Threads

pierceography · Sep 21, 2012

So this is a pointed question, but could certainly turn into a broader topic of lens testing.

So yesterday my brand new 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM arrived, and I couldn't have been more excited. I've been scoping it out for awhile, and finally pulled the proverbial trigger when I'd squirreled away enough money. I'd long heard about how amazingly sharp this lens is, and already owning two other L lenses, I definitely have the red ring addiction.

So I got home and decided to test the lens, since I've had some some copy issues with Sigma (I know, they don't have Canon's QA). I compared it to my primary lens, the 24-70mm f/2.8L. I took pictures of one of my wife's cookbooks at 70mm (obviously the only comparable focal length) at apertures f/2.8, f/8, f/11, and f/16. Camera (5Dm3) was tripod mounted, ISO set at 100, mirror locked, and shutter triggered by a two second delay.

I gotta say, I was a little surprised when the two lenses came out pretty close in terms of sharpness at 70mm at f/2.8. While the 70-200mm was a hair sharper, it wasn't the "omg the 70-200mm blows the 24-70mm out of the water" that I had expected. I wish I had comparison images to post, but unfortunately I left my camera at home, and wanted to post this topic while it was fresh in my head. I'll post the photos when I get home tonight.

So I have two questions:

1) I'm no professional, so does anyone who is or has experience with these lenses have any input? I'd heard the 24-70 was notoriously soft (never really noticed it myself), and expected the 70-200mm to be noticeably sharper. Bottom line, I'm concerned I may have gotten a soft copy of the 70-200mm, and at $2500, I'd likely get it replaced if that's the case.

2) Does anyone have a favorite method of testing lenses? I've often photographed a newspaper taped to a wall or something similar (cookbook) to check the center, corners, etc at various focal lengths and apertures. I'd love to get one of those testing charts, but they're wildly expensive online and I'd rather buy actual gear.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

* Posted this in rumors by mistake. Moving to Gear Talk.

expatinasia · Sep 21, 2012

Saw a 6D on display today. Not sure if anyone is interested in pics or whether there are plenty out there already?

Sep 21, 2012

Does anyone know of a way to remove the registered focus point on the 1DX?

thanks,
Michael

Sep 21, 2012

Well, I can tell you I am ready to buy a new video cam where I can use my existing Canon glass. Right now I have a Canon video cam and a Canon DSLR. I am watching technology race in the video cam world like the rest of you and I am licking my chops for low to no compression and high frame rates. Although I have been a Canon guy thus far, I can not help but feel that Canon is falling back off the leading edge of the wave. Cameras like the Sony 700U and BMDCC have me thinking about jumping ship. I really feel Canon is trying to push us into paying more for these features, but with new camera mills bringing in more bang for the buck almost every week, is that strategy plausible? Four years ago it was Canon that was shaking up the video cam world, but now I am beginning to think that was dumb luck. They certainly seem to be on a very different road now. They have been introducing many new cameras in the last six months, but they all seem to have the same message...." You need to pay the big bucks to get the options we know you want" Canon.......COME ON ....SNAP OUT OF IT..... your shooting yourself in the foot!!!!

Sincerely,

Waiting for the new ride :-\

marekjoz · Sep 21, 2012

Honestly, this is not intented to bash Ken's +4 setting, but looking again at his photos I am intrigued - maybe this really normal and people really need to add so much?
I use 0 or +1. Very rarely, if it's underexposed and hard pushing was neccessery, I have to give +2.
What settings do you use?

florian · Sep 21, 2012

Hello to everybody,

I´m going to order one of these lenses soon for my birding trip to Australia.
I was more of the macro and underwater guy.
Now I like to get a really long lens for my 5D III.

It´s just not a lot of information to find about people having these and using filters.
Usually I have a B+W Käsemann circular polarisation filter with me for my 16-35 II or my 70-200 II.

Does it make sense to get this at all for a 500mm or 600mm ?
Since I haven´t got a lens with drop in filter slot before, if I do get a filter, how do I adjust it to the situation ?
Is there a nob to turn ? or do I need a Canon filter that come with some kind of possibilty to adjust without getting the filter out?

Thanks for your input and this great page, reading it for years now since I got my 5D II.
Sorry my bad English I´m from Germany ;D

drmikeinpdx · Sep 21, 2012

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/09/lensrentals-repair-data-january-july-2012

Roger Cicala at LensRentals.com has another one of his great articles posted on his blog. This one talks about the repair history of the various cameras and lenses that his company stocks. LensRentals.com is in a great position to comment on the durability of lenses and cameras.

Since a lot of us are starting to use the 5D3, I really appreciate his warning about seeing a lot of bent pins on/in the Compact Flash card socket. When I get mine, I'll be very careful.

He also has some comments on the service departments of the major manufacturers that you might find helpful.

Sep 21, 2012

Hi everyone, first post here... been trolling for ages but starting to get back into this and need some feedback.

With some cash to spend (approximately $1300 for the body, other money used for quality glass) I'd like to upgrade my body but obviously now is a tricky time to do so with somewhat dated products vs. new releases that are possible for the near future. I'm looking for the best bang for my buck but don't want to regret a purchase not knowing what's coming. Here are some key points I have in mind:

$ - Price for body must not exceed $1300 (found authorized reseller w/Canon Warranty for this price)
Love the build quality of the 7D
I expect the successor to the 7D (if there even is one, ever) to be far out of my price range upon release
I expect the successor to the 60D to be on or slightly over my price range unless they replace both with 1 body
I just don't feel the 60D feels good in my hands vs. the 70D, build quality matters
DIGIC 5 intrigues me - obviously want the latest, especially for IQ and high ISO performance
whatever I decide it will be teamed with 17-55 or 24-105 with a wide angle and 50mm 1.4
IQ - IQ - IQ! - will there be that much of a difference?
Patience is not my thing but thinking if I wait the price will drop a little, who the hell knows.... I can wait a little longer

Basically, it's going to come down to performance for me and build quality. Is the successor to the 60D going to outperform the IQ of the 7D and by how much. Does the price difference warrant the decision for either... ugh so confused.

Appreciate the feedback, I hope to be more active here to help others in the future.

Sep 21, 2012

i think about buying this monitor.. but i read very mixed customer reviews.

some praise it as the best 27 ISP you can buy for the money.

some say it has problems with color accuracy over the screen area or suffers from backlight bleeding.

i have a colorimeter and i don´t care so much about if a display has great deltaE out of the box.
but when the upper right corner shows some red cast and the lower left a green cast im a bit worried.

so to those who own this monitor... are you happy with it?

risc32 · Sep 21, 2012

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/24-70mm-ii.htm

klems · Sep 21, 2012

Hi

I have 2 Sigma-lenses for crop-cameraes, 18-200 DC and 10-20 DC (in addition I have the sigma 150-500 lens)and I am thinking about changing the 18-200-lens with a better lens. I have a canon 40D-camera, but possible will go full-frame in the future. I am thinking about the Canon 24-105L-lens. Is this the way to go?

marekjoz · Sep 21, 2012

So again I'm admired to Roger Ciala's blog entry. You can take a look on which lenses in their business require more repairs and why, as well camera bodies. There is Canon as well.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/09/lensrentals-repair-data-january-july-2012

The quality of his posts is really really high.
BTW: Words "Nikon fanboys" were often used

Quote: "Would I change brands or something over it? Of course not. That’s silly. Nikon makes excellent, reliable equipment and most people need a repair maybe once every couple of years. But I certainly am advising newcomers in a different direction, and I’d be a bit hesitant about picking up used Nikon equipment."

Another quote: "Among the Canon zooms, the 24-105 L is one we just think of as bulletproof. Never fails. The Canon 17-55 IS used to have lots of IS failures but obviously got fixed a couple of years ago. Another lens that rarely fails."

RC · Sep 21, 2012

Mulling over what my best FF option is now that the (pathetic) 6D has been officially announced. I want to add a FF body for landscape, architecture, portrait, and flash work. I would like to get it soon, preferably before year's end, but could wait as long as March 2013 if there is a reason to wait. I consider myself a passionate hobbyist, I do not make any money or plan to from photog. I’m interested in the CR community’s thoughts and suggestions.

Current Gear
- 7D (with low shutter count)
- 16-35 II (less than a year old)
- 24-105
- 70-200 F4 IS (may sell for 70-200 2.8 II)
- 100L
- 1.4 II
- 600EX-RT, ST-E3-RT (plan to add a couple of 440EX-RTs)
- Plan to get a 35L or 50L (waiting to see if a 35L II is going to be announced)

I plan to buy new. I may consider a refurb from Canon but not likely since after shipping and taxes I’m not saving much.

Option 1:
- Buy a 5D3 (got the money but really don’t feel good about spending that kind of money on a body. Besides that would delay some of my other intended purchases. Could wait for a price drop but really don't see it dropping below 3k, don't expect anymore $2750 deals--I'm still suspicious about that.)

Option 2:
- Buy a 5D3 – and sell some gear to help offset the cost.
- Sell 7D – Hate to give up reach. I like to shoot MLB games and have wildlife option.
- Sell 16-35 II and buy a 17-40 (plan to use this lens for landscape at small apertures so soft edges on 17-40 shouldn’t be a problem. BTW, how is the distortion on the 17-40 compared to the 16-35II?)

Option 3:
- Buy a 5D2 now (had ruled this out but now reconsidering). If my crystal ball showed that Canon would release firmware for better RT flash support, this would make this option easier but we all know that’s not going to happen.

Option 4:
- Nothing at this time. Wait and see if Canon decides to build a FF camera between the 5D3 and 6D that their customers actually want as opposed to reacting to Nikon's D600.

Option 5:
- Your suggestion

Right now I’m slightly leaning towards option 3. Thanks as always.

sagittariansrock · Sep 21, 2012

The 35 f/1.8 is an excellent quasi-normal prime for the DX cameras (I say quasi-normal because it does not emulate my vision like a 50mm does although it has a similar field of view as 50mm in a FF). But on the Canon side, even though I have used the 28 f/1.8 I didn't like it much (I wouldn't say sharpness was the issue- I am not a sucker for pixel peeping- I just didn't like the images I shot- maybe my mistake), the 35 f/2 lacks USM which I prefer very much. Also both these are more expensive. Anything on the horizon for us crop-sensor users who cannot afford the 35 f/1.4? Any ideas?

P.S. I acknowledge there are other non-Canon primes in this range, but here I want to know if Canon has anything in the pipeline.

Sep 21, 2012

There's been a lot of talk lately about how the 5Dm3 is overpriced, has poor DR, etc and how the 6D is overpriced and under-spec'ed. And the Nikon D800 and D600 look like pretty sweet cameras.

I would seem like an ideal candidate to jump to Nikon: I'm currently shooting a T1i that was my first DSLR when I got it 3+ years ago. I've shot quite a bit and learned a lot, and I feel like I'd get a lot out of a new body. But I'm not particularly tied to the Canon system for FF -- my only EF lens is the 50/1.8, and I have one 430 flash. I have a couple of EF-S lenses I'd have to replace if I got a FF body, no matter whether I went Canon or Nikon.

The D600 looks pretty nice, and I could probably talk myself into a D800 for $3K more easily than a 5Dm3 for $500 more. But I'm probably going to stick with Canon -- my next camera is probably a 6D.

Why? The lenses. First of all, the 6D kit with the 24-105 f/4 looks like a good deal, and the 24-105 seems like an ideal lens for walking around with a FF body. As far as I know, Nikon has no lens that really competes with the 24-105. The other main lens that I see myself getting is the 70-200 f/4 IS, which is great for someone only semi-serious like me to walk around with -- I've rented both the 70-200 f/4 and f/2.8, and paying half as much for a lens that is half the weight seems like a great deal to me (and coming from the crop body I shoot now, f/4 on FF would be pretty fast). Again, Nikon has nothing to match this lens -- they only have the f/2.8 version.

Even having access to the crazy stuff that I might only rent once a year like the Canon 8-15 fisheye or the 17mm TS-E matters to me.

So perhaps the D600 has better IQ, but I'm sure that (especially compared to what I shoot now) in absolute terms, the Canon 6D has excellent IQ too, and as others have said before, the Canon *system* is still enough ahead of Nikon that the Nikon bodies as not enough to entice me to switch.

Sep 20, 2012

The EOS Remote App... the images refer to the 7D. How will the 7D connect remotely to a smartphone/tablet?

DanThePhotoMan · Sep 20, 2012

Hey guys, so I've got a question. I just purchased the 5Dmk3 and I must say, I'm absolutely in love with it. Now, I originally only used DSLR's for the video capability, but in the last 6 months or so I've really been delving into photography more so than cinematography. Now, I've never really used a flash because I've always lit my subjects from a constant light source, but I know flash is a bit of a different ball game. I'm looking for something that is good both on and off camera, and was wondering if anyone could share some information? I've researched the majority of all the speedlights and the pro-masters, but I'm just looking for personal opinions. I definitely don't want to just go blow money on the most expensive one, but I'm not opposed to spending a little more for the right flash. Thanks in advance!

-Daniel

Sep 20, 2012

The Nikon D600 will likely become one of that company's best selling cameras in the enthusiast upgrade segment. It offers state-of-the-art image quality, reasonably high build quality, much desired full frame with its large and bright VF, and a range of features and functions which is little short of those on the D800s, for almost $1,000 less. While web pundits will debate the merits of the D600 vs. Canon's 6D in terms of features, and Sony's A99 in terms of price, the reality is that I think we are finding ourselves at a point in digital camera development where cross grading between brands will become less and less of an issue. All the major brands have feature sets and image quality that will meet most user's needs. Lenses are the core issue, and once someone has invested in some good Nikon, Canon, Sony/Zeiss glass cameras themselves are becoming mainly a subject of feature and budget considerations rather than just image quality.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/nikon_d600_first_impressions.shtml

peederj · Sep 20, 2012

http://www.eoshd.com/content/9044/exclusive-canon-confirm-1d-c-4k-dslr-is-same-hardware-as-the-1d-x

This is appalling enough IMO that any hacker who manages to get the 1DC firmware running on the 1DX ought to be...uhm...canonized as a saint.

I wonder if the C100 can similarly be turned into a C500.

In fact, I'm going to bet the 6D could probably do 4K video just the same if they wanted it to.

This is the sort of thing competition is supposed to destroy in a capitalist system. The companies should be releasing the best products they can at a fair markup, not artificially segmenting markets and dribbling out capability when it suits them.

The final indignity will be their refusing to *ever* send out decripple firmware for the bodies that could have ran it. They will ask you to buy a new body, just because we let them.

surfer57 · Sep 20, 2012

Couple older shots all shot with my 30D, few water shots as well.

TexinAfrica · Sep 20, 2012

I have a 5D MK III and a 430 EX II. I almost never use the flash with this gear, but with my smaller cameras (and built in pop up flash) I frequently use fill flash during the day and occasional slow sync for night pics.

I occasionally would like to use fill flash or slow sync flash with the MK III and 430 but it appears the only way is to truely go fully manual. Any tips or guidelines on how to do either without needing a light meter etc. or simply guessing??? I don't find the 430 user guide much help. Thanks..........

Marsu42 · Sep 20, 2012

I recon Canon keeps the natural order of camera bodies not only by saving on hardware, but by enabling or disabling firmware features. Examples: afma on the 60d, 1/180s x-sync & 1/4000 shutter on the 6d, 7x hdr 5d3/6d vs 3x hdr on 5d2, af spot metering on 5d3, deeper buffer on the 7d (enabled in 2.0), video on the 5d2 (enabled in 2.0)... the list might get quite long.

Unfortunately Magic Lantern can only intercept keys and control the camera mostly in live-view. More interesting stuff has to be done in the core firmware - and Canon is very conservative here. This is strange since Canon is usually quite creative to grab money, and the way ahead imho is software-driven like "camera apps".

Question: Would you consider paying money for firmware features that extend the out of the box feature set (like no video, 1/2000 shutter, 1/125 x-sync) if the basic camera body would be cheaper in return?

Halfrack · Sep 20, 2012

So, I heard a long time ago when shooting, make sure to turn around and see what's behind you - it may be a better photo. When shooting sports, the celebration around scoring - thinking in soccer specifically - I'm actually thinking having a body on my back with a wide angle prime lens and a wired remote (set it to low speed continuous shooting). That way when I'm looking at the player, shooting, I'm also getting the fan reaction behind me, looking at the same player.

Any ideas or thoughts on this? Grab one of the body harnesses and wear it backwards?

Sep 20, 2012

As a Nikon user, I remember a time when I envied everything Canon. A few years ago, Canon had the best DSLR video, their cameras were the fastest, and they were the absolute kings of high ISO. Today DxOMark has released their review of the new Nikon D600, and to everyone’s surprise it has the 3rd best overall DSLR sensor in the land (beats the D4). More shocking is not a single Canon camera is in the top 10. Has Canon dropped the ball or is DxOMark unbelievably biased?

So the question remains, has Nikon completely destroyed Canon over the last few years with their redesigned CMOS sensors? As a photographer interested in video, I think it’s safe to say Canon still wins the best DSLR video award (the Mark III is beautiful for video), but it looks like Nikon has been leading the market in the categories most important to photographers such as ISO, Dynamic Range, and Color Depth.

At this point in my career, I feel like all of these cameras on the list are so beyond what is really necessary to produce amazing photographs (it’s all in the photographer anyways, right?) Compared to my first DSLR camera, the Nikon D200, each and every one of these DSLRs is a pure joy to use on location or in the studio. That being said, I can’t say that it doesn’t make me feel pretty good knowing that the system I have subscribed to is producing some of the most amazing cameras compared to the other options on the market.

http://fstoppers.com/nikon-compared-to-canon-dxo-mark-best-digital-camera

i wonder if we will ever hear something from canon in response to such articles... or if they just ignore it.

Ryan_W · Sep 20, 2012

Over on http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1150348/0#10976688 a poster dropped his specific experience with the 6D.

Canon has a booth set up at Photokina with a 5D2 and a 6D side by side with a "test cave" to show the performance of the AF system. I've copied it here:

Ralph Conway 6D - hands on & first experience

Today on photokina I got my hands on 6D.
There was not much time and the place was overcrowded and as far I remember, they presented the new body not in the "pro" area. I am pretty sure I will get the chance for a better and deeper second contact to the new Camera the next couple of days, because I will visit the exhibition all days till the end.

Here is my first impression:

1. the body feels and smells like more plastik than 5D II, 5D III, but it fits perfect into my hands. New size, weight and feel came comfortable for me.
2. The outer AF points worked very good (immediatelly reaction and accurate) on the well lit booth. Felt much better than 5D II ever did.
3. I was NOT allowed to put in a SD card. But I checked ISO 25.600 and it looked great on the display (what does not say much more than it has a great screen).
4. I really was missing the "joystick". Guess I have to get more familar with its new counterpart in the backwheel.
5. I can not say it for certain, but as far I remember the "confirm" illumination of the AF points was handeled same way it was in the Dxxx, Dxx, 5D, 5D II and old 1 bodies. I just remember while writing. I guess I will check again tomorrow when I find the time to tell you for sure (sorry).

The cause why I forgot to check it for sure is easy. There was a dark "testcave" to check the center AF-point -3 EV capabilities. The target was so dark that I even was not able to see where I was pointing to. I just saw some kind of a more lit area pointed the center AF sensor to it and pushed the shutter release.

6. The result was blowing away my mind. The confirmation with 50mm 1.4 came immediatelly! The focus set perfect and I first could see what I shot on the screen! I did this maybe 10-15 times, turned the camera to the side and did a portrait of a backlit visitor sitting half in the darkness. Focus was perfect. The 5D II in compare was surching, surching, surching. It did not confirm. I repeated the test with the man and it was surching and surching and at least confirmed, too. I shot the pic but I can not say if it found the correct focus, because it was a 1/15th shot wide open and I could not hold it (sorry, I forgott to check the ISO setting). The pic done with the 6D was rasorsharp at ISO 25k.

To be honest: This was the camera I wished for my needs as a 5D II follow up one year ago (some might remember). I am sure this new body will become a great success. A friend of mine who tested the Tamron 24-70 at his 1D X went over to the Canon booth and checked 6D, too.
His impression: "It´s plastic! But this sensitivness should have had found its way into the 1D X!"

More as soon as possible.

Ralph

A few users asked him to return for a second comparison of the full range of AF points and compare to the 5D2. He responded the next day by saying:

My upper and downer work fine in a well lit surrounding. The left and right ones never worked. They worked excellent on the 6D.

To clarify, he's saying here that of the selectable AF points on the 5D2, his upper and lower worked ok, but the left and right ones never worked, but the 6D's points all worked quickly in low light.

This plus Canon's exec comments regarding the comparison read to me like a clear verification of the 6D's intended place as a 2012 5D2. There's a clear market for that level of camera, but anyone who owned one knows that the 5D2 AF system was a disaster. So, they improved that same system, added some bells and whistles, made it a little smaller, and dropped the entry level price by $600.

I think the mistake many forum users made was to assume that Canon would be releasing something "between" the 5D and 7D that incorporated all the features of one or the other. Instead, they've just updated a very popular body (the mark II), responded to customer complaints, and dropped the price by quite a bit.

Is there something I'm missing that makes the 5D2 more attractive than this? I mean, from what I'm reading, and from just now looking on Ebay, are people really so upset that they would rather save $299 and get a 4 year old and really troublesome AF system with more weight, lower ISO and fewer film options? To say the least of the WIFI, GPS, and all the other little gimmicks. I don't get why I've seen so many people throwing their hands up and exclaiming how glad they are they they just bought a 5D2.

Threads

Threads

Locked How to Test a Lens

Locked Saw the 6D today

Locked 1DX registered focus point removal

Locked Canon caught Sleeping??

Locked Poll Poll How much saturation do you usually add/remove in your photos?

How much saturation do you usually add/remove in your photos?

-2 or less

-1

0

+1

+2

+3

+4 (Ken's setting)

More than +4

Locked Drop in Filter for EF 500 or 600 f/4L IS II USM

Locked Watch those CF pins on your 5D3

Locked Another what to do thread... Buy now or wait 7D, 60D successor.

Locked Dell Ultrasharp 2711

Locked Rockwell on the 24-70v2, "holy cow, it's awesome."

Locked Upgrade from Sigma 18-200

Locked Lensrentals.com - great blog entry - statistcs on repairs, failures and support

Locked Best FF option

Locked Can crop sensor users expect something like the 35 f/1.8 in the near future?

Locked Why I'm not jumping to Nikon

Locked EOS Remote

Locked Best flash for 5Dmk3?

Locked Nikon D600 hands on preview from LL

Locked Canon 1DC is IDENTICAL to 1DX other than firmware

Surf Photography

Locked Help w/ fill flash & slow sync

Locked Poll Poll POLL: Would you pay for firmware feature upgrades?

If Canon would offer to unlock firmware features for money...

I'd consider it if the basic body is cheaper

I want a complete camera out of the box

I'd buy a Nikon

Locked Shooting both in front and behind yourself?

Locked Canon kicked of the DXO Mark score card.

Locked Hands on 6D AF comparison

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1DX registered focus point removal

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Canon caught Sleeping??

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Poll

How much saturation do you usually add/remove in your photos?

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Drop in Filter for EF 500 or 600 f/4L IS II USM

Locked

Watch those CF pins on your 5D3

Locked

Another what to do thread... Buy now or wait 7D, 60D successor.

Locked

Dell Ultrasharp 2711

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Rockwell on the 24-70v2, "holy cow, it's awesome."

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Upgrade from Sigma 18-200

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Lensrentals.com - great blog entry - statistcs on repairs, failures and support

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Best FF option

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Can crop sensor users expect something like the 35 f/1.8 in the near future?

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Why I'm not jumping to Nikon

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EOS Remote

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Best flash for 5Dmk3?

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Nikon D600 hands on preview from LL

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Canon 1DC is IDENTICAL to 1DX other than firmware

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Help w/ fill flash & slow sync

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Poll

POLL: Would you pay for firmware feature upgrades?

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Shooting both in front and behind yourself?

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Canon kicked of the DXO Mark score card.

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Hands on 6D AF comparison