Messages

16

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Announces the EOS T5i

« on: March 22, 2013, 05:23:20 AM »

Underwhelming 700D from Canon.
Could the 70D also retain the old 18 Mp sensor?
eg 60D plus AFMA!
I am still hopeful the 7D2 will have the new sensor but I think delivery will be much much later than rumoured  - maybe 2014 - look what's happened to the 200-400/4.

17

Lenses / Re: "Big White" lens choice

« on: March 07, 2013, 08:44:38 AM »

Get the 400/2.8II

f2.8 is highly preferable in poor light.

Furthermore if you get the 7D2 with its rumoured 24Mp your image size will be equivalent to 460/2.8 on the current 7D.

18

Lenses / Re: Camera & Lens Focus Calibration

« on: March 07, 2013, 08:05:41 AM »

No lens can maintain optimum sharpness right through from close range say 10m to infinity - in practice anything beyond a few hundred metres.

So ideally you need to do your AFMA for your normal approx favourite photographing distance.

Long lenses are birders lenses designed for optimum performance at relatively close range rather than infinity.

Interesting to read Thom Hogan's reviews on long Nikons and his comment that they loose some sharpness at long distance. Same probably applies to Canon.

19

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon to announce a new 80-400 VR lens this week?

« on: March 06, 2013, 07:27:20 AM »

The tripod mount of this lens looks pretty flimsy for a 1.6kg (3.5lb) lens.

That's one thing you can guarantee with Nikon - flimsy mounts on their long lenses.

They may have clever optical engineers but it surely would not cost a lot to get a structural engineer with finite element software to check out the stiffness and vibration characteristics before they go for production.

20

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon to announce a new 80-400 VR lens this week?

« on: March 04, 2013, 03:36:49 PM »

With no new Canon 400/5.6 or 100-400/5.6 in sight this could mean Nikon take over the prosumer 400mm sector particularly if this lens is allied to the 24Mp DX bodies they already have in production.

If this lens is really sharp it should be a great performer with the D7100. Wake up call for Canon - where are your new 400/5.6 lenses?

21

EOS Bodies / Re: Will the 70d have a new sensor?

« on: March 01, 2013, 04:33:56 AM »

I'm with those that think the existing 18Mp will be in the 70D if it is the first of the 7s out - but it could well have AFMA which would be very useful.

For marketing purposes I think the 700D will have the new sensor as the 7D2 - perhaps 24Mp but maybe 21Mp.

If the 700D was coming out first then all three would have sensor upgrade IMO!!!

A bit convoluted - but don't rule out 21Mp - which would fit in with the general conservatism of Canon designers whose motto is slow but steady.

22

EOS Bodies / Re: Pixel density, resolution, and diffraction in cameras like the 7D II

« on: February 28, 2013, 06:06:56 AM »

Can jrista take account of the heavy AA filters on Canon sensors in his calcs or have I missed something?

On pentaxforums you will see comparisons between the K5-II and the filterless K5-IIs. Both have same 16Mp sensors but the -IIs is a whole lot sharper and is claimed to be equivalent to a filtered 24Mp camera.

Does this matter in the real world? Well yes maybe if you want to use 100pc crops.

Will Canon introduce something like the D7100 in their well trailed up coming 7D2, 70D, 700D series?

Somehow doubt it.

Excellent stuff jrista - thanks for posting.

23

Lenses / Re: Super Tele Zoom Lens substitute for a spotting scope?

« on: February 25, 2013, 11:09:03 AM »

Nikon used to make one - I mean Nikon made in Japan - for Nikon lenses only in the 80s and 90s I think.
Very high optical and mechanical quality.
When they - rarely - crop up they are very expensive.
The 180USD one illustrated for Canon would probably be made in China with maybe dubious optics!!

24

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon 7100 has been anounced

« on: February 25, 2013, 04:51:07 AM »

This 7100 may well be the sharpest APS-C camera around for a long time - in theory!

But no AFMA facility on it?

So in practice you may have to be very lucky to realise its full potential on your favourite lens.

25

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: Nikon 7100 has been anounced

« on: February 22, 2013, 02:55:05 PM »

24Mp sensor with no AA filter!!
Should yield very sharp 100pc crops superior to anything seen yet in APS-C format.
Can't see Canon providing anything equivalent in the upcoming 7D2, 70D series which will - in all probability - have the usual strong filters.

26

Software & Accessories / Re: Best Practices for using a Monopod

« on: February 13, 2013, 08:26:14 AM »

Pity they don't make bipods for photographers.
Much steadier than monopods - that's why rifle marksmen use them.
Yep twice the weight of a monopod but twice as steady - and one third lighter than a tripod.
A bipod with a good ball head would be ideal steady support for panning shots.

27

EOS Bodies / Re: Where are you EOS 70D?

« on: January 24, 2013, 09:42:13 AM »

It is ridiculous if they put the same old 18 mpix sensor in the 70D!
I will definitely NOT buy 70D if it uses the same sensor.

Make at least a new sensor with better iso performance and better dynamic range!!!

I dont care about how many pixels it has. Just improve high iso performance and dynamic range and I will buy it

I would bet a small amount that the 70D - if it comes out soon- ie well ahead of a 7D2 launch will have the same 18Mp sensor as the 60D.

Canon certainly needs to be more innovative by even just thinking about subletting more sensor designs to Sony or Toshiba.

28

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Is Full Frame sharper than APS-C? My answer here

« on: January 22, 2013, 06:48:12 AM »

If you can get close enough to your subject with a 36x24 sensor camera to fill the viewfinder then FF camera is to be preferred. If the image is small in frame with lots of cropping eg aircraft in flight or BIF then the APS-C format is just as good. There are other considerations of course such as pixel size, lens quality etc etc.

In film days the bigger the format the better eg my Mamiya 645 (56x42mm neg size) always beat Nikon/Canon SLR (36x24mm neg size) - for quality large prints - and a Pentax 6x7 (70x56mm neg size) would always beat a Mamiya 645 etc  The same analogy applies to digital.

I suspect that in the long term the APS-C format may disappear - but maybe not!

29

Third Party Manufacturers / Re: D5200 review

« on: January 21, 2013, 09:22:33 AM »

Why someone would talk about Nikon products on a Canon forum?

As soon as anyone mentions the opposition Canon fan boys jump in - sad really.

Read what the poster has to say and you might learn something.

30

EOS Bodies / Re: Patent: Noise & Aliasing Reduction for Small Pixels

« on: January 20, 2013, 03:32:35 PM »

This patent won't frighten the competition as both Nikon and even Pentax are well ahead and already have camera sensors with no anti - aliasing filters and they apparently work.

While Canon makes the finest top of the range lenses I can't help thinking they are falling behind with their sensor technology.

Don't expect much from the 7D II somehow - except delays - perhaps even the same old sensor. Well you can't have everything!
[/quote
Rubbish ... The 5DIII produces no moire or aliasing in video, whereas the D800 is about the same as the 5DII.  Nikon is behind on this.

I was actually referring to the D800e.