I am told 5D Mark 2 + 24-70 F2.8 L lens is sharper than 60D + 17-55 F2.8 APSC. DXO Mark seems to agree on this. So I decide to do a test.

http://hkfreelancephotographer.com/canon-5d224-70l-vs-60d17-55-apsc/

Thanks guys!

Got the 55 f/2 and 135 f/3/5 Super-Tacs. Will add pictures and opinions as soon as I'll have them in my hands and play around a bit.

Give me a damn 70D Canon.

The Canon radio gear is super reliable. We tested the water initially with just two 600s, and we were so happy with it, that we are at 4 600s and the ST-E3.

At this point we have more than 3 months of extensive experience with the system and the verdict is clear: Absolutely recommended.

Pros/Cons of the Canon Radio Setup:

Pros:
1) Super Reliable. Compared with previous radio option: Pocketwizards (MiniTT1/FlexTT5) controlling 580EXIIs. The interference problem on the 580 seems to be gone on the 600.
2) Controlled directly from the camera. Canon doesn't advertise this as much as it should, since this is a killer feature (External Speedlite Control Menu).
3) Allows for 5 different groups, with up to 16 flashes overall. This allows for complex lighting setups. I believe Nikon only goes up to four groups (if you use the master as the first group, from the mcnally sketching the light book)
4) No line of sight requirement: As with every radio solution, of course.
5) Compatible with previous Canon flashes, using optical transmission. Optical works OK indoors, but is very tricky outdoors, specially if the sun is hitting hard.
6) Good Range: Canon's range estimate is very conservative. You can get more range.
7) You end up carrying less gear and weight around. For events, this is critical.

Cons:
1) Expensive?. Typically, this is the first complain (it was mine complain at first), but compared with the previous option, a 580 plus a pocketwizard, is about the same. I guess, the Canon marketing guys did their math right.
2) Still, you end up spending thousands of $, when you purchase multiple flashes (For events, is indispensable to have at least 3 600s to rotate them as they overheat)
3) Not compatible with other lighting equipment. I don't know of a way to control and fire other lighting gear (strobes) with the canon system. (If anyone knows of a creative way, please let everybody know)
4) Overheating: When pushed hard, I see very similar behavior as the 580s. Not sure if the way the 600s handle heat is a major improvement over the 580s
5) Can't think of other cons.

Please feel free to add pros and cons to this list.

I would love to read opinions from neuro, spokane and all of the excellent participants of this forum, the real value of this forum.

wickidwombat said:

i really wish someone would make a 20mm TSE lens
i'm not the biggest fan of 24mm and i think the 17 is too wide
20mm is my favourite focal length for wide shooting i wonder if zeiss could make a TSE version of their
21mm now THAT would be sweet

Click to expand...

wider is good with me but I agree, a 20mm TS is something I'd really like too.
my 20mm Nikkor is a favorite.

bdunbar79 said:

I do think, however, that the 1Ds Mark III gets skin tones and mid tones correct, or at least they are much more accurate than the 5D Mark III. I've had this battle a bit with the 5D3.

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Good skin tone is the most important factor for the type of work that I do
(fashion and nude photography for magazines).

So, I should definitively stay with the EOS 1 series of cameras?

Is 5D Mark III significantly inaccurate regarding the skin colors?

Skin color correction in Photoshop is always major pain in the ... for me.

I've really liked the B&W version of the tribal photo. It would be great if you can crop out the mouth to draw focus to the catchlights

Thanks, exphose. I had also written a Perl script that copied large files to the card until it was filled. Didn't run into any issues with the card. That, of course, doesn't rule out weird interactions between the card and camera.

But I'll note that I've not seen the issue with the replacement 1DX I have (knock on wood) using the same cards I had before -- I've even filled them up during a shoot.

Shawn L.

I had similar results when I compared the two, the 17-55 actually seemed a bit sharper than the 24-70.

Hello - I'm planning to spend 2 weeks in South East Asia in December. I haven't set my itinerary yet but was thinking of splitting my time between HCMC, Angkor Wat, and Bangkok. I know that's not enough time to soak in all the culture and sights but I can't extend my trip and I really wanted to visit all three countries. That said, I am hoping to get some travel advice for that part of the world. I'm from NYC and I've previously been to Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia) but stuck to "safe" touristy areas. I'm hoping for a more local and "real" experience for this trip. Besides taking normal precautions and safeguards should I be worried at all about my photo gear?

This is what I have and what I'm thinking of bringing. I'm trying to travel light but would welcome any different suggestions:
7D
Tamron 18-270
5DmIII (taking)
24-105L (taking)
50L
430EXII
Gitzo GK1580TQR4 Tripod (taking)
Lee 2xND, Big Stopper, 2x GND
Canon S95 (taking)
Panasonic TS4
Gorillapod SLR-Zoom
Tamrac Zipshot

Everything above is insured. Would anyone take the 7D+Tamron instead for the weight+reach? I'm tempted to bring the Lee Filters and flash but I'm not sure how much I would really use them.

For those that have photographed the three countries above, are there any MUST SEE places? I've researched and looked at guidebooks but I'm looking for a photographer's perspective. Would you split your time equally between the three countries? Spend more time in one than the others? That kind of stuff.

Any tips and general recommendations would be really appreciated!

4K at 15fps isn't as great as it seems. Secondly, Canon DSLR's are not video cameras, they are still cameras with a video feature, there has to be some balance between the stills/video. And yes the new GoPro looks great and I'll probably get one, but you can't expect the same IQ out of it as a DSLR. But the GoPro has a tiny sensor, it's much harder to get high frame rates out of a full frame sensor. You want high FPS with a larger sensor, the Sony FS700 is about $8k and does 120fps/240fps@1080p and 960fps at low res.

Specs and numbers aren't everything. It's like saying "oh well this T4i is 18MP and the 1D Mark IV is only 16, why is the 1D such an overpriced piece of crap?" When we all know that the 1DiV is better than the T4i in every way. And while it's nice to have high frame rates available, how often will you actually use them for a project (not just messing around)?

What they said, 23.976 is standard, you aren't doing anything wrong.

darrellrhodesmiller said:

i've used all the sites mentioned above, there really is no perfect solution. Creative live is great and if you can catch the lessons while they are recording them they are free.. They tend to focus on model photography.. or at least thats what they have been focusing on recently.. which isnt my thing, but they really are good classes.

AdoramaTV is very good too..

i've been on lynda.com for about 2 yrs.. their photoshop and lightroom training is 2nd to none.. in the last year or so they really have changed their focus from trainers teaching the classes to professionals in the industry that really use the software.. and use it in the way you would use it.. In the last year they've also added a photography catagory, all these classes are taught by photographers.. some very famous photographers.. some are very beginner type classes.. but they are getting more and more intermediate and advanced classes. for 20.00 a month you can get 1 yr of unlimited classes for the price of one creativelive class.

D

Click to expand...

Thank you all for the feedback.

I don't have/use the Adobe products....I'm looking to learn more of Apeture3 and FCPX...which they do seem to have lessons on there too.

I think the photography stuff I want to take...and one that excited me, was the apparently LARGE class (8hours or so) for the open source Blender tool....which I think would be quite fun to learn and see if I could incorporate that into my video stuff....maybe even stills somehow?

Thanks for the lynda.com info...and the other thinks to lessons/tutorials!!

The lighting thing I need too...will check out strobists!!

Any other suggestions greatly appreciate!!

C

Re: *UPDATE* Canon EOS-1D X Firmware Update Addresses f/8 & Red AF Points in AI Servo

neuroanatomist said:

Richard Lane said:

I beleive they left off the 400mm f/2.8L IS becuse that lens could already focus on the 1DX with the 2X extender prior to the firmware update, because it's max. aperture is only f/5.6.

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Except...they do list 300/2.8L IS, 300/2.8L IS II, and 400/2.8L IS, as well as a whole bunch of other f/2.8 primes and zooms, all of which could AF at f/5.6 with cross-type points prior to the v1.1.1 firmware. They also list a bunch of f/2.8 and f/4 lenses on the 1.4x list, and on that list, the 400/2.8L IS II is included. They just don't list the 400/2.8L IS II on the 2x list.

Click to expand...

I was merely reassuring the posters concerns regarding support for the 400mm f/2.8 plus 2X combination, whether or not it was on the list.

I just bought a second hand 24-70 2.8 L Version 1. It would be half the price of the new verson 2.

The only real difference that is worth the extra bucks is the 150g of weight I think.

untitled10 said:

That's because of the flange distance compared to focal length, 35mm is shorter than the 44mm flange distance and thus has to use a different lens type, but once you get over 200mm's or so then it just stays pretty much the same albeit larger, 700mm would be very slightly simpler than an 800 because you would need smaller fluorite elements to correct for chromatic aberration, that is the major problem with longer lenses and what makes all these so expensive, due to the Rn'D and expensive materials used to correct the difficult of a longer focal length.

Click to expand...

Yeah, my guess based on size and weight is that 600mm was as far as they could go with f/4, where a 700mm f/4 would weight 15lbs+ and just be too big for people to reasonably use. And while a 700mm f/5.6 would probably be lighter, the 800mm is only 9.9lbs, so, most would probably go for the reach over saving a few bucks at that price range.

It's sort of in the same realm of why they don't offer a 1000mm or 1200mm lens (well, they do make a 1200mm, but, not for mortals). The return on investment isn't there, as it'd be too heavy, too expensive, and the alternatives with a 1.4x TC are just better. For example, the 1200mm f/5.6 they do make costs like $100k, which could buy you the entire EOS collection basically. Here is the 1200mm v the 800mm

Just push the Info button - that cycles you through different screen display options in all modes (Live View, VF shooting, and Image Playback). You can get the electronic level on the main LCD in both Live View and VF shooting, as well as in the VF (using the AF points). I find it especially useful when shooting with lenses that have older tripod collars (the newer ones have detents at 90° increments, which is very useful).

The Q-screen on my 7D shows the selected AF area (ie all points, single point, zone AF, etc) which I find to be very useful. The 5D III Q-screen does not seem to have this, or I have not found a way to enable it. So on the 5D III the only way I can determine the current camera setting is to look through the VF and press the shutter button halfway.

I emailed Canon to suggest they include it in the next firmware update - although I received an acknowledgement of my email I did not get a direct response.

Anyone else think this would be useful? - if so it might help for more people to make the suggestion to Canon.

Just collected mine thismorning and loving it already, can't believe how light it is!

ishdakuteb said:

sb said:

... I think the purpose of servo is seriously misunderstood.

Click to expand...

i am insteresting in your understanding about ai servo. as if you would like to share, i am your audiance...

note: i am using both (with dof button re-config), depending on cases

Click to expand...

It is very obvious to me that servo focus should be used every time the distance between camera and subject is changing, even it it is by inches. And this applies to candid shots especially as generally there is movement. Thx.

LetTheRightLensIn said:

The one I decided to keep in the end is amazing 70mm wide open center frame and pretty good at wide edges and corners (I think, it's hard to tell which is the way the DOF should be placed) although lower left corner might be a touch soft. Maybe 3 more copies and I'd get something perfect in every last regard?? As it is though, it's good enough to dump my 24 1.4 II over and it has the sharpest 70mm f/2.8 center frame I've seen from any lens, so not so bad (70mm far edges are weaker than my 70-300L on this and all the copies looked at though).

Click to expand...

I also have the 24L II and tested it on a heavily detailed brick wall on a tripod with LV manual focus, contrast AF etc and my first copy of the 24-70L II is excellent, noticeably outresolving my 24L II from center to the edges at F2.8, F4.. i like the color more and the micro contrast is amazing! i love my 24L II but i'm ok with putting it up on craigslist.. i would also say the center to mid-frame at 70mm is the sharpest i've seen..

Finally got my shipping confirmation on the 16th should be here the 19th.
hope everybody elses start shipping soon also

IIIHobbs said:

jdramirez said:

I'm seriously considering selling both 70-200's and then get the 135. Does anyone mind not having is on the 135?

The extra stop of light should come in handy when i shoot my daughter playing basketball.

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Hey JD, me again.

Love the 135 f2L for Basketball; it is far superior to the 70-200 IMO. But beware, it has a very shallow DOF also.

It could potentially be a little short for outdoor sport; I prefer 300mm there.

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I thought I might be able to bring my flash (430exII) to the game, but I'm 99% confident my daughter would yell at me saying it was distracting. So... I'll need a body with solid iso performance and a big aperture. And as I've said before, I'm willing to sacrifice 60% of my shots if the 40% are SPECTACULAR.

As for outdoors, I think you are right, but it is only 67.5% less than the 70-200. So I should be able to crop in enough to make up for the difference. And I like to cherry pick shots, so I hang out around the goal line, so I'm only 10 yards away from the action (depending upon which direction the play goes.

Mikael Risedal said:

bdunbar79 said:

I own both, 1DX and 5D3. Let me say this. At high ISO, say 12,800, I can still print 8 x 10's or better with very fine detail and no noise with the 1DX with minimal processing, whereras the 5D3 requires a lot more post processing. Also, the 1DX files can pull more shadow detail and highlight recovery. Despite having 3 less MP's, the prints are substantially better. My Nikon buddies who shoot sports, ie D4, say they wish they had a 1DX instead when they look at my RAW files and prints.

I have no experience with the D800/E.

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Quite a MYTH you are spreading around, RAW measurements shows that the two cameras are similar at high iso
and as I wrote before, check the parameters time/f-stop and you maybe find difference in real iso.
Canon has improved the noise reduction in JPG and JPG out from the camera , there they are better today than Nikon
are in D4

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Nope. Speaking from experience with the cameras, something YOU don't have.

KKCFamilyman said:

I have a 5d3 24-105, 70-200 2.8 is ii, 50mm 1.4. I want to start a photography business shooting family portraits at family outings or where ever they want to shoot. I like Candids and would love to go and capture those moments for families like first days at schools, parties, holidays, etc. just not sure how to get started and if I should do some free work to gain experience, etc. Any suggestions would be helpful.

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If you're passionate, talented, and entrepreneurial, you'll find a way to make it work.

Otherwise, you'll join the graveyard with the other 99% of photographers who wanted to be a pro photographer (but for whom it didn't work out).