lightwriting by swapan

Yaron,

 

Too much to rent !

 

I also believe it is mainly my poor technic but a better lens with same technic should statisticallly give a better picture.

 

This is my theory..."everything else remaining constant, the quality of an image is directly proportional to the quality of the lens producing it".

 

Probably a classic case of "a bad workman quarrels with his tools" ! lol

John/Beau,

 

Thanks for the reply and sorry for not mentioning more. Here are the answers:

 

1) Primarily for bird and wildlife photography

2) 1Ds Mk II and 1v ( I still shoot Velvia 50/100)

3) I have a concern that I am not getting the best picture! A lot of it has to do with technic I know and I have no solid reason to say what I said but just thinking...can I get better....

4) It will be on a Gitzo 1548 MK2 with an Arca Swiss ball head using Wimberley sidekick with RRS plates.

 

The advantage of 400 Do is obvious, especially when I go to India on my yearly trip ! Nicely fits in the bag attached to a camera ! Lighter ! But I am ready to face some inconvenience it image quality compenstaes it !

 

thanks.

Sell my 400 F4 DO (circa 2003)and obtain either a 400 2.8L IS or 500

F4 IS.

 

Image quality is the prime concern. Wt. is secondary

 

I have never used (or even seen ) any of the two I am considering. I

am just reading about these two.

 

Input from gurus will be highly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

 

P.S. I am an ametuer with some good gadgets and not at all good

skills.

Mendel,

 

Actually, yes. This has not been used very much in the last 3 years that i have owned it. I was in Rio Lagartos (mexico) in last decemver and this was my main one I took there. To my horror, I realized that the lens was not communicating with camera most of the time. I checked it and saw that it was coming lose at a joint just proximal to the focusing ring. The lens remained in the closet for more than a year without being used prior to that trip. I guarantee you, it was NOT subjected to any trauma or injury !

 

that trip was basically for photography I missed my shots for which I am so disappointed !

 

Sent to Canon. Just got an e-mail from them telling me the labor cost will be $ 110 (including $ 10 shipping), no parts needed. I think internal screws ( or glue) have come lose. Have they not heard about Crazy glue ?

My vote goes to 70-200 2.8 L IS. Very happy owner of one for the last 3 years as far as picture quality goes.

 

That the lens has almost come apart near the focusing ring without any trauma or injury it it is another story. As I write, Canon in NJ is supposed to be fixiing it, charging $ 110 for labor !

 

My 2 cents

Hi Skip,

 

I think you need to take some Xanax and chill out man ! I was never berating him or his question. I was giving a stern, general wwarning to a fellow photog who may become a victim of internet mugging .

 

Why did you type a response ? To yell at me ? How did it help the person asking the question ?

 

I -

I do not understand one thing. Why on earth do you believe that someone can sell something at an unearthly low price ? That is a big, big red flag and you dont need to waste one more second on that ! How would B and H be in business if express camera have this price ?

 

Just think. It is a no brainer. Once again, something that has been said one million times and still valuable, - "if it is too good to be true, it ain't true".

 

Stick to B and H. You will never repent.

 

Just my 2 cents.

Let us no forget that prime lenses are supposed to be better in picture quality in multiple aspects than zooms at the same focal length.

 

Also, being faster, you get more comtrol of DOF, when you need it.

 

 

Just my 2 cents

My personal experience is that KEH offers lower price and downgrade the equipment once they receive it! I have gotten much better price quote from B and H and they have honored their online quotes a couple of times that I have sold to them. The last one was the 1 Ds that I sold to B and H. Not that I got what I wanted but it was about $ 600 more than what KEH quoted me.

 

I can con trust eBay for that kind of a sale ! I think I should have taken it to India and sold it there for a better price ! lol .

My personal experience with Lexar 2 GB 80 X with WA cards....

 

I have three of them. All have shown error 99 more than one time.

 

I have lost valuable images which even Lexar was unable to rescue, saying it was an "electrical failure".

 

One card has been replaced twice so far. Another one once. I am waiting the 3rd one to go dead ! I dont use it unless I have to...

 

I have at least six 1 GB and one 4 GB 80X with WA, none of them gave me any trouble. Some 1 GB cards are more than 3 yrs. old !

 

Lexar said it was fixing the problem of the 2 GB cards! That was a few months ago. I hope they did, but I would stay away from 2 GB cards unless I know for sure that it was corrected.

 

Just FYI

Phillip,

 

I think you did the right thing.

 

I have bought 4 cameras in last 3 years that included 1D/1Ds/!ds MK II/Rebel XT- al new, all from B and H and none have shown a high number ! All were in default settings !

 

Also, I have been unable to understand the logic of camera showing high numbers with a previously used CF card. I bought a 1 Ds MK 11 in last swptember adn used all my old dilapidated CF cards but it did not show any unusual number. Started right from 1 and is showing about 2234 now !

 

I think you had a used camera !

 

Go for the 5D. You will love it ! Or, get a used 1Ds from B and H, if feasible for you

I use a third party battery for my 1Ds Mk II. I bought the battery from B and H. Half the price, same or better performance than the other 3 canon batteries I have ! So far, no problems with it and in fact, 2 of my 3 Canon batteries are not holding charge that well anymore ! Go figure !

Bob,

 

I have the Canon 85 1.2 L. It is a fantastic lens for portraits ! It will elevate your results to another level, no doubt about it.

 

Unfortunately, I know nothing about the Contax!

Brian,

 

I want to give a gift subscription to my brother in India using my credit card here in USA. How do I do that ?

 

Thanks.

 

Swapan Chaudhuri

Arnab,

 

Dont be so hard on Arca Swiss, man. Mine has given me no trouble, handles all my long lenses with TCs without a problem and the movement in all axis is fluid. I can put my 400 DO with a 2X TC on a Wimberly sidekick and attach the setting to the ball head and lock it at any angle without problem-it does not budge a fraction of a millimeter ! I think Acratech is NOT even recommended for heavier loads, right ?

Brian,

 

there is NO provision for a gift subscription. I wanted to give a gift subscription to a fellow photographer of mine in India but could not. I renewed mine without problem though! How do I give a gift subscription ? Checks dont go to their destination !

Shot this afternoon in my backyard. Dont ask me the name-I don't know. Arnab might.

Sigh.......

 

Nobody uses the Gitzo 1548 Mk II tripod or the Singh-Ray graduated NDs and the Circular polarizer with color intensifiers or vari X ND filters ? Nobody has heard of a Arca-Swiss B1 ballhead ? I must have bought them being doped by people here-as 80% of my buying decisions are based on recommendations here. Where are all these people ?

 

Anyway, I enjoy landscape work with these gear. Just to let you know !

 

Sigh again.

Vivek,

 

Thanks for liking the picture.

 

This is a copy of the JPEG image that I shot with the RAW ( RAW + s,so it was not at full resolution) . I must tell you that the full version of RAW is much more pleasant! This is TOUCH ME NOT, you know those tiny plants which collapse on touch. I shot it close to my home in India in a paddy field. Me and my tripod had to be flat on the ground(muddy paddy field and both of us needed a shower afterwords) to bring the camera to the flowers level.

Well, let me try again to post the photo. Why did it not show up on this page? Hope this one does !<div></div>

Well. inspired by all the above, I am tempted to post one of mine also, shot in India ! Really in the wild, somewhere in nowhere!

 

BTW, I dunno whether only the Nikon owners are allowed to participate or not! I am a Canon fan. So, if this is a no, no, please let me know and I will delete.

Thanks<div></div>

Great news, I will renew mine(due in 2007) and also give a gift subscription to a photographer relative of mine in India !

 

 

Jerry,

 

 

I guess you are out of luck. I sent them a check first and never got a membership. the check went somewhere but Pn never cashec it ! I finally reluctantly used paypal and I was a member within 30 seconds !

 

Thanks again, Brian, for this !

Bob, I will remain eternally grateful to you for this amputation. The will be paid as a subscription extension of my PN membership.

thanks again.

 

Tim,

 

You are horrible ! But you dont know onething, MDs will amputate the wrong side of brain even on "private pay" patient, hoping that a thankful family member/relative will pay for the clean up !

 

BTW, I am NOT a surgeon ! I really learnt Medicine (or at least tried and still trying)

Bob, I will remain eternally grateful to you for this amputation. The will be paid as a subscription extension of my PN membership.

thanks again.

 

Tim,

 

You are horrible ! But you dont know onething, MDs will amputate the wrong side of brain even on "private pay" patient, hoping that a thankful family member/relative will pay for the clean up !

Tim,

 

Thanks. I will take it as a compliment !

 

 

Seriously, how can I remove the "MD", from the signature ? Do you know how many times I have been abused for this ? How many times I got hate mails ? I mailed moderators in the past to delete it but nothing happened. If any moderator is reading this, please mail me at Dholai@hotmail.com to advise me how to remove my title. When Iregistered, I never realized that my title will appear there !