adam_tomaszewski

Thank you for that. I agree, I'd be much better off going in to the store and fiddling around. I have to hunt a decent store in my area. None of them really seem . . . up to par. Thank you for the info on the J1, Hector. I appreciate it. And Steve, Torin, thank for the info on the Vertex. I find the hardest part about the photos and reviews actually trying to gauge what will fit without being in front of the bag.

 

 

Since my local stores are a bit blah I think I will try and order one or two from the net from a decent place with a return policy and just work on them at home for a week to see. :) Seems like the best idea in this case.

I've read the review here on PN about camera bags. It was nice to see some different information. After reading all of

the information in that review, as well as others on The Digital Picture, Camera Bags.com, and about a half-dozen

other sites I'm at a standstill as many bags seem well built and appear to meet my needs. I was hoping to get

opinions from those of you who have more experience. If I were to ever go somewhere ... really go somewhere ... that

I needed all my gear, I'd be in trouble. I have (or will have) the following:

 

 

40D, 70-200 f/4L, 28-135mm, 10-22mm, 85mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8, 35mm f/2, a 580EX II, and an SD1000 P&S. Joby

Gorilla Grip Tripods for both P&S and my SLR, all lenses have hoods, a rocket blaster, battery chargers for both

P&S and SLR, two spare batteries for the 40D, misc. memory cards/pens/lens caps/notepads/etc.

 

 

So, I would like your expert opinions on what bag/pack all of that will fit in. It looks like I can get away with a Vertex

200 from Lowepro or a Nat Geo large Backpack, or a Domke J1. They all seem to fit this gear comfortably and be

comfy to wear/carry. I don't feel comfortable going in to any of my local shops to 'test' the bags. The lens that would

be attached to my 40D is likely the 28-135mm or one of the small primes. Beyond what is listed above, my

collection will likely not grow anytime soon. I don't plan on keeping my laptop in this bag but don't really care if it has

a laptop pocket. I thank you in advance for your thoughts on the matter. I have tried searching so I hope this matter

has not been over-covered.

Sarah, thank you! I have been finding some situations where a grey card may have been useful others like what you described with the egg, it'd be useless. I took a leap while out and about today and left Tv/Av in the car and shot in all manual.

 

 

My shot-to-shot time was slower because I'm not used to it but by sheer accident I was doing as you suggested. I looked at the RGB histogram and brightened it up til the right-most pixel was ... right-most. And you know ... I was thrilled! I took some of the most properly exposed photos I have ever taken today with that method. I need to learn more and master the information behind why that worked (Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, why they change exposure and how I can get the look I want, etc) but once I can get used to clicking a couple of wheels to make manual exposures, I think my work will show better for it.

 

 

Thank you so much for your advice and suggestions. And again, Sarah, thank you. I may one day invest in a light meter. This is certainly a learning process but I'm getting it. And PN is such a wonderful help. Thank you!

Awesome! You know, I figured I'd have to have a grey card in my 1st shot in a series and for some reason I would read and read but didn't think that ... duh ... full manual mode. lol. Thank you for pointing out the obvious missing portion of my equation. This is what I get for getting used to Av/Tv modes. :)

 

 

Also, Chris, that site was bookmarked! Wonderfully helpful. And Ronald, I like that site as well. I think I might order one of those soon. Thank you so much.

Okay, so I've done a search of the forums and haven't found what I was looking for. Maybe I was searching wrong.

 

 

I understand enough to know what an 18% grey card is for. Metering for exposure and w/b. My question is with a

camera like my 40D, exactly how do I use this card?

 

 

I know how I can lock exposure and adjust exposure while I'm about to release the shutter. But having to ask my

subject hold a grey card so I can meter, then lock it, then have my subject put the card down and if I don't take the

photo in 4 seconds it'll drop the exposure lock and I'm back to the beginning. Am I missing something in the process

of using the card? Maybe it's my lack of understanding on how to properly meter my camera exposure.

 

 

White balance is easy enough as that can be set to manual but the metering is what has me confused. I will

appreciate any thoughts or suggestions anyone has as (and this may sound worse than I mean it) I'd like to start

learning how to take better photos in some situations or with portraits, etc. where a grey card will help. Thank you so

much!

Indeed, Bill. That was one of my worries. I'm not sure how to get the best out of it. I'm still relatively new to all of this so it's a bit of a curve.

 

 

Are there any decent DPP web sites or online tutorials anyone knows of? I installed it today and will start to play around with it soon. I figured If I'm going to use it I'll use it right.

Woah. Cool. Chris, thank you very much for the SS's. I think I'm gonna enjoy that card downloader. I dug out my

software CD about 10 minutes ago after reading this through. I'm in love with Lightroom 2 but I'm certainly willing to

try something new and see what comes of it.

 

 

That Auto-Rotate thing was the worst! Nothing but Lightroom would recognize the photos needed to be rotated.

Haha. That drove me nuts.

Michael, that makes more sense. I wasn't sure exactly what was involved. If I may, does it count when I simply save JPEG's that do not require editing in PS and just get archived and uploaded?

 

 

I think when I get home this evening I'll be taking J. Harrington's advice and just trying it. I mean, it's only a couple hundred megs of HDD space and can't hurt to try. I think after all the looking into I've been doing ZB will be a nice tool. Better then Windows PhotoGallery even from the look of it.

 

 

Chris JB, I think I'll be trying the tool for importing from my mem cards. From what I gather it'll send it to a specified folder and rename it by date! Totally awesome to do on import rather than deal with after the fact.

 

 

Thanks for keeping the lively discussion. It's nice to get some feedback. :)

Okay, this might be a stupid qustions but ... when we are taking about RAW conversion is that the process of setting white balance and colors then saving to JPEG? Or is there somethig I'm missing. I mean I process photos frequently and save them all the time so I'm not sure if that's what was being referred to....

Wow. Some excellent throughts on the matter.

 

 

I may give DPP a run just to give it a run. I would like to think that Canon's software handles Canon's files best. My worry is what several people pointed out and that's DPP not be as ... robust ... as Lightroom. I'm not making fantastic corrections and changes but I do appreciate having the details available and the simpler tools (dodge, burn, etc) available if I need them.

 

 

Thanks for some of the feedback. I've got some extra hard drive space and might just try it! :) On a side note, I completely forgot that the Photostitch applicatino was in there. Heh. Until I can cough up the $700 for PS I may try that for some larger compositions.

I purchased my 40D earlier in the summer and have debated installing any of Canon's pre-packaged software such

as ZoomBrowser, DPP, the drivers and util's that let me do remote shooting, etc. As soon as it was available on

Amazon I purchased Lightroom 2 and am in love with it and just don't see a need. My question, or rather topic idea,

is to see what everyone thinks of the pre-packaged stuff.

 

 

I will not be using DPP for anything myself as I like LR2. I may use ZoomBrowser, and I'm not sure how handy the

rest would come in. Personally having no experience with it I can't really comment on anything.

 

 

But ... how do all of you like ZoomBrowser? Have you every found the util's for doing remote shooting and capture,

memory card transfer/importing, converting, the wireless transmitter, etc. useful for anything but hard-core studio

work? I don't know many a photographer that even has them and the ones I know of are all studio owners who do

model shoots and take 1000 photos a day.

 

 

Just looking for thoughts and feedback. I'm loving photo.net! So happy to have such a wonderful resource.

I had this problem myself and posted about it awhile back. It's not supposed to be normal but if it doesn't bother you then it's cool. It did not affect my image quality. It was just really annoying. I live near the Irvine Canon service center and dropped it off on Thursday. By Monday I had it back. It was considered Warranty work for me. I've had the lens about five months. Canon said the wobble from left/right up/down is normal for the lens but the zoom creep was not. They tightened it for me and cleaned it too. It no long creeps during normal use. Okay ... maybe a tiny bit in the 30-70mm range depending on how severe an angle I'm using and whether or not I'm shaking the camera. :) Heh. Other than that I'm happy with it.

 

I would call the nearest Canon Service Center and ask to send it in, besides not taking pictures for a week or so, you have nothing to loose if it's warranty work. Mailing takes much longer I'm sure than driving 30 miles or so. I picked up a 35mm f/2.0 to keep my busy until mine was done (but it was done so fast! LOL. I think I've fallen in love with a fast prime now. Tee he he.) Hope I've contributed something useful. =) Take care, best of luck friend!

Wow. I just saw the forum on the 24 f/2.8 that had a VERY similar problem. Sorry I missed that everyone. I assume I'm in the same boat, will make sure my screws aren't loose (tee he) and if needed take the lens to Canon. Any responses will certainly be appreciated if you like.

After many weeks of debates off another thread I had, I purchased my first prime for my 40D. The 35mm f/2. I am

very pleased with this lens as far as IQ, vignette, speed, etc. Actually, since I've been shooting with it for about 400

clicks I have only one issue with it ...

 

 

When attaching it to the mount on my 40D it comes about half-way through its rotation and then becomes difficult to

turn. Same for removing, the first half of it's rotation is difficult then it becomes smooth. Not so much I need to use

excessive force but picture (a bad pun? :] ) the feeling of free twisting it on then you encounter a piece of cardboard

in the mount and it twists but it requires effort. I do not have this problem with my 28-135mm kit or the 10-22mm

Canon lenses. I also do not show any lines or marks that indicate excessive metal-metal contact.

 

 

I couldn't find this being an issue on the boards. I'm a bit worried as I'd rather not ruin my 40D or my lens... Any

thoughts?

Steve --> I agree. I've spent lots of time on the fence. It's been a tough one. I agree. I am happy I made a choice. Haha, but I changed it slightly anyway ... I do like the idea of if I don't like it sell it! :)

 

 

Juan --> Yay! Another sympathizer of my pain. :) I'm sure everything has its compromise somewhere. I've accepted that and stopped thinking there is a perfect lens.

 

 

Arie --> I agree on the Sigma. I like the 30mm FL and the f/1.4 is just awesome. But I am aware of many QC issues with Sigma and would have to have to deal with a couple bad copies before a good one appears. But ... I think it'll make a nice addition one day.

 

 

Ted --> I'm sorry if I sounded whiney. I actually love my 28-135! It's a great walk-around zoom and I will not be replacing it soon. I do have to take it into Canon as the zoom creep has become so bad it's gone to zoom ker-plunk. The thing won't hold a focal length if it's more than 15 or 20 degrees off level. But that's an easy fix under warranty or a new lens so no biggie. And gaff tape has been my best friend during this decision process! I'd continue with that solution except for the few things I need from the lens.

 

 

It's not a sharpness issue or an issue with DOF, but speed. I need better low light/available light performance from my primary focal length. As mentioned I am nervous with Sigmas QC issues so I'll probably stick Canon for now but would not mind the Sigma in my collection, and hope to have a good copy of one by the end of the year. I've actually decided to go with the 35mm f/2 first. I want to see if the 28mm f/1.8 (light wise) being only a fraction of a stop faster would be worth it. And 35mm is still in my range. So I've deviated a bit from my decision above but ... I love the help I've gotten here and the tips and pointers. Thanks everyone.

I'm *still* watching! Vicky, no worries. :) It happens.

 

 

I agree with Arie above. There really isn't much point in a f/2.8 prime because of the great choices available in zooms

at that level as mentioned by Richard right below him. And the reason I want a prime is for the speed. I shoot

indoors, and low light in general as I'm naturally a night person so the extra umph of a stop or two helps out

immensely!

 

 

I will be shying away from full frame for awhile as I want to learn as much as I can before determining the need to

upgrade. I know many a happy photographer using four and six megapixel dSLR's. I'm thinking the 40D will last me

for some time. I still agree with many of you that a 50mm f/1.x will be good to have for portraits as it's a bit longer on

the 1.6x body. And I think a $75 purchase will be included with my other 'normal' issues.

 

 

I like Andrew's point that all this time I'm spending reading on the lenses, while very valuable no doubt, and while it is

good to hear opinions and post topics and discuss, I could be out shooting. And consequently learning with a rent-a-

lens to see if it's worth the purchase.

 

 

Anthony, thank you for feeling my pain. I never looked at your perspective. I was too busy wrapped up in why corners

are soft on a 28/35mm 'normal' prime I never asked why the 50's, 100's, etc. are sharp across the frame but the

others can't be. I can understand limitations on what fits in a frame and such but with the way technology is .... I

haven't even touched L glass so I'm guessing it's meeting that at 35mm (or the 24mm) f/1.4L? Maybe ...

 

 

In the end of things?

I like the idea of going slightly wide. I took the advice of everyone hear. Also a specific post near the top suggested I

ask someone who isn't a photographer. I gave a primer (okay ... okay ... that *was* lame) on what the numbers

meant and what I wanted to accomplish. Based on everything everyone said it seems my best plan of purchase (and

maybe for those in my situation) is to start with the 28mm f/1.8. When I get the cash get the 35mm f/1.4L or if I want

wider the 24mm f/1.4L. Or both! Heh.

 

 

Thank you all again so very much for your support. I browse the forums constantly and try to learn what I can. I'm

sorry to be another 'what lens' guy. I appreciate your responses.

I didn't want to be one of those 'what lens' guys. I see them all the time and am like ... wow is it really so hard?!

Well ........ Heh. Either way, at least everyone has been kind through another what lens post and I appreciate that.

 

Songtsen --> The links you posted certainly aide in my illustration of different review, different opinion, from a few of

the countless sources and whether or not the lens will be right for me.

 

S. Hendrik/Tommy --> For sure an excellent point. After shooting with the kit lens I'm ready to ... collect some

lenses for a decent general purpose set up. Since I started thinking 'Gee, what lens now that I've done all this

shooting' the 'what lens?' question has kept me out of the field. I truly didn't think of this until you mentioned it.

 

Alan --> Thank you! do agree. I made a cruel prime for awhile and had secured my zoom ring at 35mm and 28mm

with some delicate surface painters tape. 35mm was a bit tight but if I could afford the nearly USD1,100 price tag I'd

go with it for all it's glory. I think simply for speed and price the 28 f/1.8 is tough to beat and I should probably go that

route.

 

Giampi --> And that indeed would be me! Heh. I've been worried about this way to much. My simple forum post with

some great people responding tends to slap me around a bit ... =)

 

My concern was picking a wrong lens that was too soft or maybe if I chose lens 'B' this edge would've been sharper

or the speed could've made the shot that I missed or whatever the case may be. From what I've been reading on the

photo.net pages (and countless other sites) and the reviews and the opinions all the 'normal' lenses on a cropped

body seem to do well. I agree ... it seems to be a choice of price, and speed. Something to think about, but not to

much. I'll take the advice and run with it as I did before! I'll be ordering it this payday and let ya know what I think of

whatever I get when it arrives. Thanks again everyone. Really do appreciate your time and thoughts!

Hector --> I agree. This lens hunt has sucked some fun out of it! It's just hard. I feel crappy when making a mistake and don't wanna get the 'wrong' lens. But then again, when is a lens perfect for everything and everyone! =) I think I shall ask some family.

 

Bob --> Good to see you chime in. Always the voice of experience! =) I'm happy to hear some positive words for the 28/2.8 and 35/2. Many reviews are not so friendly. I gathered the same in the store. The lenses are so bad, aren't lound when focusing, and are fairly inexpensive. Perhaps some more decent bargin's in Canon's line up!

This has to be one of the most painful things I've ever experienced.

And this has to be one of the most discussed things I've ever seen!

 

Ready for the novel of my background? Here goes!

I took the advice of this forum some months ago and worked with my kit lens: a 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens. I shot,

then I shot, then I shot and I shot some more. I racked up nearly 3,000 photos of anything that was considered to be

matter with my kit lens. I now know what I do most and looking at the history of P&S photos I have, it created a

pattern.

 

My shots are mainly between 28mm and 40mm. A distant second, 105mm to 120mm.

My f/ is almost always close to wide open. (f/3.5 to f/4.5ish on the kit lens)

 

My subjects are primarily still:

---> Buildings, rocks, tree's, flowers, and landscapes.

---> Followed by portraits. Followed by ... everything else

 

I print:

---> Generally with the 2:3 ratio sizes up to A4

---> With exceptional prints I plan on blowing up as large as I can (Maybe 24x36! Huzzah for RAW!)

 

 

I am looking at the prime's now to start a decent lens collection. I will one-day have a 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM for

anything over 70mm but that's not a priority.

I wouldn't need the 85mm L glass that's popular for portraits. And I don't really want to use the 50mm f/x because I

think it'd be too long for my taste.

 

I was hoping to go 'normal' lens. Between the 28/2.8 28/1.8 35/2 35/1.4L by Canon and the Sigma 30/1.4 ... my

head hurts. I think I have a turmor.

 

Everyone says everything about each one and I'm at a loss. I don't know if I'm looking for advice or consolation. Why

is this such a hard choice?! Is anyone else out there that fees the same? Do the reviews make you ill? Am I the only

one who spends time trying to determine the right lens.

 

And before you say it ... I've been to the store and tested each one for a few shots. I just don't have the capital to

blow each shot up to 24x36 and see which is best. *sigh* Thank you for letting me vent and any replies this post

receives. I will be watching if anyone has anything to tell me! I apologize in advance for my spelling errors.

--> Geoff. It is a brand new lens but the mail-order store it was bought from was a complete hassle. I think, even if it is brand new, I'll avoid having to waste my time going to and from Canon (especially with a need for this lens coming up) with the whole 'It works just fine' routine. I have read up on the solution you posted and checked a number of places and it seems to be a solid work-around that'll last for some time. Thank you for posting that link.

 

--> John. I agree. Some would be normal. But this is to the point where at about 35mm it falls to 100mm. That is WAY out of spec if you ask me but due to some upcoming travel I am unable to wait for a Canon fix.

 

I think I'm gonna call them and see if they can do some sort of same-day service. If not, well ... time to go get more teflon tape! :) Thank you all for the help and advice.

Adam --> It zooms fine but loose, and it holds as long as I'm not pointing down or up by more than say ... 40-50 degrees. Beyond that mark is will creep in or out. I don't know if I can call it creeping because it does this rather fast. The element itself isn't ''loose'', just that the moving portion of the lens when zooming seems "loose" because it creeps. It's a minor annoynace at the moment.

 

I will look into having it tightened up and I'm hoping it'll last me as a good walk-around lens for some time as I would love to purchase something better (even tho this seems like a decent lens, minus the creep part) but the budget won't allow that for a bit.

Ahhh! Zoom Creep! That's what it's called. Wow, when I searched for that term and the lens all kinds of Google stuff came up. Heh. Thank you for the correct term.

 

I'm glad it's not just my lens and nothings is ... wrong ... with it. I don't really mind holding on to the tube and the ring until I can afford some L glass or something. Thank you for the info.

I know, it's a kit lens and since I'm just starting out it's what I'm going to have to work with until I can determine my

needs. However, I noticed an issue with this lens and I'm not sure if it's just me or if it's a bigger issue that would

require me to have it replaced. I'm new to this so I really have no clue why this is happening.

 

I've tried looking around for it but maybe I'm searching for the wrong string of characters. I'm sorry if this has been

touched on before.

 

The lens' images are great! But if I tilt the camera up or down past a certain point the front element on the lens

seems to drop out of or fall into the camera. For example, when at 28mm, if I point the camera towards a rock or

something the lens' front element will have a tendancy to fall forward and change my focal length. Or at 100mm, if I'm

shooting into a tree, the front element will have a tendancy to fall back into it self and do the same. This happens in

AF/MF and with or w/o IS. I'm worried what will happen when I put the hood on it or a filter if this effect will get worse.

 

Suggestions? Comments? Questions? Anything anyone can provide would be great!

Wow. So much excellent stuff!

 

I'm getting addicted to this quickly. It's nice to learn so much. Confusing at first, but nice!

 

I have returned both zooms! No loss in cash and I am sticking with the kit lens until I figure out what I use and need and want. I can almost anticipate what I would like ... For $700 the 70-200 f/4L will be nice for some of the wildlife/photojournalism tele needs in the future. Maybe even the f/2.8 version of the same lens for better night shots. Anyway ... I'm putting that aside for now and concentrating on composition, lighting techniques, building skill with the camera, and how to use the lenses, blah blah blah, as a new DSLR photographer.

 

I have to admit a buddy's dad is letting me borrow a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-5.6 UWA. That should be fun for any landscape shots and it's a free lens to learn with. Nothing like borrowing a lens before buying eh?

 

I'll continue to absorb and appreciate any advice you all have! Thank you for sooo many response to my inquiry. =)

See if I can make three-in-a-row here! :)

 

Alan, I looked up the Tokina you had mentioned. Very nice lens. That is a better value compared to the Sigmas I found as it covers that specific range and there's not much of a gap between the 24 top end and the kit lens' 28 low end.