john_merriman1

<p>Yes, what current Canon software can download photos from a SD card placed in the card reader of a Windows 10 PC laptop? EOS Utility seems to want the SD card in the camera and USB tethered to the laptop. But that is cumbersome and slow. I don't see current versions of Zoombrowser or Imagebrowser available. And DPP 4.5 doesn't look like it has any function to import from an SD card reader? Maybe I am overlooking something? </p>

<p>I have a Fotodiox adapter to use my Canon lenses on the A6000 and A7 series Sony cameras. The adapter was a little over $100 directly from Fotodiox USA. While autofocus mostly works it is VERY slow. The Sonys have a wonderful system of focus peaking and magnification in the viewfinder that makes manual focus simple, easy and fast. Not as fast as Canon autofocus. But focus is very accurate every shot. The Canon lenses with IS work with the adapter. If you can live with slow autofocus or manual focus the Canon lenses work very well.<br>

The 19mm Sigma is very good, as is the Sony 10-18. Also the Sony 50 1.8 and Rokinon 12 2.0. Much more expensive but an excellent lens is the Zeiss 24mm 1.8.</p>

<p>If the Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2.8 is your maximum size, that's what I would get. The Loxia 35f2 is a great lens but it is more than twice the weight of the Sonnar FE 35f2.8 and only does manual focusing. I have used the Canon EF 35f2 IS on the A7s. It works well, and has the IS, but is bigger than the Sonnar and Loxia, and weighs the same as the Loxia. I just bought the Sonnar and it is very small and light. It also has a unique lens hood that reduces the overall size of the lens in use. So far the pics on the A7s are very sharp with great color, even at f2.8. Autofocus is quick and manual works fine, especially with peaking and magnify active. My initial reason for switching to the Sony mirrorless A7 series was for the weight and size reduction of the camera bodies. The Sonnar FE 35f2.8 is a great lens for a full-frame compact system.</p>

<p>I don't know about the textured surface you are seeing - my RX100 III has a smooth surface. But I did add the Sony accessory grip and like it a lot. <br>

There may also be some internal differences (like NTSC/PAL, video rates, etc) between USA versions and grey market. </p>

<p>As I said above, there is nothing at this point that would replace my 7DII and 100-400II. But I have been looking for a light compact system to complement that outfit. The 70D I have is a great camera but the size and weight are too close to the 7DII. The SL1 is a very good camera - I have given it to several family members. But the autofocus system (mainly the limited focus points) and non-articulating LCD are negatives for me. I had a Sony RX 100 v1 but the 1" sensor was ultimately too small. I was hoping the EOS M3 was going to fix the negatives of my EOS M1. Then I came across the Sony A6000. 24mb APS-C sensor, very light and compact, very fast phase and contrast autofocus and a number of other great features including a very usable EVF. Add a couple of small light E-mount 1.8 primes and it has become my take anywhere camera.<br>

Here are couple of things I was pleasantly surprised about. I shoot in Manual mode 90% of the time. With the A6000 I can be in Manual with Auto ISO and am able to use the Exposure Compensation wheel which affects the ISO. So I can be in Auto ISO with say +1 compensation applied to the ISO. I use it all the time. Very handy. It would be hard to give up this feature.<br>

When I use the pop up flash on the A6000 and am in Auto ISO it doesn't default to 400 ISO. It acts more like a fill flash that uses the ambient ISO so the picture isn't all flash exposure. Yes I can manually set a higher ISO when using a flash with the Canon but the Sony does it automatically. <br>

This is not to bash Canon. I love most of their gear. But for small, compact, lightweight mirrorless APS-C and full frame cameras I am having to look elsewhere.</p>

 

<p>I kept my EOS M-1 because of the small size, decent sensor and the fantastic 22mm lens. I was considering an upgrade to the EOS M-3 but Canon doesn't seem interested in marketing it in the US. Guess I will be keeping the Sony A6000 I bought recently and selling the M-1. BTW, where is a Canon full-frame mirrorless camera? Size and weight have become very important to me lately for some of my shooting. I sold my 5D III and am looking at Sony's full frame options (I will keep the EOS 7DII and 100-400II). I have used Canon exclusively for over 30 years and and am disappointed that I am having to look at other options.</p>

<p>The 70D is a great wildlife camera, plus excellent video. If weight is an issue I would consider the SL-1. The new STM lenses are very good. I use the Canon 100-400 with the 70D, but when I need a light and small outfit I take the SL-1 with the 18-55 STM and 55-250 STM. </p>

<p>I wouldn't hesitate buying a Canon refurb camera or lens from Adorama. I have done that myself and the items have been indistinguishable from new. </p>

<p>If you are having autofocus problems with the Tamron 150-600 on the 7D, make sure Custom Function III Option 4 is set to 1. A number of people have "fixed" their autofocus problem with this setting.</p>

<p>If you are having autofocus problems with the Tamron 150-600 on the 7D, make sure Custom Function III Option 4 is set to 1. A number of people have "fixed" their autofocus problem with this setting.</p>

<p>The Camera Standard setting often over saturates the reds. I have my Picture Style set to Neutral, Sharpness 6, Contrast 1, Saturation 2. While I shoot RAW+Jpeg I often get jpegs that are good to go right out of the camera with those settings. You may want to experiment with the settings for each parameter until you get the look you want.</p>

<p>I have both lenses and they are excellent. I would say "best" could depend on which is more important for you - the option of a constant f/2.8 or the 56-135mm range.<br>

Since I got the 18-135 STM I rarely use the 17-55 on my 70D, and will probably sell it since the 18-135 STM better suits my needs for that camera.</p>

<p>I forgot about the Touch screen. The SL1 was my first touch screen DSLR. Now I wish my 5D3 had a touchscreen. If your daughter uses a smartphone with a touchscreen she will adapt super quick. It just seems so intuitive now that it is frustrating for me to use a camera without a touchscreen.<br>

All the Canon menus are laid out pretty much the same way. Whether you access them by buttons or Quick Menu or Touchscreen, all are readily available. I use a combination of all three on the SL1 and love having those options.</p>

<p>The SL1 is a compact version of the T4/5i. They all have the same sensor. The SL1 doesn't have the articulating screen but it does have some updates the T4/5i doesn't.<br>

I have purchased two SL1s for family members and they love it, especially compared to the SX260s they were using. Each has the Canon 18-135 STM lens. One daughter wanted an articulating screen so she has the T4i and the 18-135 STM.<br>

The SL1 is a fantastic camera for the money and everyone loves the small size and light weight. There have been no problems with battery consumption and no one has a spare battery.<br>

The Canon 18-55 STM is a surprisingly good lens. As others have suggested, for a photography course you might need to add a lens to facilitate more creative aperture options. The 50 f/1.8 or 40 f/2.8 STM are both relatively inexpensive, sharp and obviously allow shots with larger apertures. </p>

<p>15 shots listed in test.txt file. Only 14 pics shown. And not sure of the order so I can't tell which lens.</p>

<p>The Canon 24-70 II has replaced my primes. It is sharp wide open and focuses very quickly. Since most of my shots are at 1/90 or faster I don't miss IS. If I have very low light and can use a slow shutter speed I do have the Canon 35f/2 IS which is also fantastic.</p>

<p>The EOS M is a great camera for certain things, especially where weight or size is a concern. With the 22mm lens it is my take everywhere setup for landscapes since it is so small and light. Yet I it has an APS-C sized sensor. I can stitch multiple shots to create large panoramas that are sharp edge to edge. People are amazed they came from such a small camera and lens.<br>

With the 18-55 IS STM lens the M is a great small video camera. The Hybrid CMOS AF with Movie Servo AF produces very nice smooth and steady focusing videos.<br>

At current prices the EOS M can't beat for the above uses for any camera in its size and weight class. <br>

The problems with the camera come from relying on Live View for action photos. However, it is not any worse than most of the Powershots with their lag in focusing and shot-to-shot times. The Live View blackout on the M is unacceptable (it looks like it has been eliminated in the M2). OTOH the ability to determine the focus point by touching the screen is a major plus.<br>

I agree with Bob though, consider the Rebel SL1. The smallest Canon camera I have found acceptable for simple action shots (like kids playing) is the SL1. The Viewfinder and Phase Detection AF is much faster. Also, the built-in flash recycles much quicker than the anemic ones in Powershots. Plus the Hybrid CMOS AF II with Movie Servo AF is even better than the EOS M. The SL1 with the new 18-135 IS STM is a fantastic combination for family photos and movies, zoos, etc.<br>

However, I will still carry my M and 22mm where weight is a concern and I might want to take landscape photos. </p>

<p>I just got the 70D and will sell my 7D (in case you are interested). But I would recommend the 70D for your interest in video. Video is really good on the 70D with Movie Servo AF on. And the new 18-55 IS STM lens works really well for video and is surprisingly good for stills. Size and weight of the 70D is not that much different than the 7D - and you can always add a grip. You can ignore the touch screen for the most part if you want and use the traditional buttons and dials but I have large hands and love the touch screen. SD cards seems to be standard on more and more cameras and you don't need to buy the most expensive ones. Might as well get used to them. </p>

<p>FYI - I was unsuccessful in completing the update using an SD card. However, a compactflash card worked on the first try. I have no idea why - just happy to get the update and f/8 autofocus.</p>

<p>I had trouble when I tried to update/download the files for a bunch of lenses at once. But when I did only one or two at a time it worked ok. Not sure if this is the same issue though.</p>

<p>Check page 77 of the camera manual. See the shaded section. It talks about AF modes and Speedlights. Does any of that apply to your situation?</p>

<p>The 35 1.4L is a great lens. But since you have the 50 1.2L I would get the 24 1.4L II. <br>

If sharpness in a wide angle is paramount and you don't mind manual focus consider the Zeiss ZE 21 2.8 for Canon.<br>

<a href="http://lenses.zeiss.com/photo/en_DE/products/slr/distagont2821.usage.html">http://lenses.zeiss.com/photo/en_DE/products/slr/distagont2821.usage.html</a></p>

<p>I seem to recall when the first IS lenses came out there was something about making sure the IS motor has stopped running (but not having to switch off IS) before trying to dismount the lens from the body or it could result in lens damage. There was also something about switching off a DSLR before changing lenses so the mirror would be less apt to attract dust. I don't know if there is any validity to these notions today but by habit I still make sure IS has stopped and always turn the camera off before changing lenses. </p>

<p>The new RF, a little more power and a few other tweaks might be nice but I don't see replacing my two 580EXIIs anytime soon, especially at that price. With the ST-2 on the 5dII and the 7D built-in flash I have never had a problem operating the 580s off camera. Plus, as has been mentioned, there are other RF options for those that need it.</p>

<p>Here is an interesting test of 50mm lenses including Canon and Zeiss. It is not meant to be comprehensive and was shot only at one distance of 15 feet. <br>

A couple of quotes from the article:<br>

“It is <strong>not</strong> an attempt to determine the best lens. No real-world photographs are taken. Bokeh is not analyzed and compared. Color rendering, autofocus accuracy, chromatic aberration, build quality, flare resistance, and a dozen other real-world considerations aren’t considered at all. I also want to emphasize this little test is of one copy of each lens.”<br>

“From a pure resolution standpoint, the two Canon lenses are the best corner to corner…”<br>

You can read the complete test report here:<br>

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/01/the-great-50mm-shootout</p>