Oh, the problem of me being pedantic! I should have double-checked before posting!
Of course you are correct!

Rat said:

thebowtie said:

What we want is 'Hydrophilic' - water-repelling.

Click to expand...

Correct term - as used by the BBC in the above program, which I watched with interest, too - is hydrophobic ('tending to repel or fail to mix with water'). This is actually the exact opposite of 'hydrophilic' (lit. 'brother to water'). ...

Click to expand...

Following up the rest of your post:

Rat said:

The difficulty with that solution is electric currents. The smallest scratch in such a coating, e.g. on the contacts of a memory card or in a switch, which tend to be vulnerable to scratches anyway - and the conductivity of water would render your device useless. A phone without an sd-slot, without mechanical switches, with a soldered-in battery and with a properly sealed sim-card slot might be commercially waterproofed using hydrophobic coatings. For electromechanical devices such as dslr's, current solutions are regrettably as pricey and cumbersome as they are optimal, if you ask me.

Mind you, I'm talking about fully waterproofing a camera here. Obviously such a coating could go a long way in making a camera more water-repellant.

Click to expand...

Not only is there the issue of surface damage to the coating creating the risk of electrical problems - there's also the risk of any captured water retained in voids in the equipment - whilst not immediately corrosive, it can cause deposition of dissolved solids (minerals), and suspended matter (dirt) that can further harm the camera.

Keep it all out, I say!

How much sharper is the 70-300L than the 100-400?

Also, I've owned the 50/1.8 mrkI and the 50/1.4, and I can tell you that they don't come close to the 50L's image quality. Yeah, the others might be a bit sharper, but there's more to it than sharpness.

ahsanford said:

Oh, nice -- so I don't need a CF reader? I can just swap the files from CF to SD on camera?

Great. Problem solved -- I'll just use the CF card for ME shots, and keep it cleaned out.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Use it for everything, then remove the images you do not like and transfer the keepers.

Mt Spokane Photography said:

Date codes on lenses are hit and miss. Many, if not all new models of "L" lenses introduced in the past two years do not have date codes. Most older lenses, even non "L" lenses had date codes.
Lenses that have been repaired by Canon often come back without a date code, apparently Canon commonly replaces the part with the code stamped on it.
It appears that eventually date codes will disappear on new lenses, but it might take 10 years.

Click to expand...

7-digit serial will be accompanied by a date code like UAxxxx
10-digit serials will not have an additional date code (built-in to serial)

edit: obviously until all 7-digit serial lenses are 'discontinued' then the UA (2012), UB (2013) UC (2014) et cetera date codes will remain, until eventually all Canon lenses will have 10-digit serial numbers

If anyone is still looking, Amazon has 7 of them right now...

tiger82 said:

PavelR said:

tiger82 said:

My ability to shoot sports with a 50D went up greatly when I got a 70-200 IS f/2.8. Put your saved money toward a better camera in a year or two and go for great glass. A 1D4 with your current glass will get you mediocre shots but at a great frame rate.

Click to expand...

+1
Glass, AF or good MF, the reasonable ISO + correct exposure time make the image look great, not fps...
(Or 5d3 for better low light AF. I have 1d4 and FPS do not help much in 95% of sports, you need to catch the exact moment.)

Click to expand...

Are we in agreement that better glass with a 50D will be better that a kit lens with a 1D4? Or not? My sports shots did get better when I paired my 50D with a 70-200 IS f/2.8 and improved a bit more when I went to a 7D. Saving my $ for a 1Dx. I'd like to get the shots in between the ones I get with the 7D as the frame rate goes from 8fps to 12fps.

Click to expand...

We are in an agreement.
(Better glass improve the technical quality of an image the most. I listed some characteristics that influence an IQ the most.)
(I have set 9fps on my 1D4, because AF needs more time to follow the subject than it is available in the highest FPS, but generally fps do not help me in group indoor/outdoor sports or any athletics disciplines - only one moment is the best and it is needed to press the shutter release just before the moment. I've also used spray and pray with new camera, but now one shot at the best time is better technique for me...)

amazin said:

Does AFMA can help change this?

What is Canon after-sales policy toward this random quality "issue"?

Click to expand...

No, AFMA is not a factor.
If a lens is out of Spec, Canon will fix it.
All but three of the 70 were fine. Variation is normal and to be expected. Canon is not going to guarantee that you get the best of the best. Even the lowest performing lenses were better than the best performing MK I lenses.

+ eleventy on the many replies. Moving to back-button focus did more for my photography than any other change I've done. One additional suggestion: consider the Crumpler Industry Disgrace neck strap. It is awesome.

atreides71 said:

Well last night I listed the lens on Craigslist for $300. Not 10 minutes after I listed it a guy offered my $240 so I met up with him and he brought his T4i to try it out. That lens looked huge on his little T4i but he liked what he saw and we made the deal. That was the first time I saw the T4i. Tiny in comparison to my 7D. Plus i have the battery grip. Anyways the lens creep didn't seem to bother him and he inspected it pretty good before he payed me. Aside from that the lens looked new and I had a decent UV filter on it.

Click to expand...

Now go and get a 50mm F1.4 USM or a 35mm F2. Best IQ for the buck.

I'm trying to find a website similar to canonpricewatch.com and nikonpricewatch.com, but I can't find one. Does anyone know of a website that lists the best prices for Sony cameras, and also has a feature to set-up an email price alert?

I would like to find the best deal on the Sony RX100, and set an e-mail price alert.

thanks

I'm late to the party but having owned all three lenses with the intention of 'shooting wildlife' the 500mm is the no-brainer of the three, it really comes down to weight and the fact that you said 'wildlife' not 'birds'.

First lets take the 400mm off the list immediately, it weighs as much as the 600mm (8.6lbs) and has considerably less reach just to get 1 more f-stop of brightness, this is really a sports lens where you need that f2.8 aperture, not a nature/wildlife lens.

Now its the 500mm (7lbs) vs the 600mm (8.5lbs) for 'wildlife', lets say wildlife ranges in size from birds to moose and you'll generally want to travel reasonable distances on foot, you're going to rather have a 1.5lb lighter lens that allows you to travel further than that 20% closer crop. Being able to travel that extra 1-3 miles is going to make more of a difference than that close crop.

Now, if you had said 'I want to shoot birds', it would be a different story, the 600mm lens is critical for shooting birds for two reasons: get 20% more resolution on the tiny details or allowing you to be 20% further from your subject so it doesn't up and fly away. See my related answer here for more info http://photo.stackexchange.com/a/7942/1819

Certainly a very annoying feature...

Went out yesterday with 5D3 and 300mm f2.8 IS plus Kenko DG300 2x convertor. Used AF case 4 with tracking set to -2 ("full" locked on) and got the attached shots. I was just a bit too far away to get decent shots of ducks in flight but I'm quite pleased with the one below (luck more than skill). I really will have to get FoCal and tweak the focusing of the 300mm when I've got convertors attached.

It depends on what aperture you need. If you shoot f/2.8 and narrower a lot, then the 50 f/1.4 is actually sharper. If you shoot wider than that, the 50L is sharper. I never shoot wider than f/2.8 with a 50mm lens due to the razor thin DOF that my shots do not require, so I have the 50 f/1.4. However, the 24-70L II zoom lens at 50mm is at least just as sharp at corresponding apertures, as it with the 35L. But, the 24-70L II is way too expensive compared to a 50 f/1.4. Determine which apertures you need to shoot at, then make your decision.

Ok, thanks to all of you!

The adapter ring is only if you buy a third party lens. So if you buy the Canon 50mm f1.4 you won't need it.

Make sure the ND filters have the same threads as the lens. (58mm I think, not sure.) They might seem superfluous at first, but you want to keep your shutter speed at 1/50 and your f-stop between f1.4 and f8, ideally. And when you're shooting outside they help with that since they block light and let you open up.

The hoya HMC filters are the best for the money. Very neutral and great coating.

tron said:

jukka said:

there are calculations who shows about 24 stops of DR when the eyes and the brain interprets scanning of a motive, scene from the blackest to whitest

Click to expand...

So there will be a rumor that in the year 2120 Canon sensors will have 23 stops of DR and Nikon 25 ;D
The problem is there will be still arguing whether this is valid because DxO will have downsized the 300 Mpixel Canon and the 500Mpixel Nikon images down to ... 8 ;D

Click to expand...

You are really rubbing it in aren't you?

Simply put, the name of my camera company starts with "can" and the "other" "camera" "company" decided to have a name that ends with con - I admit they tweaked the spelling - but it still reads CON!

Mt Spokane Photography said:

Dylan777 said:

I would go for a used combo on Craiglist:

1. 17-55 f2.8 IS ==> general shooting
2. 50mm f1.4 ==> portrait

Click to expand...

Good way for a inexperienced photographer to end up with expensive problems that end up costing more than new.

Click to expand...

HOW?....I don't see why you shouldn't get this used combo on Craiglist(USA) for around $1000.

I believe the two I mentioned are the top-best for crop.

Love my Really Right Stuff TVC-33 legs, leveling base, and PG-02 LLR gimbal. Not an international dealer though. Gitzo 3-series and Wimberley II head should be available locally.

Mt Spokane Photography said:

Back in the 1920's and 1930's these groups were monoploistic and were called zaibatsu.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiretsu

Click to expand...

americans under occupation "demolished" those tradehouses that they would not cause thread for american companies so they would have time to catch the markets before there is competition from other countries

Also Zeiss and Voigtländer are making co-operation. Since same factory manufactures both brands they are using same parts. Zeiss and Voigtländer Canon lenses have exactly same bayonet parts. I haven't opened lenses (yet), but maybe the electronics are same also in aperture controls?

Glad you like your camera, and I had heard good things about them, but my experience was miserable. What good is it to make a decent product if you don't stand by your word?

traveller said:

Here's another question, if you use the default AE lock (i.e. * button), is there any way to disable it without turning the camera off and the back on? Maybe I'm being stupid, but I've never found a way! (Personally, I generally use back button AF, with AF disabled on the shutter button and AE lock on half press).

Click to expand...

You have to set the shutter to AE lock while pressed, then the * button will do the same.

Last week I phoned one shop in Helsinki and asked when the Zeiss 135 mm APO Sonnar will be available. Availability was on December, so I thought that they would now know more detailed date. They said that they got news letter from importer that new APO Sonnar will we available on January 2013.

Maybe on meantime I'll buy older C/Y version of 135 mm Sonnar...

I believe only vignetting and lateral CA correction are available 'on the fly'.