Messages

31

Lighting / Re: Einstein Setup

« on: March 23, 2013, 11:03:53 PM »

Paul, an alternate idea about color on small studio walls: black. White surfaces near a set bounce unintended light back into the field of view. Black, flat, offers the least chance of color shift, too. I totally agree about a set of white (black on other side) Fom-Cor boards always available. 32x40-inch size sold in hardware stores where I live, bigger in art supply stores. To the OP: cut this Fom-Cor into all kinds of light modifiers.

I miss my studio of years past.

32

Lighting / Re: Phottix Odins, monolights, and HSS

« on: March 23, 2013, 10:56:10 PM »

Are the Einsteins perhaps different in this regard than the Alien Bees?

33

Lighting / Re: 600EX RT vs AlienBees

« on: March 23, 2013, 10:52:30 PM »

I keep reaching toward my wallet when I read about Paul Buff gear. And then I think, "You have those two Norman packs and sets of heads..." and I try to be sane and practical: avoid buying yet another kind of equipment ($$$$).

It's just the 1000 foot extension cord that's hard to carry. <grin>

(No one ever made a battery pack that will drive these old Norman packs, and generators are just too much noise, fumes, gas cans, Ugh.)

So maybe there's an Einstein or Bee in my future.

34

Lenses / Re: Canon 24-70 f/2.8L mkii Focus Shift

« on: March 22, 2013, 03:54:19 PM »

I believe my copy of this lens does the same thing, but I am trying to redo my Reikan test (which produced + numbers -- opposite of expected result) and get time and conditions for a better test. Back focus observed in real-world exposures in which I would not expect last-second movement. But perhaps the same as your lens...

35

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Anyone using UDMA7 cards in 1DsMk3? ...and they work?

« on: March 22, 2013, 03:38:08 AM »

I checked my order and my memory was right: ordered and fulfilled from Amazon. I had an interesting discussion with Lexar, too. The long number etched lightly on the end was not traceable by Lexar. They said that oral descriptions over the phone can't prove much but that they are willing to test cards in their labs. The Lexar tech said, though, that the gold color was usually off on counterfeits.

So something was wrong with the first example I had and Amazon didn't miss a beat when I asked to return it; they sent another before I got my bad copy back to them. So far my new one seems OK... have to shoot more with it before It goes to a shoot for $$.

That bad card seems to have made my 1Ds body throw camera shutter errors so I have to watch all the components carefully for a while.

36

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Anyone using UDMA7 cards in 1DsMk3? ...and they work?

« on: March 20, 2013, 03:16:45 PM »

Mt. Spokane,
Thanks. I assume you mean that the older (2007) camera's bus is limited. I wonder if I get *any* camera benefit from the speed other than the faster download in my Lexar card reader, for which they provided a firmware update (from UDMA6).

But other messages among the participants have me wondering if this card (I have my replacement unit from Amazon) is actually a counterfeit. I plan to call Lexar and ask how to tell. The packaging, in retrospect, seemed dodgy. I have kept the packaging to work with Amazon and Lexar to resolve this.

My worries about the original CF unit (same model of "Lexar" 400x 64Gig came from Error 30 messages during a long real estate shoot with lots of LiveView requirements. First freaked out and blamed the camera, worked with a Canon tech and we began to suspect the card, and there have been NO error issues since, with some LiveView use during AFMA testing.

So, the investigation continues.

jonathan7007

37

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Anyone using UDMA7 cards in 1DsMk3? ...and they work?

« on: March 19, 2013, 02:24:13 PM »

OK-- I figured that I'd have noticed 1DsMk3 owners at Canon's gates with pitchforks and torches if these cards were not working with the bus or other incompatibility.
 

38

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Anyone using UDMA7 cards in 1DsMk3? ...and they work?

« on: March 18, 2013, 04:04:44 AM »

I have recently started using a 1DsMk3. I don't know the manufacture date. I had problems with a Lexar64Gig UDMA7 card. Amazon is sending a new one. But I suddenly wondered if the brand-new standard was not compatible with the older firmware, motherboard, etc.

So to be sure I am asking if 1DsMk3 users have good experience with UDMA 7 cards.

jonathan7007

39

Lighting / Re: Studio Photos with Eos Utility Software

« on: March 15, 2013, 05:41:51 AM »

Is the studio strobe [supposed to be]synching with a wire or radio?
I assume you find it works without tethering.

Can't be intended...

40

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 1Ds mark iii????

« on: March 15, 2013, 05:35:47 AM »

My 1DsMk3 was $2300 delivered so $1400 is fantastic and a gift. I passed up a lot of $2600-2700 priced bodies. This low price insulates you from being hurt financially if there *are* problems down the road.

Get it.

41

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon tells me tethered shoots have to go direct to the "C" drive

« on: March 15, 2013, 01:27:15 AM »

I thought the tech might be wrong/confused. I have been saving the outflow of images to that SSD. the C drive is an SSD too, but I want them separated. This isn't about installation, just tethered image flow and chosen destinations.

I just reported it so we'd all know where they stand.

jonathan7007

42

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 1Ds mark iii????

« on: March 15, 2013, 01:24:32 AM »

al-toidz,
I state in a nearby thread that I may have had a FALSE error30 message with my recently-purchased used 1DsMk3. The card in the camera was later shown to be faulty and I have had NO other problem.

So I recommend the camera model as a combination with another more modern body that complements the older unit's strengths.

Like Wicked Wombat, I am very aware of slower processing and related smaller buffer. Not likely to be an issue for me. And I have that more modern alternative...

I don't see any reason to keep your 1DsMk2. Lots of differences, few advantages.

jonathan7007

43

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Did I get an expected result from Reikan FoCal?

« on: March 15, 2013, 01:17:51 AM »

Darius,
My focus points observed in files are BEHIND the point I believe I chose. But the intended focus is a bit of a guess, of course, as these are not exposures made in a test. I take it you think the "logical" FoCal result would have been a negative number?

jonathan7007

44

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Error 30 Experiences? Have you seen this?

« on: March 15, 2013, 01:14:41 AM »

Phil,
I think I said above that I don't think this [previous]owner ever used live view. It's so much a studio or location "set" function and he is a retired doctor who loved photography. I don't blame him and he asked me to keep him informed about what I learned bout the problem. All my senses and experience lead me to believe he did not sell me the camera knowing it is flawed.

And it might not be flawed.

In another thread I added my testing that showed the card that ws in the camera -- a Lexar 64Gig 400x UDMA7 -- was faulty, and I hope that the Error30 was brought on by screwed-up communication between the camera and laptop caused by the card. Swapping cards and lots of shooting with the body has NOT shown any problem since. And today I ran through FoCal testing with three lenses; target aiming calls for live view use. I was worried but again, NO problem so far.

So, if the card was all the problem I had (and Amazon is replacing the card) then hooray!

I really like this body. It feels and sounds great. The files are wonderful at lower ISO and with plenty of light, or more exactly, exposure.

Others with this body have communicated their good service records: few issues and lots of live view without ANY hiccup. I did do a lot of reading before deciding to buy a 5 to 6 year old model of Canon. It fits neatly into a kit that includes a 5DMk3.

I now have to decide -- if going out for a third body -- backup -- which I'd buy? I don't shoot sports so no 1DMk4. Not going to worry about it right now but that decision will be upon me soon, and this 1Ds is wonderful as long as the Error30 was a false alarm.

Thanks for you comments, Phil.

jonathan7007

45

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Did I get an expected result from Reikan FoCal?

« on: March 15, 2013, 01:01:09 AM »

All,
Please comment. I just bought a used 1DsMk3 and saw a consistent "back focus" -- that is, with a few different lenses images appeared to be focused on a point a little behind the intended point of focus... best I could remember, of course, where I asked for focus. Not 100% but a lot of images showed this. 

I own Reikan FoCal and made some time today to test as the sun went toward setting (we rarely have low winds here...) and got through the following lenses: 24-70 v2 (at 70); 70-200 v2 (at 200); and the Sigma 35mm f1.4. The last test was asked to soldier on through what I know was too dim a light. Yes, I know it's best to do this with sunlight.

The results were all positive numbers like 4, 7, and 5, respectively.

So are positive numbers in FoCal consistent with my description/observation of back focus?

I do plan to redo this under better conditions. Hard to get all the factors -- including time -- together. I did like having the test run automatically, as my 5DMk3 has the annoying SDK failings that Reikan tells us are NOT in the 6D camera software.

Thoughts?

jonathan7007