timothy_pia

June 2, 2009

Guess that's why I have all my equipment insured through my home owner's policy. If anything like that happened or it was lost or stolen, my insurance will cover it's replacement or whatever the latest model is in the line. As careful as I am with my gear, it's totally worth it to me so long as Murphy's Law applies. Hope all is well and good luck.

February 10, 2009

Well I guess that answers that. Thanks guys. Maybe Canon will add the "AF-ON" switch on there next revamp of the battery grip. Until then, I think I can wait. Thanks again.

February 10, 2009

Hi Folks,

I was considering adding a battery grip to my Canon 40D, but am a bit disappointed that Canon decided to leave off the "AF-ON" button on the BG-E2N. So I started looking at other options and just happend to notice this grip pictured in Ken Rockwell's Canon 50D review. It can be found about half way down the page under "Ultrasonic Sensor Cleaner" I've looked everywhere and can't seem to find this particular model grip. It is definitely not Canon's BG-E2N, so what is it? Any ideas? And yes I have emailed Ken and have yet to get a response so in the mean time I'd thought I'd ask the forum. Thanks.

Here's the exact link: http://kenrockwell.com/canon/50d.htm

.......and the photo of the 50D with attached grip as seen in the review:

Here's the back of Canon's BG-E2N for comparison:

February 3, 2009

While you may not want to purchase the EF-S 17-85 because of looking down the road in getting a full frame body, you definitely will miss out on the convenience of having the wide angle for the time being. I got this lens with my 40D and have never looked back. I also have the EF-S 10-22 because wide angle focal lengths are important to me. The 17-85 is a 5x zoom that will cover the FF equivalent of 27-136mm. A buddy of mine bought the 40D around the same time I got mine back in May '08, and got the 28-135 instead because he didn't want to pay the extra $200 difference at the time between the lenses. If you're saying that the difference in price now is only 40 bucks, I wouldn't even think about it. My friend's other reasoning was that he already owned the 18-55 off an older Rebel camera so he could simply change lenses if he had to. The nice thing about the 17-85 on a crop body is that you won't have to. Your call and good luck.

January 23, 2009

As was mentioned above, you can take your film to any mini lab and have them pull the end of the film lead out. Many moons ago, I worked in a mini lab and I was always amazed at this contraption we used every day made by Noritsu in Japan. It was about 1 foot long by 6 inches high and 4 inches wide with a handle on the right side that I would pull towards me to pull the film lead out. The right side of the 35mm film cassette (the side that goes inward) would fit into a complimentary take up spindle--like what's inside your camera. While holding the film cassette with my left hand, I would pull the handle on the right towards me and two flexible aluminum tongues would insert themselves between the slit where the film lead resides. They would reach into the canister and grab for the end of the film lead. I would then push the handle on my right away from me and the tongues would have the film lead between them. Sooooo just rewind your film and go to your nearest mini lab and your done. Now of course, if you had an even older camera i.e. Canon A1--those without a built in film advance, there wouldn't even be an issue here. Simply go to the darkest closet in the house, and slowly hand wind the film back into the canister, feeling for when the end lead comes up and stopping before it goes all the way into the canister. Happy shooting.

January 14, 2009

Just an update. I received a copy of a 2nd 40D camera body over the weekend along with the Canon Pixma 9000 printer. Printer works just fine. Very happy with it. The 2nd 40D on the other hand had more than 15 dust bunnies on the image sensor right out of the box. Since I bought it from BH Photo, I was able to return it free of shipping charges. But rather than hoping for another copy that wasn't full of dust, I decided to just get a full refund. I thought to myself "this happened for a reason". I realize now that the way to go on having a 2nd camera body is really to have them compliment each other. The best of both worlds would be a crop body with a FF just like a lot of you mentioned. Having two 40Ds would have been nice for say photojournalism or shooting weddings, but I for the majority shoot landscapes and I know a FF camera would excel here. That said, I can now use that $800 towards a new 5D mark II down the road. I've gotten used to a lot of things on the 40D that I'd give up on the first generation 5D i.e. LCD clarity/size and menu navigation to name a couple. Thanks again for all your replies.

January 14, 2009

I'd keep the 40D since you mention how you love the reach you get with telephoto lenses. Also you mention the fact that you don't really do much landscape shooting, and that's just what the 5D's specialty is. The 40D can do fine portraits in its own right and you can chase action with it a lot easier than the 5D. For me though, I think the best of both worlds is the way to go with a crop body as well as a FF to compliment it. I already own a 40D which I love, but because landscape photography is what I shoot the most of, I'm looking at the 5D mark II down the road. I've gotten used to a lot of things on the 40D that I'd give up on the first generation 5D i.e. LCD clarity/size and menu navigation to name a couple. I'd rather move forward than backwards with technology. Once again, keep your 40D. It's a great camera.

January 13, 2009

Sorry--typo on that Tamrac holster bag. It's a 5630 (not 5130).

January 13, 2009

I know I'm going to get some disagreement with this one, but how about the EF-S 17-85. Its a 5x zoom equivalent to a 27-136mm on a FF body. I got it with my 40D and use it as my general walk around lens. The camera and lens along with a Canon DG-200 case and extra battery pack were a gift from my wife back in May. While not the perfect lens, I believe it performs extremely well and you can get very good photos from it. You just have to know its limitations (just like any piece of equipment). I considered upgrading it to the EF-S 17-55, but couldn't bring myself to do it on account of the difference in price and I would have lost out on the Canon case and extra battery since it was packed as a single kit. Maybe I'll still get your lens someday, but for now the 17-85 fills most of my needs. For going on long trips like the one you planning on going on, I like to travel light with just a Tamrac 5130 Pro Zoom 10 holster bag and the EF-S 17-85 and EF-S 10-22 (for the extra wide view) since they both fit in the holster along with the camera mounted to either of them. I also own a 70-200 f/4 L and 100mm 2.8 macro, but I leave them home on long trips. My shoulders and back thank me at the end of the day. Good luck with your selection.

January 9, 2009

Ditto to Francie's response above. I just ordered a 2nd 40D from BH for $792 last week and got an additional $25 off since I was a first time customer with BillMeLater. I think the extra $100 you would pay gives you some insurance with a warranty. That's why I ordered another one before Canon stops officially manufacturing them anymore (and of course because the price has taken a drop since the 50D was announced). Now years ago, I bought my Canon A1 body used at a local photo swap, but there's something to be said about vintage equipment that still works as good as the day it was built 30 years ago.

December 29, 2008

Thanks again for all your responses Now that I look back on it, the ideal setup would be a full frame body for landscape and greater DOF i.e. Canon 5D and a crop body for telephoto and high speed photography i.e. Canon 40D. Thing is cost as an issue at the moment and even though I already own two EF lenses (70-200 f4 L IS, and 100 f2.8 Macro), I would still have to invest in a 24-105 f4 L and a 16-35 L. Yes I could have resisted temptation with the EFS 10-22, and waited a bit longer and take the full frame plunge, but I didn't. The 10-22 is actually a pretty impressive lens IMO. The cost to add on two L lenses above plus the 5D is a bit out of reach now.

Anyway, I ordered another copy of the 40D. Now I'll have two bodies to make the lens changing not a big issue. I found another forum that mentioned an owner of a Canon Rebel Xti comparing shots to the Canon 50D in terms of loss off depth of field using the same lens. This tells me those calculations I found earlier above regarding "DLA" have some significance. I just didn't want to limit any more sharpness when I stopped down on my lenses. If I can't use f/11 with confidence, then it's time to go a another route and skip the 50D, adding another 40D or waiting for a while longer and taking the full frame plunge. Decision made. Now its time to take some more photos.

Thanks again all.

December 28, 2008

Thanks for all your responses so far. I appreciate it. John, thanks for making the point to not get pulled in just because of package deal. Thing is the Canon Pixma pro9000 has got some pretty good reviews and I've compared it to HP and Epson. And getting a printer of this caliber for $99 is pretty hard to beat. Your right that I probably could still wait on a 2nd body, but I won't be able to get a new 40D for this price if I wait too long. I figure the 40D may go down another $100 before they're no longer available, but they also could just ride at just below $1000 like most local camera shops have it now until all the new stock is gone. I think the lower base price now is just due to the holiday season.

I just read up another review on thedigitalpicture.com. It mentions a term that I was trying to get at earlier called "DLA" or defraction limited aperture. "This number is the result of a mathmatical formula that approximates the aperture where diffraction visibly starts affecting image sharpness when viewed at full-size on a display - the aperture where the image starts becoming less-sharp due to diffraction. Along with the resolution increase each new model brings us, the narrowest aperture we can use to get pixel-sharp images gets wider. With the 50D, even an f/8 aperture is narrower than optimal for on-screen pixel sharpness."

I'm quite aware that I can't stop down my ultra wide angle lens for landscape shots like I used to on my film camera without losing sharpness. I've learned to hang at around f/8,9,10,11. F16 is really pushing it on a small sensor camera. Now according to the research above, it appears that due to change in MP number and their relative size, I'd need to be very conservative on my greater depth of field f stop or else my image gets much softer. I've found my sweet spot on the 10-22 to be around from f/8 to f/10. I don't want to lose that now with the 50D.

Another issue I've been reading about with the 50D is that the battery life with the same 511 Li type batteries is less (probably due to the new screen)

I think I'm going for another 40D since the price is pretty nice now and I'd rather purchase a new camera body than used in the future.

Yes the 5D series looks especially inviting, but in the mean time, I'm going to enjoy what I have and just get another 40D for convenience.

Feel free to add any more comments. Otherwise thanks again for the responses so far.

December 28, 2008

Hi folks, I received a Canon 40D camera kit with 17-85 f/4-5.6 EFS lens, extra battery pack and Canon 200DG camer case for a birthday gift from my wife last May, 2008. Yes, I know, what a cool wife. Believe me it surprised me to say the least. This not only brought me up to date into the world of digital photography, but that of high speed autofucus as well. You see I've been shooting with a Canon A-1 FD body for nearly 30 years with a T70 as a second body. Now that Canon has been doing all these rebates lately, I was thinking of taking of advantage in the signifcant price drop that the 40D has taken. I really love the Canon 40D camera, and when I heard the 50D was being released just months after I started shooting with the 40D, I felt momentarily disappointed, but then got over it pretty quick after I read one of the first hands on reviews on the 50D on dpreview. I'm going to place an order soon to take advantage of the rebate and don't want to miss out on the lower base price currently on these cameras. To all those out there who own the 40D, would you get a 2nd 40D body or would you spend the almost $300 more for the 50D? I've read the review on bob atkins' website stating that he would swap his 40D and go up, but dpreview's review of the new 50D doesn't make it such a clear decision. Some of the new bells and whistles of the 50D sound attractive, but I'm more concerned about the resultant image quality. I've read where the noise on the 50D is actually greater than on the 40D, but the resolution is of course higher. When it all comes out in the wash some say the difference in the image quality on the 40 to the 50D is not noticeable and therefore makes me question spending an extra $300 for a nicer LCD screen to name a few. And I know some may say, save your money and put it towards the 5D series later on. I plan on waiting quite a bit longer for full frame sensor camera prices to come down a bit more. Besides, I own two APS lenses (10-22, 17-85 )which means investing in the 16-35L and 24-105L on top of the cost of a 5D, quite a jump. So far I love my current 40D body with 10-22 f/3.5-4.5, EFS, 17-85 f/4-5.6 EFS, 70-200 f/4 L, 1.4x EFII teleconverter, 100 f/2.8 EF Macro. that I expanded to last summer. I've always liked the versatility of having a couple of camera bodies with different lenses attached (and differn't film speeds/types with my older film system). Not only that, it would cut down on the sensor dust issue as well by keeping my 10-22 permanently fixed to one of the bodies.

Your thoughts are welcome. I wanted to take advantage of Canon's Pixma Pro9000 printer rebate combo with a 40D or 50D--You essentially get a pro printer for $99 after mail in rebate.

March 20, 2007

Hello again,

Just wanted to thank you guys for the input. Got a chance to test the Canon FD 20mm lens over the weekend. You guys were right about these minute blemishes in the coating not being of serious concern. I could not see anything detectable on the prints at all. A wonderful lens. Now I can say I'm completely satisfied with my purchase and call it a keeper. Hope this post is of help to anyone else out there that may have the same concerns. Now time to get out there and take some more photos. Thanks again to all who answered.

Tim Pia

March 19, 2007

Hello again,

Just wanted to thank you guys for the input. Got a chance to test the Canon FD 20mm lens over the weekend. You guys were right about these minute blemishes in the coating not being of serious concern. I could not see anything detectable on the prints at all. A wonderful lens. Now I can say I'm completely satisfied with my purchase and call it a keeper. Hope this post is of help to anyone else out there that may have the same concerns. Now time to get out there and take some more photos. Thanks again to all who answered.

Tim Pia

March 13, 2007

Thanks for all your responses so far. I'm really leaning toward the "I don't think it will make a difference" side of the coin now that I've heard some experiences with wide angle lenses.

Incidetaly, how should I go about testing the lens when I shoot some photos? Should I try to shoot in the direction of the sun? Should I try the lens in low light? I know when I look through the lens with the sun in view that I do get the characteristic hexagonal shapes coming from the center. But that's all I see. Should I be looking for addtional flare coming from elsewhere? I don't see anything coming from where the tiny blemishes in the lens coating are at. I also think I would try different aperature sizes as well from wide open compared to f16/f22. Your experiences are welcome and thanks again for all the responses so far.

Tim Pia

March 13, 2007

Hello all,

Just aquired a Canon FD20mm f2.8 wide angle off of ebay. Lens appears to be in

excellent condition mechanically as well as finish wise. I discovered however

that the front lens element has two minute blemishes about the size of a tiny

grain of sand in the coating. At first glance you wouldn't even notice them

since they are so subtle, but you can see them if you hold the lens into the

sunlight or under a lamp. You really need a magnifying glass to see exactly

what they are. I don't beleive that the lens needs cleaning since the rest of

the glass including the rear element are extremely clean and clear with no

cleaning marks. The dealer had a 100% feedback rating and he said I could

simply get a full refund if I wish and that he appologized for his tech

overlooking this. I have yet to shoot a role of film. I'll do that this

weekend. I've read extensively that with wide angle lenses, this can be more

of a concern expecially if the lens is stopped down. Just looking for advice.

I don't really mind the minute blemishes if they don't make a diffence on the

photos. I got the lens with the BW-72 hood and original caps to go with it.

It is otherwise in beautiful condition. Your input is welcome. Thanks.

Tim Pia

Davis, CA

March 13, 2007