Messages

1

EOS Bodies / Re: 6D Sync speed only 1/180s?

« on: September 19, 2012, 02:44:07 PM »

i use flash(es) ALL THE EFFING TIME, so believe, i understand the limitations of 1/180.  however, this camera is not aimed towards people like that.  this is basically a rebel/x0D series camera just FF.

I only know a single Rebel owner that has an external flash -- everyone else uses the on-camera flash.  That's the thing I don't get about the 6D.  A lot of people are talking about how this is aimed at the casual / "soccer mom" photographer.  However, why would Canon leave off the on-camera flash in such a case?  In addition, if one must use an external flash, why limit it to 1/180s sync speed?   In addition, why not add an articulating screen, seen by many (incorrectly, IMO) to be a consumer-line feature?

I also don't see this as the FF upgrade path for 7D owners.  One of the primary highlights of the 7D, at the time it was released, was it's very sophisticated AF system.  Heck, that's still one of the primary selling points over the other crop cameras. Are many 7D owners who bought it for the awesome AF system really going to go for the 6D, with it's 11 AF points + 1 cross-type?  Yes, the AF will work in very low light levels, but it's still an extremely limited AF system for anyone coming from a 7D.  Motion tracking with 11 pt AF? Oy.

Maybe it's for landscape photographers who don't use the flash much and who aren't worry much about fancy AF systems.  I suspect the high ISO noise performance will be good, though I cannot imagine, for the life of me, that it'd be any better than that from the 1DX or 5D MKIII. After all, Canon wouldn't release a $2100 6D with better noise performance than the recently-released, $3500 (list) 5D MKIII.  In addition, I can't imagine that Canon has "fixed" the shadow banding problem common to Canon sensors (see Fred Miranda's nice 5d MKIII vs. D800 comparison for this), otherwise they would have implemented it in the 5D MKIII. 

Is the difference between the sensor in the 60D and the sensor in the 6D really $1100? The AF in the 60D is better, and the 60D has an articulating screen.  Really, it looks like only real benefits of the 6D over the 60D are the dual-SD slots, the FF sensor, and the built-in WiFi and GPS.  I know Canon sells add-on GPS units for ridiculous amounts of money, but GPS units are extremely cheap now-a-days, so it's not like adding GPS to a camera really costs Canon much money. 

2

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: anyone have any cures for lenses fogging/dew during astrophotography?

« on: August 21, 2012, 01:06:11 AM »

Presumably you let the camera and lens cool down for a few hours first?, if not, cooling down when bring a warm camera and / or lens outdoors at night will condense water vapor.

It matters what the environment is (I'm a meteorologist, so I hope I can contribute something since I've gained so much photography knowledge from this site).  If it feels really "humid" or muggy, then cooling down the equipment is going to present significant problems.  If the dewpoint is above the temperature of the lens and camera equipment, then dew is going to form on the lens.  This can happen (and has happened to me), for example, if you put your camera equipment in your air conditioned car to drive to your photo location before taking it out into a high-dewpoint environment.  In this case, your lens will be analogous to a cold glass of water on a humid summer day.

I suppose it may be possible to have the opposite situation occur. If you change lenses in a humid environment (by "humid" I mean one with a high dewpoint temperature), you may have issues if you move outside into a cold environment. The camera equipment may cool enough to lead to condensation on the rear element as the "humid" air trapped beyond the lens cools.  This doesn't seem very likely, though, unless the mount and camera is air tight to prevent the "humid' air from leaving the camera / let the drier/cooler air from entering the camera.

I don't have much advice for the OP since I haven't run into this problem.  Actually, if the cause is from a cold lens/camera on a high-dewpoint night, then yes, I have experience this.  I tried to shoot some 4th of July fireworks pictures a couple of years ago when the dewpoint temperature was near 80 degrees.  Since my camera equipment is stored in my house (which was around 75 degrees) and I used AC in my car to drive to the photo location, the temperature of the lens was less than the dewpoint temperature of the outside air. As a result, condensation deposited on the lens, and I ended up with a worthless, hazy photo session.

If this is the cause, then I suggest trying to heat up the equipment in your vehicle first. For example, set the lens on the dash and blast heat from the windshield defroster. This will limit condensation, at least until the equipment cools down to the ambient air temperature (it's not uncommon for relative humidity to reach 100% at night under clear skies, when radiational cooling allows the temperature to cool to the dewpoint temperature). .

3

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 7D Mark II Info? [CR2]

« on: May 14, 2012, 06:32:41 PM »

If they announce such a camera this September at Photokina with 61 point AF, dual card slots, 10fps with usable ISO up to 3200 and even left the 18MP sensor and priced it under 1600 euros ($2000), I'd sell my 7D and buy it.

Would it really be $1500-$1700 less than the 5D3 if it's very similar to the 5D3 but with a crop sensor instead of the full-frame sensor in the 5D3?   I assume the metering will be the same, and the AF system will probably be similar or the same (perhaps fewer cross-type points?), but the 7D2 sounds like it'll have higher fps continuous shooting.  Given Canon's recent pricing strategy, I'd be surprised to see it for less than $2500. 

4

Lenses / Re: Any Active Magic Lantern Users?

« on: April 08, 2012, 02:49:31 AM »

I'm a happy ML user with my 60D.

That said, I'd really, really, really be happy if they could find a way to implement microfocus adjust (MFA) via the ML software...  I hate Canon for handicapping the 60D (it's apparently just disabled / not included in firmware) without the MFA, as I have a couple of lenses that are repeatedly have a minor back- or front-focus problem.  Sure, I could send them all in (3 different lens makers) for a pretty penny, but I'd much rather be able to do it in software. After all, there's no guaranteeing that they'll be "in focus" with the next body I get (given manufacturing tolerances). Ugh.

5

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Mother of God - D800 scores 95 DxOMark

« on: March 24, 2012, 12:22:14 AM »

So in summary, when you compare the new Nikon that is just hitting the market, it outperforms a Canon 5d2 that was designed in 2008.  Mother of god, who would have guessed?

No. It beats everything recent. And this is the terrible high mp sensor everybody dismissed as being noisy and bad :-)

Yes, there were lots of Canon fan body in denial, but I think the D800 has proven itself as having a great sensor. To my eyes, however, the real-world benefits of its awesomeness are tough to spot in most of the images taken with it so far.

+1

The data are what they are.  The results are not "biased" (I hear "DxO is biased against Canon" occasionally, which is false) -- they are designed to be objective.  However, what is important is to remember what the numbers represent.  They do not represent ease of use, speed and complexity of the AF system, and in-camera features.  They don't represent the lens ecosystem, nor do they represent the accessories that are available for that particular camera.  Altogether, they DO NOT represent which camera will be best for YOU.  We all have different shooting characteristics (shooting sports vs. portraits vs. landscapes, etc.) and buying criteria (budget, lenses owned, etc.), so a camera with a higher DxO score doesn't mean that it'd be better for YOU or for ME.  DxO results *are* effective at giving us some objective data, however, to allow us to judge sensor performance.

6

EOS Bodies / Re: New Canon 5D mark III raws

« on: March 06, 2012, 11:25:35 PM »

Same could be said about Canon as well. Who's to say that Canon won't actually release the rumored 5DX. High 30s - low 40s MPs.

My problem is that, if the 22 MP 5D3 is $3500, there's no way a high MP 5DX would be anything less than $4000.  Sure, maybe they'll use a less sophisticated AF and metering system, but I can't find any way for Canon to compete with the D800 in terms of price if the 5D X comes to pass.  I mean, do you think Canon would price a 30-40 MP FF camera BELOW the price of the 5D Mk III?  I don't. 

7

Software & Accessories / Re: Before you upgrade to Lightroom 4...

« on: March 06, 2012, 11:11:25 AM »

Love the logic on this forum.

When Canon raises the price of the 5D to $3,500 they are screwing consumers.

When Adobe lowers the price of Lightroom to $149 they are screwing consumers.

Sounds to me that it is the companies that are screwed no matter what they do.

It's the same reason why we wouldn't see a significant (>10%) drop in the price of the 5D3 for a while.  If Canon were to drop the price suddenly, the earliest adopters would scream about how they got 'screwed' (the exact thing happened with the iPhone -- the folks who bought in the first couple of months were given $ credits by Apple, if I recall correctly). 

Now, it would be suboptimal had you purchased LR3 during Christmas shopping season when the best sales were down near $99, but that's still better than paying full price in October or November.  The fact of the matter is that there will ALWAYS be that "last person who paid full price" whenever there's a price reduction.  I wouldn't complain about it -- it's just bad luck or bad planning.  We knew LR4 was coming this year, and it was suspected that the beta was going to be free to try, which is why I held off purchase LR3 last fall. I don't really do any commercial photography now, so I get the added benefit of the academic/student license pricing as well ($79).  Add this with the ridiculous CS5.5 deals Adobe was (maybe still is) running -- I picked up CS5.5 Production Premium on the Adobe website for $89! -- and I can only say "Woot!".

[I know CS6 is going to be out soon. But $89 for CS5.5 Production Premium is too good to pass up. If I need, I can purchase Photoshop CS6 separately at a later time since I can't imagine I'll need/want to upgrade the other components to CS6]

8

EOS Bodies / Re: Hugely Disappointed In 5D III Price

« on: March 02, 2012, 03:04:29 AM »

The 5D3 is better in almost every single way when compared to the 5D2.

Are people even educating themselves on the information??

Lots of people whining about the Megapixel count. I'm guessing they didn't read into how they have used new pixel technology this time around which leads to better quality images and process of colors and light.

But people are lazy I suppose. They see an arbitrary number and immediately take a dump in their pants.

Of course it is! Is anyone arguing that the 5D3 isn't an upgrade from the 5D2?   It better darn well be, considering it's a brand new model being compared to a camera that's several years ago, and it's now priced at a considerable premium to the 5D2 (like comparing the T2i to the 7D).  Honestly, if we assume DSLRs are technology products like many other tech products (point-n-shoots, cell phones, televisions, computers, etc.), then, over the course of several years, we should EXPECT better technology for the same price (or expect significantly lower prices for the same technology).  I'm not giving Canon a pass because they improved on a several-year-old camera.  There aren't many consumer products that don't see relatively significant price reductions over the course of several years, or at least that don't see significant upgrades for similar prices. 

We, as consumers, should demand more.  I still maintain that the 5D3 should be <= $3k.  I'm not a professional, nor do I make big $$, so $3500 is a significant chunk of change for me. If I had a 5D2, I couldn't see myself justifying spending $3500 (+ tax) for the 5D3.  I currently have a 60D, and I've been looking to jump up to FF, but I'd rather get a budget FF (<$2k) with 3-4 fps, less sophisticated AF and AE, etc.; I may end up with a 5D2 assuming the price drops.

9

EOS Bodies / Re: Hugely Disappointed In 5D III Price

« on: March 02, 2012, 02:21:33 AM »

Many of us have complained about poor AF , slow fps, and others in the 5Dmk2.... NOW canon have solved almost all those problems, AF FPS etc. is not normal to keep the price at $2700 ( don't mention the inflation and other raw materials price increase).

In my opinion $3500 is a fair price for what this camera offers.

Other industries constantly come out with new technology at the same, or even lower, prices.  Why not the same for the camera industry?

The price of technology almost always go down with time.  It's why I can buy a new, very nice laptop now for less than the new, very nice laptop I bought back in 2008 (much better specs for a lower price).  We *expect* that the latest models will bring more for less (or at least more for the same), within obvious reason.  Typically, for product differentiation purposes, the classes stay similarly-priced, but new models just pack in new or upgraded features.  It's quite clear that the 5D3 is not designed to "compete" against the D800.  By itself, the 5D3 looks pretty good, though it's out of my price range.  In comparison to the latest Nikon offerings, though, it falls quite short. 

If I had no Canon-mount glass, I'd be hard pressed to choose the 5D3 over the D800 right now. However, I do have EF-mount lenses, and my desired camera is a low-end FF.  I'd be nice of Canon could come out with a 5D3 "light" -- something with only 3-4 fps, less sophisticated AF, worse weather sealing, similar sensor, etc., for ~$1800-$1900.  I'd think that the 5D2 will drop in price to fill that role, but I've read quite mixed reviews about the 5D2 in regards to high ISO noise and AF reliability. 

I assume Canon will eventually put out a very high MP beast to rival the D800, but I'd also think that such a camera would be priced between the 5D3 and the 1D X. Obviously, that's likely a non-starter considering the $2999 price tag for the D800. 

Honestly, as someone who has some money in Canon products but who has little allegiance to the company, I think the D800 was a game changer. Of course, Canon knows that people get invested in the Canon ecosystem (lenses, accessories, etc.), and thus have relatively high inertia when it comes to brands.  Most people who own a bunch of Canon products are not going to up and leave the brand since the cost of switching into the Nikon ecosystem can be expensive (replace all lenses, etc.).  As such, they probably realize that they can charge a premium. Of course, this does little to attract new users, but it's apparent to me, based upon the 5D3's price, that Canon isn't focusing on that right now.

10

Contests / Re: Holga Giveaway

« on: July 20, 2011, 01:29:09 AM »

This sounds like a great "prize"!

11

EOS Bodies / Re: 60D & 7D Rebates coming February 20

« on: February 24, 2011, 03:02:14 AM »

I don't think they have many if any in the program right now. Some fellow storm chase buddies suggested this as they took advantage, but when I called (both for the 5Dm2 or 7D) they said "those cameras are not in the program any longer". I think the call taker meant 'at this time', but unless you have time and are willing to call everyday to check up on availability, it's gonna be near impossible to take advantage of the Loyalty Program for the HDSLR cameras.

When did you call? I called late last week (IIRC), and the lady at Canon said the 7D was available for purchase through the loyalty program (for ~$1087 + taxes).  You can try calling again to ask. Of course, they may have taken the 7D back out of the program (perhaps such a move is related to the rebates).  FWIW, the lady I spoke with (who was very professional and helpful, actually) did confirm that the 5D MKII was not in the program.

12

EOS Bodies / Re: 60D & 7D Rebates coming February 20

« on: February 20, 2011, 03:35:58 AM »

As I had feared, it looks like some retailers are moving their "regular" prices up to the listed prices on the Canon poster, then giving the "instant rebate". Unfortunately, as noted above with BH, this "sale" price is actually higher than the pre-sale price.  Nice.

I did just check Amazon, and at least the 60D is still listed at the price it has been for the past week or so (~$888).  It looks like these rebates only really save anyone money when the retailer is selling the product at the Canon-recommended / MSRP price to begin with.  Fortunately, again, at least Amazon hasn't yet raised their prices to match the "before" prices listed on the Canon rebate poster. Ugh.

13

EOS Bodies / Re: 60D & 7D Rebates coming February 20

« on: February 20, 2011, 12:17:55 AM »

Alright brethren heres the proof! Its real!!!

http://www.actioncamera.com/promotions/feb20-mar19.pdf

Hmm. That poster is from Canon, it appears.  If so, then it's quoting $999-$100 = $899 for the 60D. However, Amazon has the 60D for ~$888 (I think it just dropped more, actually), and another at least semi-reputable dealer has it for <$850.  Will these retailers not pick up the $100 savings since their prices are already well below the sales prices listed on that poster? In other words, are we to think that the Amazon and BH prices already include a $100 "instant rebate"? I was hoping for a $888 (Amazon and BH pricing through the past week) - $100 = $788 price for the 60D...

14

EOS Bodies / Re: 60D & 7D Rebates coming February 20

« on: February 19, 2011, 11:21:29 PM »

Well we should find out tonight at 9pm or 12am PST if the rebate is actually happening and if the dealers are going to keep prices the same or raise them. I sure hope they keep them the same so the $200 7D rebate will actually save $200.

A Facebook post from an hour ago by "Action Camera" in California notes: "Canon rebates are on now on the 60D, 7D, and several lenses....come in and check them out!"  A Google Shopping search reveals that there are a few ~$845-$860 prices to be had, which seems to be a drop of about $40 from earlier today.  I'm not sure if this reflects the "instant rebate", since only mail-in rebates have been in effect when I've bought camera equipment.  I suppose we'll know soon now, regardless.