Heavyweight67 said:

gone are the days of just Pointing and Shooting and accepting what the camera chooses...

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I'm not sure I remember those days (outside of my 110 camera at the local zoo). Skipping any of the critical steps in photography can result in mediocre images (which is a large portion of the images coming out of DSLR cameras these days, from what I can see). Exposure, composition, compression, DOF and now post processing are just a few of the critical steps required to break past the so-so looking images.

Others have given great advice and I agree that you need to learn several techniques that work with DSLR cameras and use the method that renders the best results for your type of subject matter and shooting style. Ignoring it and using an Auto mode may work sometimes, but it won't work all of the time and more often than not will result in those less than professional looking images.

Personally, I shoot to the right most of the time and zone it some of the time. My 1DX is different than my 1Ds3 and 1D4 which has caused me to slightly change the way I shoot just like using slide vs film caused us to expose completely differently based on which one you were using.

This lens is great. I have three of them, two Nikons and one Canon. The Canon version has a non-USM motor so it is loud and somewhat slow, but I love my Nikon versions. I haven't looked to see if there is a new USM version for Canon. If there is, I would like it much better than the version I have right now.

Of course, the lens gets a lot slower (f/4.0) at close focusing distances, but beyond about 10 feet it stays at f/2.0.

It does look bad, but this is not the way to evaluate the lens. Line it up perpendicular to a brick wall at a fair distance back, and then you can see a issue much better. Then, turn it upside down and take a image of the same view.
If the bad area moves to the opposite side, get it fixed or exchange it. If the blurry area stays in the same place, its not the lens.

Should have stuck the lens hood on to make the "made for TV" demo more impressive

EDIT: ALL GONE

They have one - you are going to pay a premium but if you are desperate

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0076BNK30/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0076BNK30&linkCode=as2&tag=mapsdpr-20

Mine arrives today - ordered last week from PC Nation, The lovely Pearl who works in their Camera/Optics department was wonderful to work with!

Good job Invertalon! Enjoy your new lens!

I want so see a cf card slot or a CF/SD card slot in it.

Is it worth participating in photocompetitions supported from P.S.A. and FIAP for a semi-pro photographer or is just for amateurs.
Do they help you attracting more customers, or improve your image as a photographer? Defenitely they need a lot of money (the participation in each competition costs 20-70 USD) and they need a lot of preparation time.
What about other competitions lika IPA or Tpoty are they better concerning recognicion and image development?
Thank you

Received mine today. 6th digit of SN is "4" with current firmware loaded 1.1.3. Checked all the settings are untouch ed and packaging looks new with all USA warranty and box serial matching body.

Guess now will need to spend time on AFMA with FoCal this weekend

No photo ?

I consider to buy Pixel vertax battery grip for my 5d3, and I heard that there is a battery draining issue.

Did they fix it?

If they fixed it, how I can know it? I am about to buy it from the Amazon.

Also, there is new version of Meike battery grip. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093Y0CXE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A2Y9R0VEAYJBWE

Which one do you recommend?

KK.

For the majority of shots, I don't alter the saturation. However, for some sunset landscapes, I increase highlights saturation in Lightroom according to what individual shots need. As a general rule, I add a medium contrast curve in Photoshop (I know, it's sometimes a bit contrived the way I've developed my workflow, but it's the easiest way to get what I want without finding time to relearn a better method), which sometimes results in oversaturation, so for quite a few wildlife shots, I actually reduce saturation after applying the curves adjustment. In camera I have it set to the Standard setting, but I shoot in RAW anyway, although I have done my last few shoots in JPEG and RAW, as one recent shoot needed a quick turnaround at a press event and I haven't bothered to change it back.

So I swung by my favorite camera store this weekend and tested out another copy of the 70-200mm, and it seemed almost identical in sharpness compared to mine. So I'm hopefully just being paranoid. But since I'm an amateur/hobbiest, laying down that kind of money is a big deal to me.

I did get some great pictures with it this weekend though. And I'm seriously considering the 2x extender for a trip to the Caribbean I have coming up in a few weeks. I know the extenders degrade quality a bit, but the possibility of having a 400mm lens in my bag is pretty hard to pass up... even at f/5.6.

I also have a 100mm f/2.8L macro that I'd like to use the extender on, but hear I would need an extension tube. Haven't been able to get a straight answer on the size of the tube needed though... anyone have experience with extenders and macro lenses?

Thanks for all the help, guys!

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...