Wondering what your thoughts may be on this.

I am currently on 1 body (5d3), with 16-35mm v2, 24-70mm v1, 70-200mm 2.8 non IS, 50mm 1.4, and 50mm 1.8 - and I mainly shoot weddings, portraits and some fine art here and there).

First step is obviously to address the backup body situation (considering a 6d, or used 5d3's are popping up, right price may snag one).

once that's done, lenses...

Since I added the 16-35, I have found myself using the 24-70 less and less, favoring either the 16-35 or the 50mm. So the 24-70 may very well end up on ebay. That gives me some options.

Option 1: Sell the 24-70 and the 70-200 for the v2 with IS? I love my 70-200, but, at the long end I do find my keeper rate to be not so good in the 1/60-1/100th SS range. So the Logic there is trade the 2 for the 70-200 IS is basically to increase the keeper rate and give me more flexibility in SS. Is the IQ on the v2 really that much better than the v1? Should IQ even be a factor in the logic? Would you go for that?

Option 2: sell the 24-70 and snag a 50L 1.2? I have heard such mixed reviews about the 1.2, so not to sure if thats the right path.

Option 3: sell the 24-70 and upgrade it to the 24-70V2? It's a pricey switch. Is the IQ really that much better than the v1 or equivalent primes?

Option 4: sell the 24-70 and snag a 135mm f2? That would pretty much abandon the 24-70 range to my 50mm 1.4. For wedding work, do I really need the flexibility of a zoom in that focal range? Uncertain...lol...this is really only an option becasue I really really really want a 135L ....


I could go on, but then it gets into nutty combinations. As you can see I have given this lots of thought. But, hearing some thoughts from others can't hurt. What are your thoughts on the options above?

I'm putting together a Canon 5D III video rig. The rig will be built on a Redrock Micro Shoulder Mount. I have everything picked out except the viewfinder.

Is it possible to find an optical viewfinder that doesn't require an adhesive attachment? Or are there alternative ways to attach these normally adhesive-attached viewfinders?

Ideally, I would like to use a Kinotehnik LCDVF or a Zacuto Z-Finder. I'm wary of using an adhesive frame, both because of the removal hassle and because I will shoot a lot of stills w/o the extra viewfinder.

Taken on the Thames:


2Y2A3138 by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 5Diii, 70-300 DO at 300mm, ISO 3200, 1/8000, f6.3


Evening rowing by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: As above, except 1/1000, f20


2Y2A3221 by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: As above

Thanks for stopping by.

Richard

I have a 580ex ii and it will fire only if level (most times but not all) or facing up, but will not fire if it is facing down on an angle lower then level. Not sure why but it just will not fire. With that said it will fire as a slave level, up, down, on its side. Any one else has this issue or thoughts on why my flash is not flashing. I changed the batteries but still no luck. Also I am using it on a 60D.

Thanks

Review of the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens review

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/03/06/just-posted-canon-ef-24-70mm-f2-8l-ii-usm-lens-review

Using a Rebel T2i and later, a 5D Mark III, I have found that red light is the most challenging environment for getting good results. I shoot at a venue that has several different colors of staqe lights and some bands seem to prefer only having the red ones on. While this looks cool in person, I've found that it is difficult to get good pictures preserving the red and have the images be bright enough since red is not a very highly illuminating color to our eyes. I like not using the flash (to preserve the rich color from the environment) and if any of the other color lights are on, I get great results and can work with the photos in post to get brighter results that are still colorful.

I did the math and found that red light only has the opportunity to oscillate roughly 9 times across the width of a pixel in the 5D3's sensor, while blue light can oscillate roughly 14 times across that same width. I find that subjects in red light do not look as sharp in the resulting image, and it's more apparent when one person is under a red stage light and another is under blue light (especially if a grayscale version is made), but I wouldn't think we're close enough to the limitation of being able to capture all the sharpness available in red light yet.

Have any of you experienced this with red light and what is your strategy for dealing with it?

Most common combos when shooting:
Canon 5D Mark III: 70-200mm f/2.8L (non-IS version), Sigma 85mm f/1.4, Canon 135mm f/2 L .

I'm going to a full frame camera and starting over with glass after a theft. I do photos and video, so the 17-55 2.8 IS has been my most widely used lens (with my former 7D body). Photography wise, I have used it extensively for event photography. For instance, in clubs and low light events like wedding dances, I use second curtain sync flash at 2.8 and shutter speeds as low as 1.5-0.5 second range.

The 2.8 and the IS mode are equally important in this case, and have allowed me to do some great shots I couldn't really duplicate easily with any other full frame combo I know of. Since I sometimes zoom or twist the camera while the shutter is open, the zoom is also important, so one of the new medium primes with IS is also out.

I want to go full frame, but I feel like without a 2.8 zoom in this range with IS, that matches the image quality of the 17-55, I will miss a ton of great shots I'm kind of known for. Any advice here?

Here are some sample images with the combo I had before:











I'm trying to wrap my head around if increasing ISO (compared to what was useable on the 7d) with the 5D iii or 6D will offset the loss of speed from the lens if I go with say, the 24-105L. My gut says, yes...and no.

Hi all,

Man,I'm still learning a lot...
I'd not been all 'that' careful with ISO. I usually pump it up to where the light meter shows good to go, on both stills and video.
I have tried usually, with video to keep it in multiples of 160 as that I heard that was more optimum for some reason I can't remember right now.

But recently, in looking at some talks by some pro still photogs, they were emphasizing that they tried to almost never go beyond ISO 100, and maybe 200, for clarity and lack of noise.

Does this go too for video? I'm guessing so...and wonder what the optimum ISO is for video?

I'm guessing quite low..meaning I may need to buy some more lights.


Anyway...what is the optimum ISO for video with the 5D3? Would that be right at 160?


Thanks in advance,

cayenne

Hello CR crew,

I'm in the market for a nice 35mm prime, pref some thing old with a little character. I purchasea Carl Zeiss 2.4 Prakticar PB mount and unfortunately it striked the mirror on my Canon 5D Mark III. Anyone know of any nice 35mm lenses that work well on this body? Full manual is fine as I'm mostly shooting video over stills.

Cheers,

Ed

Hey guys

I just received my first canon cam, G15
Does it has a time lapse function? Or I have to get a remote?
If a timer remote required, any reasonable priced suggestion??

Thanks

Comet 2011L4 has been putting on quite a show in the southern hemisphere and next week (3/10/2013) those of us in the northern hemisphere will get a chance.

Please post your comet pictures and let us know what equipment/settings you used.

Hi everyone, I have been shooting sports with my 70-200mm f/2.8 (non-IS) for about 2 years and I'm very happy with the result I get. I shoot mostly triathlon, running, swimming and cycling. I usually have access to most part of the course so my 70-200 is perfect.

However, I sometime wish I have more reach when it comes down to open water swimming. I started looking at used 400mm f/2.8 but I found that there is 4 or 5 version of this lens. Can someone recommend me a good one to get, and what to look at when buying used lens like that. I have a budget around 3000$ and I want image quality to be at least as good as my 70-200mm at 2.8.

Note: American that lives on the island of Okinawa Japan

and...


THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

I was asked / offered the job to shoot a
co-worker's / friend's wedding on the 23rd.

I accepted, we talked, came up with a plan,
she's getting me a schedule, sent me the
location (it's a restaurant / wedding reception
place that specializes in small weddings of about
100 people or less), I asked what she was looking for
I explained that I'm not a pro, and I can't guarantee
anything, she still likes my work, so....

If you don't mind, I'd like some positive
support, advice, equipment recommendations
(based on what I have) and tips / examples.

(Sorry living on Okinawa I can't buy
anything, and get it here by the 23rd,
also with the Government furloughs
that are about to hit us I can't afford
anything expensive like an L lens.) *sigh*

Equipment:

Cameras:

1 - Canon 60D W/battery grip
1 - Canon Power Shot 20SX

Flash:

1 - Polaroid Power Zoom Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash (Don't remember the model #)
1 - Canon Speedlite 420EX Flash - Old Version - got for free, missing the red lens cover.

Tripods:

1 - Leupold Trek Pod II
1 - OLD Tripod that used to hold the old VHS tape camcorder

SD cards:

1 - 16GB Extreme class 10
1 - 8GB Class 10
2 - 8GB Class 4
2 - 4 GB Class ?

Lens:

Canon EF-S Zoom lens - 18 mm - 135 mm - F/3.5-5.6 - Canon EF-S
Canon EF-S Zoom Lens 18 mm - 55 mm - f/3.5-5.6 Is MK II


So here are some ideas / plans that I have:

A) Make an example book, so when I'm shooting
I can run over to the book, flip to any page and see
an example and say, AH-HA, let's try this !

B) I'm going to recon the place, talk to the staff
and see what 'props' they have, i.e. if it's raining,
we need plants, backgrounds and such for backdrops inside.
Oh yeah there is an attached garden to the restaurant.



C) I'm braining some 'items'... a 500W work light,
(To shoot silhouette shots, sort of like this:

(Google search)





Some other examples

(Google search)








Peace! 8)

I don't know,the threads about the high iso looked as if they beat the mark 3 by a mile and the autofocus I thought that the rate of accuracy would be at least 80% .I don't care about video and I will only be using the cam for night photography.I just want to get this straight is a mark 2 really as good as he says ???
5D Mark II vs 5D Mark III comparison: Portraits, studio, landscapes, wildlife, night, and HDR review

Hi all.

I have the canon 50mm 1.4 an the canon 85mm 1.8 using on my 5d3.

I'm constantly on a quest for shallower dof. I do a lot of street photography.


My hesitations on upgrading to the L lenses are (other than cost):

Will I actually see a noticeable difference in dof?
The 50mmL has a pronounced focus shift narrower than f2.
The 85mm 1.2. is slower af than the 1.8

My question is will I see much difference between 1.4 and 1.2 @ 50mm and 1.8 and 1.2 at 85mm?
Also, does anyone know if the sigma 85 is any good? And similarly is it worth going from 85mm 1.8 to 85mm 1.4?

If you were to use a telephoto lens (zoom/prime) that's not white in color for both day/night street photography which one would you go for and why?

I usually use the 24-70 for street photography now, but looking for a longer glass. These lenses come to mind, and I would love to hear your thought/opinion/suggestion.

1) 100mm f2.8L IS
2) 135mm f2L
3) 200mm f2.8L II

Edit: Will be used on the 5D3. And mainly for street/outdoor portrait, candid shots of people, street activities like parades, festivals, etc. I like to shoot wide open in most cases to get the background to melt away. Also, like to shoot at night as well.

I was in B&H today and wanted to pick up the Canon 25 extension tube. Gentlemen helping me said that Vello just came out with a three-piece set of AF extension tubes for only 69.00. So I purchased them, when I got home and opened the box there was some sort of grease on the inside contacts on all three tubes. So much so, that there was even grease on part of the metal mount. I did not mount them to the camera and will return them and just get the canon tubes. My question is, is it normal for there to be any sort of grease on the contacts. Is it safe to just wipe that grease off and mount them or would someone be taking a risk.

thanks,
anthony

Discuss our review of the Canon EF 85 f/1.2L II here.

im looking for a quick way to change teleconverters, i hear there is a tool called a sleight of hand expert, can anybody tell me more about this and where I might find one?

I have a Canon 60D camera and I got it last week. So far, it has been great and the pictures have been impressive for the most part. It does have some trouble with night shots but I believe that is due to me. I'm still a novice at photo shooting. I had a Sony DSLR camera and it took decent shots on stills but a blur during fast action and I could never get it totally right. I can learn the Canon 60Dbut and I have been finding success with day shots and video recording with manual focus.

I think the 60D is a good camera but as football season approaches, it may not be enough. I like watching High School football games across the state and it has become a great hobby of mine. I like taking photos of the different stadiums, different settings, different elements, and the game action. Would it be better to go ahead and get the 7D? Many high school stadiums are not well lit and the 7D from what I read is good for sports and should handle the low light situations better than the 60D. Also, I hear the 7D can handle the elements better.

The 7D is $500 higher than the 60D. Compact Flash cards arent as prominent as SDHC or SDXC cards and seem to be a lot higher. It's a pretty big investment for me and I can scrap to get the 7D but is it worth it? Both cameras are getting replacements, I believe, this year. I dont think the 7D will be getting much cheaper than what it is but I could be wrong. I plan to have the Canon 60D or 7D for a couple of years, unless the newer 7D model is simply too good to pass up.

What do y'all think? Is the 7D worth the higher cost over the 60D? I'm not worried about the learning curve and can handle the effort and time it takes to make the 7D or 60D good for sports photography. Also, what lens do you recommend and is it better just to
get the body kit for the 7D and save up for a great lens. The 7D at Best Buy has a 18-135mm IS lens but the body kit is $300 less.

Thanks everyone. Feedback would be appreciated.
8)

I seem to remember there was a load of chatter about a whole new range of DO lenses from canon, but I havent heard anything since, and no one ever seems to show any interest in the exsisting Do lens's, what are your thoughts on them?

My 6D should arrive today, which comes with 1 LP-E6 but I also have several LP-E5 from my old Xsi(450D)

LP-E5 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (7.4 V, 1050 mAh) new for EOS 450D/XSi and 1000D
LP-E6 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (7.4 V, 1800 mAh) new for EOS 5D Mark 2

Does anyone know if they size etc are the same and the way I read this is that they are the same power the LP-E6 is just capable of storing more charge, but as a backup could I use the old batteries?

Hi Craig, I can't seem to login to my old username, I don't know why it got deleted or what. I was never informed if I had committed any violation or anything. I'm keen to recover that account since I'm one of the first 100 to register for this site. Thanks in advance.

A very nice problem to have I know, but I have an important sporting event to shoot in April and have decided to rent a EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM or EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM.

As it is a fast moving sport (think soccer/football/rugby) in an open air stadium, I am very tempted to couple my 1D X with the 400 f/2.8L IS II USM especially as a Group A lens it makes the most of the 1D X's AF system, and will perform better in low light (thought the entire pitch will be very well flood lit. But (always a but isn't there!), the extra reach of the EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM could be great to have. Both are version II.

I am not new to sports, but have never owned or used one of the very big whites so I do appreciate any input from those that do/have.

Thanks.

Dear all,
I look for a fast 24 prime on 5D3. Not sure, if manual focus will be ok with standard screen. I have 24-105, which is a bit buly for my taste. Have a legacy Sigma 24/2.8 originally for Nikon with an EOS adapter. Tested it seems not "sharp enough", especially at infinity. Not sure if this is lens or adaptor. I recall from the old days that the little Sigma was considered better than original Nikon.
Any ideas, budget up to 600€.
Thanks
Olaf