D n L Photography said:

I just bought a canon 50 L lens and was checking it over this evening; I shook it lightly, and it rattled a little bit. I also have to micro adjust the focus on it on my 5D Mk III 15 points!! Never had to do it that much with any of my other lenses! On my 1dx I have to adjust it the same direction 5 points. Should I return the lens? Or send it to Canon? Or just live with it? I need some advice from someone with a little more experience.

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Mine doesn't rattle and I was fine leaving it at +/-0. I'd have it replaced. The latter doesn't matter much - the rattle does.

I use the 24, 35 and 50 when shooting the kids, I used to own the 85 (a bunch of times) and it doesn't keep up with two-three year olds. The 35 L is my favorite, I like the contact you get with the subject with wide apertures and that focal, really pops. I have gotten a few fun, cool images laying on the floor with the 24 also. i recently bought a 24-70 mk1, and that is veryvery useful with kids, I set my desired focal and move my feet to frame instead of zooming to frame, that way you can control the perspective and best of all, change it in a split-second. I find the 70-200 also very useful (and I am a prime guy) and I see people mention the 135, I have also owned that a few times, but for ME I can't really find a place for it, it's too long or too short for me. The 70-200 on FF is awesome for all sorts of people shots.

Unfortunately there's no right answer for you.
It will all depend on the location and the event.
How far is the stage, how big is it
How near can you get to the speakers.
Are you allowed to go up on the stage.
are you allowed to go all the way to the front and not block the people who are attending the event.

If you can answer those questions, you will know which is the best lens for you.
In a big ballroom or conference hall where the stage is huge and you are always standing far away, you will need a 70-200.

I believe most event photographers will have a medium zoom and a tele zoom just in case.
Wedding photographers will use the 24-70 because it's sharp

I've used the 24-105 to shoot corporate events before but that's because it's in a small ballroom (think hotel rooms) where i can get pretty near to the speakers. But i also did one in an open area like a stadium and that time, the 24-105 was as good as useless.

Mt Spokane Photography said:

I'd Skip the PW. Too many issues with a third party unit. ... Some have been waiting 7 years for a new 100-400L. However, it currently had no real competition, its the best of its kind.

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Agree with the 3rd party flash. I waited a few years hoping for the RT's and they did deliver, so I plunked down for three units plus the ST.

I'm one of those still waiting for the 100-400 though It's OK, no rush.

Yesterday I did a portrait shoot with a a model. Mostly to use for an upcoming exhibition I have in a few weeks, but also for her to get some photographs for herself. I have been experimenting back and forth with the grain effect in LR to find the right amount of grain to get that film look.

I shot with my 5D3 and the 35L, it gives a nice perspective that I like and it fitted her face perfectly although it's wide to be a traditional portrait lens. I will make prints around 50x60 cm, fitting the whole picture in and leave white frames around it for the magnets at the gallery.

I am wondering if you have any recommendations on how far to go on the scale. Any pointers? I am experimenting back and forth but just can't tell when it gets perfect. Any tips are welcome.

cheers
J

I have a Nexus 7 32GB and I'm very happy with it - very good value for a high quality, fast, well specced tablet. I have a long train commute to work every day so I watch movies on it mostly but I'll use it for remote camera control when I get a body that supports it.

This and other posts helped me to decide on buying the 100-400 now instead of waiting to see what the vs ll will be like.
I saved Money with the instant rebate. I haven't had it long enough to find anything wrong. The pics are good and I think I got a good copy of this lens. I just need to practice with BIF pics. I'm sure when vs 2 comes out my wallet will be happy I bought when I did.

faustino said:

I thought the focus had to be "precise" at the point where one is focusing, and that the field curvature would affect the remaining area of the frame.
I mean:
1. if I focus in the center, the field curvature would make closer the "focus sphere" (should be "focus plane") at the left and right parts of the frame;
2. If I focus on one side (e.g. left), the side where I focus should be spot on; while, the field curvature should make closer the focus sphere on the other side of the frame (center and even more on the right).
Isn't the above correct?

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My experience shows that it's not correct. For a weird reason (caused by the lens's spherical abberrations, as far as I know) you should have differenet compensation adjustments for each focus point. Or shoot using one focus point. Otherwise you'll have those focus issues.

faustino said:

To compensate I have to set a +4 in the microadjustment settings; in that case I end up with the center point front focusing.

P.S.
I brought the lens to the Canon Service Center in Milan (where I live), they said that the softness on the corner is normal. Anyhow, it seems they misunderstood the issue.

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The dispersion is within the specification. I have AFMA range of ~7 steps accross focus points (from -3 to +3).
That's the price you pay for the bokeh you get with this lens.

wickidwombat said:

Snook said:

IThe amount that I want to spend is tentatively $2000, but I could see myself selling the Tamron, and forking up a little bit more to get a 6D w/ 24-105mm f/4 IS, but then again, I don't know if I could justify the price for essentially a "first-time" DSLR. The GPS feature will be great for traveling being that I will be in 7 different countries while I am in Europe.

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this is the best option in my opinion

the tamron 18-270 is possibly one of the very worst lenses ever made by anyone

even though you have the 50 1.8 I would still recomend the 40mm pancake on the 6D just because that lens on a high iso FF camera is such a nice light walk around combo that would be prefectly suited for travel and 50mm can be a little tight also you need to stop the 50mm 1.8 down to around 2.2 anyway

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The OP said he is going to buy a 6D, this is a full frame camera. The Tamron 18-270 will not work on the FF body. For Full Frame bodies like the 6D he should be looking at the Tamron 28-300mm XR Di VG, This combo would make a excellent walk-around lens for European travel. I would also take a ultra wide angle too. I think a Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8L II would be great. The building are so close together, and close across from each other a ultra wide is needed to get good shots. Like the plaza in Rome with Trevli Fountain is very tight with close in buildings all around.

I did see an ad for the 6D at a ebay store for about $1500, body only. They also have a new 7D for $859, but this is a crop sensor, and the Tamron 18-270mm will work fine with this camera. I own a 18-270 and it is a great walk-around lens, for Europe, I would get a Canon EF-S 10-22mm for those close in shots.

I think you should ensure you set the camera on 'show all focus points'. Try that. Regards.

JonB8305 said:

Damn I'm really trying to avoid buying another Profoto Kit. I need some back light alternatives.

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If you were doing video shooting, I'd suggest picking up a $30 halogen work lamp from Home Depot and clamping it to a mic stand. Unfortunately, as soon as you add flashes into the mix, that sort of setup probably won't be very user-friendly.

Hey Paulie, long time no see! Hope all is well and GLWS!

x-vision said:

So, the T4i -> T5i rebadging went smoothly, after all. Geez, how did they do it.

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They missed a few places though. Noticed this on the "Beautiful Dreamer" T5i commercial this morning:

jebrady03 said:

Ok, so I could see using gels/filters to make the light on the subjects match (or at least approximate) the proper color temperature of a setting sun. And off axis lighting definitely makes sense. Can you folks toss up a couple of pics of it being done right? Because thus far, everything I've seen looks unnatural (ie, color temp is off, wrong lighting angle, light too strong and the subject is overexposed compared to the scenery, etc.).

Thanks!!!!

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That's the thing - done right, you wouldn't notice it at all. It would look natural and effortless. Look at some wedding work by Clay Blackmore, almost everything he has is fill flashed, and you'd probably never notice it. It doesn't matter if its a sunset, cloudy day, high noon, in shade or not, or even in a snowstorm. Dialing down the fill, matching (or un-matching) color temp, diffusion (and source size), as well as proper angle makes the difference.

I'm 15mins away from service center in Irvine, CA. I'm happy with their service.

Can this somehow be related to all these rumors about the full frame Pentax DSLR? If Pentax expects to attract many new users by introducing FF camera, it may sound reasonable to increase the lens prices. Regarding 645d, a decrease in price may be related to the release of Nikon 800d and/or rumors about the expected 60 mp 645d ii.

You are missing a lens in the under 40mm range. I'd buy a wide angle lens before 85mm, which you already have.

I'd not recommend buying a wide aperture lens for a 60D, simply because you cannot fine tune the AF of the camera to give the sharpest focus at wide apertures. Stick to f/4 or smaller.

The 17-40mmL might be a good choice.

Polarized said:

What were you hoping to fix with the new firmware? I sell enterprise software as my primary living and most customers do not want to be the early adopters of a new release. I want to fix the focus performance with a speedlite AF-assist beam but do not want to get new problems.

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I second Polarized's viewpoint. I developed enterprise software for the past two decades and now oversee the architecture of such solutions.

In order to have a less error-prone upgrade or introducing odd behavior, I would recommend to anyone here that is upgrading their firmware to explicitly right-down (or take screenshots) of all settings and custom functions and then clear the entire camera back to factory defaults after you have upgraded the firmware. Then, re-establish your settings.

-Darius

jdramirez said:

I shoot with my 24-105 when I don't know what distance I'm going to be at and I have the presumption of good light. I take it my 50 mm when I know it will be indoor or low light. But the fifty is limited because it gets soft below f2.8 so it isn't a great low light lens. the sigma 35 is sharp wide open and is on my to do list. I'd actually suggest getting the 35 mm.

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Yes, I think this will be a great lens for outdoor events (which I shoot often) because I need to shoot at varying distances. I'll also bring my 70-200f4 for discrete close-ups. I decided to sell my 10-22, so that will net over $500 towards the 35/1.4 -- after using the 6D and 24-105 + 17-40 I don't think I'll be shooting with my 50D in that range any more. That camera will probably stay "bolted" to my 100-400 for zoo/wildlife trips.

I agree with TommyLee as well about adding specialty lenses as needs evolve.

Thanks.

Shhh... Did you hear that?

I have both the 7D and the 5D3 also. I just went out shooting a couple days ago with my 7D slung over my left shoulder and the 5d3 over my right shoulder.

Interesting to say the least, As long as I've owned the 7d, close to 3 years, I've always found it to feel very good in the hand, loved the fit and finish and never had anything to say other than it was a great device and felt very top of the line with regard to build.

Having both, I notice the mechanical sound of the shutter is much louder on my 7D and the rear button doesn't feel quite as nice using it along side my 5d3 as it did in the days before I owned the 5d3. That being said, I don't think it's terrible, just not quite as nice as the rear wheel on the 5d3.

Of course the shutter now sounds a bit cheaper to me, although initially I thought the quieter sound of the 5d3 shutter sounded cheaper and more "toy like", I now prefer it to the click of the 7D shutter. Silent mode is altogether a different thing but I'm not comparing that.

I feel that the wheel, the tactile feel, the responsiveness and the buttons are close to that of my 5D3 but just shy of being quite on the same caliber. I've no issues with the set button on either and neither make any noise.

I have no complaints about my 7D other than it now lives in the shadow of my 5D3 whose high ISO performance and IQ is immeasurably better! Think I'm getting ready to trade my 7D for a bunch of Ben Franklins! :

Cheers!

Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions!

klickflip said:

Do a poll I'd say most 7D or 60D owners have a sigma lens or two whilst most 5D II/III and 1D owners will have mostly Ls. If consumers were tied into buying more expensive USM or L lenses or the crap basic canon zooms then they would switch to other manufacturers that have not and would not lock out 3rd party manufacturers.

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Dunno about that, Sigma havd always been pretty canny at identifying gaps in other manufacturers ranges, witness sigma getting an 18-50 in EF mount before the first ef-s digital rebel, lenses like the 12-24 for which there is no csnon equivalent, the 50-500, the 70mm macro one of the few macros that makes some sense to cropped and full frame owners.

It seems they are tackling the manufacturers head on with some of their new primes like the 35mm f1.4, and of course the groundbreaking f1.8 zoom.

Sigma can spread the R&d costs of a lens over 6 mounts so can take bigger risks.
Quite often somebody will have a sigma because they are keener priced, sometimes because they are better and sometimes because nobody else fills the gap!

I was a firm believer that the 70D was going to have the same (slightly modified) sensor we've come to love and hate, and that the new sensor process would be released in the 7Dll. There has been a good deal of "same old thing" in the press, and TONS of it in the forums, and I suspect Canon may have decided to include the new sensor tech in the 70D. It would explain the seemingly endless wait since the 60D price drop last Christmas. Not to mention that the T4i/T5i are arguably better cameras.

RGF said:

ecka said:

Zeiss 15 is definitely better, if you don't need AF, but they both can't beat Samyang 14/2.8 UMC, for the price

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within reason I would select the best IQ and let price be a secondary consideration. How is the Samyang IQ and will it stand up to usage

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Canon 14L'II
- soft corners, high aberrations, no front filter, unpleasant bokeh (in my opinion)
+ dust-moisture-proofed, relatively low distortion (for this lens class), AF

Carl Zeiss 15/2.8
- bigger and heavier than other 2
+ sharp, relatively low distortion (for this lens class), low aberrations, great focusing ring, 95mm front filter, decent bokeh

Samyang 14/2.8 UMC
- strong and complicated distortion, no front filter
+ sharp, low aberrations, great focusing ring, low price, decent bokeh

I'd say that Zeiss 15 is the best of this 3, but it is the most expensive. Samyang 14 - best price/performance. Canon 14 is not worth its $.

P.S. If you don't care much about size/weight, high price, AF, slightly narrower angle and aperture, then maybe Canon TS-E 17/4L is what you are looking for. 17L would be on the top of my list if I could afford it .