May 22, 2013, 07:25:55 AM

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Messages - RustyTheGeek

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151
Software & Accessories / Re: Compactflash Card: SanDisk vs. Lexar...
« on: January 04, 2013, 03:18:40 PM »
They are both quality brands.

I have owned/used Sandisk, PNY, Kingston, WinTec and Transcend with no problems whatsoever.  Before I buy, I tend to look over the reviews from Amazon (General Users), NewEgg (Technical Geeks), B&H and Adorama (Photographers) because each of these retailers have a slightly different demographic.

It's also important to read the specs carefully and understand the difference between Read, Write, Peak and Average Speeds in the Specs.

152
Software & Accessories / Re: Oddest kit purchase?
« on: January 04, 2013, 03:12:37 PM »
I find it amazing how consistently the light doesn't seem to know how much you paid for the modifier in question!  Good 'ole Cowboy Ingenuity (or Cowboy Studio, or Chinese Imports) strikes again!!   ;D

153
Lenses / Re: Canon 24-70mm F4 IS - anybody bought one yet ?
« on: January 04, 2013, 02:57:21 PM »
I guess I'm with 7enderbender on this...

I'm still scratching my head on the new 24-70 F4L IS.  The 24-105 F4L IS is a great L lens at a great price, esp in a kit package.  If I am going to spend tons of cash on a lens, it better offer something better than Hybrid IS compared to a similar lens for half the price.  Sharpness isn't everything.  I think the 24-105 is a great deal for a F4 IS L lens.  I still can't get my head around spending well over $2K for the 24-70 f2.8 vII!!

If I spend $2K on a zoom lens, it will likely be for the well reviewed and stellar 70-200 f2.8 IS-II.

154
Lenses / Re: Oops, did it again !
« on: January 04, 2013, 02:45:35 PM »
Just emailed my camera guy & he apologized over the holidays the 16-35 II was sold! I'm a bit disappointed but whats meant to be is meant to be! I guess i can put away that $ meant for the lens.....FOR NOW until he gets in another! Now he owes me one....maybe a bit more off the asking price of the next one! Hey Haydn1971, lmk how the 16-35 II treats you & send me a message in my inbox...im curious, thanks! Like i said, i luv my 17-40 but 2.8 is big w me so its prob worth the upgrade!

Man, it's always a drag when that happens but it's sort of a relief too.  (In a 'guess it wasn't meant to be' sort of way.)

Have you considered the 16-35 v1 lens?  Maybe this suggestion will draw a lot of critics but I've always loved my v1 16-35 and the filter is 77mm, not 82mm so it may match some of your other lenses.  You might even get it for less!

155
Canon General / Re: necessity of photography school
« on: January 04, 2013, 02:29:01 PM »
A few photography school related questions.

for those who went to school, do you feel like you learned a great amount, or was it more of a business decision to have a diploma.

And from 1 to 10, where would you say you were at before and then after 1 = not knowing you can take off the lens on a slr.  10 = Neuroanatomist

And lastly, could you have learned the same from the internet and experienced friends?

Edit- I do consider photography a form of art and when I said learn, I meant more than just the tech aspect.   
   

I agree with many of the previous posts that either say the following or I just decided to add now...

-  "Proper" Schooling will help you know what you should know, what you don't know and how/why you should go about knowing more.  It gives you perspective.
-  If you are proficient in the technical, take more classes in the art aspects, if you are already art savvy and need technical, put more emphasis there.  Make it count.
-  Decide if the investment in classes is prudent for the ROI when you're done.  If not, review your goals first.
-  We all excel at what we are good at in our comfort zones.  Classes may force you to go outside that zone and learn things you've ignored or put off before.

Keep in mind that if you are considering classes to become a professional photographer + primary breadwinner for your family, think long and hard.  The photography profession, esp these days, is a very tough field to provide for a family with.  It would have to be your dream job in a big way to not go crazy.

156
Canon General / Re: How many clicks in 2012?
« on: January 04, 2013, 01:54:15 PM »
Well, if I count just the 2012 images, I get 27, 053.  Wow.  No wonder the wife has been bitching at me to get more done around the house!  I guess it's possible she's right!  Grumble.....   :o

On the positive side, at least I have a few more years left on the shutters!   :)

157
I skimmed the announcement and not once did I see anything about a free prime rib buffet or table dances.  What exactly is supposed to get me excited about this event again???   ???

158
Canon General / Re: Single point auto focus
« on: January 04, 2013, 01:38:17 PM »
IME, the transition to back button focusing is/was very easy and produced big dividends when I decided to do it.  Trying to peg a specific AF point to a moving subject on the fly just seems very difficult to me with marginal benefit.  I have enough trouble simultaneously thinking about exposure, composition, shutter speed/aperture and how to get that cheerleader doing the splits in midair into the shot on a consistent basis.   :o

Please report back and discuss how it goes for you!!

159
Canon General / Re: Single point auto focus
« on: January 04, 2013, 12:51:06 PM »
This is one of those topics that is purely a personal preference.  Do whatever works for you.

Look at the images you've taken.  Are they in focus?  Are you satisfied and comfortable with your current technique?

Most important:  Are you getting the shot(s)?  If what you are doing now works for you, I definitely wouldn't try to make a change like this on the fly.  Experiment when it doesn't matter, not tonight at a fast paced sports event!

160
Regardless of what it says, Welcome to the Forum!   :D

Yeah, it's a "badge of honor" thing.  The more you participate, the better your camera "badge".  I think it increments after each "milestone" of 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and then who knows?  All I know is that I'm at 5DIII after 250.  I'm guessing that once you get to 500 or 1000(??) it stops at the 1DX but I may be wrong.  I'm sure someone else has it all totally nailed.  You may also notice that there are yellow blocks there too.  The blocks seem to show up with the badge changes.  All I can tell you for sure is that you won't receive any checks in the mail based on your "seniority"!  (At least I haven't yet, maybe others know the right handshake or something.)   8)

Enjoy your time here!!

161
Canon General / Re: Single point auto focus
« on: January 04, 2013, 12:15:58 PM »
We've been down this road before.  It's a personal preference.  Suffice to say that there are two methods (Center + Recompose or Choose AF Pt) outlined in this discussion and both work fine in most cases.  The argument for moving focus points around instead of recomposing with the center point is sound on paper but not very practical in most cases of shooting.  (IMHO)  Nuero's compromise where he starts out with his AF pt off center might save some effort, I'm not sure.  I guess once you get accustomed to moving the points around with the controls it may get easier but in general I don't think it really matters much until you get into the 2" DOF extremes like is mentioned in the linked article.  If I'm on a tripod in a studio, I can take the time to do anything I want including just tweaking the focus manually.

Personally, I have always used the "center and recompose" method when I shoot "in the field" (not on a tripod in a studio).  I naturally keep in mind the DOF I have to work with and compensate when necessary.  To me the "center and recompose" method is a lot simpler than futzing with AF pts all the time and missing the shot.  The shot is what I am concentrating on, not the AF pt position.  Sometimes, center and recompose isn't even fast enough.  And if you change cameras, you have to start over on learning to change the points again.  Ugh.  And many cameras don't have a selectable AF point feature so you're back to center and recompose anyway.

162
Software & Accessories / Re: Oddest kit purchase?
« on: January 04, 2013, 10:42:16 AM »
My Camera Holder Techniques...

I haven't used a neck strap for carrying a camera in over 5 years.  (More than that really.)  I never liked neck straps and I love the diagonal strap method (Black Rapid, et al.) where the camera hangs at your hip.  However, sometimes having a strap at all is too much.  Carrying a DSLR pretty much brands you as a Geek no matter what but I still try to minimize it when possible.  So I came up with a way to have the camera at my hip without a strap at all.  It's hard to eat and drink when you can't put down your camera.  I use a true climbing carabiner on my belt.  It's large, precise and sticks out just enough.  I tried this with the cheap smaller carabiners (which I use for a million other things) but they aren't big enough to manipulate on my belt.  This is exactly what I purchased so I would have two and the bent style works best...
http://www.rei.com/product/809731/black-diamond-positron-quickdraw-set

This evolved from what I do when on campouts.  I have a simple rule when in dirty environments or where lots of kids are running around knocking things off tables, spilling things, etc.  I never set my camera down on anything.  It's either hanging off me somehow, or it's hanging off something else (preferably at eye level or above) like a tree, a tall branch or a structure beam.  To do this I simply use bungee cords or whatever to allow the use of a carabiner to connect the loop that is screwed into the 1/4-20 socket on the bottom of the camera.  I also will hang a camera(s) from a secure carabiner attached to the head rest in the car because I know the camera will not fall, fly or otherwise be damaged while driving.  This is faster than stowing it in a case, esp if I want to leave a flash, etc on it.  I also hang a camera(s) from baker's rack shelving in my office sometimes to get them out of the way.

Bonus...
I also use a Nikon AH-4 Leather Hand Grip on all my cameras.  As a result, the plate on the bottom gives me another place to attach a standard 1" steel keyring which hangs over the bottom corner a bit because I reverse the plate when I install the grip on the camera.  My strapless carabiner on belt carry method can be used with or without the AH-4 but it's easier with the AH-4 + keyring and I think it hangs better as well.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Nikon-AH-4-Leather-Hand-Grip-Review.aspx

So to summarize - bungee straps, belts, carabiners of all kinds and 1/4-20 screw in loop devices to hang from are all very handy to secure the camera in many different situations...



163
Software & Accessories / Re: Oddest kit purchase?
« on: January 04, 2013, 10:06:40 AM »
Great Minds Think Alike!

I have also done the following (like many of you)...

-  Can Coozy Neoprene Lens Cover (esp for my 15mm FishEye, then I finally got a Op/Tech version)
-  SunShade Reflectors (I use the collapsible circular ones but I'll look for those colored ones)
-  Semi-Transparent diffused plastic shower curtain to use in front of harsh window light, etc for portraits
-  Multiple things for flash reflectors/diffusers like cards, toilet paper, napkins, cloth, foil, etc.
-  I keep a large rubber band with my B+W Polarizer because it will always "lock" on a lens.

There's gotta be more I've done that's similar but it's still early and I'm only on coffee cup #1...   ;)

164
PowerShot / Re: Boy Scout Photography Class - Thoughts?
« on: January 03, 2013, 10:15:52 PM »
I was a scout and would have loved this opportunity. There will always be immature nit-wits around that age group though. Macro might be cool for the younger guys. the history of gun-cotton and exploding photographers, and the camera obscura might be neat. lens-rentals has some neat articles and facts about the history. Goodf luck!

Some great ideas I hadn't thought of for keeping it interesting Ryan708.  Thanks!

165
I'm researching how I will use the 6D WiFi for tethered shooting and I found this write up about 6D Battery Life.  He details how he set it all up and shoots continuously every 3 seconds with WiFi and GPS active.  Wow.  Impressive!  (Internal WiFi tethered shooting was one reason I got the 6D.)

http://www.p4pictures.com/2012/12/eos-6d-battery-life-with-wifi-gps/

Quote from article...

Some hours later…

2895 pictures on a single LP-E6

I used one of my well used LP-E6 batteries for the test, it shows two green squares in the health section. I’m simply stunned to find that nearly 3,000 actuations and almost two and a half hours later the camera shut down and stopped sending files. I checked the mac, all the files up until then had transferred and had GPS info in them.

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