Messages

496

Lighting / Re: Canon flash mounting

« on: November 30, 2011, 01:46:36 AM »

I remember as a kid, the guy/girl who took your photo in a fancy restaurant, always had a camera with a flash on the side.  The bracket and flash made a handle.

Later I learned to bounce the flash of the ceiling.  But somehow that flash on the side thing still sort of looks "pro".

497

Lenses / Re: Is the cost for canons teleconverters too high?

« on: November 29, 2011, 05:40:00 PM »

Calling me a fanboy and using emoticons has damaged me.    I take back the part where I said you cannot ask questions. 

Please show me your source of "$150 production costs". And explain why R&D, marketing, and shipping is not a factor.

498

Lenses / Re: Is the cost for canons teleconverters too high?

« on: November 29, 2011, 05:22:38 PM »

So if you just shelled out $11,500 for a 400mm f2.8 IS II is $1000 (or a little less) too much to ask for 2 matched teleconverters that give you a useable 640 and 800mm lens?

so if 1000 euro for 2 converters is fine for you why not sell them for 2000 euros?
i mean when you have bought a 8000 euro lens you sure can buy 2 converters for 1000 euros each?   

even when the production cost is more in the range of 150 euros.... if you bought a 8000 euro lens.. who cares?

If the production cost is $150, or $50, or $1000, so what, nobody is forcing you to buy it.  And you can buy much cheaper ones from other companies.  You can buy a VII or VI used.  There are options, but in the end it's Canon's business, why can't they charge what they want?

499

Lenses / Re: Is the cost for canons teleconverters too high?

« on: November 29, 2011, 05:13:16 PM »

Canon's extenders seem to be designed and intended for their supertelephoto L lenses.  In fact the design means they will not fit onto many of their other lenses.  You cannot for example use them on the Canon Macros to get closer and longer like you can with some.

So if you just shelled out $11,500 for a 400mm f2.8 IS II is $1000 (or a little less) too much to ask for 2 matched teleconverters that give you a useable 640 and 800mm lens?  No.  But that's like saying if you jumped out of the airplane with no parachute is it crazy to take your pants off?

Sadly it is what it is.  Your choice is the aftermarket, but Sigmas 2X APO DG is a surprising $299.

500

EOS Bodies / Re: Best "first buy" Gradient Filter?

« on: November 29, 2011, 02:56:00 PM »

The cheap set of eBay filters is a good idea.  I did the same and then eventually bought a few Sing-Ray.  I have a 2, 3 , and 4 stop, and have to say the 3 is my favorite, and the rest may go back to ebay.  The cheap ones I paid < $20 for and gave to a friend.

501

Software & Accessories / Re: Is $650+ too much for a 6hr (one day) Lightroom session?

« on: November 29, 2011, 01:14:10 PM »

As for buying  computer, a trick I used back in the day was to buy a used computer on ebay that said it had the software I wanted.  Also look into student pricing at local colleges.

Software isn't always transferable and you have to be student to qualify for student pricing so this may not be legal for some programs.  But if that isn't a concern well then just download a pirated version, not that I'm recommending that of course.

Lightroom and Adobe commercial software is transferable.  If you are not a student, they are not going to sell you student software.  As for piracy if you don't recommend it, why bring it up?  It's actually pretty hard to find most mac software via pirate site, and when you do, it's one of the best ways to pick up a mac virus or just get something that does not work.  So I don't recommend it.

502

Software & Accessories / Re: Is $650+ too much for a 6hr (one day) Lightroom session?

« on: November 29, 2011, 11:18:27 AM »

Agree with the others.  I just checked youtube and there are 12,400 videos on Adobe Lightroom, you can find 1000s of free tips tricks and courses on the web.  Books down at the book store, are $20-50. 

I think you are crazy to pay $650 for a course like this.

As for buying  computer, a trick I used back in the day was to buy a used computer on ebay that said it had the software I wanted.  Also look into student pricing at local colleges.

503

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Push vs. ISO

« on: November 29, 2011, 12:10:28 AM »

It's important to understand that when you bump up the ISO on the camera, it is not taking the same exposure and upping the exposure with it's processing.  The camera increases the sensitivity of the sensor by adding more electricity before it shoots.  Back in the film days you did this by swapping in ISO 400 instead of your usual ISO 100.

So bumping the ISO up and shooting is way different than shooting underexposed and pushing it up in post.  Better?  Yes, especially if you are talking about more than 1 stop.   Why....   

504

Lenses / Re: Packing small with primes. Advice needed please!

« on: November 28, 2011, 07:30:07 PM »

For me 35mm + 135mm.  Easy.

First the wide end is the most important, and 35mm is not that wide,  but that's the choice your giving me.  From there, the 135 for the long side.  85mm is cool, but I'll go 135 in this case, and the 135 f2 is awesome.

505

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Rebel 1000D Lost at Sea

« on: November 28, 2011, 12:15:44 AM »

If you read down into the comments section of the news story, it appears they found the wrong guy and the camera wasn't his. They're still looking for the owner.

"Update: The camera owner has not been located. A number of comments claimed to have located the camera owner after calling the fire department. I checked the individuals facebook page and he appeared initially to be a match. Upon closer inspection this is not the case, although I have not heard back from him, a number of details prove the photos cannot be his (one being that their child was not born when the photos were taken). I apologise for the premature update (I never expected this to go viral). The search continues. Regardless – thankyou to everyone who responded – we will find the individual and prove that the google+ hive-mind can be utilized to complete a simple gesture like returning someones photos "

Actually finding and identifying the owner and publishing a heartwarming story about it, only to find out you have the wrong guy is an even more telling story about social networking.  I don't mean that in a cynical way, it's just fascinating that one would not wait for the identified guy to say yea, I lost a camera in the ocean, it's mine.

506

United States / Re: What should my first prime lens be?

« on: November 27, 2011, 11:28:45 PM »

If you are going to go for a wider prime, pick up a 50mm f1.8 anyway.  They are great little lenses, and cost next to nothing, and weight next to nothing in a camera bag.  And if Canon goes the way of Nikon, $100 sharp as tacks prime lenses will be a thing of the past in short order. 

507

Canon General / Re: Very strange lens mug

« on: November 26, 2011, 02:18:41 PM »

For a Lens mug, it's not that strange.   

I have one that says canon and is such a good fake of a 24-105, it's scary.  I'll post a photo.

My guess is this was created by/for a company afraid of getting sued than those who make the more exact copies of Nikon and Canon Lenses.  The encryption was probably just copied from one of those.

Cool find.

Now maybe someone will copy the lens wrist bracelets and sell them for less than $10.  That is a little much for something that probably cost $.02 to make.

508

EOS Bodies / Re: What do you want from the 5D mk III

« on: November 26, 2011, 01:43:59 PM »

I WANT IT TO TELL ME IF THE PICTURE IS BLUR.

they must be some software, that can measure the amount of blur, due to camera shake, or subject movement, that compute to a figure, which tell me if the photo is blur or not, so i can retake it, I do not want to wait until i go home and sit in front of my 30 inch monitor and find out that it is blur, i cannot go back to retake the photo.


Please japanese engineers, give me an image blur indicator. I know you are rubbish with software, just hire some american professors to help you.

Not sure if this is a joke or not....

A former employer of mine did just that for a hand held camera application.

It would be great if software could assign a number an pick out the sharpest photo in a sequence.  so if you do shoot 3-10 shots to make sure you get a sharp one, it would be easier to pick out the best.

Another idea is a button on the camera to zoom to 1:1 on the point the camera tried to focus on.  This would let you decide quickly if it was in good focus/ motion blurred etc.

509

Lens Gallery / Re: Canon 200mm f/1.8 USM

« on: November 26, 2011, 11:01:09 AM »

I keep telling myself I need this lens , or it's f2.0 IS older brother .  I really like the lens and the look it provides, and I love big expensive lenses, but I already own the 70-200 f2.8 II.  And I don't actually use it that much.  I find myself shooting wide angle far more often.

510

Lenses / Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome: please help!!!

« on: November 26, 2011, 10:33:45 AM »

I was a believer in Tex's approach, until I bought a 1D4 and a 400 f/2.8. I am now born again L kit buyer 

Hey don't get me wrong, I have 3 bodies, 11 lenses, and 4 flashes.  I love new gear, and pine over what I can and cannot buy.  I just wanted the OP to know he can't let that stop the learning or shooting.  We all have very different budgets, but I doubt any of us have every camera and piece of gear we want, and you can't let that dominate your photography experience.