Messages

1

Lenses / Re: Do you wish your 70-200L were black?

« on: May 22, 2013, 11:42:23 PM »

Actually, Nikon's new 800/5.6 does use fluorite elements - two of them.  This, despite previous Nikon marketing blurbs that fluorite was used long ago, but they made ED glass so they could avoid using temperature-sensitive, fragile lens elements (e.g., this link).

I wonder how the fluorite will do in a black barrel?  If it has thermal issues, Nikon will be blasted. If not, it supports the idea that Canon's white paint is purely a marketing ploy (already supported by the white lenses with no fluorite, like the 300/4L IS).  Either way, I see egg on the face of one or maybe both...

I was under the impression that the white telephotos were white to keep a lens' autofocus system from overheating, not the fluorite elements - going back to the early days of AF where Nikon was using focus motors in their bodies.

At any rate, I don't mind the white 70-200. In some situations where I shoot, it adds an air of legitimacy to the fact that I'm standing around with a camera taking photos. I walked around a large city in China and never hesitated to pull it out. Of course the fact that I'm white was probably a bigger deal most of the time.

2

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: "I am boycotting Nikon" campaign

« on: April 13, 2013, 10:07:14 AM »

I will never, ever buy a Nikon scope!

I'll stick with my Leupolds.

3

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: What made you choose Canon in the first place?

« on: April 13, 2013, 10:01:08 AM »

I bought my first DSLR in 2005, and was choosing between a 20D and a Nikon D70. At that time, Canon's CMOS sensor tech was superior to Nikon's CCD tech, especially in low-light shooting. It was impressive that the 20D gave a "clean" ISO 400 and a "usable" ISO 800, as I recall.

There were other things I liked better about the 20D and the Canon system (AF, base ISO of 100, 8mp vs. 6mp), but a camera dealer in Wichita, KS, said he had more Nikons come in for repair than Canons. That sort of helped seal the deal at the time.

4

EOS Bodies / Re: Too early to sell 60D?

« on: February 21, 2013, 02:43:48 PM »

Sorry, but I really didn't mean for this to turn into a tech specs opinion post. Maybe I wasn't clear enough at the beginning, and if that is the case I do apologize.
The question I have is this; I have recently watched the new/second-hand price of my camera go down a few hundred dollars and I was wondering if anyone believes that with the release of the next in line, will my 60D drop in resale value again or would I be relatively safe to wait and sell when the new one comes out?

A couple questions/observations to that point:

Is the 60D your only camera body? If so, if you sell your camera before the announcement of a replacement, how long are you OK with being without a camera? Obviously, if your income depends on the camera, it's a different answer than if it's for enjoyment only. But even your enjoyment has value (perhaps not monetarily).

The 60D isn't an extremely valuable body new (coming from a person who has two 60D's and who is very happy with them). If a 70D is announced tomorrow, how much will used value drop on a 60D body? $100? $200? Let's say $200, just for fun. That means if you sell today, you can cash in on $200 extra. However, if you sell today, and a new body isn't announced as soon as you think/like, does that $200 cover the cost of renting/borrowing/buying a new camera if you have an immediate need? We're talking rumors and potentially vaporware here. Without a concrete, announced, and available product, no one can make solid recommendations.

A camera in the hand is worth more to me than one on the internets.

$.02

5

Lenses / Re: What lenses are good enough for the 18mp APS-C sensor? 1000$ limit :)

« on: February 06, 2013, 10:27:35 AM »

In my two years with my 60D, the lenses that I feel give me eye-popping results (as a general rule) are:

Canon EF-S 10-22mm - Even in thumbnails I have a lot of "wow" reactions to this lens.

Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS - Really nice lens. Between the IQ, constant f/2.8 and IS, it was hard to send this back to the rental house after I was done with it.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II - Of course it's a great lens, and as long as I keep up my end of the bargain, the results are wonderful.

My 24-105 f/4L is more than adequate, but it hasn't produced quite the number of "wow" results the above lenses did. The 50mm f/1.8 II I use from time to time is plenty fine, as long as the focus hits (craps shoot), and when it's stopped down a touch.

As has been said before, what I'm seeing at pixel-peeping levels sometimes has no impact on printed results I'm seeing. I'm still tickled that the 18mp resolution gets me double-truck at 300dpi with a little room to spare.

Edit: Because it was mentioned previously, I also use the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 and the Tamron 17-35 f/2.8-4 from time to time. IME, our copy of the 28-75 has poor contrast. The clunky autofocus and the backwards (Nikon) zoom make it less than pleasant to use. The 17-35 is soft compared to other lenses we have, and I find its contrast lacking, too, especially indoors with overhead lighting.

$.02

6

Lenses / Re: What's the best deal you've ever gotten on a lens?

« on: February 05, 2013, 10:54:16 PM »

Nikon FM2n, 28mm f/2.8 AI, 50mm f/1.8 AF, 105mm f/2.5 Non-AI converted, and 135mm f/3.5 AI for $250. With a bag.

7

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: I love big gear

« on: January 23, 2013, 12:47:35 PM »

I will be traveling to Hong Kong & China this coming friday - guess what camera I'm bringing with me? 5D 3 + 40mm pancake + 16-35 II.

I still want P+S camera size with FF sensor - with some special lenses: 14, 35, 50mm etc...

Wuss. 

I went on a similar trip (HKG + China for 2 weeks) and took a 60D, EF-S 17-55 f/2.8, EF-S 10-22, 70-200 IS USM II, 50 f/1.8 II, 580 EX II and accessories (Gorillapod, Videomic 2 among other things) in a Lowepro shoulder bag.

Thank goodness back massages are cheap in mainland China ...

8

Lenses / Re: Question about variable aperture

« on: January 16, 2013, 10:08:41 AM »

The first part of this Tech Tips post from Chuck Westfall explains a little bit of the mechanics of a constant-aperture zoom lens. I found it an interesting read when it was first posted in 2009.

9

Canon General / Re: More Canon Store Information

« on: January 15, 2013, 12:23:31 PM »

I just want them to open one in Hong Kong so next time I'm there I can hopefully buy a "Canon: Delighting You Always" shirt.

Big goals, ya know?

10

Lighting / Re: Off camera flash

« on: January 14, 2013, 03:40:48 PM »

Ok, you got me on this one...

Why in the world would Walgreens care if your pics were 'professional' or not, and have you sign forms...?

Not doubting that your images looked great, but just baffled why Walgreens would have you sign something?

C

Walgreens doesn't want to take the risk of potentially reproducing copyrighted works. They make you sign a form saying you hold the copyright or that you have permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the work, therefore (supposedly) limiting their liability in case someone else alleges Walgreens reproduced their copyrighted work.

Walmart made me sign a similar form one time. Highlight of my life.

11

EOS Bodies / Re: Got this here itch

« on: January 07, 2013, 12:58:22 PM »

Okay, in that case, I'll play.

What's wrong with the 5D III for your needs? What will these mythical cameras possess that you don't see in Canon's current offerings?

With the 7D update, you'll be getting the tighter pixel pitch, with sharpness-robbing diffraction setting in earlier. Are you willing to put up with the smaller crop-sensor viewfinder, coming from a 1Ds III? Do you need razor-think DOF you're used to will full frame? And although you can add pixels in photomerge, will you still get the perspective you desire? Personally, I love the wide-angle perspective, not just the wider field of view.

If the 40MP-plus monster comes out, as someone noted, will you be willing to pay the price that it will command? I'm assuming you have decent glass, but depending on your needs and your propensity to pixel-peep, will you be happy with sensors that demand perfection from your glass if you're demanding perfection in your images (on the out-of-camera images at pixel level, at least). Also, you're already used to large files, but I would personally be nervous about 40MP+ images and their impact on my storage and processing infrastructure.

As always, I prefer to ask myself, "What does my current gear not offer that I want from an upgrade?" and then see if the new gear really offers what I want. Of course, that requires real cameras to investigate, not rumors.

$.02

12

PowerShot / Re: Canon Announces The PowerShot N

« on: January 07, 2013, 11:36:21 AM »

LCD screen à la waist-level finder? Interesting ...

13

Lenses / Re: New EF-S Lenses Are Coming [CR2]

« on: November 21, 2012, 12:59:52 PM »

What is the advantage of EF-S glass? 

I have heard that crop sensors have better focus in the middle of the lens on an EF mount.  Does this mean it can take full advantage of the entire lens in an EF-S type mount?

The original rationale was lighter and less expensive. When I first picked up the 10-22mm EF-S, I was surprised how light it was. I like that. Personally, I'm not willing to invest in full-frame bodies due to price, and I find that several of the EF-S offerings (such as the 10-22mm and 17-55mm) are great lenses.

As far as the second part of your question, I've never heard the term "better focus" used, but it is true you are using the center cut of the lens, meaning if the lens has soft corners or vignetting, these attributes will show up less on a crop sensor compared to a full-frame sensor.

As far as an update, I don't feel like my 10-22mm needs any better IQ. I find it to be better than my 24-105mm and in the realm of my 70-200 f/2.8L IS II. The 17-55 would benefit from better construction, however, but I, too, am worried about the price inching up. Conversely, a II version could mean cheaper I versions, so ...

Like Thom Hogan on Nikon, I'm still wishing for a fast 28mm or 24mm equivalent prime EF-S. This is my favorite focal length, and f/2 or faster would open up some opportunities for me.

$.02

14

Lenses / Re: Canon EF 24-70 f/4L IS Coming [CR3]

« on: October 30, 2012, 04:02:57 PM »

Once again, Canon delivers a lens that nobody asked for. Unless this thing is so sharp it gives me paper cuts just by looking at it, my 24-105 f/4L shall stay in my bag.

15

Software & Accessories / Re: Best PC product for HDR

« on: May 29, 2012, 11:12:47 AM »

www.hdrsoft.com

Download a free trial of Photomatix.

It is one of the most adjustable apps out there, and thus easy to overdo with. I have tried CS5/Nik, but they seem a bit too flat to me. Photomatic can do both flat and surreal versions well.

Photomatix would be my first choice. I, too, have used CS5 (without the Nik software, however), and I find it difficult to get exactly what I want. With Photomatix, it's easy to dial in the "Graduated ND filter on steroids" look that I like. Plus, as K said, you can do a lot more with it.

Personally, I really enjoy how quick it is to work with.

$.02