600EX-RT Manual Question

Hi all,

So I think I have quite a specific need, but can't find a way to make this work. It seems like this should be a no brainer, but can't find a way to make it work.

So, I'm photographing the inside of houses... High Aperture (f8-f11 around there somewhere), trying to collect a little ambient light, to show what is outside the windows (longer shutter speeds, i.e. tripod)

Low(ish) ISO (as I'm tripoded, may as well reduce the excess noise)

So I'm bringing the up the light inside the room with speed lights (600EX-RT's) and I have a wireless remote to fire the camera (I know I can uses the 600's to do this, but it just seems easier this way).

What I would like to be able to do, is walk about with my 600EX-RT in hand, and point it at where I would like to pin point a little extra light. Then set the 600EX-RT that is off camera (in my hand) to manual, and choose my power setting. But it seems that when the flashes are linked, I can only set the power level by adjusting it on flash in the hotshot. However, I would like to be across the room, with flash in hand.

This results in me taking a picture, walking back to the camera, changing the exposure, and then walking back to where I want to hold the flash, to light a specific part of the frame.

Does anyone know if this possible.

I know it's possible if I had a flash with an optical trigger, as then I can just set the flash to whatever power rating I want, and trigger it with the on camera, flash. It's basically this function that I am trying to recreate.

Thanks for reading, and any light you many be able to shed on the matter (sorry, crappy pun totally intended!)

Steve

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art: Next week at CP+?

Will we see this next week? I had just broken down and bought the Sigma 35 Art 2 for Christmas, barely a month before this development announcement. I had wanted to wait for a Sigma 50 Art, but I like the 35 so well I honestly can't say I regret it at all. If this new 50 does live up to some of the hype I may still be tempted.

Would a 50 and a 35 be too redundant? Would I be better off waiting for the Sigma 135mm they also are supposedly working on?

Patent: EF-S 17-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

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<p>Another lens patent has shown up today. This time an EF-S 17-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. Perhaps it’ll be a new kit lens this year and will replace the current 18-55 IS STM. However, this may also be a hold over from last years kit lens update.</p>
<p><strong>Description and self-interpretation of the patent literature</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span>Patent Publication No. 2014-21258</span>
<ul>
<li><span>Publication date 2014.2.3</span></li>
<li><span>Filing date 2012.7.18</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span>Example 2</span>
<ul>
<li><span>Zoom ratio 2.92</span></li>
<li><span>Focal length f = 18.50-32.89-54.00mm</span></li>
<li><span>Fno. 3.49-4.39-5.80</span></li>
<li><span>Half angle ω = 36.44-22.55-14.20 °</span></li>
<li><span>Image height Y = 13.66mm</span></li>
<li><span>119.77-110.06-120.23mm overall length of the lens</span></li>
<li><span>BF 37.98-52.51-74.3mm</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span>Example 3</span>
<ul>
<li><span>Zoom ratio 3.09</span></li>
<li><span>Focal length f = 17.50-32.05-54.00mm</span></li>
<li><span>Fno. 3.47-4.38-5.80</span></li>
<li><span>Half angle ω = 37.97-23.08-14.20 °</span></li>
<li><span>Image height Y = 13.66mm</span></li>
<li><span>119.55-108.81-118.68mm overall length of the lens</span></li>
<li><span>BF 36.59-51.53-73.93mm</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span>Canon</span><span> patents</span>
<ul>
<li><span>4-group zoom of positive and negative positive negative</span></li>
<li><span>Inner folder – Kas (Group 3)</span></li>
<li><span>The fourth lens unit can also be used for anti-vibration</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2014-02-05" target="_blank">EG</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

track and field photography

i am wondering what are the best methods to photograph my sons track meets? i use a canon 1dx and 5d mark 3, most of the pics are blurry and i can't seem to get them sharp, i have read a lot on this but what i read docent make sense to me…..i usually take still images,(portraits/families/kids etc) please help me or tell me what are the best settings to set my camera on…thank you

slow focusing on canon 300 mm 2,8 IS

Hello, I want to ask you. I have the option to buy a used Canon 300 mm 2.8 IS made ​​in 1999. On the surface has a few minor scratches but the optics are clean scratched. Test photos looked beautiful razor sharp. But my personal impression of him was such that the lens is quite professional too slow refocusing from minimum distance to infinity. If you focus so precisely but I still have too feel that this refocusing on longer distances is slow ... It also seemed to me that somehow sharpening ring goes harder, but it can be just my wrong impression because it's my first lens canon 300 mm 2.8 IS and I do not give it out to compare

May be the USM already worn?

Patent: Canon EF 70-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS

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<p>2014 will see the replacement of the Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS, and we should see some new new patents showing new optical formulas for its replacement. Below is a patent for an EF 70-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS.</p>
<p><strong>Description and self-interpretation of the patent literature</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Patent Publication No. 2014-21256,2014-21257
<ul>
<li>Publication date 2014.2.3</li>
<li>Filing date 2012.7.18</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Example 2
<ul>
<li>Zoom ratio 5.45</li>
<li>Focal length f = 71.33-144.71-388.95mm</li>
<li>Fno. 4.63-4.84-5.83</li>
<li>Half angle ω = 16.87-8.50-3.18 °</li>
<li>Image height Y = 21.64</li>
<li>240.00-284.68-303.83mm overall length of the lens</li>
<li>BF 75.92-79.30-95.93mm</li>
<li>6-group zoom of positive and negative positive and negative positive and negative</li>
<li>(Part of the fourth group) anti-vibration</li>
<li>Rear Focus (Group 6)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2014-02-04" target="_blank">EG</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

Sigma to Add Second MTF Chart for Lenses

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<p><b>Sigma Corporation of America to Release Two MTF Charts for Measurement of Lenses</b></p>
<p>Company releases the data of Geometric and Diffraction MTF charts for Global Vision Lenses</p>
<p>RONKONKOMA, N.Y., — February 3, 2014 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world’s most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, today announced that the company will now release a Geometrical MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) chart in addition to a Diffraction MTF chart when measuring the performance of all new Global Vision lenses.</p>
<p>MTF charts are important because they help photographers better understand the optical quality of lenses. Sigma has traditionally released Diffraction MTF data because it takes the diffraction quality of light into consideration, which can dramatically affect the data outcome. Diffracted light exists at every aperture, giving photographers a more accurate measurement of how the lens will perform in real life. Although Geometric MTF data is easier to measure and calculate since it does not consider the diffraction quality of light, it tends to show higher values in the graph and less defined results.</p>
<p>“As a family-owned organization, we hold ourselves and the products we design to a very high standard,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “Our customer’s expect high quality products and by sharing both MTF charts for all our new lenses, we are able to help guide them in making the most informed purchase decisions based on how our lenses will perform in actual photography situations.”</p>
<p>As a leader in technology and innovation, Sigma Corporation is committed to showing the true value and quality standards of all Sigma Global Vision lenses. Every lens is tested with Sigma’s proprietary modulation transfer function (MTF) “A1” measuring system before being shipped from the factory in Japan. By making both MTF charts available, Sigma is providing its customers with accurate measurements of its lenses and giving photographers a chance to see the full potential of Sigma’s lenses.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

Canon Will Attend The Photography Show in March

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<p><b>United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 3rd February 2014</b> – Canon, world-leader in imaging solutions, will be attending <a href="http://www.photographyshow.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Photography Show 2014</a> with an aim to excite everybody with a passion for photography. With talks from special guests, access to Canon experts and a vast interactive display of innovative products, Canon is set to bring photography to life (Stand B10).</p>
<p>Hear first-hand and delve into the journeys of seasoned professionals that have been operating in the industry for years. Learn of their experiences and tips with talks from Canon photographers across different areas of the show, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Jeff Ascough, Wedding Photographer & Canon Ambassador, at The Student Conference</li>
<li>Clive Booth, Fashion Photographer & Canon Explorer, at The Catwalk</li>
<li>David Noton, Landscape Photographer & Canon Explorer, at The Studio</li>
<li>Danny Green, Wildlife Photographer & Canon Explorer, at The Studio</li>
</ul>
<p>Canon is also supporting those looking to take their first big step in photography with hands on experience at Mollie Takes, a brand new workshop from the team at Mollie Makes. This explores a range of shooting techniques and essential skills when it comes to photographing the things you love.</p>
<p>Canon’s team of experts will be on hand to advise how to make to most of your kit to deliver excellence in everything you capture.</p>
<p>Visitors to the Canon stand will be able to experience a broad range of products that meet the modern and evolving needs of photographers. A full DSLR product line up will be showcased alongside an elevated lens bar showing Canon’s wide selection of EF lenses highlighting new standards of performance and reliability. Visitors to the Canon stand can have hands-on experience with the products and see how each lens can give a new perspective.</p>
<p>To complete the plethora of imaging solutions, Canon will be demonstrating how the PIXMA group of printers can take your shots from digital to physical. Take creative control and be the master of your image journey with Canon’s range of PIXMA professional photo printers, the perfect match for exceptional photography.</p>
<p>Susie Donaldson, Consumer Imaging Marketing Director of Canon UK and Ireland, said: “We’re thrilled to be exhibiting the power of image at The Photography Show 2014. By showcasing our offering at an event like this we show how our products can help photographers to consistently deliver the finest results. We’re looking forward to bringing photography to life.”</p>
<p>Birmingham’s NEC is the setting of this inaugural event taking place between Saturday 1st and Tuesday 4th March 2014. Through the highly interactive features, product displays and variety of exhibitions it is set to entertain and engage attendees.</p>
<p>Visit Canon at <a href="http://www.photographyshow.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Photography Show 2014</a> from 1st – 4th March at Stand B10.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

Excellent Customer Service "Cullmann"

I have a more than 10 years old "Cullmann Clamp".
It is a really handy and stable support for Cameras or Speedlites.
But I managed to break of the clamping plate (pictures attached).
So I wrote a mail to Cullmann Germany describing my problem and requesting a replacement part.
They answered within 3 hours asking for my Address.
And 2 days later a free replacement screw was in my mail!

I think that is an excellent example of great and uncomplicated customer service.

I am very positively surprised by that and wanted to share it.

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Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II Request for Samples

To all,

I'm still trying to figure out if I got a lemon. I have received it back from Canon repair, and they replaced the G3 assembly. It is much better than what it was but my Canon 24mm f/1.4L outperforms it from f/2.2 onward. I would consider my Canon 24mm f/1.4L lens to be average. Since I only have one other sample (a rental) of what the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens can do, I really have know idea what to expect of this lens. The rental was awesome. It was sharp throughout the field of view.

Would it be possible for the owners of this lens to send me high resolution images of a landscape or cityscape showing what this lens can do under the following conditions:

  • Focused at infinity
  • Shift and tilt set to zero position
  • Camera level to ground (i.e. no tilt)
  • One image taken at f/4.0
  • Final image taken at f/8.0

You can send me E-mail privately or a link on this thread. Basically, all my images taken with this lens are somewhat soft near the center edges and progressively get worse in the corners. At this time, I would estimate the "sharp" area of coverage to be a 30mm circle around the center.

You can either post JPEG images of 100 percent crops of the center sides or privately E-mail me a high resolution JPEG full image. Please no masterpieces, just test shots that aren't worth a dime. :)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Wade

Just before sunrise

This morning I hiked up to the giant 'Y' on the side of the mountains in Provo, UT well before sunrise. As I sat there and waited for the sun to come up, there was a minute or two of the most amazing shade of blue in the sky.

I shot this 3-frame panorama using a 30 yr old Nikon 24mm f/2 AIS lens on my Canon 5D3. The whole early morning hike in freezing cold weather was all worth it for just this shot!


Provo Blue Sky Panorama by yorgasor, on Flickr

Replacement for EF-S 17-85mm/ 4,0-5,6/ IS USM

hello,

I got this lens with my camera as a kit about 5 years ago.

The aperture failed. Pictures could only be taken wide open.
A local shop estimated 200 to 300€ for repair. No way.

I got the spare part for 30€ and managed to replace the aperture unit myself and the lens seems to be working fine again. *phew*
All it takes is a steady hand and the right tools, as you can see in the attached image ;D
However, I had to realize that these kit lenses are not built to last. :(

Even though I got this thing working again, I don't know when it will fail again and if I can fix it.
So what other lens could replace this one?

The Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM looks really nice.
-> The focal lengths don't match, I lose a lot on the tele end of the lens.
I opened LR and created a chart to see which focal lengths I use the most.
The diagram shows number of images over focal length
The majority is taken at 17 mm, not the tele end.

This makes sense as a lot of the images are taken with (on camera) flash and it does not have the reach to illuminate longer focal lengths properly.
Most of the images at longer lengths are not really good.

I could swap lenses to a 50mm for a little more reach.

One mm of difference in focal length makes quite a difference for a wide angle.
Will I miss the 17mm, being limited to 18mm?
But the numbers suggest that I just go "as wide as possible".

Who owns this lens and could share some experience?

What other alternatives do you suggest?
The lens is mostly used for events and landscape.

Thanks for your ideas!

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Indoor climbing competition

A couple of years ago I was involved in starting up a climbing competition series for the universities in and around London. Yesterday was round three of season four and I decided to go down and take some photos of the action. Lighting was unfortunately pretty dire with lots of fluorescent tubes and bright green crash mats with vaguely pink walls so each corner needed a separate colour balance

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Canon EF on Sony A7R field notes

Hey everyone,

I got the Sony A7R, and although I usually keep quite a few notes and the consolidate and organize them into a review. I thought I'd do something a bit different and just do a stream of consciousness field notes type thing.

Update! I have just completed a video review of the Sony A7R which can be found here: http://www.grahamclarkphoto.com/sony-a7r-review-canon-ef-lenses/

Click here for this updated field notes page on my site
Click here to view and download .TIFF + .ARW

Sony_A7R_with_Canon_EF_17-40mm_L1.jpg

Sony-A7R-with-Canon-70-200mm-F4-IS.jpg

Metabones-EF-Adapter-with-Canon-EF-40mm-2.8-side-by-side.jpg

Sony-A7R-with-Canon-50mm-1.8-Front.jpg


Here's what I got so far:

-Smallness and lightness are very noticeable when compared to Canon 6D
- A7R body-only weighs 16.75 oz
- Canon 6D body-only weighs 27.75 oz
- Sony A7R with EF + Canon 17-40 weighs 38.05 oz
- Canon 40mm 2.8 weighs 4.40 oz
- Canon EF to Sony adapter weighs 5.25 oz
- The default settings on the A7R are pretty bad
- The Sony A7R manual wasn’t created for humans to understand
- With the Canon EF to Sony A7R E-Mount adapter it has a pretty good balance.
- When placed on a level surface its level on both sides with the Canon 17-40
- EVF is slightly distorted at edges of viewfinder with 20mm or wider
- EVF resolution is pretty low considering how close the eye is to the internal screen. I suppose I’m used to my retina iPhone, iPad and macbook pro, so the low-res is pretty darn -noticeable.
- Back LCD screen resolution is excellent
- Back LCD surface is delicate, much more delicate than the Canon 5D3 or 6D
- Back LCD responds with bruising if you press on it gently, it doesn’t have a hard plastic surface. Kind of like a calculator LCD display : (
- ISO 25k isn’t enough for composing in lowlight about 1/2 hour after sunset
- ISO 25k isn't enough for composing during sunset with lowlight + 6-stops ND (viewfinder is black)
- When at ISO 25k the back LCD lags down to about 10-15 fps. It may have to do with the funny named processor not being able to handle two tasks: ISO 25k and transferring data from sensor to LCD

- When playing back images on the LCD there's a significant amount of banding happening. I would imagine it's either due to the gamut of the LCD can't handle the range of colors, or the JPEG that's being processed for playback is of low quality, or both
- I'm still seeing a consistent drop in FPS when ISO 25k is used in low light
- Industrial design of the A7R is incredible. I was shooting the SF skyline last night from Treasure Island and a South Korean tourist had a 35mm rangefinder from the 70's, and it was striking the resemblance of the two
- The button placements are excellent
- The index and thumb dials are metal, very good quality and have excellent dampening
- I shoot in Aperture priority mode about 80% of the time when not in bulb, so the exposure compensation dial is fantastic. I love the feel of it, and it's very sturdy and not easy to inadvertently change. Sony intentionally dampened that one more than the others
- The power on sequence takes 3-4 seconds, not the 2 1/2 I've been reading
- The tiny little Sony batteries don't last that long. I shot for about 4 1/2 hours on the pacific ocean for sunset and the battery was nearly exhausted
- When exposing the LCD turns black, but it's still powered on and the pixels are therefore using power:

Sony-A7R-with-Canon-24-70-2.8-Mark-II-night.jpg


Sony-A7R-LCD-black-still-using-power-1024x768.jpg


- I find the autofocus speed of the A7R to be the same as the 5D3/6D
- Canon Image stabilization with the A7R EF adapter works perfectly, I’m not noticing any issues or reduction of stops
- On the A7R the autofocus switch must be set to ‘M’ manual for the camera to engage manual focus mode. If it’s in AF it won’t do both like a Canon behaves
- The EF adapter writes focal range and F-stop into the EXIF data of the image but lacks the model information (easy fix in Aperture/Lightroom):

Sony-A7R-EF-Adapter-EXIF-data-lens-and-focal-length.png


- Auto white balance does a great job at determining natural light, it’s a bit orangish in indoor artificial light I’ve found
- Using the EVF for achieving critical sharpness could be a game changer. The precision of manual focus is magnitudes better than looking at the viewfinder, perhaps because your eye adjusts to the dark - EVF and is able to see the screen much closer. With lenses where the threshold of focus is very small this becomes a big advantage
- For me, the Sony A7R has proven that you can drastically simplify the controls and dials and still have an effective tool for getting the job done, primarily through excellent function and custom button customizations
- Having ISO 50, 64 and 80 are great, I love the flexibility in this range. These are of course pulled from ISO 100 and the highlight headroom may *be less, but I’m going to test that soon
- The Menu button is justified in the top left, it would have been nice to have it justified to the right. If it was on the right all the controls would be accessible from the shooting hand
- The vertical swivel of the A7R is useful in certain applications, however it means it’s a more delicate camera. Getting that thing snagged on something and broken off wouldn’t be fun
- I like the record button on the right side of the grip. In the settings you can specify it to do nothing unless movie mode is selected, thereby removing the possibility of accidentally switching in to movie mode, but I don’t see that happening as it’s out of the way in its current position
- The SD card slot door is built very well and has rubberized contacts on the interior to prevent play or flex
- Audio inputs on the A7R like microphones is very easy to setup. It auto-detects and the audio level display is better than the Canon one – easier to view and a bit more polished. Downstream tech from Sony’s camcorders most likely
- The shutter button has a very gratifying quality to it, very circular and 50′s rangefinderish, but it’s also very responsive to half and full shutter clicks
- A7R magnesium alloy body is incredibly sturdy and feels well crafted
- A7R menu system is decent. I think it’s probably the best i’ve seen but then again it doesn’t really have much competition as nearly no one out there is making decent menu systems (or at least I haven’t seen one yet)
- Trash button doubles as a C3 customizable button when not selected in image playback – nice
- You can tell a user experience team thought about how the buttons should be laid out and placed, which is nice
- Achieving critical sharpness on the A7R 7x and 14.4x modes is great, although I wish the photographer could select the default magnification level instead of cycling through 0x – 7x – 14x
- A7R battery charger does not include a wall charger, you must plug the camera physically into the charger
- On the upside, the A7R charging system is done through micro-USB, so if you lose the cable / charger you can re-use another that you have
- You can charge your A7R in the car USB outlet
- A7R battery charging times are between 4-6 hours, pretty darn long considering how fast the batteries deplete
- You can’t charge the battery while you’re out shooting (unless you buy the standalone battery charger), but you can charge it in the car etc., so it’s a bit of a convenience tradeoff

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