Messages

1

Lenses / Re: Standard Lens for Paris and London holiday.

« on: May 16, 2013, 06:23:56 PM »

What ever you do don't compare the 24-105 to the 24-70ii. If you do you will be walking out very poor. The 24-105 is a great travel lens. Light, great range and IS so you don't necessarily need a tripod often. Although I'd say if you already have a 16-35 and a 50mm I'd skip the normal range zooms entirely and just pick up one of the many excellent versions of the 70-200 made by canon. You honestly wont miss the 35-70 range its rather boring imho. Personally I was turned off by the weight, size, and price of the f2.8 versions of that lens and ended up with a great copy of a 70-200 f4 IS. If your heart is set on a 24-70 zoom don't forget to look at the tamron. You get 95% of the performance at 50% the cost to the new canon.

2

Lenses / Re: 50 f1.4 vs 85 f1.8.....

« on: May 15, 2013, 07:40:49 PM »

You can't go wrong with either. If it matters the 85 has true ring usm and the 50 does not. So the 50 is a little slower to focus but not enough to really matter in my opinion.  Fwiw I like the 85 over the 50.

3

Lenses / Re: Who has pre-ordered or will order 200-400

« on: May 14, 2013, 07:31:23 PM »

I will and I will concurrently have to file for divorce. Which I guess means my (ex) wife will own half the lens. I wonder which half she wants?

4

EOS Bodies / Re: Buy 1DX now or wait for an upgrade?

« on: May 03, 2013, 10:31:04 PM »

So last month you wanted to wait to pick up a new version of a 55-250, so yes by all means I can tell you need a 1dx for your professional work. then again why not wait for a 1dx mark iv?  I've heard it will come with a Klingon death ray...

5

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Wedding expert suggestions desired...first time.

« on: April 28, 2013, 10:00:17 PM »

Rent a back up 7d just in case and also the 17-55 2.8 and a back up flash.  Thats really a better range on crop than the 24-70. I think you'll enjoy the wider end plus at 55mm on crop that lens makes a great portrait length. I'd also look at a prime just to have with you as we'll. general advice is shoot what you feel comfortable with. So while manual will probably give you better overall results this isn't the time to experiment. If no flash play between 2.8 and f8 depending on lighting and whats giing you the best shutter speeds. with flash 5.6, max shutter sync speed (I think 1/200 on the 7d) and auto iso.

6

Canon General / Re: How much would you pay?

« on: April 28, 2013, 10:31:08 AM »

Interesting. Cook hasn't really proven himself (at least to me) to be a terribly effective leader in the wake of Jobs death. Now Jobs was definitely a visionary, if also a huge @sshole from time to time, but he seemed to get the best out of his people and they either loved him or hated him for it.  Cook seems almost like a place holder until apple can invent the iSteve.  Personally I'd rather meet Warren Buffet or michael Bloomberg (buffet also auctions off his time for a charity each year if I remember).

7

Lenses / Re: Macro lens or attachments to make my current lenses go macro?

« on: April 27, 2013, 11:00:05 AM »

For the price it's tough to beat extension tubes. Kenkos are nice, you get af, and only $200. A little more than the close up filter you're looking at but at least then you can use them on all your lenses vs just the ones with the same filter size. I get very good results with my 70-200 f4 IS and 85 1.8 with extension tubes. I prefer the 85 most of the time.

8

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Why do we buy Canon? What idiots are we?

« on: April 27, 2013, 01:19:16 AM »

Flame on

what's the point of this thread other than getting the fan boys panties in a bunch? 

9

Lenses / Re: 24-70 f2.8 I L --- 24-105 f4 L --- TAMRON 24-70 2.8 --- 1000$ budget.

« on: April 26, 2013, 01:27:40 PM »

Of those three the tamron offers the most quality IMHO, but you can't go wrong with any of them. I chose the tamron earlier this year because it was better than my copy of the 24-70i and offered IS. I tried the 24-70ii and while awesome it wasn't a $1000 more awesome than the tamron. I now don't blink twice shooting at 1/15 and 70mm. The IS of the tamron made it a far more versatile lens to me than the canon. It's now my primary landscaping, people, one lens travel solution.  I really hate my tripod so the IS is great for me when I get out to do landscapes.

10

Portrait / Re: Need advice, what can I do to improve?

« on: April 26, 2013, 10:22:27 AM »

3 and 7 seem to me to be your strongest images. I'd have ditched the glasses entirely, they aren't really flattering to the model.  shooting with flash and glasses can be tricky trying to keep the reflection of the light source out of the photos. I think you did a reasonable job there. All in all I'd say you did pretty good. My only advice is when using flash outdoors I find it best to accentuate/fill the natural light rather than try to overpower it especially shooting in the golden hour like it seems you did. Now if this was mid day then maybe it's time to overpower the sun and create your own interesting light. Good luck and keep having fun with it.

11

Canon General / Re: Camera Phone

« on: April 26, 2013, 10:02:51 AM »

I think the lines between camera phone and dslr are already being blurred. I definitely see a time in the future that your phone will be capable of similar images as your mid to high end dslr. Heck it's already happening. There is a very accomplished local photog who speaks very highly of his iPhone as a work tool. He says its loosens up subjects and allows them to have fun allowing him to capture images the big camera won't. In fact he even went so far as to submit his iPhone images for a recent cover shoot and had the iPhone image the art director liked not had an ever so slight blur that would have been the cover shot for the mag.

12

Canon General / Re: House was robbed. Took my 5DIII. Big Value = Bad Idea?

« on: April 26, 2013, 12:06:10 AM »

There is a lot of misinformation out there about warrentees and non authorized sellers. It really boils down to this. If you want full canon USA warrentee with no hassles buy from an authorized reseller (and keep your receipt) i.e. amazon, adorama, bH ET al. The difference when buying from a non authorized seller is simply that canon can refuse to warrantee it. That's not to say they will, but you leave it in their hands and they are entirely within their rights to do so. So the warrantee then falls to the reseller, in your case big value. If they will service and repair it for the 12 months from purchase like canon then you don't lose much just who you are dealing with. As always caveat emptor

13

Lenses / Re: Lens Choice

« on: April 21, 2013, 11:41:28 AM »

I'm very happy with my Tamron 70-200 Di VC.

Is this the new one?  If so very curious as to your thoughts on the lens.

14

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 1dx plus 85 1.2 is great for night street photography.

« on: April 20, 2013, 01:36:45 AM »

sanj it was totally in jest, hence the sarcasm.  One would expect you to be able to take great images, regardless of the situation with, in my opinion, the near pinnacle of canon gear.  Personally I hate the idea that a lens, or camera for that matter, it meant for only a specific purpose.  Some are known to say certain lenses are landscape lenses, portrait lenses, others are street lenses, etc, it's just silly in my mind.  FWIW the little late night shooting I do is almost exclusively with the little brother of your pair, a 5diii and 85 1.8.  I believe the saying goes "the best camera is the one you have with you."

15

Lenses / Re: Just got the canon 16-35 ii and having a hard time seeing the value in this uwa

« on: April 20, 2013, 12:43:33 AM »

I'd return it. You say it doesn't fit your eye so no reason to have it at this point. If you develop a need or want for it later its not going anywhere. By then you'll probably also just buy used because you'll know there is little difference between new and used glass other than price. I've been to Disney a lot with the family. Do yourself (and the wife) a favor take one lens and enjoy the family. Last trip to Disney I just took my old Olympus film camera with one roll of film (24 exposures). So much happier that way, no reason to interrupt the fun for dads silly hobby