chris_clarke3

<p>I seem to change favourites. The 24L II is my current star. It's just great wide open and a very useful FL for me personally.<br>

I do also rather like my 50L. The look and bokeh are just very special. The 24L does get more use though.</p>

<p>I'm still not a fan of the CF door creak but I find the 5D2 solid enough for my needs.</p>

<p>I think all of us who don't shoot for a living go through phases on what we use and what we carry.<br>

I used to carry four lenses and a 580II every where. Now I take the 24-105 and one other lens with a 270EX for fill. Way better!</p>

 

<p>I have to 50L. I like it, it's my most used lens by far. It's tough to get used to at first with the very shallow DOF but once I became reasonably competent I was very happy with the shots I got and get.</p>

<p>I've recently purchased the 24L II, which is a much easier lens to use than the 50L but the bokeh is nowhere near as good or prevalent.<br>

I have no clue about the alt lenses but I can say that don't be swayed by the naysayers on the 50L. If I'd listened to them I would have missed out on this lens and the skill set I gained from using it.</p>

<p>The 50L is well built and gives results that I can't get with any other of my lenses.<br>

Sure it's a bit soft at 1.2-1.4 but at F2 it's well sharp and wide open it gets shots that most other lenses can't and at F1.2 it's a 50mm lens that can't be matched.</p>

 

<p>Jakob,<br>

I think you may have realised that we all love our 5D2's!<br>

Personally I love using my L primes with the 5D2. I'm less impressed with my zooms but they have a role.<br>

I used to be all zooms then I got the 50L. For a $1000 I'd maybe explore a Canon 50 1.4 or save up a bit for the well loved 35L.<br>

Primes on this camera just blow away zooms. I have the 24L, 50L and 100L and I love using them.<br>

Oh and stick with centre-point AF or go MF with an EG-S focusing screen.</p>

 

<p>I have the 24L II, it's a great lens and on a crop, the FL would be interesting and useful as a near standard lens.<br>

My 16-35 II was never off my 20D. It's a great standard zoom on a crop as others have mentioned.</p>

<p>I have the 270, along with a couple of 580 II's.<br>

Since I got the 270, it's my #1 fill-flash option (I have a 5D2). It does a great job and it's tiny. The bounce option means it's pretty good indoors too. It does take a bit longer to cycle than the 580 II but it has served me very well so far. Get it.</p>

<p>Tommy,</p>

<p>On the bag issue. I just got rid of 6 camera bags on Craigs List. I felt cleansed!</p>

<p>Now is the time to buy that Domke bag that has my name on it!</p>

<p>The 24L II is an amazing lens, had it a few weeks now and I love it. The bokeh is great (not as good as my 50L though), it's super sharp, even at 1.6-1.8 and 1.4 is sharper than the 50L at 1.4 too.<br>

I think on a FF the 24 compliments a 50mm well. On a crop I think the 35L would do the job perfectly.</p>

 

<p>Erik, I went from the 20D to the 5D2. True it was a bit of an expensive move but it was a good one, no regrets here.<br>

First off the LCD is very useful. I've tried to use my 20D's 1.8 inch job but I just can't go back!<br>

1600 ISO is like 400 on the 20D. 3200 is very useable. I stick with centre point AF and I basically use fast primes (24LII, 50L and my new 100L). Personally I find the AF isn't a problem for me, it's better than the 20D's was.<br>

From what I've read the 17-40 is a great lens and works well on the 5D2. I'd hang on to it as I often grab my 16-35 when 24 isn't wide enough.</p>

<p>5D2 all the way.</p>

<p>If you would have asked me this say 5 years ago I would have gone with a fast zoom or the 24-105.<br>

Now I use the 24LII or my 50L. I like to use available light and shoot indoors a lot. The primes are also super sharp outside at smaller apertures.<br>

I've never used the 50 1.4 but I really enjoy the 50L but it did take me a while to get competent with it. You have to use centre FP and get a grip on the shallow DOF.<br>

Think about the 35L too.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I didn't know Canon made such a focal length. I think you are talking about a Tokina or Sigma lens, both of which are made for a Canon EF-S mount.<br>

The Canon EF-S 10-22 lens is obviously an EF-S lens and won't physically fit on a FF camera. Only EF mount lenses will fit the 5D2. I have the 16-35 II which is wider on a FF than a 12-24 is on a 1.6 crop.<br>

There are plenty of options on FF for a new lens to fill the gap left by your 12-24.</p>

 

<p>It's 95% AF for me. Although I have been using MF a lot more since I got the 100L. There was a good recent thread on this on the FM Canon mount forum.<br />I've now started playing with my 50mm on MF and I just ordered the E-GS focusing screen for my 5D2 and we will see what happens!</p>

<p>The 270 is great as a fill in or good enough for bounce flash in a house etc. It's small, well made and is really small! I love it.</p>

<p>M, 100%.<br>

I started with P on my 20D but I wasn't happy with the decisions made for me by the camera. I tried Av and Tv but I found it easier and more obvious to use M.<br>

I have tried to use Av and Tv but I just find it easier to set everything myself. Manual is just the easiest to use.</p>

 

<p>I bought both my recent DSLR bodies from a local store. I've bought every L lens on-line from either the US or Alberta (I'm in Ontario).<br />I'd love to help out my local stores but when I can save hundreds of dollars on buying a lens ( I just saved $700 on buying a 24L II from J&R over my local price, shipped to my in-laws in Florida and on it's way up at March break!), I'll take the cheap route.<br>

<br />Keeping the money in my pocket to spend on other things than on my local camera retailers overheads makes personal financial sense to me.<br />It's sad but it's an economic hard fact, you can save a lot of money by buying on line. Saving my cash is my bottom line. Lenses are expensive enough, I want the best deal there is.</p>

<p>From past history, I would estimate a 5D3 around Sept 2011. I went from the 20D to the 5D2 and it was a huge leap. The AF isn't 1 series but there are hundreds of thousands of happy 5D2 users (I'm one of them).</p>

<p>Every camera is a compromise. I find 1 series bodies just to big and heavy for me so I'll take the AF and frame rate of the 5D2. Sure I'd like it to better, I also wish my car did 0-60 in 4 seconds and gave me 40 mpg.</p>

<p>I was being ironic. I'm English, it comes naturally!</p>

<p>And puppy. I just like the look of the lens!</p>

<p>I used the ISO 12233 chart for MA and found it easy to use. My lens is adjusted to -10.<br />I still miss more shots with this lens than any other I have but I'm getting a lot more accurate shots than I used to.<br />I'm am getting used to its foibles, it is has a really shallow dof that can be a tad frustrating as you get to to the dizzy heights of competent.<br />I really do like this lens besides all that and I'm really happy with the look it gives. It's very distinct. I can always tell straight away a 50L shot as look back through files. The bokeh and 50 mm perespective is a dead give away.<br />I think its definitely worth a go on the 5D2. It's well built, kinda sexy looking and the best 50 there is at 1.2L that Canon make.</p>

<p>I got the 270 as a fill-in for the times I use my 5D2 for taking pictures of family stuff. Yes, I feel that I can manage that with the 5D2 without any feelings of guilt.<br>

The 270 is also good for the times when you just take the camera and one lens. It's just a viable light option. I also found at Christmas it was pretty good at giving my 16-35 a hand indoors with a bit of bounce. My mother-in-law just got a G11 and it did a great job on that too.<br>

Having come from a 20D, I found that the pop-up gave pretty awful light when used as fill or for a 'happy snap'. It also cast a shadow over every lens I had except my old long gone Tammy 17-35.<br>

So in short, I don't miss having a pop up. The 270 is a great option for travelling light and indoors with a low ceiling. For the rest of the time my 580 EX II does a splendid job on or off camera.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have the 50 1.2 for two years now. It's taken me up until the last 6 months to get continually good shots. It's really been down to me getting to know the lens's strengths and limitations, but it's not been an easy road to for me to get competent . I have been frustrated at times. But I do really like this lens and the shots I get. It has character.</p>

<p > </p>

 

<p>I'm with Eric on this. Who cares how Canon or Nikon market themselves? The product I buy from Canon is a premium body with top notch lenses and flashes. I don't need TV adverts to get me to buy a new lens etc. All the gear I have I got because I had an identified need. I researched the bit of kit I needed to fill the gap, then I bought it. Not an ad involved in the mix.<br>

Premium kit doesn't really need an advert. It just needs a market and Canon has one, a very big one, despite what crappy Ritz camera and their moronic sales people say.</p>

<p>Robert, looks like you did well out of FS.<br>

Re Henry's & Blacks, they are just big chains stores and my experiences at both have never been good.<br>

I pop into the Henry's in Oakville sometimes to look at bags (the search for the prefect bag is endless!) and I cringe at the 'advice' the sales guys give to the uneducated customers unfortunate enough to walk into that store.<br>

I mean the independent stores, in my city it's Burlington Camera and Duncan & Wright that get my business.</p>

<p>Nice chatting!</p>

 

<p>Robert, where abouts are you In Canada? I'm in Burlington, On and I use Duncan & Wright. Great service, both owners are pro-photographers and they are very easy going on exchanges etc.<br>

There are still a lot of good specialist photography stores in the GTA. The Alberta route for lenses has served me well and customer service at both McBain's and the Camera Store has been very good. I definitely would not buy a lens from FS.<br>

A quick example. FS are selling the Canon 24-105 lens in store and on-line for $1559 plus taxes which is $1802 in total.<br>

The Camera Store in Edmonton charges, taxes and shipping included, $1364.<br>

That's a big difference.</p>

 

<p>I can't endorse Robert Tan's recommendation of Future Shop/Best Buy Canada as a good place to buy anything photographic.<br />You can buy a Canon body for at least the same price and usually better at any local canon camera dealer, plus you will get decent service by people who actually know the product. The sales staff I have come across in FS/BB know very little about DSLR's.<br />The lenses at FF/BB are even more expensive than rip-off Henry's.<br>

My most recent buys have been online from McBain Camera and the Camera Store from Calgary and Edmonton respectively as there is no provincial tax in Alberta saving 8% over Ontario.<br>

I've bought my last two body's from my local camera store for service reasons.<br />This is a good site for Canadian and US prices aimed at the Canadian buyer;<br>

<br /><a href="http://www.photoprice.ca/">http://www.photoprice.ca/</a><br />B&H are a site I've used frequently via my in-laws in Florida, free shipping (usually) and no taxes. Bargain for lenses, flashes etc compared to Canadian prices.</p>