Was just reading the other thread on this subject and wondered if anyone had any recommendations as to a U.K. company.


I really should get this done as I added my gear up and it came to over £6,000 and methinks I should get my arse moving.




Anyone?




Thanks.

We occasionally get posts from new users who see all the wonderful professional images posted on the internet and want to improve their work.

I think it would be useful if we could list some of the issues and the good things that a person switching from a small sensor P&S to a DSLR should expect.

I've bought a number of DSLR's barely used locally by disillusioned photographers who went back to their P&S. For them it was likely the right decision. I'm sure we could all expand on this, and perhaps a Admin will make it sticky so new users can take advantage of it, kind of a FAQ for those upgrading from P&S to DSLR or even large sensor P&S like the G1X.

Things that new users find disappointing:

1. The main complaint I hear is the pictures are blurry, or not in focus. The fact is, small sensor cameras usuallly are very easy to focus and have a huge depth of field to hide any focus errors. This is a big factor that buyers did not realize.

2. The Kit lenses are plenty sharp, but are not suitable for low light photography wothout supplemental light or a steady tripod and long exposure. New users do not understand the need for external flashes, or wider aperture lenses in low light.

3. Weight and size. Lets face it, its a pain to carry a big rig and heavy lens or set of lenses with you, and it might just make you a target for thieves.



Benefits of a DSLR:

1. Speed: By that, I mean that you can usually take photos as fast as you can press the shutter. Many P&S cameras take about 2 seconds between shots.

2. Shallow depth of field. This is something that P&S users intrepret as a blurry image, but once you understand it, you can use distance, focal length and aperture to create a 3d look where a subject is in focus and the foreground and background are smoothly blurred.

3. Low light photography using no supplemental lighting. Sometimes the use of flash or other supplemental lighting is banned, or would ruin a image. A DSLR with a much larger sensor has better low light capability by increasing the ISO setting. Its also possible to gain advantage with wider aperture lenses, but you do have to understand how to use that f/1.4 or f/1.2 lens to get depth of field and sharpness by selecting the right lens for the subject distance.

The Best Lenses Under $500 for Crop Bodies (EF is fine)
18-55mm IS - Standard zoom, sharp but limited to good light, and inexpensive construction.
55-250mm IS - Telephoto zoom, sharp but limited to good light, and inexpensive construction A good buy.
50mm f/1.8 Standard Prime lens, wide aperture good sharpness, inexpensive construction and a good buy for the performance.
50mm f/1.4 - Standard Prime lens,wide aperture good sharpness, better construction. Performance is not a lot better than the f/1.8
85mm f/1.8 - Short Telephoto Prime Lens Wide aperture and very good sharpness. Excellent performance for the price.

please add more.


The Best Under $1200 for Crop Bodies:
17-55mm f/2.8 High Quality Standard Zoom with excellent sharpness and the widest aperture found in a zoom. If you can afford it, get it.

lots more to add

DPReview published some JPEGs from a pre-release camera. Still, I can't do this with my T2i. Here I've pushed blacks that were in the neighborhood of 8 counts up to the neighborhood of 140 counts. I see no sign of banding and very little noise.

What do you think? Better noise processing? Black point clipping? Or a genuine reduction of read noise? Raw images will settle this, but I haven't seen any yet.

Here's the animated gif:

http://tinyurl.com/dxr747l

How many of you have insurance on your camera gear? I have reached the point where I'm feeling pretty dumb for not already having something.

Any advice on where to begin my research?

Thanks!

This phtoo i have cropped to 5x7 for the client removing the bum of the girl to the left giving a stronger composition.

cute by Lseriesglass, on Flickr
expression one of the key elements for me when photographing people.

laughter by Lseriesglass, on Flickr
A girl who looks deep in thought

Rock chick by Lseriesglass, on Flickr
sharon

sharon by Lseriesglass, on Flickr
kickboxer

Kickboxer in action by Lseriesglass, on Flickr
one in a forrest again i have cropped this afterwards to 5x7 removing the tree on the right

the forrest by Lseriesglass, on Flickr

Post your favorite cactus photos here.

I got this one last weekend at Gates Pass in Tucson, a popular overlook for watching the sunset. On the shadow side of the pass, the last rays of the sun can strike individual saguaro cacti like this one.

My first new topic here.
I hope for some experienced advice based on my situation.

I am an all-round enthusiastic hobby photographer - doing people, landscape, still-life, animals (many small birds, very little BIF), music, architecture, travel, enter competitions now and then, etc.....
(Currently only stills. May want to take a look at video someday, but not key to me.)

Started out with Canon G5 (which I loved) in 2004.
Moved up to DSLR, EOS 450D = Rebel XSi (even more so) during 2008.
Have been ready for a body-upgrade several times - but seem to always buy some optics instead.

Current line-up (trying to do it in sequence of most used first): (All are Canon EOS)
- 15-85 / 70-200 4.0 IS / 24-105 4.0 / 10-22 / 50 1.4 / 100 macro 2.8 IS

I like DSLR.
I still like the 450D for size, low weight, reach (1.6 factor)

I most of all look for better:
- IQ and Lowlight capability
- Focusing (precision - maybe also more speed), consider AFMA a must have

Would also love:
- Flexible display (still miss that from G5 in many special shooting-situations)
- Wifi (for remote control and shooting)
- Even more reach (so still need for longer glass, I know)
- More effective operation (but would that be touch-screen, joy-stick, or ......?)

... all without having to haul too much weight and size.

I do have budget for quite a move - the most important is to make the right one.

I have followed this site - and other sources - for information about the key candidates regarding specs / features / price-levels etc. But have had no hands-on with any of these. So what I ask for is your advice based on real world experience.

My thoughts and questions:
- Must I go Full Frame (I see a lot of strong arguments for that - and also a few against)
- If FF then I like most of the characteristics of 6D - but focusing is clearly a concern
- I am concerned that the day after my purchase, I will se Canon announce the 'for me perfect compromise'

So some questions:
- What would you recommend in general in above situation?
- Will the 6D represent a large upgrade from 450D regarding focusing? How large?
- Could a new sensor (long awaited) in a new crop (e.g. 70D) be the 'for me perfect compromise'?
- Wait for announcements - or move now?

Look forward to your thoughts.

.
Just curious -- what is the minimum IQ requirement for posting in the forum here? And by "IQ" I mean the old school variety -- Intelligence Quotient.

We just had a thread shut down for being "beyond stupid." That would suggest that posts must meet a certain intellectual level before proceeding to full forum discussion. What's the standard? Surely we would not be capricious about such a thing.

Or, is it possible people may be stressed over an upcoming taxes due date in the U.S? That may explain some reduced tolerance for our mentally challenged members.

Since I'm not the brightest lens in the mix here, I'd like some guidance on this matter so pressing to me.

Thanks.

Hey guys,

Just a quick question... I did try looking but there seems to be a fair bit of conflicting info on both these lens... I have at the moment a Canon 15mm 2.8 fisheye. I am looking to use this as my main surf lens in my water proof housing... I have read that the 15mm suffers a lot from CA and that the autofocus isn't very good, to be honest I have never noticed it... My girlfriend really wants to buy my 15mm off me which is why I was looking at the 8-15mm. Am I going to be better off keeping the 15mm or will the L lens make a night and day difference?

Cheers
Alex

Long ago, my first L lens was an oddity: the 300 f4 L. Hit with the ladies. Bought for $400, sold for $720 on eBay. Missing it dearly (even though I never used it) I found a 300 f4 L IS for $660 on eBay, with a 1 inch mark on the front element.

Used it for indoor sports (mostly cheerleading) in the university's gym. But it had few rentals. So I put it on the chopping block.

Last night I ended up trading my $660 investment for a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 IF HSM and $120. Not L sharp at f2.8 on the 6D, but I like the color. Also handles better than the 24-70 L imo.

Good deal or not? Should I sell and add cash for a 28-70 f2.8 L that will have better f2.8 performance AND be more rentable? Old model or not, renters looooove the red ring!

Well at the weekend i dropped my 600 ex-rt into a river i tried to use it straight after stupid i know but gave it a couple of days it was working but was taking ages to go off after turned off and a couple of other niggling things so i sent it to fixation in the uk who said it was corroding and was not worth fixing as they would have to basically replace everything inside the flash and the corrosion would spread,so they are sending it back along with a new unit £80 cashback in the uk which is a bonus.But my question is does fresh water cause corrosion that quickly it was under water for at least 10 seconds,and the 600ex-rt has weather sealing that equals the 1dx now this leaves me worried about my 1dx and rain how much can they take?i know it cant take 10 seconds in a river thats for sure.
so i will use the unit maybe as a third light if it works and when it breaks i will see if it blends lol.

http://www.motleypixel.com/reviews/index.htm

is there one?

i know there are plenty of review sites with tons of infos and 10 pages for every lens.

but is there one like motleypixel that just shows an image of the lens and sample pictures?

I work for a midsized independent wholesale distributor in EU and am daily amazed by the numbers of 5D3 we are selling. The camera has been growing strong since january and especially in the last weeks we cannot cope with demand. WFT is going on...?!?

Canon shareholders are probably rubbing their hands together. They created a new segment out of nowhere (the 1dmkIV which had roughly the same price level was sold in units/months), made people digest the price premium, established a new camera base for the new high-quality high-prices lenses and started to cash in.

From a marketing perspective and despite all the whining on forums it was a clearly winning move.

For those who wonder the wholesale price in hk this week is 3350/3360USD for the kit 24105 and 2650/2670USD for the body.

Good monies for B&H and the like

Hi all,

With all the talk about inconsistent focus of camera bodies like the Canon 7D (that i own) I decided to buy Focal Pro which allows you to self test to autofocus consistency of your body.

It runs a series of 10 test shots and calculates the Quality of Focus based on the consistency.
I selected to run it with automatic defocusing (max far) and no defocussing betwen each shot.
Results with the 17-55 2.8 IS at 55mm:

- Defocus Far Quality OF Focus: 97,6 %
- No defocus: 97.4 %

I am curious what other people have found for result for the same or other bodies.

Note that this test confirmed that my body/lens combination focusses relibaly and accurate.

Also note that the Reikan Focal site has an expirimental report (http://www.reikan.co.uk/focalweb/index.php/online-tools/lenscamera-information/) that allows you to browse uploaded results for tested lens and body combinations, but is not clear to me how these focus statisctics are related to the Focal Pro test reports (with only outputs the QOF percentage).

Therefore the request of people with to share some of their test results directly.

Regards
Marco

I'd like to have my camera checked over and verified that everything is operating and functioning as it should
I have difficulty with a 4-6 week turnaround time frame.
Why is this the norm and acceptable ?
If my cell phone dies and is in for repair I'm not without it for 4 weeks
If my pc goes down it's not 4 weeks
Etc etc etc
I can't be without the camera at anytime within the year for 4-6 weeks
The 4-6 weeks is the quoted time from Canon Canada
Is there any independent camera repair in Ontario ?
Thanks
Ontario55

Hello all my new friends! Please let me explain my problem situation. No camera works for me.
I have my beatifull babie boys that I want to capture the moments so I buy p.o.s camera but photos are blurry and I miss so many moments my friends.
So I do something and go to big camera store and store man says CANON EOS 7D so I buy with EF-S 18-55mm. I still miss many moments my beatifull babies they run so fast see? I give camera as toy and they like.
I go to store and I say I want best, give me best so he says EOS 1DX so I buy. but when I get home lens won’t fit it no work and I hear crunch. Is camera junk camera? I have to throw away.
I go back and camera man says That lens no work! yes friends, camera man sold me wrong lens? So he say’s EF24-105 so I buy with new EOS 1DX but photos are sometimes dark or sometimes blurry, this is yet many more moments lost my friends. No moments of my beatiful babies they run so fast see.
I go camera store to get new lens I say give me best lens so I get EF 600 Lens is very heavy and everything is big I only see hair on my beatifull babies head they too big see?no zoom out its no good and glass scratches easy when I put on floor my friends yet more moments lost! I buy many more lens and see EF 2470ll is good I zoom in and out and moments are better but some still blurry or dark, is there way too capture 100% moments?
Thank you all my friends!

So where I work, there is an employee that takes all of the photos for the office. Right now he has the Canon t1i with the kit 18-55 lens to shoot all of the “official” photos. Of course the biggest issue they have is in low light situations, and while the kit lens does well in some situations, in others it can struggle. So they have requested and been approved for $1000 to spend on additional equipment. The person who uses the camera is not super comfortable using any mode but auto, although I’ve been working with him on using aperture priority and he is getting better.

So what would you suggest for upgrades? Please remember, the $1000 limit is a hard budget, and we have to purchase through normal channels, amazon, b&h, no ebay option, craigslist or refurb is an option.

They will use the camera indoors, and outdoors about 50/50 and some of the indoor venues will require tight shots as the rooms are often very small, and sometimes indoors a flash won’t be able to be used. Also, at times outdoors, it will be necessary to shoot from a distance. I do think they need the external flash for sure, but any input is great. Plus they will also commonly do portraits both indoors and outside. So a fairly versatile lens combo is necessary. It also won't be possible to sell any equipment that they currently have, the kit lens or the canon t1i body.

I’ve put a list below of the lenses and flash which seem to make the most sense, but I'm not sure in what combination. So what would be the most versatile package for under $1000 in your opinion? (I wouldn’t mind having a little left over for a tripod and basic case, and all the prices below are from B&H, which is where we will likely order from) For example, my first thought is the 430ex flash, a 50mm f1.4 and the 55-250, but I'd appreciate any other input. Thanks.

Canon 430ex II flash $254
Canon 50mm f1.8 $109
Canon 40mm f2.8 $179
Canon 55-250mm IS $233
Canon 50mm f1.4 $339
Canon 85mm f1.8 $359
Canon 28mm f1.8 $449
Canon EF-S 15-85 f3.5-5.6 IS USM $649
Canon 100mm f2.8 USM Macro $499
Sigma 17-50 f2.8 $594
Canon 70-200 f4 $649

Brand new 24-105 and I just noticed a small little noise. Every time I half-click my shutter for AF, the lens does it's job but also makes a faint sound. Its almost as if something inside it's motor is still spinning. Yes I do know what an AF motor sounds like and thats not the "normal" sound. Anyone have these same issues?

I've seen a number of comments in various threads about people getting stuck with 'bad' lenses that they end up having to send in to Canon for repairs, adjustments or replacement. Does Canon charge you if the lens needs an adjustment because it wasn't properly set up in the first place? Is there a quick and easy way to test the lens in the camera store to rule out most problems or will the clerk perform any tests at the time of purchase. I was thinking it might be beneficial for everybody if there was some kind of testing unit in the camera store that would test the lens's focusing, etc. I wouldn't even mind paying $5 to have the lens tested as opposed to having send into the manufacturer.

These are from my Sunday outing.

CR guy said to pay attention to the IQ out of the new sensor and here's a first look.

The ISO64000 images look really good to me, though there is a lot of NR applied.

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/reviewsamples/albums/canon-eos-100d-rebel-sl1-preview-samples

Hey,
So I've been combing through videos from NAB2013, and if you watch this video about Atomos from Newsshooter.com, they reveal that the new firmware is live on the 5D3 at their booth!

https://vimeo.com/63722639

Looks pretty exciting - he seems to be monitoring over HDMI and on the Ninja at the same time!

Cheers!

Hello,

I am going thru pretty big changes.

I am selling my 17-40 and 24-70 2.8L and planing to get a 17 TS-E and here is my problem.
The second would be or a 24L II or a 16-35L II.
So far I have used the 17-40 90% of the time and only 10% of the time the 24-70.

I would use mostly for landscapes and architecture, but since I have the 17 TS-E i am leaning toward the 24L.

I did not really try to shoot stars and the milky way, but I think the 2 stops of extra life would be a huge difference. I did not try this but for example I take two shots, one where I take like 10 minutes exposure for the foreground and then I take one at f/1.4 and expose the stars for 20 seconds. And like this I would avoid the trails.

Anyway, I am really interested which one has faster auto focus, and what are the advantages of one or the other besides that one is zoom and one is 2 stops faster?

Any other options I can have?

Thanks!

Hi

With the MP-e at 1:1, is there any difference in the sharpness compared to the canon 100mm L (assuming close macro work)?

I am very confused - as I see that canon has been re-packaging the 550d for the past few years ? Call it a 60d, call it a 650d, call it a 7d, call it a 700d ? Why are we not seeing a significant jump in asp-c sensors and performance?

All the other companies Nikon and the like - seem to be leaping ahead ?

Did canon get stuck or something ?