Messages

16

Lenses / Re: EF 24-70 f/2.8L IS Exists as a Working Prototype [CR2]

« on: December 20, 2012, 05:14:47 PM »

With a FF body, IS is not needed for the 24-70 range unless you are doing video.... 

Well maybe that's true for the way you shoot, but it's possible yours is not the only shooting style on the planet. Throw someone creative a new tool like IS on a 24-70 and chances are they'll start delivering shots that were not possible to achieve without it. Every new option delivers potential for new creative possibilities.

From the day that film cameras stopped being mainstream, we have had a rapid, almost endless succession of new and exciting developments in what is still a very young, though rapidly maturing industry. I'm talking about the digital revolution and it HAS been a revolution, now maturing into brisk evolution.

24-70 with IS? Bring it on. Also bring on all the developments still in R&D and also those not yet invented. We live in exciting times.

-PW

I think this is a case that there is probably market demand for both IS and non-IS versions of a 24-70 f/2.8.  For some the additional weight of the IS will not be worth it - there are a lot of people who can't afford to shoot at less than 1/60s or 1/80s, especially where people form part of the subject.
IS is very useful for cases where you can't, for some reason, use a tripod.  I think video users will also be very keen on an IS version of this lens.

17

Canon General / Re: What real Pros shoot...

« on: December 04, 2012, 09:08:55 PM »

Just to play devils advocate here. The most used knives in the world of professional chefs are Victorinox, and that has not much to do with excellence in steel or sharpness. It has to do with the fact that Victorinox has been very successful in pushing out knives set (suitcases with basic, intermidiate, and advanced sets) to pretty much cooking students all over They can get away with a basic suitcase for the same price as two Kai Shun knives...

That is why I am wondering if the preponderance of Canon in the stats is due to a commercial arrangement between Reuters and Canon.  For instance, does Reuters have an arrangement with Canon, which gives Reuters staff access to preferential pricing from Canon?

18

Canon General / Re: What real Pros shoot...

« on: December 04, 2012, 05:37:22 PM »

Clearly IQ isn't the most important thing in photojournalism. It's all about capturing stories. Canon is great for this because of the speed and ergonomics. Some of those pictures aren't the greatest compositionally, creatively, etc, but they tell a story. Obviously stats from say studio photographers are going to be totally different.

Pretty obvious stuff, and I don't even know anything.

Even if that is a valid point, Nikon seems dramatically under-represented in the stats.  There must be some other reason for that.  If the photos are largely shot by Reuters staff togs, that may be due to a business relationship between Reuters and Canon.  If you think purely of large sports events - there are not that dramatically more big white lenses than black ones in the photos that circulate the web.

19

EOS-M / Re: EOS-M With Viewfinder Coming Late 2013? [CR]

« on: December 04, 2012, 05:18:11 PM »

For those asking for full frame it's not happening any time soon and if it does than I'd expect a minimum of 3499 and a non EF mount due to the flange distance is not suitable for anything remotely compact.  I'm sure an EF adapter would be possible but pretty much the best you are looking at is Leica M9 @ $4000 with autofocus and a new lens lineup that is not EF compatible and at canon L prices.


I'd much rather see something comparative with the fuji xe-1 which has pretty much the best aps-c sensor

Good AF, good lens lineup size, great control scheme and awesome styling

Any camera with a normal EF mount would still have the same flange distance as current EOS DSLRs.  With a mirrorless design, all you would lose is the bulge of the pentaprism (I am assuming a pentaprism, since all full frame EOS bodies use a pentaprism).

To get any size benefits on full frame would require a new lens mount - or at least different optics, which allow for the rear element to be placed closer to the sensor.  In addition, the sensor would need to cope with incident light coming from a more oblique angle - something that digital sensors do not do well.  Leica has had to do some clever things with its micro-lens arrangement and IT and low-pass filters in order to get the lens closer to the sensor - something that was not a problem with film.
Even with the 85mm f/1.2 lens, Canon is doing some fudging of the sensor sensitivity because of the oblique angle at which the light strikes the sensor - the sheer size of the rear element is something to behold.

Given current technology, a full frame mirrorless camera would not give any size advantage over a DSLR.  Given that OVFs are superior to EVFs, that begs the question, of why even to bother with a full frame mirrorless camera.

In my mind, APS-C mirrorless makes sense, full frame doesn't.

20

Lenses / Re: Is this the normal bokeh for an L series lens

« on: December 01, 2012, 04:14:58 AM »

Here is another example that shows some of the aberrations that show up in the OOF blur, this time with the 100mm f/2.8L IS USM macro.

21

Street & City / Re: Recommendations Amsterdam

« on: November 30, 2012, 05:55:17 AM »

Some of the best views can also be seen from the water - a tour of the canals can be very rewarding as well.  The only challenge there is that the weather may not be ideal this time of the year.

22

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS M or ...???

« on: November 27, 2012, 12:46:14 AM »

Any reason that you're looking at the "G" bodies?  The S110 should have similar performance in a smaller, lighter, lower cost body.  A pocketable camera is a good supplement to a DSLR when travelling.

When you look at the price of the EOS-M and G1X, I just feel there is better value options out there with other brands.

In my mind, the main reasons to want the G15 over the S110 are the hotshoe and wired shutter release.  If you don't need those, you are probably served just as well by the S110.

23

EOS Bodies / Re: First Round of EOS 7D Mark II Specs [CR1]

« on: November 26, 2012, 09:06:34 PM »

I also think it will have built in wifi and gps like the 6D has.

As long as it has a mag-alloy chassis, it most probably will not have integrated GPS and WiFi.  The mag-alloy chassis acts as a Faraday cage, preventing decent radio reception/transmission.  Canon would probably compromise on the integrity of the chassis in order to get the wireless antennas into a position where reasonable radio performance is possible.

24

EOS Bodies / Re: First Round of EOS 7D Mark II Specs [CR1]

« on: November 26, 2012, 06:13:25 PM »

I'm not going to get overly excited about CR1 specs from an "unknown source."

Reserve judgment on a sensor until real specs and results are known (probably won't know that until several months after the announcement). Consensus on this forum seems to be that noise and dynamic range improvements are more important than the number of pixels. Absent a major change/breakthrough in sensor design, I would be surprised if Canon ups the pixel count of the APS-C sensor above that of its full frame offerings.

New battery is a mild disappointment, but I assume Canon would make the change because they have to for design/engineering reasons.

Please, let them keep at least one CF card slot in a dual card system.

New ergonomic design is too vague to warrant comment at this point.

All in all, I'm more excited that we are finally getting rumors about a 7DII. At this point, the content of those rumors aren't as important as the fact that there are rumors circulating.

If we look at what people are unhappy about with the 7D, generally it is to do with noise and image sharpness.  I am not aware of anyone being unhappy with the pixel count.  Canon may however need to up the pixel count to 24MP to match Nikon and Sony, rather than to address any real need - i.e. for marketing reasons.  Assuming Canon continues to flow the same sensor down through its APS-C range, that would be a reason to move to 24MP. - In the market for APS-C (and especially entry-level) DSLRs a lot of customers are still comparing "mega-pickles".

25

EOS Bodies / Re: First Round of EOS 7D Mark II Specs [CR1]

« on: November 26, 2012, 06:07:46 PM »

New Ergonomic Design

Why is everyone assuming this means smaller?  I find the design of a 1-series body to be much more ergonomic. 

It's funny that this statement means different things to different people.  My reaction to that part was that it probably entailed a redesign of the controls, rather than the form factor of the body.

26

Software & Accessories / Re: Magic Lantern Team Hacks the Canon EOS M

« on: November 26, 2012, 05:45:56 PM »

This camera has by far the WORST autofocus i have ever seen. It must take like 4-8 seconds to focus on something.

Shameful Canon, just shameful. And ergonomic it is not, with the hand grooves not as well placed like the g series. I was looking forward to a nice lil camera but i was appalled. The AF alone makes this pure garbage.

Buyer beware.

Have you used an EOS 650? - try putting an 85mm f/1.2L USM II on an EOS 650!

27

EOS Bodies / Re: First Round of EOS 7D Mark II Specs [CR1]

« on: November 26, 2012, 04:29:56 PM »

Hmm, what's wrong with the LP-E6 battery?  It was kept for the 5DIII.  While I doubt I will buy a 7DII, if I were too, that would be a pain - given a current collection of 8 LP-E6s, used across 3 bodies.

28

Software & Accessories / Re: Magic Lantern Team Hacks the Canon EOS M

« on: November 26, 2012, 04:17:30 PM »

Okay..... NOW I want an eos m. Imagine it on a flycam nano for b-roll work, lol.

Hackers are helping to sell more cameras! 

Hopefully this also acts as a useful form of "competition" to Canon by "encouraging" Canon to include more useful features in the stock firmware.

29

EOS Bodies / Re: When will we have a full frame body below $1,000?

« on: November 24, 2012, 11:51:16 PM »

Available right now...pre-owned on eBay.
Nothing wrong with a well looked after, low-mileage 5D or 5DII.

But new? It will happen. Probably not 2013, 2014 or even 2015. If you have a budget limit of $1k and have a definite need for FF, it's a pre-owned body for you.
 
-PW

Consider the following initial list prices (source dpreview.com):

• EOS D30: US $2990
• EOS D60: US $2199
• EOS 10D: US $1999
• EOS 20D: US $1599
• EOS 30D: US $1399
• EOS 40D: US $1299
• EOS 50D: US $1299
• EOS 60D: US $1099 (possibly not a real comparison)

Canon has kept release prices of enthusiast level APS-C bodies above the $1000 barrier.  Although, if one were to adjust for inflation, we would be below the 2000 value of $1000.

I suspect, subject to market forces, Canon will probably try to keep full frame bodies above $1500 (at launch).  Given the trajectory shown above, that may take another 2 generations to reach, however.

You also need to consider where Canon is pitching the xx0D range - which have now settled at listing just below $900 at launch.  That makes a sub $1000 full frame body seem unlikely to me, unless APS-C starts to fall away, which seems unlikely to me.

30

EOS Bodies / Re: What will be the issue with the 6D

« on: November 23, 2012, 05:36:27 AM »

GPS coordinates are 3 km off

This could come in really handy, when you forget you have it and take pics of that gf your wife doesn't know about! 

That "feature" could have saved US tax payers at around $100 million: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/06/05/3517805.htm:

...
Getting back to the snap-happy soldiers who cost the US taxpayer lots of money, back in 2007 at a military base in Iraq, they took delivery of some AH-64 Apache helicopters. These are not cheap choppers. In 2012, the price of a brand-new one was $38 million. The soldiers proudly took pictures of their new attack helicopters, and then uploaded them onto the web. Almost certainly, the soldiers did not realise that geo-location tags were embedded in those photographs.

According to Steve Warren, a US Army Manoeuvre Centre Of Excellence intelligence officer, "the enemy was able to determine the exact location of the helicopters inside the compound and conduct a mortar attack, destroying four of the AH-64 Apache".