mingulay said:

So I would appreciate feedback regarding the quality of the autofocus from people who use the 5D III or 1DX. Critical, honest and heavy users and people who have to deliver to customers. Is the autofocus in the mentioned cameras good - ore just LESS BAD but still not as it should be with such a price tag? Your feedback would help me a lot!

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I shoot professionally using a variety of Canon cameras, including the 7D, 1D3, 1Ds3, and 1DX. I am more than a little familiar with traveling several thousand miles to do a photoshoot which can not be shot a second time.

The 1D3 and 1Ds3 were good bodies for me until it came to a shallow DOF. I could not rely on them to be tack sharp where I needed, and it was not a matter of front or back focusing. However, in my case it was a matter of inches at worst, never of several feet as you describe. Thankfully much of my work is at higher Fstops, so the issues were typically not of concern.

When I received my 1DX, it was like I had found a new style of photography. I must have been simply used to working with the older AF systems, because the 1DX locks on in low light, and hits with ALL lenses at ALL apertures. My glass suddenly seems new, and I am more than a little impressed with how well the AF works.

I could be bitter at the AF of previous generation bodies, but it worked well enough for what I needed. The newer AF system is simply stunning. While I didn't enjoy the price of the 1DX, it is all part of business, and at the end of the day it is making me money and allowing me to shoot in conditions I would not have been able to previously.

I debated heavily getting rid of my other bodies and picking up a 5D3 to go with the 1Dx. I'm keeping my 1Ds3 for studio work and product photography, and the 1D3 is being kept because there is little value in it. The 7D is a "beater" camera, and is taken up into or under the mountains and in other conditions where I need a light camera and top notch images are less important (though still able to be sold). Being able to keep a supply of similar batteries on hand is another big plus.

I've never owned or used a 1D4, so I can't help you with a comparison, but the 1Dx does everything Canon claims in my opinion.

I have a reversing ring and adapters, and have tried several primes. As noted, you need to use a prime where you can easily stop down the aperture by taping or otherside licking the aperture lever. Its very difficult to do this with FD lenses, but easy with Nikon F lenses.
You usually need to get quite close to the subject, which also makes it difficult.
The suggestion of the old Nikon 55mm Micro is a good one. I have one, but do not recall trying it on my Canon gear. You can pick one up for a reasonable price.

Re: Sigma Announces Three New Lenses: 35 f/1.4, 17-70 f/2.8-4.0 OS & 120-300 f/2.8 OS

Focus limiters are great if you're shooting stuff further away, because it prevents the lens from searching at closer ranges and it helps lock onto your target quicker. One problem is that I forget its on sometimes and I can't focus on close things. However, my 100mm will still search close with it on, but it tries the further range a few times first.

Albi86 said:

K-amps said:

Albi86 said:

Marsu42 said:

dilbert said:

So their goal is not just designing and building the camera but also including parts and materials that allow it to meet a specific price point. Would, for example, you trade the GPS+WiFi for a body that was half magnesium alloy and half polycarbonate instead of no GPS/Wifi and full magnesium alloy body?

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Well, I certainly would (60d user ) - actually I really don't think it matters much of the top of a camera body is not metal, if it takes a hit on the lcd it's time a for a trip to the service anyway.

However integrating wifi/gps certainly doesn't drive costs up significantly, these are cent-circuits built into billions of mobile phones. It's much more about marketing (a "pro" camera doesn't have gps) and not putting all eggs into one basket, or there wouldn't be any features left for the 6d and the 5d4.

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It's a different sort of mentality though.

Canon gives certain features to lower models and higher-end users say: WTF?

Canon cuts certain features from lower-end models and their users say: WTF?

I prefer the Nikon way of differentiating D600 and D800. There are reasons to buy a D800, but at the same time the D600 has no serious flaw or deal-breaker. And no one with a D800 will say WTF? when seeing the D600.

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+1

Like before the 5d3 was announced, I asked why doesn't Canon make SDK's for integration with smart phone and Tablets... now they have with the 6D, I like that feature, but it is not in the almost 2x priced 5D3 released just months before.... WTF !

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IF this -3 EV AF thing actually works well....

AND

IF I were a 5D3/1Dx user....

THEN

I would surely say WTF.

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Spoken like a true Software Developer!

5D II live view exposure "oddity". I'm going to assume something is broken to cause this, but hope it's some weird setting I'm just missing that is doing it. Seems like the results say something is broke.

http://www.extremeinstability.com/stormpics/2012/5d2liveview.jpg

That picture shows the issue. I'm in manual mode live view on. (So it's not some issue with that square part metering stuff) The scene on the lcd changes as I change the exposure. I take the shot and it's blown out too bright. I stop down more and take the shot again, same blow out. But if I turn the live view back off and take the shot, the shot appears like it did on live view and not blown out. Just look at the settings on the two examples of the resulting images. First one blown out with live view on at 1/6400 yet look at the 1/4000(slower) exposure when live view is turned off. It's like it should be. Something has to be screwed up and not just some odd setting that would do this? It's a used 5D II I just got. Images shot in raw and not touched during conversion. 100-400L was the lens. 24 seconds apart from one another.

Thanks
Mike

I have the first version bought in 93 and love this lens with the integrated collar. It has seen 5 Olympics and just this weekend started having Error 01. The mount needs to be changed but Canon refuses to even look at it. I live in Montreal. Are there any third party service providers who can do this? I really dont like the design of the newer lens with the external collar. I have seen many a 300 hit the deck because the lens slips out of the collar.

http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/09/comparison-canon-24-70-f28l-ii-vs-24.html

complete with comparisons to the 24-105. a lens i just bought, and now i'm wondering if that was such a great idea. well, i think i'm still good. with the money saved over the 24-70v2 i could still add the 35mm1.4 or 50mm1.2, or 24mm1.4, or... so yeah, still okay i think. It's just i like to keep my amount of gear to a minimum. so I'd rather have one super lens than two very good lenses, but they all have different strengths, so what's a guy to do?

anyway, another review.

After the disappointing 6d announcement I;ll also be holding out for the 7d mark ii. I think it will be aps-c but if they make it aps-h Thats all the more reason to buy it. I think the 70d may be announced first, maybe in January.

DzPhotography said:

compupix said:

Even the menus on the camera are in German.

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Typical for zee Germans :

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yeah why should it be in english or swedish you genius?? :

Albi86 said:

Thank you for the feedback. I was wondering, how effective is M/F on rapid targets? What is your rough % of nailed focusings?

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No idea yet, first shots today were to test optical performance for landscape work, I shoulda mentioned that.
AF on static targets was mostly perfect.

When I'm shooting action I use different gear, so far.

Hi, I have the Canon EP-EX15 Eyepiece extender on my 5d2, it is the best thing I never leave home without out!
Everything works as normal except that its 30% smaller view, on a FF its not an issue. I have the same problem seeing the whole of the frame but this little devise solves the problem and you don't have to squash your face up against the lcd/eyepiece and no ugly nose oil stains on the lcd, its also cheap and I don't wear glasses! all good!!!

So I spent 3 days shooting a tennis tournament with the the 1DX and 70-200 f/2.85II. It was my own tennis association, so I had unfettered access and was able to shoot from the net in-between courts. This was my first time shooting with the new 70-200 and my first time shooting sports with the 1DX -- the last 3 times I shot this tournament I used a 5DII and the original 70-200. With the new gear it was so easy it felt like I was cheating. My goal was always to have shots with the ball somewhere in the frame to better define the action. With the delay of the shutter actuation in the 5DII and the slow shutter speed, that was always a challenge and I had to take a lot of shots. I had to keep both eyes open to watch for the ball coming into the frame and then press the shutter right before it entered to be able to catch it. With the 1DX I had enough time to press the shutter while just looking through the frame and I would still get at least 3-4 shots with the ball in the frame. My goal shifted to getting the ball on the racquet and that wasn't even very hard.

Tracking was exceptional and I was able to stay locked on a far single player during a doubles match even with their partner in the frame and closer to me. I used all points most of the time, unless I was in a weird spot with spot where the net was right in front of me and in the frame or there were too many high contrast things in the background with the subject far away. In those cases I switched to a center cluster of just kept the player in the middle. I was shooting on some very busy backgrounds, and the 1DX stayed locked on the players almost all of the time.

Here are a few shots -- still working on editing the full shoot...

http://pelican.com/backpacks_detail.php?Backpack=U100

Well, Pelican has finally made a backpack, and it would fit my laptop in it perfectly...

Now the question is, could my camera fit in it, along with food and water for a few days. (The camera would only be in the backpack when the food and water weren't) for traveling in the national parks. Or clothes would be in the backpack if I were flying to someplace to vacation.

I might still need to use my nylon waterproof bag, but it does look like the bag would offer more protection thn any other bag I have seen.

A few contributions:


Beamhouse operations by Revup67, on Flickr


Shadow Shack by Revup67, on Flickr


Train Yard / Garage, Fullerton CA by Revup67, on Flickr

Don't forget that Pentax have a 21mm pancake. It's made for the K-mount, so 45mm flange distance, but it only covers APS-C, so maybe that's how they got a wide-angle pancake to look so good (it's not as nice as the EF 40, but it's as good a wide-angle as you could expect in a pancake).

Seeing as we've already got 40mm, then 50mm and 35mm are probably out. 80mm makes a nice 'pancake' for 6x6 (well, my Biometar (Planar) is the size of a nifty fifty, but for MF that's pretty small). I doubt we'll see one for EF.
So 28mm is the next logical point, but it'll have to be f/3.5 (probably) to get it small, and besides, we've just got a new 28mm f/2.8 IS, if they make an f/2.8 nonIS pancake it'll kill a few sales of the IS. Ditto that for 24mm.
Unless of course it's an EF-S at 28-35mm, then FF users will still have to go for the IS?

And whether Canon can make a 21mm and still keep it 'pancake' and cover FF at the same time? Probably, but I don't think they'd try.


So my guesses: 90% probability the Shorty Forty is all we get. 7% for an EF-S 28mm. 1% chance each for a 21 or 24mm, and the last 1% is Canon surprise me.

We need to wait for proper samples from production camera on credible sites. Lenstip samples always look crap.

I have owned 3 of the 24-105s (dropped the first; sold the second; using the third kitted with the Mk III). I have been very pleased with its sharpness and contrast. I shoot nearly everything wide open or near; this is my daily walkaround lens. In truth I don't think it is as incredibly sharp at my 70-200 version 2; but it is very sharp indeed. Yes, I'd like it to be a 2.8 24-135... but I'd like to be rich and beautiful, too. For outdoor walkaround stuff I think it is a very good choice and good value.

NotABunny said:

Viggo said:

The metering difference I don't get why people are using as an argument when it comes to iso evaluation.

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Because the amount of light that gets on the sensor affects the noise level. The ISO doesn't change the amount of light that gets on the sensor. Therefore, identical optical exposures are mandatory. For a scientific test, the ISO has to be changed so that the brightness of the images from both sensors is the same, which means that the displayed ISO value may be different.

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Yeah, for a scientific test point. But when metering and shooting a scene it doesn't matter. Less light more noise, but if one camera always meter under it creates noise. And when things happen fast and the metering is off, like with all three 5d's, that underexposes the problem isn't the displayed iso's. The difference is lab tests and how the camera creates the picture.

Thank you all for your comments.
Seems that the 35mm is the winner, and indeed makes sense.
Had a chance to try the 16-35, and yes sharper in the corners than the 17-40, but now that I have the 14mm, my UWA needs are done (till the Canon 12/14-24 is out). Still 17-40, is a great range and light enough to carry around in outings without neck pain.
Three lens has to be the limit - otherwise the 15mm, TSE24 and even the tse90 would jump in.... LOL

thanks
Phil

I see your point, but since manual focus isn't that great for tracking fast subjects in AI servo, you might as well make the setting change to equal like you mentioned.

Or, if you want, you could still choose focus priority for 1st image, and equal priority for 2nd image and it's still very fast, since it's the 2nd image that seems to be setting the fps and the 1st image sets a very slight initial delay, but since the 1DX is so fast at focusing I find the 1st image delay to be barely detectable.

The only reason I'm using equal for both is because I don't won't any delay for my action shots.

Cheers!

Albi86 said:

DzPhotography said:

Albi86 said:

Mt Spokane Photography said:

1. Upgraders tend to stick to the same brand. This is a fact proven over and over.
2. Spec sheets only tell a small part of the story. They don't mention missing features, and don't tell you anything about how well the features actually work.
3. I just ignore reviews of performance based on spec sheets, they are not going to be of any real value.

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Generally speaking you are right, but nothing in these cameras is really new, so I think it's not that crazy to compare how the same technology works in current models.

The D600 is basically a D7000, whereas the 6D is a... 600D.

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no, it's a 60D with a FF sensor :-X

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I wish it was, but the 60D is noticeably better specced

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60D better specced? Hardly, the only reason it was popular was it's swivel screen (which, was good) and because it went cheap with it's bad sales. I'd get one if Canon included AFMA !! Seriously, if the choice is between 60D and 6D, well, I get FF and AFMA, and a center point that should work splendid (hopefully) and it won't have an old sensor, so the 6D. But purely from price, well I can get a 60D now for the same as a T5i.

I think he's talking about pictures of the body, not pictures taken with the body ;D

mws said:

I wouldn't buy it soley for the lack of a joystick. Love that thing. I tried using my brother in laws t3i, just couldn't do it.

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There's still some kind of joystick, in the wheel...

For anyone who might interested in this lens, I found this:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdc.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2Freview%2Flens_review%2F20120524_534810.html

Google translation is kinda weird, but the pictures speak by themselves. Looks like it fares very well on the hungry D800's sensor, and the bokeh is very smooth.

For those of you not familiar with the brand, as far as I know these lenses are now manufactured by Cosina in Japan, who also manufactures Zeiss lenses. The difference is that Voigtländer lenses are designed and manufactured in-house by Cosina, whereas the Zeiss are manufactured according to Zeiss design and QC specifications. In practical terms, you can expect the same level of build quality.

To my understanding, as a consequence of the very small size it lacks a floating element, so IQ in close focus tends to deteriorate.

For the price though - half the Zeiss 28/2 - I'm almost sold. It's available in Canon and Nikon mount, both of them chipped and with AV coupling.

Alrik89 said:

Got a question concerning the last picture:

why is nearly the complete hat out of focus, although parts of it are in the same area as the sharp face. I'm talking about the sliver brooch look alike thing and the dark violett parts around it.

To answer YOUR question: The eyes seem to be sharp, as i said above: the rest of the pictures looks strange

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Don't look at the hat..the purpose was to showcase the eyes and the rather "blur" look of it..it's not the sharpness i would like from a prime lens.
This hat was made blur in post production..as with the entire photo..except the eyes…
I was trying to make everyting else OOF so that i can emphasize on the eyes but because on it's oww, they eyes weren't sharp IMO..it doesn't stand out at all

Here's what my friend took and his photo did not have ANY sharpening involved and yet his eyes are so much sharper and he was using a 24-70 lens.