40% depending how lucky I was) and the loss is not that great if I regret a purchase once again.

53

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Fuji X-Pro 1

« on: January 10, 2012, 08:18:07 PM »

Hi, for me this Fujifilm is clearly aimed to be an alternative on a conventional APS-C DSLR for an amateur, who used only a P&S so far. For this price it makes not much sense to switch to a completely new system if you don't want to replace your DSLR gear on the long run. For me the decision would be between the Canon G1X and the Fujifilm X10 or maybe even the PowerShot S100. The X-Pro would be too expensive for a second or third cam, which is propably not even pocketable.

54

EOS Bodies / Re: Upgrade to a 5Dmk2 or TS-e lens?

« on: December 22, 2011, 07:01:01 PM »

I recently bought the TS-E 24 II and TS-E 90 instead of a 5d Mark II. I decided to wait at least until January with the cam. The TS-E 24 I bought because I can use filters with it and if I need a wider angle I can still use the shift. I also bought the Zoerk rear-shift-adapter which works with the TS-E 17 & 24. It lets me fix the lens on a tripod and the cam is tilted or shifted instead of the lens, so I can avoid any paralax errors. The adapter  fixes the lens on the tripod in the nodal point of each lense, so now I can create perfect panos even on minimum focus distance and use either the shift or rotate the  whole lense like a normal lense when stitching panos (or use both together for a super wide angle with vertical shift in portrait orientation and turning the adapter/whole lense in horizontal orientation for a multi-row pano). This versatility is simply not possible with just a new camera body...

Proper landscape shots without a pol filter and/or grad nd filters is unthinkable for me, so the TS-E 17 was not ann option.

The TS-E 90 I got for the longer focal length, the superb sharpness and the macro possibilities, although I have a macro lense. I really love this lense since the first shot and my EF 85 1.8 will gather some dust pretty soon

55

Lenses / Re: Buying lenses, do you listen to your heart or your head?

« on: December 15, 2011, 08:58:55 PM »

I try to listen more to my head than my heard. My heard says get the best lense available and do it right now. In the end, when I finally decided to get the lense, I start looking for a used one. So I really wanted the TS-E 24L but 2000 EUR are to much and I got a used one in an excellent condition for 1640 EUR. For all other lenses it had been the same. Only camera bodies I buy new and then I wait until I really need them or the dissatisfaction with the current one grew to a point that I really don't want to use it any longer.

56

EOS Bodies / Re: 5D Mark III Information [CR1]

« on: December 03, 2011, 07:44:01 PM »

Hi,
I would like to see the new 5D III with more megapixels than better iso, videp features etc... But I'm concentrating mainly on landscape, architecture and macro, so that's natural. At the moment a pricy but good work-around for more resultion is this:

Source: http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Zu-Besuch-bei-Zoerk

I got this rear-shift-adapter today and it seems to be worth the 214€ (180 + shipping + VAT). Parallax errors are no more an issue and 3-4 verticals easily stiched together offer more than enough resolution. BTW, the 3/8 mount of the adapter is in the nodal point of the TS-E 24 II, so that's an additional plus for extra wide panoramas.

57

United States / Re: Prime lenses you currently own or on your wishlist.

« on: December 03, 2011, 06:57:40 PM »

Hi,
I have the TS-E 24mm II, EF 35L, EF 35 f2, EF 85 1.8, EF-S 60 and an old Helios 44-2 58mm f2.0.
I really love the Canon primes except for the EF 35 f2, which isn't much better than my EF-S 17-55.

The Helios I got at eBay in a perfect condition for almost nothing (8€, the M42 converter did cost twice as much). The build quality is awesome and it is suprisingly sharp. But the colors and contrast could be better. I got it more out of curiousity than any practical reasons. The focal length is almost the same as my EF-S 60mm. The EF-S 60 is really great and the most used prime lens for me (but also my oldest, the TS-E 24mm II & EF 35L I got just within the last weeks).

On my wishlist is the 85L and 135L, albeit I seldom shoot portraits and hardly use the 85 1.8 at all.

58

Software & Accessories / Re: Monopod (or tripod) buying advice

« on: December 03, 2011, 05:51:46 PM »

Hi,
I use for about a year now the FEISOL tripod CT-3441T, which is quite light weight (1,1kg) but very stable. After several uses on windy beaches of the Baltic Sea this year I'm fully convinced. BTW, with a ball head there is no need to extend the center collumn. It fits perfectly for my height. Like you I'm 1,83m tall.
The FEISOl monopod CM-1401 is also worth a look and would fit perfectly as well. To fully extend the leg should take you less than 20 sec (I tested it with the identical leg of my CT-3441T).

59

EOS Bodies / Re: How often do you go through a body? Why do you upgrade?

« on: November 29, 2011, 07:09:32 PM »

Hi,
I started with a P&S in 2002 (Canon A200) and then got another, better P&S in 2006. I used them until the shutter botton was broken on both of them. I also got more and more frustated with the limitations of these cams. So I got my first DSLR in 2009 (450D) and consider now to buy a 5D Mark II. The 450D works works fine but it lacks a bit of resulotion and the major issue is the low iso performance. For macro shots I love it but I concentrade more and more on landscape and architecture, so full frame is the better option. I would like to use the full potential of my 35L and TS-E 24mm L II. 

60

EOS Bodies / Re: Best "first buy" Gradient Filter?

« on: November 29, 2011, 06:58:24 PM »

Hi,
for a first try I can recommend the Hitech resin filters by Formatt. The price is OK for what they offer. I have from Hitech the soft and hard Grad ND filters with 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 as well as the reverse Grad ND in 0.6 and 0.9. Like seacritter the most used one is the soft ND Grad 0.6 followed by the hard 0.6 Grad ND filter. The effect of the 0.9 is often too strong, so for a start I would recommend the soft ND Grad 0.6.

Color cast is no issue for me with the Hitech filters. But you might loose a little bit of sharpness.