david_boily

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If you can afford the IS, get the IS. I have the non-IS version and is does a great job for me.

I must agree with others, why the 135mm f2? If hiking is your thing and weight is an issue, get a 17-85mm and save yourself the worries. The 135 is a great portrait lens on 35mm and a great concert lens on a 20D, but where does a low light (NO DEPTH OF FIELD) lens come in handy when hiking? When hiking, you either need uber wide for scenics (16-35), lots of reach for animals (get the 400) or macro for flowers and bugs.

 

So I guess I'd say sell (don't trade) the 50mm macro, 28-70 and 70-200 and get either a 400 or even the 100-400mm IS.

Michael,

 

Both the Canon and Nikon big primes have a provision for a camera trap in case you want to carry the lens over your shoulder (not on a monopod) The sigma does not have this option, meaning that if you want to carry the camera/lens over your shoulder on a shoulder strap, you will have to use the Camera's strap, which in turn means that the lens will be dangling from the camera and there will be more strain on the lens mount. This also makes the lenns a bitch to carry if you decide to remove it from the camera.

 

This make more sense?

I have handled the lens and seen the results. It is a good lens for the price, and the 120-300 range is great. Having said that, I have witnessed many people saying that they had to return theirs 2 or 3 times to Sigma for adjustments. There are some lemons out there, so make sure you test your extensively if you do get it. The zoom ring is a little stiff for me, but it is still better than no zoom at all. Focus is a little slower than a prime and build quality and is a little less sharp (but not much). One thing that I didn't like was the fact that the tripod ring has no provisions for a strap, which means all the strain will be on the camera. You can buy an after market collar that is bigger, but then again the lens is smaller than a Canon 300.

 

The people I know who have it, swear by it. Just don't expect the quality of a Canon or nikon lens.

that's what I thought. For the sake of anyone that might ask the same question in the future, here is Canon's resonse to the same question:

 

When an ML series Speedlite set in the TTL or ATTL autoflash mode is

mounted on the EOS 10D or EOS-1D, the flash will not fire. The manual

flash mode must be used (with Speedlites having a manual mode). You

must set the camera's shutter speed to the maximum flash synchro shutter

speed or slower, and set the aperture to a value appropriate to the

flash's guide number and the distance to the subject. You are

recommended to set the white balance to Flash to shoot.

 

 

If the Canon flashes don't work in TTL, then I doubt the Vivitar 6000AF will. I'll try and let you know.

Thanks Bob,

 

So I guess the MR-14EX is the only Macro flash that will work with the 10D. I have a 1D, any chance that would work in TTL?

I need to buy a macro flash for a job and don't know which to buy or

even if they work in TTL with a 10D. Does anyone out there use any

of these model ring lights with a 10D? If so, do they work well?

 

I like the apparent power of the Vivitar, but the compactness of the

Canon.

 

Thanks for any insight.

2

You can either buy an Off-Shoe cord 2, but that will give you very limited range. Or you can use another 550EX or the ST-E2 wireless tranmitter to trigger the flash. This is the setup I use. You'll obviously need a special bracket that holds a flash and an umbrella.

 

Otherwise I recommend buying an old Vivitar 285 or 283 flash. These can be triggered with a PC cord.

 

good luck.

 

Dave

Well thanks everyone for your responses, I feel that my lens is probably within tolerances (-1 to 0.75 Wk/mm).

 

For those who are curious, the wonkometer and the wonky scale were invented by German watch maker, Baron Dieter Von Wonkburg. Although his watches were some of the most beautiful timepieces made in the 18th century, the couldn't tell time for S$%t. Apparently Baron Von Wonkburg suffered from arthritis and as a result he had trouble tightening the screws of his watches. Well, within a short period of time, the mechanism inside would loosen and stop working, sometimes coming apart all together. As a result people began reffering to anything loose of out of adjustment as "Wonky". I

 

OK I made all that up, but damn if you didn't get right away what I meant by is your 28-135 wonky!

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

Thanks Bob,

 

Actually, I measured the movement on my lens and it is closer to 1mm on the Wonkometer.

I just bought one of these lenses used from the net and although I

had read that the build quality is not like L lenses, I'm still

surprised at the movement in the front element. Just how much

movement should there be? I'm thinking of taking it to Canon.

Paper does not penetrate mine. I suggest you dunk your camera in a bucket of water and see if any air bubbles come up.. uh.. never mind, that's how to find a leak in a flat tire. My bad.

Oistein,

 

I had the exact same result when I converted my RAW files with Photoshop CS. Noise was worse when I played with the "shadows" slider. Try using the Canon software, I almost guarentee better results. Or at the very least don't bring up the shadows as much.

 

Let me know if it helps, id did for me.

 

Dave

Matt,

 

I'm glad you like my advice. Here's one more bit. Watch what you say on these boards. How long do you think it will take before Googling "Matt Pierce Wedding Photography" hits upon this thread? You'd be surprised to know how many of today's brides look you up on the net. I've had people complement me on some of my work that they've found on the net that I never knew was there (Yes Threads).

 

You could feasibly lose business based solely on what has been said so far... Seriously!

Matt,

 

It seems like you want to venture into Weddings but only the way YOU want. Sure the PJ approach to us is appealing, but if you want to get clients you will have to offer some sort of compromise. I have always offered a PJ package (ie all candids, no formals, B&W yadayadayada) and although people always say "Awesome, that's what we want" it is always followed by "But I'll need pictures with my family....and OH with my sister and her family...and a few in color because you know, my brides maids dresses are a really beautiful shade of pink." Basically they want some formals. I'm not knocking what brides want, I'm just saying that you need to me flexible to get the clients until you build a name as a purely PJ shooter.

 

That being said, EOS. The harsh reality of Weddings is that you don't have time to be winding film by hand while the B&G are exchanging vows or kissing. No flash is a romantic idea, but I have shot weddings that no flash meant No Pictures (Church, reception, hell, even formals). I encounter some of the worse backlighting problems ever at weddings and many times the only way out is overpowering it with a flash. Try to explain to a bride that the reason you don't have a decent picture of "the kiss" is because you didn't have a flash. Shooting wide open is fun for some shots, but don't forget that there are 2 main subjects that must often be in most shots (B&G) and shooting at f1.4 makes this very difficult.

 

If you are really doing this to put food on the table, you need to consier a 2nd body a 24-70 f2.8 zoom and a 70-200 f2.8 zoom and a pair of 550EX flashes (on a bracket). That covers just about everything you encounter during a wedding. As you get experience and build a reputation, you can be more selective in your clients, but until then, you need to get the gear that will produce beautiful pictures in any conditions and fast.

 

Now having said all that, I wish I could shoot an entire wedding with an M6 and a bunch of primes and a pile of B&W.

 

Good luck.

Urinal-ot of trouble! Sorry.

Wow! thanks all for your input. Nothing like hearing it straight from the people who know. There is a shop near by that has an R2 and a couple of wide lenses. They are asking much too much money, but were quite willing to bargain in order to move this old stock. If I can scratch together enough cash, I might go back there with an offer.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

Disclaimer: I have searched photo.net as best I could and read

cameraquest.com from front to back.

 

After shooting for several years solely with digital, I am yearning

to get back to B&W film and handheld light meters. I like the

philosophy and advantages that a RF has to offer, so I was thinking

of starting with a Bessa R or R2 with a few VC lenses.

 

Pros: Cheap, has a light meter in a pinch, I like the 35/50/75/90

frame lines.

 

Cons: Build quality, resale value.

 

In an ideal world I would get an M2 or M3, but I want to start

shooting ASAP and will not have that kind of money any time soon. By

reading some of the posts here, it seems that many people have

started with Bessa and moved on to Leica before.

 

My questions are as follows:

 

Is the difference between the R & R2 (other than the screw vs. M

mount) worth the extra $100 or so that R2s are going for?

 

I am a fanatic for sharpness, but would really like the fastest

lenses possible. I've read that fast RF lenses aren't as sharp as

the slower ones. Any real world experience with this?

 

I also read that RF cameras can be handheld at 2 to 3 stops lower

than SLRs. Is this true according to your experience? Does the fact

that the Bessas have 2 curtains affect this?

 

Finally, anyone selling a reasonably priced Bessa R or R2?

 

My ultimate goal is to own the Bessa to make sure I would get the

most out of a Leica if I should choose to invest.

 

Thanks,

Ben,

 

You echo my thoughts exactly. It has been my experience that whenever you start negotiating with a pawn shop, they immediately revert back to their computer to see how much THEY paid for it. This would undoubtedly be way too much and they might have to take a loss to sell it. Something they probably won't do. On the other hand, what if they've had this camera for like 10 years and just want to move it? When I walked into the shop, I looked carefully at the display glass that was behind the counter and saw nothing of interest. I was tuning to leave, when I thought I saw the tip of a RF sized lens. The camera was at the back on the top shelf on it's back hidden by a few crappy SLRs. If this is how they are trying to sell it, then I wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't sold in years.

 

The flaking rubber doesn't really bother me because I'd replace it and have it look pretty good. I read this about the rubber "The vulcanite was replaced by a cheaper plastic material which in my experience does not wear as well."

 

I'm going to go down there and lay it out for them. Take it or leave it, what do I have to lose? they don't have to take my word for it, they are about 100 yards from one of the most reputable Leica dealers in Montreal who would easily say the same thing as me.

I think that they know that Leicas are worth alot of money, but I doubt they know that the M4-2 isn't highly regarded because of the cost cutting measures and the production move to Canada.

 

The next problem is that their price is outrageously high. I've seen M4-2's in good shape go for $530 on Ebay (they are asking $800), the 50/1.4 Summilux has recently sold for about $750 (they are asking $1,165) and the winder is barely fetching $100 but they are selling it for more than 3 times this.

 

Ideally, I would just make an offer on the body, but I doubt that they will want to split the set. According to my tally, that mans they are asking a total of $2,288 but I guauge the value at less than half that. That would be a tough negotiation!

 

I'm also taking a risk that the camera will need a serious tune-up. It does however NOT fall within the serial number range that was reputed for being lemons. (1468001-1482000) I assume that this camera would always be worth less because of the Vulcanite replacement/repair and therefore much less desirable to collectors.

Awesome products! I like the snake skins. I would definately re-cover the camera. However, I would assume that a Leica with a severely damaged or even replaced Vulcanite loses significant value. Any idea of a fair price for a 4 or 5 out of 10 M4-2?

 

Has anyone ever done this? How hard is it to do?

I'm not yet a leicaphile, but hope to be soon. I fell upon an M4-2

in a pawn shop today. After much research, I learned all about the

quirks of the M4-2 and would still like to buy this camera.

 

The camera seems in overall good condition mechanically, but is

missing a couple of chunks of rubber or leather (what is that

anyways?). My question is this: Can this be fixed and at what

cost? The asking price is Waaaaaay to high even for a mint M4-2.

From what I've seen, they go for about $530 in good condition. I'd

place this one in the Bargain condition, if not to say ugly.

 

Any comments on the lens that comes with it would also be welcome.

It had a Summilux 50mm f1.4. The Autiwinder too, but I don't want

that.

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

Hello all,

 

I need your help to locate distributors of Acerboni and/or Bulmark

albums in North-America, preferably Canada.

 

My local distributor DJM Albums of Montreal, is going through some

kind of mysterious restructuring which has caused them to close down

for 3 weeks. After that I don't even know if I will get the albums I

ordered months ago.

 

Can anyone give me the name and number of another distributor of

these albums or even any other wedding album distributor.

 

Thanks,

 

DB