Batteries
It seems that Canon shipped batteries this week because I had an order for two of them waiting to be filled and I was at the top of the wait list and they arrived on Wednesday! Yay! I have three (one for the charger, one for the pocket and one in the camera!). I hope to get some good ones this week.
I saw a nice order come through for you, from this event,
Yes and there are reports of several more yippeee!! lol though the original order had to be cancelled so that the person, who happens to be the coach, could go back and verify the pictures she chose were of her son! lol.
It seems that Canon shipped batteries this week because I had an order for two of them waiting to be filled and I was at the top of the wait list and they arrived on Wednesday! Yay! I have three (one for the charger, one for the pocket and one in the camera!). I hope to get some good ones this week.
That diving image is wonderful!
Thanks Kat. I had a lot of fun and was very lucky that the event director and coaches all agreed to let me go up on the 10 meter platform to shoot warm ups. I got some really good shots of the girls the next day:
Now just stop that right there, Randy. Everybody knows this is a LANDSCAPE camera, not capable of action shots. :nono
Seriously though, these are killer shots. Were you shooting bursts for these? Servo or one shot?
Cheers,
-joel
Thanks Joel, I was shooting bursts server and averaging about 5 or 6 shots per dive and using my 24-105L for these and some others I also used my 70-200L. I also shot the boys state diving the day before and got some good shots there.
Thanks ziggy53. That means a lot. This was the first time shooting with my new gear and only my 4th time shooting diving ever. This happened to be the last meet of the year so if I want to do it again, I'll have to wait till next year but the coach has said they are interested so hopefully I'll get to.
Alright, I tried to stay away.....but I have just been officially awarded Badminton Nationals, and just done some practice shooting. ISO 3200 on the 1dMkII will kill any potential sales! :cry
So, I need clean high ISO shots.
I need good burst function.
Am I on the slippery slope here -> if, say, I decided to rent a different body, should it be the
5dMkII
1dMkIII
50d
for low light sports, keeping in mind I won't have any significant post processing time available for the shots.
:hide
Alright, I tried to stay away.....but I have just been officially awarded Badminton Nationals, and just done some practice shooting. ISO 3200 on the 1dMkII will kill any potential sales! :cry
So, I need clean high ISO shots.
I need good burst function.
Am I on the slippery slope here -> if, say, I decided to rent a different body, should it be the
5dMkII
1dMkIII
50d
for low light sports, keeping in mind I won't have any significant post processing time available for the shots.
:hide
what will the dh have to say about this now?
Can you possibly rent all three for one event and see how it goes?
Prolly would be cheaper than making a mistake...
Alright, I tried to stay away.....but I have just been officially awarded Badminton Nationals, and just done some practice shooting. ISO 3200 on the 1dMkII will kill any potential sales! :cry
So, I need clean high ISO shots.
I need good burst function.
Am I on the slippery slope here -> if, say, I decided to rent a different body, should it be the
5dMkII
1dMkIII
50d
for low light sports, keeping in mind I won't have any significant post processing time available for the shots.
:hide
what will the dh have to say about this now?
Be sure to actually print some tests as the on-screen grain is much more easily seen than what shows in prints.
You might try the 1D MKII with some ceiling bounce flash and ISO 1600. Used as reinforcement light it should not be startling and objectionable and that is the method a lot of professionals use.
The Canon 50D has more high-ISO noise than the 1D MKII, and the AF section is also quite a bit slower.
The 1Ds MKIII and the 5D MKII have similar imagers, but the 5D MKII has a more recent image processing engine and shows less visible noise. The AF section of the 1D MKIII is considerably better than the 5D MKII, but the 5D MKII is better than the original 5D.
I suggest that the 1Ds MKIII is probably the better choice, followed by the 5D MKII. A 1D MKIII should also be a consideration. Vincent LaForet used 3 - Canon 1D MKIII cameras and 2 - 1Ds MKIII cameras at the 2008 Olymics. Newsweek accepted images from both bodies.
Your camera priorities should be focus accuracy as number one followed by responsiveness and high-ISO performance. Megapixels is further down in level of importance unless major cropping is required.
Thanks, ziggy. I have printed some soccer photos, ISO 3200, and the grain is unpleasant at larger than 4x6.
I test shot the badminton with my 50mmf1.4 and 85mmf1.8 and really wish I could use the 85, but it is too long.
Auto focus speed is important for sure, the 1DsMkIII is way out of my league. I haven't thought about the 1DMkIII due to the early focus issue reports. Is that resolved?
I would like to get back to shooting lots of indoor sports and so would like to pick the proper body for this.
Be sure to actually print some tests as the on-screen grain is much more easily seen than what shows in prints.
You might try the 1D MKII with some ceiling bounce flash and ISO 1600. Used as reinforcement light it should not be startling and objectionable and that is the method a lot of professionals use.
The Canon 50D has more high-ISO noise than the 1D MKII, and the AF section is also quite a bit slower.
The 1Ds MKIII and the 5D MKII have similar imagers, but the 5D MKII has a more recent image processing engine and shows less visible noise. The AF section of the 1D MKIII is considerably better than the 5D MKII, but the 5D MKII is better than the original 5D.
I suggest that the 1Ds MKIII is probably the better choice, followed by the 5D MKII. A 1D MKIII should also be a consideration. Vincent LaForet used 3 - Canon 1D MKIII cameras and 2 - 1Ds MKIII cameras at the 2008 Olymics. Newsweek accepted images from both bodies.
Your camera priorities should be focus accuracy as number one followed by responsiveness and high-ISO performance. Megapixels is further down in level of importance unless major cropping is required.
Hi Ann. If I had to choose, I would select something that is close to what I was shooting with already. There are subtle differences between the mkII and mkIII with regard to controls and definite changes in the configuration of these two bodies.
You should also practice with what ever body you select. All of those available to you are capable of the task at hand. However, I think the best option for you is to go with lighting--if you can.
Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
Thanks, ziggy. I have printed some soccer photos, ISO 3200, and the grain is unpleasant at larger than 4x6.
I test shot the badminton with my 50mmf1.4 and 85mmf1.8 and really wish I could use the 85, but it is too long.
Auto focus speed is important for sure, the 1DsMkIII is way out of my league. I haven't thought about the 1DMkIII due to the early focus issue reports. Is that resolved?
I would like to get back to shooting lots of indoor sports and so would like to pick the proper body for this.
ann
From all I have read about the 1DMkIII, its AF has always been good for indoors sports. Most of the reported focus problems have been for outdoor sports with bright light and fast moving subjects.
As for the 5DII, how good its AF is depends on how low the lights is. On the 5DM1, I usually shoot low light at f/2 and ISO 1600 and I start seeing slow AF when the shutter speed drops below 1/125s or so. The other issue I find with the 5D AF is that servo AF works poorly at short range with fast lenses. If the 85/1.8 is too long then, at least in my experience, you are likely too close to use servo mode effectively and I'd choose single shot AF instead.
As for the 5DII, how good its AF is depends on how low the lights is. On the 5DM1, I usually shoot low light at f/2 and ISO 1600 and I start seeing slow AF when the shutter speed drops below 1/125s or so. The other issue I find with the 5D AF is that servo AF works poorly at short range with fast lenses. If the 85/1.8 is too long then, at least in my experience, you are likely too close to use servo mode effectively and I'd choose single shot AF instead.
I can corroborate this. Did some recent AI Servo action with 135L outdoors in good light and it did not suck. But that was a perfect storm.
Picked mine up today, have on backorder two spare batteries, the BG-E6 battery grip. Also grabbed an Extreme IV 8Gb card and a 500 gig hard drive. Should keep me happy for the next week or two.
Now the biggest challenge......smug mug strap or Mark II strap...
Also, has Firmware 1.0.6 installed...time for an update.
One of the first things I noticed about the 5D MKII RAW files is that they appear to have more highlight headroom, even without the HTP turned on. I was able to recover more detail in very bright highlights than with previous Canon cameras.
One of the first things I noticed about the 5D MKII RAW files is that they appear to have more highlight headroom, even without the HTP turned on. I was able to recover more detail in very bright highlights than with previous Canon cameras.
I can corroborate this. Did some recent AI Servo action with 135L outdoors in good light and it did not suck. But that was a perfect storm.
For me the 135L on the 5D has been something of a miracle combo. It seems I can do no wrong with that pair. Handheld at f/2 and 1/100s I'll consistently fire off sharp shots in situations where I wouldn't expect keepers with any other lens. Neither the 85/1.8 nor the 200L treat me nearly as well.
I see there was some talk of action shots on the 5D2 again a few posts back... I just posted a bunch of basketball photos here: http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=122893
One of the first things I noticed about the 5D MKII RAW files is that they appear to have more highlight headroom, even without the HTP turned on. I was able to recover more detail in very bright highlights than with previous Canon cameras.
This is a very good thing! clap
Excellent. So the question in my mind is how do you know exactly how much headroom you have when shooting? What do you think of this idea by Scott Quier?
Excellent. So the question in my mind is how do you know exactly how much headroom you have when shooting? What do you think of this idea by Scott Quier?
Cheers,
-joel
That's the thing, I "don't" know exactly how much headroom when shooting (yet).
I just got the camera and I am still testing. One of the tests I was able to run was to see how the metering works. I chose a difficult scene with a cloudy bright sky and some deep shadow. The clouds were obviously blown at their brightest zones judging by the "blinkies" and the histogram.
I opened the RAW file in DPP 3.5.2.0 and started playing.
I noticed that I was able to reduce the contrast and adjust the exposure until I could get both shadows and highlights in range. The difference was that the level of control was better than I have gotten with either the 1D MKII or the 40D in similar situations. I'm thinking, "that's pretty cool", but I'm not totally convinced.
I tried the same RAW file with RAW Therapee and got a similar experience, which is great because I cannot believe they both use the same demosaicing algorithms and processing engine.
It is then that I was able to conclude that the camera had excellent dynamic range.
The fact that I was able to recover the highlights to the degree that I found is how I am able to conclude "that they appear to have more highlight headroom, even without the HTP turned on."
I do suspect that Canon has tweaked the exposure system to be somewhat more conservative with highlights since the shadow detail is relatively easier to recover on the 5D MKII.
Whatever, my initial impression is very favorable and I wanted to share the experience.
For me, the 5D MKII will be a fairly special purpose camera and I will be testing the camera for suitability on projects from weddings to landscapes. It's looking good for now.
For those of you who are not familiar with this lil gem, the WFT-E4A is a wireless file transmitter that allows you to transmit copies of your photos as while you are still shooting to an FTP server. Not only that, it also allows you to switch to another mode that allows you to let up to 3 other people login to your camera and view your pictures while you are shooting. It also lets them press a virutal shutter release and take pictures as well.
Anyway, I had an idea of how to use this equipment combination and SmugMug at an even higher level. Being that I live in the Boston area, known for many very popular historic areas and monuments, I thought it would be a nice setup to actually go to someplace like a Fanieul Hall or "The Constitution" and similar to the "Disney Photo Pass" setup, as tourist walk by, offer take their picture for free at the landmark and then have it automatically upload to my SmugMug site using the WFT-E4A.
One of the great things about the MKII, as you probably already know, is that you can shoot in RAW + JPG at different size settings for each format at the same time. Well, taking advantage of that, the WFT-E4A actually lets you decide in that mode to only upload the JPG file from each set so the file size is considerably smaller and thus a faster upload (even though with good signal the transmit times are wicked fast). It also uploads while I continue shooting adding to the streamlining. Once uploaded to the SmugMug gallery, which has a preset "Proof Delay" of 5 days, the potential customer goes to the site and says yes I like shot X and places the order. You match the jpg file name to the raw file so you can get the best post processing result (aka Happy Customer) and do a replacement of the shot chosen in the gallery and then release it for print. This minimizes the processing to only those shots that are ordered, maximizing the efficiency. This process can then be mirrored in other historic areas across the country.
So the long and short of it, the WFT-E4A can auto upload using FTP protocol. My understanding is that there is currently no FTP access to SM and thus my dilemma and I'm wondering if any of you out there have used the WFT-E4A and had any thoughts, insights or suggestions.
Comments
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It seems that Canon shipped batteries this week because I had an order for two of them waiting to be filled and I was at the top of the wait list and they arrived on Wednesday! Yay! I have three (one for the charger, one for the pocket and one in the camera!). I hope to get some good ones this week.
That diving image is wonderful!
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com
Yes
www.brogen.com
Member: PPA , PPANE, PPAM & NAPP
Thanks Kat. I had a lot of fun and was very lucky that the event director and coaches all agreed to let me go up on the 10 meter platform to shoot warm ups. I got some really good shots of the girls the next day:
#1
#2
#3
www.brogen.com
Member: PPA , PPANE, PPAM & NAPP
Seriously though, these are killer shots. Were you shooting bursts for these? Servo or one shot?
Cheers,
-joel
Link to my Smugmug site
I'm impressed.
(... and I'm not too easily impressed.)
Soon I'll have some further insights myself.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Thanks Joel, I was shooting bursts server and averaging about 5 or 6 shots per dive and using my 24-105L for these and some others I also used my 70-200L. I also shot the boys state diving the day before and got some good shots there.
www.brogen.com
Member: PPA , PPANE, PPAM & NAPP
Thanks ziggy53. That means a lot. This was the first time shooting with my new gear and only my 4th time shooting diving ever. This happened to be the last meet of the year so if I want to do it again, I'll have to wait till next year but the coach has said they are interested so hopefully I'll get to.
www.brogen.com
Member: PPA , PPANE, PPAM & NAPP
Seriously great.
Thanks Pindy!
www.brogen.com
Member: PPA , PPANE, PPAM & NAPP
So, I need clean high ISO shots.
I need good burst function.
Am I on the slippery slope here -> if, say, I decided to rent a different body, should it be the
5dMkII
1dMkIII
50d
for low light sports, keeping in mind I won't have any significant post processing time available for the shots.
:hide
what will the dh have to say about this now?
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
Can you possibly rent all three for one event and see how it goes?
Prolly would be cheaper than making a mistake...
Be sure to actually print some tests as the on-screen grain is much more easily seen than what shows in prints.
You might try the 1D MKII with some ceiling bounce flash and ISO 1600. Used as reinforcement light it should not be startling and objectionable and that is the method a lot of professionals use.
The Canon 50D has more high-ISO noise than the 1D MKII, and the AF section is also quite a bit slower.
The 1Ds MKIII and the 5D MKII have similar imagers, but the 5D MKII has a more recent image processing engine and shows less visible noise. The AF section of the 1D MKIII is considerably better than the 5D MKII, but the 5D MKII is better than the original 5D.
I suggest that the 1Ds MKIII is probably the better choice, followed by the 5D MKII. A 1D MKIII should also be a consideration. Vincent LaForet used 3 - Canon 1D MKIII cameras and 2 - 1Ds MKIII cameras at the 2008 Olymics. Newsweek accepted images from both bodies.
Your camera priorities should be focus accuracy as number one followed by responsiveness and high-ISO performance. Megapixels is further down in level of importance unless major cropping is required.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I test shot the badminton with my 50mmf1.4 and 85mmf1.8 and really wish I could use the 85, but it is too long.
Auto focus speed is important for sure, the 1DsMkIII is way out of my league. I haven't thought about the 1DMkIII due to the early focus issue reports. Is that resolved?
I would like to get back to shooting lots of indoor sports and so would like to pick the proper body for this.
ann
My Galleries My Photography BLOG
Ramblings About Me
Like I said, Vincent LaForet used 3 of the 1D MKIII at the 2008 Olympics and I believe that is still the camera he chooses most often for sports.
Most of the problems with the AF section had to do with specific environmental conditions.
Even Rob Galbraith, the original person who drew attention to the AF problems of the 1D MKIII, seems to use the camera for sports more than any other:
http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=955030&postcount=13
Unfortunately, the 1D MKIII is not all that much better than the 1D MKII regarding random high-ISO noise in prints up to size 8" x 10":
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/Image-Quality-Database/Compare-cameras/(appareil1)/288|0/(appareil2)/289|0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Canon/(brand2)/Canon
Proper exposure is "extremely" important in getting acceptable ISO 3200 prints from any of the 1D MKII/MKIIN/MKIII cameras.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
You should also practice with what ever body you select. All of those available to you are capable of the task at hand. However, I think the best option for you is to go with lighting--if you can.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Congrats Ziggy!
From all I have read about the 1DMkIII, its AF has always been good for indoors sports. Most of the reported focus problems have been for outdoor sports with bright light and fast moving subjects.
As for the 5DII, how good its AF is depends on how low the lights is. On the 5DM1, I usually shoot low light at f/2 and ISO 1600 and I start seeing slow AF when the shutter speed drops below 1/125s or so. The other issue I find with the 5D AF is that servo AF works poorly at short range with fast lenses. If the 85/1.8 is too long then, at least in my experience, you are likely too close to use servo mode effectively and I'd choose single shot AF instead.
I can corroborate this. Did some recent AI Servo action with 135L outdoors in good light and it did not suck. But that was a perfect storm.
Now the biggest challenge......smug mug strap or Mark II strap...
Also, has Firmware 1.0.6 installed...time for an update.
http://chrismckayphotography.com
This is a very good thing!
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
For me the 135L on the 5D has been something of a miracle combo. It seems I can do no wrong with that pair. Handheld at f/2 and 1/100s I'll consistently fire off sharp shots in situations where I wouldn't expect keepers with any other lens. Neither the 85/1.8 nor the 200L treat me nearly as well.
Head to the post to see more 5D2 action goodness
Facebook: Friend / Fan || Twitter: @shimamizu || Google Plus
Cheers,
-joel
Link to my Smugmug site
That's the thing, I "don't" know exactly how much headroom when shooting (yet).
I just got the camera and I am still testing. One of the tests I was able to run was to see how the metering works. I chose a difficult scene with a cloudy bright sky and some deep shadow. The clouds were obviously blown at their brightest zones judging by the "blinkies" and the histogram.
I opened the RAW file in DPP 3.5.2.0 and started playing.
I noticed that I was able to reduce the contrast and adjust the exposure until I could get both shadows and highlights in range. The difference was that the level of control was better than I have gotten with either the 1D MKII or the 40D in similar situations. I'm thinking, "that's pretty cool", but I'm not totally convinced.
I tried the same RAW file with RAW Therapee and got a similar experience, which is great because I cannot believe they both use the same demosaicing algorithms and processing engine.
It is then that I was able to conclude that the camera had excellent dynamic range.
The fact that I was able to recover the highlights to the degree that I found is how I am able to conclude "that they appear to have more highlight headroom, even without the HTP turned on."
I do suspect that Canon has tweaked the exposure system to be somewhat more conservative with highlights since the shadow detail is relatively easier to recover on the 5D MKII.
Whatever, my initial impression is very favorable and I wanted to share the experience.
For me, the 5D MKII will be a fairly special purpose camera and I will be testing the camera for suitability on projects from weddings to landscapes. It's looking good for now.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Hi All,
For those of you who are not familiar with this lil gem, the WFT-E4A is a wireless file transmitter that allows you to transmit copies of your photos as while you are still shooting to an FTP server. Not only that, it also allows you to switch to another mode that allows you to let up to 3 other people login to your camera and view your pictures while you are shooting. It also lets them press a virutal shutter release and take pictures as well.
Anyway, I had an idea of how to use this equipment combination and SmugMug at an even higher level. Being that I live in the Boston area, known for many very popular historic areas and monuments, I thought it would be a nice setup to actually go to someplace like a Fanieul Hall or "The Constitution" and similar to the "Disney Photo Pass" setup, as tourist walk by, offer take their picture for free at the landmark and then have it automatically upload to my SmugMug site using the WFT-E4A.
One of the great things about the MKII, as you probably already know, is that you can shoot in RAW + JPG at different size settings for each format at the same time. Well, taking advantage of that, the WFT-E4A actually lets you decide in that mode to only upload the JPG file from each set so the file size is considerably smaller and thus a faster upload (even though with good signal the transmit times are wicked fast). It also uploads while I continue shooting adding to the streamlining. Once uploaded to the SmugMug gallery, which has a preset "Proof Delay" of 5 days, the potential customer goes to the site and says yes I like shot X and places the order. You match the jpg file name to the raw file so you can get the best post processing result (aka Happy Customer) and do a replacement of the shot chosen in the gallery and then release it for print. This minimizes the processing to only those shots that are ordered, maximizing the efficiency. This process can then be mirrored in other historic areas across the country.
So the long and short of it, the WFT-E4A can auto upload using FTP protocol. My understanding is that there is currently no FTP access to SM and thus my dilemma and I'm wondering if any of you out there have used the WFT-E4A and had any thoughts, insights or suggestions.
Thanks for any insight.
Best,
Randy
www.brogen.com
Member: PPA , PPANE, PPAM & NAPP