Hi all,

A few weekends ago I was at a good friends wedding and took my T3i with EF-S 15-85 and EF 100 2.8L along to play with. I was not the photographer for the event, I was just playing around from my seat to see what the camera did indoors with low light.

The venue was dimly lit, think the old church hall you used to go to when you were younger and not wanting to create a bunch of distracting flashes, I kept flash off. As you can imagine, ISO went through the roof to get a decent amount of light and generally I've found anything over ISO 400 produces a level of noise I'm displeased with unedited.

In a few weeks I have another wedding to attend (again as a guest) and was considering renting a 6D, 5D3 or 5D2 for this one to play around with a full frame camera under low light. I've been considering a FF camera for a while and have been curious to see if I fall in love with it. I do not do photography for any income, just personal enjoyment. I usually take pictures of landscapes or just lug it around for whatever shots our group is doing that day. From the articles I've read, theres not a huge difference in ISO performance between the 6D and 5D3 - and based on some articles not a big difference between the 5D3 and 5D2, thought I've seen plenty of users here say the 5D3 was better. http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/41139976

So my question is which of the 3 would you recommend I rent? From your experience, how high can you go with ISO on these before some post processing is necessary?

Also paired with that, which lens would you recommend? The 100mm was way too long for this small venue (I realize the crop factor also comes into play with eh APS-C) and I was thinking of the 24-70 F/2.8L I or II?

Thanks!
DeadPixel

Now this may well be made up whatever, but at NL, in the post about the 7D2 they added: "I asked about the video and was told that the new sensor can easily best the C100/500, but won't be allowed to."

Great. Way to snap defeat from jaws of victory.

I wonder if they will reduce liveview quality too on the upcoming cameras to prevent ML workarounds like on the 5D3 which get to the liveview buffer before the pipeline applies MAJOR Gaussian Blur in stage 2 ;D?

Of course who knows with these 'sources' many could be some random guy in the street. Perhaps speculating based upon 5D3 ML RAW quality vs. uncompressed HMDI out quality and then imagining what Canon marketing might do to future models, maybe trying to shame Canon away from potentially doing such things? Or maybe it really is true, it actually sounds an awful lot like what Canon marketing has sadly become over the last 7 years.

I was up up at the cottage for the last couple of weeks with the family and brought along my 6D and a few lenses. When I went to take some snaps of the kids at the beach after a couple of images all of a sudden the viewfinder was abnormally dim. No error code and a subsequent exposure cleared it. Suspecting a connection problem I cleaned the contacts on the lens (which looked fine) and body and unseated and reseated the lens a few times and it appeared to be OK.

Later that day while taking more images I discovered that occasionally, usually with the lens racked out past 50mm or so, and in portrait orientation the diaphragm blades would fail to return to wide open after an exposure. Eventually I got an Error 01 - "Problem with Communications between Lens and Camera".

Further testing showed that the blades would never stick when setting the aperture to f/22 and pressing the DOF preview button repeatedly and only occasionally the blades would stick with the camera in landscape mode but much more frequently in portrait mode. Changing from RAW to JPEG and from One-Shot to AI-Servo and putting the camera into high-speed (well high speed for a 6D) drive mode did no appear to cause the issue but as a subsequent shutter actuation usually cleared the issue it was hard to tell except for the next image being completely blown as the TTL metering, anticipating f/4 metering was actually metering the exposure at f/22 or whatever I had the aperture set to.

I also noticed that just leaving the lens on the body on a table occasionally you could hear a buzzing from the lens sounding like focus hunting with the camera sitting idle and the IS disabled.

Other lenses worked fine with the same body and now that I'm back home I have tried the lens on other bodies and am still having the same issues.

I suspect an electrical malfunction or loose connection within the lens.

This really bites as this is the lens that lives on whatever body I have in my bag. The lens was bought 4 or 5 years ago and so is out of warranty and it has been taken good care of and never been dropped. I don't baby my gear and it has been out in the rain, worked on the beach, in the ocean, in 40+ and -30 C weather but always cleaned, always living with a filter on the business end. The gasket on the mount side is getting a little frayed and needs replacement.

As luck would have it this is the year I decided not to renew my CPN membership. The quality of the swag in Canada has been lacking the last couple of years, I have yet to find a place that I wanted to use it for a discount and I clean my own sensors as required.

Now that I need a repair the 30% discount will pretty much cover the cost of the membership and I also have a 1Ds Mk II I want to sell that I would like cleaned and inspected first.

The apparent upcoming release of a new 100-400 got me thinking, would I prefer a 100-400 replacement (100-400 f/4-5.6 IS) or a 200-400 f/4 little brother, with higher IQ, no built in TC but would work "as well" as the 1.4 add on TC, for around $2k? I think I'd prefer the latter.

I'm spending next Monday night trying to capture the falling stars and an not quite sure how best to do this. I checked the forum and there are a few threads about it, but mostly about the night sky and not so much about falling stars.

Currently I own the 7D and 5DIII and plan to use both on tripods with the usual trimmings (mirror lock-up, remote trigger with 2 or 10 seconds delay), but haven't fully decided about the lenses and the camera settings.

Lens-wise I have at my disposal the following (partly my own, partly from a friend) (U)WA lenses:

Samyang 8 mm 3.5 fisheye
Canon 10-22 3.5-4.5
Samyang 14 mm 2.8
Canon 16-35 mm II 2.8

My initial idea was to use the following setup:

5DIII + Sammy 14, at 2.8, 30 seconds, ISO 800
7D + 10-22, at 10 mm 3.5, 30 seconds, ISO 1600

What is your idea about that? Catching falling stars is the main objective, so I might bend or even break the rule of 600 a bit, preferring photos with them and some motion blur of the others stars. Also, I know that I could crank the ISO quite a lot higher with the 5DIII, but shorter times again reduce my chance of getting a meteor.

Unfortunately I am going to the countryside with some friends for this and don't have the opportunity to properly test the settings on-site beforehand. However, I took some photos there last year, and here is an example with the 5DIII, the 24 1.4 at 2.2, with 51 seconds and ISO 400 (never mind the blur, I wasn't properly supporting the cam). This year it might be a bit darker, because we're going to be there between 2:00 and 4:00, and last year we were there at 23:00.

I'll do some initial test-shots when we get settled there, but a small hint would be most welcome. Also whether the 8 mm fishy might be a better choice for the 7D.

I am thinking about picking up a mirrorless body for my off road landscape photography, because of their smaller size and weight.

But which of the latest mirrorless camera systems offers the highest DR? I know that none of them are as good as the D800 when it comes to pushing shadows, but are there any mirrorless that is at least better than the 5D3?

Or should I keep waiting? It looks like Sony has a full frame NEX around the corner.

Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I am a 22 year old student at a college majoring in electronics and communications. Soon as am done with college am moving to a film school to learn about filmmaking. However, right now am educating myself with filmography and video shots by reading books. The only thing left for me is buying a camera. Which camera do you guys recommend me buy for a first timer ? Same thing with accessories. My budget is 1500

Regards,
Salah

I know from experience that the point-spread function of the EF 24/1.4L II wide open is very poor, and thus not ideal for astrophotography (the stars look funny, in particular in the corners of the frame). Since fast wide lenses are perfect for capturing meteors, I used it anyway last night and managed to get a beautiful Perseid. The stars, however, look pretty terrible. I always thought it was the lens that was constructed that way, for daytime photography and non-point sources it is fine, but now I start to wonder whether I perhaps have an unusually poor copy. Does anyone have experience with the EF 24/1.4L II for astrophotography, and are your results (for the non-round shapes of stars) as bad?

The image below is approximately 1/4 of the 5D3 field, the lower left corner. The faint streak to the right is a satellite. The imaged has been scaled. ISO 1600, 15s, F1.4, non-guided.

Can anyone access the Custom functions menu of their 5D3, when a 580EX (Mark I) is attached?
(Image -> External Speedlite control -> Flash C.Fn settings)

I get a menu saying that "This menu cannot be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off."
And yes, the 580EX is turned on...

Not my title; that is from the article on Nikon Rumors.

http://nikonrumors.com/2013/08/09/nikons-stock-hit-hard.aspx/

Tell me what you do. I am on a beach vacation with my wife. There is a lovely sunset. I ask someone to take our photo and, as usual, we are backlit, standing in the absolute center and cut off at the knees. It always happens no matter how I dial in exposure compensation or how I set up the shot. It is almost a certainty. Then, I'll need to crop, try to lighten our faces, and fix the photo. I always think that I wish that I could take the pic of ourselves. I have, at times, used a tripod and a self timer, but on this trip I am traveling light. Even setting the camera to full auto and gently tutoring the "photographer" does not help!

Maybe I need to take one of you along on my next trip. What do you do?

I bought an led macro ring light for my canon 60d + 100mm macro lens

It's come with two ring adapters 72 and 58mm
Neither of these fit

Where can I get an adapter that will hold the light in place?
What size do I need to get?

I looked up adapters on ebay and they costed £20 - similar price to what I actually paid for the whole light!

I would add that I purchased after seeing videos on YouTube , so didn't just buy out of the blue

Thanks


Omar

Can someone advise what lens I need to get for panoramic tours?

I looked into in the past and knew that you had to get a fish eye + a rotating head mount (I forget what it's called)
+ you needed software to stitch together the output

I've seen at least one panoramic lens where the whole 360 degrees is covered in one shot

Is this any better?

How do these lenses take pictures of above?
For my purpose, I don't actually need this and would be willing to sacrific if this is where these lenses compared badly

I take it that I still need software to create the panoramic tour player?

Thanks


Omar

I used to have a 7D. A camera I took many pictures with and really enjoyed. But I was using it mainly behind L series lenses because I wanted the quality that those lenses provide. This has proved to be a good investment as I now have a 5D3 and a 1Dx and the lenses work with them.

I don't want more megapixels, I've got more than I uses almost always. And before anyone suggests it I certainly don't want more just so I can crop them away.

One of my main problems with all this kit is the weight, carrying 40Kg on a trek to a wild life photo opertunity can be a pain.

When the 7D2 comes out the thing that would get me to buy one would be if light weight lens were available with similar quality to the L series but making use of the reduced diameter needed for the smaller sensor. (While they are at it they can reduce the price as the elements aren't as big. )

I know its not going to happen but it would be nice if it did. ------- Just think a nice quality 200-400 with built in 1.4x at about 1/2 the weight and cost in front of a crop sensor giving equivalent view to a 300 to 900 on a FF. 8)

( BTW There can be little doubt that someone who thinks they know better will ridicule this idea. If they convince me that they are right I will claim I was being sarcastic ;D )

Hello, I recently bought a 5d2, yet I find myself using my older t2i more because I have a 10-22 lens for it. I would live to have an equivalent wide angle for my full frame. I've decided I would like to get the 16-35ii but I don't know if this is a good time to buy. Is there any way to know if there will be a price drop or rebate any time soon?
Thank you for any help.

Hello, everyone!

I've been doing photography for a couple of years now, and I think it's time for me to upgrade in terms of my camera body. I currently use a Canon 1100D (T3), and it's starting to frustrate me. Namely the incredibly slow FPS, and the horrible ISO performance. I just don't know what I should upgrade to- 7D (Plus a lens, maybe), or the 5D III?

I primarily shoot wildlife photos (mostly birds), but I also love landscape shots, and some macro stuff. In short, I love nature.

The thing is, the locations where I shoot are usually somewhat dark, so I need to bump up the ISO. As a result, lots of my photos are unusable because of the noise, but I also lose loads of photos because of the dismal FPS of the 1100D. Should I get the 7D (and probably the 70-200L- or maybe something else? Any advice there?) for it's great 8 FPS, but with not-so-fantastic ISO performance, or should I get the 5D III, which has great ISO performance, but is 2 FPS slower than the 7D? I know that 2 FPS makes all the difference for pros, but will it make that much of a difference for me?

The 5D III also has a superior AF system to the 7D. Is it really THAT much of a difference?

I don't really care about the megapixel difference. I almost never print, and all of my good photos go to my Facebook page, so megapixels don't matter to me.

Also, the 7D is a crop sensor, which means that I will get more reach, but at the cost of DOF. Is that worth its ISO performance?


Thanks!

Question to long-time Canon shooters with access to different models:

Since my 60d sometimes shows strange behavior in ettl mode (like +-1/3 ec has way more impact than half of +-2/3) I'm wondering if Canon is constantly revising the algorithm and what / how noticeable the differences are, for example on Canon's latest systems like the 6d.

Thanks!

This past weekend, I had a little scare with my nearly three year old 7D.

Friday, I charged both LP-E6s (genuine Canon) in preparation for a trip to a seaside wildlife refuge on Saturday. Installed them in the grip, and I was set.

Saturday, went to the refuge, and shot about 1,800 images over the course of 12 hours or so, using a 100-400. There was an occasional light rain, but I was mostly in the car, and in any event, the camera got little more than sprinkled on. It was never "wet".

Sunday, went to another refuge, and was happily shooting hummingbirds and goldfinches at the wildflowers. Suddenly, I would get one image, but the second in the burst would bring on an "Error 30". This went on for some minutes.

Thinking it could have been more water than I thought from Saturday, I started by removing the grip, and trying each battery individually. Once I got a short burst, but that was all. And another time I briefly saw the "set clock" screen before it shut down again. I also tried it without the lens, but it still would not power up.

By this point, the camera wasn't even turning on, just a blinking battery outline in the top LCD. So, I packed things up for the day. I'd shot about 200 more images on the day.

Got home, and charged the LP-E6s again. Both started at one blink. When the first was charged, I tried it in the camera again. Still nothing.

Monday, I stopped in at a home center and picked up a new CR1616 coin cell. I figured I didn't have anything to lose by changing it, even if the 7D would need to go to Canon.

Got home, popped in the new coin cell, and all is well! Grip, both batteries are fine, and even better, all the photos from the weekend had the proper date and time.

A good outcome, to be sure, but I was a bit surprised that there was no warning at all that the coin cell needed replacing.

So, just thought I'd remind folks, if they don't already, to carry a spare coin cell, especially if the one in the camera is more than 2 years old. They're only $4, and last a long time in storage. The ones I got said (in the fine print) they were good through sometime in 2021 in storage!

Happy shooting!

Hi everyone,

I was just looking at the theory side of flashes (very clever little bits of kit!) And as far as my understanding goes, with TTL, the flash will just push out light, until the sensor in the camera tells it to stop, i.e the correct exposure has been produced.

So the question, why did the need for E-TTL, with the pre-flash system come about? In what situation does E-TTL work, where TTL does not?

Thanks for your help, it's just bugging me, and I thought that someone here might know

Steve

(apologies in advance... could not upload even a 2MB file and hence the link)

The photograph below was taken in Dubai Mall, ostensibly the largest mall in the world. The subject was 30 m from me and what caught my eye was the shoes she was wearing under the head-to—toe garment referred to as Abaya. When I showed it to my expat host, he said that I should be careful and not publicise this photo since, ‘Here, we are not free to do things as you would do in the West’. This seemed rather odd. I have travelled extensively and I think I am culturally sensitive. Has any one else among the rumour-mongers experienced this real or perceived Gestapo mentality when it came to otherwise innocuous photographs. I can understand one’s handlers in Pyongyang not allowing you to point your camera in a particular direction but when no apparent reason exists, a ‘police state’ mentality governing photography would be interesting.

Your experiences on this front are welcome.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/angelinvestor/9335974625/#

Hi. I would like to know which of these two is better. I am not a professional but at spare time i love to photograph.

Thank you

Not your traditional landscapes, but here is a few images taken from my 550D and my 18-200mm lens (as I am showing what can be done with basic entry level gear). The 2nd and third image are straight out of camera, no post processing.


5 by Fstop Army, on Flickr


3 by Fstop Army, on Flickr


2 by Fstop Army, on Flickr

Ive gone through this forum for a while now and have noticed some xlnt and brillant landscape photos. Just posting this out there (incase anyone else is interested in sharing or entering).

http://youtu.be/4Xn_QJDqOoM

Recently purchased a Canon 6D and LOVING it. I have the 24-105 f/4 and 50 f/1.8. What filters would folks recommend? I mainly photograph portraits and landscapes. Welcome thoughts! Thanks!

A new Canon patent App: US20130201370A1, published today, entails 3 embodiments of a EF24-70 F2.8. The 1'st and 3'd embodiments are wo IS but the 2'nd has IS and details that the 4th lens group can be moved at a direction orthogonal to the optical axis to reduce shake. The total lenght of the lens varies between 155mm(W) and 185mm(L) for embodiments 1 and 3, and varaies between 161mm(W) and 197mm(L) for IS lens in embodiment 2.
Further details can be found here: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20130201370.pdf