jonathon

<p>I've got 2 Pro heads and a Profoto Ringflash which I would really like to use on a Hensel Porty out in the field and the Profoto packs in the studio. Is there a cable I can buy or have made to allow this? I am prepared to buy an Acute head if the Pro heads don't work with the Porty so I can keep all my modifiers. Doesn't matter if there is no modelling light support.</p>

<p>I read a post here<br>

http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Rb8B<br>

where Puppyface said<br>

"I have a 50D and 5D and although the 50D has nicer bells 'n whistles, the 5D spanks it badly in terms of IQ, especially at larger print sizes and high ISO. Plus, wide is really wide on the 5D, a real plus for landscapes."<br>

Do people who own both the 50d and 5Dmk1 feel the same way? And what is it aboutht eimage quality that's so much better, just high ISO noise?<br>

I would have thought they were quite similar given that the crop sensor only uses the sweet spot on a lens and the 50d has 3 year newer sensor technology in it.</p>

I wonder if anyone has done any tests with the models coming out over time and if they are changing much. I seem to remember the old 6mp Canon DSLRs blowing the whites a lot, but since the 20d time, I can't remember the dynamic range getting significantly wider since then?<br>

Maybe its just a limitation of the sensor technology and they need to do something innovative like Fuji did with its high sensitivity and low sensitivity receptors per cell.

I actually think (and you guys let me know if you disagree) that one of the traits I would love to see in

addition to the megapixel race is greater dynamic range from the sensor. The broader the number of stops a sensor

can deal with, the more I can do with the RAW file from just a single shot, rather than shooting a landscape (for

example) and then stitching light bits and dark bits together to make the final image. Or if I shoot a white

bridal dress with her beau in a black tux standing next to her in contrasty sunlight and trying to hold the

blacks from going blocky and whites from blowing.<br>

I thought the 5d mk2 might have made a significant leap forward in this regard but I'm not sure that the demo

photo shows that, maybe I'm being too wishful.

What do you guys think of the dynamic range in this sample photo?<br>

http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/photo.aspx?gallery=canoneos5dmkii_preview&photo=20<br>

Looking at the pants and the white of the wall/trees at the back.<br>

<br>

Also here are the high ISO images<br>

http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/photo.aspx?gallery=canoneos5dmkii_preview&photo=36<br>

just keep hitting next - up to 25600.

Hi Gerard, I would do B&H only they don't ship to hotels. So annoying!

I wanted to buy a couple of Avenger C Stands somewhere around Honolulu (I'll

have a rental car) and was wondering where people go to buy lighting gear on

the island? I know there are Ritz, but they don't seem to keep Avenger.

I've often wondered how a big sheet of plexiglass would hold up (not sure if its called that in the US).

Hi Stacy,<br>

if your models have good enough skin to be able to handle it, harsh (small) light sources create the best effects and allow you to be more creative. How many cool edgy campaigns in Harpers or Vogue were shot just with a large diffuse frontal source? Maybe only a makeup ad. Nadine is of course right on track as usual and it all depends on your environment. If light reflects off surfaces nearby you'll get much more flat lighting than outside. The Sunpak 120j (fleebay) is probably the cheapest, with the Lumedyne 200ws pack and head an excellent choice as well.<br>

Another option if you're inside is to use a reflector or snoot on the barebulb if you want to control spill, but then I guess its not that much different to using a 580ex at a distance with no diffusor.

The thing with the accessories is you only buy them once. Profoto has a great range of lights and has each area covered that I like (monos, packs, battery systems). The speedring has a clamp system unlike any other where the accessory locks right around the body of the light itself. This allows the accessory to be moved back and forward on the light to help focus.<p>

Why are Profoto nice? I'll have to say I think that their Compacts aren't really all that consistent in colour output, but as a whole there are lots of reasons<br>

i) every rental place uses them so they are easy to rent bits to supplement your own gear<br>

ii) the fact that every place rents them says a huge amount about their reliability (although I have heard the odd Acute go pop)<br>

iii) the recycle times are lightning quick<br>

iv) power output from each pop is very consistent<br>

v) big power modelling lights (not some 100w excuse)<br>

vi) easy to use controls - and amazingly precise control on the D4 packs<br>

vii) fast turnaround on repairs even for the sometimes problematic Acute with built in pocket wizard<br>

viii) everyone makes light modifiers for profoto so you don't have to buy their own. Even the companies who usually only make stuff for their own lights like Elinchrom will often make them for Profoto as well.<br>

ix) you can use the Pro heads on the D4, Pro 6&7 and 7B & B2 packs.<br>

x) they are black and look cool - you might think this is a joke, but if an art director shows up and you're shooting with Alien Bees, he's gonna be a lot harder to deal with. Bron and Profoto gives them confidence you know what you're doing!

Quick vote for the Integras. Mine have been great from day 1, consistent & easy to work with. I'd say two things about them though. First if you've ever used a profoto speed ring, anything else is flimsy. The Hensel attachment system isn't as good. Second if you're gonna use the lights a fair way out of reach, I'd buy the Pro Plus series with the on camera adjuster. It sits on your hotshoe, fires the strobes and allows you to adjust the power output right from the camera. Slick.

I had the Sigma, bought Tamron, tested them side by side and the Tamron was significantly better. More saturated, fast and more precise focus, and sharper from centre to edge at all apertures. The Sigma went on Ebay the next day, and got quite a good price due to the excellent photos taken by the Tamron :-)

Gene, gotta say I disagree with that as long as you don't need big power. The Hensel Integras we use as our low power easy transport options are very consistent shot to shot, recycle quite quick on lower power, 2 secs at full power. The Profoto Compact we've got is only marginally quicker, not quite as consistent shot to shot though. Either are under $1000 for a light, from memory about $1500 for a pair of either. If you need 2400ws though, you will definitely need to spend more unless you can find an old Calumet Traveller or maybe even an Elinchrom Classic 1500 or 3000 pack with a cheap head used.

the catch with the small hotshoe flashes is the light shaping options. I guess someone's made a softbox mount for a Vivitar 285 or other hotshoe, but it will really only act as a diffuser panel. I'm not sure there's really a beauty dish for Lumedynes or 285s, and obviously no real way to do ringflash. Light spill out of umbrellas can give unwanted effects and severly limit control. The Hensel, Elinchrom, Profoto, Bron, Visatec etc solutions have a full range of modifiers, which to me at least is critical. Secondly if you want to have other creative options such as overpowering the ambient sunlight, you need power. Do do that with a softbox needs even more power. So I think a few 120j's are a great starting point, but for the price of a new lumedyne system, there are other options you might like to consider.

Ed, you using gossen, bron or minolta?

He uses quite a few harsh light sources, but when you're working with models with great skin & makeup, they can support it. I do agree with the above though and emphasize that this is not a formula, but years of experience and a variety of techniques. I think the area that the camera/medium makes a difference is the way some will hold highlights better than others, plus the colour gradations if you're using PS heavily in post. I think you'd be amazed if you saw the out of camera shots and compared it to these. A lot of work has gone into them.

This is what is cached in Google from Shutterbug:

 

"Let me state right at the beginning of this piece that I am not an equipment freak. But like most photographers, I do get excited about gear that can help me do my job better or do something I couldn?t do before. That excitement is usually reserved for lenses--long, wide, fast, zoom, soft focus, etc. Some of the more mundane items in photography--tripods, light stands, posing stools, bags, and other hardware--are must have items, but our purchasing decision is usually based on size, weight, and other very practical parameters. There just isn?t much new that usually happens with this type of equipment.

 

Well, I?m here to tell you about a light stand that is one of those why didn?t anyone think of that before deals. It?s the ingenious Red Wing Quick Stand. What?s so different about it? When you pick it up, the legs collapse so you can move it easily. That?s not even the best part. When you set it down, presto, the legs spread back out. It takes some getting used to, because it seems like magic at first, but once you?re used to it, you get to like it real fast.

 

I tried using it in the studio and it?s good for picking up and placing on seamless and other backgrounds, but where it really shines is on location and outdoors. That?s because you can pick it up and set it down with one hand. You don?t need to set your camera down to free up both hands because you only need one. I had mine set up to hold a shoe mounted flash and umbrella. This works great for a second light at a wedding or to use as the main light when doing outdoor portraits. Slap on the radio control and you?re ready to shoot.

 

The stand is very lightweight and I found myself using it on location when I needed to bring my studio lights. For more information contact BKA (Brandess/Kalt/Aetna Group, Inc.), 701 Corporate Woods Pkwy., Vernon Hills, IL 60061; (847) 821-0450; or web site: www.BKAphoto.com."

Absolutely there is! I've got a GS1 and the SB28 is a great flash for that. I don't know whether the SQ series has a hotshoe or just a coldshoe connector on it, but if its cold you just need a cable. Mine is a hotshoe on the optional grip. If not you need a PC to PC cord (PC is the name of the plug), I just can't remember which genders you need. Check out http://www.paramountcords.com/Pockwiz.asp to figure it out with the photos they've got. The go to www.bhphotovideo.com and order it!

Hi C Jo,<br>

maybe you're just not thinking about this the right way. The first EOS ever released (the 650) had a sync of 1/125, so the 5D has improved that by about 50%! Of course until you compare the 5D to the 2nd EOS camera (the 620) which did 1/250 in which case we're going backwards over time. I'm sure I seem to remember that the 620 was a full frame camera too!<br>

The real reason is of course to try to get some additional differentiation from the 1ds series which is 1/250. Canon's specs aren't dictated any more by making the best camera for the price, but by the marketing strategy guys idea of not cannabalising other market segments and trying to increase your total spend.

I'll be passing through Hong Kong next week and was wondering what prices HKD

the Rebel XTi (400d) is and how much Sandisk 4gb Ultra and Extreme CF cards

are? Should I be going to Wing Shing and Man Shing for this sort of stuff?

Ok so everyone's on the high horse! Peter where did I say its important for Canon to hold the technological lead. Please point it out. And also where I said it makes me take better photos.<br>

Puppy, when I used a D100 against a 20D the gap was significant. Now using the D200 against the 30D I think the gap has closed and in this race, using the D200 for jobs, its a better camera than the 30D (your opinion may differ), nothing to do with mp. The 30d does have better high ISO performance though.<br>

So Bob that's what I'm asking, is Canon going to do a 40d crop sensor, or are we seeing the move to full frame with only the low end plastic bodies being crop?<br>

John, photography is about using a camera to capture an image. Why are you even here if cameras play no role?<br>

Sheldon I think with something like a 10-22mm lens, people will definitely consider a 1.6 crop over FF. It hasn't seemed to hurt Nikon...

So from reading the posts below with the new 370d/Xti, what is Canon thinking

is their new lineup gonna look like?</p>

i) top end 1ds Mk3 is a combination of high speed 1D and high res 1DS into one

single body, coming soonish<br>

ii) 5D has probably a year of life left in it<br>

iii) 30d now, but will there be something here at all (1.6 crop)?<br>

iv) new 370d</p>

Surely the tier iii for Canon is getting smashed in the sales race,

particularly once the 370d is in shops. One poster earlier said that Canon

possibly had the 10mp chip in the wings and with the new competitors coming

out, they had to pull it out of the lab and into the 370d which makes sense to

me. Its just that the 30d is high and dry, so it seems that Canon's technology

lead is evaporating, and even the 370d is only inline with Nikon's releases and

no longer ahead. So my question is does Canon continue the 1.6 crop tier iii at

all (even at 11mp to have more than 400d it will eat into 5d sales) or drop the

price of the 5d and have just 3 tiers total?

I went into to Shucat and Keeble today to buy a few more lightstands and

started to look at booms (I've wanted one for a while). The salesman (Al, the

friendliest guy I've ever met in there) said to use a C stand but when I look

at the specs they seem to hold less weight than a heavy lightstand. Check out

these two:<p>

<A href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?

O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=431142&is=REG&addedTroughType=search">Light

Stand</A></p>

 

<A href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?

O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=98092&is=REG&addedTroughType=search">C-

Stand</A></p>

 

Click on specs and you can see the lightstand can handle way heavier loads, you

don't seem to be able to get C stands from Matthews or Avenger with air

cushioning for this type of price, the feet of the lightstand seem to spread

further apart, so what is the advantage of a C-stand?

Thanks Frank, that was one of the threads I saw before posting that people had expressed their anxiety about this working smoothly. Many of the other included talk of the 2gb partition switch on the cards. I think it sounds like I should just go find a 4gb Extreme III. Does anyone else have any real life compatibility problems with their 4gb card in a digital EOS?

I remember reading in here a little while back that people were having issues

with 4gb CF cards either corrupting or not getting past half full. I've got a

20d, I rent the 5d or 1DS2 as required and my girlfriend has a Digital Rebel

XT. I wanted to grab a 4gb card but it needs to work perfectly in all these

bodies. I've had all good experiences with my Ultra II 2gbs and Lexar 80x, so

was thinking either a Lexar 133x or Sandisk Extreme mostly for durability. I've

read the Galbraith measurements and the ultimate speed doesn't do it for me,

just need it to be super reliable and no compatibility issues. Are there still

issues with some cards?