Need help with choosing a telephoto for $800 and under

Thank you to everyone who gave me advise, I ended up going for the 200mm F/2.8 USM II L. I'm a big prime shooter and this lens fit my budget and is so sharp. Here are some shots I got with it on my 5D MKII on my first day with it.

This was shot through a tinted window, I am so impressed how sharp it was

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Another shot through a window

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The new Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8

verysimplejason said:
wickidwombat said:
I have the 20mm and I love it, hard stop infinity is so nice and the electronic aperture control with very snappy AF confirm for manual focus to. Build quality is awesome.

Sorry, off-topic. I'm interested in the 20mm. Is its IQ better than Canon 17-40? I need an UWA for FF because I'm moving to FF next year.

yes I think its better than the 17-40
here are a couple of pics from it
they are at f22 though as i was using a cpl and iso 50 to get the longer exposure
f8 to f11 is sharper

Its a nice partener to the 40mm they both use 52mm filters so they can share and 52mm filters of high quality are cheap even B&W 10 stop ND and cpl :) adding a filter does not increase vignetting

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Focus confirmation on Samyang lens?

Artifex said:
Mt Spokane Photography said:
Since your 14mm lens is in focus from 3.5 ft to infinity, why would you need a AF chip? I've found that there is so much tolerance in AF lights that its worthless to use for critical focus, just gets me to a slightly blurry image.

I'll be honest, I also don't have much problem with the 14mm; working with hyperfocal is easy enough. It is more with the 35mm that it gets annoying, but since the chip cost about 5-20$, why not upgrade both!
Many of the cheap chips are not worth the cost of the epoxy. They seem to fail or be DOA in a lot of cases. If you are going to get one, get a good one.
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need advise on what speedlite?

Chris Burch said:
I use Phottix Stratos II for my remotes lights because I don't need the TTL functionality. I love the Stratos -- great range and very reliable.
I have heard great things about the Stratto's and they are also compatible with the Odin's - nice touch. Had the 622's not come out I may very well have jumped on them.
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1Ds III

charlesa said:
It was not my intention of selling directly through CR and my OP is proof of that, just asking what other options I have. Sorry for the trouble.
Those who are interested could send a private e-mail. I'd recommend a face to face cash deal.
Craigslist and ebay have UK forums, and might be good. Craigslist has forsale forums around the world.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites#EU

There are 5 1Ds Mark III's forsale in London

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=1Ds+Mark+III&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=
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Thoughts on Canon 20mm f/2.8?

I bought a used 20/2.8USM and used it for years. It got stolen. I immediately bought another.

It has a few limitations. One is - it has considerable vignetting at f/2.8, and even f/4.0. By f/5.6 or so, its a lot better. If you have a camera that has peripheral illumination correction it will correct most, but not all of the situation at f/2.8. By f/4.0 with correction, there is no problem at all. Even at f/2.8 with correction... most shots are not going to be objectionable.

The other is its size. Its a big lens for a 20mm - mostly on account of the rather medium large aperture of f/2.8.

Whoever said the 16-35ii L blows it away - no way. This lens is at least as good, or better than the 16-35ii L, in terms of snap, color and corners - any all comparable apertures. I've never noticed any field curvature that gave me any grief - but I tend to not shoot flat walls, dead straight on, at maximum aperture.

I still grab my 20/2.8 on the 7D and 5Dii both... there are times when I just don't want the 16-35ii L.... its bigger, heavier... no better optically for any purpose I use it for - candids, and events, and occasional walk about on the 7D (since I really love 35mm on full frame, the 20 comes close to that).
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Canon EOS Rebel T5i Leaks

Marsu42 said:
simonxu11 said:
The 651D is here............LOL

Canon won't stop until every person on this planet has bought one of their 18mp cameras (if they don't go ff) ... but on the bright side if the price goes down Canon-like after a couple of months this is a good first camera with even 5fps...

Maybe we should have a poll: Who bought an 18mp Canon Aps-C body?

I'll put in the first vote ;D
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600D vs 100D

Random Orbits said:
I think this is a good response to the mirrorless competition. It's not much bigger than the EOS-M and it retains full functionality of a Rebel including phase-detection AF. Stick a EF 40mm pancake, and you have a small walk-around or street camera or use it as a backup to a larger camera. It won't take up much space in the camera bag.

I think this is true evolution of the Rebel line, not the T5i. It retains the physical controls that we are used to and are more efficient than menus. Canon is probably using this to gage how well the public will accept the smaller form factor for future Rebels. Now the Rebel is positioned better to compete with future micro 4/3rds systems. Why design another line of lenses (EF, EF-S, EF-M)? Play to Canon's strength: its breadth and depth of EF lenses.
I have the same opinion
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Gear upgrade: 2 primes vs new body + 1 prime??

First..thanks for the reply. As I mentioned in first post I currently work with 5dmk2 as my only body, but when I go to weddings I borrow 50d just in case of failure. Also I don't work as solo photographer. At least for now I am second photographer so if anything happens to me or my gear it would not be total disaster:)

So far I have decided to sell my 5dmk2 and buy 5dmk3. I don't have enough money too keep them both :(. For backup body I will still be using borrowed 50D (Lets hope that I will never use it).
For the lens I am going with 85 f1.2.

If I manage to save some extra money I still don't know what second lens would I get. Probably something wide.
@hawaiisunsetphoto
you mentioned to buy new 24-70...is this one so much better than old version?
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700D Launched

With the EOS 700D/Rebel T5i, Canon's made an early move to replace last year's 650D/Rebel T4i, though one with only very minor refinements. Indeed the changes over the 650D are so subtle that it's the older T3i/600D that stays on alongside the 700D - while the too-similar 650D fades into the sunset. Among the few improvements, the 700D includes a new mode dial that turns 360 degrees, a new 'upmarket' body finish; and real-time preview of Creative Filters in Live View mode.

Apart from those additions, the 700D is essentially identical to the 650D, making this the least distinct upgrade we've seen in this range of cameras. Elements carried over include the 18MP CMOS sensor, a 9-point cross-type AF sensor, 3-inch, a 1.04m-dot vari-angle LCD screen, and Full HD video mode. Its Hybrid AF system was also brought over from the 650D, and while the simultaneously announced 100D/Rebel SL1's Hybrid AF II covers a wider


suck my balls canon.... :-X
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How many years have the CR posters been shooting seriously / professionally

Interesting histories guys! I started with my dad's FujiFilm FinePix S1 Pro (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujis1pro) back in 2000 it was one of the first DSLRs and one of the first 6MP digital cameras (a 3mp "Super CCD" sensor actually but produced 6mp) I had no idea what I was doing, shot only in auto and swore the built-in flash was helping my night landscape shots lol, didn't even know what lens I had on it nor did I ever take it off.

Later on I got a used Canon XL1 video camcorder for school and loved it, became a Canon fanboy that day so I bought a used Canon D60 (one of the first Canon digital cameras) with a Canon EF 85mm F/1.8 USM. I was told 85mm is a good range but didn't realize about crop factors, so kept trying to do wide portraits and couldn't understand why I couldn't get what others did lol, eventually learned to use it as a 135mm and added some zooms but the 85mm on APS-C is still my favorite lens.

Found a friend (another Canon fanboy with an XL1s and 20D) and started covering Weddings and Sport Events for peanuts ($300-400 a pop lol), learned manual controls and exposure settings on the job lol. Then got a 9-5 in 2004 which took up too much time so my Photo and Video gigs got pushed to the weekends :( but I started using a Panasonic Lumix LX1 as my "always on me" personal camera and surprising learned a lot about composition. Got published as a camera man for a documentary on the 2006 Formula Drift championship tour (I helped cover LA ;-D). Got let go from the 9-5 around the time the 5D MkII came out and changed everything, so I sold everything and relearned shooting and editing video with a DSLR and instead of getting another job decided to go full pro lol. Ended up getting a 7D instead (friend got the 5D2) been happily shooting Weddings and Events ever since. We just sold the 7D and 5D2 for 5D3s and waiting for the 70D(hopefully) as I still prefer APS-C.
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700D and 100D it is!

DPReview just posted their "Hands-on Previews" for the SL1 and T5i (http://www.dpreview.com/); the big difference they found so far with the T5i vs the T4i is ...(wait for it)

You get a new mode dial! You'll be the envy of all DSLR users as you switch modes in luxury with its full 360 degree spin (in both directions!), wider spaced smoother clicks to switch modes with greater ease and the newly designed RAISED labels providing a more noticeable selection in low light situations.

...seriously that's what they said, it seems to have the same sensor and everything else (even the same Phase-Detect Hybrid CMOS) as the previous T4i (oh and a slightly better kit lens) but good luck to any retailers trying to sell this for $1000 when t4i kits are going for less then $800 (that goes for $800 SL1 retailers too).

Rebel updates have never been major but they at least had enough to peak an interest, I am really really really finding it hard to see any reason at all for the 700D/T5i. Unless they find better image or video quality during their official proper tests (which I seriously doubt) then I'm sorry but if you have a 700D/T5i ...you're an idiot... (like I said sorry).




The SL1/100D on the other hand at least seems interesting but it doesn't seem to have a better sensor, here are the differences found so far:

1. Canon says they just updated the "Phase-Detect Hybrid CMOS" to widen its range to cover a greater portion of the frame (up to 80% now). It seems to have the same basic sensor as the EOS M (which supposed also has native ISO up to 12,800) and 650D except for the wider "hybrid" range.

2. They also removed the dedicated WB, Drive, Picture Styles and AF mode buttons from its 4-way directional pad on the back (I don't see the point of this other then to screw users) and combined the Quick Menu and OK Selection button (that actually sounds like a good idea).

3. They also reduced the AF points to non cross-type except for the center one at f/2.8 or faster (like the T3i).

The SL1/100D is a step-back in features from the Rebel T1i but its low weight and size almost balance it out, although it seems to be an EOS M with a mirror, a grip, added weight and size...
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Do I need the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM?

I have the 70-200 f/2.8L IS "I" and I love it. It is versatile, sharp, impresses civilians, and so on. I also have the 85 1.8, which is rather discrete or even nondescript. It takes great portrait shots, and because of the wider aperture, comes in quite handy indoors for available-light portraiture. I owned the 85 before the 70-200, but I would buy one anyway just for that extra 1 1/3 stops that will help me get some shots that would be otherwise unavailable to me. Fringing and other aberrations are easily fixed, usually automatically, in current versions of most modern editing software.
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Review: San Francisco's Annual Professional Photography Review

Drizzt321 said:
grahamclarkphoto said:

FTFY, your link was b0rked.

I'd love to do something like this event, but I feel my work right now would need a lot of effort to organize and come up with a quality portfolio of work, and figure out what I want it to say about me and what I shoot.

sorry about that! fixed the URL: http://www.grahamclarkphoto.com/photoalliance-portfolio-review-2013/

Graham
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