Messages

61

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D Mark III sensor cleaning noise (squeaks)

« on: October 28, 2012, 12:42:46 AM »

I just took some measurements, and my 5D3 sensor cleaning 'sound' is a series of two smooth frequency sweeps from 100 kHz up to about 125 kHz and back down.

So I would conclude you are hearing some structure in the camera vibrating, and not the actual signal.

The USM frequency is 30 kHz (and it is loud enough for the 2nd and 3rd harmonics to show up quite clearly), which is unfortunately right in the middle of house cats (and dogs) hearing range.  Which explains why it can be difficult to get good candid shots of our little furry friends sleeping; the lens focusing is very loud and distinct (to them).  This is why I am liking my short 40 so much, as it has no ultrasonic emissions.

I wonder if some of the better shots of lions we see in Canon's literature exist because the lion looked up at the sound of the camera lens focusing?

As an aside, although very few people can hear much beyond 20 kHz in free space, almost everyone can hear to ~40 kHz if the sound is directly coupled to their head ie: via bone conduction.  Dukane makes acoustic devices used to find the 'black boxes' from crashed aircraft underwater that ping at 37 kHz, and if one is held behind the ear, I've never met anyone who couldn't hear it loud and painfully clearly.  And it isn't just the pop of the pulse, you 'hear' the tone.

62

Canon General / Re: Why you should take your camera to family Weddings (and funerals)

« on: October 27, 2012, 10:38:06 AM »

This is going to sound a little creepy, but you should also bring a camera to family funerals (specifically the gathering that takes place afterward).

At least in my family, funerals are pretty much the only time we all see each other anymore (we're scattered all over the country), and our tradition is a large meal after the ceremony where we all get together and reminisce about the departed.  Some of the photos I've taken at the last couple of gatherings are the last photos ever taken of a few of my other relatives, and everyone was glad to receive them afterward.

Ask the immediate family if it is OK, and if they're OK with it, take as many photos as you can of everyone.  We're all going sooner or later, and you just never know when.

63

Canon General / Re: Would you rather . . .

« on: October 27, 2012, 10:27:39 AM »

I too will second Distant.Star's comments.

95% of my photography is for my own families enjoyment; so long as we like them, what else matters?  Don't get me wrong, I do truly enjoy reading the posts here, as I keep learning more and more from you folks to improve my skills.  But I'll probably never be selling my work or doing art shows, and that's OK with me.

We do have a hurricane approaching; maybe I can capture the feeling of the huge waves crashing on the beach...

My remaining photos I do for work as an adjunct to my real job (engineering) documenting what we do - and then it is only in those situations where the photo department guys can't come along (which usually means it's too dangerous for them to be there).

Those are the days I really love my 5D3 - outdoors in daylight with ISO set for 6400 so I can use 1/8000 shutter speed without anyone being able to tell my hand/what I am holding on to is shaking or the wind is howling.

64

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Camera Modes

« on: October 18, 2012, 11:42:20 PM »

I concur with the notion that the designers seem stuck in the film era.  Your description makes sense.

I too wish they would provide greater flexibility...although the 'proper' UI, I'm not sure.

Perhaps providing a programming tool so you could set things up the way you want?

I'd gladly volunteer for a focus group (pun intended)...

65

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: I need some help my Canon friends!

« on: October 18, 2012, 11:39:21 PM »

If you want to add MF to the mix, my advice would be to add a Rollei TLR to your collection.

I would recommend the 2.8E model as they can be found for reasonable prices, and have spectacular optics.  And look special to your average person.  The F and G versions are still too expensive IMO.

I might also suggest upgrading the 5D2 to at least a 5D3 (or a 1DX if the wallet permits).

Film most definitely still has it's place, but I don't think I would dump all the digital stuff and go back.

I have a 5D3 (with a bunch of glass), a 2.8E, as well as a Super Ikonta 6x9.  Different tasks require different tools.

P.S. - try out a Hassy before buying one (actually, that probably goes for anything different you might go for).  Personally, I'd never own a Hassy, since for some reason I cannot see through the viewfinder properly.  Whether it is my glasses or something else, they're the only camera I've ever tried that I literally couldn't use.  I had no problem with the Rollei SL66 (essentially the same physical design), but something with the 500 CM just didn't work for me.  Your experience will no doubt vary.

66

Lenses / Re: Need quick advice Please and thanks! Choir photoshoot!

« on: October 10, 2012, 01:21:25 AM »

I'm with Picturesbyme; have fun with it.

What is their mascot?  Perhaps arrange the choir in that shape, with different folks wearing different colors (school colors, of course) to create a colorful image.

67

Lenses / Re: Need quick advice Please and thanks! Choir photoshoot!

« on: October 10, 2012, 12:01:16 AM »

50 kids and the director wants the something different than the typical riser shots

What sort of choir is it?  If a church choir, perhaps you could do the shoot outside, and arrange them in a cross arrangement, while photographing from above (perhaps the roof or from the announcers box at a nearby football field if available)?

Or maybe if they're into peace songs, in the shape of a peace symbol?

That sort of thing...

Outdoors makes lighting a bit easier (sometimes).

68

EOS Bodies / Re: what happened with Canons APS-H sensor with 120megapixel?

« on: October 06, 2012, 12:13:52 AM »

Another possibility is that the Japanese were sending a "message"; I suspect the real use is this (certainly for the large full wafer sensor from the same article):

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/h2a/f19/

69

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Got caught in the rain (5Dmk3, 5Dmk3, 7D boddies soaked)

« on: October 04, 2012, 09:09:18 PM »

If you have a friend at the local university science department, see if you can get access to a large bell jar and vacuum pump.

Put everything in the bell jar (with the access covers open and lens off) and draw a vacuum.  The lower the pressure the faster the water will evaporate, since the boiling point drops with the pressure.  At 0.5 psia (which is pretty easy to achieve), water 'boils' at room temperature, and hence it will all evaporate away fairly quickly.

We use this trick at work when trying to salvage equipment that has been accidentally submerged at sea; we flush with distilled water then vacuum dry.  Works most of the time, at least well enough to download whatever data is still contained within.  Sea water is nasty stuff; rain should be much less damaging.

Just be certain there are no batteries in the camera (or in the bell jar), as not all batteries will tolerate a vacuum.

70

Lenses / Re: 70-300mm For my 5DM2

« on: September 24, 2012, 09:54:17 PM »

I read all the highly laudatory on-line reviews of the 70-300 non-L, and came to realize that all the folks claiming that the lens was of almost L quality had crop sensor bodies.  Which if you think about it makes sense, since on those bodies only the middle portion of the image circle is used...the good portion, of course.

I tried one on my 5D3 and while it was nice and reasonably light and easy to handle, I was not overly impressed with the image quality away from the center.  So I bought the 70-300L.  Which provides spectacular images, but is very heavy and for me almost unpleasant to use.  The IS works perfectly, which is good, because it is absolutely essential for me.  Although if you are used to the 70-200L with 2x extender, you're probably use to the weight already.

Perhaps if you find that the fence blurs the edges of your images all the time the non-L might be OK for you, as you wouldn't be using the area that is poor nearly as much.

Personally, I find myself using my 24-105L and cropping the photos more than using the longer lens.

If you need a long lens for things like air shows, you will love the 70-300L, and the price is right at your target point.  As others have recommended, you can then sell the 70-200 and 2x and buy a 24-105L.  You may be surprised at how much use you get out of that lens vs. the longer one.

I hope that was at least slightly useful...

71

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: For those whose paid full price on 5d III, how do you feel about the price drop?

« on: September 19, 2012, 11:34:50 PM »

How do I feel?  I feel happy for those that were able to take advantage of the deal and get this great camara.  I am also happy that I have been able to use it all summer.

+1

72

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Regrets -- Your One Missed Picture?

« on: September 05, 2012, 12:16:29 AM »

A missed video, actually.

One of our cats developed a great ability - he would give a massage.  Seriously, he would get in there and knead a sore muscle (and he knew which one was sore) like a pro.  Both front paws kneading away, with his whole body swaying and pushing to really apply some pressure (quite an impressive amount for an 8 pound fellow).  I always wanted to get a video of it...but kept putting it off.

Then he passed.

Since then, when I see something worth photographing or filming, I try to make certain I get it immediately, without delay.  'Cause you never know when time is up.

73

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Flat lens discovered in Harvard

« on: September 04, 2012, 08:48:59 AM »

After reading the article, the new lens sounds very much like a variation on a diffractive optic, only intended for use at IR and beyond (they make no claims for visible light).

We know Canon already uses DO, without much success (judging from the reviews).

I wonder how long a 60nm thick lens would last in an open environment?  A fast moving raindrop might not end well.

Sounds like some cool basic physics, but it will be a long time before we see it used for anything in photography.  On the other hand, I would expect to see these things show up at the end of fiber optic data cables in short order.  Replacing the tiny glass lens with something made of silicon would be excellent.

74

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Canon 5D Mark II or a Real Video Camera?

« on: September 03, 2012, 06:23:07 PM »

Based on the OP's comments, I would recommend the 5D3

That he had twice the budget he was actually talking about?  I reckon if he wanted to spend the money on a 5D3 he would be asking that question.

This is the one thing I HATE about this forum.   A lot of posters wanting folks to double their spend.  And this just isn't possible in the current climate for a lot of people.

You are absolutely correct.  My response was way too short and without detail to explain why I was making the recommendation I was.  At a minimum I should have added the qualifier "given the limitations discussed by the other posters above" as to why I was suggesting going a bit beyond his original plan (hardly double...$2K to $2.8K at present US advertised prices).

I suspect that the reason many posters on this board will recommend spending more than the questioner initially suggests is this...based on many years of experience (40+ in my case), one learns that it is frequently better to save up and spend what is necessary to have what you need (or more subjectively, what you actually might want) than to compromise and simply spend what you have.  Especially when the difference is not that great.

I will reiterate that regardless of the camera chosen, get the Zoom.  It's a superb solution to the audio problem, and performs far beyond what the manufacturer guarantees it will (esp. at the higher sample rates).

75

EOS Bodies / Re: What will be the standard high ISO levels 6 to 8 years from now?

« on: September 03, 2012, 06:12:21 PM »

One need not be a certified optical engineer with a Ph.D to understand the concepts. Its pretty basic, and boils down to total light per time interval.

LARGE SNIP :-)

Thank you very much for one of the most concise and detailed explanations of how the imaging process works at the sensor level!