antonio_carvalho2

April 10, 2011

I have been to Amsterdam twice in 2007 and 2010. In both trips I carried expenside SLR and DSLR equipment in a photo backpack. In both trips I have never felt frightened or worried about being robbed. Even at the red light district you can see a bunch of policemen to protect you. The only criminals I saw there were occasional drug dealers (on the streets, not on legal coffee shops).

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Antonio Carvalho

April 9, 2011

My father traded his Nikon camera (I don't know which model was it) for a Yashica FR-1 when I was born because it had automatic exposure settings. I grew up making photographs with that huge metal camera with a 50mm f/1.4. I remember him teaching me how to use a manual focus lens when I was only 7 years old. At the age of 20, I decided to learn photography and take it seriously as a hobby. The camera was not working anymore, but the lenses were fine. Since them, I have moved to Canon, but I am a great admirer of Contax and Contax-Yashica lenses and cameras. I think they were extremelly well built.

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Antonio Carvalho

April 2, 2011

I am thinking about buying one of these focus accuracy testers in order to check my cameras and lenses. I have considered Lens Align Pro and Lens Align Mk II. Although the latter is substantially cheaper, all the reviews count its construction and a negative aspect. I have seen no comment on Lens Align Pro. Could anyone tell me about its construction? Is it made of plastic, cardboard or metal? Is it possible to disassemble it for transportation?

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Antonio Carvalho

April 2, 2011

I am still interested in this bag, so if anyone owns it and could talk to me about its cargo capacity, I would really appreciate.

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Antonio Carvalho

March 5, 2011

Choose whatever medium you prefer and have fun with it. Photography has more to do about producing images than with the medium which supports the images.

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Antonio Carvalho

February 27, 2011

Thanks for the suggestions.

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Antonio

February 27, 2011

I want to start shooting with two cameras, so that I can leave the 50mm f/1.4 USM in one camera and the 17-40 f/4L on the other. I would like to sync both cameras date and time and apparently it can be done with the EOS utility program for both cameras. I would like to know if it would be possible (using only the camera or one of Canon programs or even Photoshop Elements 9) to change pictures names from the traditional IMG_XXXX.jpg (or CR2) to something like YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.jpg (or .CR2). Could anyone help me?

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Antonio

February 27, 2011

Dear Andre,

Probably, Nikon El Segundo has the answer for these questions. I think you should take your lens there for an evaluation. I hope they can return your lens to factory original state.

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Antonio

February 26, 2011

Markus,

I would appreciate to receive the Canon A1 and it accessories. The camera would have a nice home in Rio de Janeiro. Please let me know if it is still available and how we can work out the transportation costs issue.

Yours sincerely,

Antonio

February 17, 2011

I used to shoot primarely landscapes on film (2001-2007) and then on digital (2007-2010). I used to love wide angle lenses stoped down for their magnificent depth of field and also to correct abberations that could be corrected stoped down a lens. In 2010, I started to make portaits and nudes and also I fell in love with bokeh. Portraits are usually taken with normal to mid-telephoto lenses in order to benefit from perspective and avoid distortions (such as the huge nose, small ears problem), but then the issues with APS-C sensors, crop factors (or field of view correction factors or whatever you may call it) have become a problem for me, which I will describe below.

If you shoot a portrait with a normal or mid-telephoto lens on a APS-C camera, lets say a 50mm or 85mm lens, it has the same field of view of a 80mm or 136mm lens, so it means you have to back up a little (or more) not to frame too tightly or to include a larger portion of the body in the image. Sometimes, it is impossible to back up, especially if you are shooting on location instead of a studio.

If you want to have the field of view of a 50mm on a APS-C camera, you should use a 28mm lens, but it comes with the distortions associated with wide angle lenses.

I would like to know how do you deal with this problem:

a) If you want to make portraits, go full frame.

b) Go back, always

c) Use a good wide angle (for example, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L) and pray for the distortions to remain unoticed

d) Avoid doing full body pictures and prefer waist up or elbows up portraits

I am also wondering how 4/3 and micro 4/3 users deal with it since their sensors are even smaller than APS-C sensors.

I would like to hear your opinions.

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Antonio

February 17, 2011

@ Richard:

Thank you.

@ Gustavo:

I know brfoto. I am also registered there. See you there.

February 7, 2011

It is possible to engage/disengage the extender. There is a bump on the lens barrel and a switch (it looks like a mechanical switch) between the IS switches and the autofocus switch.

Look at the enlarged image:

<a href="http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/1102/canon/lenses/EF-200-400mm-f4L-IS-USM-EXTENDER-1.4.jpg">http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/1102/canon/lenses/EF-200-400mm-f4L-IS-USM-EXTENDER-1.4.jpg</a>

February 6, 2011

I am a Brazilian photographer, specialized in landscapes, architecture, travel photography and nudes. I am based in Rio de Janeiro. I have seen a few other Brazilian photographers here. I would like to invite the others to introduce themselves. Knowing our colleagues might be interesting and it would also let us know who we can contact to ask for help on local questions (locations, renting equipment, finding second shooters) and for business propolsas.

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Antonio Carvalho

February 6, 2011

@ Steven F

Thank you for the various DoF calculations and the link for the DoF Calculator (it is better than the one I am used to). My subjects are not distant, I usually shoot from a 8-10 feet distance. I will try to calculate which lens/appeture combination is better for me.

@ John Crowe

Thank you for the primes recommendations. I currently own 28 f/1.8, 50 f/1.4 and I am planning to add the 85 f/1.8 to the set.

@ Arie

The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is a new product. It was released in march 2010 to replace a product released in september 2001. I do not expect another upgrade soon.

The 5D mark II was release in november 2008 to replace a product (5D) release in october 2005, so we might expect an upgrade soon.

February 6, 2011

If you plan to go full frame in the near future: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L (sometimes it feels a bit short) or Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L or Canon EF 24-104 f/4L IS (the last two lenses might feel a bit long on the wide end on a crop body)

If you don't plan to go full frame: any of these or Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS

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Antonio

February 6, 2011

@ Arie

Nothing about the 5D2 would limit me, but since it seems to be at the end of its product cycle and a new 5D3 seems to be coming, I prefer to wait and buy a just released product, with new features to buying a product which will be outdated soon. I agree that the 5D2 is a fine camera and I would not use all of its resources before the 5D3 is release, but it is not inexpensive and it is already a few years old, so I will wait for the new one.

February 5, 2011

@ Arie

I am waiting for the 5D mk III.

February 4, 2011

@ David Stephens

70-200 f/2.8L IS II + Canon Extender 2x III would be the perfect combination, except for my pockets ;-)

@ Daniel Lee Taylor

Buying the 85mm f/1.8 and keeping the 70-200 f/4L is the ideia which is struggling with buying the 70-200 f/2.8L

@ J. Harrington

Thank you for the samples.

@ G Dan Mitchell

The 85mm f/1.8 prime is a strong candidate for my next lens.

@ Mike Hitchen

I may have phrased my question in a less than perfect way. I simply wanted to know if I could obtain a better bokeh by changing this factor, moving from a f/4L lens (@ f/4) to a f/2.8L (@ f/2.8). Obviously, I can not use f/2.8 on my f/4L lens, that's why I am thinking about buying the f/2.8L, but if changing the only the apperture will not improve my bokeh that much, than I might consider other options (the 85mm f/1.8, for example).

Buying the f/2.8L testing it and selling it if it does not fit my needs is another option that I am considering.

It is really a tough decision.

@ Philip Wilson

Thank you for the suggestions. I use all my lenses with their hoods.

@ Marcus Ian

Thank you for your opinion.

February 4, 2011

@ Matt Welsh

I plan to carry the lens (in a camera backpack with other lenses) for the whole day for several consecutive days and weight is one of my concerns. Most of my pictures are made while I am on vacation and I am starting on the portraits fiels while I am at home. This year, I am planning to go to Spain, Hawai and the Inca Trail, so I will be in several beautiful places with my backpack for several days. I am wondering if I will be able to carry the lens all day long. I would like to rent it before buying to test, unfortunately, I can not rent it before buying, there are no lens rental companies in Rio de Janeiro, where I live.

@ Mike Hitchen

I am planning the use the 2.8L at f/2.8 most of the time.

@ Jim McDonald

The reports on the 1.4x TC (I don't know why Canon call them tele extenders) are very good with both lenses and the ones with the 2.0x TC are not so good, but I would like to reach 400mm.

@ Mark Anthony Kathurima

The focal lenghts I use most are 70mm, 85mm and 200mm. I could use the 50mm f/1.4 and two steps in the direction of the model, the 85mm f/1.8 which I am thinking about buying and a 200mm f/2.8L, but I think the zoom could be more versatile, do you agree?

@ David Stephens

Which TC do you use: 1.4x or 2x?

@ Philip Wilson

I am considering a two lens approach. The f/4L for landscape and travel, so I can carry it all day long in my backpack and the f/2.8L for portraits. The only con of this approach is price, so I am considering it carrefully.

@ G Dan Mitchell

Your picture of the flower is very beautiful. My first picture with the 70-200 f/4L is similiar to this one in terms of bokeh, but sometimes (specially with larger subjects, farther from the camera), I could not achieve a similar bokeh and I was wondering if that was because of the larger DoF of the f/4L when focused on a distant subject @ f/4.

@ David Stephens

I have pictures with great bokeh from my 70-200 f/4L and pictures with poor bokeh. I am not using my computer now, so I can not upload samples, but I will do so when I arrive home, so you can see what I am talking about.

February 3, 2011

So many answers so fast. Thank you!

I realized that I did not provide some vital informations for the answers. I photograph mostly landscapes and portraits. Most of my portraits are on location and not on a studio.

@ Matt Laur

I really love the visual quality of bokeh of the f/4L, but I would like more (amount of) bokeh. I was wondering if the f/2.8L would give me a much shallower DoF than the F/4L.

@ G Dan Mitchell

I wonder that too. The 85mm f/1.8 is the other option, but it is less versatile.

@ Phillip Wilson

That is exactly what I am looking for. A shallower DoF.

@ Natan

Very beautiful picture. I understand that if the nearer the subject and farther background, the best the bokeh is. However, sometimes I can not control these distances, so I was wondering if the f/2.8L would deliver a better bokeh (in terms of more amount of bokeh or a shallower DoF) than the f/4L.

February 3, 2011

Another boring equipment question:

I currently own the 70-200 f/4L. While I appreciate the sharpness and focusing speed of this lens, I am quite disappointed with its bokeh. I have been offered an almost new 70-200 f/2.8L (without IS) at a good price. So, I would like to know from the colleagues at photo.net.

Do you think that the bokeh provided by the f/2.8 lens version is better the one provided by the f/4L?

Do you consider the extra weight to be exaggerated? Would you carry it on your backpack on a day long trip?

Would you use the lens with a 2x TC?

Is IS an essential feature for this lens (specially with the TC) or could you live without it?

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Antonio

February 2, 2011

Chris,

If I were in your shoes, I would try the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L. It is a super wide angle, with a moderate apperture, solidly built and performs very well. The price is also very attractive, I think it is only US$ 150,00 more expensive than the 15mm fisheye from Canon and it is an L lens. I use this lens on my T2i and I love it.

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Antonio

January 30, 2011

Walter,

One of Mitusubishi's SUVs is called Pajero in some countries (Brazil, for example) and Montero in others (especially in spanish speaking countries). Volkswagen's classic car was called Beetle in the USA and Fusca i Brazil. More recently, a VW small sedan was sold under the name Fox in USA and Voyage in Brazil.

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Antonio

January 26, 2011

Josh,

Thank you for your prompt answer. I had already read your review when I posted my question. It is a very good review and one of the reasons I decided to consider the Crumpler bag for my next backpack purchase.

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Antonio Carvalho

January 25, 2011

Most of my best photo opportunities happen when I am travelling, so I like to carry several lenses with my and have fast access to them. I usually prefer photo backpacks with a "general storage" pocket, as Kata DR 467 or Lowepro Fastpack 350 (both of which I own). Altough I like these bags, both of them have a square like format, which makes them stand out on the streets. I would like to change to a more discrete, commom backpack looking bag, as the Crumpler Customary Barge Deluxe, but I am woried about storage space. I would like to know if anyone here owns this bag and could tell me if my equipment will fit in the bottom part of it:

Canon EOS Rebel T2i with grip and mounted with Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 (a large lens)

Canon EF 17-40 f/4L

Canon EF 70-200 f/4L

Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Could I store all these items in the bottom part of the bag? I can not try this before buying, there is no Crumpler authorized dealer in Brazil and so I have no chance to try the bag before buying it.

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Antonio Carvalho

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