jim_service

<p>Wuff! Michael, that's quite a shot!<br>

Here's a shot from the forest floor of San Pedro Park in Pacifica, CA.<br>

5D2, can't remember what lens, but probably the 70-200 with a stack of extension tubes, f 9, 1/60 sec, ISO 400</p><div></div>

<p>Ah, spring. It's time for flowers. It's time for picnics. It's time for earplugs.<br>

Historic sports cars at the Wine Country Classic at Infineon Raceway last weekend. This Porsche (?) was off the gas approaching turn 2.</p><div></div>

<p>Back in the '70's I fixed a "friend's" turntable for an agreed upon price of $20. When he saw the apparent ease in doing it, he would only pay me $5.<br>

I learned never to let them watch you work.</p>

<p>I'd like to get back to the op's question. I think the discussion has meandered to the point where an impossibly perfect lens is assumed.<br>

Before I bought a 5d2, I had an extended discussion with a friend and looked into resolution power, circle of confusion and diffraction. I came away with the conclusion that the 5d2 was really pushing the limits of (even L) lenses. Is this true?<br>

And on a personal note, no matter what the answer, my equipment's capability far exceeds my technical ability, which is the way I like it.</p>

<p>Hope you're including Death Valley.<br>

"Vegas is Elvis on acid.. Death Valley is God on acid."<br>

Have fun.</p>

<p>Since it's happening with all your lenses, it's most likely the problem is with the body.<br>

The first place I would look is to see if the focusing screen got bumped out of position a smidge. The fix for that would be free if you do it yourself.<br>

Fingers crossed.</p>

<p>I have a 5D2 and noticed a stutter on fast movement, usually while panning. I looked in to it and heard that it is the result of shooting at a high shutter speed. The information was that you should shoot video at 1/60 sec and use whatever combination of aperture, ISO and/or ND filters to get there.<br>

I have not tried it and I may be all wet.<br>

Anyone?</p>

<p>Also, I wanted to say I was impressed with Dan's Redtail.<br>

And to comment to Spencer that Death Valley is my other favorite National Park. I've gone there many times and it keeps getting better and better.</p>

<p>Not much to choose from this week because I've been busy building a new computer (Sandy Bridge! Whoo hoo!), working out the bugs and loading it up. Also the ongoing jungle removal project in the back yard with another trailer load to the dump. Anyone want a picture of the dump?<br>

But Sunday was nice and my shooting buddy and I went down the peninsula from San Fran and hit upper Purisma and then out to the coast for the sunset.<br>

5D2, 24-70 @ 46mm, f13, 1/20 sec, ISO200, polarizer</p><div></div>

<p>Les, don't give up!<br>

I just cut off my ear and pasted it in my coffee table book.<br>

Now I'm off to photograph the cornfields.</p>

<p>I understand that Canon bought the last operating bokite mine in northeastern Australia. Thus, they have effectivly cornered the bokite supply. This is all behind their new ad campaign stating that as of the first of the year, Canon lenses contain 23% more bokeh.<br>

All this was considered so important that they went and stole Ashton Kutcher from the Nikon account.<br>

Reports that there was a wherehouse breakin were denied by the company, however in some cities it is common knowledge that one can buy a 4 oz. bottle of bokeh for 25 USD.</p>

<p>I headed down the San Fran Peninsula with a friend Sat afternoon and we went into the top end of Purisimo Park off Skyline. I was overcast and damp, drippy under the trees, but the light was great for macros.. soft and even. Not much of it, though, so I cranked up the ISO.<br>

5d2, 24-70 f2.8L with crappy closeup lens @ 43mm, f8, 1/125, ISO 3200 handheld</p><div></div>

<p>Crappy weather here, but I got out on Sunday evening to redo a shot I had taken many years ago. The curve of the road is all from foreshortening, not free transform tricks in PS.<br>

5D2, 8 sec, ISO 100, Tokina 500 zoom @ 500mm, f32 (need to get a long exposure time)</p><div></div>

<p>Dean, that lens I used is is a Nikon mount with a converter. There is no electrical connection between the lens and body so the lens related EXIF info is bogus.<br>

I've been wishing for a quality 200-500 zoom from Canon for a long time. I don't even have auto aperture with this lens now, let alone auto focus or (gasp!) IS. I await that new 100-400+1.4 I hope it isn't going to be silly-expensive.</p>

<p>Once again, beautiful work this week, people.</p>

<p>This taken a couple weeks back while in Yosemite<br>

5D2, 1/320 sec, f8, Tokina 500 zoom @ ? mm, ISO 400</p><div></div>

<p>I've been printing 11 x 14's at Costco for almost 10 years. In that time I've always gotten back exactly what was on my screen in terms of brightness, contrast and color. (Always check the option for "Turn auto-correction off") One print, that I had given to a neighbor, faded in the red, but I've had no problems from the rest.<br>

In that time, friends have gone through 2-3 printers each, plus stacks of paper and an oil companies dream worth of ink.<br>

A note: Costco used to print your last pixel right at the edge of the paper. This was great for tiling (sp?) prints to make inexpensive panos. I have one that is 14 prints wide. (And this points up their excellent print control from image to image.) Anyway, I found that they no longer do that and they "lose" a couple of rows and columns along the edges, so I have to do a "sacrificial" border of a few pixels if I want to do a pano.<br>

I find Costco especially good for images from Laguna Seca and Carmel Valley Rd. Ha!</p>

<p>Jim J. and others, I got this off of 132 east of Modesto and just east of the Waterford area. I took it on the 23rd and since then we had a hard freeze which did considerable damage and was in the news. Maybe there's someone you can call to see if the blooms are still there.<br>

It's worth the trip as there is plenty to take on the way there and back.. the windmills at Altamont, Tesla Rd., etc. And 132 has good shooting all the way back to Coulterville.</p>