Sporgon said:

One other thing to bear in mind when shooting head 'n shoulder portraits with 35mm is to keep out of slapping distance when you show the model the pictures.

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LOL thats a good point.

tron said:

sagittariansrock said:

tron said:

And if one does decide to take gear, again, the respectful thing to do would be ask the paid professional.

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Quite wrong! The respectful thing to do would be ask the paying couple!

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Why, I think one should ask both the couple and the pro. For the couple, it is their show; for the pro, it is his/her workplace.

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The last time I checked the couple hires and pays the pro. As you said it is their show so they have the final word. Pro has a workplace only because the couple decided so...

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As i said before, as a working pro, in my contract and in most of my competitors contracts, we stipulate that we are to be the only photographers there. We ask the wedding party to inform the guests... I dont get bothered about the guests taking cell phone pics, but I do get bothered if it interferes and or degrades the quality of my work or previewed value of my work. That being said, the wedding party would have signed the contract, they would know, to some extent, what's allowed and whats not. If all else fails, find the photographer and ask.

jhpeterson said:

I think you've explained yourself quite well.
From what you've said, the two lenses I mentioned appear to be excellent choices. Not having a 300, you would want to carry that 1.4 as well, for those times you'd want some extra reach. It still produces excellent image quality on the 70-200.
A number of people have suggested bringing along the 24-105, but, if it's at the expense of the 70-200, I'd talk you out of it. It's too much of an overlap with the 16-35 for the sacrifice of longer lengths, as well as the use of the 1.4. I took one with me on my trip, but used it even less than the 300. I didn't seem to miss the gap between 35 and 70, but perhaps that's because I seldom see things normally! Besides, you can always get those with your compact camera.

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I've sold my 24-70/2.8 (first version) since I didn't use that focal lengths that often. When I shoot weddings I'm only using my 16-35 aswell as my 70-200. Then I have all the wide angle I need aswell as portrait and full body shots

I guess that when I will be shooting abroad, I will be using both wide angle in landscape, macro on flowers and small wildlife.. aswell as tele for portraits / panoramic shots etc.

The 24-105 is a nice lens,but it might be a better "go around-tourist"-lens and shooting lots of pictures

As you say, I can get "tourist"-shots in the 24-100 with my compact camera aswell.

mwh1964 said:

Complement your 24-105 with the 70-300L and you are all set.

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+1 great combo for general purpose travel photography. If you need low light or shallow DOF capability, you might consider buying or renting a fast prime like a 35 1.4, 50 1.4 or 85 1.8.

chauncey said:

I take a lot of Egret images waiting for them to fly...I want the BIF series to photo-merge. Anyway, I'm sitting there waiting and clicking...getting this



He then has a moment of indiscretion, he takes a dump and I start to laugh, losing him in the viewfinder and my series shot is gone.
Moral of story...if they take a dump, they are gonna take off.

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That is a well known indication of a bird getting ready to fly. You will be prepared next time.

Not sure specifically, but I would hope that there's at least a certain amount of factory testing that goes on before any one of those leaves the factory. And if there's an issue that needs re-adjustment, it then needs to be re-tested which could bump up the total hours shot.

During the summer, my career as a photographer blossomed. I'm seventeen years old, shot two magazine covers, sold some very large (over six feet) prints, had one of my photos go viral and photographed a wedding. In all I earned a couple of grand but most of that I would like to put into savings for during and after college. I shoot on a Canon 5D MKII and do a lot of landscapes. For my landscape lens, I use a 17-40mm F/4 L and sometimes my 50mm, 105mm and 200mm for high quality panoramas. I haven't been using my 17-40 very much do to the fact it is extremely soft and has huge amounts of CA in the corners. Below I will include a shot from the middle edge at F/8. I have been considering upgrading to a new lens as most of my work is landscapes and my 17-40 is most definitely my weakest lens with a slow aperture and soft corners even stopped way down. I need a lens that is sharp through out the image stopped down, I'm fine with soft edges wide open, I'm not shooting landscapes at F/4 and would not be shooting them at F/2.8. I would like there to be as little amount of coma as possible so that I could use the lens for astrophotography instead of my 50mm 1.8.
Canon only really has the 16-35mm which is very expensive and sounds like it is not much sharper then the 17-40mm in the corners. Tokina's 16-28 sounds like a great lens for a great price but i would like to hear what others think of it. I have heard that Tokina doesn't have the best quality control.

http://petapixel.com/2013/07/07/4th-of-july-fireworks-captured-together-with-lightning/

ankorwatt said:

MLfan3 said:

but how many copies do you guys have to buy to get a good one?

thanks.

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One was enough

but I have tested 4 Canon 24-70 before I got one good

sigma 35/1,4 at F-1,4

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Nice shot of the bee, but why are you buying a Canon 24-70? I didn't think you owned a Canon body??

paul13walnut5 said:

If the 7D sensor has an impossibly large pixel pitch and base ISO of 320 then the source may well be correct.

I think it's boll@cks though

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The total surface area is about the same though and that is what really matters the most.

paul13walnut5 said:

syder said:

Visually a C100 is a lot closer to an Alexa than an EX1 was to a Red One a few years back.

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For the blue moon occassions where we'll need an alexia, we'll hire one. You make good points and I'm pointing generally to the c100.

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I wish I could say that I needed an Alexa even once in a Blue Moon... I almost forget that my previous place of work had a Scarlet - I shot some tests with it, but never ended up using it for anything because of the extra crew and post requirements it demanded.

Hope your accountant comes back with a thumbs up

The problem with photo enthusiasts analyzing these numbers is that they bring their narrow views about their hobby to the issue.

The reason that compact camera sales have fallen is that phones are the camera of choice for the enormous market that is the casual user.
They do not care about any of the issues that the hobbyist cares about. They want the photo to "come out". And they do on even the most rudimentary phones. The phone is their display and their album. More than that might be nice but not worth spending anything for. Their stuff already looks good on FB so why bother?

The real concern is the evolution of the higher end products that enthusiasts and pros DO buy. Canon has already shown us their pro-active strategy on this front in the form of the higher prices on new lenses and other accessories. They are already pricing for the low volume market they see developing.

That is why their profits are not dropping precipitously while sales of small cameras are.

It is risky, but for some people saving 30% will make it worth it.
I posted it, so people were at least aware of this option.

[quote author="The Digital Picture"]
This lens is also compatible with the Sigma 1.4x EX DG APO Teleconverter and the Sigma 2x EX DG APO Teleconverter. The teleconverters will make a more significant difference in magnification at the lens' native MFD.[/quote]
I'd personally go for the 1.4x TC myself if 280-300mm is what's required. You'll get 280mm with the TC, and cropping that small amount is better than the results you'll get with a 2x TC fitted. You'll also get f4 as an option with the 1.4x TC, whereas f5.6 is wide open when using the 2x. Here are both combos, both at f5.6:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=806&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=5&API=3&LensComp=806&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=6&APIComp=2

I dropped mine four feet onto brick paving and it's still perfectly fine. Go figure!

fatshark said:

Jasonism - how does the 70-200 v2 + 1.4TC impact focus speed while shooting skating? My 70-200v1 +2x is nearly useless in that environment.

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Well, hard to say since I've only shot ice skating with the bare 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. But given my experience with both the 300mm f/4L IS and 100-400mm L IS, their focus speed pales when compared to the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II + 1.4x III.

70-200mm II bare:





With the 5D3 + 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II + 2x, I had no trouble capturing birds in flight. So I don't think you will have trouble using it with the 1.4x III.

5d3 with 70-200L II + 2x III:



Hope this helps with you decision.

--Jason

I pulled the trigger and ordered a 135L as well. Got it today. Looking forward to the weekend now to give it a good workout!

acoll123 said:

Northstar said:

I've read that the AF speed is good, but not as good as the big primes....which has me questioning weather I want this lens for shooting sports/action....any thoughts?

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I got it for sports primarily. I am shooting HS football this thursday, so I will find out. I will use it on a 1DX so I don't think the loss of a stop (from 2.8 on my old 400) will be much of an issue, but I expect to get a lot more usable shots from the zoom. I think the difference in focus speed is on par with my old 400. I am sure the difference between it and the new super teles is only milliseconds and wouldn't be noticeable.

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I would like to read your opinion after you shoot your game on thurs. Bryan at TDP has gone on record as saying is the AF performance isslightly less than the big whites....so I'm curious.

RLPhoto said:

If zeiss made AF lenses for canon, I'd probably not own any canon glass.

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I think that Sony/Zeiss 135mm 1.8 has something to do with this : ;D

Pi said:

Another point I made: you can play with DOF calculators all day but nothing replaces actual experience. Pushing the boundaries is fun and educational. A picture is worth ... well, more than a number in a DOF calculator.

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I think the line about experience ties in with how I think about lenses on a crop camera. I shoot with a 7D now and have been using a crop body for all of my digital "life" (starting with a D60). Before that, I shot film.

When I select a lens now, I never think in terms of "what is the crop equivalent of the FF lens that I want to use?" I select a lens based on my experience with lenses on a crop camera. I know what I'll get at 200mm or 300mm. I know the effects I'll see for f/2.8 or f/4, or f/8 or anything else for that matter.

Unless you are switching back and forth between ff and crop bodies and really find you need to think in terms of what you see with one on the other, I think it's mostly a non-issue. I know what a 70-200/2.8 is going to give me on my 7D.

This weekend, I shot with a 5DIII. This is the first time I've used a ff body since I put down my Elan II E for the D60. I never used the 70-200/2.8 with the Elan II E but it wasn't confusing at all. I didn't have to think about what it would show relative to the 7D. But, I did know that in familiar situations it would help to add a 1.4x teleconverter to get the reach.

Once you are actually shooting, the whole idea of equivalence and crop vs. ff lenses becomes a lot less important. A lens is a lens and a little experience makes everything pretty simple.

I'm a newb to the forums so please be nice. I searched a bunch of times before posting this but could not find a thread with anything specific. If I missed it, please direct me.

While there were mentions of using the C300 for timelapse, I did not find anything of someone saying they have actually shot timelapse with that body, let alone sample videos, etc.

I know there are lots of timelapse shooters here. Has anyone used the C300 in that way? Samples? Workflow and IQ thoughts?

Thanks!

Err 30 is supposed to indicate something related to the shutter. If you used it much maybe it is on the way out?

I have a 6D and use the Zeiss 50/2 Makro lens most of the time. I also have the 40mm pancake. In addition to the stock screen, I have the Eg-S super precision and the Ec-A microprism screen with grid from focusingscreen.com.

Both the Ec-A and Eg-S are a huge improvement over the standard screen for manual focus. I also use a Voigtlander 20/3.5 MF lens, and the Eg-S doesn't darken enough to bother me, despite the f/3.5 max aperture. There's really no reason to use the stock screen unless you intend to use f/4 lenses a lot.

The Ec-A screen requires a finicky installation process - mine wasn't aligned properly by default, so they include stickers to adjust alignment. It took about 20 minutes total, but you only have to do that once.

I'm not sure whether I prefer the Eg-S or Ec-A. The Eg-S seems like a better screen all around, and it gives a better indication of DOF, but I really appreciate the additional confidence that the Ec-A microprism provides in the center (plus, it has a really good, unobtrusive grid). If you typically focus in the center and recompose I think the Ec-A is significantly better than the Eg-S, but if you want to know if your subject on the side of the frame will be in focus you'll be better off with the Eg-S. The Eg-S is significantly cheaper, so there's also that. But if you're roots are in film and manual focus, you'll love having that microprism.

Hope that helps.

agierke said:

calibration depends on the model of the meter.

i have the sekonic L508 and to calibrate it i have to hit both ISO buttons at the same time (it has two to keep track of different film stocks or to quickly figure out polaroid vs film exposure). once both buttons are depressed the screen shows the exposure compensation scale and i can dial in the exposure by 1/10th of a stop.

i used to have it calibrated using polaroids to figure out what a decent exposure was. you could use your camera to spot meter a grey card and use that for calibration or you could just shoot a picture in good light, adjust camera settings until you like the exposure, and then adjust your meter based on how far off its readings are.

you will have to refer to your manual on how to do it on your meter though.

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Thanks! I found a great explanation on the internets, seems legit

GuyF said:

I'm going to be ordering a 500mm mk2 in the next week or so and in all likelihood will be getting a grey market one as I'll save £1000 on the UK price. If Canon want to play the global market game then so should we. As Canon no longer do international warranties (I wonder why?!?) I spoke to Canon customer services today about what happens if the lens dies in the first year. They told me if the lens went faulty I'd have to return it to a service centre in the territory it was intended for or get it repaired locally and reclaim the costs from Canon in the intended market i.e. Japan in this instance. So even if I bought European-market gear and it went faulty on a trip to, say, Brazil, I couldn't get it repaired in Brazil without forking out for the repair there and then. Customer care? Not once Canon HQ have your money it seems.

Anyway, I'm not here to question Canon's approach to their customers (although I did) but wondered if any of you have access to a table of failure rates for their lenses (or bodies for that matter). I wouldn't expect a lens to fail in the first year but clearly it's possible. Is the percentage failure rate evenly spread throughout their product range or are there specific items that are notorious among service centres?

Essentially I'm trying to convince myself the grey import option is worth doing especially when looking at the savings.

Just tell me to quit whining and buy the damn thing.

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Quit whining and buy the damn thing ;D

I bought this lens gray from UK since I saved about 2000 Euros!. Plus they had it available!
I know that if (and that's a big IF) I have a problem I will have to ship it to them.
But 2000 euros save is a lot for an amateur who uses this lens occasionally!

Actually, if I waited for a month I would save another 500 euros but:
1. I cannot predict the future.
2. I got it when I NEEDED it! Lens arrived Friday and I needed to use it the weekend to get the supermoon behind an ancient temple from a long distance. I failed on Saturday due to wrong position selection but I succeeded on Sunday (full moon day) so no regrets here.

P.S It came with latest firmware (1.1.1)

I used them alongside original batteries for the G9 and 5D. I bought 4 for each camera.

After 2 years of moderate use, they don't hold their charge very well but the originals are still going strong (about 75% of original performance). Even when new, the capacity seems to lose out to the originals despite almost doubling of their discharge rating.

Very well made batteries, no overheating, bulging or short circuiting, etc. In fact the feel is better than the originals. Solid and heavier with excellent gold plated contact which lasted.

They are about the best 3rd party batteries I've ever used. The rest I've tried just dies unpredictably.