john_jovic

Apples and Oranges. Other than price and the Canon logo on the front, these camera are completely different. Decide what you want to do then look for the camera to suit.

JJ

I might be imagining it, but I think my 70-200 IS is performing a bit

worse than it used to. I think it's not as sharp, particularly wide

open, as it used to be. Has anyone had a lenses performance change

over time and is this something that Canon can repair or recalibrate.

It's not a focus issue because I've noticed it on a couple of

different bodies.

TIA

JJ

Fantastic lens (and I'm fussy), but save your money and give the collar a miss. As others have mentioned the lens is light and does not strain the camera when mounted on a tripod. You will love this lens.

JJ

I use the 1ds2 at such long exposures and there is no issue with noise.

JJ

My local PD70X supplier has stopped doing so (suppling them that is) as he claims he was having too many problems with them. I am not confusing the PD7X and PD70X. The PD7X had voltage regulation problems which the PD70X was supposed to have (and may have) fixed. I don't know of any particular problem with them so am curious about peoples experiences with the PD70X.

JJ

Claude, this has been covered many times, please do a search and I'm sure you'll find much info.

I love the R8, although I have had trouble with it too (depth of field lever, but it has been repaired).

It is a great camera to use especially where accurate focusing is essentiial, eg when using lenses wide open. The so called spot meter is a little too wide but you get used to it. One of the cameras greatest benefits, and one which seems rarely mentioned, is the silky smooth shutter release which allows you to hand hold at lower speeds.

Regards

JJ

In reverse order. Leica R lenses have far higher resolution than an 8MP camera. Some of the images I've shot on a 1dsmk2 are close to the full resolution of a top R lens but I still think you would get bit more out of Velvia 50.

I think scanning is a poor option for several reasons but mainly because of the time it would take. Digital, even at it's worst, is still much better than any iso 400/800 film so digital still has some inherent benefits for low light work. Although film has its own inherent benefits too so if you are after the character of a specific film then scanning it may be the best option for you.

I use a 10D, 20D and 1dsMk2. There is absolutely no point using the R lenses on the 20D because in my experience it is almost impossible to focus it accurately. I have tried and failed. I have also tried to have my 20D recalibrated to suit the R lenses but was told buy the top local Canon authorised repairer in Melbourne (but not Canon themselves) that this can not be done because of hardware/software interactions between the lenses. Basically you can only recalibrate a Canon camera to suit another Canon lens.

I've used Leica lenses on a 1dsMk2 where they excell because of the combination of accurate viewfinder and high image quality, but forget it on the 10/20D. As an example, when I focus my R 180/2.0 on the 20D at a distance of about 20 metres it is out of focus by about 5 metres! When I use my R 35/1.4 on the 20D at about 10 metres it is out of focus by about 1 to 2 metres.

Regards

JJ

The R4 is a fantastic camera, once the focusing screen is updated. It has larger viefinder magnification than the later R bodies so it's even easier to focus.

JJ

Why are you obsessed with using tungsten or hmi when flash is the better option (hands down)? A 650 tungsten is very weak compared to most pro flash units. Presumably you will need soft light so even if you do choose a flash you will need something quite powerfull to be able to use a soft box or similar to get f16/400iso. A large softbox needs about 1000-1500 W/s to get f8-11 at 100iso at about 3m.

I'm not sure I would buy ARRI in any case. I use a studio which has ARRI's in a variety of wattages and there always seems to be something wrong with at least one of them (3 of them yesterday). I shoot cars so long exposures are an option, not so with fassion.

JJ

Call me crazy but I think FF on the 1dsmk2 has a slightly larger frame than the EOSiv. I have both and found I could use a normal HOYA polariser (ie not the slim version), with no vignetting at 24 (on the 24-70/2.8L). However, if I use the same filter with the idsmk2 I get vignetting at 24! I therefore use a B+W slim polariser, problem gone.

JJ

Yes, I'm cruel. I love giving these to amatuers to fold for me. About 1 in 10 does it first time.

JJ

Don't worry about the film counter because it can easilly be "clocked" by heavy use. Consider the condition of the body, marks, scratches, particularly along the film path as an indicator of very heavy use. In any case, they are designed for heavy use.

JJ

Have any of you (arguing against chimping and the LCD screen) actually used a DSLR camera? Do you realise that you need to bracket, just like you were using E6. Hand held light meters have relatively little use in this digital world. The histogram is everything, not to mention the blowout indication. How are you going to see these without your LCD. Who are you going to blame when your poorly exposed images can't be resurrected on the computer, instead of getting it right in the first place? I know, you meant to expose it that way.

Abhorrent "chimping", in your high and mighty view, might in reality be an experienced or professional photog checking exposure, flash balance or composition (it looks different in 2D).

I chimp flat out. Maybe I'll get a T shirt printed.

JJ

Whats the appeal of the MP? Doesn't the shutter speed dial work in the opposite direction to other M's, ie. the same as R's. That's the appeal for me.

JJ

Good God, as a full time car photographer (editorial) I'm actually qualified to answer this !

Use a tripod, always. Oops, one exception, when you're using a monopod.

Shoot interiors in open shade, for even light. Use the appropriate colour correcting filters to remove the blue colour cast, approx 81B for overcast days, up to 81EF/85C for open shade on cloudless days. Use a bit of fill flash for some of these shots, it helps.

If you shoot the exteriors at sunset (ie after the sun has set) try using a 81EF/85C to correct for the blue colour cast (or go digital and forget all about it).

Use a slow film, grain is your enemy because it ruins tonal gradation. Tonal gradation is what you get with medium format or large format. It's the smooth transition in tonal values which shows the subtleties of the cars shape.

Use whatever film type you need, E6 for reproduction, C41 for prints.

Shoot at your lenses optimum aperture but try to get plenty of depth of field for the front 3/4, ie f8 or f11 should do. The rear of the car being out of focus can be distracting unless it is obvious you are intentionally using minimal depth of field, which works well with "dead on" front and rear shots.

I tend to use medium format (or equivalent, 1dsmk2) but a standard to slightly long lens, (eg 50-80mm on 35mm) renders a fairly natural perspective. Of course you can go much longer and compress perspective or go much wider and distort the car somewhat, that's up to you.

Often helps to shoot from low to the ground, adds drama. I've built a special tripod for this purpose, it holds a camera about 4 or 5 inches above ground level.

Car photography is a bit like real estate, it's all about "location, location, location". Try to find one which suits the character of the car. Rough and tough for a mean machine, something sleek and modern for a modern car, maybe a scenic country location for a classic, you get my drift. Use your imagination.

Cars are big curvy mirrors, especially dark cars. Photographing a dark car is a bit like photographing a shiny chrome kettle in the nude (did you get that email?) people are going to see bits you don?t want them to.

Still on the subject of locations, pick one which suits the colour of the car. They reflect everything around them, trees, power poles, overhead wires, parked cars, including yours. Dark cars often need a location which is open, at least on the side which reflects in the car, so that you don?t have distracting reflections in the side of the car. White, silver, and light coloured cars are virtually non reflective and allow you much greater freedom in location selection. It helps to use a polarizing filter to control the reflections in the car, including windscreen.

Even if you get all of the above right, if you don't find the right location AND have the appropriate weather then you might as well have stayed at home.

JJ

Has anyone contemplated that the lighting is very simple and that the image was dodged whilst printing, ie a wet image? The tone, although impossible to judge on a computer screen, looks like selenium and sepia split toning. Looks like a wet print to me, if not, good photoshop job. Just like they used to do in the olden days...

JJ

Sorry but this seems silly to me. Leica is Leica, regardless of which body you use it on. Makes no sense to change this Forum.

Anyway, that forum exists already, in Fredmiramda.

JJ

I agree about the 100/2.8 macro. Talk about bang for your buck.

JJ

This is really one of the hidden costs of such a camera, the computer you need to drive it being another, but there are more. This is one of the reasons I tend to use my 20D where I can rather than the 1dsm2.

I buy a 250G drive every couple of months and dump all my finished jobs onto it. I use removable drive trays rather than opening the box and installing a disk every time. I don't really intend keeping them much longer than a year so I'm not too concerned with permanence. The only thing I care about is that I have a backup before a job is published/used so I keep a copy of the RAW files on a second external drive as well but delete this RAW file copy as soon as a job is published/used.

JJ

Leszek, yes they under expose by 2/3rd stop. I have two and they are identical.

JJ

I have a 20D and 1dsmk2. I won't be upgrading when there's a 1dsmk3 or an upgrade to the 20d (unless it's still 8mp and with a better viewfinder).

Basically you can have too many pixels and when you (I mean me) need to process 500 to 1500 images at a time the size of each image is very important in terms of the time it takes to get the job done and how much disk space it takes to store it. I use my 1ds2 minimally because of the large file size, I use it were it is needed only. I use the 20D heaps because 8mp is an excellent size for about 95% of the work I do. I bigger sensor is not always an advantage.

JJ

Yes, I agree, it's a silly thought.

JJ

The R 80/1.4 is definitely one of the best leica lenses, even though it is an old design, although it is not perfect. The Canon EF 85/1.2 is sharper at f1.2 than the R 80/1.4 is at f1.4. None the less, the R is already razor sharp at f2.0, and if you really need f1.4 then it is quite good in the centre though quite soft at the edges, you just have to compose carefully.

I use this lens to shoot cars, which I do for a living, and I have yet to find a lens which renders tonal gradation better than this lens. This lens is amazingly sharp at middle apatures where it beautifully renders subtle tonal variations. No Japanese lens can compare in this respect.

For wide open performance, buy the Canon EF 85/1.2, for optimum pictorial qualities at f2.0 or smaller than buy the Leica R 80/1.4, forget the Contax 85/1.4, which really does not excell in either area.

I've owned all these lenses but kept only the Leica.

JJ

If you need 1/250th flash sync, 10 frame per second and 100% viewfinder coverage then it is worth it, otherwise no. I need(ed) all three of the above so I have a couple of 1v's.

JJ

Hard question because almost any lens can be used to get an interesting portrait by exploiting the particular quality a lens offers. If I had to pick one, I'd probably pick the Canon EF 85/1.2 with the intention of using it wide open on a FF body.

When I was using Leica for work I used to use the APO R 180/2.0 exclusively wide open for tight head shots, stunning images, virtually no depth of field yet razor sharp on the focus plane. Also used the 80/1.4 for wider shots but usually at f2.0 where its image quality was extremely good. Jumped ship and using EOS now but I still have all the leica gear and some REOS adapters.

JJ