james_sawle

I know that Canon do one, but I have not been able to track the item down, but the local Police Photographer told me about the unit, and others have also mentioned that there are units available, just need to find them.

Does anyone know of any good GPS Add-ons for EOS 30D, 5D and 1D Mark III. I need

to get one for each camera so that it will add Long and Lat to each Photo taken

within the Metadata.

Have tried the same settings with my 30D in a dim room, and no problems at all. generally the 30D is one of my faster cameras, if you want slow try the 5D! I have not really noticed the 30D being overly slow, In Manual mode and in low light youy would expect things to work a bit slower, after all a fast shutter at night will just give you a black picture, set it on a tripod and a 30 second exposure and you get a nice picture, etc. This does seem strange though, maybe there is a problem with the 30D and a particular lens, I do not have the 17-55, but have tried with the 17-85 and that worded OK, along with a number of others. Maybe visit your local shop and ask to borrow another 30D to try out, you might have to leave your own 30D in exchange but a good shop will try to help you out as best they can.

I went to eBay and found a great little bag from an eBay shop called 'surreyphotography', the link to the bag is: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Camera-Waterproof-Cover-For-Nikon-Or-Canon-Digital-SLRs_W0QQitemZ230148229153QQihZ013QQcategoryZ29982QQcmdZViewItem

Works great, It rains here all the time and usually quite bad, I have not had any problems with water getting in or condensation, well recommend.

The only time I have had excess dust on the sensor was whilst taking photographs of the red arrows at a barbeque, but it was my own fault for standing next to the barbeque anyway, as for sucking in dust with general use, nope, no problems here. I love the versitility of this lens, and often use this instead of a 300mm and 400mm Prime lenses that I own, but this is only if the light is out in full force, it needs light to get the best out of this lens.

I have had the same problem, the system is running out of memory, I know this sounds stupid, but Lightroom eats it, I have 4Gb RAM and yet I still get the same problems, Apparently Lightroom dev are working on it (Yer right!), and the 1.1 update is meant to be out soon (well sometime in the next 10 years maybe).

I have looked at most of the software out there and have settled on Lightroom, it works (Just), and does everything that I need as a pro photographer, but I do have a VERY annoying gripe with it, it is so memmory hungry, I take about 2000 pictures a day on an average shoot, I then bring back the cards and copy them to my HDD first before importing, Why! Simple, because so some reason Lightroom will say that it can not import certain or all files, it does not seem to work well with over 500 images at a time, especially not from card readers anyway.

 

I then import from the directly from the HDD, and all is well, except that I then need to reboot the PC else the system will hang, Lightroom eats memmory, which is a joke as I have 4GB of RAM on a dual Xeon workstation, and it still kills it.

 

After the reboot, I start to go through the images, I can normally mark for deletion about 500-1000, but I only seem to be able to do about 400 at a time, then I have to quite out and restart, else the software hangs, good er!

 

Finally after I have remobved the duds, I can white balance, colour correct, and align the images, again only about 400 at a time, sometimes even less before I need a restart.

 

Then, because of the rubbish noise reduction and sharpen modules that Lightroom has, I then need to export about 100 per day to TIFF format to then edit in Photoshop.

 

My gripe is that the software does not save time, I spend more time infront of the PC than I do behind the camera.

 

If anyone knows of any software that is as good with 'Keywords' as Lightroom is, and can handle upwards of 20,000 images, I would love to hear from them.

 

Till then, I kind of like Lightroom, Roll on the update, SOON I hope...

Lightroom, I use nothing else.

OK, I have just brought a few Sandisk Compact Flash cards from good old eBay,

but I have seen since that there are a load of Fake cards out there, I was

wondering if there is a way to tell that they are Fake? Someone told me that the

real ones have 'Made in China', but I checked with Sandisk and they told me that

up until late 2004 they use to be made in Taiwan, and this have 'Made in Taiwan'

on them, so that does not work, I gave the serial numbers to Sandisk to get back

to me, but that was a week agao and I have still not heard from them, does

anyone have any way of knowing, or is it just hang on and wait.?

Personally save your money and wait till tyou can get the 1.2 or even better lay your hands on the 1.0, the 1.4 is OK, but the other two are so much faster and work much better with really bad light, but I am sure that someone will just say that it is in my head. I use to own the 1.4, before I moved to the 1.2 and then to the 1.0 when I found one on eBay of all places.

I used JPEG once with my 30D, and was not happy with the results, the images were not good and needed to be messed around with, I was annoyed that although I could correct the lack of experience a bit with JPEG's, I had lost a good picture that could not be taken again, since then I have obviously improved, but on the times when I still get it wrong, at least with RAW files I can 99% of the time sort out the mess, yes it means more time stuck in front of the computer, but on the up side it means less time with the misses, which is always a plus.

 

Another thing to mention is that most of the magazines that I now take photos for prefer RAW files to TIFF, and I know none that would except JPEG's, however big they are.

I must admit I only guessed at the ring, I own the MT-24 myself, never bothered with the ring, but had a load of one when I was learning.

Oh I hate annoying people, so im sorry to Jim Simon and the others out there that like the 50mm Macro, But I am I suppose more spoilt than most have such a large stock of Macro lenses, and in that entire range, I find the 50mm Macro USELESS, the 100mm Macro will cover nearly everything for the hobby and pro photographer alike, the 180mm is a cracking lens too, but out of the price range of some, as far as the 100mm goes, you do not need anything special to add to it like a flash and tripod to get some really cracking photos, this lens has ernt me more money than most in my collection, as for the other makes and sizes, they all have there uses and pros and cons, for me the 50mm Macro has no place, except as the paper weight that I use it for, and I am not joking.

 

Lester Wareham mentions the Lens hood, the only reason that I never really mentioned this also was down to the fact that it is only really worth it IF you have the MT-24 or the MR-14 Flash units on the camera, especially the MT-24, the MR-14 seems to not cause as much light to be thrown back onto the lens from the flash itself, and when using MP-E65, if you do take some photos without a flash, and although this is very hit and miss, I never use the lens hood, this lens needs light, and no flash and a lens hood kills this lens.

 

I a very sorry if I annoy anyone with my views, but that is what is great about this site, we can all pitch in and shout out our views, Macro is the biggest paycheck for me, and to get the best from it costs money, I would say that you can easily spend stupid money on Macro work and still have nothing truly outstanding to show for it.

 

If you want the truly outstanding, stunning, mind-blowing, big money photo's of bug and anything else small, then you have to master the MP-E65, and as already standed, this will cost a fortune, My setup for Macro when using the MP-E65 is as follows:

 

Manfrotto 161 Mark 2B Tripod,

Manfrotto 405 Geared Head Unit,

Manfrotto 454 Focus Plates (2 off Fitted at 90 degrees to each other),

Canon MP-E65mm Macro 5x Lens (With Hood),

Canon MT-24EX Flash Unit,

A few Small 12" Reflectors,

And a good supply of cold drinks and sandwitches (This is NOT optional).

 

You can use a cheaper Tripod and head, but I have 6 Tripods and about 8 heads that I have gone through to help with stability and camera movement, and also the dreaded, 'It needs to be fast' or I will miss the shot, I settled on this setup because it works for me, it was not cheap, and it took me a year to collect it all, but I find it works in all conditions.

 

Again I hope this helps.

I think most effects you can now do really easyly and with more control in Photoshop or the like, the only filters I use on the camera are Circular Polarizing, which will help me skys and reflections which are a little harder to hander on the PC, as far as Colour, Grads, etc, stick to a PC, Cheaper and I think more rewarding.

The 100mm Macro is about the best all-round Macro lens out there, well that is what i think anyway, I use this lens more than any other, but for real 'BUG' work, you might want to look at the MP-E65, I do love this lens, and I love it alot, but here are some warnings first:

 

1. Unlike the 100mm Macro, the MP-E65 Needs a GOOD Tripod, and a very good flash, MT-24 is about the best out there, taking this into account you will be spending the same that you spent on the lens to get a Tripod and Flash, without these you will be pushing getting anything above 2x Magnification, and you can forget getting up really close without a good flash.

 

2. Although the above point is about it for the extra's required for this lens, you should also look into getting at least 1 x Manfrotto 454 Focusing Rails, I use 2 of these 90 degrees to each monted on top of a GOOD geared Head unit, this will allow you to move very small amounts left, right, up, down, and in and out and hopefully not scare off your prey.

 

3. The Depth of Field of this lens is so tight, that if you take a picture of a ladybirds head, the body can be out of focus, thus the need for focusing rails, geared heads, and a good tripod, basically this lens takes time to master.

 

4. Time, I know I mentioned it above, but you need way more time to play with this lens than with any other, the 100mm is a point and click lens, this is a learn to set up quick and hope the bug doesn't move off before you are ready type of lens, it can be used handheld, but above 2x it is near impossible, you have to be able to control your breathing, and your feel of the camera, even the slightest movement of the wind will ruin nearly every shot.

 

OK, I have been quite negative, But as far as Bug lenses go, this is the KING! Once you have mastered it, and got the handle on its strange ways, the shots you take are useually mind blowing, to see the actual eyes of the ladybird up close and so very personal are just stunning. This lens takes Macro to a whole new level, I have 8 Fully Macro Lenses, and the 100mm is my most used, but the one that always blows me away is this, even when it is raining and you can't get out, try taking a picture of the carpet at 5x, trust me, after seeing that you won't stop hoovering, A dust mite at full sensor size is scary.

 

OK I know I have hopefully backed the MP-E65 and rate it in my top 5 lenses, I just want to add that my worst lens in my collection is also a Macro, that is the 50mm Macro, This lens as fare as I am concerned is useless, even when you add the Life Size Adapter onto it, which by the way works great when attached to the 100-400mm L IS Lens, worth a play if you have this adpater. Anyway, do not waist your time with it if you have the 50mm Macro, I have not used my 50mm Macro in a year now, I should really ditch it, I hate it so much I would not even sell it on eBay for 99p.

 

Anyway I hope this helps. I do love bug photography, and the 100mm and the MP-E65mm are my two most used lenses for this job.

I have looked at the Pelican bags, they do look nice, a bit impracticle for me on the back of my Yamaha YZF-R1 at 160mph, Like you I had to compromise on a few items, I can get most of what I need, I normally take my 30D, 100-400mm + Lens Hood, 100mm Macro + Lens Hood, 17-85mm + Lens Hood, MP-E65mm Macro, and a 50mm + Lens Hood, with a 2x Converter, 1.4x Converter, 2x Batteries, Battery Grip (Already attached to the Camera), 2x Manfrotto 454 Focusing Rails, Manfrotto 190CL Tripod, Samsung Miniket Digital Camcorder, Remote for 30D, Small Just Photography Sensor Cleaning Kit, Battery Chargers and Main Leads, Spare Memory Cards, and all this just about fits, It is a push and I do need a bigger bag, but trying to find something as comfortable as the LowPro, but maybe more waterproof and still not be too big for the bike so that it becomes to dangerous, I do keep looking at the Tamrac Expedition 8, but I live on a small island and none of the retailers here hold this bag, plus it is a lot to pay for something that might not offer me much more than my cheap LowPro, thus till then I will still stand by my LowPro, Cheap, and it does the job, just...

I have the entire range of Canon Macro lenses and for cost, quality and ease of use I would go with the 100mm, this is also one of my favorite lenses, the 180mm is very nice too but could be out of your price range, and to be fare, it is not that much different than the 100mm, except for it's reach obviously, as for the 50mm and the 60mm EF-S, I would not bother, the 50mm is my most least used lens in my entire collection of 26 lenses, the 100mm is such a good piece of glass, you would not ever regret it, As for the MP-E65, I do love this lens, but there are a few things that you need to know:

 

1. It will be totally useless for portraits, this is ONLY a macro lens and is only for taking photos like the nice butterly above,

 

2. It also needs a good tripod, focasing rails, and a proper flash assembly like the MT-24 to get anything worthwhile from, so after spending around 1500 GBP on the outfit, you will not get much except a lot of hassle and grief, it took me about 3 months of constant playing and experimenting to get the best from this lens.

 

Go with the 100mm, it is a fantasic lens, great quality and you can get some good photos, even if the only flash that you have is the built in one.

 

It is worth the money.

I never leave the batteries in the grip, Canon state in the manual that this should never be done, but I have got back from a shot once and totally forgot due to being knackered, it was three days later that I got the camera out to upload the images to the PC and noticed that the camera was actually still 'ON', and so was the grips power option as well, I do remember checking the Batteries and the power reading on the display still showed full power.

 

I have to say that I am well impressed with the batteries that this camera uses, my old camera used to need charging every day, this seems to work none stop, I can leave the batteries (Out of the Camera) and not use them for weeks and then when I need them they still have the same charge that I left them with.

 

Maybe it is because these are Canon Batteries and not third party.

 

Anyway, No issues with the grip draining juice here, though I do tend to remove the batteries anyway after every shoot.

I went out with the misses shopping the other day and she dragged me round Boots buying makeup, not for me I hasten to add, but whilst being dragged around and making fun of her choices I noticed some really soft makeup brushes, about 5mm across, I added it to the basket and since then have used this most of the time, it is softer that the brushes that you get it most of the cleaning kits, and most of the time it works great.

 

For that stubbon black dot that wil not move, I use 'Photographic Solutions Sensor Swab Type 2 Kit (for my 30D)', I found a great seller on ebay that does them cheaper than 'Photographic Solutions' do, and that works very well, never fails me.

I have the entire Macro range from Canon, and a few extras from other manufacturers as well, personally I hate the 50mm Macro, it is my most un-used lenes, as opposed to my 100mm Macro which is one of my most used lenses, to get the best out of the 50mm you will need to really add a Life Size Adapter, but then this might make it useless for your needs, and as a quick mention, the Life size adapter is not just for the 50mm lens as Canon State, I use it with most of my other lens for some cracking stuff, especially works well with the 100-400 L IS Lens, but I degress a bit.

 

Look into the 100mm Macro, pop to your local Camera store and ask them to fit it onto a camera and have a play for an hour, if you have a good shop, they will not mind, if the do, never shop there again, I use my local Jessops, and although they are slightly dear, they are VERY helpful, and will always let you play for a while to make sure that what you see is right for you.

I use the LowPro Mini Trekker AW for various reason, the first is that I like a bag that does not obviously shout 'CAMERA BAG', I have seen many get stolen over the years, and I think having it on your back makes it a little harder to take. The next reason is that I go a lot of places on Motorbike, so again, being on the back is an obvious choice for me, and the bag is fairly comfortable, and have I mentioned cheap.

 

There are a few niggly bits, the water proof cover that comes with the bag is a bit on the tight side, If you dont put too much in the bag it is OK, but with me I carry 1 D-SLR, 5 Lenses, 2 Flashes, a Converter, Spare Batteries, Memory Cards, 2 Focusing rails, Filters and Cables, I am pushing it, and for me I need something bigger already, the waterproof cover does fit, but it is hard work with this lot in the bag.

 

The next niggle is the only REALLY annoying thing about this bag, the so called Tripod/Monopod Mount, 'it works' is all I can say, if you use a 190 Manfrotto like me, with a head fitted, the bottom of the tripod hits you on the arse every step you make, it also pulls back on the bag a lot, and although it is still comfortable on the back, the constant movement of the Tripod gets to be very annoying to the point where you just do not want to take it anymore, this I leave it at home unless I am working with Macro, then no choice.

 

Now I have slagged this bag off a bit, but that aside I do think it is a good bag for the cost, it holds the gear safe, it is comfortable to wear, and is really easy to get the gear out of when you need it.

 

Would I buy another, being honest, NO, but not because of quality or comfort, I am running out of space, so I have been looking at larger ones in the LowPro range, but I found that they all use the same method of hanging the tripod off the back of the bag, and ONLY because of this I will not be buying another. I do like the look of the ThinkTank range, but the bag I like is too big for treaking and on the back of the bike at speed. I am still on my quest for the perfect bag, but if you dont need a Tripod, then I can honestly recommend the LowPro range for Cost, Comfort, and features. If you do want a Tripod, then FORGET IT!

Not ever had a problem with the 50mm lenses, if anything they are the most trouble-free lenses I have, I got the 1.4 some time back, then the 1.2 and just recently I have managed to locate a 1.0, all are just great lenses, I would go with cleaning the contacts on the lenses and the camera, can not think of anything else, they are fairly bomb proof lenses.

I do like the Gallery, about time Bush some bad press, Opps, I forgot, doesn't he always, just a shame he is too thick to notice.

 

Anyway I degress, I do like the 10-22, but I am still in too minds to get it, not for quality reasons as like your photos show, it can take some cracking images, but from the point that I will upgrade to a 5D or a 1D in a year or two, and that will make the lens useless, it is a shame that Canon do not release a Nice lens like this for standard EF lenses as well.

I use to go through the hassle of taking a photo of a blank piece of paper and setting the white balance, then just gave up, just never had the time to do it say three of four times a day, when moving to different locations etc, noticed a little card available on www.rawworkflow.com called the WhiBal Card, only $19, and have never looked back, really easy to use and works every time.

I must admit that I do never leave the batteries in the camera when I am not using it, I have only heard from one person who had a problem with batteries leaking and that was after about 6 months of not being used, but those batteries were also old and 3rd party batteries, the problem came in that Canon voided his warrenty as it states in the user manuals not to store the camera for a long time with the batteries in the camera.

 

Not that that is offering you any help, but maybe the camera does not like being left, or maybe the batteries are discharging somehow. either way, removing the batteries if storing might be a good thing if your counties Canon centre refuse to help because of a battery problem.