Messages

16

Canon General / Re: Why did you choose Canon?

« on: January 27, 2013, 01:46:17 AM »

A couple of things led me to Canon.
- My first digital camera was a Canon Powershot.  My sister had one and loved it, so I picked one up.  I didn't do any research - except to play around with her camera a bit.  I had that thing for years.  Everything about the camera just worked, plus it would take a beating and keep working.  Took good pictures, menu system was intuitive.  I was very pleased with Canon as a brand given my experience.
- Several years later when I wanted to get a DSLR it was going to be Nikon or Canon.  I was partial to Canon given my positive experience with the Powershot, but I know the DSLR decision would have a much longer impact than the P&S purchase.
- I went to the local Costco and played with both brands.  Nikon felt small in my hands, the Canon Rebel XSi felt better in my hand.
- I did a lot of reading trying to decide between Canon & Nikon and I read a blog post somewhere (can't find it now) where the blogger talked about the DSLR really being an entire system (Lenses, Flashes, Bodies) and that overall, Canon had the best system.  That made a lot of sense to me.

So, I went with the Canon.  Eventually moved up to the 7D and bought several lenses.  Overall, I have been very happy and hope to get a 5DIII some time this year.

17

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 7D - How bad is it? Really?

« on: January 23, 2013, 10:48:22 AM »

I agree with all the other posts.  The 7D is a great camera, and ISO 1600 is very usable, with 3200 ok in certain situations.

However, my experience with the 7D taught me it is not just ISO in isolation (i.e. ISO 1600 or 3200 is always acceptable) - the amount of light is also very important.  For example, if I have reasonably good light, but need a high ISO to push the shutter speed up for sports, then the noise is not too bad.  However, if the ISO is pushed up because I have very poor lighting, then the noise at the same ISO (say 1600) will be too much for me.

For what you describe as your uses, the 7D should work just fine.

18

Lenses / Re: Don't want to make a rookie mistake

« on: December 26, 2012, 09:50:13 PM »

- Sell your 55-250, and purchase the EF 70-200 f/4L (non IS) $629 today at B&H.  For outdoor sports, wildlife, etc.  You don't need IS for sports because your shutter speed will need to be approx 1/500 and at that point IS isn't going to add value.  This is one of the best value L lenses and one of the sharpest 70-200 lenses.

No. Although the 70-200 f/4 L (non-IS) is really good (I have one), it's not ideal for indoor sports.  And more so if you're shooting with a Rebel. Do those still max out at ISO 1600? If so, you're not going to get near enough shutter speed in the average gym. Choir concerts will be even worse.


I'm still saying that a 135mm f/2 L is your best bet for those things, especially if you don't have the coin for a 70-200 f/2.8 L non-IS.

The full recommendation was the 85 f/1.8 for INDOOR, and 70-200 f/4 L for OUTDOOR.
I completely agree f/4 isn't going to cut it in a highschool gym.

19

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 6D or wait for New 7D?

« on: December 26, 2012, 09:18:45 PM »

I have been somewhat debating the same issue.  I have a 7D and it works well for what I do most which is sports - however, I have wanted to get a FF camera.

So for me, the question is do I sell the 7D and get a 5DIII, or keep the 7D for sports and get the 6D for most everything else.

I'm going to wait and see if a 7DII gets announced as a 6D & 7DII combo might be better than a 5DIII (which my current thinking is the 5DIII would be better than the 6D & 7D).

Until then, I'm happy with my 7D.

20

Canon General / Re: Recommended photography books

« on: December 26, 2012, 05:08:24 PM »

Ron Martinsen has reviewed many books and has a list of the ones he recommends.

http://www.ronmartblog.com/2008/05/which-books-should-i-read.html

21

Lenses / Re: 70-300L for Outdoors?

« on: December 07, 2012, 12:40:38 PM »

I have the 70-300L and use it almost exclusively for outdoor sports - football, soccer, cross country and track.

I use it with a 7D.  My exeperience - AF is excellent, rarely misses, very sharp lens, IQ is great, the reach & range is perfect, and it is light enough to hand hold easily.  For what I use it for, this "relatively" affordable lens is perfect.

I also have a 70-200 f/2.8 IS (M1).  The AF can't keep up with the 70-300L - I stopped using it for outdoor sports in favor of the 70-300L, even with lower light situations (cloudy or dusk).  I'd rather use a higher ISO and get in-focus shots than a lower ISO with a lot of misses.

22

Contests / Re: Gura Gear Giveaway!

« on: December 07, 2012, 12:57:19 AM »

I've outgrown & worn out my Rebel "kit" bag, so sure, I'd love a new bag.

23

Lenses / Re: Don't want to make a rookie mistake

« on: November 26, 2012, 01:28:29 PM »

I disagree with the recommendation for the 135 f/2 - excellent lens, but on a crop it will be a bit long on occasion and it would burn up your entire budget.  Instead I would recommend the folowing.

- Purchase the EF 85 f/1.8 ($359 today at B&H) - this will cover most of your fast lens indoor needs, and has excellent focus, and is very sharp.  The AF will keep up with your sports and give you a fast lens for low light events like choir concerts where you might need the range.
- Purchase a flash - I recommend the 430 EX II  ($245 today at B&H).  This will give you the ability to take excellent pictures indoors with your kit lens, and introduces you to the world of lighting.
- Sell your 55-250, and purchase the EF 70-200 f/4L (non IS) $629 today at B&H.  For outdoor sports, wildlife, etc.  You don't need IS for sports because your shutter speed will need to be approx 1/500 and at that point IS isn't going to add value.  This is one of the best value L lenses and one of the sharpest 70-200 lenses.
- Buy a tripod (buy the best one you can with the money you have left).  You will want this for your landscape shooting.

You can get all of the above for what you wanted to spend on one lens (after selling the 55-250).  Plus, with the above gear your photography will advance much further.

My 2 cents.

24

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D vs 5D2???

« on: November 20, 2012, 08:18:09 PM »

I own a 7D and love it.  However, sports is 80% of my shooting.  I had an XSi prior to the 7D and was quite happy with the image quality, but it just didn't cut it for keeping up in the gym with volleyball or basketball.  I bought the 7D for the AF, FPS, and it had a stop higher ISO than my XSi.

I personally find the IQ of the 7D a bit dissapointing when shooting in low light and high ISO (above 800).  High ISO in daylight is much better - it seems to be the combination of low light and high ISO.  Other than that I have no complaints at all with the 7D.

If I was shooting what you described, I wouldn't get a 7D.  I don't see an advantage that the 7D would give you over your current camera for what you shoot.

25

Pricewatch Deals / Re: Buying Used Equipment on LensRentals.com

« on: November 20, 2012, 07:58:42 PM »

Ok, so does anyone have any experience with getting used equipment from them.  I hesitate because rented stuff (e.g., cars) are usually not treated all that well, so what you usually get is some very beat up equipment that won't last as long.  I was hoping to get some feedback from the community as to whether this is an acceptable way of getting good equipment a little cheaper.

I have rented lenses from Lens Rentals 5 or 6  times, and a camera once.  Each and every time the equipment I received was in good working order, and that is the same equipment you are buying.

I know they test each lens after every rental, and keep things maintained, sending lenses to Canon for repair if needed.  They aren't dumping junk, the lenses they sell are in good shape.

I purchased a 70-200 f/2.8 IS from them and had no problems.  They do offer a 3 day inspection period with no questions asked return - but you don't get reimbursed for the shipping.  Also, they warranty the lens for 90 days.  So there is very little risk.

The company is honest and excellent to work with.  They will answer any questions about the history of a specific lens.  They told me the one I bought had been to Canon to fix an AF problem, so I knew what I was getting.

I don't think their normal used prices are much better than you would get elsewhere, but at least you know you are buying from a company that will stand behind their product and will want to make things right if there is an issue.  With the 10% off Black Friday sale, I think their used stuff is a good deal.

If they have something you need or want, I wouldn't hesitate to do business with them.

I know this sounds like a comercial, but there aren't many companies that treat the customer the way they do.

26

Software & Accessories / Re: Need a little help with monitor calibration tools and graphic cards

« on: November 16, 2012, 10:48:55 AM »

I did a lot of research a couple of months ago on color management.  You can spend a lot of time in this area as it gets much more complicated than it would seem on the surface if you really want to understand it deeply.

A big consideration is what devices you want to color manage.  If you only want to color manage the monitor(s) the less expensive devices will work.  If you want to manage your printer as well - then you need a spectrophotometer, which is more expensive.

Here is a good blog post to read on this from Ron Martinsen http://www.ronmartblog.com/search?q=colormunki  He recommends the ColorMunki.

Re: Graphics cards - everything I have read says that Photoshop and lightroom are CPU intensive, not GPU intensive.  I built a PC this summer with the latest desktop i7 processor and just used the on-chip GPU  and my system is very snappy.  I have a SSD as the main drive and 16G of memory.  I don't even have a dedicated graphics card.  I have 7D size raw files and a fairly large number of pictures (10,000+) and it does fine.

Re: Dual monitors.  I have two Dell monitors and the setup works great.  Make sure your system board and/or graphics card(s) support the proper connections for your monitors (VGA, Displayport, DVI, etc.).  In my case I have one monitor connected to VGA and the other to DVI - not optimal but I wanted to use the monitors I had and avoid buying a graphics card.  (Note the max resolution differs between an analog connection and a digital connection on the same monitor).  The color gammut of my two monitors is not the same, so the colors don't exactly match. (I suggest getting identical monitors if you can)  Also, most consumer (low cost) monitors are designed for landscape viewing, and if you turn the monitor to portrait orientation, the angle of view is very narrow.  I have to be looking straight at the monitor to avoid distortion - looking at even a 30 degree angle isn't good.

I use the second monitor in portrait mode in lightroom when previewing portrait shots - it works great.  Lightroom does a very good job with it's dual monitor support.

27

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Will the release of the 6D affect the 5D MkIII's price?

« on: November 15, 2012, 02:34:47 PM »

The price of all electronics comes down over time.  At some point, whatever you buy will be worth less.  This is not an investment.  It is a tool or consumable.

Therefore, if the camera at its current price provides enough value to you to justify the purchase - go for it.  If not, don't - either wait or buy something else.  Worrying about what the camera cost last year or will cost next year makes for interesting discussion, but should not factor into your buying decision.

28

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Upgrade advice: 6D or 5D2/3?

« on: November 15, 2012, 02:15:10 PM »

Here is your problem - you really don't know what you are buying with a 6D if you preorder right now - and you sold your camera so you will need something soon.

6D looks good on paper and I agree with other posters that it is probably the best camera for your needs.  BUT, since no one has tested the camera in depth it could also have some show-stopper issues for you.  You can't know at this point.  Plus if you pre-order you will pay top dollar for the camera.  And the price will surely come down over time.

Here is what I suggest.  Buy a 5DII - maybe even a used one - and keep it for 6 months.  There are screaming deals on this camera right now.  The prices on this shouldn't drop drastically over the next 6 months or so.  After 6 months you can sell it for likely close to what you paid for it.  Consider any difference the price of a 6 month rental.  Now you will be in the position to make an informed decision, and you will likely be getting the 6D or 5DIII for a lower price.  You might even like the 5DII and decide to keep it longer.

My 2 cents

29

Technical Support / Re: Best Methods For Long Term File Storage ??

« on: November 13, 2012, 11:17:34 PM »

But what really worries me is that, at the rate I'm shooting, I'll have hundreds of thousands (maybe a million+?) images by the time I finish.  Is anyone ever going to look at that many photos or care for such a collection?

There will be data mining software that will recognize faces and other image content to pull up specific photos of people, events, etc.

30

Lenses / Re: Opinion: EF 24-70 f/4L IS & EF 35 f/2 IS

« on: November 05, 2012, 12:49:17 PM »

At first when I saw the 24-70 f/4L rumor it made no sense to me with a very good 24-105 f/4L in the lineup.  Who would buy a lens that is basically the same as an existing lens but with a shorter focal length?

After reading some of the posts in this thread, I can see the value of the 24-70 f/4 IS.  The close MFD, near macro capabilities, size & weight, and better optics.  Fair enough.

However, it seems everyone is just accepting as fact that Canon will discontinue the 24-105 f/4 IS - but no one is giving any logical reason for this except canon wants to replace it with something more expensive.  I don't see it as a replacement to the 24-105 f/4, so I'm not buying it.  If Canon wanted to bump up the price of the kit lens they could introduce a mark II of the 24-105 f/4L and price it up a few hundred dollars.

I do not agree that Canon will discontinue the 24-105 f/4 because they introduce the 24-70 f/4.
- Canon has proven they are willing to keep lenses in the line up for decades.  The 24-105 is a great lens and has a lot of life left in it just as it is.  They may choose to leave it as is for a while.  That is different than discontinuing it.

- Canon has no problem with maintaining 4 versions of the 70-200 in the lineup, and 3 versions of the 50mm.  Similar lenses that have differences & different price points can all co-exist.

- Canon needs afordable quality lenses in their line up - much of the L line up is getting out of reach price-wise for a big part of the market.  The 24-105 f/4L is a great value at a price point that is starting to appear "affordable" vs. the rest of the L lineup.

- We don't know pricing yet, but it is likely that the price of the 24-70 f/4L will be several hundred dollars above the 24-105 f/4L if Canon follows recent pricing practices.

Perhaps the L Kit lens becomes the 24-70 f/4L and replaces the 24-105 f/4L.

I haven't heard a convincing argument for Canon to discontinue the 24-105L.  Maybe Craig has inside info he can't share.  Or perhaps someone here can provide some logical reasons for the 24-105L to go away?