.
Any ideas why this happened?

Shooting yesterday in bright sun, lot of contrast between people in shade under portable shelters and sunny backgrounds. So I was using a 270EX II for fill flash (hi-speed synch). I didn't shoot a lot, fewer than 100 pictures over three hours.

Before starting, I tested batteries. I have some AA lithium batteries I bought years ago (2021 expiration date) so I'm using them until they run out. The two in the flash had been used previously (perhaps 25 shots), and when I tested them yesterday morning on a load meter, they were both 100%. Eneloop backups I brought along also tested 100%.

Two hours into the morning, the flash stopped working. I took the batteries out, very hot. I put Eneloops in and continued on with no problem. When I got home, here's what I found:

Lithium one: 80% on load tester and 1.51 on voltmeter
Lithium two: 20% (red) on load tester and 0.97 on voltmeter

Eneloops: Both still at 100% although they probably weren't in for more than 20 shots.

I don't think I've ever seen one battery in a pair fail. Battery issue? Flash issue?

I'll keep monitoring it. I especially want to see what happens to the Eneloops over time -- this is first I've used them. If one of them goes to 20% in service and the other doesn't, that will tell me something.

I am sure many of you in the USA already have an account with Canon USA and are aware of the benefits of registering your Canon equipment with them. However, I recently helped a fried to join and register his cameras, lenses, printer, and scanner. Once he registered his cameras, he immediately received emails listing the latest firmware updates for several of his DSLRs that he didn't know were out yet! Having this instant notification of firmware and other technical updates, makes having to search the web every so often totally unnecessary! Additionally, you can select other services, such as receiving their Newsletter, product announcements, etc. also, you get 10 GB of free image storage on their Image Gateway program. You also receive discounts through the Canon Store if you take the time to answer all the questionairs for your products.

https://b2cweb.usa.canon.com/b2cweb/view/login.jsf?TYPE=33554432&REALMOID=06-979697ef-63e3-49da-a97f-795f9d794fcc&GUID=1&SMAUTHREASON=0&METHOD=GET&SMAGENTNAME=-SM-SPnuJLVI%2b1NhU8q9X4JtIpqiRboYEqM49iCkDfu%2f0b2E%2fzveqSpO4UF3UH%2fdXG9X&TARGET=-SM-http%3a%2f%2fb2cweb%2eusa%2ecanon%2ecom%2fb2cweb%2fview%2fmyAccountHome%2ejsf

I'm aiming for a career within people photography (portraiture of various kinds in-/outdoors, the occasional wedding etc.) and wonder which lens(es) to get next. I will also be photographing food, architecture, lanscape, products etc. but people photography will be my main thing. My gear so far:

- Canon 50D (hoping to upgrade to full-frame, most likely a 5D III)
- Canon 70-200 f/4L (great IQ though with a crop body I seldom use it)
- Canon 35 f/2
- Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.5

The Sigma is getting pretty worn and I don't particularly like it, which means I'm looking for a "bread & butter" zoom for general use. I'm considering the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L II, Canon 24-105 f/4L and possibly a 50mm f/1.4 (I'm leaning towards the Sigma instead of Canon because it just seems better built and I hear it also gives a better result whenever copies of it don't have focusing issues) for shallow DOF/low light shots.
To make choices even more difficult there's Canon's 24-70 f4L, Sigma's 24-70 and Tamron's 24-70 (with IS). I can get the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L II at a special price now, and I have a feeling that despite the missing IS and the missing added reach which the 24-105 has that this is a "keeper" and something which can boost the quality of my shots. The Tamron seems like a good buy on paper but I'm skeptical towards the brand itself and having tried it I don't like the reverse zoom compared to Canon's lenses and the placement of the focus ring. I don't know enough about Sigma's 24-70 but have heard a lot of good stuff about the Canon.
My 35mm f/2 is OK, but feels cheap and not very inspirational although I'm beginning to like the idea of prime lenses more and more, which is why I'm also considering a 50mm of some sort in addition to a general/use for everything "bread & butter" zoom (I'm ruling out Canon 50mm f/1.8 as that would be similar to my 35mm in build quality, and also the f/1.2L version because of the price).

So, would it be a good decision to go for the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L II and possibly also the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 in addition (or leave out the 50mm for the time being), or would you go for the 24-105 and 50mm as well as possibly other primes, or something entirely different?

Oh, I'm working on my flash photography skills, so although I do like natural light I'm not one of those "I only use natural light" photographers and hence don't feel the need to go with fast, expensive lenses all the way.

i've been stuffing around for years trying to find the right comb for landscape adventures, not to heavy but still able to carry my best gear what to bring? what not to bring? always a compromise with weight and gear> sooo i've settling on this combo>>>

Is there any trick to make 5D Mark III's in-camera CA correction support 3rd party lens such as Sigma 35? Sigma 35 is definitely a nice lens, except with very strong chromatic aberration when shot at large apertures.
Lightroom isn't function very well either... and it would be more helpful if this can be applied to jpg directly

I thought my fellow canon rumor buddies may be interested in this article I just read...
http://www.technewsdaily.com/18220-graphene-imagining-sensor-takes-clear-pictures.html

https://vimeo.com/67422760

My brother and I spent last weekend camping in Big Sur as well as testing out the Magic Lantern hack on my 5D. Give it a look!

I'm currently in Paris on holiday armed with practically my full kit of lenses (see below) - we are planning on going to Versailles tomorrow (Sunday) and I've stumbled across the access rules which appear to suggest that bags and such have to be left in the cloakrooms before entering the palace, but they won't accept photography equipment left in the cloakrooms, I'm guessing for security/theft reasons - has anyone visited and could clarify the situation, as I'd like to take my kit bag or at least my small rucksack with at least the 24-70 for the gardens and the 16-35 for the interiors - but don't want to be caught out by the rules. I would just carry the 6D and a single lens, but would prefer the flexibility of the 16-35, 24-70 & 135

I'm thinking as a one stop lens the 24-70 would work best, but would the 16-35 better suit the interiors ? Thoughts ?

Hi,

I need a flash that will take over 2000 continuous non-stop shots. I take pictures of books for research. I am a grad student in history.

Can someone please tell me the best and cheapest flash I need?

I've been using a 5DMKIII for several months now keeping my MKII as a backup. I've found AFMA has sometimes made a significant difference with the MKII and certain lenses like my 135 f2L (+8). I've put a couple of my most used lenses through the AFMA procedure that Neuroanatomist described http://bit.ly/14ii3An using a SpyderCal target and have noticed a very minor adjustment was 'needed', if at all (+2 or so on a 70-200 2.8 IS II and a 24-70 2.8 II).

After buying a new 85 1.2 II I tried doing the AFMA process I found that whenever I made any + or - adjustments the focus results were off and relatively inconsistent in a illogically maddening sort of way (10+ shots at -5, -3, -1, +1, +3, etc.) and that the neutral 0 position actually produced the most consistent in-focus results (not front or back focusing too much). I was pleasantly surprised and wondered if the AF system in the MKIII is that good?! So far most of the shots I've taken with the 85 1.2 (when focus hits what I want) have been wicked sharp at 1.2-1.6, which is great.

Anyone else noticed a similar (awesome!) phenomenon with a 5D MKIII? Did I just get super lucky with lens and body combo? The body just came back from CPS for a multi-controller button replacement (and all tuned up with newest firmware) and the lens is brand new.

Photo of a friend with focus on left eye taken from 4 or 5 feet away http://sdrv.ms/17dVD9V

Focus on orange slice http://sdrv.ms/17dVTG9

So I recently purchased the 6D (body only) and refurbished 85mm f/1.8 last week. And today is my sister-in law's sweet 16, and my wife just informed me that i'm suppose to be taking her photos because they can't find a pro photographer that suits their budget. I literally don't have any other other accessories to go with but the body & lens mentioned above AND I definitely do not have any experience at all although I have been shooting Manual, raw files as well ever since I received the camera. Anyways, what's the usual settings for indoor, with bright lights., etc. Btw, this will occur in 5 hrs from now so Jesus help me now.

Appreciate all the kind feedbacks.

Hi,

I've just upgraded to a 6D from a 600D (T3i), and so far I'm very impressed with the lowlight capabilities of the camera, but I have a serious concern on the focusing accuracy. I'm finding that even though, the AF is locking on (have tested using centre and outer points) and the images look fine on the back of the camera, when I import the RAW files into Lightroom, they're soft, soft, soft. So far I've been unable to get a really sharp image, without having to seriously pile on the sharpening in post (like 100+ of sharpening).

At first I thought perhaps I had a duff kit lense, so I've gone out and shot with some of my other glass to see if they're any better. My 50mm 1.4, 70-200mm L, 40mm STM and 100mm 2.8L (which is Katana sharp on all the other bodies I've used it on) all display similar behaviour.

Have any of the other 6D owners experienced this? Did you find that you had to MFA all of your lenses to get good results? I'm finding that my keeper rate is significantly lower so far on the 6D than the 600D, which is the opposite of what I'd expect. Is there any of the default settings that I need to disable or change that might be causing an issue? I've tried shooting the auto modes to see if it's just me having problems adjusting to the FF sensor, but the images they produce are the same, really, really soft.

Any tips or advice from other 6D owners would be greatly appreciated! I've got some more test shooting to do, but I'll try and get some pictures up tomorrow to illustrate the issues I'm having.

Was shooting the Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite, and it was windier than usual that day. I was using the 16-35 II, and I had a ND filter on. After the shoot, I realized the mist from the waterfall nearly soaked the interior of the hood. Like soaked it pretty well enough that there was a small pool of water inside the hood, and front of the filter glass. I have wiped the lens down, but do I need to take extra measures to make sure its dried well enough. I guess I am a bit paranoid.

Looks interesting but not sure it will make it to market

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/05/31/Canon-patent-describes-novel-liquid-lens-design

I am looking into getting a used 5D2 or 3. Is there a way to tell if the camera is refurbished? Someone was telling me that there's a pin hole somewhere at the bottom, but not sure if this is correct or not.

Wasn't sure if this was the best place to post this query but I'm sure we'll cope!

I intend going on a seabird safari in the next few weeks and wondered what the consensus was on changing lens in a "salty air" environment. I suspect the few seconds it takes to change a lens (done within the confines of my camera bag) wouldn't be much of an issue but wondered what experiences you've all had in similar situations. The island is rocky/grassy so I don't expect sand blowing everywhere but wanted to know how sensitive contacts could be to brief exposure to salt air.

I intend taking my 300mm 2.8 IS, 70-200 f4 IS and maybe 17-40mm for seascape type shots if I get the chance (body is a 5D3). I'll get a waterproof jacket for the body/lens combo just in case the weather is poor but mainly in case of bird poop landing on it

Depending on the weather I won't change the lens at all but want to go prepared - the one bit of gear you need is always the thing you left at home.

Any advice gratefully received.

Hey guys I just switched from Sony to Canon in the last couple weeks and have had quite a few focus issues with the 5DIII I have a FocusAlign and also FocusTune software and have calibrated all my lenses to spot on. I have - 50 1.2, 85 1.8, 50 1.8, Sigma 35 1.4, tamron 70-200VC and a Tamron 90mm... So EVERY single lens has a focus adjust dialed in on both the 5DIII 6D and 7D. That isn't that bad but I figured it would be better buying all new gear. All my Sony lenses also had a focus adjustment though so that's ok. But here is the main problem - after our first wedding (where I told my wife who shoots the new 5D, to trust her focus points now), the 50L front focused on every shot where she didn't use the center point. And that was just about every portrait! So this is not good at all. So I put it back on the tripod and shot the lensalign a bit more and found that it has really bad front focus on every point but the center. The farther back the subject is, the worse the front focus is. So after a bit of research, I found that this is somewhat normal due to the curvature of the lens and the design of the optics in general for being a 1.2 lens. BUT here is the crazy thing - it focuses almost perfectly on the 6D! With any focus point!

So I called CPS and they said that I could send it in to be calibrated but I asked why it would focus perfectly on the 6D and not the 5D. They were mostly clueless but said to try to just use the center point! That isn't that bad and we can live with that, but why would it work on the 6D with a far less quality focus system? I tested all our other lenses on the 5D and it looks like the outer points work great with every other lens - including the Sigma 35.

I ordered another 50L that should be here tomorrow to really nail down if it is then lens or the body but I wanted to get some feedback to see what you guys think! You guys out there with the 5DIII and 50L, can you use the outer points at all? I have it set to just cross type points, single shot, manual point selection. Then I also tested the midway cross type points and they also front focus. But as far as the 6D to the 5D - the outer cross type points are in the same place in terms of how far out they are into the edge of the glass. So it's not like the 50L would have a harder time on the 5D than the 6D Would you guys point more towards the lens being bad or the body having issues? I can't narrow it down well since all the other lenses work fine with the 5D and the 50L works fine on the 6D! I'm going crazy! And we have 11 shoots in the next 5 weeks so there is no way I can send the body or lens in for repair!

Here are my AFMA numbers for all 3 bodies (7d has the same issue as the 5d)

6D
50mm 1.2: +6
50mm 1.8: +16
85mm 1.8: +12
Sigma 35 1.4: +3
Tamron 70-200: T +6 W +7
Tamron 90mm: n/a
Tokina 16-28: T +1 W +0

5D
50mm 1.2: -4
50mm 1.8: +6
85mm 1.8: +0
Sigma 35 1.4: -3
Tamron 70-200: T +2 W +4
Tamron 90mm: n/a
Tokina 16-28: T -4 W -5

7D
50mm 1.2: -1
50mm 1.8: +6
85mm 1.8: +5
Sigma 35 1.4: -4
Tamron 70-200: +8
Tamron 90mm: n/a
Tokina 16-28: -6

Let me know if I need to show some pics as examples. I can also upload a few from this last wedding - as they are much more pronounced.

Thanks for the help!

Cody
www.hunterryanphoto.com

Hi,
i'm making a beginning to the wedding industry on my own. I've been quite experienced with the 5D and 5D2 and a bunch of crop bodies.

The one i love in FF is the adorable DOF they create which is the best way to isolate your subject in front of the chaotic background.

I'll keep my crop camera (600D) for landscapes which is light, and has the less noisy sensor (according to dpreview) camera studio tool.

However, i'm about to buy a new FF camera exclusively for weddings and i wonder if the 6D is best value for money over the overpriced and noisy 5D3. (i mean that camera completely failed me when i compared it with 5D 2. They walk side by side until ISO 12.800 of course in RAW mode)

The 6D delivers better RAW quality either because its 2 megapixel less from 5D3 or canon designed a better sensor for it.

I don't know about the AF system, i've read the specs and know all about it, but how does it work in real life?

And the million dollar question is.. Should i prefer the 5D3 AF system over the 6D better better IQ (plus the +1000 euros extra cost which is a nice L glass instead), or should the 6D AF system is more than enough in ceremonies in which case 6D will satisfy me completely!

I know 5D3 is a great camera and many people will support that, however i'm not interested in video and a non-plastic body. All i care about is RAW IQ and a reliable focus system in a descend budget.

any comments from people who worked with them both would be really helpful and much appreciated

many thanks in advance!

Hi All,
I dropped a 70-200MM F2.8 II a pretty heavy lens head first onto a wooden floor.
There wasn't much damage, the lens itself seems to be functioning pretty well.
The UV filter however is dented and rigidly stuck in place.
I've tried all the normal methods of filter removal.
ie: Rubber Band, A Lens Filter Wrench (which I especially bought to remove it - These weren't great. They don't grip that much, with the filter there isn't that much to grip anyway), by hand, shoving it into a rubber mat and twisting etc.
I even put it in a freezer to see if that made any difference.
I had settled on just leaving it there stuck, the glass in the filter is fine.
My problem is I can't attach my 10 stop filter to it - and I'd like to be able to do that.


Anyone got a good idea about what to try next?
I've seen a Youtube demonstration of scoring the glass tapping it and removing it and then hacksawing the filter to weaken it and then removing it. This seems fraught with danger to the lens.

I can't be the first person this happened too. I am hoping somebody has a winning suggestion.
The filter is a Hoya so I assume it's aluminum (but not sure).
I was told if it was brass I might have had some chance.

Your in hope
Fergal

I have a Canon 60D.
I've got the standard 18mm - 55mm lens (I think that's what it is).
I've got a 50mm F1.8 lens.
I've got a 100mm IS Macro lens.
I've got a Manfrotto 055XPROB and 701H head
I've just bought a fairly big back pack for camcorders on eBay
I've got 16GB and 32GB SD cards
I've got a spare battery

What else do I need to invest in?

OK... so maybe I should say what my plans are:

- macro photography of jewellery - mostly rings
- model photography outside
- model photography inside (so need advice for buying a lighting kit)
- video outside
- video inside - white background or black background - doing product reviews and talking to the camera

- would like to consider wedding photography - but this isn't necessarily in immediate plans

Thanks


Omar

Can someone give me some pointers for buying a lighting kit

I want to use for studio shots
Are light that connect to the camera flash trigger more expensive?

I also want the lighting for video work - though this isn't essential as I can live without + have access to a trio of Arri Red heads

Thanks


Omar

These seem to be fairly cheap on eBay
£24 for 2, £34 for 3 and £44 for 4

Or... are there better makes that I should go for?
Can someone give names and models

Also... I'm tempted to go for 4 at the prices given above - but will I ever need 4??

Thanks


Omar