dave_trayers

ETTL will not be retained, so the flashes must work in manual mode and you will need to setup the flash power using a flash meter or the metering with the camera via trial and error. However, the 420EX doesn't have a manual mode, though you might be able to control it wirelessly as a slave to the 580EXII. Maybe someone else knows.

I've used it with my 550EX. You need a simple PC to Hotshoe converter as the 550EX doesn't have a sync terminal.

I got mine about a week ago after a 4 weeks on the waiting list at my local camera store.

 

I used it on my first real shoot this weekend and I didn't have any focus issues (at least, no more than my 1D2 or 5D).

Did you check C.Fn III-17, Limit Continuous Shot Count? (pg 172 in the manual). Are the cards empty and formatted? Did you try clearing all the camera settings (pg. 49)?

I'm happy that a lot of folks are cancelling their orders... it moves me up on the list at my local store! I've moved from 15 to 9 in three weeks. C'mon! Let's go here!

 

Seriously, coming up soon, I have a couple of dance perfomances to shoot and I could really use the 3200 ISO. I rarely have the need to shoot track runners at 10fps, but I want the high ISO performance, the highlight protection and the wireless FTP.

Remember to remove any filters you might use:<p>

<a href="http://www.eaglestation.com/dick/aurora.html">http://www.eaglestation.com/dick/aurora.html</a>

I've used both a USB and Firewire 15' extension cord (depending on the camera) and I've been able to run it down the leg of the tripod and tape it to the floor with gaffer tape. Fortunately, I've been able to put the laptop close to the camera.

I use three 4GB and two 8GB Transcend 120x cards in a 5D and 1DII. I've shot over 100GB in the past 6 months with these cards without a single corrupt file or error. They download as fast as my 2GB Sandisk Extreme III, at about 8-10 Mb/sec with a Delkin Cardbus32 reader. I highly recommend them.

I've used an extension cable with both a 5D and 1D2 without issues. I also use DPP and it worked well.

I shoot a lot of low light performance and portraits. The high ISO performance and the new wireless hold a lot of promise for me. I'll be replacing my 1D2 and my 5D for the 1D3 as soon as it's available.

Mark, that made for some very interesting reading. There is a lot of good stuff on Paul's site. Thanks.

Gerry,

 

No, it's 1D only. To be accurate, I've only tried it with a 1DmkII, but I understand it works with the 1DmkII-N, 1Ds and 1DsmkII. I don't know about the orginal 1D. I know it doesn't work with the 5D, 20D, 10D and DRebel.

 

-Dave

If you have Photoshop CS2 (and I think this will work in CS), you can open a RAW file and look at the Exif Metadata. File/File Info...(Shift-Ctrl-Alt-i). You can see the image number (shutter actuations) under the aux:Imagenumber tag. See below:<p>

<img src="http://dtrayers.home.comcast.net/photos/ps_cs2_screen.gif"><p>

BTW, if you notice the file number is the same as the image number... this is because I use Breezesys Downloader Pro to download and automatically rename the file name to the actuation count of the camera. This eliminates having to worry about the file number when the image counter is reset or mess with folder numbers.

Page 102 of your manual: the 5D syncs at 1/125 sec or slower with large studio flash. 1/200 is with Canon dedicated flash units. I use 1/160 with studio strobes with no problem. At 1/200 I've seen some shadowing from time to time.

<a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-200mm-f-4.0-L-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx">HERE</a> is another review.

Mark Goldstein, the owner of PhotographyBlog, went to the Canon Spring Launch press event. His report is <a href="http://www.photographyblog.com/index.php/weblog/comments/canon_spring_launch_2007/">HERE</a>. He makes a reply (#10) to a question about the 40D and indicates he was told that there are no more announcements from Canon relating to the PMA show.

Nilangsu,

 

Since the store is so far away, don't forget to bring your laptop so you can evaluate the image files you take with the lens. I once drove several hours to pick up a lens. I brought my camera with me to take some test shots only to realize that I had no way to evaluate the images except for the camera LCD, making the test shots irrelevent.

<a href="http://www.sekonic.com/images/files/L-558Eng.pdf">HERE</a> is a link to the manual for the 558. You can find other documentation on the Sekonic web site.

I've been shooting dance portraits on location and I've found that a 9' backdrop will only accomodate groups of three if you want to have any separation between the subject and backdrop. I now use a 12' wide backdrop and it works much better. If it were my space, I'd have a room at least 18' wide and 30' long with 12' ceilings.

 

Use the FOV calculator on Bob Atkins site. You can easily figure out your space requirements with a bit of geometry or scaled drawing.

 

For example, with a full frame camera, a 85mm lens has a horizontal FOV of 24 degrees. That equates to filling the frame with a 9' backdrop at 20'. A 12' backdrop will require 28' from the camera to the backdrop.

 

Also, it would be nice to have some big windows (with blinds) for natural lighting, depending on the room's exposure.

You can download the PocketWizard manuals <a href="http://www.pocketwizard.com/HTML/manuals.asp">HERE</a>.

Breesebrowser will do this. You can export the data as a CSV and then analyze it. I do this all the time.<p>

<a href="http://www.breezesys.com/">http://www.breezesys.com/</a>

Where are you located? I know that in Minneapolis there will be a basic and advanced studio lighting class offered in the February '07 time frame from National Camera. I don't know the exact dates yet. I don't think they are multi-day classes, probably just an evening for each.

<p>

If you can't find a class, I highly recommend the <a href="http://www.software-cinema.com/disc_product_details.php?disc_id=78">The Best of Dean Collins on Lighting</a> as a primer on studio lighting as well as the information here on photo.net.

Many of Canon's cameras are considered to be about one stop more sensitive with respect to the indicated ISO. Phil Askey even says as much about your A70. See his comments <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona70/page11.asp">HERE</a>, about half way down the page.

A quick Google search turned up

<a href="http://jerryk.smugmug.com/gallery/1922775"> THESE INSTRUCTIONS</a>.

I got a sheet of white 1" 4'x8' styrofoam insulation at my local home center. It's a little lightweight, but it works, and it's cheap.