kerry_grim

The hawk is an immature Red-tail, obviously eating something. They are a common species and surely they have nested within city limits of Boston, although probably not commonly.

Perhaps as a wildlife lens, it is better to learn your subject and how to approach closely!

Wendy, did you NOT get software with your XTi. In checking with B&H, it is included in the package.

Perhaps it is just me, but it seems unethical to order three lenses knowing you will buy only one. Seems to me that someone else may be getting a new lens, when in fact it already made its rounds!

 

I think you need to think what is important with landscape? Do you need wide angle? The 24mm is a great lens on a full frame camera, but not wide enough for me on a crop body. Are you put off by the fact it is not a zoom? By people pictures, do you mean portraits? In either case, the 50mm would be fine.

 

I don?t know about the third party lenses other than to say the Canon 17-40 will hold its value longer and will be usable should you go to full frame in the future.

 

I think you need to first define your needs. If unsure, go to a camera store and try out different focal lengths. The selection of lenses is hardly comparable with one another.

Come to think of it, go with Mark Us idea of separate 52 and 58 filters. While I did use a step-up ring, it was not convenient. I will follow Marks suggestion and purchase an additional 52mm ND on my next order. The step-up ring is not worth the trouble.

Check B&H and they will tell you everything that is included. That is not quite the question you had asked, but, under accessories they will tell you which model accessories are recommended, such as a remote release and type of cards. You should check as often cards are NOT included with the camera. Same goes with the lens hoods will be listed under the appropriate lens, as well as filter sizes. Those are not L lenses, so hoods are an accessories. With luck you will have no more than 2 filter sizes. I have the 24 f2.8 and 35 f2. I bought an 8X ND filter specifically for stream photography to fit the 24.2.8 and purchased a step up ring so I could use it with the 35 f2 also.

 

That is a lot of equipment to acquire at one time. I would consider buying some and split in two orders. And order the non essentials like polarizing filter a short time later.

 

You might consider downloading the manual for the 5D in pdf form and study that even before the camera arives. I am sure it will also be helpful with recommended accessories.

I too would go full frame because there is no 15mm EF-S lens to equal my favorite 24 on a film body. My main uses are landscape and high school sports. So, it is a compromise for me and I will go with the 40D as it is more affordable. The 10-22 may be a fine lens, but my needs are not lower than 15mm, nor do I really need a zoom. Just give me a freekin' 15mm EF-S lens, Canon! So many lenses to choose from, except with wide angle on a crop body.

Go to Wikipedia and search for fatal bear attacks. More people have been killed by black bears than grizzlies. Although, there certainly are many, many more black bears.

 

Do not assume that all of these deaths are by people doing stupid things. They clearly are not. Black bears, occasionally view people as a food source and a predatory black bear is not something to mess with. If one wants to ambush you, he will and you won?t see him coming.

 

A common misconception is that bears are safe unless they have cubs. Well, that is especially true with grizzlies, but there are no deaths from a female black bear attributed to a mother with cubs.

 

I would suggest anyone with an interest in wildlife photography to read Bear Attacks: Their Cause and Avoidance by Stephen Herrero ($11.53 at Amazon.com).

 

A predator call just may cause a Black Bear to become predatory towards humans. I would also be very leery of using a predator call in mountain lion county.

 

Hopefully, you do not try this in early spring when the bears become active at a time when little food is available.

Why not test the lens with and without the filters, using RAW, then check the results. Then, let us know your findings.

Rusty Blackbirds are no ordinary blackbird! They are one of, if not, the fastest songbirds in decline. Here in Pennsylvania I look, ahh, I mean, listen for their 'rusty gate' call during spring migration as I sometimes find them within migrating flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, or in nearby trees. So far as I know, the decline is not associated with habitat decline which is often an easy answer. I am glad for researchers like Gerhard and hope your work will eventually identify the problem and hopefully reverse the decline before it is too late. Sorry to turn this reply into what is more appropriate in a nature forum.

Just an observation, and not meant to be harmful.

 

It seems with new photographers, it is not which lens to buy, but wich ZOOM lens to buy. Also, I see a strong tendency for beginners to choose the 70-300 over the 70-200. More is not necessairly better, and it is not necessary to cover every single millimeter.

 

The lens suggestions give by others are good one. If you do want to do professional wedding photography, buy a lens for that now, instead of buying three zooms which wil not be your best choice when doing that type of photography.

 

Don't forget the software end of it which is very important also and may be more difficult to sort out. I would start with a program like Lightroom and don't short-change yourself on the backups! Spend a lot of time learning the program, then when considering doing wedding photography, learn CS3. Note that the price of software and backup hard drive may be about the price of a Canon 24-70 lens, which would also be an excellent for wedding photography.

Hell, I use Windoze 2000, still get update. Last count over 80. They keep fixing it and its too old to install some of the newer software packages. Microsoft never has any problems. They are just called issues. But I am amazed, with all of the fixes, security updates, etc, it actually still works. Bill would love to sell me Vista I am sure, but when 'doze 2000 is no longer supported I will upgrade, but it will be to that African cat software and then basically forget about operating system updates and virus protection software. I make my living using a PC and am fine with that, but at home, I am free to choose Apple.

I used to take a lot of bird photos in my backyard. Generally, I would need a blind and a 400mm lens. This was back in the 1970s and 1980s. Birds were skittish in the yard. However, one winter I fed birds in a woodland where they were not used to people and likely never saw people. Well, these birds were very cooperative, not skittish at all and I photographed most of them with nothing more than a 200mm lens. I maintained feeders at both locations. This would be opposite of what you would expect. One extremely cold morning I went there and immediately had a chickadee feed from my very bright red hand while I used the camera in the other. Chickadees, nuthatches, titmouse, downy woodpeckers, juncos, goldfinch and more were all photogenic. Only cardinals would not approach close enough for photos. I might add, that there was a lot of snow on the ground. Occasionally, I have been successfully in the yard without a blind, but this was only after I was alrady there, surrounded by feeders, and they were panic-feeding due to impending bad weather. But, I did not approach them. I let them approach me.

 

Study the birds, learn their feeding patterns and habits, with patience, and a little luck you will be successful in time. I don't buy into the idea that a lens is never long enough. A 300 lens on a crop body has potential for many excellent photos. But, don't get me wrong, I would love to own a fast 500mm lens.

 

Good luck.

Should go without saying that you have two backups of the photos before proceeding.

I don't have a 40D yet, but intend on purchasing one soon.

 

I am currently reading a book I got from Amazon: CANON EOS 40D Guide to Digital Photography by David D. Bush. I am about half way through the book and I would say it is excellent. I always though the Magic Lantern guides were pretty amateurish and are basically re-writes of the owners manuals. I also printed out the pdf manual and placed in a binder, the owners manual is free on line and comes with the camera so this should not be overlooked.

It will be interesting to see if someone says anything about cross-posting. I don't mind as it is interesting to hear opinions from both sides. Personally, I would choose the lenses first, than the body.

Perhaps with enough votes...Canon will consider some new lenses or updates.

 

I vote for the EF-S Prime. I will soon purchase a 40D body even though it pisses me of that Canon has only the zoom for a wide angle. I am sure I would be happy with the performance, but I don't need the zoom...just a very sharp prime. I have not decided what to do regarding wide-angle and will let that lapse for awhile. My desire is to stick with Canon, so I don't not need any suggestions.

For me, the enjoyment of nature comes first. Just walking in the mountains and enjoying my surroundings is everything. Occasionally I will carry a camera. If I carry a camera but do not get a single picture, it will not matter as I will have enjoyed just walking, observing, and listening. As much as I do enjoy nature photography, I think it is important to make sure hauling a lot of equipment does not interfere with that enjoyment.

 

A photographer without a strong interest in nature, may look for subjects, but never really see, hear, or fell what is around him. It takes time to settle in and fell you are a part of nature. Can you go to the Grand Canyon, walk to the edge, and snap a few photos and fell part of it. No, certainly not. To that person it may appear to be just a hole in the ground. They may be standing there, observing, but they are still isolated from the environment. Spend a few day, weeks, or visit over many years and surely it will appear as more than merely a hole in the ground.

 

The top nature photographers are accomplished naturalist, knowing their subjects very well. You have to let yourself become part of the environment, not isolate yourself from it. Art Wolfe was a naturalist before he took up photography. Need I say more on his accomplishments?

 

But I do wonder why you ask this interesting question. Some people would not enjoy being out a few miles from the nearest person. I love the thought! But I would be out of my element and circle of comfort doing wedding photography. Everyone is different.

Dear Canon:

 

Here is what I would like for Christmas:

 

15mm 2.8 EF-S lens for a 1.6 crop body. Can you please, please design one? Your

wide angle zoom is fine, but I don't need a zoom.

 

Maybe for Christmas of next year? All I want is the digital equivalent of a

24mm lens on my film body, but for a digital body.

 

With so, so many questions of which "wide angle lens of a digital camera", why

has Canon not responded to the users needs?

 

If Canon had a lens like this, I would order a 40D tomorrow. Perhaps those

interested should petition Canon.

Thank you all. These are great responses. These answers did change my direction of thinking and we will decide on backup drive or drives and will try to do this without engineering it to death. Again, Thank you all.

I am helping my son regarding looking for a desktop backup hard drive to backup

his photography. I did a search and no matter which brand, one person has found

them very reliable while the next person has had bad luck.

 

Obviously, two or more backups are desirable. In the interim, he is backing up

to DVDs.

 

However my question is regarding G-Technology hard drives to be used with a Mac

laptop. They do have a two year warranty and cost more than the comparable

drives, say from Western Digital, but that does not necessarily make them more

reliable. Does anyone have good or bad experiences with this drive? I am

referring to the basic G Technology drive, not SATA, Raid, etc.

 

Thanks in advance!

For moose...try Algonquin Provincial Park.

If the picture is taken in total darkness with a flash speed of 1/1000 of a second, then I can not see that the shutter speed whether 1/250 of a second or a second should make any difference. I think you focus may be off as the railing does not look to distinct. You are not using autofocus, are you?

 

Unless there is enough ambiant light, you should be able to have the camera set to bulb and still get a sharp photo if focused properly. If not, then the flash speed is too long. If that were the case, horizontal motion should be detected when examining the photo close up.

This post sounds like a jab at Canon.

 

Please do not shoot me with your cannon.

Unless you really feel you need the IS version of the 70-200, you could buy the 2.8 version and the money saved from that could be put towards purchasing a 300 f4 L lens. So long as you don't have to carrying two bazookas around at the same time!

 

Compare the cost of the 70-200 2.8 IS + converter to 70-200 2.8 + 300 f4. Sure the cost of two lenses is higher, but you do have two excellent quality lenses and the 300 will be sharper than the zoom + converter. Also, somewhere I read in the reviews that the 70-200s are more like 190mm, but that should not be a big deal.