Messages

46

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 19, 2013, 05:41:04 PM »

and 2 more...again, totally different scene...

in the first one I was definitely embracing the distortion, the girl I was shooting was very thin and not overly tall, but taller than average.  This is where distortion can be your friend...but even with that in mind...it's not for everyone.

Chuck, I love the look and perspective of that second shot! Her legs go on for miles..... 

TY...I hope its the shot you like and not the girl...lol...  that was from a fashion show

47

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 18, 2013, 04:18:16 PM »

and 2 more...again, totally different scene...

in the first one I was definitely embracing the distortion, the girl I was shooting was very thin and not overly tall, but taller than average.  This is where distortion can be your friend...but even with that in mind...it's not for everyone.

48

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 18, 2013, 04:16:10 PM »

here's a couple more....different setting completely

49

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 18, 2013, 03:59:15 PM »

TY!  That one was especially tricky because I had the couple framed at the edge, where the distortion would be the worst.  I did do some work in LR to reduce the distortion.
[/quote]

With a great result! What kind of light set-up did you use for it?
[/quote]

I did have 2 off cam speedlights...no modifyers

50

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 18, 2013, 03:23:16 PM »

UWA's are fun!  They aren't 'easy' to use because of the extreme perspective, but, they are quite useful for many types of shots!  You do have to consider the elements in the shot, where with something like a 50mm it's 'easier.'

Sometimes it's not just for tight spaces either...

Here's a few with people.  First is from a same sex wedding, the other 2 are from a very small wedding with the same group of people with 16-35, then a 50 1.4.  Last is from a larger wedding.

keep it or sell it?  It really depends on what your doing with it.  UWA's have a special look to them, but, you do have to know what your doing with them to get the most out of them, and you should have some other lenses for a more natural look.  If your just looking to get good shots of the fam on vacations, sell the 16-35 and snag a 24-105

First shot is brilliant! I was just going to reccomend the OP to check out Scott Kelby's tips on wide angle portraits, when I stumbled on your great shot.

TY!  That one was especially tricky because I had the couple framed at the edge, where the distortion would be the worst.  I did do some work in LR to reduce the distortion. 

51

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Just bought a 6D

« on: April 18, 2013, 03:19:27 PM »

I've been using my 7D for a couple years, but have been dying to get a full frame for a while.  I debated selling the 7D and getting a 5DIII, but decided to keep the 7D and pick up a 6D.  I can use them both with my 24-105L and 70-300L lenses.  I love the reach and speed of the 7D for birds/sports.

On my 7D I've used auto ISO with a maximum of 800.  What would you suggest is a comparable maximum ISO for the 6D?

Thanks.

I own a 5d3, and have rented a 6d.  ISO on both are very close.  Everyone has their own threshold for noise/usable ISO - so that really depends on what you shoot.  I do know that on either a 6d or a 5d3, I don't worry if I have to use 6400 and up...  (the quality of shots I see at 8000, and 10,000, even 12,800 are quite frankly outstanding).

I used a 7d for about 3 years prior to snagging the mk3 and I'd push the 7d ISO to 4000 in a pinch.  More times than not though upon first look i would get worried that the focus was off, or, that I was not steady in the shot...then I'd zoom in on faces...focus was fine, it just looked like the focus was off because of the noise - also the images just looked so soft, again, due to noise.  After getting the mk3, I tried using both bodies and found that I would only use the 7d if I could run below ISO 1600, which meant it was only useful for a small portion of weddings (either outdoor ceremonies or the parts of the wedding that occurred outside.   So I sold the 7d and am now looking at a 6d as a very viable backup body.

I'd say play around, shoot in as many lighting conditions as you can and find your threshold for whats usable and whats not.

52

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 18, 2013, 03:05:34 PM »

UWA's are fun!  They aren't 'easy' to use because of the extreme perspective, but, they are quite useful for many types of shots!  You do have to consider the elements in the shot, where with something like a 50mm it's 'easier.'

Sometimes it's not just for tight spaces either...

Here's a few with people.  First is from a same sex wedding, the other 2 are from a very small wedding with the same group of people with 16-35, then a 50 1.4.  Last is from a larger wedding.

keep it or sell it?  It really depends on what your doing with it.  UWA's have a special look to them, but, you do have to know what your doing with them to get the most out of them, and you should have some other lenses for a more natural look.  If your just looking to get good shots of the fam on vacations, sell the 16-35 and snag a 24-105

53

Lenses / Re: I have just lost confidence with Canon Rumors & B&H

« on: April 17, 2013, 12:18:02 PM »

over reacting much?

No I don't think I'm over reacting. I got the lower price and my lens is in transit. I find it offensive that a new "better deal" is being hyped, that is not a better deal, and when I point this out, my post is blocked. Do you understand that logic?

The point is this: Every time someone clicks on that lens promotion for B&H from this website and then actually make a purchase from B&H money is made by the owner of the website. Since B&H is the largest reputable dealer in camera equipment, many links will be listed on this site and many others as it brings in income. This is not going to stop.
Buyer beware.....as always...but as someone pointed out, that lens is not in the promo.
Be happy...I bought the lens several months back for $2300!  It's a great lens and I have been using it a lot so, oh well!

Ok now, this is true, anyone can join it actually --- its the affiliate program - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/affiliates.jsp

Many websites do this but

"We’ll Pay...
Monthly commission begins at 2% with the possibility for increased percentage based upon performance."

So it's really not that much "income" unless we were all buying 1dx's in droves from b&h by clicking on the link here.

54

Software & Accessories / Re: Adobe Lightroom 5 Public Beta Available

« on: April 16, 2013, 03:38:21 PM »

I'm very underwhelmed.  LR4 was an improvement over LR3, but the subsequent improvements to LR4.4 have been to sort out bugs and add a few more cameras.  In my view, this "upgrade" should really be called LR4.5.  I would like a significant addition, like HDR, before I would upgrade.  I hope that at least they have improved autotone which is largely unusuable and not nearly as good as that available in free products such as Microsoft Office Picture Manager and Picasa.

I find the speed of LR4 adequate.

I will wait for LR6.

HDR???  sorry, but that's gets us away from what we need.  From reading all the new stuff, this new lightroom will lead to less use of PS, which in m mind is the real weakness of LR.   Photomatix and niks have been working on their HDR processing for a while now, leave that to them I say.  More PS like elements in lightroom means less switching from software to software.

55

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Announcements on April 23, 2013? [CR2]

« on: April 15, 2013, 03:38:49 PM »

Yes, all photographers are consumers - but, some consumers just buy cameras - that doesn't necessarily make them photographers.  Yeah yeah yeah its a nebulous term.  But, many trades are learned by apprenticing.  Like plumbing - you learn from a plumber...again, just because I buy a wrench and replace a gasket that doesn't make me a plumber.  Just because you buy a camera and snap a few shots, that doesn't make you a photographer.  That's the point the original person was making.  It's a dividing line between those who are serious and willing to learn and those that buy it cause its fancy - the latter cares about what the specs really mean, the former says that # is bigger than the other so it must be better.

Perhaps more succinctly: Just because you can write doesn't make you a writer.

+10000 --- TY, was searching for the right way to say this but skipped right over writing...

56

Software & Accessories / Re: Wrist or Neck strap

« on: April 15, 2013, 03:37:09 PM »

+1000...I love my black rapid...

Another system, which I very much dislike but many love ---spider holsters...neat concept, but I don't like the idea of keeping so much of the weight on my hips.

57

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon D800 Value Dropping?

« on: April 13, 2013, 02:01:20 PM »

A  few thoughts ---

For One, I fully believe that the D800's debut price was lower than it should have been and it was a decision by nikon to sell it as a loss leader to gain market share.  Canon, who has the lead in market share, released the mk3 at the price point the d800 should have been at in order to lure canonites to nikon, and of course new users that would saw WOW at the big MP # - which has of course led to this whole price vs value debate here among all ya'll gear heads.  I fully believe that if canon and nikon were on an equal level with market share, both bodies would have been at the same price.

With that said, it's no wonder to me that d800's and mk3's are popping up on the used market more frequently.  Both are a year old now, so they aren't the newest greatest things anymore.  Many bought either body hoping it would be their answer (and yeah, there are quite a few richie riches out there that buy a fancy camera because its fancy, you know, got to beat the neighbors and have more fancy toys).  What happens next ,serious shooters that bought and dislike are selling in order to get a body that better suits their needs - as are the fancy people who have had the body for 6 months and didn't get the street cred they wanted, or did but street cred fades quickly so time to sell that toy to get some other fancy thing.

Either way, I'd say more and more used mk3's and d800's will hit the market over the next year, because that is the flow of things.  I know one friend of mine who is having buyers remorse on his d800, he likes it for some things, but, wants to trade up to get a d3 or a d3s. 

To the OP, one thing about those crazy deals is they disappear rather quickly.  On another thread here I was bringing up my backup body thought process and whether it will be a second mk3 or a 6d.  One poster claimed up and down that there is no reason to buy a 6d when there are refurb mk3's for $2400 (I have only seen refurbs going for that low, used ones I am seeing for $2799).  But, again, you got to be at the right place and right time for the $2400 deals because the supply is low and the demand is high (too many damn people use that canonrpicewatch site...grrrr).  There was one through adorama up yesterday for $2500, and where is it today, gone and sold. 

58

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Announcements on April 23, 2013? [CR2]

« on: April 12, 2013, 02:20:05 AM »

Right, because the majority of the people buying the cameras are consumers and not photographers.

ummmm....... ALL photographers are consumers, and all consumers who purchase cameras and take at least one picture are photographers.....

NO, those are just snapshooters 
The real photographer is a person who actually knows what he is doing 
I've seen a monkey taking pictures of tourists, was it a photographer too?

nobody qualified skill levels.... Pro's, amateurs, snapshooters, enthusiasts, and even (GASP!!!!) people with cell phones are photographers. nobody mentioned if they knew what they were doing or if they are any good at it....

I would think that's part and parcel to the whole debate.  I wouldn't consider anybody who snaps a shot as a "photographer" - just as I would not consider myself to be a "plumber" because I bought a wrench and replaced a gasket on my sink.   Just as I would not consider myself to be a "carpenter" because I put together a table.  Just as I would not consider myself an "auto technician" because I changed my oil by myself.   

Photographer is a nebulous term. There is no standard definition... there is no certification or levels.... there is no governing body and there is no rating system of specialties. For example, I could be the world's greatest bird photographer and the worst imaginable wedding photographer... I know people so good that they can effortlessly snap off a shot that I would have to take time to prepare for.... and that "snapshooter" would get a better picture than me. I also know "experts" whose photographs are "somewhat less than stellar".

In the absence of standards, like it or not, anyone who uses a camera is a photographer and the question of if they are good or bad comes down to opinion.

To bring this back to the point -

Right, because the majority of the people buying the cameras are consumers and not photographers.

ummmm....... ALL photographers are consumers, and all consumers who purchase cameras and take at least one picture are photographers.....

NO, those are just snapshooters 
The real photographer is a person who actually knows what he is doing 
I've seen a monkey taking pictures of tourists, was it a photographer too?

I'll just say it like this

Yes, all photographers are consumers - but, some consumers just buy cameras - that doesn't necessarily make them photographers.  Yeah yeah yeah its a nebulous term.  But, many trades are learned by apprenticing.  Like plumbing - you learn from a plumber...again, just because I buy a wrench and replace a gasket that doesn't make me a plumber.  Just because you buy a camera and snap a few shots, that doesn't make you a photographer.  That's the point the original person was making.  It's a dividing line between those who are serious and willing to learn and those that buy it cause its fancy - the latter cares about what the specs really mean, the former says that # is bigger than the other so it must be better. 

59

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Announcements on April 23, 2013? [CR2]

« on: April 11, 2013, 05:25:19 PM »

Right, because the majority of the people buying the cameras are consumers and not photographers.

ummmm....... ALL photographers are consumers, and all consumers who purchase cameras and take at least one picture are photographers.....

NO, those are just snapshooters 
The real photographer is a person who actually knows what he is doing 
I've seen a monkey taking pictures of tourists, was it a photographer too?

nobody qualified skill levels.... Pro's, amateurs, snapshooters, enthusiasts, and even (GASP!!!!) people with cell phones are photographers. nobody mentioned if they knew what they were doing or if they are any good at it....

I would think that's part and parcel to the whole debate.  I wouldn't consider anybody who snaps a shot as a "photographer" - just as I would not consider myself to be a "plumber" because I bought a wrench and replaced a gasket on my sink.   Just as I would not consider myself to be a "carpenter" because I put together a table.  Just as I would not consider myself an "auto technician" because I changed my oil by myself.   

60

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Announcements on April 23, 2013? [CR2]

« on: April 11, 2013, 03:11:48 PM »

... if you can get them comfortable that trumps IQ every day of the week.

Wait just a minute.  You seem to be suggesting that the photographer is an important component of making a good picture.  I hope I'm misinterpreting your statements, because frankly, they're complete heresy around here.  Fall to your knees and worship the Almighty DR of the Exmor Sensor.  That, and only that, will be Salvation for your images.  If you can't cleanly lift 5 stops of shadows, you're a poor excuse for a photographer not to mention a failure as a human being.

 

LOL!!!  I forgot where I am...lol.  I retract all of that...because now after a shoot, I send my RAWS to DXO and they map out my images on a graph and that's how my clients pick their keepers...lol