Hi. This is my first time righting in this forum, even though I have followed it for some time.

I'm into concert photography (mostly rock) and I'm currently using my canon 50mm 1.4 and sigma 30mm 1.4 on my 40d, when I shoot at concerts. I want to be able to get closer to the musicians, so I'm considering getting myself a new medium tele lens.

The options I've been looking into are:
1. Canon 85mm 1.8
2. Sigma 85mm 1.4
3. Canon 100mm 2.0
4. Canon 85mm 1.4 (I've seen this one be mentioned different places, but I can't find it anywhere for sale here in Denmark...

I would appreciate very much any advice, comment , suggestion.
Thanks

From the suggested specs, it would seem that there has been almost no improvements/benefits to the video element of the new 5D3/X about to be announced shortly.

There seems to have been no improvement with regards to: Moire, aliasing, rolling shutter, higher frame rates - In fact it would seem pretty much the same standard as the trusty 5D2.

Videographers who purchased the 5D2 for its video capabilities and not to use it for stills will probably be content to leave the 5D3/x completely alone and save a fortune by sticking with the 5D2. I know I will.

An extra CF card slot won't tempt me, that's for sure. I just hope for Canon's sake that there's a lot of photographers out there wanting to buy it!

If the technology has improved and the sensor pix count the same, is there any chance that it goes 16 bit color similar to many medium formats? Is a neat idea and the colors and contract could be stunning .

Let's turn this around a little

ASSUMING the rumored spec list and pricing is really true, and ASSUMING a plausible low light RAW improvement (of say 1 stop) compared to MK2, I'm just curious, how many people are now thinking "screw this, I'm gonna wait until MK2 drops below $2000 and save myself $1500"

The reason behind this HIGHLY UNSCIENTIFIC poll is to get a rough idea of where MK2 prices will go over the next little while (and also milk the 5DMk3 topic some more until it's released and we start hearing the crickets )

I found one on CL for $700 in excellent condition. I've heard wonderful things about the Mark II, but how is the original?

Does anyone have any ideas why compatibility with the infrared RC-6 remote was omitted from previous 1 series bodies? Is the RC-6 seen as an "unprofessional" solution? Line of sight can be a pain, but this little wireless tool is so handy when you don't have time to set up a cable release.

Who knows, maybe Canon have kept it a secret that the 1D X has built-in wireless capability to control (and be triggered) the new speedlite. Yeah, dream on... :

This wonderful little lens is sharp right thru from a couple of feet to infinity.
I had been using the Canon 85mm f1.8 and the Canon 100mm f2 to photograph aircraft in flight (panning shots coming in to land at 150mph app) but was getting quite a few unsharp failures at f4 and 100 ISO (for grainless images).
The 60mm f2.8 changed all that with a very high rate of ultra sharp photos.
Maybe the autofocus is better on this lens - I don't know.
In terms of kept images these lenses are listed in order: 60mm clear first followed by the 85mm and the 100mm last.
Forget about the macro name - this really is a fine general purpose lens and at 60mm is of course ideal for portraits.

Hi, i have a 40d with a 15-85.
i just bought a 50/1.4 and love the increase in contrast... how much better are the L - series for contrast and how good does it get????

Have been using various "old" manual focus 50-55 f/1.2 lenses wide-open on my 5D2 with the appropriate adapter. I carefully focus through the viewfinder only to find that my (very near) subject is out of focus. When I use live view in the same situation, I find that the focus is dead-on. Is this typical? If not, is there a solution? (BTW, when I use my 50/1.4 or 85/1.8 wide-open using the camera's AF, the focus is dead-on.)

Just received one of these and plan on using it with my FD 500/4.5L on a 5D2 body. Anyone have do's/don'ts with this combination? Is the converter any good? (At least I have heard the Canon brand is far superior to others such as Bower.)

I am seeking some advice/tips/suggestions on setting up my own home studio (I dont really have a spare room, i was thinking maybe the garage [no cars] wchih has concrete floor and walls, only one large window and one wall out of the three has sort of wooden panelling, kind of hard to explain).

Yesterday I learnt about lighting stuff (bowen[?] and broncolor). I'd like to shoot some weddings/portraits stuff especially since i'll have pro lighting gear. i dont have a speedlite (i'm waiting for the new one coming out with the new 5d) or a pocketwizard (i've decided to get the newly announced/almost released one). I know when you're first starting out you can buy reasonably priced lights from target and ikea, those home deco stores.

But yesterday the teacher demo the broncolor scoro to us and i was amazed by it. There's a power adapter one and a little battery powered one - i think they're the scoro a2 and a4 packs. But I did a quick search on B&H and a broncolor catalogue booklet i got and found there's also the mobil, senso, verso, grafit and topas ones.

There's a store which works with my school institution and the teacher said that he could maybe do a deal for students to get a battery pack with the scoro a2(?) with 2 lamps and everything else in the carry bag for about $3500-$4000. He said they usually got for around $6000-$7000. But there's two battery options: a lead battery and a liithium. Which is better, lithium or lead? And they have like 170 full power flashes and 1200 charge battery life which i have no idea what it means since i just learnt about it yesterday. The teacher advised us to maybe try ebay since they'd be cheaper than, i personally dont use ebay coz even though there are bargins there are always dodgy people on there waiting to make a quick buck. I want to buy one of those small battery powered kits coz they're small and cute (perhaps an invalid reason i know lol). But do i need it? Absolutely not!

I've got a 60D, and Canon says that it'll take (at least) 100.000 shutter cycles. The 7D does 150.000. Now it is well known that Canon went out of their way to make the 60D somewhat crippled to still be able to sell their 7D, and I was always wondering about this:

* Is the shutter system of the eos bodies really that different, or is it basically the same thing with some features blocked (like 1/8000s) and different warranties to scare people into buying more expensive bodies?

* What's your experience - at what count did one of your older bodies' shutter ever break down compared to its max. cycles under warranty? Did you get it repaired, and if yes at what cost?

In anticipation of the upcoming 5d Mark iii/X vs 6d, what are people's thoughts about the best general-purpose lens? How much zoom is too much? Is 18-150 reasonable?

I've been in a Nikon to date, but am thinking of switching if the specs on the Mark III are to be believed (and the price point is accurate). That said, I don't know a lot about Canon's lenses. Are there must-have features (image stability, etc) that I should look for?

I shot an interview a while back, and I messed up.

I rented an Arri 3 light kit and set everything up and, wow, it was nice and bright, and for some brain fart of a reason, turned the shutter speed up, and it was strobe and stutter looking.

So, I obtained a 1.8 (10-stop) ND filter.

I don't own the light kit, so... I whipped up this quick test by just leaving the white balance to auto, and messing with just the shutter speed. For video I will want 1/60, but for this test I just ended up at 1/80. I have a small "daylight" fluorescent desk lamp and just shot straight into it.

These are just the raw shots:
No ND Filter
*
ND Filter
*

For these I sampled the red circle area with the white eyedropper in Photoshop Levels:
No ND Filter
*
ND Filter
*

Not too bad really.

In the first batch, within reason, the detail came out close and in the corrected set it was not hard to almost get the white matched up. Not perfect, for for the small amount of work I put into it, pretty close.

What are some production tips I might can use to make this ND filter work? I won't know if 1.8 is too dark until I get the light kit again. I doubt the light kit will be as bright as shooting straight into this desk lamp and I still have aperture and ISO settings to futz with to keep the shutter dialed in at 1/60. I could use a custom white balance. What else?

I use a T2i and a 70-200mm f2.8 L Lens. At some point I will want to use these larger apertures to get that DSLR shallow DoF, so I just left the lens at 2.8 for this test.

Hello everyone...Just saw a new mini steady cam project that went online on kickstarter, have a look see...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1689343841/micorosteady-camera-stabilizer-for-smartphones-to

Try http://eoscount.com

You'll have to use a 32-bit version of Internet Explorer and install an ActiveX control for communication with the camera. Then the control will read the shutter count from a 60D or a 7D right in the browser.

I just tried this and it really works with my 7D!

Here are some test shots of the D800 compared to the D700. IMHO, he D700 was pretty much on par with the 5DII in terms of noise, and the D800 looks better despite the extra pixels.

http://nikonrumors.com/2012/02/22/nikon-d800-vs-nikon-d700-high-iso-comparison.aspx/#more-34060

So i've just had one of my best mates ring me, he was talking to a Wedding Photog who dropped her 5d2 the other day, she went to replace it and was apprently told by the Canon Australia rep "don't replace your 5D2 now, wait a week for the 5D3". (Apparently this rep was also right about the 24-70II a few weeks ago).

Anyway, long story short, is that I've been offered my mate's used 5D2, he wants to ditch it within a week to beat the price-drop (and doesn't need a replacement until June, so doesn't mind being camera-less until then). I've been watching them go for $1600-2000 used on ebay, he's been offerend $1800 or so by a shop, and he's offered it to me for the same price. It's a few years old, but barely used, 7500 shots and absolutely mint condition.

Question is, do I want it? I do want an FF eventually, not sure how much use i'd get out of it (although about 5 of my mates are getting married this year, a wedding body with my 7D as backup would be nice). Or should I join the queue and stick in an extra grand for the 5D3 as well?

I, for one, wish the 5d III had higher MP. I feel like the IQ will essentially be the same as the current 5dII that I own. ISO performance will be certainly better, and AF will kick serious but. However, it is a little curious to me that the MP as essentially the same. What I am saying, simply, is that the 1d3 and the 5dIII may be close to the SAME CAMERA!! Think about AF, frames per second, and MP. Then it becomes more curious.

Maybe I will keep my 5dII, which I am content with, and invest in new glass to be released soon. This may be my best bet. I just hate to keep a depreciating asset when I could afford to sell and upgrade for about $1,000--the price I would get for my D7000 that I never shoot. AF is not important to me because I do 90% landscapes. But I will withhold judgement until the "Official" release. We could be in for a huge surprise.

I will try to post a few intellectual topics. Excuse me if I insult some of you (and your superior intelligence), as I got badly flamed for talking about the new D800.

Anyway, I have the 5dII and D7k. I graduated up from the Canon 40d to the 5dII a few years back. God I loved that 40d. For me, I was familiar with the controls, feel, and AF/metering of the 40d so the transition was easy.

I got the D7000 thinking I would use it as a smaller, faster body--plus I could start using Nikon lenses on my 5d. Well, that hasn't happened yet, and I rarely shoot with the D7000. I will not take time to learn all the bells and whistles on the Nikon. It is a solid DSLR with excellent video, excellent AF, and excellent IQ. I will sell soon though. Its hard to go back to sub-FF after spending so much time with bigger, brighter viewfinder.

I like each system, though, for different reasons. I think Canon has better telephoto (and more choices) options, such as many F/4.0 choices. I think Canon produces better natural colors (leaves, grass, skin tones). I think Canon has intelligent engineers that make shooting very simple. The list goes on and on. Nikon seems to produce better wide-angle lenses. I like that Nikon has started updating all of their primes, and they are all seemingly fantastic. I like Nikon's AF abilities in their higher-end cameras. I think Nikon has better noise levels, which simply comes down to software and the processing engine.

We'll see how this next gen plays out. I was sold on the new D800, but I really want to stay with Canon as my primary option. They have a TON of news lenses due to come out, and I know they will create a great wide angle. If money was no object, I would choose the 1Dx. I think the low-light performance will be nothing short of astonishing. The IQ will be equally as impressive. Happy shooting....and shopping!!!

Seems to me a large percent of the rumors (even the official ones) are often off. These new 5D ones that are arising seem very plausible though... thoughts? Have you all been disappointed often with rumors here?

I recently learned that none of the current cameras in the Canon lineup offer auto-focus while filming video.

Is there any indication that any of the new 5D or T4i bodies will support autofocus?

(I do just enough video recording that Im thinking about getting an entry level Nikon, just for this purpose...)

When I saw this, it got me wondering...

EF-S 18-135 II
This lens will have a silent autofocus motor geared to video. It will arrive with the new Rebel T4i. This has shown up in a US retailer inventory system. No price for the kit with the T4i.

Click to expand...

Afterall, what use is a silent motor if it doesn't focus while recording...

/crosses fingers

The anticipation for the new 5D has been coming for so long, with so much of our time preoccupied by it, what will we do for the next 4 years after the announcement? Go back to taking photos?

Please Vote.

With the upcoming [CR3] announcements... am I the only one who's equally excited by the idea of a new speedlite with radio signalling built in?? The creative possibilities without spending literally thousands of dollars on expensive ETTL third party triggers - I'm nearly salivating.

Perhaps I'm getting a bit ahead of myself... it is still a rumour!

The only problem I face now is I currently have 3 580 EX IIs - Canon releasing a radio add-on for legacy speedlites really would be wishful thinking, wouldn't it?