The first two are better, yes...great job!

privatebydesign said:

YES.

"The PlusX is compatible with all Standard Channel-capable PocketWizard transmitters and receivers, so it's the perfect companion for your existing radios and new flashes."

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Work great, but just make sure you're on 'standard channels' currently (1-10).

neuroanatomist said:

dhachey77 said:

The AF isn't accurate and fast enough, and the shutter speed is too slow for BIF.

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But perhaps you mean frame rate, and the 33% faster fps of the 5DIII definitely gives a better chance of catching optimal wing position.

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Yes, sorry, I meant frame rate.

Jim Saunders said:

Those numbers are for each of my three lights fired in ETTL at a piece of paper on the wall, with white balance drawn from the white panel on my WhiBal card using the tool in LR5; I should have specified. If you want I can try each of them at different power settings.

Jim

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oic... thanks Jim for all the help! I think I have a bigger problem than that now...
My 600 is vy voltage sensitive with regard to recycling time.
Freshly charged Eneloop AA batteries give a recycling time of 2.4S when an eneloop
charged just 2 days ago gives > 3.2S! I think this is unacceptable and I am going to exchange my 600ex-rt.
Probably the color temp thing is related.

Thanks all for helping out! John

Ok, didn't mean to upset anyone.
There's no need to be aggresive Lichtgestalt. I was simply excited to use the camera and after RTFM I confused that silly video/liveview option. No one forces you to answer a question you consider dumb. Just move along.
Thanks for the patience to the other forists though.
I got it now, thanks Dkocher for the advice! Everything's fixed and working great.
Appreciate your answers!!

xx Stf

terminatahx said:

DigitalRev is garbage - http://www.resellerratings.com/store/DigitalRev_Limited

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Generally looks like people buying from the UK are having a very different experience from those in the US

I have a 5D3 and I select an AF point closest to where I want to focus, back-button AF to lock and move to recompose then shoot.
This minimises the chance that re-composing would change the AF plane of focus.

Works well for me.

Also, I try and shoot portraits in the studio at f8 or f11 - nice sharp aperture for my lens and decent depth of field to work with too.

A 300 f/2.8 Wi both 1.4x as well as 2x should be perfect. The combo is surprisingly light for hand held shooting if you need it.

With the 400 2.8 onwards ... You'll probably need a gimbal and a superbly stable tripod.

Chris Geiger said:

To start with I don't like the 50mm 1.4 at all. When you are wide open it is very soft. No sharpness anywhere in the images. I had one for a time but sold it. I get much sharper results from my Sigma 85 1.4.

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I think for closeup shots, the need to use it wide open would be very minimal, unless going for a really arty shot, where ultimate sharpness probably isn't important anyway.

Chris Geiger said:

As to macro lens or spacers I see opinions posted here with nothing to back it up. If your going to say that a macro is better, you need to say why it is better. Frankly I don't think it is better. Are your you going to get better depth of field with a macro lens? No, are you going to get a sharper image with a macro lens? No.

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Actually, although I was suggesting extension tubes, logically, a macro lens should be sharper for closeups, as it the design is optimised for that short of work, while other primes have different compromises in thir designs. However, at teh size of images generally reproduced for weddings, the differences wouldn't really be noticeable, particularly as your average bride and groom won't be doing much pixel peeping. The question is more, "is the lens sharp enough?", not "which one is sharper?". I do have examples with my extension tubes, but not with the 50 f/1.4, so they wouldn't be of much use and for the small cost of a set of extensions tubes that could have other uses...

Chris Geiger said:

Are you really going to carry a macro lens around all day just to get a few ring shots? It takes me 30 seconds to set up a ring shot with an extension tube. I install the tube, crank up the ISO to 6400, turn the lens to F11, set manual focus and zoom my 24-70 to 70mm. Now I am ready to shoot macro and I did not have to go get a different lens.

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I make use of my macro lens, but for occasional use, I would agree.

GrgK said:

Thanks guys for sharing your experience. Today I had the opportunity to try the lens in a camera shop on a 600D and got the same results. The guy there also said this must be a factory defect. :'( I'll return this lens asap and try to put my hands on another one which does't have this issue.

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Good luck! This is one of the most fun lenses I know, and the results can be stunning.

I think you did the right thing, the 135mmL is wonderful, but not so much with extenders. I just checked, and of 5049 images with the 135mmL, I only have 3 with the 1.4X that I kept. I stopped using that combination when I did not get as good of results as I had hoped for. They are sharp in the center, but would not match the 70-200L MK II.

ajfotofilmagem said:

Is possible, but... :-\ Buy multiple rings "step up" and use this huge hulk a small camera does not seem a good idea. Even as closeup filter robs image quality. See if you can find an extension tube for macro EOS M.

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A single step up ring can be had, but a 77mm closeup lens might be a bit heavy -
http://www.ebay.com/itm/52mm-77mm-Step-Up-Filter-Ring-52-77-mm-Stepping-Adapter-/141071150461?pt=US_Filter_Rings_Holders&hash=item20d87eed7d#ht_304wt_919

better choice is -

EOS-M extension tubes are available from at least a couple of vendors - for example
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meike-Auto-Focus-Macro-Extension-Tube-Adapter-for-Canon-EOS-M-EFM-lens-/190888120798?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item2c71d191de

To all of those having difficulties focusing either the 50mm f1.2 or 85mm f1.2:
The prime reason for your issues with focusing is likely your camera body.

Use a 5D Mark III or 1-series body and you will be focusing just fine.

Using something like a 7D will make focusing at f1.2 somewhat of a challenge, even though its autofocus is generally quite good. I've been in that situation and after upgrading to my 1D-X + 5D Mark III combo focusing a wide open f1.2 lens is not an issue to me any longer. If you can focus reliably on f1.2 or f1.4 those prime lenses really do come into their own.

The latest (but discontinued) version of the Sigma 400mm f5.6 (must be the HSM APO version) works on some EOS bodies, and is very cheap, and well reviewed.

http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/306-sigma-af-400mm-f56-hsm-apo-macro-test-report--review

I found one at ffordes.com and was able to try it on my 600D and 7D, the particular example wouldn't play nice with the 600D so it was a non-starter, try before you buy, but potentially a good buy.

Potentially a crap buy also of course, so check on both bodies.

AcutancePhotography said:

Go to www.youarenotaphotographer.com

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Brilliant ... looks like the stuff of the "pros" in my locale.

I use both at weddings, but mostly I'll use one or the other, I'm not switching bodies a lot. For the ceremony, I'll switch back & forth a little, maybe the first dance. But most of the rest of the time I'm using one body or the other primarily.

I do like having both because there are strengths to each camera. The 6D is lighter and more 'nimble' to use, so I like it for the reception when I've been shooting for many hours, it helps reduce fatigue. Also, the low light AF is so great, I can get accurate in-focus shots in practically no light at all. Just this weekend, I was at a reception at a private residence, people were all around the house, many in the lower level where there was little to no lights. I was following the bride and groom around using the 5D3 and it was having a hell of a time locking focus. I was finally able to switch cameras, and suddenly the 6D was instantly locking focus where the 5D3 would hunt for 5-10 seconds. It's literally night/day difference between those two cameras in that situation.

I do wish they had put dual card slots in the 6D, though, it was the one feature that made me think I didn't want to bother with the camera. I'm glad I rethought that, though, it is a great camera.

In the right hands.....the 40mm is a great lens!!

My 18-35mm f1.8 only autofocuses accurately on my 5D III, which is frustrating...

Meanwhile my 50mm f1.4 Sigma and 17-40mm L focus correctly on everything but. *sigh*

But Sigma's AF is uniquely poor. The 17-40mm L is an anomaly for Canon, usually they focus right.

I bought mine used, it was supposed to have less than 500, but when I checked it had 1300. There were two on Craigslist at the time virtually unused with about 500 actuations. Some people buy cameras they don't need, and just go back to a P&S because they feel more comfortable.

Thanks You

GMCPhotographics said:

tron said:

I would keep the money for the moment. That or I would get the 300mm f/2.8L IS II. It is an excellent sports lens. Also, it is much cheaper and lighter that the 200-400 zoom.

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Earlier in the year, I was on an Irish sea birds workshop. I was the only 400mm f2.8 L IS, mk I...and flippin heavy...but stunning pictures, even If I do say so myself
There was a 600 LIS II and a 500 LIS II, both very good.I think the 600 is a bit better than the mkI. The new 500 is increadibly light and easy to use. There were two 300 LIS II with TC's and again very light and easy to handle, sharp and beautiful optics. It lost a stop vs my 400 when focal matching but could move closer to the subject to get the same framing.
If I was going to do it again, it would be a hard descision between the 300II or 500II. My 400I was mroe flexible with TC's but heavier and a lot harder to handle when tracking large birds...even lugging it abot over the island was seriously hard work! I personally found the 600IIL a bit too long for my likes. I suppose I could chop my 400L in for a 400IIL

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True, the II series are lighter or much lighter! I am not interested for a 300 2.8 (I do have an excellent 300mm f/4L non-IS) or a huge 400 2.8 or 600 4

I got a 500mm f/4L IS II and indeed it is a very good and light (for what it is) lens.

Canon1 said:

I'm not sure which crop camera you currently use, but I find that when I crop a 5DIII to the same FOV as a 1DIV or a 7D that despite having fewer pixels on that same FOV, that the image quality is superior and more detail is retained at all ISO's but primarily at higher ISO's. The 5DIII high ISO noise is much more manageable as well. Crop until your heart's content.

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That was what I thought. I've made my mind now

thanks

Put the dough in the bank and wait for something really nice from Canon.

Well done Richard - nice work.

I really like the first one due to cleaner bottom right of the image - without the light reflections.

Hope you shoot more of these.

while i havent shot any firewalks

but this is what i would do

I would think the 430 is enough, use a higher iso to compensate for the flashes lower power, off camera with a remote trigger would be best. consider gels... id do a few WB checks to start to see what works best. I would think you want the overall balance to be quite warm so you dont want to balance the colours and get rid of the warmth if anything you want to punch it up.

lets say they are walking from right to left i would position myself on the left side maybe 1/3rd the way in
have the 430 on a stand to camera left above head height pointing down, and aiming along the walk
this will probably give them some quite contrasty short lighting from the flash and the spooky lighting up from the coals. you dont want to overpower the light from the coals so i'd dial the flash power down try -2 ev to start and tweak it from there i would say to do this well its gonna be iso 3200 or iso 6400 and fast glass.
as you want the amient light to do most of the work and just bring in the speedlight to accentuate things not dominate it.

alternatively a video light on very low power might work and also on very low power it might not ruin the ambiance too much