Messages

91

EOS Bodies / Re: Here we go again: 5DIII vs. D800 raw files head-to-head

« on: March 14, 2012, 11:48:42 PM »

From my recollection and understanding (which may well be faulty) Canon never applies NR to RAWs, it only applies it to the in camera JPEG conversion.  Whereas Nikon cooks the NR into the RAWs (even at NR0 there is some NR being applied).

 Can anyone confirm/debunk this? I'd be interested to know.

92

Lenses / Re: Lens Recommendations - Crop (7D) to Full Frame (5dMk3)?

« on: March 14, 2012, 10:32:56 PM »

I'll probably come across as a heretic to all the 16-35 owners... but I have the 17-40 f/4 L and I highly recommend it.  I don't think a superwide really suits portraits that well; longer focal lengths seem to do that better, particularly between 50 and 100mm. You seem to have those lengths covered pretty well. The superwide is really better geared towards landscapes, in which case you're almost always stopped down to f/8 or lower so you'd rarely if ever need the 2.8 for landscape shooting. Just my two cents.

93

EOS Bodies / Re: Cant stand the drama... but I cant leave it alone either...

« on: March 14, 2012, 12:40:49 AM »

I've got to say I'm in agreement with the general sentiment of this thread. I've said this many times: given that we have very little information to go on, most of what people are saying is, in my opinion, speculative at best. I wouldn't put much stock in the DR talk and such until DxO gets their hands on both these cameras to do proper testing. Until then, I'm not making any conclusions one way or another.

 I'd be curious to know what buzz is going around the Nikon forums, whether they're all whining about the D800.

 I agree, there's far too much hysteria going around when the information just isn't there to support it.

94

EOS Bodies / Re: Am I crazy to even think of switching to Nikon? Here's my gear...

« on: March 12, 2012, 10:53:39 PM »

As I've said in numerous other threads, it's premature to seriously consider switching. I'd wait until the 5D3 and D800 are released before you make up your mind.

95

EOS Bodies / Re: Cancelled 5d mk III pre-order for D800?

« on: March 12, 2012, 10:37:24 PM »

I think it's premature and really rather silly to seriously consider going from Nikon to Canon or from Canon to Nikon before the 5D3 and D800 are actually released and more comprehensive reviews are posted. I'm of the opinion that, other than specs, most of the information we have is speculative and really not something to base a several thousand dollar purchase on. The prudent thing to do if you're thinking about it is to wait. The wait shouldn't be that long either, less than a month.

96

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Calculating Dynamic Range

« on: March 12, 2012, 10:30:33 PM »

Personally, I think it's premature to say anything definitively about the 5D3/D800 in terms of DR until the cameras are actually released and guys like DxO have had a chance to do a proper test. I'm ignoring the DR debate because it's largely speculative, and I don't think the few samples we've been given are enough to really come to any firm conclusions. If this were something to make you consider switching to Nikon, it would be prudent to wait until the cameras are released and we have more conclusive information. It's a bit premature to bail to Nikon at this point.

97

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Equipment for landscape & travel photography - advice needed please!

« on: March 12, 2012, 10:25:20 PM »

As a landscape guy, here is my opinion. Although, I'm not shooting professional, just as an enthusiast.

 Body wise, I think the 5DmkII is the way to go if you're unable to get your hands on a mkIII in time.

 Personally, I think your lens kit is fine. For landscapes and nature I've never needed anything beyond 100mm in focal length. Although, if you're shooting wildlife then your 70-200 2.8 IS is going to be necessary, but that's another kettle of fish. If you're going with a FF then the 24mm wide is nice, although the 24-70 is a bit on the heavy side. Generally, when it comes to landscapes a wider angle is desired. You might want to consider picking up a wide angle lens. I highly recommend the 17-40 f/4 . I haven't shot with the 16-35 2.8, but generally with landscapes you're shooting around f/8 and f/11, so you probably wouldn't need a 2.8 lens. People have said the 17-40 is soft in the corners, but I think the softness is over exaggerated on forums.  The 17-40 is also nice because it's not a huge hit to the wallet.

 A tripod and cable release are a must. You might also want to consider using mirror lockup.

 I almost always shoot using a polarizing filter, and some graduated ND filters would be a good idea as well.

98

EOS Bodies / Re: ISO, Sensors, and Mark III, and !DX

« on: March 09, 2012, 10:06:39 PM »

Remember, you're also paying for the 12 fps with the 1DX, which is going to add to the cost significantly.

99

Canada / Re: Photographing Auroras

« on: March 07, 2012, 09:27:02 PM »

Nope, I don't have any experience. But, if you're going to shoot the aurora.... could I come? I live in Calgary too but don't have a car. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

 You might also want to check out a guy I know on DeviantArt who shoots the auroras all the time up in Fort Smith. He posts his camera data for most/all of his shots... should give you a good starting point.  http://octoberlife.deviantart.com/gallery/

100

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 30D to 5D Mark III - Too big of a jump? (advice please)

« on: March 07, 2012, 08:59:55 PM »

I don't think it's too much of a jump. I went from a 10D to a 5D 1 and the transition was excellent. I'll be going from the 5D 1 to the 5D 3 and I'm quite pleased with the jump in specs.

If I were your friend, the only thing that would make me hesitate would be the price. You said your friend has just enough to buy the kit. If I were your friend, I'd also consider the 5D mkII kit as a potential alternative.

 That being said, I have the 24-105 and I LOVE it. It's a fantastic lens.

101

EOS Bodies / Re: Are you happy with the 5D III Specs?

« on: March 07, 2012, 08:55:06 PM »

I, for one, am happy with the 5D3 specwise. It suits my needs quite well. It's a bit pricey, but I still pre-ordered one.

102

EOS Bodies / Re: Why I think the 5D mkIII suits landscape photographers

« on: March 07, 2012, 07:07:25 PM »

OP here, just want to add a few things and respond a bit.

 First, I almost always use a tripod and I'm well aware that an ISO of 100 is the ideal and I strive to keep the ISO as low as possible. However, there will always be some circumstances that don't allow for ideal settings. Sometimes even with a tripod you just can't get the shot at ISO 100, particularly when you're stopped down to f/8 and using filters, which is where having the option to boost ISO becomes a big help and may make all the difference.

 Second, of course the 5D3 is not the perfect landscape camera. There's really no such thing. It won't suit every landscape photographer's needs. The 5D3 will suit the needs of some and the D800 will suit the needs of others.

 So I think it's a mistake to over-simplify the 5D3/D800 debate to merely "which one is better?" I wouldn't argue that one is inherently better than the other (at least not yet anyway), but that they're arguably equally as good but optimized for different conditions.  The D800 seems optimized for more traditional, by-the-book landscape shooters shooting in ideal conditions, and if that's what you want then I'd completely agree that the D800 would be the better camera for you personally. The 5D3 seems optimized for shooters who want more versatility and shoot a bit more in less than ideal conditions. Being an avid hiker and cross-continental cyclist, I appreciate the versatility, so it seems to suit my needs better. Just because the 5D3 doesn't suit your landscape needs doesn't mean that it doesn't suit any landscape needs.

 Besides, just because the 5D3 wasn't the high MP monster some were hoping for doesn't mean that such a monster isn't a possibility. I think it's very likely that Canon will put out a high MP camera.

103

EOS Bodies / Why I think the 5D mkIII suits landscape photographers

« on: March 07, 2012, 12:52:35 AM »

There's been a lot of talk about how the 5D mkIII doesn't benefit landscape photographers. I searched for an appropriate thread to post this, but none of them seemed right. So here I am starting my first thread. (be gentle)

Personally, I think the 5D mkIII specs suit the needs of landscape photographers. Or, at the very least, it suits my needs as a landscape/nature photographer.

 My reasoning is thus: I'm often shooting in the morning or evening (golden hour) in low light at an f-stop between f/8 and f/11 and quite often I'll be using various filters from polarizers to graduated ND filters. This means that in order to get decent shutter speed I generally have to crank the ISO up, but I want as clean an image as possible. So the 5D mkIII's improvement on the mkII's ISO will be a great help.

 If the 5D mkIII was a high MP camera like many people wish, then I think the low light capabilities would be reduced and my early morning/late evening shots would suffer for it. I think 22MP is high resolution enough but without getting too high so as to hurt low light ISO.

 I currently shoot a 5D classic and, quite frankly, it's 12MP sensor gives me more than enough resolution to work with, even if I'm making larger prints. The 22MP is going to be far more than I even know what to do with.

 So I think what we've been given is a great balance.

 So at the very least, it suits my needs as a landscape and nature photographer. Others may differ, but spec wise it seems like the right camera for me.

104

EOS Bodies / Re: Anyone order a 5DmkIII to Canada yet?

« on: March 07, 2012, 12:40:04 AM »

I pre-ordered it at The Camera Store in Calgary (www.thecamerastore.com). Looking forward to get my hands on this baby.

105

EOS Bodies / Re: Why Canon doesn't Care about high MP photographers: a theory

« on: March 06, 2012, 11:58:33 PM »

It may be premature to say Canon doesn't care about high MP shooters. Just because the 5D mkIII wasn't the high MP body some were hoping for doesn't mean that Canon doesn't have something up its sleeve.