Thanks for all the replies.

My employer will definitely insure everything and is the type to track performance metrics on moving companies to ensure bad actors are not used often. But again, I would like to avoid potential problems as much as possible. All the replies have some good advice that I can and will use.

If birds are your target…you cannot go wrong with the 400 f5.6. When I first got it I ,too, regretted that it didn't have IS.
Initially my keeper rate was very low and I was more than a little frustrated..…however being stubborn, I persevered and with practise this lens (w/7D) is a deadly combo. Once you really learn how wonderful this lens is ,you won't leave home without….I don't, and I also own a 500 f/4. If you are shooting things that move 'fast'…. IS may only serve to slow your AF.

I'm stoked for this release! I have 2 Mitros+ strobes and the Odin TCU, and it's a great setup. I love that I can easily throw my AlienBee in the mix with a cheap Strato receiver.

Looks like they are addressing the two major issues with the original unit - allowing for quick selection of groups, and adding AF assist.

If possible, keep your gear at ambient outdoors temperatures if you are planning on shooting outdoors most of the time. You can remove the battery and the card and keep battery in your pocket (keep warm to hold charge) or take card up into heated or cooled indoors to load on the computer. Gear acclimates well over an hour or two in the car trunk on the way to the shooting location.

OP made the right choice with 5D3 and 24-70 f/2.8 II. For others who are not doing low light event work, etc, the 7D2 could be combined with the EF-S 15-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS (good for landscape shooters), the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 (probably the best lens all-around), or the Sigma 18-35 (low light special, walkabout for people who don't need the short-telephoto capacities of the other two EF-S zooms). Using my beloved 60D, I shoot landscape/ nature/ supertele (400mm f/5.6L) birds, so the EF-S 15-85 is a great walkabout lens for me, supplemented by the macro EF-S 60 f/2.8, an inexpensive sharp little lens. I have started shooting low light FF landscape / astro with 6D, also a very appealing camera. Eventually, a 7D2 is in the picture - but my laptop is 4+ years old, its screen is developing lines, I hesitate to make a major OS update, and I am contemplating getting a new power-user laptop. My guess is that the 60D is going to outlast the laptop, and that a new maxed out Mac MBP Retina 15" plus some software updates (LR4 to LR5) and try new RAW converters (Capture Pro 8 for Canon files, Iridient Developer for Sigma files?) are going to be bought first.

I would choose the first solution.

Buy a 6D and then save money for a wide angle lens like 17-40mm f/4 or even 16-35mm f/4 IS.
If I did not do so much animal photography I would have gone to FF know.

Canon 16-35mm f/4 IS because of IS and better sharpness than 17-40mm f/4.
But for it price the 17-40mm is quite attractive too

I keep all boxes just in case of resell.
If I bought used material I would also want the box and the invoice too

over at IR

www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/09/27/photokina-interview-samsung-nx1-redefine-pro-performance-quantum-leap-tech

seems they've done some careful thinking about their approach to the system and will be interesting to see how it plays out

tolusina said:

jrista said:

I found this the other day:

http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2014/09/chipworks-iphone-6-plus-teardown-finds.html

Looks like even iPhone has moved to Exmor. Excerpt form Chipworks (their page doesn't seem to be loading at the moment):

"The iPhone 6 Plus iSight camera chip is housed in a camera module measuring 10.6 mm x 9.3 mm x 5.6 mm thick. Fabricated by Sony, the iSight camera chip is a stacked (Exmor RS), back-illuminated CMOS image sensor (CIS) featuring 1.5 µm generation pixels (introduced for the iPhone 5s). The die size is 4.8 mm x 6.1 mm (29.3 mm2). The phase pixel pairs have all been implemented in the green channel and cover the majority of the active pixel array."

"Our speculation of Sony winning the FaceTime sockets, though, turned out to be correct. We’ve just confirmed the iPhone 6 Plus FaceTime camera is a stacked Sony CIS and will provide more details in a future update."

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Is this a Good Thing™ or a Bad Thing™?

Can Exmors withstand bending?




.

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hahahahaha

privatebydesign said:

Helevitia said:

So, looking at my choices, I basically want the 5D4 for less than $2k

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And I want a 1DX MkII for less than $4,000 and a 1Ds MkIII replacement for less the $5,000 too, guess what, it ain't gonna happen.

Incidentally, what difference does USB 3 make to anything?

Look around all you want, you will find the high end DSLR crop camera market wanting, if you have decent lens requirements your choices are the 7D MkII and the 5 year old Nikon D300s, which is basically the 7 year old D300, and if you are a gambler this weeks Sony offering, but it probably won't be supported next week.

If you truthfully want a serious IQ kick then same generation FF gives it to you, but at a price, if you can't or don't want to afford the price then you have to make a compromise.

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I think the crippled SD slot is a bigger PITA than no usb 3...

justsomedude said:

Just saw the $50 price drop this afternoon on Amazon... thought I'd share the savings...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FH1KX2/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Maybe Amazon is starting their Xmas pricing early.

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Last year IIRC they all had it for $449, and best of all, Adorama had 2x 600s plus ST-E3-RT for $ 1020.

This is the next level of relying on software PP to correct for barrel distortion so lens makers can cheap out and leaving the distortion uncorrected: A fish eye zoom from wide to tele! Barrel distortion is never corrected and if you want you can rely on software to do that! And kiss your sharp corners good bye!

Very nice shots petach. I especially like the second one. Well done Sir.

canon_guy said:

good lighting, is that special techique?

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nope, no secret recipe......just good old fashioned guesswork and machine gun photography! :0)

Cheers

cheers all, appreciated

jdramirez said:

Video. I have the fluid head but I haven't used it yet. I'm fond of it... but I WANTED to love it... I think longer feet without the ball would make me happy, but I did use the ball to get the shaft perpendicular to the ground, so I'm complaining for very little reason.

awinphoto said:

jdramirez said:

I picked up a manfrotto with the feet... the 5d mkiii plus a lens unstable if the monopod is extended... but if I keep the neck strap around my neck... I minimize the risk of it falling due to being unbalanced.

I tightened the ball and it isn't bad, but I feel as though I am lubing it up on the ball to keep it firm, but smooth.

It is heavy... but nothing a trip or two to three gym can't solve.

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Do you have the one i have, or the video version with the semi pivoting feet? Mines pretty stable as long as it's in controlled environments... and that's with my 5d3 and 24-105... When using the 70-200, i have the collar so it's more balanced

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Gotcha... i think my feet extend about 12-15 inches in each direction. I've got 2 ball heads i use for it... one's a pistol grip, and ones a reg manfrotto ball head (photo head, not video)... have no complaints... i have had issues when i tried using it outdoors once (and forgot to pack my tripod), but really i woulda been shocked if it worked properly also...

tiger82 said:

Premium = the current additional cost for additional features. 1D4 = $1500, 1Dx = $6799

I'm sorry, we must use current values for value tradeoff analysis

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I was merely quoting the relative prices of my camera to show that the 1DX need not be such a price jump as many seem to think. Naturally if you are going to compare a new current camera to a superseded, lesser, used model it is going to be more expensive - that seems pretty obvious.
As to the 1DX being worth the extra, to me, it most certainty is! If you are using long lenses in less than perfect light then the difference in AF and ISO performance is a lot, so much so that I have only used the IS on my Canon 800 F5.6 once (briefly) this year so I am additionally benefiting from further improvements in AF performance from the lens as well as the camera. The AF benefits of turning off IS are very small but I am getting more successful shots since turning it off, this applies to a friends Canon 600 F4 L IS as well, doesn't seem to make much difference with my 300 F2.8 L IS though.
If you are shooting in reasonable light then the 1D4 is still an excellent camera - the 1DX is simply better.

I know for myself I want both a small easy to carry mirrorless such as the M with an APS-C sensor and a FF version with all the benefits of a truly pro grade system. I don't really care about the size of the FF camera. I had the shutter on my 5Dll take a dump after leaving it in the trunk of my car for too long (I know, my own fault). Just another reason to loose the shutter along with the mirror.

SPKoko said:

AlanF said:

Yesterday, I tried out the 70D with the 300/2.8 II + 1.4xTC III. It was good at f/4. But, for reach limited subjects, the 300/2.8 II + 2xTC III was even better.

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Do you mean that the 2xTC on FF is better than a 70D+1.4xTC? And what about a 70D vs 1.4xTC on FF?

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I posted earlier an example where 70D with the 300/2.8 II + 1.4xTC III was as good as 5DIII with the 300/2.8 II + 2xTC III. I meant here that 70D with the 300/2.8 II + 2xTC III was better than 70D with the 300/2.8 II + 1.4xTC III in a highly reach limited situation.

I haven't compared 70D plus 300/2.8 II vs 5DIII with the 300/2.8 II + 1.4xTC III.

The 5DIII does not have exchangeable focusing screens supported from Canon. I have previously tried the Eg-S screen, made for 5DII and 6D, but that is not a mechanical fit. I found an instruction video on youtube, showing how to install it, but it did not work well over time. After a couple of weeks I got a focus offset (appeared as a +75 AFMA offset). Using AF still worked, but the visual appearance in the view finder, when the subject was in focus, was anything but in focus.

I have since only used my 1DX with the Ec-S screen for manual focus lenses. I hardly ever use a tripod, so I must be able to focus through the viewfinder. I am not able to focus with handheld live view.

A couple of weeks back I ordered a custom made S-type focusing screen for the 5DIII, from Focusing Screen in Taiwan (www.focusingscreen.com). It arrived today and I have installed it (only takes about 5 minutes) and played with it. Mechanically identical to the original and fit perfectly. Initial impression is very good. I have only used it indoors, in rather dim light, but my keeper rate (Otus 55mm @f1.4) is very high (still subjects) and equal to what I am able to get with the 1DX.

I have not done a very thorough testing of the need for exposure compensation. But as far as I can see from the images I have, there does not seem to be a need for any adjustments. But the viewer does get a bit darker, so it is best used with f2.8 or faster lenses. I tried the 600 f4L IS II, but (for dim indoor shots) then the viewer turned too dark. That was expected though.

So, for those of you who are happy with your 5DIII, but would like to also use manual focus lenses, this is clearly a good option.

How soon before we have liquid cooled hand held cameras?

photonius said:

Are the Chinese lens copies now coming?

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Probably, but the thread copies are coming for sure ... http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=22957.0

I know this photographer who likes to do this with models with tattoos and he has N Guage figures posed as if they are painting the model. Pretty clever especially with the right lighting.

good

It looks like 99% of the AF settings are the same as the original 7D (the shutter / focus priority, AF point modes, etc etc). That said, this AF system clearly will kick the crap out of the original 7D in terms of actual performance. Also, I like some of the new features of the camera, particularly what is shown on pg 44 and pg 46. I can't wait to have this thing in my hands.