gil_batzri

I am a Canon shooter, but I have both a 550ex and Qflash X, (The 550 being similar to the top of the line shoe-mount from Nikon (SB-80?) The Qflash is a MUCH better flash the Automode is much more accurate then the TTL (on my 1D/550 anyway) You can modify the light (softbox, a quantum enhancer, barebulb, or shoot into an umbrella) It is a much more versitile setup, and out of the box the dish, makes nicer light then a shoe-mount flash.

 

The Quantum, or it's cheaper brother the Sunpak 120J are much nice (albeit heavier) lights then the shoe-mounts.

 

Gil

The PW will fire every time your camera does, The problem is usually your strobe not being able to keep up. unless you mean one shot triggering multiple pops, which is a function you can setup with a Multimax.

 

Check the pocketwizard site, they have a guide. You might also check the sportsshooter.com newsletter there have been a couple of stories recently there about advanced pocketwizard usage.

 

good luck,

gil

No it doesn't. None of Canon's proprietary flashes do. That is more a feature you will find in Monolights then on camera type/shoe mount flashes.

 

The canon strobes can be fired remotely (the 550 at least) using an IR trigger from another 550 on camera or Canon's shoe-mount remote IR trigger device. Otherwise you need to get a sync to hotshoe adapter, then you can fire it with a sync or pocketwizard or other radio or optical device.

(much later But...)

 

Have you looked at a USED 10D or D60? I don't know what you shoot, but if you are at all agressive with a rebel it will fall apart. It is designed as a hobby camera, and can not take the abuse that any of the nicer bodies can due to the case/substructure. I know the imager is the same, but the additional cash gets you the quick dial on the back (which is more user friendly then the button solution on the Rebel) as well as the additional CFs/PFs and focus and exposure control, plus a hair more speed on the motor drive.

 

If you are using the camera everyday I would REALLY recommend one of the "Black" D-SLRs from Canon, get one used if the money is a pinch. The money you save on a Rebel will be gone when it starts to fall apart.

I am thinking about swapping a D30 body for a Kodak DCS 520. I have

heard from a few that the shutter delay is better then a D30 and the

AF is a hair better as well. My main body is 1D and I find switching

back and forth for sports (main money maker) is difficult to

impossible because the D30 is so much slower.

 

What I am looking for is someone within an hour or so of Oakland/SF

that has a DCS520 that I can come over and shoot a few frames with,

to physically get a feel for how the body reacts. If you are looking

to sell it or maybe trade it for the D30 even better, but that is

not really what I am after at this point.

 

Any help would be muchly appreciated.

 

Samples of my work can be seen @

http://www.sportsshooter.com/thegrinchd

 

Thanks!

Gil Batzri

I have a new (2 mo) Canon 1D body, a drop of water got on the sensor

and has dried. This is leaving several "blotches" on the images.

There are all in the same spot and are the same regardless of focus

or lens.

 

Do you all have any thoughts? Should I take it/send it to CPS or

someone? I can't really afford to be without the body for more then

a day or two.

 

I have attached a pic<div></div>

I can't speak to image quality vs film, but comparing the 1D to 10D/D60 etc is no contest. The sensor is bigger, and takes more detailed pics, and the additional features that come with the 1 series bodies make the 10D/D60 look like toys.

 

The AF and Speed were the reasons I upgraded..

 

As far as Storage I bought a 40x Lexar 1GB CF card with the 1D and it flys, plus you don't need to baby it as much as a microdrive (the increased speed could be a factor of the 1D however, I haven't tested it in my D30 (it is gathering dust).

Bodies: 1D and 1Ds

 

Lenses: 16-35 2.8L, 24-70 2.8L, 70-200 2.8L, 14 2.8L, 50 1.4,

 

1.4 & 2x "L" TCs

 

If it was big enough, I would add a 400 5.6L and if it was REALLY big enough a 400 2.8L & 300 2.8L and maybe a second 1D.

 

I shoot sports. Sports rule.

Do you think I could rent one? I need to shoot the A's game, and I can't leave the house that day. With a TC I could shoot from 7 miles away, right?

Oh and get a 550EX. It rules.

No you can't. Not with the flash mounted on the hot shoe. You can using a flash in manual mode and a PC cord.

 

It is a camera limitation. a 1D can sync to 1/500.

You can't.

 

The only way to shoot faster then 1/200 with a d60 is to disconnect the flash from the hot shoe, set it manually, and use the PC terminal to trigger it. The camera is limited to a max 1/200 speed when it detects the flash. The 1D can go up to 1/500.

 

The camera will drop down to 1/200 in any setting when it detects the speedlight.

 

That is my understanding. (and my experience with a D30)

 

If I am wrong, please let me know!

 

Gil

That strikes me as foolishness to an extent. a 50mm lens is presumed to have a certain field of view, created by the geometry of the focal length and a 35mm frame. The fact that D-SLRs are not up to "35mm Spec" as it were has nothing to do with the nomenclature of lenses. The camera bodies are what is in flux now, They are moving towards fitting the 35mm spec. to change the nomenclature of the lenses etc is not the answer. In 5 years, a 50mm lens will behave "like a 50mm lens" does once again. (It already does with the Kodak 14c, or whatever it is and 1Ds bodies)

I have a couple observations from shooting high school sports with a D30 and a small range of lenses.

 

If you are in a "standard" high school gym 2.8 is not going to do the job in terms of giving you enough light. The only lens I have found that I can work with out a strobe with for hoops is the 50/1.4 I would really recommend you rent a 70-200 2.8l and see if you can shoot with it without a strobe. It is an expensive and frustrating lesson to drop a grand plus, and still not have the light. As to short zooms. I have a Tokina 28-70 2.6-2.8 ATX Pro. It has a similar feel build quality-wise to the Canon L Equivalent, it is not as good optically, but you can get your hands on it for ~300 at the big auction site. I bought one and it is a good lens for 1/3 the cost of the L, the only drawback aside from optics is the minimum focus distance is something like 3 feet.

 

I think you might want to rent a range of lenses (one or two at a time) and see what will work for your situation. High school gyms can be VERY rough to shoot in.

 

I don't know if the 10D suffers from the same problems with AF the D30 does, but in low light situations the D30 tends to "hunt" when you get bigger apertures this lessens. The AF uses contrast to derive focus.

 

I wouldn't really recommend pushing ISO past 800, the pics tend to get ugly.

 

I have a PS filter from Camera bits called Quantum Mechanic Pro that minizes "ISO Noise" you might check into.

 

I have bought all of my lenses used, and that avoids the DOA, problem I have read about in alot of reviews. KEH.com has very nice folks there, and the big auction site has a ton of stuff. I am 6 for 6 in not getting malfunctioning equipment.

 

Drop me a line if you have any question you think I might be helpful with.

 

Gil

I have used Canon TC and I have used Kenko Pro 300 TCs, The problems I have observed are focus related in terms of the quality. The Canon gives a better shot more of the time, in terms of crisp fine focus. The Kenko even though the camera "snaps" the AF, is not in the same zip code as the Canon.

 

(My observations are entirely subjective)

Using a D30

Canon 2xTC + 70-200 2.8L

and

Kenko Teleplus 300 Pro 2x + 80-200 2.8L

 

additionally, I find the 70-200 to be a hair "softer" then the 80-200 with no TC, which is why I bought that (plus it is a hair cheaper)

 

I think you will lose AF with the f/4 with anything longer then the 1.4. and DEFINITELY get the Canon L TC if you can.

 

The Kenko Teleplus 300 Pro 2x AND 3x with AF with the 80-200 2.8L, but the lens motors can not deal with the increase in precision the 3x requires to artfully deal with AF.<div></div>

I have the Tokina 28-70 ATX Pro f/2.6-2.8 and I like it alot, it is a bit heavy, but the focus is good as is the quality. It suffers from flare a bit (I haven't gotten the hood yet) I have used it for a variety of subjects, from casual to portrait type photography. I find it is a good all-around lens for short work. With out the huge cost of Canon "L" glass. It can be gotten for $300 or less. I use it with a Canon D30. It beats the pants off the Canon you have(I have one of those, it was a starter lens) The extra aperture is great, and the focus is better IMHO (at least with the shoddy D30 AF) The only drawback is the minimum distance is something like 24" or 36".

 

A great lens.

I am using a Lexar 16x 512MB Pro card with a D30 and it is fabulous, I think that the pricing on 1GB CF vs MD has come down enough to buy CF.

 

As to the person who mentioned the 1D vs D60/10D speed question. The 1D files are smaller then d60 or 10D files because the camera shoots at 4.1MP not 6, The buffer will handle this in any case. I don't think there would be a noticible difference from the user perspective.

This is not worth much but look for a used one on ebay or other sites. I am (when I get to it) going to keep my charger from my D30 and sell the new single charger with the D30.

 

Do a search on ebay for "bp-511 charger" here are a ton of single chargers for $30 or less, you could just get one of these, that would allow you to "dual charge" I didn't see any dual battery models. but $30 is cheap enough to just get one and use it and the Canon.

 

I don't know if you are aware of this, but the Canon dual charger only charges one cell at a time, it charges the first one inserted then moves to the second when the first is full, so if you are looking for a quick charge solution, it may in fact be faster to have two single chargers.

 

gil

<P>I don't have a lot of experience with this sort of rig, (I have a single 550EX at the moment) but I was working a hoops game with a fellow PJ (he was shooting Nikon, but the example works) He had three speedlights, 1 on camera and the other two on clamps on the edge of the bleachers (something like this)</P>

<PRE>

(photog)

(o) (o)

</PRE>

<P>He was setup under the hoop with a 50mm prime, the two remotes were about 25' off of him mounted about 10' off the floor pointing inwards at him. </P>

<P>

I am not sure on the power of 420 vs the 550, I would look at a setup with three 550EX's or maybe 540s. My only experience with a 420 was a rental that went wrong and caused me to purchase the 550. The gist was it was WOEFULLY underpowered for what I was doing (Prep football under crummy highschool lights). You can rent the 550s for $15-20/day around the SF area, and Friday-Monday is one day.</P>

 

<P>I would try renting two 540s or 550s and the clamps then test it out. The shots my cohort got were very nicely lit from all sides. I think you would need two evenly powered speedlights to pull it off as I saw it.</P>

 

<P>I would kind of stay away from mounting stuff on the baskets, the risks to the equipment and the kids are a bit too high, and the refs have a way of getting upset with equipment in the field of play.</P>

 

<P>He had no problems with delay (once he got everything synched and talking correctly) nor should you, this system will work like it was wired if it is lined up correctly, otherwise it won't fire, it will never fire late (there should be no "propagation delay" as the principle is similar to a remote control in your living room)</P>

 

gil

Bert,

 

I shoot a fair amount of Prep sports with a D30 and suffer from the 3FPS problem also, I have gotten better results getting used to the shutter delay and taking 1 shot of a given action (compensating for delay with my finger), then if I "drop the hammer" and fire off 6 shots at a clip. This particularly is true with baseball and other "split second shot" sports. (This takes some getting used to, but getting bat on ball is a MUCH more likely shot at one exposure for me then three) The only time I use the motor drive is when I am shooting a developing play (football or hoops generally) because the AI/Auto focus on the D30 is shoddy, I can usually get one or two shots that are good enough, whereas if I shoot just the one I want, it frequently isn't in focus enough.

 

In conclusion, I think you might be better served honing your skills on the one shot "money shot" then snapping away, plus you will save some time on the back end (picking the good shot) and you will save on storage.

 

I used to shoot 2-300 shots at a game, then I ditched the "hold down the shutter" philosophy and I shoot 70-100 a game, but get better results. I am not trying to tell you your business, but just recommending you give it a shot, you may find yourself happier at the end of the shoot, and you may have some more free time, which is always a plus.

 

(Because in the end we all need that 1D and the 8FPS don't we?)

 

Gil

It seems to me. Judging from what my camera (D30) reports as far as the extended data and other "impressions" that the camera firmware is not "aware" of the Focal Multiplier. It thinks it is shooting a 300mm shot when using a 300mm lens. The firmware is not that well designed unfortunately. I may give the manual/auto with my 550EX a try, but I wouldn't hold my breath on my doing it. I think if they built in compensation for it, the numbers reported would be modified and secondly, I think Canon would crow about it in their documentation.

 

Gil

On the rumored D60s Let it have the 1D AF system.

I think it was disgraceful that they "upgraded" the D30 and kept the garbage AF (as a person who has a D30). I would seriously consider purchasing that body instead of the 1D if the AF were equal.

 

On Optic Nerves, William Gibson has a very interesting scheme in his Neuromancer series of books, he proposed implanted "eye" lenses that somehow recorded what the person saw, He had gone as far as branding them as in "She had Carl Ziess Mk4 Eyes" and when actors(tresses) were lost in the filming process great care was taken to get the "eyes" from the body. Fascinating stuff.

 

Gil

Hi Mike,

 

I am shooting Prep sports with a D30 and various lenses. you might look at getting a 80-200 2.8L AFD Lens, I just got one for a decent price. They can be had for $500 or so. HOWEVER, I think you would be better off spending money on a 550EX flash for shooting in the gym. I have found that actually shooting in highschool gyms, even 2.8 isn't large enough to shoot without lighting aid of some sort (same problems on the fields at schools) Unless your gym is very well lit.

 

I know the money aspect is really tough, have you talked to Canon directly about a grant or something?

 

feel free to email me if you want to talk aside from this forum.

 

Gil

As a practiced Ebay'er The scams on these camera bodies are RAMPENT, However if you are seriously looking for a 1D, there seems to have been a serious price drop on them somehow, I have seen multiple new bodies on Ebay with BINs of $1800-2000, from vendors with real feedback that look like the real deal. The b-side of this is that the same person bought two from different vendors, and at least one of the listings was delisted, so maybe this isn't quite for real.

 

I have bought lenses, bodies and other high ticket items on ebay, you can do it, you just need to be aware of what the scams are and how to avoid them, also Ebay has gotten much better about removing fraudulent items quickly.

Having a D30, I have several gripes and desires in the prosumer line(and no budget for a 1D)<BR><BR>

 

Better AF<BR>

Better AF<BR>

Better AF<BR><BR>

 

I use mine for sports primarily, so my only other complaint is the "Motor Drive" I would like to see 8FPS up from 3.5.

 

I actually like the focus multiplier (more lens reach for the buck).

 

The B-side of all this is I have seen 1D bodies new on ebay for as little as $1800(!) so I think Canon is about to add something to the line in the way of replacing that camera, but as I see it now the 1D is much better for that money then a D60 (resolution aside, the AF and other features are MUCH nicer, plus Firewire beats USB)

<BR>

just my 2 pennies,