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[mrkgoo]

Holy shit mrkgoo those pictures look a new level of incredible compared to some of the wildlife/nature shots I have taken with my 50mm. I am really freaking excited now.

In fact, I am to take my 70-200 straight to our local zoo in Dallas.

1) I haven't been to the zoo in ages
2) I haven't shot in that kind of environment before
3) Your pictures have really inspired me to do so.

The thing about the IS also is the fact I am a pretty green around the ears amateur still. The fact I just spent 600 on a lens is a pretty big deal for me. As I said, when I get a full-time job sometime next year and maybe after I fill out my gear with a few more lenses or so down the road I may consider swapping out this lens for the IS version. I feel I will more likely get a IS version of the 300mm before. Of course that's WWWAAAYYYY down the road. :lol

Yup, these were definitely when I was just starting out with the 350D. The first one was through glass, and I had to bump the contrast a bit. I think that second was more or less straight out of camera jpeg.

The 70-200 f4L is a perfect zoo lens on a crop camera. I pretty much went straight to the zoo as well!

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Yup, these were definitely when I was just starting out with the 350D. The first one was through glass, and I had to bump the contrast a bit. I think that second was more or less straight out of camera jpeg.

The 70-200 f4L is a perfect zoo lens on a crop camera. I pretty much went straight to the zoo as well!

Amazing. I owe you a beer and few others here in the thread for the advice you've given me. I never thought I would find a hobby I felt was so rewarding and fun!

 

[Burger]

Have you guys checked out Jeff Bridges' photography ? Yes, the actor Jeff Bridges!

I've seen his surreal website before, but never checked out the photography side. What a cool and talented guy. Love his photos too, makes me want a Widelux for my birthday

http://www.jeffbridges.com/photojan10a.html

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Have you guys checked out Jeff Bridges' photography ? Yes, the actor Jeff Bridges!

I've seen his surreal website before, but never checked out the photography side. What a cool and talented guy. Love his photos too, makes me want a Widelux for my birthday

http://www.jeffbridges.com/photojan10a.html

What a rad fucking website.

 

[zhenming]

Have you guys checked out Jeff Bridges' photography ? Yes, the actor Jeff Bridges!

I've seen his surreal website before, but never checked out the photography side. What a cool and talented guy. Love his photos too, makes me want a Widelux for my birthday

http://www.jeffbridges.com/photojan10a.html

DAM!!! who knew! NICE!!

 

[captive]

Holy shit mrkgoo those pictures look a new level of incredible compared to some of the wildlife/nature shots I have taken with my 50mm. I am really freaking excited now.

In fact, I am to take my 70-200 straight to our local zoo in Dallas.

1) I haven't been to the zoo in ages
2) I haven't shot in that kind of environment before
3) Your pictures have really inspired me to do so.

ugh go on a weekday. I hadn't been to the zoo in ages either until i went on a Saturday with my brother his wife and kids. I was LITERALLY pushed out of the way by this mother who was freaking out yelling at her kid if asking if he could see the orangutans that were... stuck in a cage and not going anywhere.
It was crowded and lots of kids were whining, including my niece and nephew.

oh and congrats on the new lens.

 

[mrkgoo]

Have you guys checked out Jeff Bridges' photography ? Yes, the actor Jeff Bridges!

I've seen his surreal website before, but never checked out the photography side. What a cool and talented guy. Love his photos too, makes me want a Widelux for my birthday

http://www.jeffbridges.com/photojan10a.html

Pretty damn cool.

 

[VNZ]

My sister and a friend are both in the market for cheap cameras right now, so I'm looking for some opinions on entry-level DSRLs. By that I mean the sub €500 range (and whatever bargain range that will translate to in the States). These are the ones I've singled out so far:

Canon 1000D / Rebel XS
Sony Alpha A230
Sony Alpha A330

All with the corresponding 18-55 kit lens. So far I'm leaning towards recommending the Sony offerings. I'm hearing they offer more quality and features in this price range (and pretty much every price range nowadays), and their kit lens should be quite superior. So basically I'm wondering if there's any first-hand experience on either of the Sony budget-models here, or if there's any other real contenders in this space. Nikon D40 maybe? Has Olympus or Pentax anything quite this cheap?

Edit: Olympus E-420/E-450 and Pentax K-m seems to be in this price range as well. Too many choices already.

PS. This time there's no point for me to take the usual "chip in a few more hundred and get something that will last" argument, because the cameras will for sure end up in the water/mud/some thiefs possession within the year.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Total rumor right now but supposedly Jeff Ascough (renowned Wedding Photographer who shoots Canon) recently tweeted about a Full Frame Auto Focus Digital Rangefinder and its accompanying 35mm f/1.2 lens...

The original page is gone but here are some points he supposedly put up....

1.) Week 2 with the new stealth camera. I am under NDA at the moment as to who makes it but I can tell you that it is a brand new rangefinder.

2.) I am using the standard 35 1.2 lens but there are two others on the way to test.

3.) Ok - I can't tell you everything but it is full frame, magnesium alloy electronic shutter, and the AF is very good

4.) I have some testing to do tomorrow and then I will ask to see if I can blog about it. I doubt I will be able to use images.

This is the sound I'm making in ma' brain right now "AIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

 

[olbareun]

So this is canon? sounds very leica-like. I wonder how much the thing will cost though

 

[AcridMeat]

Hey guys, so I'm still interested in this 50mm f/1.8 lens. My interest sparked again as I think it'd be better to have for PAX Seattle this year. What do you guys think? It would be better for the concerts as well would it not?
edit: I understand I will have to get up close again for the concert to get good shots. Oh and I have a D70, hence why I chose the nikkor.

Here are a couple from last year I took with just my kit lens I believe.

 

[BlueTsunami]

So this is canon? sounds very leica-like. I wonder how much the thing will cost though

People are assuming its Canon but it very well could be another company (the two that are ruled out are Leica since they already have a FF Digital Rangefinder and Nikon since he's a Canon Ambassador). His ties to Canon points to it being a Canon though.

There's also another possibility, that its an April Fools joke but he ended up locking his Twitter feed when this all got out

 

[olbareun]

People are assuming its Canon but it very well could be another company (the two that are ruled out are Leica since they already have a FF Digital Rangefinder and Nikon since he's a Canon Ambassador). His ties to Canon points to it being a Canon though.

There's also another possibility, that its an April Fools joke but he ended up locking his Twitter feed when this all got out

So the term rangefinder only means it uses a viewfinder right? And because of mirrorless design it is a lot smaller. I am guessing it can be fixed or interchangeable lens. (I guess the same assumption can be made on a dslr, but most dslrs have interchangeable lens system)

I would like to see a reasonably priced / fast prime lens /large sensor (ff or aps-c) that is fairly portable.

I need to plug sigma dp2 here since it has most of the qualities I mentioned above. Only downside is the aperture (f2.8) and battery life (around 100 pics?)

 

[oatmeal]

Here's some stuff I've been shooting with my Canon 7D.

Shot this on Saturday, still cutting/coloring:
http://vimeo.com/10519934
pass: conscience

Shot this last Sunday:
http://vimeo.com/10379640

Shot this on March 6 for my sister:
http://vimeo.com/10038769

I love this fucking camera.

 

[BlueTsunami]

So the term rangefinder only means it uses a viewfinder right? And because of mirrorless design it is a lot smaller. I am guessing it can be fixed or interchangeable lens. (I guess the same assumption can be made on a dslr, but most dslrs have interchangeable lens system)

I would like to see a reasonably priced / fast prime lens /large sensor (ff or aps-c) that is fairly portable.

I need to plug sigma dp2 here since it has most of the qualities I mentioned above. Only downside is the aperture (f2.8) and battery life (around 100 pics?)

Its being debated whether its a real Rangefinder or just a mirrorless camera but a Rangefinder is set apart from an SLR due to its Viewfinder (its not through the lens). Also the flange distance is much shorter than an SLR (due to the lack of mirror chamber). The camera in question looks to have interchangeable lenses.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Hey guys, so I'm still interested in this 50mm f/1.8 lens. My interest sparked again as I think it'd be better to have for PAX Seattle this year. What do you guys think? It would be better for the concerts as well would it not?
edit: I understand I will have to get up close again for the concert to get good shots. Oh and I have a D70, hence why I chose the nikkor.

I have this lens for my D90 and its really great but I feel that the focal length can be a tad difficult to work with in close quarters mostly. So if you can put distance between you and the subject it should be fine.

 

[Chorazin]

Hey guys, so I'm still interested in this 50mm f/1.8 lens. My interest sparked again as I think it'd be better to have for PAX Seattle this year. What do you guys think? It would be better for the concerts as well would it not?
edit: I understand I will have to get up close again for the concert to get good shots. Oh and I have a D70, hence why I chose the nikkor.

I had the 1.8 35mm at PAX East this year, and it was awesome for portraits and at the Boston bars, but there was little room to footzoom during the actual con, so I only used it in a few situations.

If you are going to be close to the stage for the show, you'll get a lot of use out of the 35mm, but you wouldn't if you had the 50mm, I think.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

What do you guys think about a used Nikon 80-200 F2.8 AF? Its the one ring version and the guy is selling it for $480.

I'm not sure if that is a good price for one in excellent condition but I can't afford no 70-200mm nor am I willing to pay that kind of money.

 

[brerwolfe]

Here's some stuff I've been shooting with my Canon 7D.

Shot this on Saturday, still cutting/coloring:
http://vimeo.com/10519934
pass: conscience

Shot this last Sunday:
http://vimeo.com/10379640

Shot this on March 6 for my sister:
http://vimeo.com/10038769

I love this fucking camera.

just looked at the conscience video, looks good so far, thought you should know. added you as a contact on vimeo.

 

[Forsete]

As my tax return will be quite big this year, I got this silly idea into my head.

Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G Series Lens (SAL70400G)

As I have no proper telephoto lens I think I would enjoy this. But it is also huge.
Its supposed to be very sharp, even at 400mm.
But I'm not sure, its a lot of money (2 447USD in Sweden). Though I think it would go nice with the Zeiss 24-70 I already have.

I'll have to think about it. :>

 

[captive]

do it forsete.

 

[BlueTsunami]

God Lens, if I've ever seen one :lol

But as you said, you'd cover every focal length from wide to almost super tele.

 

[J Tourettes]

Just agreed to buy an Olympus e500 with the 2 Zuica lenses for £150. Do you guys think that's an ok price and camera for entering the world of slr?

 

[captive]

Just agreed to buy an Olympus e500 with the 2 Zuica lenses for £150. Do you guys think that's an ok price and camera for entering the world of slr?

its a little old but yes. People are still using the e500 to take fantastic shots.
Which two Zuiko lenses did you get? just the kit ones?

 

[J Tourettes]

its a little old but yes. People are still using the e500 to take fantastic shots.
Which two Zuiko lenses did you get? just the kit ones?

Only the kit ones from my understanding. I know it's an old camera but I figured it provides a cheap entry point which will hopefully pique my interest in a long term hobby.

Thanks for the help.

 

[AcridMeat]

I have this lens for my D90 and its really great but I feel that the focal length can be a tad difficult to work with in close quarters mostly. So if you can put distance between you and the subject it should be fine.

How much distance would you say? I've been meaning to pick up a fast lens for a long time, and I want to get the most versatility out of it while having it still be cheap.

I had the 1.8 35mm at PAX East this year, and it was awesome for portraits and at the Boston bars, but there was little room to footzoom during the actual con, so I only used it in a few situations.

If you are going to be close to the stage for the show, you'll get a lot of use out of the 35mm, but you wouldn't if you had the 50mm, I think.

Hm, but the 50mm would work well throughout the show would it not? For getting quick snaps of crowds or booths from a distance?

Thanks

 

[AlteredBeast]

Only the kit ones from my understanding. I know it's an old camera but I figured it provides a cheap entry point which will hopefully pique my interest in a long term hobby.

Thanks for the help.

Ther Olympus kit lenses are actually pretty good stuff for kit and the camera will still take great shots. It really isnt a bad way to get into the field, but Wal-Mart here in town is clearancing out the E-410 for like 350 with 1 (maybe 2) lenses. That isnt too much more, considering the exchange rate.

 

[zhenming]

How much distance would you say? I've been meaning to pick up a fast lens for a long time, and I want to get the most versatility out of it while having it still be cheap.



Hm, but the 50mm would work well throughout the show would it not? For getting quick snaps of crowds or booths from a distance?

Thanks

Try the 35mm 1.8 instead with the 50 even if you had relatively long arms you could only take pics of your face and not half body myspace style :lol

 

[teiresias]

Does anyone have a preference for filter brands? I've been shooting without any filters whatsoever, but think I'd be served well enough by picking up a circular polarizer and a ND filter, but the brands and the price ranges are all over the place, does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, my largest lens has 67mm filter threads, but my smallest has 52mm (I think) threads. I'm guessing it would be better to go with a step-up adapter and by the filters to fit the larger threads rather than a step-down adapter and buy the smaller filters. I'm guessing that means my lens hood on the smaller lens would no longer fit though, so I'd have to buy a third-party lens hood?

 

[mrkgoo]

Does anyone have a preference for filter brands? I've been shooting without any filters whatsoever, but think I'd be served well enough by picking up a circular polarizer and a ND filter, but the brands and the price ranges are all over the place, does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, my largest lens has 67mm filter threads, but my smallest has 52mm (I think) threads. I'm guessing it would be better to go with a step-up adapter and by the filters to fit the larger threads rather than a step-down adapter and buy the smaller filters. I'm guessing that means my lens hood on the smaller lens would no longer fit though, so I'd have to buy a third-party lens hood?

I have the SH-PMC heliopan filters, or B+W super-multicoated.

I only use UV filters on my wideangle lenses (to prevent dust getting into them).

I have on 77mm polariser (Heliopan). When I use it, I forego the hood.

 

[AcridMeat]

Try the 35mm 1.8 instead with the 50 even if you had relatively long arms you could only take pics of your face and not half body myspace style :lol

Ah okay, and the 35mm would be better to shoot with in cities as well? I'm not really looking for a portrait specific lens at the moment, just something fast and versatile.

 

[Chorazin]

Ah okay, and the 35mm would be better to shoot with in cities as well? I'm not really looking for a portrait specific lens at the moment, just something fast and versatile.

Yeah, it would be pretty great in cities too. I think if you get it you'll love it, as much as I love mine.

 

[AcridMeat]

Yeah, it would be pretty great in cities too. I think if you get it you'll love it, as much as I love mine.

Alright, you've convinced me. My friend back when I first started looking at a faster lens told me about the 35mm as well.

Presumably you have this one right?

 

[Chorazin]

Alright, you've convinced me. My friend back when I first started looking at a faster lens told me about the 35mm as well.

Presumably you have this one right?

Yessir I do! I love it, check out these shots using only available light at one of the bars in Boston during PAX East:

And then in the con for a portrait:

The only one of those pics I needed to do any post on was the last one, and that's because my dumb ass forgot to reset the exposure and it was a little dark.

I really, REALLY love this lens!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

yeah its a great lens and a must for any Nikon users.

 

[AcridMeat]

Ha, great snaps. I like the beers with the pokéwalkers. Time to start saving up for the lens, cheers guys.

 

[teiresias]

Is that first pic cropped, Chorazin? I have the 35mm and really love it, but do find it a bit difficult to get close-up portraits like that without getting in the subject's face. Granted, the subject is usually a friend so they're not terribly annoyed by it, but having to get that close does make it harder to get more candid shots since everyone instantly puts on their camera face. I might go for a 50mm or even a 60mm for those kind of shots or street-like photography (since I usually dislike cropping except for fitting a particular print size if I'm taking something to print). Obviously, a 60mm might be a bit too tight for a crowded bar.

 

[Ember128]

Ok, ok, ok. I have an awesome plan.

Canon 7D, with a 1.6X Crop Factor.

100-400MM Canon L-Series lens.

2.0X Doubler.

=like a 1200MM or so max focal length.

Granted, I'm going to be able to shoot well at worst on a cloudy day, but I think this is an awesome plan.

Opinons?

 

[Instigator]

Ok, ok, ok. I have an awesome plan.

Canon 7D, with a 1.6X Crop Factor.

100-400MM Canon L-Series lens.

2.0X Doubler.

=like a 1200MM or so max focal length.

Granted, I'm going to be able to shoot well at worst on a cloudy day, but I think this is an awesome plan.

Opinons?

Make sure you have a tripod.

 

[mrklaw]

Ok, ok, ok. I have an awesome plan.

Canon 7D, with a 1.6X Crop Factor.

100-400MM Canon L-Series lens.

2.0X Doubler.

=like a 1200MM or so max focal length.

Granted, I'm going to be able to shoot well at worst on a cloudy day, but I think this is an awesome plan.

Opinons?

7D won't autofocus with that combo. f5.6 maximum. You'll be at f8 wide open on the 100-400

But for manual shots - eg moon etc, you could do worse. Just don't expect it to work for anything moving.

I've seen people stacking 3 or more teleconverters to get crazy focal lengths.

 

[mrklaw]

For UK and Ireland GAF (not sure about the rest of europe), canon have a spring cashback offer on the 500D, 550D and 50D.

£50 off the 550D, £65 off the 50D

 

[Chorazin]

Is that first pic cropped, Chorazin? I have the 35mm and really love it, but do find it a bit difficult to get close-up portraits like that without getting in the subject's face. Granted, the subject is usually a friend so they're not terribly annoyed by it, but having to get that close does make it harder to get more candid shots since everyone instantly puts on their camera face.

No, none of those pics were cropped at all.

 

[JLateralus]

Does anyone have any experience with the Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS?

I currently have a XT kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8. I'm looking for something with a little more range in it and has decent image quality. I'm not expecting any L lens quality results, but various reviews of stuff I've been looking at online show a lot of really bad CA in lenses of this caliber. This one seems halfway decent, but it's hard to get a feel for real world opinions in a review.

I'd love to be able to spring for the relatively inexpensive 70-200mm f/4 L, but alas...

 

[mrkgoo]

Does anyone have any experience with the Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS?

I currently have a XT kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8. I'm looking for something with a little more range in it and has decent image quality. I'm not expecting any L lens quality results, but various reviews of stuff I've been looking at online show a lot of really bad CA in lenses of this caliber. This one seems halfway decent, but it's hard to get a feel for real world opinions in a review.

I'd love to be able to spring for the relatively inexpensive 70-200mm f/4 L, but alas...

Bitten by the lens-bug?

I haven't used this lens myself, but I've heard good things about it, for the price. If you are really into this, it might be worthwhile to save up and get a better lens if you think you'll be picky about this stuff.

That said, even the cheapest lenses today are fine for most applications. Like I said, you have to be pretty picky about this stuff to worry about it. And during the time you save up, you're missing shots!

You also consider some sort of prime lens, where you normally get quality and a good price, but at the cost of some versatility.

 

[VNZ]

Ok, ok, ok. I have an awesome plan.

Canon 7D, with a 1.6X Crop Factor.

100-400MM Canon L-Series lens.

2.0X Doubler.

=like a 1200MM or so max focal length.

Granted, I'm going to be able to shoot well at worst on a cloudy day, but I think this is an awesome plan.

Opinons?

I never heard anything too positive about the 2X extenders, but if you really want that range it may be worth trying. But especially with a sensor of such high pixel density as the 7D's there's just no way that the lens+extender resolves a satisfying detail level. I'd go with the 1.4X extender instead as it isn't quite as detrimental to the detail and light.

I would actually be surprised if a cropped magnification would be any worse than a photo shot with the extender. Especially if you take the loss of AF and light into consideration.

 

[JLateralus]

Bitten by the lens-bug?

I haven't used this lens myself, but I've heard good things about it, for the price. If you are really into this, it might be worthwhile to save up and get a better lens if you think you'll be picky about this stuff.

That said, even the cheapest lenses today are fine for most applications. Like I said, you have to be pretty picky about this stuff to worry about it. And during the time you save up, you're missing shots!

You also consider some sort of prime lens, where you normally get quality and a good price, but at the cost of some versatility.

Maybe bitten just a little... I've been selling off some of my video game stuff to fund purchases so far. :lol

I want to get a nice little assortment of lenses for just getting started. I don't mind selling it to upgrade later - it seems like lenses (1st party in particular) hold their value well.

I like the versatility of this lens, but I don't mind swapping out lenses either. Are there any primes in this price/focal length range that you'd recommend?

(BTW, just wanted to let you know that your recommendations so far have been great )

 

[mrkgoo]

Maybe bitten just a little... I've been selling off some of my video game stuff to fund purchases so far. :lol

I want to get a nice little assortment of lenses for just getting started. I don't mind selling it to upgrade later - it seems like lenses (1st party in particular) hold their value well.

I like the versatility of this lens, but I don't mind swapping out lenses either. Are there any primes in this price/focal length range that you'd recommend?

(BTW, just wanted to let you know that your recommendations so far have been great )

Hmm. Not that I know of. They tend to start getting into 'L' territory if you're looking for new. The 70-200 f/4L is really the cheapest/best offer, I think. Of course, I think primes out at that range can be an issue, as they start becoming very specialised - you have to know what you want it for. They often start just below $1000 up there.

Other people may have more suggestions. What do you intend on shooting? If it's specific like sports, or birds, then it might be worth getting a prime. If it's 'just to get some more reach', I suggest a zoom. You'll appreciate the versatility.

Also, I think The_inquisitor is getting a 70-200 f/4L soon, so you can get some impressions off him.


Keep looking at reviews for the EF-S 55-250. It's meant to be pretty good. $250 is such a cheap price, and if the image quality is as good as they say...


And just to comment, I think photography as a hobby is a little bit more rewarding than gaming. It feels like you're 'doing' a bit more and achieving something. There's room for both, obviously, just a side comment.

 

[luoapp]

I never heard anything too positive about the 2X extenders, but if you really want that range it may be worth trying. But especially with a sensor of such high pixel density as the 7D's there's just no way that the lens+extender resolves a satisfying detail level. I'd go with the 1.4X extender instead as it isn't quite as detrimental to the detail and light.

I would actually be surprised if a cropped magnification would be any worse than a photo shot with the extender. Especially if you take the loss of AF and light into consideration.

My thoughts exactly. At least test and compare before pull the trigger.

 

[captive]

my E30 has a similar pixel density as the 7D, I use it all the time with my 2x Teleconverter. Though I've heard the olympus TC is better than competitors.
I use with my 150mm f2.0 wide open with it and get fantastic results. So its possible but you need very good glass and need for the TC not to suck.
The TC is going to magnify flaws in the optics, so the better the lens the better the results will be when using a TC.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

My baby came my baby came! I am the proud owner of a Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens. I am so excited!!!!

My camera feels extremely light now in comparison. I feel if I dont hold it by the lens I will break the mount on my Rebel XS.