jim_simon3

<p>Since any dirt or dust on either part will not affect the photos you take, the desire to clean the mirror or the focusing screen are usually because you are disturbed by seeing stuff in the viewfinder. The advice you will find in the archives of this forum are not to clean either. That being said you can likely try to clean the screen on the EOS 3 and either get lucky and blow or clean stuff off it, or be saddened that you have made matters worse. Luckily you can get a new screen. The same isn't true for the mirror. First if you try using a blower on the mirror, the dust or hairs end up in the pentaprism and you'll be worse off than when you started. Second touching the mirror could leave worse spots than when you started. Using eclipse on the mirror likely won't do any harm, but the edges of the mirror could easily catch anything you use to clean the mirror. If you screw up the mirror, you might as well toss the camera out. Unlike DSLRs there is very little that needs cleaning within the camera. You get a new clean frame of film with every new shot.</p>

<p>Bob,<br>

I don't have an answer for most of your questions, but you could stick with the Canon batteries and go to an inverter for the car so you can charge with the Canon AC charger. Personally I've had great luck with aftermarket for the simple batteries (Canon S40 and 1D MKII). With the electronic communication, weighing the money, effort spent on a days outing, (gas etc.) and the uniqueness of the days, the decision becomes tougher. Personally, if I was going to get the 3rd party, I'd likely steer clear of e-bay, but I notice that even the sites I trust have some consumer reports of no-communication. The old saying was that film was the cheapest part of photography, and now I guess it's battery and memory cards.</p>

<p>I'm a bit surprised that I'm contributing to this thread as I'm just a dolt on this stuff too, but prior to the self-cleaning of the III series, it was common for people to write that a scratched filter could be replaced without having to get a whole new sensor assembly. Whether this is still true or if reassembly of the filter is the cure for your problem is unknown by me, and through the years Puppy Face has been a reliable source of info. If you are really curious a search in DPReview might get you some answers. If you have to replace the sensor assembly that is expensive enough to weigh getting a newer camera.</p>

<p>One way is to use Curves. Move the top right (white) corner of the line to the directly to the left. It will change the white point so the the input will be say 235 and the output remains the same. You can do the same with the Levels command. A problem may be is that you may be working on a layer mask by using the the "add an adjustment layer" command and that will complicate matters. If you can't get the changes you want because of a lack of your experience with the program, you might just try the drop down filters and yellow or red might get you what you want. The filters are located on the adjustment panel to the right of the words Black & White in a drop down that starts by default with the word "default"</p>

<p>Nathan,<br>

I use the cheap replacements and they (and the Canon) do last for a great deal of photos. On vacation I just filled two 4 gig cards with raw, many though were 3 exposures for HDR, and then I changed the battery just for insurance. I've found that the low battery indicator really doesn't give much warning. Getting 8 gigs of files was easy on a year old battery. I didn't review the files on the camera or do much chimping. Personally I would advise you to get a new battery. I think I got this battery for $30:<br>

http://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=800000ED-1179840777</p>

 

<p>Jay, I meant to add that I think that when the camera is using the automatic reduction it also has an algorithm to reduce the Tv when in Av mode. I just can't remember the very old discussions of this topic from film days on this forum. NK Guy might chime in and get the answer.</p>

<p>Jay,<br>

Take another look at the photonotes flash bible. Use the find tool in the browser and look for "reduction". You will find the short section on "automatic reduction of flash output" in Part II the fifth section down. I'd quote it here but I don't have permission. You will see that the 350 likely doesn't have a method to turn off this "feature". </p>

 

<p>Before you give up on the flash, what about trying it on a different camera, not to mention trying a different flash on your camera. </p>

<p>Read what Klaus has to say about the lens at <a href="http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/420-canon_24105_4_5d">http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/420-canon_24105_4_5d</a><a href="http://www.photozone.de"></a><br>

This is the most debated lens on the forums. It has been said that going beyond 3X in a zoom is too big a range. I have no idea who is right but it appears that those who have tested the lens end up saying it is a great walk around lens, which is interpreted to mean it isn't excellant but fills a need with it focal lengths and IS. I'm not trying to start a debate, as its defenders are just as determined as its detractors. </p>

<p>Are you disconnecting the card reader from the computer after the download? Leaving them connected after the download is complete has caused problems for me in the past.</p>

<p>Give us a 100 percent crop of the ice or something so we can see what is happening. A tiny JPEG isn't useful for looking for the level of noise.</p>

<p>I've always assumed that it meant it would blow out the picture at a lesser distance. That is, the flash can't reduce it's power enough to take the shot at close range with the settings you chose. It is the same on the 550EX as the 580EXII.</p>

<p>I'm with Ken. The weight and price are tough nuts to crack, but when I bought my 1D MkII just looking through the viewfinder and using the shutter button compared to a 20D was enough to get me to let loose the money. The loss of some wide angle required the purchase of the 17-40 but that was about all the problems. The crop factor of 1.3 (really a little less) has benefits that outweigh the detriments at this time. The 7D might change that, but the samples of the high ISO on the Canon/Japan website for the MkIV blow me away. So far the samples of the 7D don't seem in the same league. See the boxer. Also the size of the submirror for the autofocus is the same in the cameras and in the 1.3 crop covers so much more of the focus point field that I really enjoy it for tracking. Just not the same with full frame keeping the subjects in the center. I know it is an illusion, but I like it.<br>

Like Ken I had an EOS 3 and it is hard to go to the feel of the Elan cameras after the experience. I'll likely do it, it is just a difficult step.</p>

<p>When the sky has enough blue, I shoot a wide angle stopped to f11 or 16. If I'm cleaning at other times, a sheet of letter size photo paper with no glare on it with the same lens. When I shoot outside I always take two shots so that I'm not trying to remove a bird from the sensor. then in Photoshop I auto adjust take a quick look and make it 100 percent. Remember what is on the top is really the bottom, but right and left are really correct sided.</p>

<p>Try these:<br>

<a href="http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=18497041">http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=18497041</a><br>

and this white paper on the camera with stuff on sports (you have to scroll down to the camera and open the PDF): <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=1787">http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=1787</a> <br>

there was a site with the setting that Sports Illustrated used for staff, but I can't find it.</p>

 

<p>I can't answer for the Rebel. For the EOS 3 and the 1 series it works like this:<br>

In EVALUATIVE metering AND SINGLE-SHOT autofocus mode ONLY, when you press the shutter halfway it locks focus AND exposure. In every OTHER mode (including evaluative and AI-SERVO) it doesn't lock exposure.<br>

That means to me that the rebel has three autofocus modes Single shot, AI Servo and some other choice. If it works as the 1 series choosing any mode other than Single Shot will mean the exposure changes as you move the camera even with the shutter button half-depressed. It also means e.g. that if you choose average metering the exposure will change. It also means that Bob's advice to read the manual is the way to determine what happens when the camera automatically changes from one-shot to servo, a change that the 1 series will not do, and that is the mode I don't know the name of.</p>

<p>It doesn't look like anyone has a definitive answer other than having Vista set up with readyboost. Another possiblity is that you are creating another folder on your memory card and of course the new folder is empty when the camera reads it. You can check for this a number of ways, but an easy one is to just open the card on the computer and see if there is more than one folder for photo files.</p>

<p>the quote is:<br>

Had we but world enough, and time,<br />This coyness, lady, were no crime.</p>

<p>I believe that portrait lenses are at least partly so named because of the apparent depth they collapse in taking head shots. So for subjects with long noses, the telephoto perspective has the effect of shortening the nose. It also means that for close to subject shots the emphasis that would appear to make faces distorted (and noses longer) is absent. You are apparently in Hong Kong and the need to take portraits with lenses as long and longer than 100mm is going to depend upon your subjects. If you are after a portrait lens to have a shallow depth of field that can be accomplished at least partly with a fast lens such as a 35mm f2 or 50mm f1.4/1.8. Many of my subjects likely need 135mm to 200mm to be flattering not for selective focus on the eye and the blurring of the rest of the face. I think you need to see if you need both flattening of perspective and shallow depth of field or if you really only want one.</p>

<p>I think that Lightroom has a check box for "don't import duplicates" </p>

<p>I have the 100-400 and I've used it with the 1.4 converter. Unlike others I find the combination difficult at best for sharp photos although most of my dismay is with BIF, and it autofocuses on my camera. Indeed on a tripod the sharpness acceptable. I was hiking with someone who uses the 400mm with an extender. His results were terrific on the 40D. He was well practiced on holding the lens steady and didn't suffer from the lack of IS. He manually focused and used the focus acquired light to confirm his skills. The birds were all sitting, none in flight. For straight bird photography and not investing in the much more expensive lenses, I think that the 400mm would be my choice. I choose the 100-400 for versitility, and that was with a film camera.</p>

<p>I'm with Dan's methods, except that I use the sensor pen in the mix as well. I've pretty much given up hope of ever having a quick blow do the trick, but it seems a good idea to use the blub blower to at least get the most likely to scratch stuff off the sensor first. At least your two cameras are supposed to have a place for the dust to get stuck when it falls off the sensor. <br>

Someone reported that the new mechanism that support the sensors in your cameras, because they vibrate are very expensive to replace as the cut off filter can't be replaced independently. Further he said that they may be less robust in withstanding pressure in cleaning as the mounts are necessarily made to move. I suggest light pressure in the wet method and the lens pen until others can report their experiences.</p>

<p>I suggest that both you and your son go to <a href="http://www.birdsasart.com">www.birdsasart.com</a> by Art Morris and look at the many photos in his bulletins he has taken recently with the 50D. for all the complaining about the camera by people who don't seem to use it, he really likes it and uses it. The sharpness of the photos is quite something.</p>

<p>For sports and capturing the zenith of a moment the shutterlag can be important. The 5II has a shutter lag significantly longer than a series 1 body. 73ms vs. 40 to 55ms with my obsolete (not) 1D MkII. The blackout time is also much longer. Getting the moment with the first shot is a matter of timing and practice. A responsive shutter helps.</p>

<p>Spencer, <br>

You can't do better than get NK Guy to help you with speedlight answer. I should leave it alone, but I won't. E-TTL II came out from Canon before the 580EX was introduced. I believe it was first out with the 1DmkII and it was to work with the 550EX. Note that NK Guy says that the 550 doesn't recognize all 9 points on the 5D MkII. To me that means that if you want focus assistance from the flash you need to use the center point. Personally, I have a 580II and the 550s and since my camera doesn't have controls for the flash, I find either type to be close enough to be equal to not matter. Indeed, the controls on the 550 are less trouble for me than the 580II buttons. I like the selectors for slave/master and energy save. You'll have to get advice from others on how well the 5D controls for the 580II work. </p>