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580ex II advice

Hey there Gang. Question... I have a speedlite 430 ex ii which has been great for me and for Christmas to myself I got a NEW 580 EX ii to use on my 60D. question should I have just spent the extra $ for the 600 or did I do ok just going to the 580?
I know there is a NEW 430 replacement coming in 2013. Just having post purchase 2nd thoughts..

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Canon 6D Dominates Low Light Focusing Test vs 5Dii, 5Diii & Nikon D600

I did some more tests today with the Canon 6D, and one question I was most interested in was the low light ability of the Canon 6D's central focusing point.

The summary is this:

Between 0 --> -3EV, the Nikon D600 is about 10-15% faster than all of the Canons.
Between 0 --> -7EV, the Canon 6D is almost twice as fast as the 5Dii, ~20% faster than the 5Diii, and the Nikon D600 couldn't achieve any focus at all in extreme low light without it's AF illuminator.

(Note: Here "0" EV was an even exposure at 1/60, 2.8 ISO 400).

For those of you interested in the methodology and actual testing, as well as the specific results, you will want to check out my blog article on the test http://www.michaelthemaven.com/?postID=2577&canon-6d-vs-5diii-vs-5dii-vs-nikon-d600-low-light-focus-speed-comparison.

I also tested the top center, and far right center focus points.

- While the Canon 6D's other focusing points are not nearly as impressive as the other focusing points on the 5Diii and Nikon D600, the 6D's center point is in fact very, very good in low light.

- The Nikon D600 and 5Dii's Central focus points felt much quicker, and snappy. The 5Dii, actually did very, very well in 0-> -3EV range. The 5Diii's & 6D's feel like there is a 2 step process to the focusing.

- The more I play around with the 6D, the more pleasantly surprised I am with it. (When I initially heard the specs I was seriously underwhelmed).

While I certainly wish there were more cross type focus points on the 6D, I think that with the low light focusing and relatively low ISO noise, the Canon 6D is going to be a very solid performer in low light situations.

M

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100mm macro VS 180mm macro

Sorry in advance if this topic already exists, but I can't find it if it does. I can't seem to find any solid info comparing these lenses. A lot of opinions I've read online are completely different regarding the two 100mm lenses. Some say the L version isn't worth it unless you're completely bent on having IS, and that the non-L had equal or possibly better IQ if its on a tripod (for any situation where ultimate IQ is necessary, Id be using a tripod anyway). Others swear by the L as if the non-L isn't even worth considering. Am I missing something significant that differentiates the L other than slightly better build quality and weather sealing?

Also, on paper the 180mm doesn't really seem enticing next to the 100mm considering its price difference. And it seems less available in the used market, so I'm judging their price difference as higher than the difference between their retail prices. But the few times I've seen it mentioned online, people seem to swear by it. Is there any benefit of owning the 180 over the 100 other than it's reach (which I probably dont need... necessarily...)?

I plan on using whichever lens I get for food/product shots... I feel like the non-L 100mm is probably enough for my needs... but as always, I'm tempted by my curse to feel like I need "the best"... the L. (or 180L?!?!?) :-X

I'd especially appreciate advice from anyone who has used at least 2 of the 3 I'm considering. I've read multiple separate reviews on each lens online, and watched the digitalrev 100mm comparison (but I feel like Kai always leans toward the expensive option).

I'm not really looking for votes as much as I'm looking for piece of info that I might have not considered before making a final decision. Im using a 5DmkIII if that matters.

:) ;) :D ;D :-[ ??? 8) :o :-\ :-* :'( :-X :-[ :P

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Canon 6D Wifi Linking with iPhone 5

Hey guys, yesterday I put together a quick video on how to wirelessly tether your Canon 6D to your iphone (should be the same set up for iPad and similar for Android devices).

I had a few issues getting it set up and getting some of the features to work initially, but once I followed these steps it is painless.

Wireless wifi shooting is super cool and I demo some of the features in the second half.

In review Mode you can-

- Review Images
- Rate Images
- Delete Images
- Email 2.5 MP size images
- Import 2.5MP images to your device (cant seem to get this to work)
- Supposed to be able to video video, but Im only seeing thumbnails now, Im probably doing something wrong.

(You can do all of the above while your camera is in your bag!)

In the Shooting Mode you can:

- Preview Exposure
- Change Exposure Settings (Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO)
- Preview shooting info
- Focus
- Change Focus location

No video triggering or wireless video shooting...yet.

The app is pretty stripped down but shows some absolutely tremendous potential. I just LOVE this feature.

EOS Remote App | Canon 6D | Wifi Wireless | Set-up & Basic Shooting

Ill be posting more reviews & images on my blog this week.

M

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Trade off? Canon ext battery pack vs. knock-offs w/8 AA rechargeables?

I am going to get at least one external battery pack for a few Canon 550's I am putting together as a location kit. ...for events where one unit will be needed for especially fast recycling. Perhaps in the future multiple slaved units would be sped up with such battery packs.

Canon's pack has one big recharged battery and a dedicated charger, it appears. So declining health of that core component affects the usefulness of the whole unit. If AA's weaken I replace just the little battery which has aged. OTOH, I expect that the engineering in the Canon is good.

Thoughts? Experience?

jonathan7007

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5D MKIII - file size and low MPs question

I' just read the following at kenrockwell website and i am confused. I do realize there is an option to shoot at smaller MPs, but I did not know it is beneficial for image quality. Can some of the tech-smart guys here comment on this? Are you guys shooting at lower MPs?

No one needs 21MP. All it does is slow everything and clog your hard drive.

Try shooting your 5D Mark III at its M (11MP) or S (5MP) settings. If you look at your images at 100%, you'll see that the lower resolution shots are sharper pixel-by-pixel!

When I'm photographing family and friends, I shoot at SMALL JPG. Even SMALL is good enough for great 20x30" prints.

The smaller-sized images out of the 5D Mark III are spectacular. They are much, much sharper and cleaner than images from cameras on which that is their native resolution. When you start with over 20MP, it looks pretty good if you use all those to make 11MP or 5MP.

Why? Because they use less, or no, Bayer interpolation. No digital camera really resolves its rated resolution; they cheat and interpolate up, so at 100% at its rated resolution, no digital camera image is as sharp as a true scan from film.

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Canon 6D Under-Exposing?

This article suggests that the Canon 6D images are darker by about 1-2 stops vs. other Canon and Nikon cameras with identical settings (at least with long exposures).

http://www.borrowlenses.com/blog/2012/12/is-the-canon-6d-under-exposing/

I'm skeptical about this, and currently the article did the tests only with jpegs - so it's entirely possible this just has something to do with the jpeg engine or jpeg settings.

However, I was wondering if anyone who owns a 6D has seen this issue? or can confirm this issue does/doesn't actually exist in the RAW files?

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Do you miss APS-C?

I have a 60d but I have an opportunity to upgrade it at a reasonable price and get a 5d Mark III. My only worry is that I will miss the extra reach I was getting with APS-C and the vari-angle screen(but thats more of a minor concern). I have a 5d Mark II and love the full frame but worried I am going to miss the reach.
I do weddings, portraits, concerts and videos of all sorts. I dont have any ef-s lenses.
Is the image quality worth the difference and loss in reach?

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24-70 II tested at SLR gear

I looked at SLR gear site....where they tested the 24-70 II ...
http://slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1494/cat/11

I collected the graphs and compared with ....
the 24L, 35L 50L ...and for lack of something better ...the 70mm position of the 70-200 II.

looking at chromatics also....

seems to do fairly well....
(MAYBE the 35L is ready for a replacement ....with these chromatics and with Sigma release - IMO
But I do love my 35L)

would liked to have seen better performance at 70mm.. and especially I.S. ....
(I guess we are spoiled by the recent Canon lens releases)

but for this difficult range...it compares pretty well......to the overall quality of the 70-200 II
(well ...really..... very little compares to the 70-200 II)

thought it would be of interest to know that this test is up....

TOM

UPDATE note:

the 24mm L prime and 35mm L prime sharpness graphs are swapped ... (24mm is under the 35mm zoom column)

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Ends this Weekend! Dodge & Burn T-Shirts & Canon Rumors Toy Drive

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<p><strong>Dodge & Burn Camera T-Shirts

</strong>We wrote about <a href="http://wig.bz/1i4?product=index.php" target="_blank">Dodge & Burn</a> t-shirts about 5 months ago, and the response was extremely positive from folks that bought some t-shirts.  Since that time the company has added new t-shirts and have kept the same great quality. All t-shirts are USA made American Apparel and the printing on them has held up flawlessly in the 5 months that I’ve had one.</p>
<p>Stay tuned in the New Year, there will be a Canon Rumors influenced T-Shirt, that I have absolutely no part in designing… which is good. It’s going to be cool though!</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p><strong>The Story of Dodge & Burn</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>Dodge and Burn was created out of a passion for analogue photography and classic cameras. The sculpted mechanical beauty of vintage cameras, the legendary photographers who used them, and the iconic images they created are the things that fuel the Dodge and Burn brand.</p>
<p>We’re neck-deep into the digital age and more people than ever are taking photos. I believe that regardless of whether you use your iPhone or an old Leica screw mount camera to capture your decisive moment, you are part of the history of photography. Dodge and Burn is here to remind you of this.</p>
<p>Each of the cameras illustrated on our tees is a classic. From the elegant and precise Leica rangefinders of the 1950s to the rugged war-zone-tested Nikon’s of the 1970s, these shirts pay homage to some of the best cameras ever made.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Toy Drive!

</strong><a href="http://wig.bz/1i4?product=index.php" target="_blank">Dodge & Burn</a> and Canon Rumors have teamed up for a December toy drive.</p>
<p>What are the details?</p>
<ul>
<li>8% of every sale from now until December 16, 2012 will go directly to the toy drive fund.</li>
<li>Canon Rumors will <em><strong>match dollar for dollar</strong></em> whatever is raised through purchases.</li>
<li>Money will not be donated, we’ll actually go out, buy toys and donate them.</li>
<li>I have a large pickup truck, so we have lots of space to fill with toys.</li>
<li>Dodge & Burn will ship to most countries on earth, so everyone can be involved!</li>
</ul>
<p>In order to get credit for the money raised, you must use the link below to visit Dodge & Burn to potentially make a purchase.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://wig.bz/1i4?product=index.php" target="_blank">Visit Dodge & Burn</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

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Normal Lens or High-End Compact?

My telephoto lenses are flawless works of perfection - 100 2.0 and 200 2.8, but I can't seem to figure out what's the "best" normal zoom or prime (for my T1i). I currently have a Sigma 30 1.4, but it just doesn't blow me out like the telephoto primes do. I'm considering, though, the venerable 17-55 (will likely upgrade to the 7D II one day).
Has anyone thrown in the towel and just use a high-end compact for the normal range/general photography, travel, etc. and the DSLR for sports?
8) :-* :D :) ;D

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G15 buffer depth

Looking to pick up a good P&S with RAW capability and a bright lens...the G15 is ticking a lot of boxes. There is also the attraction of staying in the same Canon ecosystem. One piece of information I have not been able to find in any review or spec list is the buffer depth when shooting RAW. And how quickly does that buffer clear?

-PW

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6D vs 5Diii today...

So I'm going to town tonight to buy a new camera...

It's either going to be the 6D or 5Diii (body only)

which do I purchase? reading reviews from the last few days of people getting their hands on the 6D has got me stumped. It should be pretty clean cut and I should just go for the 5Diii but there are a few things holding me back.

I'm currently shooting with a 7D and 60D (until yesterday when I sold the 60D) 90% of my glass is EF so that's not an issue, what is an issue is the following:

pro 5Diii :

sharper images at higher iso (from what we've been presented with so far although the 6D handles noise a little better apparently)
better weather sealing/build
better button configuration on the back.
reputedly better focussing system (although I very rarely use any point apart from centre, I'm old school)
CF card for faster raw processing time

pro 6D :

Wifi (it may not seem much but linking straight to an ipad on location and using a mobile for remote shooting could come in real handy)
Cheaper
handles noise better at high iso (reportedly, but images are a little softer than 5Diii)

I shoot a hell of a lot of stuff, gigs, weddings, events and product. I'm always going to keep the 7D for sports/wildlife so fps isn't an issue for me, mainly the better high iso handling which is one of the only reasons for upgrading to full frame. I'm a firm believer in photographer > gear but I like a bit of technology and anything that makes life a little easier (and that points to the 6D).

Plus if I get a 6D I'll just get the piss ripped out of me by "pro's" tottering around with their 5Diii's ;)

any advice in the next 6 hours would be greatly appreciated

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No RAW support for the 6D in DPP.....shame

I posted yesterday to ask if anyone had link to a serious review of the 6D. Marsu42 reminded me that tests take time (he's right) and that we must wait for a Raw converter to get answers.

It took me some time, but then I realized Canon is selling the 6D WITHOUT having updated DPP. I can understand that Adobe or DxO need time to release an update for their RAW engine, but that Canon is selling a new 2000$ DSLR without a proper DPP is for me simply shocking. It's a bit like selling a brand new car that is limited to 20Mph until its fixed....soon.

I find the commercial method unacceptable, such a camera should not hit the stores without a RAW converter. The 6d will likely be a very decent camera, but without RAW, it's a beta version of a product. Will we soon be buying non working cameras where the firmware will be released 1 month later ?

That was my complain of the day, feel free to comment..

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File name and color space settings in 5D3

Currently, I have the file name set to 5D3_####. I noticed that whenever I set color space to sRGB, then the file name appears as before. However, whenever I set it to Adobe RGB, the file name would appear as _D3_####. In another word, the first digit turns to _ whenever I set to Adobe RGB.

Does anyone know why and how to correct this?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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HELP: Canon 135mm F/2.0L Ultrasonic sound vs Other Ultrasonic sound

Hi,

I just bought a used Canon 135mm F/2.0L and the sound coming from the ultrasonic auto focus is louder and a higher pitch then both my 50mm F/1.4 and 28mm F/1.8 ultrasonic auto focuses. Is this louder sound normal? Or is it supposed to sound like my other 2 lenses?

It's also louder than my 28-70mm F/2.8L and 70-200mm F/2.8L IS 1.

Thank You for your help.

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Skiing picture advice

Hi all- First post, long time lurker.

I'll be bringing along my 7D and 5Diii with 70-200 2.8II to the family ski trip this year, but I've never shot snow sports before. Are there any tips on filters, camera settings or gear that would be smart to bring along? I expect that shooting in the bright light, with the snow glare, will require adapting... but I'm not sure in what way.

Practice makes perfect, but some tips along the way never hurt :)

Thanks!

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Lens to take to Ireland

Hey Everyone,

Hope some of you have some good advice, because I’m driving myself nuts! I’m planning a weeklong trip to Ireland in mid January. We will be in the South and West coastal areas and planning on indoor, street, and landscape shots. I am planning on taking a 5D III with a 17-40mm f4, and 24-105mm f4. I can’t decide if I should bring along my 70-200mm f2.8 IS also. Love that lens, but it is somewhat heavy and does add to our gear.

I know this type of question has been tossed around a lot,…but, any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

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The Future Speedlites, Not Far Off Now? [CR2]

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<strong>A new Speedlite or two


</strong>We’re told Canon could be announcing two new Speedlites in the first or early second quarter of 2013. Both of the suggested Speedlites could be to replace the current Speedlite 430 EX II. The guide number of the new flashes would be 45. One of them would be compatible with the ST-E3-RT radio transmitter and the other would be a standalone unit without radio capabilities. No mention of whether either would have the af assist light/video light like is found on the EX 320.</p>
<p>There would be no new features to the flash functionality that aren’t found on the Speedlite 600EX-RT. When questioned about the possibility of a Speedlite 600EX without the “RT”, I was told that it was possible, but not in the immediate plans.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

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slim filters necessary for wide angle 17-40? and 24-105 lenses?

Hello, I may be obtaining these 2 lenses in the next few weeks and had a question about if I need a slim filter for the 17-40 and/or the 24-105. I prefer B+W filters and have them on most of my lenses. I presume I need the B+W slim UV filter as an everyday protector for the 17-40?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/132948-REG/B_W_65_026901_77mm_Ultraviolet_UV_Filter.html

I'd also probably get the slim cpl
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/133012-REG/B_W_65_016930.html

With the 17-40, would I be able to stack the slim cpl on top of the slim uv filter or would I need to remove the uv filter? just curious.

And is a regular filter on the 24-105 ok? such as this one?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/11994-REG/B_W_66_070252_77mm_UV_Haze_010.html

Thanks in advance!

Is there a primer for HDR from 5D3? How to bracket shots? PP?

Hi folks,

I would like to pay with HDR, but not sure where to start.

For instance, how do you set the camera to do this? I found how to set it to shoot HDR, it brackets 3 images and spits out a jpg. Is there a way to do this without it spitting out the jpg it puts together?

How do ya'll set the camera to take your HDR series of images? Any links to a tutorial on this for the Canon 5D3?

Also, for PP....do most of ya'll use Photomatix? Anyone use the open source Luminance (http://qtpfsgui.sourceforge.net/) program I've found.

Or, so most of you do it with Photoshop or GIMP? I'd seen one youtube video that seemed to get the most out of an HDR shot...using Photoshop where they could use masks to paint in/out the best parts of each images exposure with layers.

I don't know how to use layers much yet, but sure did look interesting. Anyone know of any good links to tutorials on trying this?

Anyway, just wanting to find solid info on how most of you shoot your bracketed exposures...and your workflows for processing using plugins or real image manipulator applications....

Thanks in advance,

cayenne

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New Sigma 35mm f/1.4 for Canon getting awesome reviews

I know lensrentals recently posted some awesome initial impressions of this lens and now another hands on that says awesome stuff. This is really shaping out to be possibly my next lens. The Canon 35mm f/1.4 is 14 years old and over $400 more and now that canon just took the cheaper 35mm, added IS to it, made it only an f/2, and priced it right along with the sigma at $850, I'm really considering the Sigma.

Check out this other hands on. You considering this lens? It sure looks nice and is built well too which is a good departure from what i'm used to from 3rd pary manufactures.
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 HSM Lens Hands On & Impressions - Spoiler...WOW!

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