Messages

46

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: New 5D Owner. Why can't I autofocus? [video included]

« on: July 22, 2012, 09:03:57 PM »

Did you play with any of the button mapping, or try back-button focus?

Check C.Fn2, Custom Controls to make sure a half-button shutter press activates AF.  It may be deactivated for some reason.

47

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Battery Drain on Pixel Vertax Grip for 5D3?

« on: July 22, 2012, 05:02:23 PM »

Same thing for lots of people, it appears. Pixel told me via email they had fixed the issue. In process of trying to get replacement or refund for mine.

Thanks for the head's up, Swampler.  I guess I gotta contact them to try and get a replacement.  What a mess.

48

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Battery Drain on Pixel Vertax Grip for 5D3?

« on: July 21, 2012, 01:29:13 PM »

Can anyone comment/report on battery drain issues on their Pixel Vertax BG-E11 battery grip for the 5D3?  I charged up 4 LP-E6's last week (all official, no knockoffs) and put them in my 7D and 5D3 grips (attached to their respective bodies).  They sat stored in the cameras inside a bag for 7-8 days.  Then last night I had a gig; I pull out the 5D3 and the battery level had only 2-bars, and quickly dropped to 1-bar. 

Both the 5D3 body and the grip were switched OFF while in storage.  The grip was also OFF during my shoot, as I was doing landscape orientation shots.  Within 45 minutes of shooting I had to swap batteries as they were fully drained.  I pulled out the 7D, turned it on, and it was fully charged.  I swapped the batteries into my 5D3, and it too showed a full charge. 

I completed the gig with no issues, but this really got me worried that the Vertax grip has a battery drain.  I'm doing a controlled test this week with fresh batteries to see what happens after a few days of storage.

Has anyone else noticed this battery drain issue or done any tests? 

49

EOS Bodies / Re: 4 More DSLRs Coming in 2012? [CR2]

« on: June 12, 2012, 06:09:41 PM »

A mirrorless body isn't really a DSLR, so, technically speaking, only 3 more DLSRs are coming in 2012.

Just sayin'...

 

50

EOS Bodies - For Stills / BG-E11 ... available anywhere reputable?

« on: June 11, 2012, 12:31:46 AM »

I'm looking to snag a BG-E11, but the big guys all seem to be sold out (Adorama, BH, Amazon, etc.).  There are a bunch of random shops that claim to have it in stock - but I've never dealt with any of them, and the majority seem to have hit-or-miss experiences in their Google reviews.

Should I trust these small guys, or wait for the big names to get more stock in?

51

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5DMk3 at wedding receptions

« on: June 11, 2012, 12:29:59 AM »

I've noticed a slight delay in the 5D3 AF in low light, but I - for one - appreciate it.  Why?  It seems that the AF lock on the 5D3 is actually real, and my percentage of tack-sharp photos has increased as a result.  On the flip side, the 5D2 would indicate a "lock" in similar low-light settings, but the results would be all over the place - with many missed-focus junk shots that got deleted anyway.

So what would you rather have -- a captured moment that's a foot or two outside the plane of focus?  or a tack sharp image a split second too late?

I'll take tack sharp over a fuzzy mess any day.

That's just my $0.02.

52

EOS Bodies / Re: 5D Mk III vs D800/E, is the 5D3 better at anything?

« on: June 04, 2012, 01:45:50 PM »

Canon 5d mark III is by far the more versatile camera. I canceled my order however since it is at least 500 euro overpriced and it does not really add something new for landscapers. If you shoot weddings or even sports and that kind of stuff it is better then nikon d800 by far.

Agreed. 

The canon 5D3 has its place for certain uses - low-light events being one of them.  At 36MP, I'd never use a D800 for a wedding ... that's just way to much data to process for an image heavy shoot.  However, given the specs of the rumored 3D, I feel like I'm being screwed by Canon.  At this point I'm seriously debating selling the 5D3, dropping back to a 5D2, and waiting for the 3D.

Given the improvements rumored for the 3D, the 5D3 doesn't seem to hold much market value with the 5D2 still on the shelves.  My perfect lineup would be a 7D, a 5D2 and the 3D (with the current rumored spec sheet).  The 5D3 falls by the wayside in my mind - but that's just my $0.02.

53

Lighting / Portable Continuous Light for Front Fill - Suggestions?

« on: June 03, 2012, 02:20:21 PM »

I saw a photographer gigging a location last night with some clients.  It was dusk, sun was on the horizon and losing intensity quickly... he was using it as a backlight/kicker, but instead of a front-fill flash, he had an assistant using a small hand-held/portable continuous light that he had gelled over.  It looked like it even had mini barn doors on it.  the entire apparatus didn't appear to be bigger than a large apple.

Any ideas as to what he was using?  I'd love to try out the technique!

54

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D mk II still a viable option?

« on: June 01, 2012, 10:51:11 AM »

FWIW... I'm actually considering buying a refurb'ed 5D2 from the Canon store simply for compatibility with my collection of PocketWizard Flex units and my 580 and 430 flashes.  The upgrade path for off-camera lighting, via the 600EX and ST-E3-RT is simply cost prohibitive (given the number of lights I use).  Quite frankly, I'm a little baffled that Canon goes so far to cripple PocketWizard units on their new bodies. 

I understand they think they're protecting sales and proprietary tech, but let's face the facts - PocketWizard was first to the RF game, and they made it a viable solution years before Canon even considered it.  It's time Canon approaches PocketWizard to develop a formal partnership (before you flame - I know it will never happen).  So I'm happy waiting for a PW firmware upgrade, because I refuse to give Canon money for their 600EX system - as that would just support their arrogant approach to "innovation".

In the meantime - a 5D2 will serve me just fine.

55

EOS Bodies - For Stills / 5D3 - ERR 80 ?

« on: May 14, 2012, 09:17:37 AM »

Got an error 80 during a shoot last night.  Camera totally froze... fixed it by popping the battery.  Anyone seen this one yet, or know what the cause of it is?

Thanks.

56

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 vs D800 sales numbers

« on: May 14, 2012, 09:16:46 AM »

Using Amazon sales charts as a basis for drawing consumer trend conclusions is pretty flawed.  As many stated, it's one outlet, and there's not enough additional information for any real statistics to be gleaned.

That said, I bought my 5D3 on launch day from a local brick-and-mortar shop.  A good friend of mine, who also does a lot of pro work, bought his from B&H.

57

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 Dynamic Range

« on: May 04, 2012, 06:38:04 PM »

There are techniques to avoid shadows in many cases - leaving very few exceptions - yet from the baying of the few anyone would think the 5DIII had a crippled DR system and totally unable to produce a good images.

I don't think it's "baying". This is a camera discussion forum, and these camera's aren't cheap. It's unreasonable and a bit naive to think that Canon's latest FF camera won't be compared to its chief competitor.

Why should you compare the D800 with the 5D3 - apples and oranges - definitely not its chief competitor

If the d800 is not the 5D3's primary competitor - then what body is?

58

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 Dynamic Range

« on: May 04, 2012, 06:14:51 PM »

Being able to bring up such amazing shadow detail is priceless, and IMHO one of the most important aspects of nature photography.

The better the dynamic range, the less of a need for things like GND filters, HDR, and so forth. It really is important for situations where you have absolutely no control of the light such as nature landscape and wildlife.

What he just said.

59

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 Dynamic Range

« on: May 04, 2012, 05:58:28 PM »

I think we are still far off from the point where the camera sees detail in the shadow that the eye can't.

Most likely, but the d800 still amazes...

http://www.fredmiranda.com/5DIII-D800/index_controlled-tests.html

(In full disclosure, I am a Canon shooter and own a 5D3.  But, I must admit the d800 is pretty fascinating with respect to its DR)

60

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 Dynamic Range

« on: May 04, 2012, 05:56:23 PM »

I think there's a lot of misinformation being posted in here. 

First, check this video by Mark Wallace and Adorama TV.  It gives a good primer to Dynamic Range: 

Digital Photography 1 on 1: Episode 41: Dynamic Range: Adorama Photography TV	Small | Large

Also, for those saying DR doesn't mean much, or doesn't matter in print - you are very wrong.  Photographers have been pushing the limits of film data for decades.  Where do you think the "burn" and "dodge" brushes in Photoshop came from?  They were real techniques used in the darkroom to pull out shadows and darken highlights. 

This translates directly to DR performance in dSLRs.  Either the information is there - or it is not.  A sensor with a higher dynamic range will give the photographer more latitude with processing/editing options in post.  And that translates directly to prints.

Smaller DR- less info, and the physical editing limit is hit sooner.  Higher DR- more info, more options for editing and exposing usable data in post.

UPDATE:  I should point out - if you haven't been over-tweaking your files as part of your normal post-processing technique, than DR won't matter much to you.  However, for landscape shooters, and photographers who are used to heavily tweaking their highlights/shadows in post (to maximize the range in their prints), DR is the holy grail of post-processing and digital sensor tech.