JohnMWright

<p>The 50D is not hopeless past ISO 800. I use it at 1600 all the time. The noise is mostly chroma and ACR from CS5 cleans it up extremely well. Beyond 1600 it has patterns and I haven't tried that with CS5, yet. I won't discourage you from an upgrade, but you can get a little more out of the 50D than you think.</p>

<p>These are both from the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM macro (albeit on a 50D):<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/14130142<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/14081313</p>

<p>The 28mm does show nice bokeh, regardless of other factors. ;-)</p>

 

<p>Unless you are in a very dusty place, I suggest you don't need to clean the lens that often, certainly not within the first 7 rolls of film. I've done hundreds of shots before I even thought about blowing off dust. A little bit won't hurt at all. Get a dustblower, like a giotto rocket, but don't wipe down the glass unless you get goo on the lens or filter.</p>

<p>I likewise think the either the film or processing was bad. I have had bad film before, and I have had bad processing, but I have never ruined a shot with a dusty lens.</p>

<p>You might find this amusing: http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters</p>

<p>In a small room, 100mm may be a bit tight unless you want face-only portraits (so the answer kind of depends, as mentioned). But for macro in general I would not go shorter than 100mm. For critters, I'd go for the 180mm macro. So you may be thinking about 2 lenses for different uses here. The 100mm might end up being a compromise that isn't quite ideal for either use.</p>

<p>What are the issues? If the lens in question has a rear element that protrudes out the back too far, it won't work.</p>

<p>I adapted my Nikkor AI-S 55mm micro with a simple Bower adapter. It works fine. Totally manual, so I prefer using it under studio conditions (or, at least with a tripod).</p>

<p>Here is another option for lenses with aperture rings: http://leitax.com/Nikon-lens-for-Canon-cameras.html</p>

<p>For G lenses (no aperture ring), you need this: http://www.16-9.net/nikon_g/</p>

 

<p>I have the lens. Great lens! The lens is small enough you don't need a tripod collar. I wanted to go vertical without a major tripod adjustment, but I wasn't willing to spend $200 extra for a $500 lens. I bought a $10 collar on eBay; I figured no loss if it doesn't work. It works OK, but it requires taking the lens off the camera to install it (not a big deal, but it is an extra step). I found if it is not clamped down tightly the ring will slip backwards. I'm sure the Canon model works a lot better.</p>

 

<p>Resolution isn't everything, but all of the lenses you listed are tested here: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx</p>

<p>As far as focusing speed, etc, maybe you can try one in your local store.</p>

<p>The Canon ST-E2 wireless trigger will make your life much easier. You won't trip over wires or worry quite as much about knocking over the lightstand.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I don't have the Canon 50mm macro, I use a 100mm for the reasons already stated in previous posts. I also have an inherited 55mm micro-Nikkor which isn't very convenient to use outside of the studio. But, regardless of the lens, live view from a tripod, mixed with 5x and 10x zoom, works very well to ensure precise focus. I personally cannot hold still enough for macros without the tripod. </p>

<p>When you say older style camera cases, do you mean the leather ones that were cut to fit a specific camera, and snapped on over the 50mm lens? I have not seen those for any modern cameras, but there are small padded bags that will work similarly. You might take a look at tamrac or lowepro bags.</p>

<p>I have the 17-40 and use it with my 20D and 50D. It is generally ok. I'm happy at most focal lengths. One of my best landscapes was done at f/4 ~ 28mm on my 20D. It could be a tad sharper but the light and composition are more important. I have noticed that 40mm is soft. 40mm is ok for street and people but I avoid it for landscapes.</p>

<p>It is probably my weakest lens but I don't hesitate to use it.</p>

<p>I sometimes feel it isn't quite wide enough or long enough on the crop, depending on the outing. If I were committed to the crop sensor, I'd look at the 15-85 instead.</p>

<p>I'll be very happy with it if I find it works better on full frame as Dan said.</p>

<p>Emma,</p>

<p>Something you should know about Nikon glass... the latest "G" lenses do not have an aperture ring, which will prevent their use on older film bodies. Keep that in mind if you switch. </p>

<p>I think the Zeiss zooms are only available for Sony/Minolta A-mount.</p>

<p>I have the Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM (non-IS) macro, and my friend has the Zeiss 100mm f/2 macro... and from what I can see, I'd stick with the Canon models. The Canons go to 1:1 if that is important to you, the Zeiss goes to 1:2 and my friend finds that restrictive. Depends on your needs of course.</p>

<p>I'm very happy with my Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM. The only lens that could replace it, should I get lucky, would be a Voigtlander 125mm APO-Lanthar (discontinued, rare, and way too pricey).</p>

 

<p>Rob,</p>

<p>You make a good point. But in the horse shot, I think it would work. Her head isn't far off center. Certainly all points won't work in that one. </p>

<p>Brandy,</p>

<p>Your lens has some of the worst aberrations I've ever seen, but that's already been covered.</p>

<p>I can add this:</p>

<p>The 50D focuses on the closest object under the active sensor(s). It almost never does what I want when all sensors are enabled. I typically have mine set to use only the center point. I also use the back AF button to focus. So, it really isn't all that different from what I did with my old MF cameras... focus and recompose. In the case of the woman on the horse, I think using a single point and then recomposing would fix it, baring an issue with the lens.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>When I could not find my Canon CD (buried somewhere in the closet) after upgrading to Win7 64-bit, I found this helpful: <br>

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/install_canon_software.html</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Here is the one I use for my 55mm micro Nikkor: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/663101-REG/Bower_ABEOSN_ABEOSN_Lens_Adapter.html</p>

<p>A friend of mine has the Zeiss 100. The lack of 1:1 is really limiting to him. I see no IQ advantage over the Canon 100s, but the convenience and price of Canon wins easily.</p>

<p>I have the Kirk BH-1 as well, it is an excellent head. I also have no personal comparison to others. I've used it with a Tamron 400mm f/4 and had zero trouble. It locks tight. I doubt I'll need to buy another head, ever. I'd get a Wimberley head for a bigger lens for balance and safety, but not because of any doubt of the strength of the BH-1 head, if that makes sense.</p>

<p>Lots of people rave about Acratech, RRS, and Markins too. I doubt you could go wrong with any. Just examine the designs and decide if the controls "fit". One of my criteria for the Kirk head was having the main knob on the "proper" side relative to the drop slot (my prior Bogen head drove me nuts in that regard). RRS has more than one drop slot in their design. </p>

<p>I believe all modern Gitzo tripods have a 3/8" thread and the Arca-Swiss has the matching thread in the base... pairing them will be fine. </p>

<p>As mentioned, you will need a quick release plate with a 1/4" thread to attach to the camera. I'm not sure if Arca-Swiss provides a default plate, some companies do. If so, it will be generic but it will get you started. For the best fit, you will probably want a camera-specific plate. RRS and Kirk and some others make them. If you have any lenses with tripod collars, you should get a plate for each of those too.</p>

<p>What's wrong with the D700? As some others have noted, there are outstanding lenses available for Nikon too. There are many excellent manual focus lenses available for relatively low cost, which should be fine for landscapes. Unless you have a very specific reason to jump, I'd sit tight with Nikon. </p>

 

<p>http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/50D/review/</p>

<p>http://wyofoto.com/EOS_IQ_shootout_2008/EOS_shootout_2008.html </p>

<p>I personally like the features of the 50D over the 40D. I haven't compared the IQ directly, but I don't have any complaints about the 50D at low ISO. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hehe, I forgot about the backup card in the 1D series. I'm glad the card isn't bad. I've always been curious why Canon decided to use two different styles of memory in the single body.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Ah, ok... sounds like a bad memory card. I've had this exact symptom. I was able to download the shots via plugging the camera into the computer, but could not get them with the card reader. I got rid of the card after I got the images from it.</p>