5DMiii lenses and Cusom settings

[mickeyess]

<p>I just retired and am turning my photography hobby into a profession. I upgraded from the Canon 40D to the 5DMIII with the battery grip and am rounding out my collection of glass and filters. I already have the 70-200 f4 and am pleased with the quality. I added the 24-105 F4 when I bought the 5DMIII and have added the 24-70 F2.8II. I’m looking to get the 16-35 F4 or 16-35 F2.8 II – recommendations? I am also looking at the Sigma 150-600 Sport tele. <br>

My traditional subjects include wildlife and landscape; architecture – especially abandoned structures. Recently I stretched a bit and have added city-scape and sports as my first customers with client pleasing results. I love black and white.<br>

I am looking for feedback in two areas; lenses and custom settings. My lenses are listed above as are my interests. <br>

With regard to the custom settings, I read with interest Ken Rockwell’s reviews and recommendations for the 5dMIII. Now I am looking for feedback from other photographers on how they use the custom settings for the 5DMIII. Ken’s custom settings were geared towards General Scenics, People and Family, and sports. (<a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/5d-mk-iii/users-guide/">http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/5d-mk-iii/users-guide/</a>)<br>

Thank you for your help!<br>

Mick</p>

[paddler4]

<p>It may be helpful to separate customization from his (or other people's) choice of settings. The latter isn't really customization.</p>

<p>The 5dIII is highly customizable. You can change the functions of buttons, change how you select AF points, change the rotation direction of the dial, change which card(s) it uses, and so on. The customization that works for me might not for you. I suggest you sit down with the camera and manual a few times and slowly work through the options, trying some out and choosing what works for you. You can always change these later, when you have experience.</p>

<p>Re settings: I personally disagree with many of his recommendations. But more important, to get the most out of your camera, don't try to have "a" list. Instead, learn what the options do and when you do and don't want them. E.g., he says he usually uses auto ISO. I rarely do because I want to control ISO, but there are certain circumstances when it is helpful--for example, if you are shooting in a situation where you can't allow a slower shutter speed or wider aperture to compensate for less light. Once you learn what these things do, you can switch as the need arises. I almost never have the same settings throughout a shoot.</p>

 

[Spearhead]

<p>This is the first time I've seen that list of "settings". Speaking as someone who shoots professionally, I think a) it's wrong to follow a list of settings like that, and b) I doubt there are many, if any, working pros who use many of those settings when shooting. One thing I would recommend is moving focus to the back button, after you do that, you can leave focus in AI Servo and if you want one-shot focus, you just tap the back button.</p>

[dcstep]

<p>As a pro, you should shoot everything in highest quality Raw and use Digital Lens Optimization to correct for geometric distortion, chromatic aberration, vignetting, etc. at every aperture and every focal lengths. This is particularly true with your zooms. It's part of Digital Photo Professional and also included in conversion software, such as Lightroom and DxO Optics Pro. It'll make your zooms perform as primes.</p>

<p>If you have the 24-105mm, then I don't think that you need a 24-70mm. Pick one or the other and don't get hung up on a small gap or overlap between your zooms.</p>

<p>Depending on the sport, you 70-200mm, with a 1.4x TC-III added will cover much. The Canon 100-400mm Series II is sharper than the Sigma or equivalent Tamron. I know wildlife shooters with both and they always gravitate to the Canon. 600mm is more of a birding focal length.</p>

<p>Shooting Raw, you don't need Rockwell's settings. If you find that there's a fast shift that you want to make, often, then set up a quick-set setting, but wait until you run into a need. The 5D3 has enough ways to screw up a picture without adding a bunch of confusing crap. Those settings are people not taking thousands of images per month. When you take thousands per month, you'll think of your own needs and set up the camera accordingly.</p>

<p>I focus on wildlife, but landscapes are easier to sell, except to a few people. </p>

<p>Also, if you want to do landscapes, the 5D3 will be excellent for prints up around 50". If you want to go larger, start saving for a 5DsR. It's amazing and I think it'll be good up to 72" with great resolution that jumps off the wall.</p>

<p>Finally, for sports, if that ends up being a big thing, then you'll want to consider a 7D MkII as your second body. The high pixel-density and high fps make it excellent for sports and wildlife. A 7D2, your 70-200mm and a 1.4x TC-III will cover a very high percentage of events. Add a 100-400mm and you've really got the bases covered.</p>

[paddler4]

<p>Given Jeff and David's comments--with which I agree--I'll expand a little on what I wrote.<br>

<br />IMHO, the only reasons to buy a camera like the 5D3 are control and quality. Re quality, I wouldn't use Rockwell's settings. Like David, I shoot raw. And why would you skimp on file size--sacrificing quality--when storage is dirt cheap. Re control: to be successful, you have to exert control, using settings that are appropriate for the particular setting and the image you want, not someone's preset list. One of the nice things about the 5D3 is that it allows you to customize controls to make it extremely fast and easy to change the settings that matter to you. So I would say: forget the lists, and focus on learning the impact of the various options for settings so that YOU can choose on the fly.</p>

<p>Re equipment: my recommendation is usually to buy nothing until you can explain what a specific piece of equipment will do for you, given what YOU want to shoot. I'll bet my list of equipment is different from David's and Jeff's, because we probably shoot different things. For example, you mention the two 16-35 lenses. For what YOU will shoot, does the extra stop matter enough to warrant spending $450 more? For that matter, will you use it enough that it is worth buying either rather than the cheaper 17-40? The answer depends on what you do, and what else you might spend the money on. For example, if you are interested in landscapes, you are going to want a decent tripod and a good head. They aren't cheap. Are you better off spending $$ for the more expensive 16-35 or putting that money toward a tripod? For some people, the answer would be the lens; for me it would be the tripod.</p>

<p>Re those lenses: landscape work is usually done at moderate apertures, like f/8, to get maximum sharpness and reasonable depth of field. For that, the f/2.8 isn't very useful. For other uses, it is.</p>

<p>Here's a shot taken with the cheaper 17-40:</p>

<p><img src="https://dkoretz.smugmug.com/Nature/Night-photos/i-BLdmjxD/0/XL/A83A0051-XL.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="660" /></p>

[mickeyess]

<p>Dan, David and Jeff. Thank you for your great feedback. I am still learning about the camera and there is a lot to learn. <br>

<br>

5DMiii:customization: Wow, great feedback. My initial thoughts were to use C1/2/3 as a fast way to change key settings when I am shooting different subjects. I think I will use them in the near term as I familiarize myself with the 5DMiii capabilities. By the way David, I always shoot large RAW as I want to get the most data that the camera is capable of capturing. I am still working my way through customization and have not even approached the controls yet but I think that Jeff’s suggestion of moving the focus button sounds good. <br>

<br>

I had thought of auto ISO for sports to keep my shutter speed up. I have to as you put it Dan spend some quality time with the camera and manual as well as exchange ideas with folks like you guys and then get out there and shoot to find what works best for me.<br>

<br>

Lenses: I have been trying to be thoughtful about picking my lenses based upon reviews and performance. I’ve had the 70-200 f4L for several years and picked it for its sharpness thinking that I do not need the extra stop for my wildlife and landscapes; so far that’s worked well for me. I may add the TC-iii to my list for the extra reach instead of going for the $2K 150-600.<br>

<br>

I acquired the 24 -105 f4L with the 5dMiii and was pleased with the results and have used it successfully on cityscape assignment thus far. I bought the 24 – 70 f2.8L later after reading multiple reviews. David, I’ve been on the fence about selling the 24-105 but think that I will wait a bit. I want to see if I get enough utilization of the slower 24-105 in my landscape / cityscape work; whereas, relying upon my 24-70 for lower light situations and sports. I’ll be shooting a cross country meet today on assignment and will use the faster 24-70. <br>

<br>

As for the wider 16-35 zooms, I have been leaning towards the 16-35 f4L rather than the faster and more expensive f2.8 version with the thought that the slower version is fast enough for my landscape/cityscape work. The 16-35 f4L also appears to be a much sharper lens according to the reviews I’ve read – much better in terms of vignetting and sharpness from the center out towards the corners. My impression from the lens reviews is that the 16-35 f4L provides much better results that the 17-40 f4L, so I have scratched the 17-40 from my list.<br>

<br>

Getting a 7dMii has definitely been an option I am considering. I have an EF-S 10-22 that I’ve had for years and love. I think that the 7DMii with that lens would negate the need for the 16-35. I do however need a new tripod and ballhead Dan.<br>

<br>

Thanks<br>

<br>

Mick</p>

[dcstep]

<p>Be careful with Auto-ISO. It'll work fine when backgrounds are consistent, as in many sports venues, but for subjects like birds in flight, the variable BG, going from trees to clear sky, to clouds, etc. can be dangerous. Why not bite the bullet and go all the way to manual when you have any uncertainty about consistency of BG? Still, some famous NFL photographers use Auto-ISO and 1/1000-sec. for any action. Just be aware of when it can get you in trouble.</p>

<p>Are you using Digital Lens Optimization during Raw conversion with your zoom lenses? If not, it's your next, free, step up in IQ. Once you try it, you'll never turn it off, particularly out at the wide end of your zooms.</p>

<p>You'll love the 7D2 for sports and wildlife.</p>

[mickeyess]

<p>I am just back from the cross country meet and I'll start going through my shots. There were 4 heats. The conditions were cloudy with a background consisting largely of trees. <br />I ended up using my 70-200 F4L because of the distance I had between the runners and I. I had to cover 3 locations on the course for all 4 heats, start, mid course, and finish.<br>

I set the camera to TV mode, 1/500th, and auto ISO so I'll find out later tonight how that worked out. Either good or a lesson learned the hard way. <br>

I have not used the Digital Lens Optimization yet but read about it earlier today; that will definitely be on my to-do list.<br>

I'll likely rent the 7D2 to give it a try. My budget is generous enough that I can round out my gear as needed.</p>

[dave404]

<p>One thing you want to set up is the custom menu where you can select the items you use the most. There are a boatload of settings on the 5D3 and here you can simplify some of it. My choices: image quality, mirror lockup, format card, custom controls (back focus), HDR mode. You can select what you want. </p>

[mickeyess]

<p>I like this list of customizations David.</p>

[dcstep]

<p>I like having "Format Card" as a three-step process. I do it in my sleep and I'm afraid that if I made it too simple, I'd unconsciously do it before i realized it. </p>

<p>I agree with David, make your own list and do it for things that you do a lot or need to switch to fast.</p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>Personally all I use custom settings are for changing from One Shot AF on the AF focus button to AI Servo with AF on the shutter release. The custom settings remember the last ISO mode/SS/aperture settings when you click out of them.</p>

[mickeyess]

<p>Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions. I have a lot to evaluate and try as I get more familiar with the 5DMiii.</p>

<p>Mick</p>

[mickeyess]

<p>Here are a couple of shots from the cross country meet - my 1st ever sports event. I think I have come away with an improved view of managing my perspective, light/aperture, and my 5DMiii overall. One lesson is to verify my settings before I start.<br>

Feedback on the photos is welcome, even the really harsh kind :-)<br>

Thanks!<br>

Mick</p><div></div>

[mickeyess]

<p>Another photo from the cross country meet</p><div></div>

[mickeyess]

<p>One More, boys varsity</p><div></div>

[mickeyess]

<p>Last one, Girls varsity.</p><div></div>

[dcstep]

<p>I would have gone to ISO 800 to get the shutter speed up to 1/1000-sec. As you've set it, you've got motion blur on the young man with the Southern shirt.</p>

<p>Why aren't all your files full sized? If you're going to give us a link for inspection, then show full sized for all. Posting in the forum is a different matter and you need the smaller sizes for that.</p>

[mickeyess]

<p>Hi David.<br>

I used auto ISO and need to review all of my shots to see how the camera responded (565 shots for the meet). I thought that I could freeze the action with 1/500th. I do need to get some more experience with this camera and will try to get out again over the next few days.<br>

This was my first posting and I thought that I was supposed to reduce the file size. I'll look through my work to see about posting more of my work in full size. <br>

Thanks for your feedback David.<br>

Mick</p>

[dcstep]

<p>You need to reduce file size when you post in the thread, but when you link you can show full size. A link and full size is best for technical critique.</p>

<p>1/1000-sec. is needed for human sports action. Lots of sports photographers use auto-ISO. You just need to set the shutter speed higher.</p>

[mickeyess]

<p>Thanks to all. I will play with different approaches from all including the approach defined by Ken Rockwell (custom settings C1/2/3) until I find what works best for me.<br>

Mick</p>