smooth_carrots

<p>Thanks all. I have used a lot of EF lenses and this is the first one that has really needed any sort of micro-focus adjustment. All the others have been great straight out of the box (even wide aperture lenses).</p>

<p>I have only tested it at relatively close distances so far but I wil give it a good testing later this week. If it maintains its sharpness at all distances and apertures then I'll probably hang on to it. I'm not a fan of Sigma lenses. Sigma glass is great but the way they're put together leaves something to be desired.</p>

<p>Just got this lens today. I had to dial in maximum (+20) AF micro-adjust as it was front focusing quite badly. If it was any worse, the AF micro-adjust would not have been able to correct it. Seems to be working fine now. Is this normal with this lens? If not, would you keep it or return it?</p>

<p>Thanks M.P.</p>

<p>I can heartily recommend the 85mm f1.8. It is impossible to fault in my opinion.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Nope, Nikon lenses are turned the right way, you just have to be behind the camera where you belong, then lefty-loosey and righty-tighty applies. :)</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Who changes lenses whilst looking through the viewfinder? It's like crawling underneath the sink to turn a tap on.</p>

<p>So you want a Canon 500D? Would that be the Canon 500D DSLR camera you are looking for or the Canon 500D close up lens? Good grief...</p>

<p>Where do I start?</p>

<p><strong>To make the current camera perfect, I would do this:</strong></p>

<p>1. Better AF performance on the outer points. The current ones are a complete joke.</p>

<p>2. AF points spread wider across the frame</p>

<p>3. Weather sealing. Canon has done half a job which means they may as well not have bothered. The camera likes to drink water through the joystick control and seize up.</p>

<p>4. More control of the auto ISO function i.e. the abilty to set upper and lower limits.</p>

<p>5. Fix the diopter adjustment wheel so it doesn't keep moving on its own.</p>

<p><strong>To make a new model even better I would do the above 5 mods and then also add:</strong></p>

<p>6. 60fps video shooting at 1080p like the 1D</p>

<p>7. Increased high ISO performance.</p>

<p>8. Built in wireless flash control to do away with the ancient ST-E2.</p>

<p>9. Built in GPS</p>

<p>10. Decent Sony style AF in Live View</p>

<p>11. AF at f8</p>

<p>12. Higher MP count</p>

<p>Other silly demands such as 10fps shooting can be forgotten about as it will never happen.</p>

<p>I like shooting 6x6 because it saves messing around turning the camera for landscape and portrait formats. I've owned quite a few MF cameras and I now have a Bronica SQ-A. You get a complete Hasselblad style system with added extras for a 3rd of the price of a Hassy. The Bronica lenses are also excellent.</p>

<p>I also hate using a tripod so I shoot mostly handheld with an AE prism finder and speed grip. That way it's like shooting with an oversized 35mm SLR. I do find the SQ-A has an unusual operating method that takes some getting used to. The SQ-A is an ingenious mechanical wonder. All parts communicate mechanically with each other to prevent accidental exposure. For the first couple of weeks you'll spend your time trying to take photos with the dark slide in place, the film not wound on, the shutter uncocked and all sorts of other silly things. The brilliance of the SQ-A design prevents most accidental exposures but can also drive you nuts as you try to remember to make sure everything's set correctly.</p>

<p>Just beware that the SQ-A and similar 6x6 SLRs are clunky, noisy contraptions. The Fuji GA cameras are nice but I find the AF unreliable. The Fuji GW cameras are superb but don't have built in metering. If you're happy shooting 6x4.5 I would go for the Bronica RF645. It's more compact, quieter and easier to operate than a MF SLR.</p>

<p>Money no object? That's easy... the Mamiya 7II.</p>

<p>Thanks Abram, that's good honest advice. I'm going to try the 28mm for a while. Obviously the 24 f1.4 would be the ultimate solution but I don't think I'd use it often enough to justify the price.</p>

<p>Use the same lens for video as you use for shooting stills. For example, if you think shooting a portrait with your 35mm at f2 looks cool then use the same lens for videoing a shot of a person etc etc.</p>

<p>Thanks all, I'll probably change my order to the 28mm f1.8 and try it for a month or two. If it doesn't do the job I'll sell it and go for the 24mm f1.4. Fingers crossed the 28mm can deliver.</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses. I forgot to mention that I intend to use the lens mainly from 1.4 - 2.2 (i.e. almost wide open). Performance at apertures smaller than f2.8 does not really concern me.</p>

<p>Sigma also do a 24mm f1.8 and a 28mm f1.8 although I have no idea what they are like.</p>

<p>I just ordered a 24mm f1.4L II but I'm now having second thoughts about dumping such a huge amount of money on a lens. I am considering changing the order to the 28mm f1.8 but I would like to hear from people who have used the lens on a full frame DSLR. I use the 5D2.</p>

<p>I use the <a href="http://www.jackthehat.co.uk/pap-strap-p-466.html?currency=USD">PAP Strap</a>. It's a similar idea but is extremely good value. It can also hold a very heavy camera and lens combination without fear of it coming loose. I'll never go back to using a normal camera strap. My 5D2 and 70-200mm f2.8L swing from it nicely. It also takes the neck and back ache out of carrying heavy gear. I can now walk around with this combination all day long.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If you actually read the announcement you just linked to, you'll see that it's not the 5D-whatever, but the C300. A new product. Already mentioned in other threads here.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>If you actually read my post (and the bottom of the article I linked to) you'll see that it's not the C300.</p>

<p><a href="http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/news/cinema_eos.do">Smart thinking</a> from Canon. Probably pricey though.</p>

<p><em>Canon has also announced it’s developing a next-generation DSLR camera that’s equipped with a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor and supports the recording of 4K video* (at a frame rate of 24P, with Motion-JPEG compression) for exceptional image quality that allows the creation of innovative and expressive images. Full details of this camera will be revealed on the CPN website when they become available.</em></p>

<p>5D MkIII?<em><br /></em></p>

<p>I very rarely print. Let's be brutally honest, how many of us do these days? However, if photography is your hobby, there's no better feeling than pixel peeping a 5D2 image. Not only that, you can crop away 80% of the frame and still print a nice 10x8 if you want. No need for expensive telephotos anymore.</p>

<p>I bought the 5D2 as soon as it was released and I've loved every minute of owning it. My previous camera was a 350D (Rebel XT).</p>

<p>You are right to be concerned about the AF. The outer AF points on the 5D2 are a complete joke. They are so bad that I don't even consider using them any more. Probably no worse than your T1i but, for a relatively expensive full frame DSLR, simply not good enough.</p>

<p>Thankfully, the centre AF point is outstanding. 18 months ago I switched to back button focusing, centre AF point only and permanent AI servo mode. Now I do not miss the outer points. I can shoot anything I like including fast paced action with ease.</p>

<p>Other than the outer AF points, the only other thing I don't like about the 5D2 is the lack of proper weather sealing. I will never understand why Canon decided to weather seal large parts of this camera but then left other parts completely unprotected. It makes no sense. Twice my camera has seized up due to water entering through the joystick control. You've just got to tell yourself that the camera doesn't like rain, much like your T1i. To pretend it is weather sealed is a mistake.</p>

<p>Apart from that, the 5D2 is an amazing camera and I am glad I paid full retail price for it when it was released. It was worth it for the fun I've had with it for the last couple of years.</p>

<p>So what is so bad about the 5D2 that makes you want to wait a year+ for the (undoubtably) more expensive 5D3?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>It hasn't been mentioned in this thread, but there really is something about an image from a full frame DSLR that sets it apart from the rest. I far prefer a shot from the old 12MP 5D to one out of a modern 18MP crop camera. There is just something magical and more film-like about a full frame shot. Maybe it's the shallow DoF or the cleaner overall look. Something to consider. I still think a Mk1 5D would be the OP's best bet within his budget.</p>

<p>Canon EOS 5D Mk1. Full frame, top drawer image quality and well within your budget.</p>

<p>You already have the 24mm focal length so why not invest in the 16-35? Having said that, I would LOVE a 24mm f1.4 (and your gorgeous 85mm f1.2).</p>

<p>Gregory, I pity you having to sort through 3500 shots on your computer. My worst nightmare.</p>

<p>Besides, you could buy a modern DSLR with a shutter count of less than a thousand and then watch it fall apart in your hands because it has been used for shooting HD video for the last 3 years.</p>

<p>Or you could buy a DSLR with a low shutter count only to discover it had been in a river last month and listen to all the circuits slowly frying away.</p>

<p>Shutter count, shmutter count...</p>

<p>Lonnie,</p>

<p>I have exactly the same lenses as you (300mm f4L IS & 200mm f2.8L II). I also have the 1.4x II extender. All I can tell you is that the extender works extremely well. I tried cropping and upscaling images without the extender to see if the extender did indeed give a better result... it does! I would go as far as to say the 300mm + 1.4x gives a result equal to or better than the long end of the 100-400mmL.</p>

<p>By the way, image quality with the extender improves drastically one stop down i.e. f8 on 300mm, f5.6 on 200mm.</p>

<p>I'm in the middle of printing 400 A4 sized photographs of my best work. There is little difference in quality between the shots took using my old 6MP 300D + 18-55mm and my current 5D2 + 24-105mm.</p>

<p>Nobody bothered with shutter counts when we shot film, I have never understood the fascination with it.</p>

<p>To answer your question, I have no idea. But then, does it really matter?</p>