Messages

1

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Natural Progression of Camera Bodies. Type Your story below.

« on: November 01, 2012, 03:15:29 PM »

Camera
2002 Lumix FZ5 - Point & Shoot, replaced due to "sudden death" by
2005 Lumix FZ7 - also for family pictures
2011 canon 550D - more serious interest in "how it works"
2013 ? fullframe - Know better what I like/dislike and looking for an upgrade (not in a rush however)

Lenses
2011 17-55 (included with 550D)
2011 70 - 200 F4 L
2012 24-70 2.8
2012 17-40 F4
2012 50 mm F1,4

2

EOS Bodies / Re: Looks like the 6D may not be so bad after all

« on: October 11, 2012, 08:30:35 AM »

Anyone else think that maybe the propeller-heads at Canon designed the 6D down to the *rumoured* price of the D600 ($1599) instead of the actual price ($2100)?  I can just 'see' the party in the weekly Product Development meeting when Nikon released their price...  and if "They" are selling at over 2k, why not do the same?  After all, it's too late to add an autofocus system back into it, this close to market.

All I wanted was a FF DSLR with a decent AF system and reasonable IQ in variable light for dog sports.   I don't even care about >4fps.  The rest of the time, I could even do MF!  Don't care about video.   I'm not 'committed' to anyone's system yet, as I've been waiting to see what was coming out this year.  Nikon might have an edge on the bodies right now, but for the focal lengths I'm looking at, Canon has the better glass.

Yes, I could probably get away with a 7D for the sporting stuff, and a 6D for everything else... but that would mean lugging two compromise bodies around for the same price as a 5D3.  Put the 7D AF system in the 6D and I'd probably perorder it.  Hell, you could even take the "OK, but not perfect" sensors from the 1DX production line and stick them in a lower-end FF camera for all I care.  18MP is plenty.  I'd rather have another stop or two of clean ISO than 4-6MP.

It looks like noone wants my money unless I give them ALL of it.   Looks like my 30d might have a couple of years left on it... perhaps with a 70-300.   Maybe even a 70-300 L.  Case in point of elasticity of demand.  Stretch the customer too far, and they walk away.  You get 100% of nothing.  If the prices here in Oz were on parity with the US or HK, it'd be harder to walk away... but with 20-30% margin?  These shoes are walkin'.

(And yes, I'm aware that Canon have decided [or justified, retrospectively?] that the target market for the 6D is travellers/tourists, who don't need more than one AF point.)

Funny, I was also looking into full-frame, and came to the same conclusion...
For the moment, my 550D is "good enough" to be used for some more time..
And I'm not in a rush anymore, for the moment, I'll wait and observe.

3

Lenses / Re: Calibrate Canon 24-70L?

« on: October 11, 2012, 04:26:43 AM »

I just wanted to know how I can calibrate the AF of my Canon 24-70L when mounted on a Canon 60D. Since there is no AFMA in the 60D does that mean my only resolution is to send it to Canon and have them take a look at it? Also, I dont know if its really an AF issue, it's known to be soft at f2.8 but when set to f5.6 or above it starts to become sharper but still not quite as sharp as I was hoping an expensive lens like this to be. Is this really a known property of this lens? You know, being a little soft.

I let my 24-70 be calibrated in a canon authorized service center (there's a website which will list you where they are in your country, in the Netherlands there are only 2, so it took a 1h drive )

Anyway, the body (550D) still fell under warranty, so calibration was for free... Made an appointment, gave them body + lens, waited for 30 minutes and got everything back calibrated. Great service.

4

EOS Bodies / Re: 6D Sync speed only 1/180s?

« on: September 19, 2012, 08:07:15 AM »

af option 3: af system at least 7d level
1/200s x-sync

5

5D MK III Sample Images / Re: Real Estate photography with Flash and Color Gels

« on: August 25, 2012, 11:46:52 AM »

I think it looks nice, especially the reflections on the floor - very futuristic...

If I may ask, what was the setup (how many flashes)?
One flash behind the plant, to give the nice shape on the ceiling
Flash on-camera (or next to the camera) for lighting the chairs to be white?
... flash in the back-left room for the purple color?

6

EOS Bodies / Re: I love Primes.

« on: August 24, 2012, 07:36:52 AM »

i can come over to your house free of charge and epoxy your zoom lens in your preferred focal length.(provided it's within your zoom's focal length range) I'll even do weird custom stuff like 80mm, 140mm, or even 103mm, whatever you need. Don't get me wrong.

Amazing... can you also do it the other way around (prime to zoom)?

7

Lenses / Re: Lens creep. Is this normal?

« on: August 10, 2012, 03:41:07 PM »

No creep on mine.  Not only that, but holding it and swinging, I need a lot of centrifugal force to get the zoom to extend - softball bat swing type force takes it to 50-70mm but not all the way out, a tennis backhand volley swing and the barrel doesn't move.

Fascinating description of your "centrifuge"-test - makes me wonder what
else you use the camera for - besides participating in sports ^^

brilliant!

8

Lighting / looking for portable background stand for botero 7x5feet background

« on: August 01, 2012, 03:55:06 PM »

Hello,

I'm looking for a cheap ( preferable 40-60 euro) portable background stand.
My eye fell on the "http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/62542-REG/Westcott_1103_Background_Stand_for_Illuminator.html which supports backgrounds up to 8 feet - but the problem is that I can't seem to get it here in europe (netherlands/germany).

I found this one "savage LS-C" http://www.cameranu.nl/nl/studio-accessoires/achtergrond-systemen/savage/savage-ls-c8-background-stand-voor-collapsibles/h5084_21604_183854/ but it's for another background and I'm not sure it'll fit ( it's for 1,83 - which would be 17 cm's too short... or maybe it'll just fit?)..
Does someone have this stand + botero background (200cm x 150cm which is +/- 7x5 feet ) and knows if it's usable?

Or are there alternatives I could look at ?

9

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Canon 7D, 5D2 or wait for cheap FF body from Canon?

« on: July 28, 2012, 08:33:13 AM »

I'm waiting to see if the entry level FF is announced at Photokina in September or somewhere else sooner.
Dropping a grand or two on a camera is nothing to rush, unless you're loaded.
If the new FF doesn't hit that sweet spot for me, then I'm opting for a 7D.
I figure if it takes 6 months to be released, my 550D will serve me just fine 'til then.

Exactly the same for me - my 550d will do perfectly, I have 3 L-lenses and am ready to jump to FF, if the price doesn't increase to much for the new FF model, compared to current 5D2 prices. And if the price is too high - I'll be either using my 550D the next few years, or take a look at Nikon.

10

Animal Kingdom / Re: Ribit!

« on: July 08, 2012, 05:18:12 AM »

... and here one relaxing at the pool :

11

EOS Bodies / Re: Help me! Where can I buy a 5D Mark II at good price?

« on: July 04, 2012, 10:01:52 AM »

German price-comparison machine "idealo" gives 1718 as price (excluding shipping)...
Only slightly cheaper, so it might not be worth your while if you have to ship outside of Germany.
http://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/OffersOfProduct/1169959_-eos-5d-mark-ii-canon.html

Dutch price:
http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/223128/canon-eos-5d-mark-ii.html

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EOS Bodies / Re: How much will the 5d3 cost at the end of 2012?

« on: July 04, 2012, 09:58:34 AM »

Now the interesting question is - how much it'll be end of 2013... or 2014...

13

Lenses / Re: Pancakes in the UK

« on: June 12, 2012, 11:45:13 AM »

Yeah i just got confirmation from my local store that MSRP for the Netherlands is 279 euro. Thats insane!

Even with shipping and tax and import i can still get one from the US for 228 euro! Who smoked something at Canon EU?!

Maybe germany is an alternative, you can check with www.idealo.de (price meta-search engine) and it gives the cheapest price...

Comes to 235 excl shipping

14

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Rebel T4i vs 5D Mark III - $850 vs $3499 - Is it really worth 4 times the price?

« on: June 12, 2012, 04:44:43 AM »

I'm wondering if the autofocus of the Mark II is really as bad as I've heard. And even if it is, it's still a big step up from my Rebel, right?

AF on 5D2 is really NOT good.  The new AF on T4i is even better than AF on 5D2.  I think T2i might be even better than 5D2. 

my 2 cents

Actually, from a previous discussion started on this forum, it looks like the 550D (t2i) and 5d2 have identical autofocus - with the 5D2 having a disadvantage that the AF-points are not on thirds (as in, they are more 'centered' compared to a crop-camera)...

And since I don't like AF on my 550, I'm not jumping on the 5D2 even though the price is okay ( and I'd really like to have an *affordable* FF - for which the 5D3 does NOT qualify ^^ )

15

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Canon are you listening...?? NIKON D600

« on: May 25, 2012, 09:41:05 PM »

I'm on the market (in wait-mode) watching out for developments. Currently have a 550d with 3 L-lenses, and this Nikon does sound like the camera in my price-range and with the features I want ( don't feel like switching though).

I'll just wait to see what canon will come back with as a "starter-full-frame". Note that I'm sure the 5d3 is a great cam, would love to have it, but for me - personally - it's not worth the money ( other bills to pay, different priorities), so just have to wait and see what other options will come in the next few months - and again this Nikon sound like having the features I'd like for the price I'm willing to put down.