dave_dondero2

So, turns out that too-good-to-be-true price was too good to be true. After ordering, I got a call from one of Abe's sales reps to 'confirm the order'...after asking a couple of basic questions about the shipping address he nonchalantly says the camera is an international version and would I like the "made in Japan for American market with full Canon warranty version for another $900..." I've seen this bait-and-switch before, but usually with lesser-known online retailers and eBay sellers and rarely without some indication in the fine print that it is not a USA-market version. I went back and checked the listing and NOWHERE does it say anything about it being an international version, which besides not having a warranty also comes stripped. No strap, eye cup, battery, nada. Video is PAL, not NTSC. I wish camera sales didn't attract so many sketchy sales practices. But given the price tags of these cameras, I guess it's inevitable. Just sosyaknow...

Thanks for the thoughts and especially the idea that perhaps worrying about the lenses isn't all that important. John Crowe: you're not the first person to speak highly of the 17mm TS...I really need to check that lens out. And, yes, that Abe's prices seems unbelievable when compared to everyone else, but it may well be that a new model is about to drop. I'll post after I buy to let you know what I experience.

I've done scads of research, read forum posts and online reviews 'till the cows came home, but still not quite ready to pull the trigger. Situation: I have a 9-year-old 5D MarkII that I've found very serviceable. No complaints, except the usual: more resolution! More dynamic range! More! I shoot 90% on tripod, manual focus, HDR bracketing. Landscape, architecture, still-life/abstracts, rinse and repeat. I enjoy a contemplative approach in the field. I sometimes print big, up to 40x60". Little interest in video (and I have a FujiFilm x100F for when I want to do snaps, video, or carry a camera on my bike). After nearly 10 years, I'm thinking there is greater resolution, detail, dynamic range to be had and I'm intrigued by the prospect. I've compared weight and am not impressed by the couple of pounds less I'd carry by going to something like the EOS R (or a whole new line of mirrorless, like Sony or Fuji), especially when the cost of replacing the four lenses I usually carry is factored in: EF 70-200 1:2.8 L Ultrasonic --> use 40-50% of the time EF 24-70 1:2.8 L USM --> use 20-30% of the time TSE 24mm 1:3.5 L II (tilt-shift) --> use 20-30% of the time EF 17-40 1:4.0 L USM --> use 5% of the time Not keen on adapters...why bother saving ten ounces on the camera if you're still carrying around the same 8 pounds of glass? So with the EOS R off the table (and I'm open to reasons why it shouldn't be), I've narrowed my thinking to the predictable 5D MarkIV and the perhaps less predictable 5DS R. With the latter on mega-sale currently at Abe's, the cost is essentially the same. The big questions: 1) Given how and what I shoot, am I right in thinking that the 5DS R is the better way to go? It's strengths seem to align with mine. Am I missing something? 2) If I'm not missing something and the 5DS R is the right way to go, which of the above four lenses are well suited to its mega sensor and which need to be replaced? My research on this is hard to parse because three of my lenses appear to be of a different generation than those listed as "most compatible" in various reviews. This is one of those times when not being an equipment or tech geek works against me. Eventually, my eyes glaze over and I talk myself into opening that bottle of Syrah. So I throw myself to the wisdom of the crowd...or at least those in the crowd who made it this far and have an opinion to share. I'd love to hear it! Many, many thanks in advance.

Update: I've spent the last week or so researching, primarily the XT-1 vs 2 and the x100. Fuji XT-1 $799 16.3MP APS-C 5.1 x 3.5 x 1.8" 15.5 oz body Fuji XT-2 $1599 23.4MP APS-C 5.2 x 3.6 x 1.9" 17.9 oz body Meaningful differences between XT-1 and Xt-2: are price, bigger sensor; more adroit rear viewfinder; improved AF-C tracking algorithm; maybe faster autofocus. Fujifilm X100F $1299 24.3MP APS-C 5.0 x 2.9 x 2.1" 16.5 body and 35mm equiv lens (not currently available in silver, which is tre cool-looking) Meaningful differences between X100F and XT-2: form factor and weight; cost; and I assume there is some IQ difference, although more in flexibility than apples-to-apples comps (say at 35mm, f8, same subject). For the bike ride, street photography, and all-around "I would never have cause to leave this camera at home," I was leaning towards the x100F, with my primary concern that the flat body seems like it might be a bit slippery without really careful attention when, say, whipping it out of the back jersey pocket (in back) whilst riding. I also admit to being smitten by the articulating rear screen on the XT-2 that seems to allow for better candid shots. Then there are the lens options for the AT-2 (one and only one for bike trip): Fujinon XF23mm (35mm) F2 R WR $450 Fujinon XF35mm (53mm) F2 R WR $400 Fujifilm Fujinon XF 27mm (41mm) F2.8 ("pancake") $450 Then Lou shows up with a random slap to the side of the head (thanks Lou...no really, I appreciate it) and I'm off checking out the Sony A6500/Zeiss option. Upside is nice solid grip and tilting rear LCD, plus zoom flexibility, but downsides include sizable lens/weight, diminished "back of jersey" form factor and breathtaking (by comparison) price. Seems like if I was going to go for the Sony, I may as well jump into the XT-2 and Fujinon lens pond with both feet and get it over with. So it stacks up, kinda, like this: Fuji XT-2 w/ 35mm $2000 Fujifilm X100F $1300, but limited availability for silver Sony A6500 w/ Zeiss 16-70mm F4 $2300 Still pondering. Many thanks for all past and future comments, ideas, admonitions and cautions...

Thanks, everyone for the suggestions. I will have some closer looks at the Fuji X100T (and the S, although it looks like only used ones are available?). The XT-1 and 2 sound incredible, but the 2, with a 35mm lens and a spare battery, cowabunga, two grand. Not sure if can get that past the family accountant. Donbright: I appreciated your comments on image quality and the reviews for the XT-2 are formidable. The XT-1 is a great deal right now -- given what I said are my priorities: light, fast, excellent image quality, good for street photography, would you recommend going with the XT-1? Or are there key upgrades in the 2 that make it worth the additional 7-800 bucks over the 1?

I'm struggling with a camera decision and need some insight. For about ten years my kit has been a Canon 5D MkII, a small corral of lenses, all L-glass, and a Gitzo tripod w/ RRS head. 17 pounds in a custom pack. My MO has been almost exclusively HDR: multi-frame, shot on the Gitzo. Slow, contemplative, a throwback to <age hint> my days with a view camera </age hint>. Many trips to many places. Three weeks in Italy, for instance, maybe 300 images total, of which 5-6 might be ones I'm truly smitten by. (I've kept a canon S100 in my shirt pocket for snapshots of myself and/or the spousal unit in various places of interest.) I'm also a cyclist and this July I am going to France, not with my wife, but with four other cyclists. Two weeks of riding and a couple of starts/finishes of the Tour de France. When we get on the plane, our bikes will be in boxes in the cargo hold and we will each carry on panniers with everything for the trip. (Panniers, in case you don't know, are like saddle bags that are slung over a rack above a wheel, rather than a horse). Max weight: 25 pounds. So my camera kit, will not be coming. Time for mirrorless? Not as a replacement for the 5D, but a low-weight option, when needed? In looking around, reading reviews, perusing this forum, I am taken aback by the significant number of decisions to make. Sensor size. Use my Canon glass with converters or buy new? Much more. My ideal may not exist, but here it is: something light and compact enough to slip into one of the pockets on my riding jersey (you may be familiar with the three large pockets on the lower back of a jersey in which riders keep snacks, phones, etc?). Something I can pull out and capture a street scene as I ride upon it, but can also pop onto a gorillapod (carried in the panniers) to do the occasional "full monty" HDR sequence. I don't need fancy. I need light, compact and good glass. Image quality has been super important to me in the HDR work and I don't want to give that up. Ideally, I would make do with one lens, something like a 24 to 300mm (joking, but you get the point -- I can't fill up the pannier with lenses.) Video is not important, nor are lots of complex, esoteric features. Fast auto-focus for the street-scene stuff and a good auto-bracketing feature for the HDR are the main things. And user-defined presets to make moving between those two options a single selection. What else should I be considering here? What are the big trade offs? Can I have my cake and eat it too? Thanks in advance...

<p>I've decided to take the 4900 to a repair place to invest a buck-twenty-five in finding out if it can be salvaged. They say their nozzle cleaning can sometimes do the trick.</p>

<p>Thanks for the details on the 3880 printing 13x38 from Red River -- that is one of the papers I use. This reduces my anxiety that the P800 wouldn't be able to print 25-38" lengths...<br> As for using a lab, it's really not practical for book printing. I frequently print from Serif PagePlus (DP software) in complex groupings, typically in sections of six bifolia producing 12 leaves, which are folded and bound in sequence (5 of these would produce a book of 60 pages, for instance.) Even when printing images directly from ImagePrint (the rip I use), a folium of four leaves (four images) requires some attention to layout, etc, to not end up with a wicked mess.<br> Of course, this is where some of the fun is -- producing the entire book by hand, including printing.</p>

Thanks for the reply. I looked more closely at the specs of the P800 and see it can print longer than 22", but in order for book pages to print correctly, they have to feed in sheet mode (not roll), so the front (feeding) margin can be tightly controlled, that is, it is always the same. Does anyone have any experience printing in sheet mode longer than 22" or printing book pages in general on the P800? The specs say all over the place 17" x 22" maximum <strong>sheet</strong> size. True or not?

<p>I bought an Epson 4900 in October of 2011 and had a fatal head failure a year later -- about two weeks after the 1-year warranty expired. Fortunately, Epson made good on the warranty and sent me replacement at no charge. Good on them.<br> Fast forward to now. I have a nozzle clog on LLK I just can't clear. I've tried all the measures, run all manner of cleaning cycles, deep cleans, ammonia under the heads, burned smudge sticks and chanted. Can't clear it.<br> So it will likely come down to balancing the cost of some massive repair/head replacement with a new printer.<br> My question is this: I print in fits and starts, sometimes going several weeks or even a month without printing (probably the cause of my problem, I know), and I am more and more into hand book-binding -- printing images and creating books. So I need a printer capable of printing long sheets that can be folded. A size I currently use is 13" x 38" (folded to 13" x 19" folios, which are then bound).<br> This rules out sheet printers with 22" max lengths, like the P800.<br> Recommendations? </p>

<p>Thanks for all the great input! I appreciate the willingness to help...<br> Charles: The grain problem shows up in hand-bound books in different ways. You can "get away" with wrong grain direction with booklets depending on how they are constructed, but you may notice issues like page curl. But for a fairly large book (say 60 pages) of 60 to 110 lb pages that is traditionally hand-stitched and bound, you gotta follow the 'rules' or at least this one.</p> <p>Steven: I didn't put this in my post, but ideally this is a sheet-fed solution, with a four-page signature, so each sheet comprises one folio (one fold down the middle). This eliminates cutting, which is prone to error (unless one has constant access to an industrial-grade cutter). And yes, your second post hits the nail on the head -- no matter how you fold these things, the grain ends up on the wrong direction or you end up with a portrait result (and I don't do portraits ;-)<br> Re: Moab: Interesting about the grain designation, I didn't know that and can't find the lot numbers. One issue is their sheet products seem to max out at 17x22, which doesn't really solve the problem (doesn't fold to landscape format). Plus their paper is flippin' expensive!</p> <p>Jochen: not sure what you're trying to say re: creasing. My problem is with grain direction relative to paper dimensions.</p> <p>Henry: Thanks for the link, but if one goes to B&H and looks at all 249 2-sided sheet papers they sell, the total number appropriate for my need is...zero.</p> <p>The advice to reach out to manufacturers (especially the ones that aren't the high-priced big names) and try to get them to cut to spec is probably the way to go. Probably will need to make a sizeable commitment, but not sure of any other options.<br> -Dave</p> <p> </p>

<p>So this question may be a stumper because it involves both digital printing AND hand bookbinding, so fasten your seat belts.<br> I'm a long-time photographer that's recently become interested in hand book-binding. Recently finished a certification and have been somewhat hornswaggled to discover some real gaps in the digital pigment paper world:</p> <ul> <li>there are precious few sources for double-sided paper that I can find</li> <li>of those, few are of a size suitable for a decent-sized photo book, such as 10 x 25", that can be folded into a 10 x 12.5" folio (just one possible example)</li> <li>and then the kicker: papers this size are always cut with the paper's grain on the long dimension (the 25" dimension in the example above), and in bookbinding, Prime Directive #1 is Thou Shalt Bind On The Grain, which means the grain <strong>must</strong> run parallel to the binding (the spine of the book) for some very important reasons I'll skip here but are non-negotiable due to physics and stuff. </li> </ul> <p>Red River Paper, for instance, has a 60lb. Polar Matte Double Sided 13" x 38" that can be folded to create a 13" tall, by 19" wide folio, but the grain is running along the 19" (the left-to-right of the page), not along the 13" (the spine direction).<br> Does anyone bind books of photos printed on fine art paper? Anyone have any ideas on this? Sources for papers they use?<br> (BTW: I'm printing on an Epson 4800, in case you want to know...)<br> Thanks!<br> -Dave</p>

<p>Thanks for all the great responses everyone. <br> Strangely, the unit has started working again, leaving me really scratching my head. Since then, i've turned the camera on/off on three different occasions in the last 24 hours and each time it has worked, including a one-minute exposure.<br> Interesting to hear about the cheaper knock-offs being almost as good -- certainly worth it for the $, seems the consensus. I had avoided them, thinking they wouldn't be. Given that I work exclusively with the release, either for mirror-lock up + release for the multi-images of HDR work or using the long-exposure timer, having a replacement in my bag (or at least nearby) seems like good insurance, especially if the cost is $25 and not $140...<br> Thanks again!<br> -Dave</p>

<p>I'm flummoxed. I've been using a TC-80N3 remote release for years with my 5D MII to minimize camera shake when taking bracketed images for HDR work, as well as to handle exposures longer than 30 seconds. It has been a workhorse. On a recent trip to Turkey, the battery appeared to run out, so I could only do shutter release, not timed exposures. In a weird confluence of issues, the internal battery on the 5D also died (right about at the manual's predicted 5-year lifespan). So there I was in Istanbul, dealing with pesky, but not crippling issues--just couldn't do long night shots and had to reset the time/date every time I changed regular batteries.<br> So I get home and replace the 5D's internal battery and the TC-80N3's battery and it doesn't work anymore. Not remote release, not timed -- a couple of times it worked, then nothing.<br> Anyone experience this? Is this a dead TC-80N3? (Expensive, but replaceable.) A bad connector at the 5D (death sentence, I would imagine). Something else? Some weird operator error?<br> I await the wisdom of the invisible crowd! Thanks!</p>

<p>Thanks Lex, Hector for the good suggestions. <br> I also realize as I look through the photographs I intend to share that many have connected to them a piece of advice for photographing in the field or while traveling, that some may find useful. <br> I also plan to ask the group when I start what they are most interested in hearing about -- the technical, the motivation, the approach, the stories. I can imagine it might be "all of the above" and that's okay too. <br> The hour should go by quickly...</p>