It started simply enough - my granddaughter started playing soccer so I gave my son a T3 with a kit lens and the
55-250 EF-S lenses to be at every game. Then my daughter wanted to start so I gave her an identical setup.
Then on a recent trip I wanted to go "light" so I borrowed my daughter's set-up. It was easy to pack, didn't weigh much and produced excellent images. I think the whole thing weighed less than the IDx without a lens.
I've now bought a T5 for me and even with white lenses I'm pleased with the results - don't need 8 frames a second because eight year olds don't run that fast. Not as many settings, but a pleasing "back to basics" feel.

I have some lighting equipment that I'd like to sell but see that it's closed to post?

Sounds like this could be the largest cave on earth

http://www.georgianewsday.com/news/regional/292275-china-s-miao-room-cavern-is-the-largest-on-earth.html

It is on the Internets Tubes so it must be true. ;D

Petapixle has a lot of time on their hands

http://petapixel.com/2014/09/30/expensive-camera-kits-photographers-can-buy-brand-2014/#more-146819

What are the most expensive camera and lens combinations you can buy for each manufacturer? Of course you could spend $2.79 million on a historical 1923 Leica or $165,000 on an ultra-rare Canon 1200mm lens, but what about gear that any photographer can purchase through a normal retail outlet?

We decided to do some research into what the priciest camera kits (a body plus a lens) currently available to photographers [are] in 2014.

Click to expand...

Nikon - $24,896

Nikon’s D3x DSLR costs $6,999, and the NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens has a price tag of $17,897.

Canon - $23,498

The Canon 1D C — a 4K camera geared toward filmmaking — costs $9,999 and a Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS will cost you $13,499.

There ya go. 1400 bucks saved. 8)

Topping the list is Hassy (big surprise) at $53,160

The Hasselblad H5D-200c medium format DSLR has a hefty price tag of $45,000, and can be paired with an $8,160 Hasselblad 35-90mm f/4-5.6 HCD lens.

Time to get those Christmas wish lists updated. ;D

I am sure there are a number of threads on this topic, so I appologize for not having done the search.

Very close to 100% of what I shoot is with natural/available light only. I am even a complete amateur with my 600 flash.

My company is now in need of some updated product images. These images range from small gadget like units, to several large screen control centers (airport tower solutions).

I just saw the offer from a pro and decided that this is something I want to give a go myself. So my question to those of you who know how to do this, is what kind of lighting system would you recommend? I have seen a couple of travel kits, with 3-4 strobes, umbrellas, transmitters etc. But I do not know if they are worth the money. An alternative could be remote controlled 600 flashes.

Any advice and/or recommentation will be moste appreciated.

Unless they pull it, the 7D Mark II manual is now available for download from the UK:

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Consumer_Products/products/cameras/Digital_SLR/EOS_7D_Mark_II.aspx#EOS_7D_Mark_II.aspx?type=manuals&_suid=1412167834834022919552165152596

I came across with a good offer for the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 VC and I am wondering if replacing my old 24-70 f2.8L is worth it.
I know DxO has rated the Tamron just one point behind the new Canon 24-70mm f2.8L II but anyone have experienced the Tamron in real life situations. Is is that good?

http://www.rossharvey.com/reviews/nikon-d750-review

Quite an excited review of the Nikon D750. Sample pictures look really great. Especially high iso looks impressive. Says he also worked with the 5DIII and that it does not compare for his work (weddings).

Agree with reviewer that Canon has work cut out for them selves trying to make the 5DIV competitive (either by slashing the price range or jumping the specs).

All the better for us that Canon is under stiff pressure to deliver this time around. This time there will no excuse that Nikon pulled a rabbit.

Looking at some posts about dslr beginners reasoning what camera bodies and lenses to buy, I'm asking myself: Does it really matter if you start with a 7d1 vs. 7d2 or 5d2 vs. 5d3? Do you need a 16-35L/4 instead of a 17-40L/4? Or isn't it smarter to save the money, learn a lot and then buy the next better model in a couple of years?

I know for me, "just" buying a 60d was a smart choice - a 5d2 would have been wasted. With the €1500 saved back then, I now bought a 6d basically for "free" and can even profit from it as my skill is up to it by now.

What about you? If you would have had top gear right from day one, would have it been "worth it"?

Am considering Canon’s Canadian preorder offer for the 7D Mark II ( ie. Body @1899.99CAN ($1,696 USD), plus the option to buy the 24-70mm f/4 L for $399 CAN ($356 USD) if ordered together). The 24-70 is currently retailing for $1,100 CAN ($1,000 USD), so the deal looks good.
I own a 7D + the 17-55mm f 2.8 and feel this is a good, all purpose lens for this camera (except the often discussed build criticism). The 24-70 range seems to be better suited to a full frame, rather than an APS-C…so, why would Canon make this choice to go with the 7D MK II (apart from obvious better build)?
The DxO Score/Sharpness M-Pix for : 7D +17-55= 15/9
70D +17-55=16/11

7D + 24-70= 13/8
70D + 24-70= 14/10
Since the 7D Mk II’s sensor appears to be a ‘tweaked’ 70D sensor…. maybe the 7D Mk II +24-70 combo might score 15/12 (pure speculation). This doesn’t seem to be significantly different than either the 7D or 70D paired with a 17-55. Am I missing something? Other ‘still’ picture specs seem to be killer….…...so the 7D Mk II looks like a perfect ‘accessory’ for my 400 f5.6 and 500 f4. If I decide to take advantage of this offer, I will likely reserve the 24-70 f/4 for a planned future 6D purchase….or should I pass and hold out for the 24-70 f2.8 II?

What is your main DSLR use?

What gear do you use for what?

Gordon Laing has posted some G7X samples over at cameralabs, I don't know if anybody posted them here before, but just for the sake of it
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_G7X/sample_images.shtml

The left corners look pretty awful to me, if it is true what I'm seeing there, my fear that Canon didn't design a great lens for an otherwise great camera came true... *sigh*

over at IR

www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/09/27/photokina-interview-samsung-nx1-redefine-pro-performance-quantum-leap-tech

seems they've done some careful thinking about their approach to the system and will be interesting to see how it plays out

I need to pick up my first flash. So I have a 6D, I didn't like the pop up flash on my t2i and how it looked so i never got into flash photography. But now i know i need one. I rented the canon 580 ex II bc my friend wanted me to shoot his engagements and I realized i really need one.
The hard part is that my wife doesn't like me to buy camera stuff, so the 600 is out. I have been thinking about 430ex but I have been thinking out a third party flash.
I want something that will help me learn but also i can just make it do all the work when i am still learning when i just want the picture to come out.

With all the chatter today about needing more MP or DR, let's not forget where we were just 10-years ago. For those of you under 30-years-old, 10-years ago seems like a lifetime. For those of us over 60-years-old, 10-years ago seems like yesterday!

Here's a look back to 2004:

Canon EOS-10D, 6.3 MP 1.6x crop sensor, 3 FPS, $1,499

Nikon D100, 6.1 MP 1.5x crop sensor, 3 FPS, $1,499

Canon EOS-1D II, 8.2 MP 1.3x crop sensor, 8.5 FPS, $4,495

Nikon D2H, 4.1 MP 1.5x crop sensor, 8 FPS, $3,199

Nikon D1X, 5.3 MP 1.5x crop sensor, 3 FPS, $3,899

Canon EOS-1DS, 11.1 MP full frame sensor, 3 FPS, $7,999

Kodak DCS-14N, 13.8 MP full frame sensor, 8 FPS, $9,000+

So, what's my point! Just this, what we thought was fantastic back then, is "not so much" today. However, there are millions of great images from back then! And in 10-years from now, we'll probably still be arguing about needing more MP and DR, yet we'll still have tons of great images from right now! Life is short my friends, get out and enjoy what you have right now! The future will be here starting tomorrow, and with it, undoubtably more of everything you could ever wish for or imagine!

Just saw the $50 price drop this afternoon on Amazon... thought I'd share the savings...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FH1KX2/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Maybe Amazon is starting their Xmas pricing early.

Dunno where this fits so I chose Landscape.

The Wood Norton Hotel in the Cotswolds. Took these early morning. The owner was so pleased he purchased a number of them for a mutually satisfactory figure which included a further night +B&B +dinner+wine

The rays of light come from BBC security lamps shining through trees at the rear.

Wood Norton Hotel-7.jpg by petach123 (Peter Tachauer), on Flickr

Wood Norton Hotel-6.jpg by petach123 (Peter Tachauer), on Flickr

I would like some feedback on how low you think the price will drop during Black Friday? Seeing that the standard price has dropped from $2499 down to $2299, will that affect the discounted pricing this year?

Additionally, any feedback from those of you that own this lens would be highly appreciated!

The 5DIII does not have exchangeable focusing screens supported from Canon. I have previously tried the Eg-S screen, made for 5DII and 6D, but that is not a mechanical fit. I found an instruction video on youtube, showing how to install it, but it did not work well over time. After a couple of weeks I got a focus offset (appeared as a +75 AFMA offset). Using AF still worked, but the visual appearance in the view finder, when the subject was in focus, was anything but in focus.

I have since only used my 1DX with the Ec-S screen for manual focus lenses. I hardly ever use a tripod, so I must be able to focus through the viewfinder. I am not able to focus with handheld live view.

A couple of weeks back I ordered a custom made S-type focusing screen for the 5DIII, from Focusing Screen in Taiwan (www.focusingscreen.com). It arrived today and I have installed it (only takes about 5 minutes) and played with it. Mechanically identical to the original and fit perfectly. Initial impression is very good. I have only used it indoors, in rather dim light, but my keeper rate (Otus 55mm @f1.4) is very high (still subjects) and equal to what I am able to get with the 1DX.

I have not done a very thorough testing of the need for exposure compensation. But as far as I can see from the images I have, there does not seem to be a need for any adjustments. But the viewer does get a bit darker, so it is best used with f2.8 or faster lenses. I tried the 600 f4L IS II, but (for dim indoor shots) then the viewer turned too dark. That was expected though.

So, for those of you who are happy with your 5DIII, but would like to also use manual focus lenses, this is clearly a good option.

I found this the other day:

http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2014/09/chipworks-iphone-6-plus-teardown-finds.html

Looks like even iPhone has moved to Exmor. Excerpt form Chipworks (their page doesn't seem to be loading at the moment):

"The iPhone 6 Plus iSight camera chip is housed in a camera module measuring 10.6 mm x 9.3 mm x 5.6 mm thick. Fabricated by Sony, the iSight camera chip is a stacked (Exmor RS), back-illuminated CMOS image sensor (CIS) featuring 1.5 µm generation pixels (introduced for the iPhone 5s). The die size is 4.8 mm x 6.1 mm (29.3 mm2). The phase pixel pairs have all been implemented in the green channel and cover the majority of the active pixel array."

"Our speculation of Sony winning the FaceTime sockets, though, turned out to be correct. We’ve just confirmed the iPhone 6 Plus FaceTime camera is a stacked Sony CIS and will provide more details in a future update."

Click to expand...

Now we know we're all great photogs, well, at least we would be if our cameras would have more resolution and dynamic range . But there is an infamous fix for the latter: bracket the scene, let loose the tonemapping app of your choice and dial everything to 11!

Looking at the neighboring "best hdr shots" thread, I've got the impression that a typical photog evolution seems to include loving surreal hdr shots with histogram inversion (i.e. parts that were darker in the original now is brigher). So here's your chance to show courage and let the world see your very early creations!

Note 1: Please only link/post your own shots and not those of others around CR, even if it is tempting :->

Note 2: No cheating, only real skeletons in your closet, unlike saying "My weaknesses are perfectionism and forgetting to cash in my overtime slips" in a job interview.

Was just posted on Sigma Rumors:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sigmadeutschland/sets/72157648178227275/

Dear Friends.
For long time that I am looking for the Great Monopod which can stand alone for muti-function usage. Yes, I have 6 Monopods already, From the Tiny one and up to the Biggest one that can carry my 1DS with EF 600 MM.
Yesterday , I went to peek around my friend's Local Camera store, And At that time, The Sale man from the company, Mogopod, CO. come to sell/ Stock of his Brand name Monopod = MOGOPOD", And I listen to his sale pitch, And Fell in love with this MOGOPOD= American design, Made in China.---Yes, Regular price Mogopod + Tri Feet( MK III )=$ 200 US Dollars----I get the introduction price $ 160 US Dollars---Yes, I buy one -----May be stupid hot head Surapon.
Yes, After that in yesterday afternoon, I just try with all of my Lens---BUT This Mogopod is design for carry the max. load = 11 pounds only( 5 KILOGRAMS)---Not Good for 12.5 Pounds of EF 600 MM + 3 Pounds of Canon 1DS.----BUT, In the future, I will drill tiny holes and put the tiny nail to stop the slide action of this monopod , and can increase to 20 pounds carry dead load for my 600 mm. Lens.
Yes, This Mogopod can use as extension for shoot the photo 5 feet above my head too.
YES, The EXTENSION ACTION, This Company Copy from 'SHUR-LINE' Painter's pole( $ 15 US Dollars ) that sell by home depot or Lowes----Ha, Ha, Ha.
Here is the Link=

http://mogopod.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Mogopod-Monopod-Height-11lbs-Capacity/dp/B00H1CR166



Enjoy.
Surapon

Good day. Going to be relocating at the end of this month from continental US to Stavanger, Norway. Seeking advice from experienced travelers on best way to move equipment.

Planning to take my most essential pieces as carry-on with me (5D3, 300mm ii, etc.). But looking for good advice on how to safely/securely transport the rest of my glass and equipment. Of course, the equipment will be insured, but I would like to avoid the hassle of having to replace or repair large amounts of expensive equipment. And I'm sure replacing in Norway would be much more expensive than replacing equivalent equipment in the US.

I can imagine with the worldly group we have here, i can get some decent advice. Would you suggest putting equipment in locked pelican cases for transport? I would think that only makes them stick out even more for thieves who may come in contact with equipment. But doing anything less would seem to be irresponsible to me.

Again, any advice you all can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Back in the 70s and 80s, my father and I used to listen to the police scanner, chase everything nearby, shoot it and sell it to the newspapers. I had Canon AE-1's, AE-1 Programs, A-1's and he was a medium to large format guy. Over time I had acquired 3 Sunpak 522's with all the TTL adapters, batteries, belt packs, if they sold it, I have it still. I can remember going out in the middle of the night to an accident scene or fire, setting these up and firing them all at once, lighting everything in sight. To this day, I still have them all, everything still appears to work as designed, except, now I have multiple EOS cameras, XTi, T3i, T5i and 70D. I can turn them on, hit the test button, all the stuff I bought for them, they all fire together, light up my whole back yard in the middle of the night.
I realize Canon sells some awesome flashes now, with all kinds of equipment to bond them together, but remembering using all 3 when doing wedding portraits, a car accident at 2am, you name it, I want to use them all still today. I am afraid to attach any of it to my camera and hit the button to fire it fearing I may see a puff of smoke come out of the camera, or otherwise, rendering my new Canon gear useless.
Call it partial sentiment to the past, or if I sold it all on Ebay or whatever, I could afford a new lens cap and cap keeper cord. I know those old film cameras synced at 1/60th, I can control them manually for power, I can calculate the difference, or test the heck of it for results, but does anyone know how I can still use this gear today?