peter_rowe

Sorry I an bit late to the party but I would not give up on this lens yet. It is nice to have a full-frame lens of this reach that is so compact. I have 40" photos on my walls that are crystal sharp with beautiful color. The lens new is overpriced but you can pick up great deals on Fred Miranda for 1/2 the cost. This is a specialist lens though and there are certain things you need to do to get the best out of it, I think this article describes it best: EF 70-300 DO IS USM Tips and Tricks (Fovea)

>> Do you think difference is only about editing ? Oh yes, absolutely: http://www.optikvervelabs.com/peter/wall.jpg

<p>Hi JD,<br> Sorry I am late to the party. You did good on the dollar bill test but for one thing; you need to fill the viewfinder with the dollar bill. In other words, get as close as needed so that the dollar bill takes up most of the viewfinder (15 feet maybe?). Also, ISO 1600 is a bit high and has the potential to soften images so since you are on a tripod take the shot at ISO 100, f8, with mirror lockup and timer, put some descend light on it and post a 100% portion of the shot here without any post-processing (no resizing). This will show if there's a problem with your lens, it's highly unlikely believe it or not.</p>

<p>I have the Canon and it is a fine lens. Used as a straight up prime it is sharp while at extremes it is less so in the corners mostly, still a great lens though as it can do things no other lens can. Keep in mind it is a manual focus lens. Typically Tilt/Shift lens are used on a tripod using live view so they can be a bit tricky to use especially handheld. It is easier to use the shift feature than tilt as focus is easier. From what I have read over the years I'd say they gather dust for most people who have them as it really is a specialty lens and needs some time and effort to learn and use. 24mm still has quite the DOF so when tilted the focus drop off from the focal plane may not be as apparent as you expect (this surprised me a bit when I first got the lens years ago). I see some options at lensrentals.com if that is available to you maybe you could rent a T/S beforehand to see if the whole T/S portrait idea works for your needs. If you do plan a purchase then I'd head over to fredmiranda and get a used one.<br> Good luck</p>

<p>The "U" means the manufacturing site is "Utsunomiya", the "B" means the year is "2013". The "0323" is an internal Canon manufacturing code.<br> <a href="http://eflens.com/lens_articles/canon_lens_date_codes.html">http://eflens.com/lens_articles/canon_lens_date_codes.html</a></p>

<p>I also have the 100-400mm L IS MK 1, made in 2003 with a date code of "UR". Like yours it uses "I" and "o" for the IS ON and OFF symbols. Mine works but I have to say that it is oftentimes difficult to tell in the viewfinder if it is working or not. I can here it whirring and if I watch "real close" I can sometime see that it does smooth out jerky movement but only if it is randomly moving around in a certain way. I have surely 10 other lens with IS and all are very obvious when IS it turned on - there's an immediate "smoothness" to the image and a little lag when moved but with my 100-400mm it is very difficult to see. I actually often ask myself if it is working at all. I think that we would be lucky to get 1 stop out of it. You might try putting it on a solid tripod and engaging the IS - it should slowly, but very obviously, drift the image over few seconds.</p>

<p>I can't see any EXIF, are you using a flash? Her neck looks very lighted, is the ground acting as a reflector (or are you using one)? Maybe light is creeping in that way? You might be right about the petal hood and if so the question is where is the light coming from. I find that my hat usually takes care of any problems like this so if you shade the lens that way maybe both for top and bottom then you should be able to determine if it is a flare issue.</p>

<p>Yes, the ST-E2 can control two groups of slave flash units "A" and "B", you simply set each flash unit to “slave” and then either group “A” or “B”, the ST-E2 does not manage group “C”. Then the ST-E2 automatically manages both the flash output exposure of all flashes using ETTL and the ratio between the two slave flash unit groups A and B. For example, let's say you are taking a portrait shot with a main flash on one side of the subject and a fill flash on the other. Traditionally you might position the flashes at different distances from the subject with the main flash closer, or you might wind down the exposure manually on the fill> But with the ST-E2 you could set up one slave flash as group "A" on the left, and another slave flash "B" at the same distance on the right. Now you can adjust the flash ratio any way you like to control the main light and fill light, you can even switch which side the main and fill lights are on by just setting the ratio and without moving (or even approaching) the flashes themselves. It all works very well because ETTL is controlling the exposure while the ration is controlling the difference in light output between the slave flashes in the "A" group vs. the flashes in the "B" group.<br> That said, in my experience with Canon flash you need to understand clearly how it all works; how the different exposure modes work, how Av is fill for example but P is full. Best is “M” but you need to understand it. Likewise there are Custom Function settings such as “Flash sync speed in Av mode” (if you use that) which have a big impact. Custom Function settings such as “ETTL Flash Metering” which sets Evaluative or Average also have impact. Also the ISO and flash compensation mater a great deal. I find that once you figure it out then one set of settings tends to do really well in almost all situations. For example; ISO 400, at +2/3 Flash compensation with Flash Meter set to “Average” in M mode with a shutter at 1/60^th can consistently work great on one model of camera but will come out underexposed on another. I use the ST-E2 on a 20D, 5D II and 1D MK III and they all work differently but once I get it down for each one through experimentation then I am good to go and get very consistent results no matter which one I use because I have preferred settings for each. My advice would be that if you are having problems keep researching and keep at it.</p>

<p>Living in the Northwest U.S., I've tried a lot of different rain-proof options. I ultimately arrived at the conclusion that the simplest solution is best and now use the Rain Sleeves exclusively for a number of reasons:</p> <ol> <li>They really do keep everything completely dry</li> <li>You can <em>see</em> all of the controls on the lens</li> <li>You can <em>adjust</em> all the lens controls through the plastic</li> <li>A hole in the Rainsleeve fits over the camera eyepiece so there is no obstructed view</li> <li>They are a lot more robust that you would imagine - not easy to tear</li> <li>They are really in-expensive</li> <li>You get two in a package</li> </ol> <p>I just returned from a bald eagle shoot where it rained solid for 5 days. I had the OP/TECH Mega Rainsleeve for a Canon 600mm F4 II and 1D MKIII body and it all worked perfectly, everything was kept dry and this trip even involved rafting on a river. I also have a regular Rainsleeve for my 5D MK II and Canon 100-400mm IS, I recently used it on a boat trip in Hawaii to see the lava flow into the sea, it worked great even though there was so much steam we had to wait to see the lava through it in glimpses. I don't use a Rainsleeve with a flash and I see what you are saying about the OP/TECH flash option being 14". While I hate to point to someone other than OP/TECH since they are so good I do see another very similar option called the "Ruggard" rain cover where the flash option is 18" long. Here is a link:<br> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/893960-REG/ruggard_rc_p18f_18_rain_cover_for.html/prm/alsVwDtl<br> I am not sure how well these options will work with the red dust though. I have used Rainsleeve'ss very successfully in Arizona where there can be a lot of dust but it may not be anything as bad as you experience. One last thing you mentioned; the Rainsleeve does <em>not</em> have a cutout at bottom for a tripod mount. What I do there is cut a clean small hole for the tripod foot and then I surround that with heavy tape for strength, this has worked really well and takes just a minute or two.<br> Hope this helps.</p>

<p >It depends on what you like. With the 1D MKII you get incredible build quality; incredible battery life, portrait orientation has a complete duplicate set of controls, less banding, many more focus points 46 (vs 19), very low shutter lag. AF is far superior (I saw someone else say the opposite but my 1D MKIII AF works much better), 2 card slots.</p> <p >With the 7D you get video (vs none on the 1D), significantly higher resolution at 18MP (vs 10MP), smaller, lighter, built in flash, EF-S lens support.</p> <p >For me it is the 1D MKIII just for the sheer pleasure of using such a robust body in challenging weather conditions, if Alaska is in your future then that’s the one (but bring a backup!). The 1D is big though and not friendly to a family trip! The 10MP sensor can get a little squeezed. One thing to note is that early 1D MKII’s had AF problems; these were fixed in the “blue-dot” version. You can look up the serial number online if you have it and check – do that. Also, the 500 actuations may be the count on a newly installed shutter – you’ll know by the wear on the body. A 1D MKIII in perfect condition with about 20k shutter actuations will cost around $950 in the U.S.</p> <p >Good luck in your choice!<br /></p>

<p>I bought my M and 18-55mm lens from Amazon at a really great price. It came in a box that says "EOS-M" "EF-M 18-55 IS STM" "EF-M 22 STM" "Speedlight 90EX" "Kit" (I'm looking at it right now). It shows a photo of all 4 items on the box but just had the camera and 18-55mm lens inside exactly as I paid for. Everything works great and the camera and lens looked and felt brand new when I got them so I don't think there is anything nefarious going on at all. I think that to get just one piece or two you are getting it from part of a kit as that is all that is left. What great prices though for an APS-C camera and lens! I love mine although it looks hilarious beside the 1D MKIII, and the little lens hoods look like toys beside regular "L" hoods. I bought the EF-M 22mm lens later and got a genuine EF-M lens adapter from Amazon just a few weeks ago for $56 - steal! I got a case for it too - the brown leather MegaGear one for the M + 18-55mm lens, it is well made and has great protection but it's a little work to get to the battery and card once it is all put together. I have also purchased a small countries worth of equipment from B&H and they have always been rock solid.<br> I hope this all works out for you, it's a great camera at an incredible price so stay with it, you will be very happy.<br> Good luck!</p>

<p>Sarah Fox +1<br> The 24-105mm is a versatile true "L" lens (it is even weather sealed) that is a really great value. </p>