Messages

46

EOS Bodies / Re: Is 5dmkiii a good investment in the long run?

« on: March 02, 2012, 08:39:32 AM »

Bah, the problem is we're planning a family trip to Europe since the 15th of April till the beginning of May, nad it would've been awesome to have a FF camera by that time. I think I'll wait and see how the price settles down, and maybe I'll have to go to the vacation with my old trusty 550D.

47

EOS Bodies / Is 5dmkiii a good investment in the long run?

« on: March 02, 2012, 07:18:55 AM »

I've been positively stunned by the great high-ISO performance of the new 5d after reading the review by Jeff Ascough - http://blog.jeffascough.com/photographers/2012/03/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-review.html

The price seems a bit high, that's true, but I just want your opinion - I'm switching to FF from 550D, I currently have 24-105mm f/4, and 50mm f/1.4 by... some other brand For 3500 I could either get 5dmkIII or mkII + 70-200mm  f/4.
But the main problem is that f/4 is a little bit slow when paired with mkII, and its high ISO performance is disappointing, so I won't be able to use these lenses (70-200 f/4 and 24-105) in low-light conditions.

So the question is, isn't it better to grab the much more costly mkIII while saving quite a good amount of money on lenses? I know ISO does not equal aperture, but I mostly do photojournalism so I don't care much about bokeh and DoF. Any opinions are appreciated, thank you.

48

Lenses / Re: zoom lense advice

« on: February 28, 2012, 02:57:29 PM »

I'm not the one to argue with Neuroanatomist, but I am using the 24-105mm on my 550D and I'm happy with it. So should you decide to choose the 24-105 (perhaps you're willing to go FF sooner or later) I think you won't be disappointed. But since Neuro suggested the 17-55, it's probably the best choice if you decide to stay APS-C.

49

Lenses / Re: Lenses for 650D

« on: February 24, 2012, 04:52:34 AM »

I have a 550D and I've used Sigma 17-70 extensively for the last six months. I'm thinking of switching to FF now, and that's why I got a 24-105mm L lens. The difference is astonishing - when I was shooting RAW I needed to bump vibrance and saturation quite a bit, correcting WB much more often than now, and then there's a sharpness difference - it's huge.

I don't miss those 7 extra mm, since the quality I get compensates for it 100%. So I'd say don't hesitate and buy a 24-105L, it's a good investment and it will last should you decide switch to FF. If you don't ever plan to switch to FF, you might want to consider 15-85, but I'd be reluctant to spend more than 1k on a lens that wouldn't work on a full frame body.

Just my 0.02$

50

Lighting / Re: Do I need the 580?

« on: February 24, 2012, 04:38:03 AM »

Thanks justsomedude, I cancelled my 580 order, we'll see what 590 brings us. It's more logical since I'm planning to go for 5dmkiii, and I believe it will have radio flash control built in.

Thanks to you too ronderick, I've learned that more power is always better than less power

51

Lighting / Re: Do I need the 580?

« on: February 22, 2012, 03:58:21 PM »

By the way, I just ordered it and think of cancelling the order - don't you think it's feasible to wait for the next top-in-line flash to get it work during videos for additional light?

52

Lighting / Re: Do I need the 580?

« on: February 22, 2012, 05:09:33 AM »

Thanks everyone, I'll be getting the 580 it seems. I've been mostly concerned about the size and weight differences but as I see now it's negligible. HSS is a good thing to have, as I have told I'm a hobbyist and new to flash photography, but on paper this feature seems interesting, even if it's only useful when shooting at tele ranges. What's better is it being more powerful and having a master mode - I'm getting there, but maybe in the end I'll be using 2+ flashes. Thank you once again people, you've been very very helpful. I can't name everyone in this thread, but each and every post here has been helpful and  influenced my decision. I'm happy to know that a community as awesome as this one exists

53

Lighting / Do I need the 580?

« on: February 21, 2012, 02:16:59 PM »

First of all I'd like to say that I'm a hobbyist, not a professional photographer, and only recently did I get into flash photography. My current setup is 550D + 24-105L, but I'm getting one of the 5Ds (ii or iii) when the latter is available. I'm mostly shooting general "walkaround" photography with some lean towards press photography (e.g. political meetings and etc.). I also shoot at weddings, family reunions, that kind of thing. So now I need a flash since many of these events tend to happen indoors, and I'm currently deciding between 430 and 580.

From the looks of it I'll have only one flash for the time being (I'm not a studio photographer, more of an action one), and 580 seems to be easier to operate. On the other hand it's much heavier than the 430 and costs more. Do you experience this additional weight problem, and do you feel that the price difference is justified in this case?

54

Lenses / Re: Recommendation: Filter for premium lenses

« on: February 20, 2012, 06:14:17 AM »

Have anyone tried Hoya HD filters? I like my protective one.

55

Lenses / Re: Is 24-105L really f/4.0?

« on: February 17, 2012, 11:58:55 AM »

Sorry bvukich, I may have been wrong.
Well, looking at that review, I am wrong The reviewer claimed to have it tested alongside Canon 24-70/2,8, Canon 24/2,8, Canon 50/2,5 and Canon 35-105/3,5-4,5.
Sadly I can't provide you with a link, since, well, it's a website in russian language. The reviewer (who seems to be credible, i.e. it's not his first forum post) claims that when pitched against those lenses it produces a darker image at f/4.0 than those other lenses produce at f/4.5.
There's a huge list of feedback there, and only 3-4 answers seem to claim that this f/4.8 is indeed an issue, but I just wanted to hear the CR community's point of view. Seems those 3-4 people got faulty lenses or w/e.

By the way, could anyone please provide me with a link to some website where people review lenses, bodies and etc.? I'm reluctant to trust Amazon user reviews since the majority of Am's users are not photo enthusiasts, even if they are trying to review L lenses and such. I'd be extremely grateful

56

Lenses / Is 24-105L really f/4.0?

« on: February 17, 2012, 09:57:42 AM »

Recently got the lens, loving it atm, however in a lot of user reviews I've seen that its f/4.0 setting is in fact closer to ~f/4.8. Those claims are based on the tests of the f/4.0 setting of this lens and other f/4.0 lenses like 100-400mm.
Is it true in your experience?

57

Lenses / Re: Is it worth waiting for an upgrade to 24-105?

« on: February 17, 2012, 06:39:31 AM »

Thank you for your continuing feedback, I've already purchased a new 24-105 - using it on my cropped 550d atm, love it. However I decided to accumulate a bit more money than I originally intended and go for 5dmkIII. I think it is wiser in the long run.

58

Lenses / Re: Is it worth waiting for an upgrade to 24-105?

« on: February 15, 2012, 06:07:20 PM »

Well, they do, but the lens is immensely popular itself, so it's usually removed from the kit and sold separately. When it is sold separately, the price is of course different. So when you buy a "kit" you're basically buying a camera and a lens separately. Weird stuff, but that's how it works.

59

Lenses / Re: What lens for 7D EF-S or L

« on: February 15, 2012, 05:47:09 PM »

I have a 550d, which is basically a 7D in a plastic body with a crappy AF. I used Sigma's 17-70 OS for a while, but then I bought 24-105 and that thing is just fabulous. Images are sharp, IQ is great and while the IS is nothing to tell stories about, it still does the job. I say get the 24-105, and if your max camera budget is around 1500$, I say you might have a shot at 5dmkII when the mkIII gets released. I'm planning to do exactly this kind of thing and fully unravel my already wonderful 24-105 on an FF body.

60

Lenses / Re: Is it worth waiting for an upgrade to 24-105?

« on: February 14, 2012, 03:49:17 AM »

Oh, thank you for your replies, I'm happy to see a community as friendly and helpful as this one. I'll be getting the 24-105 first thing tomorrow. Thanks once again!