the the

Dan:

 

With the 28mm f/2.8, when the lens is set to AF, the focus ring spins freely and does not move the motor. Or at least I'm pretty certain it doesn't.

So far the consensus is no. It is believed the partial metering area is much larger than the circle in the centre of the frame and might take up the area between the 4 focus points in the centre of the frame.

Just to add flames to the fire, I think Kodak will be the first to offer a cheap full frame camera. :-) ;-)

 

Of course, they will probably sell it in both Nikon and Canon flavours (judging by the most recent SLR/c release), so Byron's plan seems to be a good one no matter what.

<<The problem with the 70-200 f4 is that it leaves a bit of a gap in your set of available focal lengths.>>

 

 

I don't think it's really necessary to cover every possible focal length over a given span. Would he miss that zone between 55mm and 70mm? More importantly, would it even be noticed? I'm betting on no.

 

I think a good option would be running the 70-200mm f/4L and then getting the 24-85mm as it is probably a touch better in quality than the 18-55mm regarding their overlapping focal lengths. Save up for a 24-70mm 2.8L or a 17-40mm 4L for the future. ;)

70-200mm f/4L

 

Start trying to use a tripod more often, and/or learn how to be more steady when taking photos.

 

I'd be more inclined to save up for new things rather than sacrifice and sell off a perfectly useful camera body.

Why buy a camera if you are worried about the shutter eventually failing?

 

Get as much as you can out of it. If it fails, decide from there if you want to fix it. I'm willing to bet it won't fail for quite some time.

That body is pretty much identical to the Sigma SD9 and SD10 bodies except for perhaps some minor design changes to the battery compartment/vertical grip area. The only Kodak-specific engineering appears to be the logos and the Canon lens mount.

 

Not that any of that matters. I want to know how the sensor performs. That 1.7fps thing is a pity though.

Will they release a new 1Ds? Yes, almost certainly!

 

When will they do it? One day, one day.

 

Will it have more megapixels and upgraded features? Maybe!

I use a Lowepro backpack camera bag. I think it's quite stealth as most people don't even realise it's a camera bag. It just looks like a regular old backpack. If it weren't for the "LoewPro" logo on the outside, no one would be the wiser.

The 100mm f/2.8 does 1:1 magnification. Do you want more magnification than this?

OK, so Canon has the edge with pro DSLRS. My argument was that Nikon really isn't *too* far behind Canon in the dramatic way that Mike Mitchell (suddenly it's Wheeler? My eyes *couldn't* be playing tricks on me, could they?) describes. For some people, Nikon is tops. For others, it's Canon. I guess it's all based on perspective. I will agree that Canon's pro DSLRs are superior in performance, but I don't doubt that this will change in a year or so. Perhaps the digital race will plateau to the extent that the differences between each company's bodies are not so dramatic.

 

BTW, I use Canon. I'm not exactly arguing based on a bias. They are just cameras afterall.

I disagree with Mike Mitchell. But this comes as no surprise to anyone who reads the forums regularly. Nikon isn't as far behind as he describes. In fact, they aren't really behind at all.

Get the 28mm 2.8 Pierre. It can be had for quite cheap and I'm sure you won't be disappointed with it.

Are the Canon wide angles really as bad as Joseph describes?

 

I say no. The 28mm 2.8 is swell and is being sold for an incredible price. I use it more than any of my other primes, and it is still like new. Poor build quality? I don't think so. It might not be built like an L lens, but it's not a flimsy piece of plastic like the 50mm 1.8, which is really the only lens with truly poor build quality.

Contrary to what Mike Shazin says, the 28mm 2.8 does accept a hood. It uses the EW-65II clip-on hood, so you can attach filters, etc. I have this lens and this hood, and they work quite well together.

 

I have heard good things about the 2.8 from others and I have had great results from it. For its price, it is quite good optically. I have taken some excellent photos with it and I have yet to be disappointed. No, it isn't the fastest performer in the AF department. It uses an older motor and is on the slow side, but it still does the job. If you don't mind this, then it is fine. It's build quality isn't bad, but it isn't an L lens either (duh).

You're right. There are a lot of complaints being kicked around that are unfair to the equipment. This is to be expected though.

 

I have yet to find an instance where my camera was to blame for photos that didn't come out right. In fact, I've been absolutely amazed at how well my camera focuses and meters (Elan 7). Instances where photos didn't come out the way I wanted have always been caused by user error or something along those lines. Dead flash batteries come instantly to mind... ;)

The 420EX flash would work well with your camera. While it doesn't offer the full manual operation of the 550EX (which was suggested above), you can still make adjustments such as FEC and FEL on the camera. It is much cheaper than the 500EX, yet is still quite powerful for its price.

Seems only a minor update of the Elan 7 rather than a major overhaul. It gets a new paint job (big deal), a new flash metering system , a backlit LCD, and supposedly faster AF speed. Other than these things, it's physical appearance is pretty much identical.

It would be hard to tel you which lenses you need, as everyone's style is different. I suppose I will try to give some suggestions by explaining what I use.

 

I will also say that you don't need to buy L lenses, and you don't always need USM, though if you can afford them they are nice to have.

 

So what do I use? I have a simple collection of lenses. Partly because I just bought into the Canon system last year, and partly because my funds are limited. In my daily shooting I carry three primes: a 28mm f/2.8; a 50mm f/1.8; and a 100mm f/2 USM. These all offer good image quality and fast apertures without breaking the bank. They aren't L lenses, but they are superb for their price. I think you can be very successful with these three focal lengths, especially as a beginner.

 

I think you should start out simple and build up your lens collection as you need them. Get a few fast primes that cover wide, normal, and telephoto ranges, and work from there. When you figure out which style you prefer, you can get some lenses to suit your needs. If you find you need a zoom because you dislike switching lenses, then get one. If you want longer focal lengths for a purpose, get them. Don't buy everything all at once if you don't know what you need. You can do very well with a wide, normal, and telephoto lens.

 

Good luck! Have fun with your school.

The closest you are going to get in a prime Canon EF lens is a 28mm or a 35mm.

All of the Rebels are part of Canon's EOS lineup.

 

The ones currently in production are:

 

Rebel GII

Rebel K2

Rebel Ti (does not mean titanium)

The 50mm 1.8 will produce results superior to the 28-90mm, no questions asked. If you want an affordable zoom that has good image quality, look into getting the 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5. Make sure you get the f/3.5 version.

The ought to do it. I have yet to see a modern camera with a silver finish that I actually liked. I prefer black. The only time I like silver-bodies cameras is when they are old metal-bodied cameras from years passed...

After seeing your sample images, it appears that one of your problems is shooting directly into your light source, be it a picture window or the sun. Backlight images can suffer serious problems if the right technique is not used.

 

As for the other image, it looks like a chunk of dust is the culprit.

Fuzziness can be caused by a cheap lens, such as the one that comes with the Rebel Ti. A cheap lens like the 28-90mm will also produce other noticeable defects in your image quality.

 

I bet if you switched to the EF 50mm 1.8 II you would notice a dramatic improvement in almost all areas.