Topics

1

Software & Accessories / question for RRS/Acratech (high-end) ballhead users

« on: May 17, 2013, 08:29:35 AM »

I have a question for you. one i might not want to know the answer to, but I'm asking anyway. Say you mounted  you camera plus 300mm f2.8 or so and then tilted it over into the portrait area of the ballhead a bit. not down on the stop, just off kilter a bit, maybe 45 degrees or so then locked it down. If you put you hand on the top of the lens, and put some force into it is it pretty easy to overcome the ballhead lock and get it to move? You see i'm in the process of replacing my manfrotto 486 with a stronger AS style model. that induro model i first looked at was underwhelming. Currently I'm fiddling with a feisol cb-50. It has no problem holding my 300mm in any position(it's got a 50mm ballhead so i would expect it to do pretty well), and really other than the nasty little hard plastic knobs, i don't have complaints, but it is easy for me to overpower it. But i have limited exp with these things. perhaps i'm expecting too much.

2

Software & Accessories / will the BR FR-T1 work on Acra Swiss style plates?

« on: May 11, 2013, 09:08:29 PM »

namely really right stuff plates? I'm still on my quick release adventure, and i was wondering if I could do away with some stuff and connect directly to the camera/lens plate mounting screw. Currently i do this directly on the camera with this-http://holdfastgear.com/?products/the-camera-holdfast.html, but it isn't designed with the plate thickness in mind. I see Blackrapid has something that works with a manfrotto rig, but how about an acra style plate?
thanks!

3

Software & Accessories / arca swiss help please.

« on: May 05, 2013, 08:47:14 PM »

So it looks like i'm in the market for some Arca style QR plates. Problem is I don't know what i need, and they have no website. What would work well for a Canon 300mm 2.8, 5d, and 5dmk3? From reading another thread about straps that I can't even find right now, i found http://www.adorama.com/KIRQRC1.html. It looks like Neuro uses these, and if they are good enough for him and his heavy gear, they should work well for me.

thanks!

4

Canon General / anyone had someone over their shoulder on a job?

« on: February 06, 2013, 07:15:40 PM »

At nearly every wedding i've done lately i've had a friend, or aunt or whomever of the bride/groom basically acting as the lead photographer. Perhaps it's just by shear chance but they are always ladies. They also are either part time wedding photographers, or they mostly do portrait work, or they work with kids. It drives me completely insane. I'll be taking formal shots and half of the people will be looking at me and the others will be looking at the lady with the big nikon. When I go to weddings i'm not working I don't even bring my camera. And the few times I do, i sure as hell don't go fooling around during the formals, and I certainly don't grab the bride/groom and whisk them out the the reception for a bunch of posing shots.
  this happens to me all the time. I know what i'd like to say to the interloper, but i don't think it would go over very well. Anyone else exp this behavior?

5

Reviews / TDP sigma 35mm f1.4

« on: January 10, 2013, 04:57:27 PM »

http://thedigitalpicture.com/Reviews/Sigma-35mm-f-1.4-EX-DG-HSM-Lens-Review.aspx

what he said.

6

Lens Gallery / Sigma 35mm f/1.4

« on: November 27, 2012, 05:17:51 PM »

this way i'll have some incentive to actually do it. (now that started a thread)

my sigma arrived today. first thoughts, it's heavy and seems very well made. hood snaps in place in a very nice positive manner. The focus ring has a short throw, and a just very so slightly scratchy quality. but my wrists might be more fine tuned than others  The focus ring also has a fair bit of damping, it's not going anywhere by accident. I'm impressed so far.  I'm not reviewer, and i don't do much in the way of my own little tests, but i'll breakout the tripod and get something up. whatever i do, i guess i'll do the same with my 24-105 and 16-35 just for kicks.
anyway, i hope to get this up shortly.

7

Pricewatch Deals / lensrental's 7.5/10 used zeiss 21mm, $1,314

« on: November 25, 2012, 08:58:22 PM »

I know it's not exactly a black friday super deal, but i think this is a very good deal for the guy who isn't concerned about hairline coating marks.

8

Lenses / lowlight lens Af action resource?

« on: November 12, 2012, 08:24:49 AM »

I'm looking for some info on how well different lenses Af in low light conditions. I haven't been able to find much of anything on the net thus far. I know much depends on the camera body, but i'd still like to get any info i possibly can. Anyone got any thing? I'm even thinking about getting my gear out and running it threw a bit of testing in my kids playroom while slowly dimming the lights to see what can be learned. but i have only a small lens collection, and most of the lenses I'm curious about I don't own. Thanks

9

Lenses / 35mm f1.4 -vs- 50mm 1.2

« on: October 31, 2012, 08:51:45 PM »

I've read all the reviews, I know all the stats, but i'd like to ask the collective.
                35mm f 1.4 -vs- 50mm f1.2 
 wide open to f5.6 or so, who's the sharpest in the center, and corners on FF.
  Is the 35mm sharper at f1.4 and f2 than the 50 at the same f-stops?

10

Lighting / phottix odin, thanks

« on: October 12, 2012, 01:24:33 PM »

just wanted to thank you guys who've spoken so highly of these flash triggers. i bought a set last week and I'm happy, and impressed. Even the firmware update went smoother than i could have hoped for. I've got a wedding in two weeks that i'll be soloing and these are going to be very handy. Thanks.

11

Video & Movie / fun movie shot with 7d/5d.

« on: October 07, 2012, 08:23:28 PM »

not shot by me, but a friend of my brothers is either in this movie, or helped make it, or both... yeah, i haven't gotten that figured out yet, but i was told it was shot on 7d and 5dmk2 equipment, with nikon glass.
http://www.gettysburgmajestic.org/calendar/event_detail.dot?inode=3316222&crumbTitle=Event%20Detail&from=10/6/2012&to=10/6/2012&calendarCategories=0

12

Lenses / another 24-70mmv2 review

« on: September 24, 2012, 09:47:03 AM »

http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/09/comparison-canon-24-70-f28l-ii-vs-24.html

complete with comparisons to the 24-105. a lens i just bought, and now i'm wondering if that was such a great idea. well, i think i'm still good. with the money saved over the 24-70v2 i could still add the 35mm1.4 or 50mm1.2, or 24mm1.4, or...  so yeah, still okay i think. It's just i like to keep my amount of gear to a minimum. so I'd rather have one super lens than two very good lenses, but they all have different strengths, so what's a guy to do?

anyway, another review.

13

Lenses / Rockwell on the 24-70v2, "holy cow, it's awesome."

« on: September 21, 2012, 07:40:53 AM »

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/24-70mm-ii.htm

14

Lenses / new ziess 55mm, redefining?

« on: September 06, 2012, 09:12:09 PM »

http://thedigitalpicture.com/News/Default.aspx?Cat=Zeiss-News


"A must-see attraction is a high-performance, full-format SLR camera lens with manual focus. With a focal length of 55 mm and aperture of f/1.4, this lens is the first model of a new product family designed for demanding users. Thanks to a newly developed optical design, this lens is superior to conventional full-frame lenses, and it achieves with powerful full-frame, full-format cameras an image performance that until now has only been seen with medium-format systems."

real deal of fluff?  cost estimates? Am i reading the lens correctly? 82mm filter on a 55mm 1.4? 

15

EOS Bodies - For Stills / anyone have any cures for lenses fogging/dew during astrophotography?

« on: August 20, 2012, 10:07:33 PM »

I've only recently had this happen but now that i'm doing more of this thing it's bound to happen all the time. I was really surprised to see it on my images. I didn't see a thing on the LCD out in the field, but i'll be looking closely in the future. I've added an image that most clearly shows the problem. thanks