victor_ng2

<p>Hi all,<br>

Would you give me some examples of when to use Al Servo & Al Focus? What's the difference between them? They both say to focus on a moving subject continously. I'm a bit confused. Thanks in advance for your help!</p>

<p>Victor</p>

<p>Hi all,<br>

I just bought a B&W UV filter (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/77mm-Clear-Haze-Multi-Resistant-Coating/dp/B0000BZLBQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1328037447&sr=1-2">http://www.amazon.com/77mm-Clear-Haze-Multi-Resistant-Coating/dp/B0000BZLBQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1328037447&sr=1-2</a>).</p>

<p>This is my first time buying/using a B&W filter. I haven't had a chance to compare its' quality with other filters but one thing I'm "annoyed" about it is that this filter is like a magnet that attracts dusts, lints particularly, a lot. I used a brush, I used lens cleaning solution, etc, to wipe it off, but they're so stubborn to get off the filter. I've been using Tiffen in many years & some Hoya, but none of them like this one. It's quite obvious when I look through the viewfinder.<br>

I'm afraid if I continue cleaning it, i may wipe off its multi layer coating. I hear so many good things about this brand before (that's why I give it a try), but seriously, I haven't had a chance to see that yet and now I'm so annoyed with those stubborn lints/dusts on the filter. Should I return & buy a Tiffen or Hoya, or what should I do with this? Please advise. Thanks.</p>

<p>Victor</p>

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I have 3 questions would like to ask for your advice:</p>

<p>1) Canon EF 400mm f5.6L USM lens vs. Canon EF70-200mm f2.8L USM lens with 1.4 extender EF 1.4X III. Which one produces better, higher quality pictures? I hear some people say it’s the same. Some say whenever you use an extender, quality will be lost. I know these two lens are made for different purposes, but I’m here asking just only for the quality of the picture.<br>

<br />2) Canon EF70-200mm f2.8L USM lens with 1.4 extender EF 1.4X III vs. the same lens with 2.0 extender EF 2x III. Is there any loss in quality if I use 2.0 extender vs. 1.4x extender?</p>

<p>3) I look closely between Canon’s current extenders vs. most previous extenders, EF 1.4x III vs. EF 1.4x II, for example, general they’re the same except the current model has a new fluorine coating & a UD glass (I believe). Can the current extender produce better, higher quality pictures? Its’ price is a lot<br />higher than the older model.</p>

<p>Again, for these 3 questions, I’d like to know only about the quality of the pictures if I use these equipments. Please let me know. Thanks a lot!<br>

<br /><br /><br>

V</p>

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I have a 180mm macro lens with 72mm filter size. I then buy a UV protector filter to put on it and I choose the Tiffen UV Haze 1 filter. I buy one new on eBay @ $9 vs. $30 from retail store. However, once received, I<br />realize that I missed reading its description: Tiffen 72mm wide angle haze 1 filter. Since my lens isn’t a wide angle lens and since I can’t return the filter, my question to you is:<br>

<br />Is there any quality difference/loss in the pictures if taken with this 72mm <em>wide angle</em> haze 1 filter vs. 72mm <em>none wide</em> angle haze 1 filter? If so, are they noticeable? I asked around, some say do, some say don’t have any quality loss. I’m lost. Please advise. Thanks.</p>

<p>Vic</p>

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I think it’s kind of funny for posting this kind of question here but it happens to me, so I’d like to ask for your opinion.<br>

I have this problem. When taking picture, I close my left eye & use my right eye to look through the viewfinder. However, if I have to look & focus on a subject for a long time, when finished, I feel a bit dizzy & my left eye can’t see clearly. I feel a bit light head, floating. I have to close my eyes to rest them a bit, then I’m ok. It becomes worse, for example, let say if I try to take a macro picture of a flower. As you know, if I have to take some times to manually focus to a part of the flower, after a while of trying to focus, god, I can’t see clearly anymore (both eyes). And if I continue on, after a moment, I feel fatigue & sleepy, and I have to take some sleep; otherwise, I’m going to feel down for the rest of the day.<br>

Does it happen to you? If so, what would you do? What do you think I should do? Thanks.</p>

<p>Hi,<br>

I'm having a macro Sigma 105mm f2.8. Two things that I don't like about this lens: 1) noisy and slow in focus (although with f2.8). 2) During focusing process, the inner tube keeps getting in & out (I believe that makes it slow & noisy).</p>

<p>Now, I'm thinking about changing to Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro lens. So my question to you is that does this 150mm lens have the above two things that I mentioned above? Thanks.</p>

<p>I have a Canon 5D-Mark 2. I used its EOS utility software to open and edit the raw files of my star trail pictures. The results look great. They're very "shinning", lively, vibrant & illuminated as the way they're supposed to be. However, when I either save the picture as popular format tiff, for example, straight from this utility software, or export this RAW file to my Photoshop 3, I can notice right away that the shine, vibrance, illuminance of the star trails go away. They look very "dull", just a picture and nothing stands out.</p>

<p>What do I need to do to keep the vibrance, illuminance, the lively look of those pictures when I export those pictures to PS to further edit them before saving them in jpeg? Thanks.</p>

<p>Thanks to your helpful tips!<br>

My camera is Canon 50D. The lens are Tamron 18-270mm f3.5/6.3 and 17-50mm f2.8. Which one is a better choice and what's the apature I should set on this lens/camera? Thanks.</p>

<p>Hi, I'd like to take star trail pictures. I've read/heard opinions from different people & they're quite contrary, so I decide to come here and ask you!</p>

<p>When taking star trail pictures, what is the ideal apature & ISO that I need to set on my camera? With wide angle lens attached, some people told me that I need to set at the widest apature as much as possible, f2.8 for example, to have the stars in focus. Some other people, on the other hand, told me to set the lens to the smallest apature as much as possible, f32 for example, to have those star in sharp focus. I'm confused. Please advise. Thanks.</p>

<p>Hi,<br>

I'm planning to buy a macro lens (150mm +). Canon 180mm F3.5 of course is a great choice but it's too pricey. So, I'm looking at Tamron 180mm F3.5 and Sigma 150mm F2.8. I've read a lot about these two lenses on different forums/websites, and they have 50/50 different opinions. Some definitely go with Sigma. Some definitely go with Tamron. Some even write that Tamron/Sigma gives better picture than Canon. I'm torn! So, I'd like to ask you between these two macro lenses of Tamron & Sigma:<br>

1) Picture quality: which one produces better quality picture?<br>

2) The problem that people say the most about Tamron is "loud" in AF, how is it with Sigma?<br>

In my local area, only one store carries Tamron and so I don't have a chance to compare side by side with the Sigma. Please advise. Thanks.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hi,<br>

I have a Canon 40D and 580EX II flash light. I really have hard time to control the flash light like how much output should I set my flash light under different light environments in order to have a nice, beautiful and consistent outputs/pictures? I don't have a light meter and I know it depends on the lens that I have, apeture setting and many other things but is there any "general tips" out there?<br>

Also, Canon camera has a little * auto exposure button on the back of the camera to meter the sense. After pressing it to meter the sense, how do I know how much output of the flash should I set in order to achieve a consistent beautiful output/pictures? What else do I need to do? Thanks.</p>

<p>V</p>

<p>Thanks all for your helps! I will try your techniques when I get home.<br>

Is this the "only" way to focus if the focus subject lies outside the 9 focus points? It's quite time consuming, don't you agree?!!!...</p>

<p>Hi,<br>

I have a Canon 40D and it has only 9 focus points that are appointed centrally in the viewfinder. Besides switching my lens to manual focus mode to focus manually (which will take longer and not very accurate), if I want to focus on a subject that isn't at these focus points, how do I control the focus to focus to the point/subject that I want to focus?<br>

Many people told me to manually dial to select the center focus point on the camera. Aim this center focus point to any point/subject that I want to focus, press & hold the shuttle button half-down to lock the camera down to that focus point, re-compose the camera to the way that I want to take picture, then press the shuttle button all the way down to take the picture. I tried it but anytime after I recompose my camera, the camera/lens doesn't lock down at the desired point/subject, instead, it will focus to the new point/subject where that center focus point is being pointing at.<br>

Is there a trick/technique to overcome this obstacle? Thanks.</p>

<p>V</p>

<p>Hi,<br>

Would you let me know what's the name of a software, maybe a plug-in, that can be used with PhotoShop to smoothen/brighten the skin for portrait pictures that we often see from wedding pictures or Hollywood stars? I know PhotoShop itself does this but it takes quite some time to fix/adjust the pictures. Is there an easy & quick one like the "Portrait Professional" plug-in that I often see the add on almost any photo magazine, for example?<br>

I haven't used this software but i just want to use it as the reference to demonstrate my question here. How is this "Portrait Profession" plug-in? How about the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom? Please advise. Thanks.</p>

<p>T</p>

<p>I'm going to have a trip to LA in this coming mid January. I love taking picture of the nature. Do you know any place around LA or nearby LA's areas for this type of photography? Please let me know. Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>I have Canon 50D. It has only 9 focus points. If my subject is at the focus point, that's wonderful, and if it's not, would you let me know how/what do you do to focus fast & accurate on the subject that isn't at one of those 9 focus points?<br>

I tried to use the center focus point to focus, then press the shuttle half way & hold on it then recompose. Yet, once I recompose, the lens then focus on something else brighter or right at the center focus point. Any tips? Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>I guess because it's quite new on the market. It'll go down eventually. However, if you need it now, you can buy it at $238 on amazon.com. It may not be the best price but amazon.com is a safe place to buy. Hope this helps.</p>

<p>Hi,<br />I need your advise!<br />When i take pictures, I set everything correctly (lighting, camera settings, techniques, etc) but when the pictures come out, I have to say they are really good, but the skin tone/the lhealthy looking skin, aren't quite there, yet. Would you show me what feature(s) in Photoshop can help fix/polish this problem?<br />Last time, at a friend wedding, the main photographer has the very same eqipments like what I have (everything). We set our cameras at the very same settings. We stood at the very spot. We took the very same picture set under the very same light environment of a restaurant but when his picture comes out, the skin tone looks so fresh, so "pinky" healthy, so lively, so crispy. I know he used Photoshop (you just know when you look at them), I don't know how. Would you show me some tips? Thanks a bunch!<br />My equipments: Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm F2.8 & 70-200 F2.8 L lenses, Canon 580EXII flash, Photoshop CS3.</p>

<p>Q<br />ps: of course I asked hime but he never revealed what he did, sadly!</p>

I've been using Canon's equipments in the past 5 yrs & i have to say I love everything about it, especially its' L lens. I

find one thing "difficult" about its' none 1D series cameras, 5D for example, its' 9 focus points. I like to manually

select a focus point among 5D's 9 focus points to focus on the subject and if the subject falls right at a focus point,

it's truely a gift for me. Yet, things aren't always that easy. I asked some people & they said, their style of taking

pictures is always set the focus point at the center point & recompose. I tried but not many successful pictures & I

have to say, it's time consuming & hard to focus on the exact point that I want to focus. That's why I recently think

about switching to Nikon, D700 offers 51 focus points, for example, which will increase accuracy a lot, in my opinion.

 

Please let me know some advises that you may have to overcome & to compromise Canon's limited focus points. I

know each person has different style of taking pictures, setup & control their equipments, but if you don't mind,

please share your ways of taking pictures, your style(s) may ring the bell in me. Thanks a lot.

Thanks for your tips! I glanced over planetneil.com, I think it's a great learning source. I will take a careful look at it later.

 

I usually set ISO = 200. About those dominant yellow or red light, even I set WB correctly as tungsten or fluorescent, they still won't do any good. Many times, I set my camera in auto mode which cannot fire continously, still, problem exists. It's just so much time consuming that I have to edit the picture at the post stage. What about many photographers that I saw on TV with flashlight fires continously, aren't they experiencing similar problems? What are their solutions?

Hello all,

 

I've got 2 Canon 580EX II and 430EX II, both are quite new. I use AA batteries to fire these flash lights & I do some

wedding a few times. At restaurants and churches, they use the floodlight type which produce "red" or "yellow" light.

I notice that when I shoot in continuously mode or rapidly one close after another, my flash lights do fire but many of

those pictures come out with "red" or "yellow" light dominate, a few pictures are illuminated enough with good light.

When I take out the batteries, they're quite hot.

 

My questions:

 

1) Is it because of AA battery does not recycle fast/strong enough for continous shooting mode that I need to have

something seperately like Quantum? I set the flash with auto mode so I think I can rule out because of the flashes.

 

2) How/where to learn setting up flashlight to produce good pictures?

 

 

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

 

Victor