Messages

1

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: F/8 Autofocusing impressions

« on: May 20, 2013, 10:45:58 AM »

My car runs fine, except when I try to back up while turning - then the steering wheel locks up.  But otherwise, it works fine.  Maybe that fits some people's definition of 'works fine' - not mine.

But hey, if locking up with AFMA means the Kenko TC 'works' then you could also say the Canon 1.4x 'works' with the 70-300L. If you zoom the lens out to the 250-300mm range, the 1.4x TC can be mounted.  It will AF on the 5DIII, you can AFMA the combo, and your camera won't lock up.  Retracting the zoom will bump the rear lens element into the rubber ring on the TC, long as you keep the zoom extended, it 'works' just fine.

Touche, Neuro, I clearly should have said it works fine--provided AFMA is not required. As stated in my other thread, I'm not happy about not being able to AFMA the lens + Kenko TC combo (although I'm still playing with possible work-arounds). That said, I'm getting well auto-focused shots from my various lenses + Kenko TC combos, including at f/8, and they are quite sharp.

2

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: F/8 Autofocusing impressions

« on: May 20, 2013, 08:24:53 AM »

Someone please explain this f/8 brouhaha to me: my 5D3 + Kenko 1.4x tele-extender + 400 & 70-300 auto-focus (at f/8, pre-firmware update) all day long. I just downloaded the firmware update and will install it later today, but I've been auto-focusing just fine at f/8 for some time. Am I missing something?

The Kenko locks up the 5DIII when used with the latest generation telephotos, and you have to remove the battery to restart.

I found this to be true ONLY when AFMA is enabled. Otherwise, Kenko TC's autofocus fine at f/8 and did so prior to the 5D3 firmware update.

3

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Kenko teleconverter questions

« on: May 19, 2013, 08:40:47 PM »

Yes I got that, and I assumed you used "Adjust by lens", so I wondered if (after removing the current setting) you could set the measured amount in "All by the same amount" and then add the teleconverter. And alternatively if you could set up "Adjust by lens" while the Kenko teleconverter is attached. But the latter will most likely crash the camera at some point so I'm not asking you to try this. I have kenko teleconverters so if I ever get another camera it will have AFMA and I can test it myself (my 600D doesn't do AFMA).

Hmm, interesting ideas. I might have time to experiment a bit with some of the combos you suggest, tomorrow. I did record all of my AFMA numbers for each lens, so there's no risk of losing them and having to retest. I'll let you know how it goes.

4

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Kenko teleconverter questions

« on: May 19, 2013, 07:42:16 PM »

The question is whether the combos with the Kenko TC are giving accurate focus.  Because if they're not, and you can't apply AFMA, I don't think you can state that your Kenko TC actually 'works'.

Yes--they work--the Kenko TC combos yield sharp images. I just want them to be as sharp as they can possibly be, hence my desire to test/adjust them in FoCal.

5

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Kenko teleconverter questions

« on: May 19, 2013, 06:49:01 PM »

Mt Spokane, I appreciate your input. Again, I need the Kenko because it's the only TC that works with the 70-300L; Canon TC's are not an option. So, I have to decide if I need a teleconverter for my 70-300L more than I need properly AFMA'ed lenses. Tough call, especially because my 70-300L is so sharp, right out of the box.

spturtle, here was my sequence: I attached my EF 400 f/5.6 lens and ran FoCal to get an AFMA of +7. I then attached the Kenko TC and previously AFMA'ed 400, thinking I'd AFMA this combo next. That's when things went nuts. Once I realized my only escape was popping the battery, my only option was to DISABLE AFMA so I could use the TC + lens combo.

6

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Kenko teleconverter questions

« on: May 19, 2013, 04:07:13 PM »

1.  No effect on MFD. Max mag increases by TC factor (1.4x or 2x).

2.  You won't have that problem with a Canon TC. The body will treat lens + TC as a separate 'lens' - which it should, because a TC can (likely will) alter the needed AFMA.  Some models/versions (versions as in 'blue dot' or 'green dot') of Kenko TCs have that issue - Kenko releases versions with new firmware (dot color) to work around such issues, no idea of there's a fix but I don't believe there is - one reason I've stuck with Canon TCs.

Thanks, Neuro. I bought the Kenko because it works with the 70-300L, whereas the Canon TC does not. The Kenko is a fine TC at a reasonable price and works well with all of my lenses with little perceptible degradation in IQ. This AFMA issue is the first problem I've encountered (mine is "Blue Dot," the latest version).

I expected, as you said, for the lens + TC combo to be treated as a separate lens with its own AFMA, but there's something amiss in the communication between the 3 parts. As soon as you turn the camera on with AFMA enabled and lens + TC attached, everything goes nuts. Even turning the camera body off has no affect--you have to pop the battery out to get the camera to properly reboot--and that's only after you've removed the offending lens + TC combo.

7

Third Party Manufacturers / Kenko teleconverter questions

« on: May 19, 2013, 03:10:11 PM »

1. How do teleconverters affect a lens's Minimum Focus Distance?

2. When I AFMA a lens with FoCal, it gives me a figure (+3 or -2, etc.) that I manually dial into my AFMA menu on my 5D3. But when I then attach a Kenko 1.4x teleconverter between that lens and body, the body goes nuts. To regain control, I must remove the battery for at least 5 seconds. If I disable AFMA, I can attach and use the lens and teleconverter without a problem. So, is there any way to get AFMA to play nice with Kenko teleconverters, or must I always remember to disable AFMA before using it? And do Canon teleconverters face this same issue?

8

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: F/8 Autofocusing impressions

« on: May 17, 2013, 01:13:59 PM »

Someone please explain this f/8 brouhaha to me: my 5D3 + Kenko 1.4x tele-extender + 400 & 70-300 auto-focus (at f/8, pre-firmware update) all day long. I just downloaded the firmware update and will install it later today, but I've been auto-focusing just fine at f/8 for some time. Am I missing something?

You are missing ... Canon teleconverters which report the correct maximum aperture to camera.

When you put kenco with your say 400 f/5.6 lens does it report it as having a maximum f/8 aperture? I guess not! It still reports it as f/5.6!

You have effectively a 1.4X400 = 560mm f/8 lens but the camera thinks it is connected to a f/5.6 maximum aperture lens and tries to autofocus!

When my Kenko is attached to my EF 400 f/5.6 lens, the 5D3 tells me that the max aperture available is f/8. It auto-focuses just fine (I used it that way between my last post and this post). The EXIF data in Lightroom lists the lens as the EF 400 f/5.6, but the images display the correct EXIF data: f/8. So, tron, maybe I'm still not seeing something, but this all jives.

9

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: F/8 Autofocusing impressions

« on: May 17, 2013, 10:15:52 AM »

Someone please explain this f/8 brouhaha to me: my 5D3 + Kenko 1.4x tele-extender + 400 & 70-300 auto-focus (at f/8, pre-firmware update) all day long. I just downloaded the firmware update and will install it later today, but I've been auto-focusing just fine at f/8 for some time. Am I missing something?

10

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Fuji x100(s) to Supplement an SLR

« on: May 13, 2013, 12:59:38 PM »

Here's an added question for those of you who already own the X100 or X100s:

Is the camera easy enough to shoot with one-handed? Traveling solo, I often use my S90 to shoot "self-portraits" at arm's length when I'm surrounded by school kids or chatting with locals or otherwise not able to use the self-timer or a remote with a tripod and want to be in the picture. I do this with thumb and forefinger, holding the camera upside-down with my left hand, when necessary (flipping the photos in PP). So, is the Fuji small enough, light enough, and ergonomically capable of doing the same thing?

11

Lenses / Re: Lenses for climbing photography

« on: May 13, 2013, 10:01:47 AM »

I agree with Neuro. I climb, own the 70-300L, and find they're a great combo. With this lens instead of the 70-200 you could also dispense with the 1.4X TC--a pain to be putting on and taking off when you're up high. It's well weather sealed, built like a tank, relatively small, and produces some of the sharpest pictures you'll ever get out of a zoom.

12

Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: CamRanger,anyone tried it?

« on: May 13, 2013, 08:37:01 AM »

I watched a hands-on demo of the device at the NANPA Summit in early March by the CamRanger folks. They were selling so many of them there that they had to phone home and get a bunch more. It was impressive, if a tad slow. The software works well, but has a version 1.0 look to it. I walked away thinking this functionality will likely be built into higher end DSLR's in the future, but if you already have an iPad, it would be fun to get now.

I camp a lot and like to take night photos, so I loved their promo shot of the guy snug inside his tent while his DSLR sat out on the tripod remotely controlled from the warmth of his sleeping bag!

13

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Fuji x100(s) to Supplement an SLR

« on: May 12, 2013, 01:36:15 PM »

I use the same set-up as the OP: 5D3 & S90. I'm also looking to update the S90 and considering the X100s, since I had been toying with getting a 35mm f/2 for the 5D (and the Fuji's 23mm lens is equivalent to 35mm). All the reviews seem to love this camera. Availability remains tight and price is high, but maybe it's worth it? I'm thinking I'll rent one from Lens Rentals to give it a whirl, first.

14

Canon General / Photographer for Apple uses 5DIII + 24-70mm (Peter Belanger)

« on: May 08, 2013, 02:56:04 PM »

Interesting article on The Verge about Peter Belanger and how he uses his 5D to shoot Apple product photos. He does some amazing stuff with lighting to get his creative results. Here's the link:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/8/4311868/the-illusion-of-simplicity-photographer-peter-belanger-on-shooting

15

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Focal Plus vs Pro? Which do you recommend?

« on: May 07, 2013, 09:49:04 AM »

One last thing, at the time of this writing I can't recommend the software for Mac. I had nothing but problems with it and it made for one very frustrating evening. I now run it on a windows 7 VM without issue. Just aheads up!

Ripley, did you try the latest version of the software or the older beta Mac-version? I'm looking to order the Pro version of FoCal today, and Reikan claims that it's now fully Mac compatible. What Mac are you using and what version of OSX?