TS-E Depth of Field newbie question

LovePhotography said:
Picked one up on eBay. Waiting for delivery.
While shopping, found this commentary. Thought it was interesting.
Thoughts?

24 and 17mm T/S aren't useful.



The lens does two things that are practically unrelated, and both of which are borderline useless in the extreme wideangle. Firstly, the shift mechanism allows perspective correction. This was a critical part of photography in the days of large format, and I used this lens to get the same benefit on film when I started out with Canon. However, if you are working digitally, it is far easier and cheaper to correct perspective while editing. Second, It allows tilting of the plane of focus, which allows near/far compositions to simultaneously be in focus when simply stopping down doesn't do enough (or isn't desired for other reasons such as stopping subject motion, etc.) However, these extreme wide angles, with small apertures even wide-open, have extreme DOF already and it'd be a rare photograph that needed more DOF than a normal lens could accomplish at 24mm (or even more so, 17mm). On the other hand this ability would be very attractive at 45-90mm. (A related trick is to tilt focus in the opposite direction of your composition to minimize DOF. But again at 17 and 24mm, I'm sorry but nothing gets very defocused anyway.) As far as other details of the lens go: the construction is the very best Canon makes, comperable to the 70-200Ls or better. The image quality unfortunately suffers as you shift off-center, as the lens resolution falls off as with every lens. (There is also extreme cos^4 vignetting, though that can be fixed in your editing software.)

What the guy says is true - if you gloss over certain things. Yes, 24 and especially 17 have great dof anyway, especially if you stop down, but beware of 'hyper focal' distance with digital, especially for distant landscapes: your horizon will be soft. A lens such as the 24 is at its best fully open, you can achieve dof with this wider aperture with all the benefits this brings: resolution and light gathering.

Correcting extreme perspective in post: OK for small prints, not so good if you are producing A3 or A 2 size prints. Your computer program has to make a lot up.

Again on the new 24 IQ remains superb with 6 degrees ( which is a lot ), only falling off a little at the full 12 degrees ( shift).

You can see that here:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=486&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=8&API=1&LensComp=0&CameraComp=0&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

For many people he is correct in saying the longer focal lengths offer more benefit. However try telling that to someone who shoots in extremely confined circumstances, room interiors or outside of cathedrals in built up areas for instance.
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NEW CAMERA - EOS 80D?

DRR said:
I think... everyone's right. Also, everyone's wrong. It's all in how you look at it.

This is clearly an APS-C camera. Size wise it looks similar to an xxD (very similar to current 70D) but feature-wise, it looks more like a xxxD (lack of BB Focus button for example)

I realized that Canon has more APS-C camera lines right now than they realistically need.

EOS-M (Not DSLR so we won't talk about it here)
SL1
T5
T5i (xxxD)
70D (xxD)
7DII

I think, they are moving the xxxD line slightly up-market, and ceasing further development on the xxD line. The 70D is very close to the 7D line and I think they want more separation there. I also predict they merge the T5 line with the SL1 line, as these two lines serve essentially the same market - they want a DSLR but are both size and price sensitive, and are willing to give up features/performance because most of them will just be shot in AUTO most of the time.

From a marketing perspective, I think 2015 APS-C DSLRs looks like this -

SL1 (Older technology, size is the differentiator, mass market SLR that's small)
New xxxD, the T6i - (new tech, mass market, feature focused (wifi, touchscreen, GPS, NFC, etc) )
7DII - Flagship APS-C Pro build quality and features.

SL1 line, >$500 with kit lens.
New xxxD, >$1000 with better kit lens.
7DII, >$1500 body only (will drop in price in 2015)

Just my 2 cents. 8)

::) almost correct....it's gonna be the DIGITAL Elan with EyeControl ! ;D
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6D wi-fi question

I don't think its possible unless you hard wire the camera to a tablet or computer, or hardwire the projector to computer or tablet (Most tablets do not have ethernet). A Tablet or computer can generally only connect to one Wi-Fi device at a time, but you might be able to add multiple Wi-Fi cards to a computer.

A possibility is using a Canon Wi-Fi adapter which can connect in a peer-peer situation without special software.

The the Wi-Fi cards and Wi-Fi enabled cameras need to have software installed on the device receiving the images, they do not just transmit to a folder on a computer or tablet.

Your 6D can automatically transfer images to a tablet, and a tablet can connect to a Epson projector. But, probably not at the same time, so that's the issue. Also, someone will have to operate or setup a slide show app to transmit images to the projector.


Assuming its one of the popular Epson projectors, you can likely figure it out how to do it here.

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/Landing/wpBusHow.jsp

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Landing/ProjectorApp.do?iref=side-banner_projector-app?BV_UseBVCookie=yes
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Gear or Wedding Photographer

I'd go for having the talented friend do it. When we were married in 1966, a Japanese neighbor of my wife took his trusty Pentax and 50mm lens and we were happy with the results.

He was also a wonderful gardener and raised vegetables that he sold to local markets. He and his wife worked literally from dawn to late night with no time for fixing any food other than basic meals, so my mother-in law traded baked food like cakes and pies for vegetables. We have fond memories of a wonderful and talented person.
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My New "L"

I got my first as 70-200 F4 L IS and was really impressed by image quality. I then had a 100mmMacro 2.8 L IS and this is an awesome lens. The best ever I had in hands.
I then acquired the 24-105 L with the 6D, but I have to say, I have not been very impressed by IQ ??? . May be it’s not a great copy but I was expecting more :-\ .
I am now looking close to 100-400mm II. I believe I will dive as soon as availability is better. I tried it and IS is stunning and optic is sharp :D .
I don’t know if it is GAS or L addiction, but this is definitively Sharp images syndrome ;)
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Canon 5D Mk III pre flashing.

Some great suggestions here, and as Neuro said, pre flash is a necessary function of ETTL.

So, switch to manual, or (as Will so fully said) get a Canon EOS film camera and shoot TTL, or get the 600-EX-RT (or any other flash with a thyristor cutoff) and shoot in thyristor mode.

Another option, and the last I can think of, is to use a long shutter speed and second curtain sync. The average human blink takes 300-400 milliseconds, so use a 1/2 second shutter speed, which isn't an issue if you are shooting in controlled situations as the flash duration is your effective shutter speed, and the blinker will have opened their eyes again by the time the true flash fires.

But truthfully, manual flash is the way to go.
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Bride + Softbox + OCC + Hotel Lobby

jepabst said:
They don't expect everything to go perfectly. Technology never does. What they do expect is for you to be cool under pressure and know how to fix the problem and be able to continue talking to them while you do so. That's why it's so important to KNOW YOUR STUFF. You have to know your gear inside and out. Practice is the only way really. We all get nervous and/or a little flustered, but keep moving forward.

That is some wise advice. People hire a pro because a pro can handle things when they don't go well. :)
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Canon 24-70 f/4L IS sharpness

Act444 said:
(although I did get it refurbished so I'd think/hope that Canon tuned it up before reselling it)...

Fat chance ! :)

The amount of variability in the assembly of these lenses ( and indeed other L lenses) is alarming.

My 24-70 f4 now has a bad de-centring issue - it's very soft on the far right. Whether it was like this before or I've knocked it I don't know, but in future I'm going to perform the test that PBD demonstrated in a thread last year as soon as I get the lens.
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Rokinon 12mm F2.8 Fish-Eye

BeenThere said:
OK, I've had the lens for 2 days and have taken a few shots. A Fish-Eye lens is a new kind of Fish in my camera bag. This is the first time I've use one and I have to say its a wild experience. At 180 degree field of view (diagonal) it puts practically everything thats in front of the lens into the frame. I've also used the Rokinon 14mm and 35mm lenses and was impressed with those, so decided to give this one a try. At $500. its not terribly expensive, especially for f 2.8.
I don't have a lot of shots yet, and none that can be considered artistic or print worthy. Hopefully that will change as time goes by. I am posting my initial "hands-on" thoughts at:

http://www.ronbrunsvold.com/tools/rokinon-12mm-f28-ed-as-ncs-2.html

If you get one of these, please post some of your images and thoughts about using this unique lens.
Do you find useful (besides artistic) your new fisheye?
I also have a fisheye and I thought I'd use it more but it doesn't get much use. I use my 16-35mm lens more often at the wide end than the fisheye, except when I want an artistic effect.
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Help: I need a pro backpack - BUT topload!

I'm going to try the Protactic 350. I shoot quite a bit in the 'field', 'bush', great outdoors whatnot. I like the idea of it being not too large (one body two medium lenses) and tough as nails. I like my Lowepro Flipside Sport 15L but it has developed tears and snags, not too mention the buckles aren't the most rugged. Also the waist strap is poorly designed.

I don't have much lens/body GAS but the holy grail bag search has me under it's spell.
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Review: Canon EF 24-105 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

Act444 said:
jd7 said:
Count me as another happy user of the 24-70 f/4L IS. As I've said in another thread, my copy was excellent at 24 and 70 out of the box, but disappointing at 35 and downright poor at 50 ... my sister's 24-105L was definitely better at 35 and 50. However, after sending my lens back to Canon for calibration, I'll happily pit my 24-70 4L against a 24-105L at any focal length. As has already been pointed out to my by a couple of CR users, Roger Cicala has commented the 24-704L has a lot of adjustable parts (more than most lenses), and it does seem the 24-70 4L suffers from substantial copy to copy variation. Get one properly calibrated though, and I think it is a very good lens.

My brother has the Tamron 24-70 2.8 VR so I will have to do some comparisons if I can find some time. I did some very quick comparisons just after I got my lens calibrated and came away with the feeling my 24-70 4L was at least as sharp from f/4 (I was probably concentrating most on centre sharpness), and its focussing was quicker and more consistent than the Tamron. That said, my testing to-date was pretty limited (and the possibility of new lens owner bias cannot be ignored! :) ) so I wouldn't draw any conclusions from it.

I noticed this sentence in Dustin's review:
"The trend of many lenses that Canon has offered in the past few years have been lenses that didn’t necessarily wow people on paper (or thrill them with their announcement) but have proven to be extremely competent lenses that have won people over on their merits."

I have to say I agree with that. I wasn't that excited about the 40 2.8 or the 35 2 IS but now own and like both, and looking beyond lenses I think the same sentiment applies to the 6D. I think perhaps the 24-70 4L might end up being another lens to which the sentiment applies, if Canon can find a way to reduce copy variation and get the "average" 24-70 4L performing closer to its best performance.

Anyway, Dustin, thanks for the review of the 24-105 3.5-5.6. Interesting to get your take on a consumer-grade lens after reading your reviews of high end gear. The new 24-105 sounds like it could be a good lens for a lot of people, even if not many of the people who haunt places like CR.

How does your 24-70 do at close focusing distance, particularly at the long end? Mine REALLY seems to struggle. It's fine until I get near MFD and then the picture totally softens up...

I find that the 24-105 is still noticeably better at 50mm though. It has gone back to being my default lens.

Hi Act444
Rather than hijack this thread further, I've started a new thread to try to answer your question about my 24-70 f/4 near MFD ...
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=24642.msg484694#msg484694
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Why not uppdate just the IS

Mt Spokane Photography said:
henriksandstrom said:
Why doesn't Canon simply uppdate the IS in great optics like the 300 4L? With four stop IS, I guess a lot of people would pay a few hundred more. Is it so costly to change production or do you have to change the optical design as well?

Why not just update the transmission in your 1991 Automobile? There is more than just the IS that needs updating. The design is good, but its 24 years old. It does not have coatings on the lens elements to prevent reflections from the sensor, which reduces contrast. It is also not all that sharp compared to newer lenses, and suffers from LOCA's or purple fringing.


I would not pay $500 more for it with better IS, it does not compete at that price. For its existing cost, its a good lens that allows those who are trying to save money to purchase. Many sports shooters turn off IS in any event, since it does not help with moving subjects.
+1
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Another DIY Flash Modifier for Traveler Photographers

Click said:
Thanks for sharing Mr Surapon.

Have a great weekend Sir.

You are welcome, Sir, Dear Friend Mr. Click.
Glad that you like this DIY, Just 2 days ago that I think---And Build this One, Now, I will forget The Big Graslon, When I go aboards, and use this instead.
Yes, Sir. It very easy to carry on the airplane too, Just Flat Big Envelope.
Have a great weekend, Sir.
Surapon
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Glycerin Drop

FWIW...I'm beginning to think of myself more of a digital designer rather than a photographer, mainly due to PS. Undecided

Your seeing three images blended together...could not get the SS high enough to freeze the droplet as I insist on shooting at ISO 100.
So I bended a virgin wine glass base with that of a syringe laying atop with droplet emerged and made the syringe go away, then moved
all that onto the original orchid background in the proper position as I screwed-up the initial background.
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Canon MP-E 65mm - Due an upgrade?

According to the manual, the depth of field at 5x f/2.8 is 0.048mm, or 48µm.
http://media.the-digital-picture.com/Owners-Manuals/Canon-MP-E-65mm-1-5x-Macro-Lens.pdf

A human hair is 100µm on average. Some cells in your body are around 10-100µm. A sheet of paper is about 100µm thick. You'll probably want to use the highest possible F stop. I used one of these lenses once, and it was difficult. The challenge is getting enough light. I had a couple halogen lights several hundred watts each, and it wasn't nearly enough for good results. A newer camera with better high ISO capability would help.

Here's one of the photos. We were doing an experiment to see how much force ants feet could grip with. They have sticky pads that let them walk on smooth vertical surfaces, and they have rough hairs that let them grip uneven surfaces. The gray bar is a very tiny force sensor. The ants are held by tweezers, which don't harm them. The experiment wasn't very successful, but at least the eyes are somewhat in focus!

This was probably 1-3x zoom, 1/90s f/3.5 ISO1600 65mm with a Canon 30D. There wasn't enough light or DOF to zoom in more, and it became too difficult to get anything in focus or in the frame. At 5x on an APS-C camera, an object approx. 5mm × 3.3mm fills the frame.

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