myworkshop

<p>I just wanted to show the two different Dx crop viewfinder views for anyone interested.</p><div></div>

<p>OMG! :) :) ...the OP just asked a simple question about no pop-up flash on the 5D series...... (OK,...photography is 99% about the study/application of light. Flash has a lot to do with it, so a few tangents are expected.) Proceed.</p>

<p>I have bought virtually every piece of equipment, (over $100 value), on-line. Your concerns are valid, but you must know the retailers reputation and return policy. I use BizRate to shop for price and only buy from top rated stores. I have returned items with no problems except a few extra hoops to jump through, (RA numbers, etc.), and return shipping. The reason to buy online is cost; saving hundreds on a purchase isn't uncommon. I can recommend Beach Camera; they have gotten the majority of my business with no problems whatsoever.</p>

<p>Bela, hope this helps.</p>

<ul>

<li>I find pop-up flashes to be very useful if I <em><strong>don't have a clip-on flash with me</strong></em>. (Even if a speedlite would produce better results).</li>

<li>Not all pop-up flashes will produce a <em><strong>shadow</strong></em> on a LONG lens like the 80-200mm with hood attached. (The last 3 photos were for <em><strong>DEMONSTRATION</strong></em> purposes only in response to Ken Papai's original post.)</li>

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<p>Pop-up flashes can't see around lenses -- they cast horrible shadows from the lens.</p>

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<p>Not always Ken. Does the 7D cast a shadow with a 70-200mm +hood installed? I don't have one so can't check.</p>

<p>Bela, the pictures were to show that a pop up flash won't always produce a shadow. Lighten up.</p>

<p>this is the camera used.</p><div></div>

<p>without flash.</p><div></div>

<p>and without flash.</p>

<p>A couple of people mentioned a shadow cast from the lens hood. I was curious if my D700 with pop-up flash would make such a shadow on my 80-200mm with lens hood installed. These two pictures are with flash and without at 80mm and 3m distance.</p><div></div>

<p>I wish my 5D had one. I was quite happy to see that the Nikon D700, (Nikon's 5DmkII competitor), had one when I bought it. I was glad that I would always have the option of using it if I wanted to. Just yesterday I brought the family to the Children's museum. Brought the D700 and a 50mm because it had the pop-up flash. Didn't want to lug the much larger clip-on flash around with the family in tow. For most of the pictures I just used natural light below f/2.0, but they had super hero statues there this time. I had to jack up the aperture to get a good depth of field. Popped up the flash and there was no problem. I couldn't have gotten the shots without that built in flash. So I find them quite handy at times.<br>

That being said. The flash is going to be the week link in an otherwise very sturdy camera. Vulnerable to damage because it is a plastic moving part.</p><div></div>

<p>You say they both have filters on them. What type of filter? UV or something else? Anyway, ditch the filters and see if your problem goes away. What's your camera model? Reset all the settings and functions too. Can you show us an example of one of your 'hazy / lack of contrast' photos?</p>

<p>It's probably the way you are shooting the 70-200 that is the problem. That lens is almost universally accepted as an excellent performer and unless the lens is defective/damaged it will be tack sharp. For a longer zoom you need to adjust your shutter speed to compensate for the longer focal length. A good rule of thumb for handheld is 1/focal length in seconds. For example if you are shooting 200mm you need to set your shutter speed to 1/200 minimum. If you are a beginner and not use to a heavy lens I would go even more, maybe 1/300. Since your rental has IS that should help in this regard but keep it in mind. That said, if you want to really see what your lens can do in terms of sharpness you need to use a tripod to eliminate any chance of hand shake.</p>

<p>Indoor sports are tough to shoot due to the poor lighting. My guess is that your camera, (Sony A100), at iso 1600 will produce noise under any condition though. Your best bet with that camera is to use a slow speed like iso 200, a fast aperture like f/2.8, and a clip-on-flash that will go into the hot-shoe of your camera. This is probably your best bet. Stick with spot metering or better yet go manual. </p>

<p>Is your degree a BA in Fine Arts? If not it's ok but you will have to switch gears a little. Rochester Institute of Technology offers a BFA in photojournalism as well as several other photographic disciplines. They have several Pulitzer Prize winners in photography as graduates and they are fully accredited. <a href="http://cias.rit.edu/photography/">http://cias.rit.edu/photography/</a> Also, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics job outlook for Photographers. It is something you should read before you venture down a path as a photographer of any kind. It's a tough field to make a living in. Competition is very keen. <a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos264.htm">http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos264.htm</a> Good Luck.</p>

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<p>Gee, too bad Damon Winter, (2009 Pulitzer Prize Feature Photography winner), shot his award winning portfolio using a wimpy, old fashioned 12mp 5D, and only those non versatile prime lenses too.<br>

It's the person behind the camera....<br>

Canon vs Nikon, Nikon vs. Canon. The horse is dead already.</p>

 

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<p>I'm keeping my filters on. Personally, I can't see how a lens cap could transfer a force so great as to shatter a filter and sustain no damage itself. The lens caps don't even touch the filter glass; it's close but the gap is not negligible....Anyway, if you're worried about the cap damaging the filter, just remove the filter before replacing the cap.</p>

<p>The best bet is to get an "External Hard Drive Enclosure". They are available cheap for under $50. This allows you to use any internal HD as an external unit. Just put any HD into the enclosure and plug it in to any USB and your ready to go. If you get a new computer, just put the old computer's HD into the enclosure and plug it into the new computer and all your files are there. Again, you can do this with virtually any internal HD out there, increasing your choices and versatility tremendously.</p>

<p>Telephotos do work well if you want a very large image. The current world record holder for the largest panorama was taken with a 400mm. It consists of 1665 images. <a href="http://www.dresden-26-gigapixels.com/dresden26GP">http://www.dresden-26-gigapixels.com/dresden26GP#</a></p>

Pictures of store shelves<div></div>

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<p> <em>And as far as don't rate "those" plastic buckles with a load limit, exactly which plastic buckles are you talking about?</em></p>

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<p >Op/Tech has a little * by the word “Load” and defines it as “The amount of weight that can be <em><strong>comfortably</strong></em> carried on the strap”. This is laughable and says nothing about how much the straps will hold before they fail. Also, they are loosely talking about “Static Load”. If you put the strap around your neck and just stand there you will be fine. But if you run and jump the static load limit is no longer a factor. You are now talking about Dynamic load or Shock load. This can easily be more than double the Static load. Say you are running along and you strap catches on a fence post, the forces on that strap far exceed just the weight of the camera. </p>

<p >You should also note that once you get past 15 lbs the op/tech clips change to metal. That's not a coincidence. My camera and lens cost over $4K so why would I quibble over the price of metal over plastic? But anyway, if you are looking for cheap 316 SS clips they can be found at <a href="http://www.berkeleypoint.com/">http://www.berkeleypoint.com</a> They have some nice clips that are rated for over 250lbs. They cost around $5 which is cheap for a little insurance.</p>

<p >P.S. The Nikon 400mm f/2.8 AF-I weighs 222.2oz or 14lbs.</p>

<p ><a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/40028afi.htm">http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/40028afi.htm</a></p>

<p>I would recommend smugmug.com for someone just starting out. They offer a turn-key service. You can post your photos on there, create a domain name and storefront, and set your prices. They handle the rest including printing them and sending them to the customer. They are good if you don't want to use your own printer, or get too involved.</p>