Messages

211

EOS Bodies / Re: Thoughts From Canon on a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera

« on: December 21, 2011, 10:09:37 PM »

Good post breningstall.

There is a market for a travel size crop sensor camera that can fit in a pocket.  I'm not sure Canon is the company that will get there first however, and I think they should take the G12 and turn it into this camera.

A lot of people are just using their phones to take pictures now, so I would think that there would be a more of a market fr a higher end portable camera for those who care about the quality and different photos a real camera can take.

212

Lenses / Re: Lens suggestions

« on: December 21, 2011, 06:52:36 PM »

1. Look at photographers pictures from Iceland (ie. Art Wolfe, and I would recommend his TV show)

2. Get a tripod that is easy to carry.  Monopods aren't too useful for travel photos

3. Learn about the 10 sec timer or get a remote shutter release so you can be in the group photos.

4. Don't weigh yourself down with photo gear.  Especially if you are going with other people.  I would also recommend making a strap for the tripod to carry it around if you are going to be walking a lot.

5. Depending on how long you are going for, buying used lens and then selling it on eBay might work better.

6. Does the 60D do video?  Take a few 30-60 second clips of waterfalls and such.

7. If I had a 60D, with a 24-105 kit lens let's say, I would rent a 8-15 before the telephoto lens.  I use my 300mm a lot, but it is hard to carry around all day just for the few shots that might occur.

213

Software & Accessories / Re: PC or MAC

« on: December 21, 2011, 01:04:39 PM »

I've been using my MacBook Pro 17" since 2010, and it still is working great.

I like the software on a Mac better since it helps me stay organized and allows me to do more with my photos and videos.

214

Lenses / Re: 85mm f/1.8 or 300mm f/4 for baby photos

« on: December 20, 2011, 02:50:49 PM »

I don't really know how close I will be able to get.  I've never done this before.  And I don't want to be the 'crazy' camera uncle taking every photo 2-6 inches away like I do of leaves, flowers, and bugs.

I'm also not sure how low light this will be.  I'm sure that there will be times when the wide open aperture will be needed.  But, I'm not sure how much they move, if I would have a tripod, live view, or remote shutter (landscape photography is much easier )  I also have a 16-35mm f/2.8, but I will have to test that out on some baby toys first.

Another of my favorite shots is the baby's tiny hand wrapped around the finger of the father.

That is a good example, but I don't know if you would use an extension tube for that picture or not.

I'll look up some sample pictures tonight.

215

Lenses / 85mm f/1.8 or 300mm f/4 for baby photos

« on: December 20, 2011, 11:19:53 AM »

I'm not the best photographer of people, and have never taken pictures of babies before.  But my sister is going to have twins in the next 2 weeks, and I would like to take some good photos with the 5Dm2.  Preferably without my 580 flash...

I won't have very much time to take the pictures, and there will probably be in-laws, cousins, and parents around.  And I know that they will take the 'typical' photos.  I am looking for more of the photo book quality pictures.

I do have a 25mm extension tube that I have used on the 85mm before, but it wasn't easy to get it in focus, and the camera had to be very close.  Or I have the 1.4x that can make the 300mm into a 420mm f/5.6.  I think I have used the extension tube with that setup before to get some macro shots as well.

If you have any tips or advice, I would appreciate it.

216

Lenses / Re: Battle of the 50mm's - 1.8, 1.4 and 1.2L

« on: December 16, 2011, 07:23:40 PM »

I get to try out the 50mm f/1.2 over the weekend to see how it does against the 16-35mm and 85mm f/1.8. 

217

EOS Bodies / Re: Upgrade to a 5Dmk2 or TS-e lens?

« on: December 16, 2011, 07:21:59 PM »

High on my list is the 17mm TS-E.  If you don't need the video or 21 mp for your photos (while using the 17-40mm), then go with the lens.

If you go with the 5Dm2 and if you keep both bodies, you could have two different lenses on them ready to go.

If you are taking photos where you aren't able to wait 20 seconds to change a lens, it might be something to think about.

218

EOS Bodies / Re: 5d mkII vs 50D in terms of AF

« on: December 16, 2011, 10:11:04 AM »

I use a 50D at work, but I have a 5Dm2 at home.

Price is a consideration, and if you are using longer telephotos to take astro photography, the 50D is probably better.

But, I have a 16-35mm, and it creates great pictures on the 5Dm2.

I am a basic focus guy, so I don't do very much in the AF arena that is demanding.  I even focus in live view with the AF-On button...

219

EOS Bodies / Re: Whortwhile to go for 5D Mark II?

« on: December 15, 2011, 12:27:40 PM »

I purchased my 5Dm2 28 months ago, and it is still a great camera.  Even when a new camera comes out, it will still be a great camera. 

I will have mine for the next 8-10 years or longer.  It doesn't take worse photos over time.  HDR and 30-40 Megapixels with a backlit sensor and low noise would tempt me.

220

Lenses / Re: Is Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Lens too wide for FF?

« on: December 13, 2011, 06:20:18 PM »

I rarely use mine. When I have the 16-35 and 24-70 it never gets used.

That and the 17mm TS-E will be the next to go.

Why would you get rid of the 17mm TS-E?    I'll be in the market for one next year...

As for the original question,
I have a 16-35mm and a 5Dm2, and I use the entire range and everything in-between.  I was in the same predicament when I was buying this lens or getting the 24 prime.  For my photos, I'm glad I went with the zoom lens.  While I'm sure the 24mm prime is a great lens and is much faster, the variety of zoom pictures and being able to crop images without moving much helps sometimes.

24-28 mm equivalent is what most point & shoot cameras come standard with.  So you can't really go wrong.

221

EOS Bodies / Re: HELP PLEASE: CANON 5D II - ISO in "M" mode

« on: December 08, 2011, 10:45:57 AM »

I don't use Auto ISO in manual mode, but I thought that it would choose a setting between 100-400 based on the light.


I will say that the camera's auto settings don't work all that well for me, and I wish they had pre-set modes or custom modes I could quickly change between and save.  For example, with a flash it still meters for the dark.  Maybe I am doing something wrong though.

222

Lenses / Astrophotography telescope 'lens'?

« on: December 02, 2011, 06:53:09 PM »

Over the last two nights I have been using my 5Dm2 with a 300 f/4 with a 2x & 1.4x stacked teleconverters to get it to 840mm, and it took some great pictures of the Moon, although I think another 2x would be good for the Moon (~2000mm to get it full frame).  At 840mm, I could see Jupiter and 4 moons, but Mars is too small.  I would guess you would need ~25000mm to get Jupiter full frame on a 5Dm2.  I might need to get a planetarium to get that size of a telescope...

http://www.telescope.com/Astrophotography/Astrophotography-Telescopes/Orion-Atlas-10-EQ-G-Reflector-Telescope-with-GoTo-Controller/pc/-1/c/4/sc/57/p/24735.uts

Besides the auto pointing tripod, do you have any other suggestions?  Would I need to support the camera hanging off the side?  Could I use the teleconverters to 'zoom in'?  Has anyone had any luck with this type of setup?  Is there a better telescope for this kind of photography in the $2000 range?

223

Lenses / Re: Zoom for new 5D Mark II -- 24-70 or 24-105

« on: December 02, 2011, 06:12:13 PM »

Another option is the 16-35mm with a 50 or 85 prime...  that is the way I went, but I also take more landscape pictures than fast moving people pictures.

I would chose the 24-70 for the faster glass.  Did Canon ever create a new one with IS?

224

United States / Re: Prime lenses you currently own or on your wishlist.

« on: December 02, 2011, 05:14:31 PM »

50mm F/1.2
17mm TS-E

I need to borrow the one 50mm f/1.2 we have at work to see how it does on my 5Dm2 compared to what I have (16-35 & 85mm f/1.8 ).  I've only used it on the 50D .

And I would buy the 50mm f/1.2 used from a co-worker.  But, I will probably get the 17mm TS-E first.

225

EOS Bodies / Re: This and That

« on: December 02, 2011, 01:44:50 PM »

I think they should come out with a medium format camera, and they could probably do it very well.