Messages

1

EOS Bodies / Re: Lost and Found - Not an April's Fool joke

« on: April 01, 2013, 03:36:52 PM »

I remember reading somewhere about a Rebel being found by divers on the ocean floor, not in any housing, and the card could still be read. They traced the owner from the pics and returned the camera - all be it a rather damaged camera !

Turned out the owner had dropped it from a boat

I think you mean this one?

http://news.yahoo.com/vermont-man-tracks-down-lost-cameras-owner-photos-225843389--abc-news-topstories.html

2

Software & Accessories / Re: Anyone know of open source/public domain source of videos for backgrounds ?

« on: March 20, 2013, 04:54:56 PM »

Have you searched the Internet Archive?

http://archive.org/index.php

Try searching with desert or spaghetti western, you may end up lucky.

3

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D III Dynamic Range

« on: February 08, 2013, 05:41:01 PM »

Speaking of DR compression; Here's a thought....

Pixel or photosite level "Electronic shutter".

 areas of the sensor with enough light shut off sooner than the areas that need the shutter to be open longer... till you have perfect exposure with reduce DR capturing everything and no banding or gradient issues.

I should patent this and sell it to Sony quick...

Continuously measuring and then switching off 20.000.000+ pixels as required ?  Good luck with the processing required and the noise generated.

4

Canon General / Re: Why did you choose Canon?

« on: January 30, 2013, 04:41:12 PM »

Back in 1999, I was going on holiday to Australia and knew that I wanted a 'proper' camera (as opposed to the point & shoot I'd been using)to document the trip.  I went to my local camera store and asked the advice of the wonderfully kind and attentive gent at the counter. 45mins later, I walked out with an EOS 3000.  A Year or two later, I'd upgraded to an EOS 30 and absolutely loved it.  No turning back... but now I've got a DSLR, and I really miss the eye controlled AF!

5

Lenses / Re: 100mm 2.8L Macro IS as a portrait lens

« on: January 30, 2013, 03:49:08 PM »

Thanks again for all the great responses!  The 100L Macro and 135L are both really excellent lenses.

I still was undecided, but my brother made my choice easy - by giving me his 100L Macro lens. My brother has been a hobby photographer since around 2005, but he has lost interest in the last year or two.  He seldom takes his DSLR (a 5D2 and a large assortment of Canon L glass) out of storage now.  What photography he does these days is with his iPhone 5 or Fuji X100.  We were discussing photography and I mentioned I was thinking about buying a 100L Macro or 135L and he said he would just give me his the 100L Macro and solve my "problem".

So, I'll be able to buy a 135L soon and have both lenses!  Life is good. 

Life of Brian. You lucky bastard.	Small | Large

6

Canon General / Re: Canon U.S.A. Raises Awareness About Counterfeit Accessories For Digital Cameras And Camcorders A

« on: January 21, 2013, 04:42:10 PM »

Breaking news - Canon have broken into the aviation market and have just signed an agreement to supply genuine batteries to Boeing.

7

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Cannot Keep Screwing It's Customers Over

« on: January 08, 2013, 12:00:32 PM »

I bought my 5d3 when it first came out, as my first DSLR, and paid the full price.  I'd been waiting to go digital until I could afford a full frame camera.  Circumstances meant that this happened just as the 5d3 was released.  Do I regret paying the full price?  No, it's a brilliant camera (even if I'm still learning how to use it!).  I miss the eye-controlled AF of my EOS 30 and EOS 5 film bodies, but, I'm coping!  People that may not have been able to afford it when it was released now have the opportunity to buy a great camera for a bit less than I paid for it.  So what?  I've enjoyed every minute with it and do not feel like I've wasted a penny.  Will I be rushing out to buy the 200-400 as soon as it's released?  No.  I doubt I'll ever buy that monster!  Same goes with a lot of the other new lenses.  I can wait until the price drops for any of the new lenses I might want...  the TSE24 is now starting to look interesting...

If you want the latest/greatest, you'll pay a premium. But I've been using Canon kit for years and it's never seriously let me down yet.  I'd rather pay once for decent kit, than pay several times for rubbish...

8

Lenses / Re: Long lens recommendation for surveillance.

« on: December 17, 2012, 04:26:27 PM »

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2007/3/8/sigma200500mm  Perfect for low light surveillance.


Note that it comes in  a discrete green colour.  Not the crowd attracting white of Canon L lenses.

  Yep!  That looks like a very discrete lens.

9

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Am I the only one without 5D3 Problems?

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

HTP is disabled, but would this affect RAW files anyway? I'm more and more convinced that I have a lemon and I'm seriously considering asking for a replacement. Unfortunately, the UK store I bought it from has gone into administration (i.e. Jacobs) so I'm not quite sure how to go about returning it or who to return it to!

Did you register your camera purchase with Canon?  If not, do it and your warranty will be good.

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Warranty/

Is registration required in the UK?

I believe in the US, it isn't required for you to 'register' it to get the warranty coverage.....

You'd normally just take it back to the shop you bought it at, but as Jacobs has disappeared from the High Street... you should be able to take it to a Canon authorised dealer, but  registering it with Canon should make things easier.

EDIT

19 June 2012

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-news/538860/jacobs-shuts-remaining-stores-after-sell-off-plan-fails

Jacobs has today shut 11 stores with the loss of a further 87 jobs.

The Jacobs branch at London Road in Leicester will remain open to handle stock clearance, until a date yet to be confirmed, according to the firm's administrator PKF.

...

Customers should deal directly with manufacturers regarding product warranties, according to PKF.

10

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Am I the only one without 5D3 Problems?

« on: December 11, 2012, 04:30:06 PM »

HTP is disabled, but would this affect RAW files anyway? I'm more and more convinced that I have a lemon and I'm seriously considering asking for a replacement. Unfortunately, the UK store I bought it from has gone into administration (i.e. Jacobs) so I'm not quite sure how to go about returning it or who to return it to!

Did you register your camera purchase with Canon?  If not, do it and your warranty will be good.

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Warranty/

11

Lenses / Re: 100-400mm lens on crop or FF body? & other help please on trip to Antarctica

« on: December 11, 2012, 02:31:40 PM »

I should imagine that polarising filter(s) will be essential!

12

Lenses / Re: Why no L primes from 14 to 24mm

« on: December 09, 2012, 01:42:09 PM »

Canon does have a fair contender with  EF 14mm II with which you get to retain autofocus, albeit the price bites. 17 TS-E is another option from canon, although price again doesn't compete with samyang which can be had for about ~$375...But IQ is far superior with the TS-E. The mustache distortion in samyang can be corrected apparently with lens profile feature in LR4. Both 17 TS-E and samyang let's keep in mind are manual only.

Zeiss is another option but you go manual again at a fairly high price here as well. And I wouldn't call any of these primes (barring the samyang) as truly a small, lightweight prime option against the 16-35 II. Some are like little tanks, especially the CZ makes.

Life is full of compromises in the EF land, that's what makes it exiting .

I trust that that was meant to read exciting and that you're not looking to acquire some Nikon glass. 

13

Lenses / Re: Recommendations for three weeks in the Middle East

« on: December 09, 2012, 09:32:21 AM »

Instead of the 24-105, which you say you're unlikely to use, a 50mm f1.4 would fill the gap between the wide-angle and telephoto zooms and give you more low light capability, if it was needed.

14

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 6D Wifi Linking with iPhone 5

« on: December 05, 2012, 05:50:58 PM »

Unless I want to be a spyier, WHY do I want to operate the camera through a cell phone

Wildlife photography, for instance.

Assuming you don't do zooming nor tracking your subject(s)?

Possibly.  Shy creatures, such as badgers that may be active early morning or late evening and don't move at 20mph.  A wide lens near the setts entrance could produce stunning images.

15

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 6D Wifi Linking with iPhone 5

« on: December 05, 2012, 05:14:27 PM »

Unless I want to be a spyier, WHY do I want to operate the camera through a cell phone

Wildlife photography, for instance.