sabrina_mueller

Kosta, I do use a Magic Ball 50 with my EOS 20D. The handle is 6.5 cm long and it can stick in your face if you mount the camera in that way that the handle points in your direction. But in this position the head is not easy to handle anyway, so I mount the camera that way that I can handle the knob with my left hand, so this is not a problem. If you don't have a L-plate for shooting verticals, you can mount the camera so that the handle points away from your face. The handle is not a problem in my opinion.

 

The Magic Ball 50 has friction controll, so if you use this feature, the danger of uncontrolled flipping of your equipment is not so big as you would think in the first place.

 

What I like: it is quick to use, it has a very broad range, you can point it nearly anywhere, and it cannot be damaged by sand, dust or water because of its construction.

 

What I don't like (compared to my Arca Swiss B1): it doesn't have a panorama plate, so if you want to shoot panoramic pictures the magic ball is not easy to use. It is quite hard to fix a camera or lens or quick release system on it. You need quite a lot of power to fasten the screw tight enough.

Hi Rodrigo, in Germany there is one which offers Print on demand. You can order just one copy if you want, and they offer several forms of binding. Softcover, hardcover, and something like a magazine style.

 

They have a software which helps you to create a book, but you can also create your own pages in photoshop etc. But then you have to follow their page-sizes. They offer several sizes of books. Cost per book from 20 EUR upwards for a hardcover book with 24 pages (?) in about 20x30 cm size.

 

I am not sure, but I think their website is only german :-(

 

You find them at www.pixopolis.de

The "Reichsparteitagsgel䮤e" is quite spectacular. For modern arhcitecture you can try the "Germanisches Nationalmuseum" in the city centre. The main station has a nice mix of old and new architecture. For old architecture you will find lots of old buildings in the city centre, and of course the old castle on the top of a hill.

 

I hope you enjoy your visit!

Sabrina

Yes, I use rechargeable Batteries. 2350mAh. Works fine!

For travelling light the 300v is a great camera. It has everything you need, is small and lightweight. It is not very well sealed against dust etc. but an ELAN isn't either, so I wouldn't worry that much about that. A plastic bag will help. I have used mine on the beach on windy days with salt and sand in the air and it still works fine.

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Hi, I have the 28-105/3,5-4,5 (old version) and the 70-200/4,0 and I haven't realized any difference in AF noise. Both are very very quiet, as is my 300/4,0 IS lens.

 

Maybe there IS a problem with your lens.

I am located in Germany and watched the first two hours of the transit (before work). Tried to make some pictures with EOS30, EF300/4,0 stacked with 1,4 and 2,0 TCs and a special filter foil. I don't know yet if the pictures are any good, I hope so...!

Peter, thanks for these links. I did a search too, but couldn't find that review...

 

I am located in Germany, and the ball head is offered by several online-stores. Unfortunately no store near to wher I live has them, so I can't try them. But maybe Isarfoto.com is willing to send be both to compare them side by side.

 

At the moment I am leaning more towards the Arca Swiss, even without the tilt function it seems to be a better long-term investment. If Arca Swiss would offer such a tilt function...

The FLM comes without a quick release system. So I can (and want) to use the Arca Swiss-style QR-Plates (and have already ordered a clamp and QR plates from RRS)

 

Money is not the main issue here,I would buy the Arca Swiss without hesitation because I know it is a long-term investment. But the tilt function of the FLM seems to be very useful. But if the FLM sucks otherwise...

Hi all,

 

I now have a Manfrotto 141 RC head for my tripod, and I want to get a

ballhead for wildlife photography. My longest lens is a 300/4,0 with

2x TC.

 

There are many reviews on the Arca Swiss B1, and it seems to be a

good choice. However, there is also the FLM Centerball which offers a

Tilt function, this means you can lock the ball head so that it only

moves in one axis (two with the panorama). This could be very useful

for birds in flight etc. A review of the ballhead can be found here:

http://www.poelking.com/wbuch2/FLM-Kugelkopf/eeFLM.htm

 

Has anyone here tried this ballhead? Is it any good, or should I

forget about the tilt-function and get a B1?

Canon Germany did the firmware update for free, had to pay only for shipping both ways. Biggest problem was to explain them what was wrong with the camera as the persons at the phone seemed to be unaware of the metering problem...

I have an early EOS 30 and tried to use a Novoflex 600/8,0 lens with it. The metering was off. After searching the internet I found that this is a common problem, so I called Canon. Nobody there seemed to know about the problem, then they said my local dealer could make an update (which was of course not possible), but in the end they told me to send them my camera. They did an update of the firmware for free (it was not under warranty anymore), and now the metering works fine. I am located in Germany, don't know how other countries handle that problem.

Do you want to know the difference between a 14 mm wide-angle lens and a 15mm fisheye-lens, or the difference between a 14 mm fisheye-lens and a 15 mm fisheye-lens?

 

A fisheye lens gives you a very different look. There are reviews of both the canon 14 mm wide-angle lens and the 15 mm fisheye-lens on this site (Equipment -> Rewievs -> 35 mm -> Canon) with examples. Easier to look at pictures than trying to explain what the difference is...!

 

Sabrina

Johannes, Assisi is a beautiful little town, but full of tourists. Try to walk a little bit off the main roads!

 

Do you know that in Italy it is in most cases not allowed to take pictures in a church? Especially in the most famous ones. In some it is allowed if you don't use tripod and / or flash (so bring enough 400 film! I don't like Sensia 400 (100 is great), maybe you should try Provia 400F), and in some you have to pay if you want to take pictures. Unfortunately I forgot about the churches in Assisi, but in the most famous one it is not allowed. Maybe here is somebody who knows more?!

 

Much fun in Italy!

Sabrina

MLU works in "sinlge frame" mode. I think I never used it in any other mode (on my EOS 30). It really sounds like MLU is activated.

 

Too bad that you can't see what CF you have activated on the EOS 30. I once forgot that I had moved AF to the back button to see if it works for me and thought the camera was defective because it didn't focus with the shutter pressed half way down. And the simple information that any of the CFs is activated doesn't help much if you use one or two of them all the time (like film rewind with leader out)...

 

Sabrina

Pierre,

 

you can try "Foto Brell", they should have a 50/1,8 in stock. You can find them at the Markt (market place), when you face the old city hall (Altes Rathaus), the shop is on the right side of the place.

 

Much fun in my hometown!

Sabrina

Otavio,

 

I own an Elan7E and it had metering problems with manual lenses (used with T2 adapter etc.), but Canon made a free software-update and now everything works fine. New Elan7s shouldn't have this problem anymore.

 

I am not sure what you want to use on your camera, but your Sigma lens is surely an AF lens which can be used for manual focus too, as almost all AF lenses. With this lenses, you should have no problems with metering, even if you switch the lens to MF. That lets you manually focus the lens, but it is still an AF lens.

 

 

Real manual focus lenses are not available for Canon EOS bodies (their TSE lenses are an exception), if you want to use manual lenses or a telescope as a telephoto lens you have to use adapters. With them, the metering problem may occur, but Canon repairs that for free. So I see no reason why not to buy an Elan7. It is a wonderful tool to work with. And the compatibility-problems with Sigma lenses occur not only with Elan7s.

I have a Rebel Ti as a backup body (I use a Elan7E), and for its price, it is a nice little camera.

 

There are only a few points that I don't like that much: you can not choose how the autofocus should work (the camera decides if it focuses on a static object or a moving object, and this can sometimes cause trouble if you have both static and moving objects in your viewfinder, but is no problem in most cases), you can not use every metering method in every camera mode (P, TV, AV etc.), but if you understand which metering method in which mode the camera uses, that is not a big problem too. You have no thumb wheel on the back of the camera which lets you adjust exposure compensation or -in manual mode- set the aperture. On the Ti you have to press a button on the back and use the wheel near the shutter release, which is not that comfortable but works quite well because the button now has a better placing than on the Rebel 2000.

 

I cannot compare it to cameras of other brands, but for me the Rebel Ti has a very good value for its price, you can do almost everything you ever want to do (I upgraded to the Elan7E because my Rebel G didn't have a depth-of-field preview button, but that was all what I was missing, and the Ti has such a button. Of course the Elan7E has more features and I enjoy having them, but you have to pay a lot more money for it. I would spend the money on good lenses, film and maybe a tripod)

 

After all, the camera is just a tool you use.

Hi Jim,

 

I have an EOS30 and bought a 300V just two months ago as a backup body. I was very surprised how much I like the 300V. Both cameras have their pros and cons.

 

What I like on the 30 and the 300V can't do:

- mirror lock-up

- eye-controlled focus

- wheel on camera back for exposure compensation or to control the aperture in manual mode

- I can select autofocus-mode

- I can select exposure mode

- film rewind is nearly silent or super-fast

- looks better than 300V ;-)

 

Things I prefer on the 300V:

- big, illuminated display

- build-in flash is higher above lens

- AF in low-light seems to be better than 30

- it is small and lightweight

- it feels amazingly good in my hands with this curved grip

 

All in all I am happy to have both cameras, and I choose from occasion to occasion which one I will use. If you can afford an EOS 30, I would suggest to upgrade, because for landscape work I think it is important that you can choose which metering mode the camera uses, and mirror lock-up can be important too.

 

Hope this helps

Hi Scott,

 

I do have the 141RC head. (RC is the head with integrated quick release system, so if you want something to use with e.g. Arca Swiss like qick release plates, I think you will want an 141 head)

 

When I want to use it with my EOS30, BP300 attached, and my 70-200/4,0 lens with tripod collar, I can only use it by attaching the lens "sideways" on the head (90 degree angle off from what should be normal use), otherwise the BP300 is too close to the head to get it attached. Sorry, it is not easy to explain, so I hope you understand what I mean. I don't know if this problem occurs with the 70-200/2,8 or if you use the BP300, but it could be interesting to know.

 

Sabrina

Hi Joao,

 

I just wanted to add that I ordered my ND grads at Singh-Ray last year. I live in Germany, and the label on the package said "free sample", so I didn't have to pay additonal taxes or customs, only the price for the filters plus shipping (which is quite expensive, I know).

 

Sabrina

I once tried Konica 750 IR with my EOS 500N and had no fogging. Never

tried it with the EOS 30.

I have shot some butterflies with the sigma 70-300 APO macro. It goes up to 1:2 (half live-size) and has a working distance of ca. 1m.

Image quality is not as good as with a real macro lens, and working with a tripod is a must in macro-mode at 300mm. max. aperture is 5,6 at 300mm, and most of the time your shutter speed will be too slow for sharp handhold pictures.

 

For low budget and for your purposes it is an option (I use it for this cases instead of my 90mm macro), but if you want really sharp pictures you should think about a real macro lens. But a macro with big working distance (around 200mm) are quiet expensive, and the cheaper, good ones around 100mm have a working distance that might be too close for butterflies.