Messages

91

Lenses / Re: Recommendation for a small budget?

« on: May 28, 2012, 04:41:12 PM »

Here is a good sharp and fast setup.

50mm 1.8 II

100mm f/2

10-22mm

Done, now go take some photos.

I like that option, interesting combo. But why is this a good combo? Please explain to a novice photographer haha.

Perhaps a Sigma 17-50, sharper than the 17-70 and less distortion on the wide end. Then add a Canon Refurb 70-200 f/4L. That would be about 1200.00 combined. You'd have 27-320 FL covered. Then you could save for a 10-22 EF-S.

I would get a canon 70-200 f/4 L but I'm worried about the f/4 being to slow

Well, I just completed my first year of college. I had to put down my photo stuff for about 3 months to concentrate on school. BUT, I'm ready to start shooting again.

So, as a "good-job-on-not-dying-after-your-first-year-in-college" present, my family is letting get any lens. As long as it's around $1000-1200.

This is the criteria:
1. Great IQ
2. Covers a good range (wide angle-telephoto range).
3. Works well with a crop camera *Canon T1i*

I've been eying the Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens but I don't want to just get one lens.
And I don't plan on upgrading to full frame in the future.
(I do plan on upgrading to a 7d in the near future though).

This is the combo that has caught my eye though.
- Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 with a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Macro

I'd to hear some other options I should consider from anyone

A couple of things to consider -- the Tamron 17-50 non-VC is quite a bit cheaper used (e.g. fredmiranda forums).

Get at least one fast prime. I'd recommend the 50mm f/1.4, though you could get the f/1.8 if you were on a really tight budget.

The tamron non-vc was the lens I was considering hsshs

92

Lenses / Recommendation for a small budget?

« on: May 28, 2012, 04:08:53 AM »

Well, I just completed my first year of college. I had to put down my photo stuff for about 3 months to concentrate on school. BUT, I'm ready to start shooting again.

So, as a "good-job-on-not-dying-after-your-first-year-in-college" present, my family is letting get any lens. As long as it's around $1000-1200.

This is the criteria:
1. Great IQ
2. Covers a good range (wide angle-telephoto range).
3. Works well with a crop camera *Canon T1i*

I've been eying the Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens but I don't want to just get one lens.
And I don't plan on upgrading to full frame in the future.
(I do plan on upgrading to a 7d in the near future though).

This is the combo that has caught my eye though.
- Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 with a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Macro

I'd to hear some other options I should consider from anyone

93

Canon General / Re: I've switched to the Dark Side (no, Literally).

« on: May 12, 2012, 04:02:32 AM »

Haha, sorry for being MIA for a quite a long time.

Sadly, my finals are quickly approaching and I haven't been able to to mess around with my gear so much. But I've got some time right now haha.

I've experimented with B&W film a fair amount and can highly recommend the Ilford Delta 100 Professional.  It has 14 stops of dynamic range, compared with 11.7-12 that the top-of-the-line Canon digitals can currently do.  So yeah, it's not dead yet.

- My girlfriend just gave me a roll of Ilford Delta Pro 100. She's proclaimed that its the best film she's ever used. (She's taken photography 101-103 in college). It's loading into my AE-1 right now, I can't wait to shoot with that bad boy. Too bad the weather hasn't been sunny enough for ISO 100.

And secondly, what should my first roll be? 400iso B+W for events like i've been doing lately, or stick a roll of Velvia in and hope there's still Autumn leaves around when it gets delivered...

-Mmm, when I started my photo professor told me to use either Iford 400 (I think it was XP2) or Kodak Tri-Max 400. Or if you'd like use Kodak BW400CN. That was my first roll and I've had great pictures come out of it.
IF you are looking to save some money, go to freestylephoto.biz, they sell repackaged Kodak Tri-Max 400 for 2.95 for a 36exp. Decent film for the price. haha

You bought an AE-1?  I have an AE-2 in in a bag within arm's reach that absolutely can NOT find a buyer for.  I'd love to ship it to someone for $25.

-Canon made an AE-2? Strange, never heard of it. All Canon A-Series were 1's (A-1. AE-1, AE-1 Program, AV-1).

Speaking of smells, once I made a batch of D76 and didn't realize the container I used was not thoroughly clean from the cleaning liquid that previously occupied it. It didn't affect the negatives in any way except for giving them a very nice and faint smell of lemons that somehow remained even after the fixer and all the washing.

-Mmm, lemons. I love the smell of lemons (hate the taste).   

For a lens for FL-mount, i've got the FL 55mm f/1.2 via EdMika on my 7D, it's a great lens (sharp as all hell after f/2, bit of coma wide open I discovered the other night), $200 on ebay is about the cheapest you'll see (the FD/SSC/Asph versions some i've seen up to $800).
Can you mount FD lenses on FL bodies? They did make an FD 85/1.2L...

-Speaking of FL 55mm, I was considering using that exact same lens for my Canon T1i, but I didn't know if it was worth getting a 55mm when I already had a Canon 50mm f/1.8. Would you say it's sharper that the 50mm?
-And I don't think you can mount an FD to an FL body, not entirely sure though. I'll ask my band director, he has an old FT QL lying about.

Ahh..nice chioce for a film camera..loved the small batter compartment and it being the little brother to the Canon A-1.  The AE-1 was my first camera as with some of you.  Had my own dark room as well and hated the guess work and the waste of time and paper until you got the exposure right.  After months of being disgusted I found a new paper called Panalore and believe it was made by Kodak.  If it is still available and you shoot B&W this paper was the bomb!  Almost every print I did was on the spot or shall I say "spot on"..hope that helps you somewhat.

-Haha, If find a packet, I'll cherish that paper like I'd cherish my child haha.

94

Canon General / I've switched to the Dark Side (no, Literally).

« on: April 23, 2012, 11:36:52 AM »

By the Dark side, I mean the dark room (see what I did there *badumtssss*)

I've recently purchased a Canon AE-1 film camera from eBay for $25.00. It was in great condition, I mean it looked like it was brand new. The only thing that was missing was a camera battery door. I replaced it just as soon as I go it.

I've got to say, I've never shot film before. But, WOW it's a fun hobby. For some reason having film makes me think about my shots more. And the fact that the camera came with a Canon FL 24mm f/3.5, It made me use my feet a lot to get my subject right where I wanted it to be.

And developing the film is a fun job. I don't understand why people moan and grippe about having to spend 20min just to develop one roll of film. I thought it was extremely fun and interesting at the same time.

Now, I understand that a lot of you here shoot digital. And that Film is basically dead. But, I was wondering if there was anyone out there who could suggest any good lenses for a film body. FD or FL. Also, I'd like to hear some suggestions on film. I've heard that the Kodak T-Max 400 (the one i've been using) is a really good film.

95

Lenses / Re: Walk around lens suggestion

« on: March 26, 2012, 03:22:23 PM »

Well, if your budget could handle it, get the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8. The wode aperature makes it extremely usefull in low light situations or situations where you cant use flash. The Canon 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 is also a good lens. Its long range lets you take landscape shots and portraits without switching lens.

If those lens are kind of out of your reach. Try the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. Its really sharp in the center but there is reports of shotty lens builds. But none the less it's price range is very attractive.

96

Lenses / Re: Wide-Angle Prime for Crop Cameras?

« on: March 25, 2012, 04:52:09 PM »

That's a tough one.  I don't consider wide until about 15, 17mm crop (24, 28 FF).  Nothing in the Canon lineup in that price range, not familiar with all the 3rd party brand options.  What are you considering wide?

For primes, I was told that the 24mm f/2.8 is considered a wide prime. But I did some test shots with it, and i found it to be really soft. That's the widest prime I've been able to find.

97

Lenses / Wide-Angle Prime for Crop Cameras?

« on: March 25, 2012, 04:23:36 PM »

What's a good wide angle prime for a crop sensor camera? I've been using the 50mm f/1.8, but I feel like I have to move really far away from my subject. Is there a better prime lens that gets me a little closer to my subject?

I've tried the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, but my friends copy had a big problem with color fringing wide open.

Can some one recommend a good prime for a crop sensor that cost around $600usd?

98

Lenses / Which lens is better suited for street photography, prime or wide angle zoom?

« on: March 21, 2012, 05:41:45 AM »

I can't decide which lens to purchase

The Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 or Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8

- I like the Rokinon 35mm because it's a manual lens, and my dad had an old rangefinder that had a full manual lens. I've grown attached to it manual focusing on my T1i because 1). I do a lot of videos 2). In low light, i trust my eyes better than the camera. I've played with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 but I found a lot of CA and CF when shot wide open. I have heard that the IQ this lens gives matches a really high quality lens.

- The Tamron interested me because of it's similarities to the Canon 17-55 f/2.8, but it's price range is well in my range. (BTW I'm talking about the non-VC version of the lens). A lot of people say that it's the better lens due to it's high image quality against the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8.

I'm in a film group and currently we are scouting locations for upcoming shorts. I find that we often find ourselves on the street more than indoors.

I'm looking for a lens that will get me good IQ, wide aperture, and something that won't make me have to sell my kidney


Now my question is, which lens do you guys use for street photography? and what do you recommend for someone on a low budget?

99

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon 7D vs Canon 60D - Can't decide which to upgrade to.

« on: March 18, 2012, 09:24:13 PM »

Whooops. I forgot to say that I'm upgrading not because I want a new body. It's because my T1i has a scratched senor. It happened quite a while back and the scratch doesn't show unless I'm at about f/8 - f/6.3. It gets quite bothersome haha.

100

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Canon 7D vs Canon 60D - Can't decide which to upgrade to.

« on: March 15, 2012, 11:05:19 PM »

I'm looking to upgrade my Canon T1i after 2 years. I'm not sure which one I should upgrade to though. I'm not thinking about going full frame either, it doesn't really suit me.

My approximate budget for these two cameras is around $1700:
-If I purchase the 7D, I'd only be able to get the body. It's not that much of a big deal seeing that I already have some lenses (Canon 18-55, 55-250, and a Rokinon 35mm) But I'm worried that having a 7d with kit lenses, isn't going to really benefit me, seeing that most people say it's the glass that really makes the images. But I do like the 8fps burst rate, fast AF, and the amazing low light performance.

-If I purchase the 60d body, I'd be left with about $500-ish, which means that I could save a bit more and get the Canon 15-85mm lens. But to me, I honestly don't see it as a full upgrade from a Rebel camera. It's more like a SUPER Rebel. I just don't know if it will be worth it in the end.

Can I get everyone's opinion to help me figure out which camera to get?

(My main focus is portraits, landscapes, group events, and occasional basketball games)

101

Lenses / Re: Canon 35mm f/2 vs Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 vs Canon f/2.8

« on: March 06, 2012, 12:37:31 AM »

I'm not quite sure what you mean here. Prime lenses can indeed be much better than zooms (very broad statement, take it with a big grain of salt), and for better IQ it can lead to somewhat less expensive lenses. But really, what are your needs? That's #1.

Well I mostly shoot portrait and landscape. I also like to take walks near the beach and take pictures there.
So I'm looking for a prime lens, that could fit that need.

What is the "Canon f/2.8"? You missed the focal length.

Sorry about that, I mean the Canon 28 f/2.8. Thanks for catching that mistake (Btw you daughter is adorable )

Well, if I were to restate my question for Drizzt321: I'm looking for a prime lens that I could use as a walk around lens for my crop sensor body that won't cost me too much (ie Canon 35mm f/1.4).

(PS. Is there any other lens you guys would recommend for a good walk around lens?)

102

Lenses / Canon 35mm f/2 vs Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 vs Canon f/2.8

« on: March 05, 2012, 07:54:15 PM »

I'm looking to purchase a fixed lens for my Canon T1i because I feel that by having a zoom lens, I'm losing that feeling of actually being in the shot.

I also heard if you purchase a new lens, it's better to get a fixed focal length lens rather than a zoom lens.

Anyways, I've been trying to decided between these 3 lens. I'm really liking the Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 even though it is a manual only lens.

Can anyone help me find a good fixed focal length lens that has good IQ and isn't going to burn a hole in my pocket?

(PS. I already have the Canon 50mm f/1.8, but I feel like it's more of a telephoto on a crop sensor)

103

Lenses / Replacement Kit Lens under $500?

« on: February 25, 2012, 03:58:48 AM »

Look, I know you guys are probably tired of me asking questions about cheap lens, seeing that most of you guys have L lenses. But I find this forum to be extremely helpful in my decisions for Canon products, so I turn to you guys first

Well, I've got a question:
 Is there a good lens that can replace my Canon 18-55mm lens that is under $500. I don't mind if it's not Third Party lens (i.e. Sigma, Tamron, etc.).

I'm not looking for a prime since I borrow my team's Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and Canon 50mm f/1.8.

If I were to ask the type of lens I'd like to have, I'm looking for a walk around lens.

Again, I'm really sorry for having repeat post about replacing my kit lens, I just want to make sure I'm spending my money wisely.

(edit: Forgot to mention that I have a Canon T1i)

104

Lenses / Re: 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 vs 17-40mm f/4L for a crop camera

« on: February 20, 2012, 01:24:33 PM »

Well, by popular demand, I do plan on getting the 15-85mm within the next few months. Thank you guys all for your suggestions.

But I do want the 17-55mm. It's so nice. haha

105

Video & Movie / Re: what's your favorite lens for shooting video?

« on: February 19, 2012, 06:57:48 AM »

I'm in a film/media group called Uneek F/M
(Shameless Plug: www.uneekfm.tumblr.com  )

Main Camera:
-Canon T3i
-Sigma 30mm f/1.4
-Canon 50mm f/1.8

Our back up Canon T2i only has a kit lens

(Edit: Sorry I thought you were asking about lens and equipment as well)