Hello,

I think maybe this questions has been put out there before,..so I apologize if it has…Just wondering if there are any thoughts out there on upgrading from a 7D to a 5D III. I’m looking for better IQ at low ISOs. Low ISO noise from the 7D has really annoyed me at times. I like to shoot landscapes, HDRs, and some people/portrait and macro work. Thanks for any opinions!

I love my 1Dx but miss a couple of things from my 5DMkII...

Does anyone know if it is possible to have a beep with the 2 second timer?

Is there a way to have the exposure meter appear in the top window when shooting in manual?

Cheers

product quality: for weight reduction body is made out of plastic (but seems to be solid), lens connection is made out of metal with a rubber lip, zoom is very good, focus ring is excellent, the lens has a fixed filter holder, stray-light protection is only streaky, AF is a little bit faster than the AF in version one

optics: very high performance, you can use it with open aperture, yout get top values if you set the aperture to f/4, at APS-C the resolution is a little bit lower, visible vignetting at 24 mm (even if you go to f/4) on FF, lower visible vignetting at 24 mm (even if you go to f/4) on APS-C, visible distortion at 24 mm

Vignetting in stops:
24 mm on APS-C, aperture 2,8/5,6: -0,83/-0,60 / Tamron -0,66 / -0,52
40 mm on APS-C, aperture 2,8/5,6: -0,56/-0,35 / Tamron -0,56 / -0,35
70 mm on APS-C, aperture 2,8/5,6: -0,64/-0,23 / Tamron - 0,52 / -0,24

24 mm on FF, aperture 2,8/5,6: -1,91/-1,33 / Tamron -2,31 / -1,33
40 mm on FF, aperture 2,8/5,6: -1,58/-0,96 / Tamron -1,73 / -0,95
70 mm on FF, aperture 2,8/5,6: -1,52/-0,77 / Tamron -1,97 / -1,15

Distorsion
24 mm on APS-C/FF: -1,6% / -2,3 % (barrel-shaped) / Tamron -1,9 % / -3,1 % (barrel-shaped)
40 mm on APS-C/FF: 0,1 % / 0,4 % (pulvinated) / Tamron -0,1 % / 0,3 % (barrel-shaped/pulvinated)
70 mm on APS-C/FF: 0,4 % / 1,0 % (pulvinated) / Tamron 0,4 % / 1,1 % (pulvinated)

overall efficiency in percent on FF (aperture 2.8/4.0/5.6/8.0/11)
24 mm 83/92/87/85/83 - Tamron 80/82/82/81/78
40 mm 78/82/82/81/82 - Tamron 75/82/82/81/79
70 mm 82/82/85/83/82 - Tamron 74/77/78/78/81

Stars from small light sources at f/16 or f/22 in low light if you shoot landscapes
The nine blades produces 18 star spouds. I don´t like such stars. With the old lens with eight blades you get stars with eight spouds. It´s a optical fact, that you get with an uneven amount of blades the double amount of star spouds as you have blades.

Conclusion:
The EF 24-70 2.8 II is the best zoom lens in this focal range. It´s better in optics than the Tamron (Tamron has more vignetting on FF) and the AF is much faster than the Tamron AF. I don´t like the rotating direction of the zoom ring from Tamron. It drives me crazy, because it´s reverse to the Canon zoom ring direction. I like the lens hood from the version one. If you shoot into the direct sunlight with version two you have to shade the lens opening with the new hood on it with your hand or a black piece of paper or you get sunspots in your image.

I don´t put the data from the Nikkor 24-70 made with the D800E on the net, because the optical quality is far away from the EF 24-70 II. For D800E and D4 users I hope, that Nikon put a new version on the market.

If it´s worth the price for you (around 1.000 more) you have to decide for yourself. I have to work less than a day as a professional photographer for it and I can say definetely YES to the lens.

Private conclusion:
I hold the prototype and the production version as my everyday walk-around-lens for portraits, sports, events and landscapes (private use and travelling) in combination with the 16-35 2.8 II and the EF 70-200 2.8 II IS.

For business I mostly prefer the primes from Canon and Zeiss and my Hasselblad. But the lens and the EF 70-200 2.8 II IS is a great performer for business to.

I want a compact, fixed lens camera to take everywhere when I'm not carrying my 5d2 or 7d. Have previously tried m43, E-P1 and E-PM1, and felt they were too slow and didn't want to buy multiple lenses for them and my dslrs. Bought an S100, it takes sharp, detailed shots but also tempted to exchange for RX100. I keep reading that the Sony has a sensor that is triple the size, and the price is double what I paid for the S100. Can anyone who has used both offer insight as to whether I should stay with the Canon or return it and get the Sony? Can the Sony offer double or triple the iq to justify the price? Thanks, Debbie

So, my wife and I have three weddings right at the start of 2013, but here's the kicker; I think we're lacking a little glass.

We have the following
5DII, 60D, 17-40L, 35L, 50 1.4, and a 430ex ii. We also have a 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 which I am not the biggest fan of and will be selling soon. We would like to keep our purchase at a max of ~2K and don't mind buying new, refurbed, or used (from a quality seller).

What do you all think? I strongly believe that this forum is an invaluable resource for photographers who are beginning their business and thank you all in advance for your support.

-Tabor

I have been thinking a lot about shutters lately and I know I should know the answer to this question but why is a shutter even necessesary? Obviously it is necessary for film but why for digital? Why can't the power to the sensor power on and off according to the "shutter speed"? Why isn't that possible?

Hi All,

I'm not sure if any of you have ever experienced the Shutter Speed on your 5D Mark II to be limited up to only 200 when the 430EX is attached to the camera AND turned on? I'm been experiencing this every time lately. However, when the speedlite is turned off (even while still attached) I do not have the same issue. Please share your experience. Is this a problem w/the camera or the speedlite? Is there a Canon repair/servicing center in NYC area? Thanks for your help!!

Hello comrades! Clips on classic music is my hobby.
Shot on Canon 60D + Helios-40 85/1.5
Squirrel in the park - Music video HD

Almost a year ago I bought a Canon 7D with the 15-85mm lens from a English sounding web site.

I did some research beforehand and was convincved that the retailer was in actual fact in Hong Kong. The cheaper prices lead me to believe that it would be a 'grey import' too. Nevertheless, I thought at that price it was worth taking the risk.

After a couple of weeks the camera turned up and worked perfectly. There was nothing in the box to suggest that there was a uk warranty, in fact all the documentation and software included in the box was Asia Pacific.

About a month ago, I noticed that the lens started to play up a bit. It wasn't focusing correctly (auto and manual focusing). A bit more research on the web actually indicated that it was a bit of a common problem with this lens.

I was now faced with the decision as to what to do with the lens. Send it back to Hong Kong or try and get it repaired in the UK (possibly having to pay).

I thought what the heck, I'll give Canon UK a ring and see what they say.

I spoke to a lady in Canon Tech Support explaining that I bought the camera and lens from an English web site, but suspected that it was actually sent from Hong Kong.

The lady said "As long as you paid for your camera in Pounds and Pence and you have an invoice to prove it, you will be covered by a UK warranty. Send it to us and we'll fix it free of charge"

Result !!!

I sent my lens off to Canon UK (Elstree) on the Monday and got it back on the Friday of the same week.

How's that for service.

Thanks very much Canon

I guess it just goes to show that you can shop around on the web and still get a local warranty as well.

The new issue of Pop Photo (Oct 2012, top of p.98, "Don't Go There") highly discourages owners from installing third-party firmware modifications. I have just become aware of Magic Lantern's add-on firmware and wonder if anyone has any feedback on camera damage, etc.

This is going to cause a lot of buzz!

http://photorumors.com/2012/09/09/breaking-sony-rx1-the-first-full-frame-compact-camera/


fixed 35mm f/2 lens apparently

and a hefty price tag of $3k

Hey folks i have currently a Canon EF300mm L f2.8 this is the non is version and is quite old though still what i consider excellent (Only a wee bit of paint has rubbed of near the switch lettering).

So my question is what would i gain upgrading to the latest mk2 is version in terms of IQ, i've never used IS and have a good tripod so have never felt i miss out on that. I use it mainly for birding and other animals ranging from squirrels to lions (with a 1.4x and 2x ).

I also have plans to get a 600mm f4, so if the latest 300mm is not going to give me anything huge in iq then i'll put that money into the 600mm's budget.

Is there a small and/or pocketable camera out there that handles like a DSLR? Something that is able to shoot in low light and be concealable, but won't break the bank. I'm talking about about cameras like the Canon G12, Lumix LX5, Olympus PL3, Fujifilm x10, or Sony Nex5n. Cameras like that.

I don't really like to carry around my DSLR anymore due to time restrictions. I still want to take great photos when I'm out but I'm one of the unfortunate ones who doesn't have an Iphone4s. I've seen people that take great images with pocketable cameras.

Basically I'm looking for a camera that:
-Is small, preferably pocketable with a fixed lens. (Interchangeable lenses are a close 2nd)
-Takes great images that match to a DSLR standard.
-Can handle low light situations.
-Usable at High ISO (ISO 800 [or 400] and above)
-Brand name doesn't matter (but Nikon though... just kidding.)
-Won't kill a working student's budget (maximum $500 [bendable to $600])
-HAS to have full PASM modes.
-Doesn't look threatening to the public

This is my top list of cameras that I'm looking at:
1. Fujifilm x10
2. Canon G12
3. Lumix LX5
4. Olympus EPL1
5. Canon S100

EDIT: Okay, I'm getting rid of the pocketable portion. Is there a small DSLR "replacement" camera out there? I don't want to lug around a DSLR when I'm going out with family and friends all the time. But at the same time, I still want to take great pictures. I'll make a new list:

1. Sony C3
2. Canon G12
3. Olympus E-PL2
4. Sony Rx100 (thanks Neuro and Gman)
5. Panasonic GF2

In the following studio scenario I have 2 x Elinchrom softboxes (400watt) series set at 2.0 which is the lowest light setting placed at 45 degrees in front of subject at approximately3-4 feet away. The setup is in a garage with minimal ambient light from the front of the garage's small windows in which it appears the soft boxes are overriding. I am using a Sekonic L-358 meter on the cordless flash setting which means it is put in the queue and waits for the burst of strobes (2 softboxes) to offer up a reading. I can increase the shutter or decrease the shutter and at 1/200 I am at 7.1. The problem is for the portraits I would rather use a wider aperture such as 4.0 (Using the canon 5D Mark III and 100mm 2.8 L USM Macro with IS). Unfortunately in cordless flash mode you can only work the shutter and the Av changes with it on the fly. I'd rather place 4.0 and see what the shiutter should be however I am thinking hi-speed sync at this point if the Elinchrom set up offers this (it may). I would be curious to any other options thought you may have such as pulling the soft boxes back further (?) to obtain that wider aperture. I've attached a sample of a portrait of a couple I shot. This was my very first session with the Elinchrom setup. I also had a 580EX about 8 feet high set at rear/left at 1/4 Manual to increase highlights in hair. Open to any thoughts or should I not be concerned with the 7.1 setting for portraits?

I have two 7D's that I have had a few red pixel issues with. In the past they have remapped via the long manual sensor clean method, but now I have found one or two small, white X's on my images with a black/dark background, and I'm wondering what that is. Are they also dead pixels?

I've got an event coming up where I need to use a couple of off camera 430EX II flashes fired with Cyber Sync triggers. The setup also will require second curtain synch, which I've never used before. So I've been sitting here going through my 5D3 menus trying to set second curtain synch and just discovered that the only way to do that is to have a powered-on Canon flash mounted on the camera. If you don't have a Canon flash attached and turned on, you can't access the menu to set the shutter synchronization.

Now, I just confirmed that if I attach the flash, set the shutter synch, then dismount the flash and hook it up to my Cyber Sync trigger, the second curtain sync that was previously set will work as expected. I have all camera settings on manual and and as as test, set the shutter to 6 seconds and the flash did indeed fire just before the shutter closed. Then I remounted the flash on the camera, entered the menus and set it back to first curtain synch, dismounted the flash back to a off-camera manual setup, and this time it fired when the shutter opened.

So there is a way to get there. But this obviously is not workable if you need to toggle between first and second curtain sync when using a manual off-camera flash setup, which I may need to do in this situation.

Am I missing something? Is there a way to set the flash curtain synch without having the flash physically connected to the camera and powered on?

I went for a walk across the River Thames today, near where I live:


Bisham Church, nr Marlow by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 5Dmkiii, 24-105mm 67mm, f8.0, 1/400 sec, ISO100


Bisham Church, nr Marlow by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: as above, except 58mm, 1/500 sec


Bisham Church, nr Marlow by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 24mm, 1/1250 Sec, f4.0


Bisham Church, nr Marlow by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 55mm, 1/800 Sec


Marlow Bridge by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 24mm, 1/125 Sec, f18.0, ISO 640


Marlow Weir by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 67mm, 1/160 Sec, f22.0

Last one:


Marlow Bridge by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 105mm, 1/250 Sec, f8.0, ISO 100

Hi,
Still enthusiastic about my 5D3 but...Did some night sky photography last night and detected in all the frames black shadows around certain star clusters, no matter what ISO setting it was.

Guess I've seen this in early reports about the 5D3 in March or April. So as I bought it exactly for this kind of photography...What can I do? Did I get a lemon? Serial number: 04230012696. bought the cam on August 27 from a retail dealer...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guatitamasluz/7956396466/#in/photostream


Thanks for your help. Cheers, Pedro.

Here's the dpr thread about it
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1032&message=40779387&changemode=1

Hi,

I am looking for some advice from more experienced photographers than me: I was recently asked to take some pictures during a short animation festival organized by a friend of mine in October for their website and other promotional material. The shots schould give an impression of this festival and its visitors, et cetera.

I am a novice photographer and my current gear is a Canon 450d with a Sigma 50mm f1.4 and a Canon 17-40mm f4 (I also have a yongnuo 560-II manual flash). My friend is not expecting very professional quality work, it's unpaid and it's just a favor.
I am not that worried about my shots themselves, but I am completely not used to the situation: shoting during the showing of the short animations means no flash, but (obviously) the whole situation will be pretty dark (it will be in a movie theater or a big room rebuild to look like one). I will also not use a tripod.

And that is my problem: what kind of gear do you use or would you advice to use for such a situation. My Sigma is f1.4 and pretty good, but it is also 50mm on a crop-sensor so it is very tight (equivalent of 80mm). The 17-40 is the right length I think, but f4 does not really work that well in low light conditions. Also, because my Canon 450d can't really do high ISO; 800 is allready pretty bad.

I am absolutely willing to rent gear, I just don't know what to rent exactly. I was thinking of a Canon 5d mark II or III with a 24-70mm f2.8. Is that good enough to shoot in low light without flash?

I am also interested in your stories on such a project. What worked for you and what should I try to avoid.

Thanks for all your help!

If you could choose three lenses for filming on Canon DSLR, what would they be and why? I've been looking at the Canon 28mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4, and 85mm 1.8, since they cover all the range (on a full-frame, anyway). Thanks!

Hey everyone, came across this ad on craigslist tonight and thought is this too good to be true?
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/pho/3232109329.html
I have a very good condition canon 50d with a grip and this guy is open to trading for one according to his ad. Provided its not a scam and the camera works would it be dumb to pass on this trade?