avery1
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Posts posted by avery1
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<p>I upgraded from a 20d to a 5dmkii not too long ago and i haven't had any AF problems in low light (I own both lenses you are considering). That being said, I haven't shot with a 7D and have heard that its AF is quite impressive. The 5d noise isn't as dreamy as I had expected, but I think this is mostly user error as I learn to optimize my exposure and deal with the noise in post-processing. Along those lines, you may find the learning curve to be a little bit steeper with the 5d (or not). <br>
I think your decision really boils down to whether you want a full frame or crop frame camera. Did you shoot much at 10mm? Even with the crop sensor, 16mm equivalent is a lot wider than either of your current choices.<br>
Also, and this too is a personal choice and there are others who I know feel differently, but I'd think about getting the 24-70 instead of the 24-105 if you're also going to get the 70-200. While it's heavier, not as long, and doesn't have IS I think the quality is a little bit better than the kit lens.</p>
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<p>I fly a fair amount and the only time I've ever seen someone turned back by TSA at security was when a woman's suitcase wouldn't fit through the xray machine. I've seen people with large enough suitcases that they don't fit in the overhead of a 747 wheels first and I've seen people with 2, 3, and 4 carry on bags (including shopping bags/purses/etc).<br /><br />The airline, on the other hand, may stop you at the gate and force you to check a bag. Depends on the size of the plane, how crowded it is, the individual agent at the gate, and when you board. This is completely anecdotal, but the few times this has been an issue for me agents are usually understanding when you tell them you have photography equipment. The only time I've had a real issue was on a United flight with a grumpy gate agent who didn't think my suitcase would fit in the overhead (it did). </p>
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<p>I think part of this is culture too. I've never heard of anyone (although I'm sure someone here will enlighten me) renting a car for 2 weeks before buying...and cars are usually more expensive than cameras.</p>
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<p>One thing to add...IS doesn't help at all with motion blur which may be an issue shooting kids' birthday parties. Unless you like motion blur!<br>
I have both the 24-70 and 24-105 and use both, although I've thought about getting rid of the 24-105. I use the former when I need/want to shoot faster or when I really care about image quality (it's a little bit better imho). I use the latter when I care about weight or want the added flexibility of the 70-105 range (traveling or backpacking).</p>
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<p>Oh, and here's a site that will tell you exactly when the ISS can be seen from your backyard/rooftop.<br>
http://www.heavens-above.com/<br>
Just make sure you go to the .com address. :)</p>
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<p>Thanks! I wish I had more experience with these kinds of shots, since you're only going to get one chance. Any advice on lenses and camera settings?<br>
Also, stop me if I'm wrong, but...<br>
The picture in the article seems to imply that the two objects moving across the sky are blinking. When you see the ISS (not sure about the shuttle), you are seeing the light from the sun reflected off the solar panels, not a light. In other words, the ISS doesn't blink. I think it's much more likely that this shot is of 2 planes.</p>
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<p>There are lots of options. Go to Covington, Kentucky for pics from the south, Mt. Adams for pics from the east, and Mount Echo for pics from the west. I've never felt unsafe in either of these places, although I think you might have to walk a bit to get skyline pictures from Mount Echo.<br>
If you're looking for pics other than skyline pics, Eden Park on Mt. Adams might be a good spot. I think Findlay Market and Union Station are other good photo spots.</p>
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<p>It was probably displaying the cached version of your thumbnail, which was originally the cs2 icon. When you updated the program, it took some time for the cache to refresh and for you to see the thumbnails.</p>
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<p>Thanks for all the suggestions/responses. They were quite helpful.</p>
<p>Michael, I really wasn't trying to start another ___ vs ____ discussion (which I tend to not even read anymore myself). I was trying to get advice on the best way to switch out my 24-105 for a 400. Sorry if I wasn't clear and if the part about "or convince me to keep it" made this ambiguous. I'm definitely not getting rid of my 24-70.</p>
<p>G Dan, good to hear from another backpacker and yes, that shot is pretty impressive (although I'm a little surprised by the noise). I guess I need to decide whether I'd rather have more flexibility with my weight in the midrange or a telephoto lens.</p>
<p>Steven, great advice. I'll take a look at how many of my shots using the 24-70 were at the 70 end (which will just about be 105 on the full frame). Switching lenses is a pain, especially in the dirt and grime of the outdoors.</p>
<p>Roger G, until your post I didn't even realize that you could look at histories of auctions. Very useful.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p>Michael--<br>
I've thought about this, but assumed it would be easier and more profitable to sell the lens as new vs. like new.</p>
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<p>What do you mean by sharpest? f/22 will have more of the picture in focus. So ignoring everything else, I suppose if this is what you care about you should always shoot at f/22.<br>
In reality, you shouldn't ignore everything else.<br>
You may WANT part of the photograph to be out of focus.<br>
You'll run into other issues w/ using lenses at f/22 (which will depend on the lens).<br>
And the big one...usually you don't have enough light to shoot at f/22 and still have a reasonable shutter speed.</p>
<p>Or maybe this isn't what you meant at all...</p>
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<p>So I couldn't resist a smoking deal on a 5DII and finally made the plunge and upgraded from my 20D. I also made the choice to get the 24-105 kit because it was also a really good deal (don't worry, it wasn't from a storefront shop in Brooklyn).<br>
Btw, in case anyone else is interested (this deal was still good last time I checked) you can pick up the 5D from circuitcity.com for $2500 - $375 for 15% bing cashback and/or the kit for $3300 - $500 for 15% bing cashback. I couldn't pass up the kit for $2800 shipped.<br>
Anyway, so now I'm figuring out what to do with this lens. My initial inclination was to try and trade this lens (plus some cash) for a new 400 f/5.6 or an even trade for a like new 400. I haven't gotten any bites on craigslist, though, and know that there probably aren't tons of people out there walking around with new 400mm lenses that they want to get rid of (especially for a 24-105). I also called one local shop (I'm in the San Francisco area) who basically told me that what they could offer me wouldn't be worth it for me. Anyone have ideas for other routes? <br>
I could keep the lens, but I already have a 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/4 and I'm not sure I can justify the expense of also having the 24-105 (although I do a lot of photography while backpacking, so I might be able to be convinced otherwise). Am I missing a reason to have the 24-105 on top of what I already have other than the convenience of a lighter lens with a little more length than the 24-70? (In case it matters, I also have the 17-40 and 50 1.4)<br>
Should I just sell the lens and then use the money to buy a used/new 400? I was trying to avoid the big cash craigslist transaction and I have never sold anything on ebay, so i'd assume it'd go for below market just because of a lack of history.<br>
Thanks for any suggestions!</p>
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<blockquote>
<p>I've never read any one say...<br /> "I would have used them as my photographers but they did not have music on their site so I skipped them and went to the next photographer that had really good music on their site." :)</p>
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<p>Couldn't have said it better myself.</p>
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<p>As a moderator for this forum, I would like to remind everybody that if you haven't read the OP's question carefully, please read it again. He will be taking his D700 camera and a tripod to this 5-day hiking trip. All he needs is lens advice. He is not asking for additional camera advice, fitness advice, or about alternative modes of transportation.</p>
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<p>I hear your point, but I guess I'm having a hard time separating some of these things. If weight and space were no issue, the OP should take everything he owns. In my experience with backpacking, weight is very much an issue and hard to separate. That being said, the alternative modes of transportation were in jest and, one could argue, off topic (but funny).</p>
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<p>I don't know if I'm saying anything new (or helpful), but this is really going to come down to personal preference. I've done 5-day trips with a good deal of up and down with a body, 24-70, 70-200, and tripod. I hope to add a 400mm to that list shortly. On the other hand, I've also done trips with nothing more than a p&s. <br>
Some things I would consider:<br>
How much other weight will you be carrying (w/ water)? Someone mentioned this, but canyonlands will potentially be both cold and hot in April. Depending on where you go, it can also be quite dry.<br>
How much hiking are you doing each day? How much vertical change? How fit are you? Will you be hiking in snow?<br>
What do you want to shoot? Landscapes? Flowers? Sunsets? Your buddies? I've only been to canyonlands once, and found it to be an amazing place for grand landscape shots. I found it to be one step below the grand canyon without any of the crowds. I didn't see much wildlife, though. Another thing to consider is that you can get those amazing landscape shots from the road, which might be something to consider when deciding whether or not to take a tripod and that fast wide angle lens.</p>
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<p>Interesting, related read...</p>
<p>http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.12.22/this-lens-is-soft-and-other-myths</p>
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<p>However, if both happened to be +2 then you're probably going to experience some focus issues.</p>
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<p>Actually, if both are +2 units "off", this would probably be your favorite lens. The problem arises when your body is -2 and your lens is +2. This is also the reason for calibrating both your body and your lens(es) together.</p>
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<p>Only spent about 3 minutes on your site, but my initial thoughts are:<br>
1. Tabs should be centered w/ everything else. They're off to the left on my browser (Firefox).<br>
2. Think a lot more about your fonts...including your title. IMHO, they don't look professional.<br>
3. Your revolving images look like they are from your summer vacation to the southwest. If I were a client, I'd want to see images that were more closely aligned to what I was paying you to do. <br>
4. You can't get a close-up view of the pictures I tried (wedding gallery).<br>
5. Title your galleries.<br>
6. Paypal is still the first link if you're looking at galleries.</p>
<p>Hope this is useful.</p>
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<p>What are you interested in shooting? Night sky? The moon? Milky Way? Rings of Saturn? Moons of Jupiter? Galaxies/nebula? The further down the list you go, the more you're probably going to want to spend to get "decent" images. <br /> So you could just shoot with a 35mm or dslr and a long lens (great for night sky and moon shots). Just make sure you have a hefty tripod.<br /> If you want to do long exposures and not end up with star trails, you'll need a tracking device and a good tripod that is really stable (I've talked to people who spend more on their tripod than their camera/telescope combined).<br /> You can buy an adapter for a 35mm/DSLR, but you may be disappointed in the results from this. Most serious astrophotographers buy specialized CCD cameras (that are, among other things, REALLY good at minimizing noise).<br /> Then you'll probably want some kind of specialized software to do post processing (if you want to get the amazing colors you see in nebula shots).<br /> Oh, and I guess you'll also need a telescope. :) It's a generalization, but Meade is usually considered the entry level scopes with celestron being a step up (I personally love televue scopes, but they're significantly more expensive).<br /> So yeah, you could easily spend 10 grand if you wanted.<br /> I would recommend going to a star party in your area and talking with people about what they are interested in shooting and how they do it.</p>
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<p>It might even be worth starting with a free program like Picassa, just to get a sense of the effects of changing contrast, saturation, temperature, etc. Elements will give you a lot more flexibility than picassa and cs4 will give you a lot more than elements, but it might be worth it to start with the most basic program and work your way up.</p>
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<p>If I were casing houses to rob, I probably wouldn't be too concerned with getting the correct exposure and perfect composition. That being said, a p&s seems like it would work just fine and be much less conspicuous. And not that I have lots of experience robbing houses, but what information would you be hoping to garner from these pictures? <br>
Yes, I suppose the cops were just doing their job and you really can't blame them. A shame you don't know who called the cops so that you could just go up and introduce yourself as the neighbor who's lived there for 23 years. Stories like this also make me empathize with people who are just going about doing their thing but DO look like "the criminal type."<br>
I wouldn't let this detract you from shooting your neighborhood (photography, that is).</p>
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<p>If you want to teach in public schools you'll probably find that the MAT opens more doors (and the MAT usually comes with a teaching credential, although I don't know whether or not photography teachers need to be credentialed). If you want to teach in private schools you may find that the MFA opens more doors. Obviously this is only one interpretation of "beneficial", but something to keep in mind. Have you asked around to see if there are programs that do both? And yes, it is unfortunate that most (if not all) MAT programs are somewhat underwhelming.</p>
Help Lens for Canon 50D
in Canon EOS Mount
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