Messages

151

Lenses / Re: Keep 24-105 from BnH 5DIII kit deal and sell 24-70 or do the opposite?

« on: October 13, 2012, 10:14:14 AM »

24mm on FF is a big step up from 24mm on crop, while 105mm on FF is about equal to 70mm on crop, so whether you want the 24-105 depends on which end of the lens you use more often. On crop I used to just bring the 24-105, on FF I find the 70-200 is contending my 24-105's title of preferred walk-around. Of course, with the extra resolution of the 5DIII you might keep the 24-70 and crop for some extra reach.

But really, FF is a wholly different animal. Buy the kit, try 'em out both. There's no guessing for us which lens you'd like most. I'm keeping my 24-105 for now, but if the 70-200 really does take over top spot, I might trade it in for a 24-70 someday. Then again, the 24-105 is insanely versatile, then again, it doesn't give you the DOF. My bottom line would be: if you can only bring one lens, which one would it be? Again, I still favor the 24-105. For now.

IS is great but I wouldn't factor that in here, unless you do a lot of 1/5s shots. But you wouldn't do that anymore, because you just bought a great 6400 iso camera with very usable 12k8. Only reason to keep the 24-70 in that respect would be for faster AF, your 24-105 will work splendidly long after you can't see diddly squat anymore.

152

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Canon T3i - 2 lens kit bundle or 1 lens deluxe kit bundle?- For Filmmaking

« on: October 13, 2012, 09:11:58 AM »

You are aware of the STM-lenses? These are driven with stepper motors, which can focus silently. Much better for filming. The Canon 18-135 STM should be well under $400, combo with the T4i can be had under $950, couldn't say if T3i-kits exist.

[EDIT] An STM-lens will probably combine much better with the T4i, since that has hybrid AF, with the phase af points on the sensor. Since there's a lot less gambling done by the T4i AF system and focusing for video is much faster and smoother, I'd probably choose that over the T3i - I still think you can get everything done within the budget params I use below, i.e. for about $1000, maybe a few bucks more. But I don't know if you had other arguments to choose the T3i. [/EDIT]

I don't think much of the goodies: 8GB is very small, the Sandisk Ultra is slow and you probably shouldn't use no-names at all (try Transcend; cheap, fast & I've used them for many years without a hitch), good remotes and batteries can be had for next to nothing on eBay, and you always need a bigger bag. Hdmi-cable... only useful if you want to show unedited footage on a big screen, again dirt cheap anyway. For video I imagine you want a tripod more than a battery grip, but if you do, again, there's plenty really cheap ones on eBay. Pixel apparently is a good brand, I've never heard of Vello anyway.

About the filters: A UV filter is really not necessary unless you live high up in the mountains, a polarizer will get you terrible results unless you spend serious money on it. Many peeps (including me) use UV filters for protection, but get a good one (B&W or Hoya, B&W cleans much more easily) or your footage will be hazy at best. So you don't need filters and you don't want the ones in these bundles. Trust me on this one, filters are a great way to waste both money and your footage.

In short: skip the bundles, in the end you'll toss most of it anyway. Buy a good camera, a good lens, good memory and a bag to fit what you'll lug around. Shop for the el cheapo goodies, including tripods, a grip, batteries and remotes on eBay (start with extra batteries, pay no more than $10 apiece). You'd be surprised how much you can get for a dollar if you allow a month for delivery Save up for good quality filters - of course you don't need to buy everything in one go

The STM lens is going to make everything a little more expensive, but I'm sure that you can have everything you need for $150 over your budget, tops. Alternatively, if you want to ignore everything above: get an 18-55/55-250 kit, because image quality seriously trumps that of the 18-135 you listed - but see if you can get a better deal than through Costco. Again: you'll probably toss the filters and that memory sooner rather than later.

_{Apologies for long posts? Are those necessary? Well, whoops.}

153

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: The Unholy Trinity of Non-L Primes?

« on: October 07, 2012, 06:37:48 AM »

I don't see any non-L "replacement" for the 135mm 2.0L. Save up for one! It's great, and it's cheap-ish for being an L lens.

There is a non-L 135mm f/2.8 that includes a softfocus setting, which is about half as expensive as the 135L. I have *no* idea how good or how usable that lens is, but it's there

154

Lenses / Re: 600mm Version I

« on: October 05, 2012, 02:18:03 PM »

What you could do is search for it on eBay, and in the option menu on the left select "Show only completed listings". Sort on price and you'll find the IS version sells for $7K-$10K, the non-IS will go for about $4K, but I could only see one completed sale (in green) of that one, so it probably pays to check back more often.

_{This is actually a Ken Rockwell tip, by the way. Apparently there's some use to them Nikonians}

155

Software & Accessories / Re: BG-E9 Question.

« on: September 24, 2012, 07:34:09 AM »

I don't have that camera or that grip, but my 5D3-grip connection isn't separately sealed either, no O-rings or anything. There's just half an inch of some foam on one side - but that doesn't look very watertight so that probably has another function. Anyway, apparently the coating on grip and camera seal the joint sufficiently, or so I now hope

156

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Canon 1DC is IDENTICAL to 1DX other than firmware

« on: September 21, 2012, 04:54:26 PM »

The problem is: how you prove that the damage wasn't caused by ML, if Canon says so?

If you f**k around with third party software, I don't think you're entitled to ask that question if all goes belly-up.

It's all been checked for you. You want to have no warranty issues, you know what the price is. But then this'll probably be all about the price not being fair.

_{And then to think I'm not even remotely capitalist...}

157

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Canon 1DC is IDENTICAL to 1DX other than firmware

« on: September 21, 2012, 01:56:54 PM »

the rest of us can watch your uploaded YouTube videos @ 'Original' (YouTube compression) on our 1600 x 900 laptop screens and say....WOW

You, sir, are an evil man

158

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Canon 1DC is IDENTICAL to 1DX other than firmware

« on: September 21, 2012, 01:46:55 PM »

If you don't think one of Canon's products is worth its price. Don't buy it. Don't accuse them of immorality or a lack of ethics. And, for those who bemoan the capitalist system: Keep in mind that if it weren't for such a system, you wouldn't have the product development advances that this industry has experienced. Without a profit motive, there is no advancement of the technology. Some might say they agree with this and then try to claim that the profit Canon seeks is beyond "fair." The market (those who demand exchanging with those who supply) determines what is fair. Any profit beyond "fair" is not realized.

(1) there is no such thing as an absolute moral. Therefore, 'fair' does not exist. I know you know, I'm just hammering the point home.
(2) please stop making me understand the business ethics of Apple. I'd like to keep hating them.

159

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Canon 1DC is IDENTICAL to 1DX other than firmware

« on: September 21, 2012, 12:58:03 PM »

This is the sort of thing competition is supposed to destroy in a capitalist system. The companies should be releasing the best products they can at a fair markup, not artificially segmenting markets and dribbling out capability when it suits them.

I hope today we all learned that capitalism doesn't advance anything but capitalists

160

Lenses / Re: Bang for buck 5d to 5d mark III or 70-200 2.8 nonIS to 70-200 2.8 IS II

« on: September 14, 2012, 12:03:42 PM »

Get the Version II with IS. Much better investment.

I don't think he cares about the ROI. I think he wants to take photographs with it.

(edit: he hasn't said a word about the need for 8fps and he's already shooting with a 5D so 'keep the reach' is for another thread, I think. Pls read the... oh never mind.)

161

Lenses / Re: Bang for buck 5d to 5d mark III or 70-200 2.8 nonIS to 70-200 2.8 IS II

« on: September 14, 2012, 11:59:46 AM »

If you lack a telephoto lens like the 70-200. Get that first. You can have a mk3 but without the reach, Why bother?

He *has* the 70-200 2.8, just not the newest. Normally I'd second your 'glass first' adage, but in this case: TS, get the 5D3. It is a *big* step up from the 5D.

In the low light situations having a stop or more of better high iso coverage with a new body would be just as good as upgrading all of my lenses I suppose.  The 5d mark III is just so expensive. 

The standard set of f/4-zooms will currently set you back about 2750 euro The 16-35, 24-70II and 70-200II cost something like 5750 euro - the difference will pay for a 5D3. That'll give you all the low light capacity you'll need (unlike the 1 stop you gain with the 2.8's) and if you want smaller DOF, you probably should get primes anyway. That's my upgrade path, anyway

162

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: What to charge for wedding photography?

« on: September 13, 2012, 11:48:17 AM »

Also, invest in a backup strategy and charge accordingly. Once you accept the money, 'sorry, lost it' is no longer acceptable. You need immediate image backups, plus offsite backups asap, plus backup hardware.

Anyway, 400 quid is peanuts. I've heard of people paying 10-20 times that amount while not even expecting top class shizzle.

163

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Fastest compactflash card for 7D

« on: September 12, 2012, 03:27:46 AM »

Why can't you just have a friend here in the States buy one (or more) stick them in an envelope and mail them to you?

Have them mark the package "sample" or "gift" with a zero dollar value for import/export purposes... We did that all the time with eBay and sending items overseas without too many issues.

Customs actually sample mail and if they find taxable stuff, you get billed anyway - and that happens more and more lately. They apparently read forums like this one too Worse, USPS loses a lot of mail, is my eBay experience - I've found no other country postal service to be this unreliable. And that's ok if there's just a few bucks in the envelope, but $130 is another story.

Anyway, sooner or later someone I know will actually make the trip so yeah, I'll ask someone to bring a card or two. If I don't pick up one myself next year. But I still think those gargantuan price differences are pretty dumb.

164

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Fastest compactflash card for 7D

« on: September 11, 2012, 06:45:52 AM »

I haven't tried the 1000x cards so can't comment on them, but I find these buggers hard to beat for price/performance: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Duracell-32GB-Speed-ProPhoto-CompactFlash/dp/B005THGNCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347356753&sr=8-1

Thanks for the tip - apparently, mr. Galbraith is pretty happy with 'em too. Surprising no-one mentioned this site to the TS yet, has a comprehensive list on the 7D. I got myself a few Transcend 400x's (with udma 7 support ) which are a little cheaper than the Duracells still, very happy with those. However, the Lexar 1000's are a serious lot faster than what we shoot with

165

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Fastest compactflash card for 7D

« on: September 11, 2012, 05:43:21 AM »

Guys this is a steal!

I bet - here in Europe, cheapest I can find is double that price and importing them is not much cheaper unless I buy a dozen or so in one go