Messages

571

Lenses / Re: All Around lenses

« on: December 20, 2011, 11:47:53 AM »

For indoors, I would recommend the 50mm.  Ideally, a 35mm would be better due to the 1.6x crop on the 60D, but the 50mm is fine.  It is sharp, focuses quickly, and is light.

Although I have used my 10-22mm indoors, it's not fast enough for low light and it does not have IS.  At least the 50mm is fast enough to get a decent shutter speed in low light.

For all of the lenses that have been recommended to you, check out the reviews on the site URL below.  His reviews are great.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-General-Purpose-Lens.aspx

572

Lenses / Re: All Around lenses

« on: December 19, 2011, 11:58:00 PM »

There's not much I can add to all of the great suggestions.  I agree that you should give yourself time to learn the camera.  You will need to learn the 60D interface before your trip.

I also have the 60D, as well as the 70-200 f/4 IS L, 10-22mm, 50mm f/1.4, and 24-105mm f/4 IS L.  I recommend them all.

My walk around lens is the 24-105.  It covers 80-90% of what I shoot.  The downside is the speed -- f/4 is not great in low light.  I love this lens, but I just wish it was faster.  There are some decent sales on this lens right now.

The 10-22 is super wide and takes great shots.  It is a feather weight too.  I use this lens the least of the four mentioned.  Even on a crop camera, 10mm is super wide.  The drawback is that this lens will not work on a full frame camera if you upgrade later.

The 70-200 is very sharp.  I find the IS to be very helpful because the 70-200 f/4 can be easily handheld.

The 50 f/1.4 is my go-to lens when I am shooting in low light.  You will need a fast lens and the 50mm is a relatively inexpensive way to get speed with a general use focal length.  I would consider this lens a must have.  The 1.8 can be had for $125 (or less).  The 1.4 is faster and the bokeh is better, but it is $350.

573

EOS Bodies / Re: any flaws in the canon 60d?

« on: December 19, 2011, 07:17:34 AM »

I am a proud owner of a 60D and absolutely love it. truly does every thing that you would want from it and more.

+1

574

Canon General / Re: New lens: need filter advice

« on: December 18, 2011, 02:45:54 PM »

They also protect from rain, mist, and other moisture.  I was recently on a trip where it rained for 3 days straight... and there was no way I was not going to take pictures.  I am glad my 24-105 had a UV filter on it.  This was especially true because I was taking long exposure shots on a stormy beach with sea salt mist in the air intermingled with the hard rain.  There is no way I would expose my L lens to that without a filter.

575

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Looking for tripod advice...

« on: December 18, 2011, 02:38:33 PM »

Harley, I recently went on flight in which I brought my Manfrotto 055CXPRO3.  I had to pack the tripod in check-in baggage because it would not fit in a good sized carry-on, with or without my ball head.

576

Software & Accessories / Re: Monitor recomendations for viewing and editing

« on: December 17, 2011, 11:38:10 PM »

I have the Dell 2407WFP and I love it because it is bright, the colors look natural... it just looks better than my less expensive panels.  I recommend the higher-end Dells.  As for size, I really like 24" and 27", or multi-monitor setups because screen real estate can help boost productivity.

577

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Looking for tripod advice...

« on: December 17, 2011, 09:27:35 PM »

I would agree that a good tripod and a quality head are worth the money.  I have experienced the sticker shock with tripods and heads, but I do not regret the purchases because I remember what it was like to have lower quality ones.

As for recommendations, carbon fiber is preferred to aluminum because they are more rigid and vibrations dissipate more quickly.  I have the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 and the Gitzo GT1542T.  I recommend both highly.  For travel, the Manfrotto is not a good choice because it is far too large and a bit heavy.  The Gitzo Traveler tripod is tiny, light, and fairly stable.  The design is very innovative.  My Gitzo packs at about 16.5" without a head.  This is about the size you want.  When the legs are not flipped for travel, it is about 19.5", which will fit in my North Face backpack, but only barely.  I would recommend that you find a tripod smaller than 19" and as light as possible for it to be truly mobile.

578

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

« on: December 17, 2011, 09:32:39 AM »

For me, my heart picks the lenses I want and my head buys the ones I need.

+1.  I just struggled with this yesterday - do I buy the 24mm f/1.4 or not?  My head took over.  I will buy it, but on another day because I don't need it just yet.  I go through a great deal of thought and consideration before I pull the trigger on expensive items like this.

579

EOS Bodies / Re: T2i User Dave Dugdale videos a Red Epic FAIL

« on: December 17, 2011, 09:24:37 AM »

I don't see a fail here.  The footage looked good.  The comfort level of the crew using the equipment is important, but the key is getting the shot.  It looks like the camera performed as expected.

580

Lenses / Re: Your Go To Portrait Lens?

« on: December 16, 2011, 09:08:58 AM »

My Kiron 105mm f/2.8, hands down.  It is my only lens that is razor sharp, but makes blemishes disappear.  The rendering is sublime.  The only problem with the lens is that it has a Minolta MD mount, which means that I can only focus to infinity if I hack the lens mount or if I use an EOS-to-MD adapter with corrective (sub-prime) optics.  I decided to use the adapter without optics.  Since I only have a 60D, all of my portraits are super closeups.  Despite this, it simply cannot take a bad shot.  I love it.

581

Lens Gallery / Re: Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM

« on: December 16, 2011, 12:50:18 AM »

Shots with IS version.

582

Canon General / Re: What Pictures Mean to You?

« on: December 15, 2011, 08:58:18 PM »

Photos for me means memories, but photography means artistic expression.

+1.  I was always the guy in the family taking pictures, filming video, and I was always framing shots and trying to get them right despite not knowing a bit about photography.  About 8 months ago, I finished up a rigorous post-graduate program and realized I had nothing but time on my hands, and that I needed an outlet.  I turned to photography.  About 6,000 shots later, I'm still learning, still exploring, and loving every moment of it.  On a recent trip to Maine, I took shots that were memories of the trip, but I also sought more artistic shots (e.g., long exposure, HDR, abstract shapes and angles).  I learned from this trip that memories and artistic expression are sometimes at odds with each other, as I think my obsession with getting the right shot impacted the quality of my memories with my significant other.  I have to admit that I now look at the world with a very different lens (no pun intended) than other people I know because I see light for its opportunities and I am constantly looking at ordinary life with a thought of whether it would make a good subject.

583

Software & Accessories / Re: L-Brackets RRS vs. Kirk vs. Markins on 5dmkii ?

« on: December 14, 2011, 02:08:36 PM »

I have the RRS L-bracket.  It feels like a precision-made item (and costs like it).  I love it because it is well made and it works without any issues.  I only put on the vertical L-portion when I plan to take panoramas.  I don't leave it on 24x7 because the bracket interferes with the swively LCD screen on my 60D.  With fixed LCDs, you should be able to leave the L-bracket on without interfering with the I/O ports.

584

Canon General / Re: What non-canon lenses do you use and why do you love them?

« on: December 14, 2011, 01:55:36 PM »

I have the Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm f/3.5, Jupiter 37A 135mm f/3.5, Kiron 105mm f/2.8 macro, Helios 44M-6 58mm f/2.0, Cyclop 85mm f/1.5 (Helios 40), and Asahi Takumar 50mm f/1.4.  The Zeiss, Jupiter, and Kiron are all very sharp.  The Zeiss has legendary, buttery bokeh.  I think the Jupiter is based on the same design as the Zeiss, but it is less forgiving with portraits.  I use the Kiron for macro shots, although I have tested it with close-crop portraits and it is by far my most pleasant rendering lens (this assessment is based on all of my lenses, including my L lenses).  The Helios and Cyclop are both Russian and I use them mostly for radial bokeh shots.  I tend to gravitate toward abstract shots, of which my Helios and Cyclop are my go-to lenses.  The Takumar has buttery smooth focus (MUCH better than my Canon 50mm f/1.4 II) and it renders nicely.  I created a couple Sets on Flickr of shots I have taken with these lenses: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68498746@N08/.

EDIT: I forget my Holga lens.  I like it because the shots are fun to take and with the push toward better, faster, and lighter gear, it's nice to revert to plastic optics every now and then.

585

Portrait / Re: Portraits of my "Better" half

« on: December 13, 2011, 10:43:05 PM »

I like the last shot because of her playful expression.  I would agree with the comments provided by others (i.e., lighting, expression, sharpness).