quinny

<p>Buy a set of cheap extension tubes from 'the bay'. I've got a set with the electrical contacts connected (for autofocus and aperture control).</p>

<p>With the 50mm f1.8, you'll get about 1.3:1 magnification (with 65mm of tubes between the lens and the body).</p>

<p>I bought a second hand 'Canon CanoScan FS 4000 US' last year which I used to scan ~1200 slides. It scans at 4000dpi, the quality is quite good and the speed is reasonable.<br>

I've put a full-size scan on my Flickr account: (I've cropped off only a small part)</p>

<p>I used to have the 75-300mm (the non-USM III version) and I've upgraded to the 70-200mm f2.8L in January. The lens is so much sharper and it has almost no other optical defects that the 75-300 has, that I don't even miss the 100mm of focal length that I no longer have. I can crop more because of the better optical quality.</p>

<p>A good friend of me upgraded from the 75-300mm to the f4L and he also has the same experiences as I have.</p>

<p>I think I'm 90% in Av and 10% in M on my 20D. My old Olympus digicam (C750UZ) I use almost exclusively in P mode.</p>

<p>When my girlfriend picks up any of my camera's, she immediately sets them to full-auto...</p>

<p>I rarely turn it off. Only when using my battery grip. I've found that when leaving my camera (20D) on while having the battery grip attached (an eBay thing), the batteries are drained within two days (even while it's sitting on a shelve somewhere).</p>

<p>Also, sometimes autofocus and aperture control are lost when I'm using my extension tubes (ones with the electrical contacts connected). A power cycle will usually restore control of the lens.</p>

<p>I always leave it on then changing lenses or CF cards.</p>

<p>My Velbon tripod has an undetachable pan/tilt head, I also have a Cullmann monopod with a small Gitzo ballhead on top. I absolutely love the way a ballhead works, so my next tripod will absolutely have a ballhead. I've read about different brands and types of ballheads and the Markins M20 seems to be the best value for money.</p>

<p>I've been stuck with this Velbon tripod for so long, I don't really mind waiting one or two months longer to save up money for something that's really good. Besides liking the activity of taking photographs, I also like gadgets/gear. I've learned that when I buy something 'cheap' or something I don't really want, making a compromise because of the price, I usually end up buying the thing I initially wanted anyway, making a loss when selling the 'cheaper' thing. So better to save up and buy what I actually want the first time.</p>

<p>Edward: It will have to be a 'Systematic' tripod, then. I like that kind of flexibility.</p>

<p>Jim: I know a center column should only be used as a last resort. I do quite a lot of macro photography, I think it would be great to be able to hang my camera up side down under the tripod, by reversing the center column. With the XLS, I would definitely not need the center column for the extra height.</p>

<p>I have been looking around for good/large photography-equipment stores in my area, I've found two very large ones (both about an hours drive) that both have Gitzo and Manfrotto and some other brands.</p>

<p>The XLS looks interesting. Am I correct in assuming that it is possible to buy an adjustable centre column and swap that for the non-adjustable one that the XLS comes with? (If I decide I need/want a centre column...)</p>

<p>For a few years now, I've had a cheap wobbly Velbon tripod that is way too low for me (I'm a tall person, exactly 2 meters (6'7", I think?)). Because of that, it's usually stayed at home or, if I'd even bothered to take it with me, it has been left in it's bag, hanging on my back or left in the car.</p>

<p>I want to buy something new, something I'll actually enjoy using and something that will last.</p>

<p>At the moment, my longest and heaviest lens is a Canon 70-200 f2.8L. Later this year or early next year, I plan to add a 400mm prime (the time of purchase will depend on which lens I want, I have to save up money...). The lens I will probably be using quite a lot (probably the most) is a 100mm macro, with or without extension tubes.</p>

<p>My 'research' on the internet has pointed me to the Gitzo GT3541L and a Markins M20 ballhead. Are these good choices for me? Is there something available that would give me more value for money?</p>

 

<p>Thanks, Martyn. Photographing watches was one of the biggest reasons I bought the lens for, just over a month ago.</p>

<p>When I see al the other pictures taken with this lens on Flickr.com, I see I still have quite a lot to learn! And yes, it is very sharp, but that took some experimenting... I have to use mirror lockup on my cheap wobbly tripod or use a high shutter speed... I imagine the IS version will be better in that respect (I really won't use anything over ISO400 on my 20D..).</p>

<p>The really fun part is using this lens with some extension tubes (I've got some that have the contact points for diaphragm control and autofocus, no idea if IS will work when using these, I don't think it will..). It becomes a 1.97:1 macro lens. Still very sharp!</p>

<p>I've got the non-IS non-L version of the 100mm Macro. I'm really very happy with it, but I think IS might help at times when I'm too lazy to get and set up my tripod.</p>

<p>I've been considering if it's worth it for me to upgrade to the L IS, but I think I'm going to hold off on that until after I upgrade my camera body (currently using a 20D and get a decent tele-prime (70-200 is my largest lens at the moment)).</p>

<p>Show off some of the pics you take with it! (mine are here (taken with the non-IS, non-L version): http://www.flickr.com/photos/qdsmits/tags/canon100mmf28/ please bear in mind that I'm an amateur and really just starting to learn...)</p>

<p>I'm guessing 1 is without and 2 is with the extender?</p>

<p>What aperture where you using?</p>

<p>If you're mostly going to use the UWA end, you could take a look at the 17-40 F4L (might be too slow for you..) or the 16-35 f2.8L. The EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS might also be a good choice.</p>

<p>Have you tried any of your other lenses after using the 16-35? I once accidentally turned the diopter adjustment dial while changing a lens (don't ask me how).</p>

<p>Took me quite a while to figure out why my viewfinder suddenly wouldn't become sharp anymore...</p>

<p>I used to have one of these folding solar panels, it took cigarette lighter style plugs. In 2005 I took it to Kenya while I was doing volunteer work there. I don't know if these things have improved, but back then they were useless. It took about 6 hours to charge the battery in my Palm PDA when it was turned off, I imagine the batteries for a DSLR have a much higher capacity, so that'll take even longer.</p>

<p>Bob Keefer: I've got a third party grip on my 20D, it eats through a set of freshly charged batteries in a few days, if you don't turn the grip off with the power button on the side. You don't even have to take any pictures...</p>

<p>Hmm, never even knew the (my) 17-40 had a filter holder on the back, I had to really look for it too, just now. I expected a screw-in type of thing after reading your post (had that on a lens I've owned previously), but you can just slide in a flat piece of filter, cut to the correct size?</p>

<p>Might be fun to experiment with that in the future... (never used anything other than UV or polarizing filters)</p>

<p>I had a similar problem with my 20D, resetting it helped. Have you also removed the backup battery? That did the trick for me... It is located inside the battery compartment on my 20D.</p>

<p>If you liked the 'wideness' of the 10-22 at the 10 end, you might want to look at a 16-35 instead of a 17-40. 16mm is quite a bit wider than 17mm and the 16-35 is a stop faster as well...</p>

<p>That said, I have the 17-40 and I love it, though I might consider upgrading to the 16-35 in the future.</p>

<p>Good to hear that some companies still care for their customers! I, fortunately have never needed the services of a Canon service center...</p>

<p>I've got a nice horror-story of how things can also be done nowadays:<br>

An acquaintance of mine who is a collector of very expensive watches sent a brand new watch that had cost him well over €40.000 back to the factory because the date window wasn't aligned correctly. The factory estimates he'll have it back in 11 months.</p>

<p>So, more votes for the f/4L IS. I'm going to keep my eyes open for one of these... Thanks for all your reactions!</p>

<p>I bought the 20D as my first digital after working with EOS 1 and EOS 5 (film) camera's until the beginning of 2008. I've found it to be a really nice camera for switching from film to digital, though I'm wanting more resolution and lower noise levels at higher ISOs now... I plan to upgrade to the 7D and keep the 20D as a backup, later this year.</p>

<p>There should be no problem at all with using the 300mm f/4L IS lens with the 20D, every EF lens works with every EOS body. There are some older film camera's where the IS won't work, but the diaphragm and autofocus should work on every EOS body. As someone else said, remember the 20D has a 1.6x crop factor, you'll end up with a effective focal length of 480mm on that body.</p>

<p>Nice photo's in your review!</p>

<p>I bought this same lens a few weeks ago and I'm really loving it! I am now considering upgrading to the L IS version after reading a review (Getting sharp Macro's handheld at 1/15!?). First a 70-200 f/4L and a 7D...</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses.</p>

<p>A lot of different opinions from everybody, as could be expected... I'm going to doubt some more while I wait for my salary to arrive... Perhaps I can find somebody in my area who has one of these lenses to see how I like it...</p>

<p>Only your insurance company can tell you if they'll cover the repair of the damage, I'd give them a call if I were you.</p>

<p>I've never been to India, so I can't help you with a canon repair company in that area. Google give some results that might be of interest, though...</p>

<p>I don't think I need the higher shutter speeds that the f/2.8 allows, I've been told that is quite heavy to walk around with all day. Also, I mostly try to 'shoot' things that are sitting still. Though the difference in DOF is something I'll have to take a look at...<br>

I like the idea of IS, but I've never tried a lens with IS before, so I don't know how well it works... I'm leaning towars the f/4L IS at the moment, but the f/2.8L is almost the same price... Perhaps I'll go for the f/4L IS (I'll buy second hand) and sell it again, without loss, if I decide I need the extra stop...<br>

My 75-300mm has seen some use in Kenya, the longest in Masaai Mara, it was full of dust when I got home (and all the pics I took with it had horrible purple and green fringing at high contrast areas). I'd prefer to stay away from lenses that change volume while focusing and zooming and I'd also like a lens that's 'weatherproof'. I think the 100-400mm is a no-go for me...</p>