Messages

451

Canon General / Re: What should be my first dslr?

« on: March 05, 2012, 02:31:41 PM »

I believe that an important factor would be how the camera feels in your hand. No matter how good the specs are, it's hard to enjoy a camera that you find awkward holding.

I agree with this 100%.  One of the reasons I chose Canon over Nikon was how the 5DII felt in my hand when compared to a couple Nikon bodies.  The Nikons felt as though my fingers would feel crimped after a long period of hand-holding.

452

EOS Bodies / Re: Best cards for 5D Mark III? SD & CF

« on: March 03, 2012, 10:00:26 AM »

I don't know if this is helpful, but I have both the Sandisk 45MB/s and 90MB/s SDHC cards and I have not noticed a difference in their performance for either stills or video when shooting on my 60D.   My observations were made in real world shooting rather than in controlled tests.  I also conducted a single buffer test shooting high-speed continuous in RAW and I did not notice a difference between them.

453

EOS Bodies / Re: High ISO comparo: 5DIII vs. D800

« on: March 03, 2012, 09:53:34 AM »

Look at 5:36, that tells me what I needed to know...

Yep, me too.

454

Black & White / Re: Black & White

« on: February 28, 2012, 08:31:48 PM »

Dickens character

Great shot!  What is your post-production process to create the aged look?

455

Lenses / Re: 70 - 200 f/4L vs. 70 - 300 f4-5.6 IS USM

« on: February 28, 2012, 07:24:25 AM »

I have not shot the 70-300, and so I cannot comment on it.  The one drawback that I see to this lens is the speed.  With any indoor activities or sports in less than bright conditions, it will be a challenge to get the shutter speed you will need to stop the action.

I have the 70-200 f/4L IS for one year.  It is very sharp, colors are vibrant, contrast is excellent, the IS works well, it focuses quickly in good light, and it is fairly light in weight.  It also has weather sealing, although I have not put this feature to the test.  The drawbacks are that it hunts a little in low light and its speed.  Like the 70-300, the speed will be the key weakness in using the lens.  The lens itself is amazing.  In decent light, my keeper rate is high.

Another option you may want to consider is the 70-200 f/2.8L II.  It's comparatively expensive, and it is larger and heavier than the 70-200 f/4L IS.  The extra stop of speed will make a big difference if you are shooting in low light and/or indoors.  Also, if you get an extender, you will get almost the same reach as the 70-300.  I have this lens and the IQ is roughly the same as the 70-200 f/4L IS.  The big difference is the speed of the lens.  I often need the speed more than portability, and therefore it is a better match to my shooting than the 70-200 f/4L IS.  Regardless, both are great.

456

Black & White / Re: Your best Architectural & City B&W shots?

« on: February 23, 2012, 05:27:21 PM »

Here are several from my recent trip to NYC...

457

Animal Kingdom / Re: Show your Bird Portraits

« on: February 23, 2012, 10:43:41 AM »

This post has wonderful photos. My contribution is not to be taken seriously.
It was taken with a nifty fifty. The bird had just stolen part of my sandwich

That is an awesome shot!

458

Lenses / Re: What's your favorite Canon lens and why?

« on: February 22, 2012, 05:41:29 PM »

Canon 24-105 f/4L IS.  It was my first lens and it is my go-to general purpose lens.  I love it.  Sharp photos, great color, the AF is fast, and it has IS.  It is fairly light as L lenses go.  My next selection would be the 70-200 f/2.8L II because it is also very versatile.

459

Lenses / Re: How to get / test a good copy of a L lens?

« on: February 20, 2012, 10:46:19 PM »

I don't think you would notice if it was a "soft" lens comparatively to other 70-300L lenses because the widest aperture is f/4, which would not be noticeable like it would at f/1.4 or f/1.2. 

I actually had this problem with my 24mm f/1.4 II, which I swapped out at B&H.  The new copy was much sharper on my camera.  If it matters, it appeared to me that the new lens appeared to have been out of its bag and thus I may not have been its first owner.  I did not care because the lens was sharp on my camera, it looked new, and it performed flawlessly.

460

Black & White / Re: Black & White

« on: February 20, 2012, 08:16:52 AM »

Here are some recent shots.  Although I shoot in color, I sometimes take pictures intending to convert them to black and white (e.g., the building shot posted).

461

Animal Kingdom / Re: Show your Bird Portraits

« on: February 19, 2012, 07:18:30 PM »

Here's a King Vulture.  Shot with a 60D and 70-200 f/2.8L II.

462

Lenses / Re: Is 24-105L really f/4.0?

« on: February 17, 2012, 12:26:43 PM »

By the way, could anyone please provide me with a link to some website where people review lenses, bodies and etc.? I'm reluctant to trust Amazon user reviews since the majority of Am's users are not photo enthusiasts, even if they are trying to review L lenses and such. I'd be extremely grateful

Here are a few good ones:

Photozone: http://photozone.de/
Digital Picture: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-General-Purpose-Lens.aspx
B&H (user reviews): http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
Adorama (user reviews): http://www.adorama.com/

463

EOS Bodies / Re: How far will the 5DMKII drop in price?

« on: February 16, 2012, 06:14:12 PM »

Well I was about to pull the trigger on the 5d mk II kit with the 24-105 and the price just went up $300. I put it in the cart at $2,899.00 about a week ago. Logged in today to buy and the price jumped to $3,199.00. Both prices reflect the current rebates. Hopefully B&H will give me the $2,899.00 going to give them a call tomorrow. The price however with the previous rebates was $2,799.00 so I don't think it will drop very far at all during the next 6-12 months.

J&R has this deal for $2,833.88 right now with free shipping (in the USA).  Link:
http://www.jr.com/canon/pe/CAN_EOS5DMKIIKT/

464

Lenses / Re: Recommendation: Tele lens for 60D

« on: February 15, 2012, 09:34:54 PM »

Thanks for the input! I was hoping to find someone who had been in the same position I am 

I was, sort of.  I have a 60D.  For me, it was the f/4L IS or the f/2.8L II.  I chose the f/4L IS.  I later got the f/2.8L II.  Although both are wonderful, vuilang is right - you will wish you bought it and will later upgrade.  I have not shot with the other variants of the f/2.8, but it is hard to imagine a better lens than the 70-200 f/2.8L II.  Good luck!

465

Landscape / Re: Post your best pictures of fireworks

« on: February 14, 2012, 09:51:05 PM »

Hi, long time lurker first time poster  shot this is Hong Kong Disneyland back in 2010 on T2i and 18-55mm kit lens (my first lens).. 30s, f13 iso100 at 25mm.. hope u all enjoy

Nice shot!  Love the colors.