caribsurf

<p>UPDATE and Good News:<br>

Although Adobe do not say so, their DNG Converter Vs. 5.5 WILL convert RAW files from the Canon EOS 7D. I have gone back and made DNG conversions of the frames taken at ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 and then fully processed the 16-Bit TIFF's in Adobe Photoshop CS3. The results are very good. Looking at the two processed conversions:<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/10318590<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/10318597</p>

<p>I am certain that this camera can be used up to ISO 1600 with no trouble at all and ISO 3200 is also possible. This is an excellent performance as far as I am concerned and 1-2 stops better than my 40D. My next step will be to rent a camera body for a weekend to try it in the "Real World" with birds in flight at ISO 1600. It will be interesting to see how hard I can crop a bird in flight without loosing too much of the detail. Looks exciting Guys. I print to 483x329 mm and I can see that the ISO 1600 frame will make the grade.<br>

Stephen</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I used the RAW frames and the very latest version of Canon' DPP to make the 16-Bit TIFF files. My understanding is that Canon's own software offers the best Noise Reduction going. I used Adobe Photoshop CS3 to sharpen the frames and to downsize them for Web posting. No other alterations were made for Colour Balance, Brightness, Contrast, Curves etc. When using Canon DPP, ALL settings were at zero with the exception of applying Digital Noise Reduction. as I have said, a small but reasonable degree of Sharpening was applied in CS3. The identical settings for USM was applied to all eight frames. I was more interested in the appearance of Noise than Colour Balance or Sharpness. Regards Stephen</p>

<p>I have owned Canon camera bodies and lenses since ~ 1980. I currently use a Canon EOS 5D Mk.1 with a number of lenses. I am considering the purchase of a second body and would find a Crop Sensor body to be a useful addition. I visited my local Canon Dealership yesterday and used a Canon EOS 7D body with my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II USM to evaluate this latest camera's performance at High ISO. In my experience, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II USM lens produces Tack Sharp images of excellent IQ with my Canon EOS 5D i.e. it is an excellent lens when used at an Aperture of f/8. My findings can be viewed at:<br>

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder.tcl?folder_id=945419<br>

They are not necessairly what I might have expected. The test conditions are shown below each frame. The use of the in-store artificial lighting is not a bad one in my opinion as the light on offer is identical and constant with no interference from wind i.e. no movement. What do you make of it?</p>

<p>Stephen</p>

<p>My advice is not to waste your money on an expensive Canon body. Tray to find a Canon EOS 40D or failing that, one of the "Rebel" bodies and a Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4 - 5.6 IS USM lens. Set the camera to ISO 400 and on Aperture Priority at f/8 and learn how to take pictures. The old addage "f/8 and be there" still holds true. Experiment by changing the Aperture between f/4 and f/11, look at the results, take lots of picture and have fun doing it. It takes years to take well composed, colourful, sharp images. Best regards Stephen</p>

 

<p>I am not a user of Nikon but I recently purchased the Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE for use on a Canon EOS 5D body. It is a truly great lens, next to no distortion or CA. It is expensive, but I would save and get one. It is now available/soon to be available with a Nikon mount (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0911/09111602carlzeisszf2.asp) . A high quality lens is a once in a lifetime purchase ( you will change from the Sigma eventually and loose money) and it will work on any further Nikon upgrades. It is for life. All the electronic functions that you might expect are present BUT YOU HAVE TO FOCUS MANUALLY. That is no big deal for me as I do this routinely for my Landscape work + Mirror Lock Up. It has an enormous DOF and will focus down to a minimum distance of 8 inches. Link to a sample frame below, shot hand-held with available light.<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/10122271&size=lg<br>

Stephen</p>

<p>"I was hard pressed to tell the difference in noise and defiantly the 5d produces softer images at high iso" William Bray.<br>

<br /> This statement does not fit the current accepted review findings. Pretty much everyone agrees that FF sensors exhibit much higher per Pixel Sharpness and lower Digital Noise at high ISO settings (read low light conditions).This is a direct result of a FF Sensor having a much lower pixel density per square cm. If you were to use a Scanning Electron Microscope to examine the pixels (Photosites) on a Nikon D300 sensor and compare them with the pixels on a Nikon D3 sensor (both sensors rated at a nominal ~12 Megapixels), then those on the D300 would be smaller and more densly packed than those on the D3 FF sensor. The Photosites are far bigger and spaced further apart on a FF sensor and better able to take advantage of the light passed by the lens (there are fewer "Null Points" where access to the photosite is restricted due to the proximity of other photosites situated too close by i.e. a "shadow" effect. To better understand what I am saying, take 20 marbles and place them equidistantly from each other in a simple square or rectangle. Place them so that they touch each other and shine a powerful torch obliquely on them from about a 3 o'clock position. Look at the shadows laid down. Repeat the same exercise with the marbles spaced 2 cms apart. Which configuration allows the most light to cover the majority of marbes?<br /> A 21 or 25 Megapixel FF camera will exhibit a shallower DOF and hence will need to be used more carefully (and with higher quality lenses). Next time you try this test, shoot the identical test scene and within minutes of each test frame, (using a decent tripod, and Mirror Lock Up), pick a distinct part of the image and manually fine tune the focus of the lens for both camera bodies and then set the Autofocus to Manual ( this will remove any chance of the Autofocus "hunting"). You will need to compensate for the fact that one camera has a x1.6 factor magnification. The quickest way to do this and good enough for this type of assessment, is to pick up the Canon EOS 7D plus the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, and move them backwards to a point where the framed subject is identical. Shoot the frames for comparison at identical ISO and Aperture settings. Shoot the frames as RAW frames NOT JPEG's. All JPEG images undergo in-camera processing (the degree of processing will depend on the camera body/model). Open the two frames in ACR 5.5 or the latest Beta version of Lightroom with ALL settings at Default i.e. No Noise Redcuction or Sharpening enabled. View at Actual Pixels i.e. 100% NOT at 75% or 150% or 200% or some other magnification. At anything but 100%, your computer will have to heavily process the file to display it on your Monitor and all sorts of other artifacts will be introduced. Make sure that your Monitor is set to the highest resolution that it can display. This represents the best that this PC/Monitor can display. Now do the comparison and let me know which combination is sharper, has less digital noise AND fewer artifacts. Artifacts can more easily be seen by looking in areas of high contrast in the background of an image. These can appear as squiggles or other strange pattens that were not in the original image (banding is an artifact). I look forward to your findings as I am considering upgrading to a 5D Mk.2 from a 5D Mk.1, but I will consider the new 7D as well. I am only interested in absolute IQ as I make large prints for mounting and anything less than perfect will show in a large print. Prints are the real test of a camera/lens combination, not what is seen on a monitor. Many people have monitors that cannot even dispay 95% of the Colour Gammut available in Adobe RAW and most monitors have never ever been calibrated. Not the ideal situation situation if you really want to look at a camera/lens combination from an IQ perspective.</p>

<p>"The image quality is much as you would expect from such a packed sensor. Noise is clearly visible in plain areas of mid-tone, even at ISO100, and shows a tendency to form regular patterns, more visible in lighter tones than dark. In-camera and Canon DPP noise reduction at higher ISO settings is aggressive and removes fine detail; careful processing using Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom, even though not yet officially optimised for the 7D, preserves textures better."</p>

<p>The deal on offer is very good but make sure about where this equipment is being sourced from and demand the usual Canon Warrantee. No Warrantee, NO SALE as if their is no Warrantee then it is not the genuine article.<br /> At this price, it is a bit cheeky to attempt to barter, but I would attempt to get the Canon EOS 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM VS the Non-IS version on offer. Drop the Battery Grip which you can do without.<br /> "will tell you it is more about the shot taken and the skill of the photographer than the camera used". Be warned, the Canon EOS 5D Mk.II will be a much more demanding camera, both of lenses and technique, compared with what you are used to. The extra resolution means "spot on focusing" and adapting to a shallower DOF, otherwise your techique will be readily exposed for what it is. I am not convinced that all the Canon L Series glass is up to the higher resolution on offer from the Mk.II. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM will be. It is probably one of Canon's finest lenses. The reason I keep on about having the IS is that I use a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM lens on my 5D Mk.1and I really miss the IS that is available on my Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens (an absolutely superb lens by the way). With the 400mm Non-IS lens you need Shutter Speeds in excess of 1/1000 sec. to ensure sharp images every time.</p>

<p>Sorry that this was a bit long and rambling, but I wanted to cover a number of things,</p>

<p>Best regards</p>

<p>Stephen</p>

<p>For the Canon EOS 5D Mk.1, use Yellow Pages to locate your nearest Canon appointed dealer. They will have the 5D Mk'1 traded in from time to time against the Mk.2. A small deposit should secure one for you. Can't speak for anywhere else in the world, but 5D Mk.1's sell for around £800 in the UK. You can own two of these bodies for less than the price of a single 5D Mk.2. You can use an EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens on one body (fast lens for low light work) and either an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM or the very, very special EF 70-200m f/2,8 L IS USM lens on the other, for candid portraits (this is one of the finest L series lens made by Canon). The IQ with this set up will be awesome and you can shoot Auto Bracketed RAW frames at -1, 0 and +1 EV to take a "Belt and Braces" approach to you work. All the lenses mentioned can be bought secondhand if necessary to save money. The nice thing about Canon equipment is that from my experience, you will have the benefit of very good Service Support to fall back on if any problems develop over time with any of your equipment. Regards Stephen</p>

<p>Apologies! Paragraph one (especially for Mars C) refers to 50D NOT the 5D. Typo I am afraid. Stephen</p>

<p>Jeff. I can't comment on the EOS 30D as I have not owned one, but I have owned an EOS 10D, EOS 20D and an EOS 40D. A respected review on the 5D came to the following conclusions:</p>

<ul type="square">

<li>High ISO performance worse than 40D</li>

<li>Reduced dynamic range in the shadow areas compared to EOS 40D</li>

<li>Per-pixel detail not as good as on good 10 or 12 megapixel cameras</li>

</ul>

<p>It sort of fits in with what I am saying, but it does not seem to be understood by those commenting on this stream. Also, I do not have an axe to grind as I have owned and used Canon cameras and lenses since ~1980.<br>

The outstanding Canon bodies that I have owned and used are the Canon AE-1, Canon A1, Canon T90, Canon EOS 40D and the Canon EOS 5D (and by a large margin). We are in a free country so you can buy what ever you like. The Canon EOS 5D has a superb pedigree and is widly acknowledged as being an excellent body for landscape, portrait and wedding photography (the jury is out on the 50D and we will have to wait and see if it proves to be as successful as the EOS 5D for any type of photography).<br>

The Canon EOS 5D has a very low Frame Rate of 3 frames per second and is not the camera body of choice for Wildlife and Sports photography. If that is what anyone is looking for, then a different body in the Canon range will be more suitable or a move to Nikon, who have finely balanced Pixel Count with Frame Rate and High ISO performance. As a Canon man through and through, Nikon have provided really well balanced camera offerings based on IQ and high ISO performance VS pixels for the sake of pixels. I suggest that anyone convinced that the 50D is the best X1.6 Crop Factor camera body on the market at this time, should just go ahead and buy one. All this explanation will just be a waste of time.</p>

<p>The recession does not appear to have affected the sales of the Canon EOS 5D Mk.II, why has it had an effect on sales of the Canon EOS 50D (percentage wise I might asdd, as the cheaper product will normally have higher volume sales), especially as in the UK, Canon have been offering several "Cash Back" offers on the EOS 50D? Could it be that it is just not selling well? The same encouragement is not on offer for the Canon EOS 5D Ml.II. That camera is much sought after, that's why there is no current "Cash Back" offers on that body. It is the classic "Supply and Demand" situation. Think about it. Cramming all those Megapixels on a X1.6 CMOS means smaller Photosites squeezed closer together which equals the potential for much higher Digital Noise or very agressive algorithms for Noise Reduction for the in-camera processing. You can treat Digital Noise generated at high ISO's with products such as Noise Ninja or Neat Image very effectively, but at the expense of detail. Try it for yourself if you do not believe me (there are currently "No Free Lunches" in this life). It is also interesting that Canon have reduced the Pixel Count on their recently launched G11 VS the previous G10. Why do you think that might be if more pixels equals better IQ? Surely they should have crammed 18 Megapixels into the G11 and given us all the opportunity for even higher IQ in a smaller camera body. The Laws of Physics still hold true, even today. Stephen</p>

<p>I have two Canon EOS 5D bodies and can recommend them 100%. Don't touch the EOS 50D, I have seen images that my friend who is a Professional Photographer has taken with them. This is one of Canon's weakest offerings and plays to the market who think that more Megapixesls means better quality. It generates strange artifacts and does not have an IQ as good as the older EOS 40D which was an excellent camera for the money. In the UK you can buy pristine 5D's with only 5000 frames on them from Canon Dealerships for £800 (the bargin of the decade). They have been traded in against the 5D Mk.II probably in the belief as far as the new owners are concerned, that they will get better pictures. If only that were the case. People take pictures not cameras! If you cannot take decent images with the 5D Mk.1 then you will really struggle with a Mk.2 as it is very unforgiving of lens quality and technique. Spend you money on high quality L Series Canon glass or Zeiss with the 5D. If you can't then get decent images, it is you, not the equipment. Finally, the only potential negative with the EOS 5D is that the Rear Display is very small and pokey by todays standards. It is not a problem for me as I shoot bracketed frames and would never dream of deleting images in the field based on what I see on the back of a camera. CF Cards are cheap, buy decent size cards and look at you images when you get home with a quality Browser such as BreezeBrowser using the magnifiying tool. If the frame is then not sharp where it is supposed to be, delete it. Regards Stephen</p>

<p>This is Bertie, my English Springer Spaniel. He is not a pet but my Soul Mate and companion. We walk for two hours a day, every day on the hills and in the fields where I live (I walk and he runs).He is partial to Pheasants (if he can catch them) and water, any water!</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/photo/9871592</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/photo/9837816<br>

<img src="../photo/9837816" alt="" /> <br /> This is Poppy, my friend's new Cocker Spaniel puppy. She recently had to have her thirteen year old English Springer Spaniel Cider, put to sleep by the Vet. Poppy has visited our home now three times and my English Springer Spaniel Bertie is bemused by Poppy's cheek. She jumps on him and bites his ears. Not at all PC in dog terms. Regards Steve<img src="../photo/9837816" alt="" /></p>

<p>This is Poppy a twelve week old Cocker Spaniel. She is a friends puppy to replace her English Springer Spaniel who had to put to sleep recently at the age of thirteen. She is just the most gorgeous colour. She comes to visit and my English Springer Spaniel Bertie just is not sure what to make of her as she is just so bold nibbling his ears etc. Regards Steve</p>