s._misra

Hi.

I plan to use a polarizer + close-up diopter (Canon 500D)

combination for close-up work, and would like to know in what order

they should be stacked:

(a) Lens + Close-up + Polarizer?

or

(b) Lens + Polarizer + Close-up?

Thanks.

This message regards a careless filter mistake and necessity of now

cleaning the filter.

I was using a Canon 500D close-up filter (lens) do the macro work. I

had a spray bottle with me that I use to spray my subject before

photographing. To my horror, when I sprayed, a strong gust of wind

blew the water spray directly back at me, and more importantly at my

500D filter. As a result, my filter now has dozens (maybe a

hundred?) of little water "spots" covering its surface.

My question is: should I clean the lens or just leave it alone? I

cannot tell if image quality has been effected or not.

Thanks.

I think I have obscured the meaning of my original question:

Canon recommends their 250D close-up lens for focal lengths less than 135mm. Why is this? Won't this lens work just as well on longer focal length lenses as well?

Hi.

Thanks, I do own the 500D. The problem with the 500D is that it's thread size is 77mm, whereas the Canon 70-300 DO IS has a thread size of 58mm. The 250D also has a thread size of 58mm, which is what makes it seem like an attractive purchase to me *if* the resulting optical quality is expected to be high.

Hi.

I'm planning on purchasing the Canon 250D Diopter to use on my Canon

70-300 DO USM lens. This will provide me with a lightweight close-up

setup when I cannot afford to take a dedicated macro lens. My

concern is this:

I have seen it stated in some places (e.g., John Shaw's books) that

the Canon 250D is intended for use on lenses of focal length less

than 135mm.

Does this mean that optical quality will seriously suffer if I use

the 250D on the 70-300, at focal lengths greater than 135mm? Or this

there another reason for this statement?

Thanks.

Hi.

I am looking for a way to "waterproof" the Rue Ultimate photo blind

(see http://www.rue.com/equip.html for a picture).

Really, it doesn't have to be an elegant solution, and I would be

happy to simply drape some kind of large waterproof cloth over the

whole thing, so that I could leave the blind erect for days at a time

without having to worry about the weather forcast.

Can anyone suggest a type of material, and where I could purchase it?

Thanks.

SM

Hi.

I would like to buy a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to protect

my system in case of power failure / spikes. I want a system that

(a) has enough capacity to cover a typical personal computer setup

(CPU, monitor, etc..)

(b) will provide me with at least 15 minutes of operating time in

case of a failure

© includes shutdown software that will turn off the computer in

case I am not present during the power outage

can you recommend a cheap, but reliable system that will do all the

above?

Thanks.

SM

John shaw has recently made his new e-book available via his website:

http://www.johnshawphoto.com/news.htm

has anyone purchased this e-book? if so, comments on the book are

appreciated.

Hi.

Has anyone tested out how well the autofocus works on the Canon 10D

with the 500/4 IS + 2x Canon converter?

(This question assumes that one has "taped" the pins on the 2X so

that the camera will attempt to focus past the normal f5.6 limit; a

well known trick if you are unfamiliar)

I would like to purchase a protective neoprene cover for the Canon

500/4 IS lens (the camouflage type). Are there any cheaper

alternatives to the one shown here:

http://www.birdsasart.com/accs.html#JRF

?

I would like to purchase a protective neoprene cover for the Canon

500/4 IS lens (the camouflage type). Are there any cheaper

alternatives to the one shown here:

http://www.birdsasart.com/accs.html#JRF

?

I want to buy a polarizer for the Canon 500/4 IS. I am pretty sure

there is only one option. The 52mm drop in polarizer offered by

canon here

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?

O=details_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=186093&is=REG

My question is, do I need to buy a "filter holder" as well (see here

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?

O=details_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=186092&is=REG)

or is the filter holder included with the polarizer shown in the

first link?

I have been using a beanbag draped over my (fully lowered) car window

to shoot wildlife. Overall, this provides effective camera support.

My only gripe is that I am forced into an uncomfortable sitting

position with the window fully lowered.

As a remedy, I have tried keeping the window partial raised, and

resting the beanbag on the partially raised window. This makes

sitting in the car, and looking through the viewfinder, much more

comfortable. The problem is that the partially raised window is quite

narrow, and all the "beans" flop to one side or other of the window,

making the beanbag virtually useless. Has anyone found a solution to

this problem?

Hi.

I am searching for the smallest well-built *backpack* for the Canon

500/4 IS lens, for use on 1-2 mile long hikes. I anticipate putting a

few smaller items in the backpack as well (tele-converters, filters,

remote release, etc.) but no other stand-alone lenses. I prefer a

backpack to a long-lens case.

Thanks.

Hi.

I noticed today that my Canon 400 5.6L lens has a broken (actually,

extremely loose) focusing ring. Normally, when I turn the focusing

ring, the lens does not focus. I am able to make the lens focus by

pinching down with significant pressure on the rotating barrel and

turning as normal. But this solution is cumbersome, and works

sporadically.

Has anyone else had this problem? Any idea what could have caused

it? Is this something I can fix myself (e.g., by tightening a

screw)? If not, how much canon charges to have the problem fixed?

Hi.

I am wondering if anyone has considered making a

homemade "groundpod"..i.e., something in the style of:

http://www.naturephotographers.net/gs/gsgroundshot2.html

?

If so, could you please share your experience?

Hi.

I will be spending a few days in Blacksburg, VA next week and am

looking for good wildlife (bird) or landscape photography

opportunities nearby.

Concering wildlife photography, I am looking for relatively well-

mapped areas where I have a high probability of making successful

photographs (given my short stay, I will not have time to "learn" an

area in detail).

Hi.

A recent string of overcast days here on the east coast (USA) has

convinced me to invest in a flash system for bird photography. My

desire is to use subtle flash effects to, e.g., add a catch light

to the birds eye. I have no desire to use the flash as the main

source of light.

I am looking for recommendations on flash systems/setups for the

Canon EOS system (D10 camera, 400 5.6L lens). Approx. subject

distance range 30-100 ft.

Thanks

Hi Bob.

I was trying this "trick" with the Canon D10 + 400 5.6L + 1.4x.

In truth, your obersvations are/were accurate. The AF is unreliable -sometimes it hunts, sometimes it locks incorrectly, sometimes it works very well..and I tested under fairly AF-friendly conditions (moderate constrast, bright light).

Saswat

Hi.

I am not sure if you are being humorous or if my original post was unclear. Let me clarify:

I don't want the teleconverter to report back the aperture (if it did, I would lose autofocus), but I do want it to report back something that I can use to identify the images in which the teleconverter was used (e.g., the overall focal length, etc..). Does anyone know a way to do this?

Hi.

It is well known that by taping the last three pins on the Canon

1.4x teleconverter, the converters effect on aperture is *not*

reported back to the camera body. This allows the autofocus function

to be retained in situations where it would otherwise be lost.

My question is, is there anyway to still have the *focal length* or

another identifying characteristic reported back to the body? I am

using a digital Canon 10D camera. The problem is that when I review

my images, I cannot tell which images were taken with the converter

and without the converter, since none of this info is reported back

to the body.

Thanks.