Well I finally have done what I have been wanting to do for a long time. I purchased a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTI 10.1 MP. I have been…
Well I finally have done what I have been wanting to do for a long time. I purchased a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTI 10.1 MP. I have been wanting a full Digital SLR camera for a very long time. It is my very first one. I currently own the Canon Powershot S3 but it was limiting me way to much. / I also purchased a killer lens. / The Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Autofocus Lens So hopefully soon I will be uploading some new work. Sorry to say I have not bought the IR filter yet. / Also on Friday I am beginning my first class as a member of / The Cleveland Photographic Society Its a class that meets every week for learning and competitions. / Also do field trips. I would like to thank everyone on this site for inspiring me to get more involved with Photography.
Hi I’ve send my Dancers photo for the Canon contest. / If you want to support me, you can vote for it at this link : http://ta.can…
Hi I’ve send my Dancers photo for the Canon contest. / If you want to support me, you can vote for it at this link : http://ta.canon-europe.com/?pg=gallery&cc=fr&lc=fr&photo_id=foto481105515a818 Thanks / All the best PB
I’ve recently put up a web-blog space because I really want a personal space of mine to document my journeys and tribulations of all my p…
I’ve recently put up a web-blog space because I really want a personal space of mine to document my journeys and tribulations of all my photography sessions. I was inspired by humble Kirks’s Kirk Hille’s Photography Blog to do this too, so many thanks Kirk ;) However, this does not mean that I won’t be publishing my works on Redbubble anymore! All will be revealed on my blog, Redbubble, Flickr and DeviantART =) So don’t worry, sharing my photos to everyone here is truly an honour guys. So thank you for your continual support once again :) Visit it HERE!
Was wondering what everyones opinions on Canon’s recently announced camera, the EOS 5D Mark II...
Was wondering what everyones opinions on Canon’s recently announced camera, the EOS 5D Mark II are. / / Most controversial feature of the camera is the ability to record true HD video. That opens some interesting film opportunities what with all the lenses. / My only worry is that they may have forfeited some camera features in order to get the video option without pushing the price too high. / Also would love to hear what camera everyone currently uses. / I am going to be upgrading my camera hopefully soon and wanted to know what everyone uses :) / My current camera has served me well, but I’m starting to need something more (this is starting to sound like a breakup lol). / My current camera is a Canon 350d (XT). / Thanks!
I sold my 40D shortly after the 5DMkII Was announced and was planning on upgrading to that. But I managed to get a great deal on A 50D an…
I sold my 40D shortly after the 5DMkII Was announced and was planning on upgrading to that. But I managed to get a great deal on A 50D and after some thinking, And dealing with withdrawals from not having a camera I finally bit the bullet today and got myself a 50D. I might still get a 5DMkII next year when it becomes widely available, And the price starts to settle, And probably will keep the 50D as a backup. I haven’t had the chance to play with my new toy yet, I’ve just taken it out of the box and I’m waiting for the battery to charge. It doesn’t look like I will get a chance to take any serious pics today as it’s very grey and overcast outside at the moment. Here’s a pic: The Red bull Air Race is on here in Perth Next week, So I will give my new toy a good workout then I’m sure! I will also write a mini review and give you my observations on how it compares to the 40D once I get a chance to get out and use the 50D So stay tuned…..
My new baby arrived today!!! Can’t wait to get out there and start shooting!!
My new baby arrived today!!! Can’t wait to get out there and start shooting!!
Introducing my $1800 new Canon EOS 50D shipped directly from Hong Kong: Thanks DHL! / !http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v267…
Introducing my $1800 new Canon EOS 50D shipped directly from Hong Kong: Thanks DHL! / All the extra stuff they gave me… / OMG I think I just pooped my pants… / SEXAYY / With my pervert lens… / Introducing my EOS family =) / Haha I’m loving it!!
Hello all you Canon EOS, DIGITAL REBEL XT users. I am having a problem with getting good water shots, seems to over expose. Also I purcha…
Hello all you Canon EOS, DIGITAL REBEL XT users. I am having a problem with getting good water shots, seems to over expose. Also I purchased three Tiffen ND filters. They are 0.3, 0.6, and a 0.9. I used them but not sure I saw much difference, the day was a real bright sunny day. Anyone can help me with suggestions I would sure appreciate it. Thanks
I got myself A Canon EOS 500D kit as a light weight camera and here is my mini review with my impressions and opinions on this camera. Th…
I got myself A Canon EOS 500D kit as a light weight camera and here is my mini review with my impressions and opinions on this camera. This isn’t a scientific test, but just some information for you interested in the latest Canon offering. THE BODY The body is nice and light weight and feels solid and feels comfortable to hold. Canon has used decent quality plastics and it feels solid. I started off with the EOS 300D (Canons first consumer grade d/SLR) and the build quality of the 500D is much better and it’s great to see that Canon have improved the XXXD series line. The buttons seem well placed and easy to press even for someone with big hands. The thing that I do miss is the rear control wheel which hasn’t been included on any of the XXXD series cameras. To change apertures, you need to hold down the “AV” Button and turn the top scroll wheel. On a plus side, The AV button is nice and big, unlike the one that they had on the 300D which was also uncomfortable to hold down and turn the top scroll wheel. The 500D feels more comfortable (Probably because it’s a much smaller camera then the 300D was). There is also another way to change the aperture via the custom functions where you can assign the “Set” button at the rear which gives you quick access to all functions rather then having to press each function button. You press the set button and select which setting you want to use using the navigation pad, when you select the aperture value, you can use the top scroll wheel to change the aperture settings. I find this custom function to be very useful as it provides the user with quick and easy access to the cameras settings by just pressing one single button. The on/off switch is nicely placed at the top of the camera (Under the settings wheel) and makes turning on the camera and being able to quickly capture a photo easier then the on/off switch found on the XXD and 5 series cameras which has a 3 position switch that is located at the rear of the camera (It has a setting to operate the camera with the rear control wheel locked). I prefer having the on/off switch at the top near the shutter button (Nikon also have their on/off switch at the top, except Nikon has their on/off switch under the shutter button). The SD card slot feels solid (There had been complaints about the memory card doors on previous Canon cameras). To the left of the camera you have a HDMI, USB and shutter release cable inputs which sit behind a rubber cover which is easy to access the inputs as replace when done. The shutter is nice and quiet, it’s quieter then the shutter on my 40D/50D and 5DMkII and is similar to the shutter on my 300D. The maximum shutter speed is restricted to 1/4000th sec while the 40D/50D goes up to 1/8000th sec. THE VIEWFINDER The viewfinder is nice and big and bright which is good considering it uses a Pentamirror rather then a Pentaprism. I would say it’s nearly as good as the viewfinder on my 40D/50D but slightly dimmer but you wouldn’t really notice unless you were shooting in low lighting conditions so don’t let that put you off because in real world shooting you will hardly notice the difference and is a huge improvement over the earlier cameras I’ve owned which was like looking down a tunnel! THE LCD SCREEN The rear LCD screen is nice and big and bright and is easy to read, even in bright light. Canon have used the same screen found on the 5DMkII with 920,000 dot pixels and the 3 layer anti reflective coatings. The 500D doesn’t have a top LCD screen which is found on the XXD 5 Series and 1 Series cameras, but to honest I haven’t really missed it much and most of the cameras I’ve owned over the years have had the top LCD (All except for my 300D). The screen has a auto sensor that turns the screen off when you cover it up (when you put your eye up against the viewfinder) and can also be turned off by pressing the “Display” button which is located next to the viewfinder for those times when you want to be discreet, conserve battery power or when shooting long exposures. If you don’t turn off the rear LCD screen during long exposures, the screen goes black and shows a exposure timer in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This is a really useful feature as you can clearly see how long your exposure time is! With all my other Canon cameras I’ve used, you had to press the top LCD light to see the exposure time which meant that you needed to touch the camera during the exposure which meant risking camera shake during the exposure, or shine a light onto the top LCD to read the timer (Which could result in stray light messing up the exposure). I really like the way the timer has been implemented on the 500D, It’s a very useful feature for me since I do allot of long exposure photography. AUTOFOCUS The 500D uses the same 9 point auto focus layout that has been available since the 20D and 400D cameras. The 500D only has one cross type sensor (The centre point) unlike the 40D/50D which has cross type sensors on all 9 points. Cross type sensors are useful when shooting moving objects when using AI-AF mode for tracking, as well as under low light conditions. I find the AF to be about as good as the one in the 5DMkII for general shooting, the 5DMkII has 6 invisible assist points which helps when shooting moving objects but doesn’t seem to offer any advantages in low light conditions. If you do plan on shooting action I would recommend you either get a 40D or a 50D. LIVE VIEW MODE The 500D Has 3 Live view modes, you can choose to have the camera drop the mirror to get AF, or you can set it to use contrast detection to AF, And you hold down the AF button on the back of the camera. There is also a face detect mode which uses the contrast AF to focus. I find that the contrast detect modes are very slow and would recommend using the “Quick mode” which flips the mirror up and drops it back down after achieving focus. The Live view button now serves as live view mode, Video record and as a direct print button. In Live view mode you can set the camera to give you a constant readout, or you can set the camera to simulate your exposure settings. I use the exposure simulation mode, And I also use it as a preview/mirror lockup mode, Allot of people have complained that Canon doesn’t offer a mirror lockup button, But I find that using live view mode just before taking the shot where you would traditionally use mirror lockup is just as good since the mirror is locked up when shooting in live view mode anyway, And the mirror doesn’t drop back down after the exposure, So you can take another shot without the vibrations from the mirror dropping down and then up again, And you don’t have to press the shutter button twice like you do when your using the mirror lockup mode. There is also a face detect mode using the contrast detect auto focus, but once again, it’s slow and it would be better just to use the regular auto focus. VIDEO MODE To shoot video with the 500D, you need to turn the mode wheel to “Movie mode” which is located in the basic zones, one thing that I don’t like is the fact that you can’t turn the wheel all the way around, I shoot in M mode most of the time, so when I want to shoot video I have to turn the mode wheel all the way around to get to the video mode (past all the pre-set settings). Canon should have put the video mode just after the “Green rectangle” Auto mode for easier access. I still prefer the way Canon and Nikon have done the video mode, where you just press a button on the rear of the camera and then press the record button to start/stop recording video but this is just a small gripe since I don’t do much video anyway and it may or may not be a issue, depending on how much you plan on using the video mode. / Video mode is a handy feature, but it offers very limited controls or user input. You really only have the option of changing the exposure compensation, and the camera sets the Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO automatically. The AF is very slow at best, since it uses the contrast detect mode. You are better off manually focusing or pre-focusing. Trying to handhold the camera and shoot video is very hard, so a tripod/monopod is definitely recommended! The video is a bit choppy at the 1080p setting, this is because Canon has limited the output to 20 f/ps so if you plan on using video on anything that moves, the 1080p setting wouldn’t be that useful. The 720p setting works better, and does 30 f/ps and is more useful and usable. MENU SYSTEM The menu system is similar to the 40D/50D/5DMkII. I still preferred the scroll down single paged system on my 20D where I could use the rear scroll wheel to navigate from page to page, Rather then having to press the navigation pad to select the page, Then use the scroll wheel to select the settings I want, But this is only a minor thing, It’s still easy to navigate your way though the menus and find the settings. PICTURE QUALITY I have been very surprised by the picture quality from the 500D compared to the 50D that I had late last year which I found to be really soft, and my lenses were being out resolved. The 500D doesn’t seem to suffer the same problems and the photos come out sharp and full of detail! The sensor in the 50D uses gapless micro lenses which means there are no gaps between the pixels, the 500D’s sensor doesn’t use the gapless micro lens technology and I think that could be the reason why the 500D’s images seem to look better then what I was getting from my 50D. ISO PERFORMANCE Another real surprise to me is how well the 500D handles high ISO nose. The 500D is perfectly usable up to ISO 3200, but is still very usable at ISO 6400 and 12800 if you don’t plan on making large prints. The high ISO performance is nearly as good as the 5DMkII, which is pretty impressive for a APS-C sensor with 15 mega pixels! It’s a huge improvement over the 50D which I found wasn’t usable past ISO 1600 for any serious sized prints and unusable at ISO 6400 and 12800. Banding doesn’t seem to be a issue at the extreme end of the ISO range on the 500D too, my 50D showed banding at ISO 6400 and ISO 12800. Canon has done a great job with the 500D, it’s a real shame they rushed to release the 50D which was released about 6 months before the 40D was due to be replaced based on Canon’s 18 month production cycle. I haven’t used the 50D with the latest firmware fix though, which supposedly fixes (reduces) the banding issue at the higher ISO settings. The 500D performs well at all ISO settings so if your looking at buying a 500D and have been worried about how it would perform at high ISO’s I can definitely recommend it! AUTO LIGHTING OPTIMISER AND HIGHLIGHT TONE PRIORITY Canon have included a auto lighting optimiser mode into the 500D (Also found on the 50D and 5DMkII) This mode works similar to the Nikon Active D lighting setting which is designed to bring out shadow detail. From my tests I have found that there is very little difference between having the OLO setting on high and having it turned off. If you shoot RAW having this function turned on or off doesn’t make a difference because you can apply the feature via the Canon Digital Photo Professional software which is included with the camera. / Highlight tone priority mode seems to work the same way as my previous cameras (40D/50D/5DMkII) and is used to retain more highlight detail, but it does make shadows appear to have more noise then shooting with HTP switched off. Again, you can apply this feature via software when shooting RAW. 50D vs. 500D As you have already read throughout this review, I owned a 50D last year before I got a 5DMkII and I decided to return the camera because I was not very impressed with what I was seeing from that camera vs. the 40D it was replacing. The 50D has a few minor features which some shooters might consider important or not, these include: A rear control wheel. A slightly bigger and slightly brighter viewfinder (The one on the 500D is still good though and there is very little real world difference). 6.5 fps vs. 4.5 fps – This could be important if you shoot allot of action/sports/birds etc. The 50D also has a bigger buffer. 9 Cross type Auto focus points – Again, It depends on what you shoot and what conditions you shoot under. I shoot landscapes so it’s not an important feature for me, but it may be for others. / Lens fine tuning – The 50D allows you to make adjustments to your lenses to correct front/back focusing issues. A Top LCD Screen – To be honest I don’t really miss it. The 500D is my second d/SLR that hasn’t had a top LCD screen (And I’ve owned a few over the years!) after the 300D. I think the combined rear LCD screen has it’s advantages, especially when shooting at night where with other Canon cameras you have to activate the top LCD screen light (Which only stays on for a few seconds) to be able to read the information on the top LCD screen, With Nikon d/SLR’s though you can set a custom function to leave the light on. With the 500D you have all your shooting information displayed on the rear screen and it’s really easy to read (You can turn off the screen when you don’t need the screen). CF Memory cards – Some prefer the bigger physical size of the CF cards over SD cards, but this comes down to each individual photographer’s individual preferences. The body – The 50D has a magnesium alloy body and is bigger then the 500D, some photographers prefer the bigger body, once again it’s down to each photographers preferences. The 50D has “weather sealing” but it’s only just a few strips of foam and shouldn’t be something to rely on (The 5DMkII has better weather sealing). The 500D advantages: Small and light weight: The camera is very light weight and paired up with the kit lens, you have a really light weight camera that doesn’t draw allot of attention. This is great if your a street photographer and like to keep a low profile, of if you just don’t want to draw attention to yourself. It’s also great for those times when you don’t want to carry around a big heavy setup. I’m also getting better results using the 18-55 IS Kit lens on my 500D then I was getting with my 17-40 and 24-105 on my 50D. I’ve been impressed with the kit lens. HD Video: Canon’s first APS-C camera to include video, this would benefit those that that need the extra reach from the crop sensor that the 5DMkII doesn’t offer. The video quality is also better then the Nikon D90, with full 1080p and 720p vs 720p on the D90. High ISO Performance: The high ISO performance on the 500D is much better then the 50D, no banding issues at the highest ISO settings and very usable at high ISO settings. I find that the 500D performs better then the 50D, which I found was noisy past ISO 800. The 500D is clean up to ISO 3200 and still usable at the boost settings with some noise reduction applied either in camera, or via post production. CONCLUSION I have been very impressed with this camera so far, it has excellent picture quality and great ISO performance and you can get usable images even from photos taken at ISO 12800 if you apply some noise reduction and don’t print really large prints. ISO’s up to 3200 are clean and definitely usable. It’s not as good as the 5DMkII, but the 5DMkII costs more then twice as much, and has the advantage of being a full framed camera. The body is well built for a plastic Canon body (Still not as good as the plastic Nikon bodies though). The rear LCD is a pleasure to work with, most of the functions are activated via buttons rather then having to go into the menus, and with the custom function to activate the quick menu’s via the “Set” button on the back of the camera make accessing all shooting functions quick and easy. / If your looking for a good small, lightweight and easy to use Canon d/SLR and are on a budget, it’s hard to look past the 500D. I can definitely recommend the 500D over the 50D for most shooters. If you do shoot allot of moving objects and shoot sports/birds etc you might want to look at the 50D though because of the better auto focus, bigger buffer and faster frame rate, but for an everyday shooter the 500D would be the ideal choice. If you plan on shooting at high ISO’s the 500D would be the better choice over the 50D though. Overall I can highly recommend the 500D and would suit someone who is looking for a nice light weight and easy to use d/SLR with plenty of features to keep most photographers satisfied with great picture quality that will also allow you to make good large sized prints and also capture HD video which is another nice addition. It’s a great camera at a reasonable price. You can read a follow up of this review Here
I bought a 500D twin IS kit with the intentions of having a light weight camera kit and a kit that doesn’t draw much attention. Here are …
I bought a 500D twin IS kit with the intentions of having a light weight camera kit and a kit that doesn’t draw much attention. Here are my impressions with these two IS kit lenses. The EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS This lens is much better then the old 18-55 non-IS version which I also owned when I purchased my 300D a few years ago. The build quality is better then the old version, with a nicer finish and a better feel to the lens. The 18-55 IS has a all plastic construction, including the lens mount. It’s not the best built lens, but it is small and lightweight. The lens is a little noisy when focusing, and the front element rotates while focusing, so using a polarising filter means focusing first, then adjusting the filter to the desired setting. There is no proper manual focus ring, and to manual focus you need to rotate the front ring of the lens. There is no full time manual focus setting either, so if you want to manual focus, you need to switch the switch from AF to MF first. The IS is effective, and gives you 2-3 stops of handhold ability which is useful. The IS is very quiet too. Optically the lens is very good! It’s sharp, and has good colours and contrast. It’s much better then the original 18-55 non-IS kit lens, while not as good as my old 17-40 it is still a very decent lens, and a bargain price (especially as a part of a camera/lens kit) and would be a ideal starter lens or as a light weight travel lens. Canon doesn’t include a lens hood with this lens, but the hood that is designed for this lens isn’t really any good anyway, you are far better off getting a aftermarket rubber lens hood which does a better job, and also takes up less space in the camera bag. The filter/lens hood thread is 58mm on the 18-55 IS lens and this also is an advantage, because 58mm filters are easy to get, and are not to expensive. Overall, This lens does perform well optically and if you look past the build quality and the “Kit lens” Perception and actually use the lens it is enjoyable to use and produces good photos. It sure makes a refreshing change from carrying around the big L lenses, and paired up with my 500D does make a nice lightweight and Discreet walkabout setup. The EF-S 55-250 f/4.5-5.6 IS This lens has good optical quality and is better then the other kit lenses I’ve owned (55-200 and 75-300 III). Build quality is ok, but not as good as Canon’s “Gold Ring” consumer grade lenses. The all plastic construction means it is very light weight, and when combined with one of Canon’s plastic d/SLR’s makes a nice light weight setup. The IS does seem effective and offers about 2-3 f/ stops of hand hold ability. The lens does seem to hunt allot in low light and the autofocus is noisy and a bit slow, if you plan on shooting anything that moves you should look at one of Canon’s USM lenses. The front element rotates when autofocusing, so using a polarising filter means you need to adjust the filter after you’ve focused. There is some chromatic abbreviation, but this is easily corrected in post production. There is no focus limiter so the lens can become very out of focus and also results in the lens hunting. But this is only a small issue and wouldn’t really be a problem for the shooters that Canon is aiming this lens at. Colours and sharpness are good for a consumer lens and better then the older non-IS kit lenses. Stopping the lens down a few f/ stops also results in better corner to corner sharpness, f/8.0 – f/11 seem to be the best, but it is usable wide open. Canon doesn’t include a lens hood, but you can pickup a generic hood off ebay for a few dollars. This lens performed very well for a kit lens and seemed pretty sharp too! For a lens within this price range and overall it’s a decent lens for those looking for something lightweight, or are on a budget. Conclusion Both these lenses have their pros and cons, they both performed well on the 500D in good lighting conditions, but focus speeds did slow down when working in lower lighting conditions, but that is to be expected. The lack of Canon’s Ultrasonic focusing motor in these lenses didn’t help either, but both lenses did focus fast enough under most shooting conditions. The lack of a real manual focusing ring on the 18-55 IS lens, and the lack of full time manual focusing on both lenses (you need to switch the lens over to manual focus to disengage the autofocus motor) didn’t really make for a great manual focus experience (But I’m sure most of the users of these lenses would be using autofocus most of the time anyway). Both these lenses have a front rotating element which means when using a polarising filter on these lenses, you will need to focus first, and then adjust the amount of polarisation, or re-adjust after focusing. But overall, these two lenses performed surprisingly well, and would make a good kit for someone starting out with their first camera, or someone who wants a light weight travel kit with decent picture quality, or someone on a budget that is looking at upgrading their non IS kit lenses to the newer (and optically better) IS kit lenses.
I’ve had my 500D for 3 months now and I have to admit, I have been very impressed with this camera! I bought the 500D to be a tempora…
I’ve had my 500D for 3 months now and I have to admit, I have been very impressed with this camera! I bought the 500D to be a temporary “Gap camera” while switching back to Canon after a brief switch over to Nikon after my bad experience with the 50D and 5DMkII which both didn’t impress me all that much (Especially the 50D which still leaves me with bitter memories) I decided I would get a 500D to keep me busy until the 50D’s replacement was announced, or something better came along. Most people associate the 500D to be a cheap entry level camera that’s really capable of anything beyond being a beginners camera, this isn’t true! I’ve found the 500D to be a pleasure to work with over the last 3 months and it is definitely capable of taking fantastic photos (You can see allot of examples throughout my folio). The camera is very light weight, and paired up with the 18-55 IS or a small prime, makes a great travel/day trip camera when you don’t want to carry around big heavy lenses. The kit lenses (Both 18-55 IS and 55-250 IS) perform well on the 500D, but the sensor really shines when a prime or a L lens is used! Picture quality is good, nice colours and lots of detail. The high ISO performance from the 500D’s sensor is much better then what I was getting from my 50D, and my lenses don’t turn to mush with the 500D’s sensor (Even the kit lenses perform well). My good sharp L lenses were very soft and out resolved when used on my 50D. I have been very impressed at how good the picture quality is from the 500D, it’s a shame Canon didn’t use this sensor in the 50D. The rear LCD screen has been a joy to work with. The 500D doesn’t have a top LCD found in the models above the 500D, but all your settings are displayed on the rear screen, and can be turned off to save battery power when not needed. One feature I like from the 500D that the other cameras I’ve owned didn’t have is a timer on the rear LCD when shooting bulb exposures (Can be turned off to save battery power though). On the Canon top LCD screen, it was hard to read the timer at night (The light goes out after a few seconds, unlike on a Nikon body where you can turn the top screen light on permanently). I like the timer on the rear of the camera, so I can see the exposure time while shooting in Bulb mode and have found it handy. The autofocus has been reliable, even in low light conditions and I haven’t really had to many issues with it’s performance. The video quality is good, but not really a big fan on how Canon have put the video mode into the “Basic zone” and since I shoot in Manual mode, I have to turn the mode wheel right around to switch to video (Why couldn’t Canon made the mode wheel turn 360 degrees?) the lack of manual video controls is a bit of a let down for me (I like to shoot in manual and make my own adjustment to shutter speed and aperture) so I haven’t really used the video mode that much. The only real negative thing I could say about the 500D would be the dimmer viewfinder then I’ve been use to. It is still better then the earlier Canon’s I’ve used though! Overall, It’s a great camera for anyone that is just starting out, or looking at upgrading from a older model. I am now having a tough time deciding if I will sell the 500D to upgrade to the new EOS 7D which is the camera I’ve been looking for! All the things I liked from my Nikon’s, in a Canon body! LOL You can read My Canon EOS 500D Mini Review Part I Here
I purchased a Slik 700DX tripod and I am very impressed with this tripod, so I thought I would write a small review to benefit those who …
I purchased a Slik 700DX tripod and I am very impressed with this tripod, so I thought I would write a small review to benefit those who are looking to purchase a tripod, or looking to upgrade their tripod. This is my first Slik tripod, but I’ve owned a Slik 800 Ball head for many years and it has been the best head I’ve owned! This tripod is my 5th “Real” tripod that I’ve owned (I’ve had a few cheap and flimsy tripods too). The 700DX would have to be the best value and built of the lot! It’s built as well (If not better) then my old Manfrotto 055XB Pro that I owned, but the 700DX cost a fraction of what the 055XB Pro cost, the only thing missing on the 700DX is the flip out centre column featured on the 055 Pro (But I didn’t use it much, so won’t really miss that feature). I also owned a Benro tripod with the same feature, but never used it, so decided not to worry about getting a tripod with that feature this time around. The legs on the 700DX are just as thick and study as the 055, and it’s just as tall. It’s a very large tripod, The camera is at face level without having to extend the centre column which is great, and I can extend the centre column to get the camera positioned well over my head for some really unusual perspectives. The only problem is, since this tripod is so tall you will also need to be a tall person, or you won’t be able to see through the camera’s viewfinder when the tripod is at full hight (without the centre column extended). The legs feature foam leg warmers on each of the legs (The manfrotto only had one, and I use to accidentally jam my fingers between the metal legs when closing the legs). The 700DX uses a clip system to lock/unlock the legs, and there is a groove that runs along the legs which prevents the legs from rotating and makes extending/retracting the legs much smoother. The legs are made from Slik’s A.T.M. Titanium alloy which makes the legs really strong (They claim to be 40% stronger then the equivalent metal construction) and it also makes the tripod lighter then one made of aluminium. I can say, it does feel lighter then my Manfrotto 055 Pro did, but it is still a very solid tripod! The legs have locks at the top of each leg which you pull out which allows you to spread the legs into different positions to allow you to position the tripod in non standard positions, and you can spread the legs apart to get the tripod right down to the ground (Just like most of the popular professional tripod systems) which is great if you do allot of macro photography, or like to get a really low perspective. I prefer this pull out system over the Manfrotto system where you have to press down (If the legs aren’t in the right position, it would lock up) The Benro tripods also work the same way as the Slik system. The tripod has really nice thick rubber feet, and they look better then the Manfrotto feet (Which use to keep falling off on my previous Manfrotto’s). The centre column can be split into two sections (It unscrews at the centre) so you can get the tripod really low down to the ground when you spread the legs apart to the lowest position setting.The centre column can also be inverted to also allow you to get really low down perspectives. I bought the tripod with a 3 way tilt/pan head (It was cheaper to buy it in this kit form then for me to just buy the legs alone!). The head is actually pretty decent, much better then the entry level Manfrotto 3 way heads. This head has a very solid build, with a all metal construction, and features two spirit levels. The head also features Slik’s circular quick release plate which I am a huge fan of! There is no messing around trying to fit the plate as it will fit in any position, and it also has a dual locking mechanism which prevents accidental release of the camera (you press down on a clip to release the plate). It’s a quality head, and would suit someone who is purchasing their first tripod/head combo. Overall, I am very impressed with this tripod, it’s well designed and built and will definitely stand up to punishment of a pro photographer. It’s great value for money too, so if your looking for a quality tripod for a budget price, the 700DX is definitely worth a look. Highly recommended! If your interested in this tripod, visit the Slik 700DX Tripod Website UPDATE – Slik 800 Ball Head I was finally able to track down another Slik 800 Ball Head from a local dealer after searching for one (These have always been hard to find, even the online dealers never seem to stock them, even though they are listed on some sites) I had one of these heads, but sold it to get a Benro head which I didn’t really like and sold a while ago. I had been just using the 3 way Slik head that came with the tripod since then, but wasn’t really satisfied with it (I’m not a big fan of tilt/pan heads). I am now using the Slik 800 ball head on the 700DX tripod legs now, and it is a huge improvement! Much easier to work with, and you get all the convinces and advantage over using a ball head (they are much easier to adjust, as you only really need to unscrew one screw to make adjustments, or to tilt the camera into portrait position). The 800 head uses the same circle quick release plate as the tilt/pan head that came with the tripod, so now I have a spare quick release plate! If you are looking to upgrade the 3 way tilt/pan head that comes with the tripod, I can recommend the 800 ball head, it’s the easiest and most sturdy head that I’ve used (I had my first one for 4 years) and it can take a decent load too (I’ve had a 40D with grip, 100-400 IS and flash all mounted on the head). The head can be purchased for around $120-$150 unfortunately it is a bit hard to find, but well worth trying to find one! If your interested in the ball head, visit the Slik 800 Website
My new EOS 7D arrived today and now I’m sitting here waiting patiently for the battery to charge up so I can try it out. I can’t wait to …
My new EOS 7D arrived today and now I’m sitting here waiting patiently for the battery to charge up so I can try it out. I can’t wait to get out and test it out! I also got the new EF-S 18-135 IS lens which will be my walkabout lens on this camera. I chose this lens because of it’s nice zoom range and should be a nice light weight lens for me to replace the 18-55 IS I had with my 500D. (Much lighter then the 35-350!) and I got the kit for a bit more then the body only. The new lens feels great paired up with the 7D! It feels like this lens was made for the camera! The lens has a decent build quality and has a metal lens mount. I haven’t had a chance to try it out on the 7D yet (Still waiting for the battery to charge) but I shot a couple test shots using my old 300D and the lens seems sharp, and the AF performs good for a non Ultrasonic motor lens. The IS seems to work well, and it’s pretty silent (You don’t really notice it when it’s engaged) Colours and contrast and sharpness look good from the test shots I’ve taken so far. The camera feels really solid, and the viewfinder is massive! It’s allot bigger then the 500D’s viewfinder for sure! it’s also noticeably larger then the viewfinder on the 40D/50D, I would say it’s about the same as the Nikon D300’s viewfinder. You now don’t get the Etched AF points when you look through the viewfinder though (It’s all electronic like on the Nikon’s) so the view though the viewfinder is totally clear. It’s also dim when there is no battery installed because the new viewfinder is battery dependent (Just like the Nikon viewfinders) so I haven’t had a chance to see how bright the viewfinder is because I’m waiting for the battery to charge, but I will write up a mini review after I’ve had the chance to use the camera properly. Anyway, I can’t wait to get out and try out the new camera, I will write up a 7D Review once I’ve had the chance to get use to the new camera, and shot with it for a while, in the meantime keep a eye out on my folio for some photos taken with the new camera and lens. Here’s the camera:
8-10-09 Yowza! Spring Wildflower Glory...
8-10-09 Yowza! Spring Wildflower Glory / / has been FEATURED in the Fabulous Flowers Group. Heaps of thanks to the Hosts and to all who have appreciated and supported these pretty Aussie wildflowers. GB / Dennis
Now that I’ve had the chance to use my EOS 7D and get familiar with the new camera, here is my mini review. The Body Canon have…
Now that I’ve had the chance to use my EOS 7D and get familiar with the new camera, here is my mini review. The Body Canon have done a great job with the build quality with the 7D, it’s very solid, and well built, and it feels somewhat better then the XXD series. The camera is about the same size as a 5DMkII and feels very comfortable to hold. The body kind of reminds me of my old Nikon D300, and Canon have now made all the rear buttons larger (Similar in size as what you get on a Nikon body) and they have also worked on the sensitivity of the buttons. To delete a photo, you need to press down hard on the delete button, I’m assuming this is to prevent accidentally deleting your photos. Canon have now got rid of the 2 step on/off button found on the XXD series and on the 5DMkII and now have a separate rear control wheel lock button, and the on/off switch has now been moved to the top left corner, under the mode wheel. I find that the new location of the on/off switch is a bit annoying, now you need 2 hands to turn on/off the camera which could mean you might miss critical shots, and I’ve also found myself accidentally leaving the camera switched on. I would have preferred Canon have either left the on/off switch near where it was originally located, or put the on/off switch around the shutter button just like Nikon does. But it’s only a minor annoyance, and I guess over time I will get use to the new position. The CF door and battery door latches are much better on the 7D then the XXD and 5D series, and feels as good as the Nikon D300. A nice improvement over the flimsy doors they used on previous models and adds to the quality of this body. The Viewfinder This would have to be one of the biggest stand out features on the 7D, the new viewfinder is massive! It’s allot bigger,brighter and clearer then any other Canon crop camera by far! I would say it’s about as big as the 5DMkII’s viewfinder, and it covers 100% of the frame (5DMkII only covers 97% of the frame). The 7D now uses the same eyepiece as you get on a 1 series camera, and this is the first time I’ve used the stock eyepiece cover on a Canon camera! I wear glasses, and I find the 7D’s viewfinder to see though, and easy to read the viewfinder information. I had some problems being able to read the viewfinder info when I was shooting with my 5DMkII, but I don’t have any issues with the 7D, even when shooting when out in bright daylight. Canon have now followed Nikon, and now offers a transmissive LCD viewfinder. You can now add a viewfinder grid, turn on/off the spot metering circle, and the AF points are not shown when not in use, so if your shooting in single AF point mode, only the selected AF point will be shown, and when you select all 19 AF points mode, only the AF points that are used will show up. There is also a mode that allows you to view a spirit level in the viewfinder using the AF points to help you to get your camera level. Autofocus The new Autofocus system is a nice improvement over the 9 point AF system on the XXD and 5D series cameras. All 19 AF points are cross type, with a double cross centre AF point for extra precision. Low light AF is good, and the camera seems to lock focus quickly. AI AF seems quick and accurate, I’ve read some reports of some issues with the tracking AF in Servo mode, but I haven’t seen any issues so far and my camera seems to lock focus well on fast moving objects and keeps them all in focus. To select the AF points and mode, you press a rear button on the rear of the camera and then use either the multi controller joystick or rear control wheel to select a individual AF point. To select the mode, you press the AF button on the rear, and then press the M-fn button and select the AF mode from all 19 points, User selected point, or AF zone. Canon have now introduced a new feature called “Zone focusing” where you can select from a selection of AF points, rather then having to manually select each individual AF point, or use all 19 AF points. ou can select either 4 points Outer most point plus the next 3, and this can be selected in either LH, Top, RH, or bottom AF points, you can also select the centre 9 AF points. The camera can also automatically detect when you switch from landscape to portrait orientation when using one of the outer zone modes, and select the same zone when you switch orientation, for example, if you were using the left hand side zone in landscape orientation and then switched to portrait orientation, the camera will select the left hand side zone (Which would have been the top zone in landscape orientation) which would now be the left hand zone in portrait orientation. This means you don’t have to reselect the AF zone again, and then switch back when you start shooting in landscape orientation again. There is also a custom function which allows you to use “Spot Autofocus” which works like single AF point, but allows for even more accurate focusing. And another custom function allows you to “Expand” AF points when shooting in single point mode, it will also select surrounding AF points, which is useful when your using tracking AF with 1 point, but need the extra AF assistance. Shutter and drive mode The shutter on the 7D is not to loud, it does have a bit of a strange kind of plasticy sound, it’s hard to describe, but it’s not loud which is great if you don’t want to draw to much attention to yourself. There are 3 drive modes, these are: Single shot, Low speed drive, which allows you to shoot at 3 frames per second, and High speed drive which allows you to shoot at 8 frames per second! There are also 2 self timer modes, one mode has a 2 second delay, and the other mode has a 10 second delay. The Mode Wheel Finally Canon have got rid of those stupid basic automatic modes that nobody ever uses! The mode wheel is pretty much the same as the one you find on the 5DMkII, with 3 user customised modes (C1, C2, C3). The only thing I don’t like is the dedicated B Bulb exposure mode. This means if you want to shoot longer then a 30 second exposure, you now have to select the B mode rather then go from 30 seconds to Bulb exposure on the XXD and XXXD series cameras. The same B mode is found on the 5D series cameras too. The LCD The rear LCD now doesn’t have the black border around it, and it looks smaller then other cameras, but it is still the same fantastic 920,000 dot pixel screen found on the 50D/5DMkII/500D. Nice resolution, and easy to read, even under bright daylight. A real pleasure to work with! The 7D features the auto LCD brightness sensor that is also found on the 5DMkII which can automatically adjust the screens brightness to suit the lighting conditions your shooting under. You can also manually adjust the screens brightness if you prefer not to use the auto adjustment mode. The top LCD is the same as you would find in a XXD series camera, I would like to see Canon do what Nikon does, and offer a custom function to let you have the top LCD light to stay on permanently via a custom function when shooting at night! I can’t see the timer when shooting bulb exposures, and to see the timer, you either have to press the light button (At the risk of shaking the camera during the exposure) or shine a light onto the screen to see the timer (At risk of ruining your photo with stray light). I would also like to see a timer displayed on the rear LCD screen just like the one found on the 500D which was very useful! The 7D now features a electronic spirit level which can be displayed on the rear LCD to help you get your camera level which is a welcomed feature! Video mode The video mode on the 7D is great! You get full manual controls over shutter speed and aperture (Just like the 5DMkII with the latest firmware update) but you can also select the video frame rates, in 1080P you can select from 30 fps or 24 fps, and in 720P mode you can select up to 50 or 60 fps! The 7D now has a dedicated liveview/video button (You can switch between Live view and video recording mode) and it has a button to start/stop recording video. I prefer this style over the 500D which had a dedicated video mode in the basic modes via the mode wheel. The video quality looks great too! It seems to look better then the quality on the 500D, but I think it’s because I now have full manual control over the video settings, while the 500D was controlled by the camera, with only slight adjustments possible. Customisation Galore! The EOS 7D is the most customisable Canon body I’ve used! Canon now gives you the option to program buttons to serve different functions to suit your shooting style. For example: The rear control wheel can now be programmed to control the shutter speed setting, and the top wheel controls the aperture. You can change the direction the shutter speed from left to right, or right to left to suit your personal preference. The buttons that can be programmed are: The aperture and shutter controls, The Info button, AF-On Button, The rear joystick, The shutter button, The Depth of field preview button, The lens AF button, The “Set” button, the M-Fn button and the AF point selection button. They can all serve a variety of different functions which are all user programmable. The 7D now features a “Quick Control” button on the rear, which allows you to control camera settings on the rear of the screen (Similar to the EOS 500D). You can change shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, AF mode, Picture styles, white balance, metering mode, auto lighting optimiser, picture quality settings, focus mode, drive mode, and camera customisation mode. It also displays all your settings on the rear LCD. You can now also add personal information and copyright information which will be applied to all Exif data on all your photos. This amount of customisation reminds me allot of the Nikon D300, and makes this camera a real pleasure to work with! Picture quality The picture quality on the 7D is great, there seems to be something different from the 7D though, colours seems richer and the picture quality seems more vibrant then any other Canon camera I’ve used, it’s very similar to the 5DMkII’s output, and photos taken right out of the camera requires very little post production work to get the best from the files! ISO quality The high ISO performance on the 7D is really good, ISO 3200 is very clean and very usable, even at ISO 6400, the files are still usable with a bit of noise reduction applied. Photos taken at ISO 12,800 would still be useful for small prints or for publishing on the internet. The high ISO performance is allot better then the EOS 50D! The dual Digic IV processors work very well at keeping high ISO noise under control, and the 7D would have to be the best crop sensored camera I’ve used at high ISO’s, and has similar performance as the 5D2 up to ISO 3200 (5DMkII is still better above ISO 3200, but only slightly, and you would expect that due to the size difference between the APS-C and Fullframe sensors). The 18mp files are full of detail, and give you heaps of room for cropping, and for making large prints. I’m looking forward to printing up some large poster sized prints with this camera! Conclusion Overall I am very impressed with the EOS 7D, it is the best Canon camera I’ve owned so far (I’ve owned a 300D, 20D, 40D, 50D, 5DMkII, 500D, and now the 7D) and I would say that the 7D is very similar to the Nikon D300 in many ways, actually my first impressions was Canon had copied Nikon when designing the 7D! LOL It’s a fantastic camera, and definitely worth upgrading from one of the XXD series cameras, and the video is great too, with full manual controls and a nice selection of different usable shutter speeds, great if your looking at shooting full 1080p video without having to buy a 5DMkII. The EOS 7D is a feature packed camera, with great picture quality and a great addition to the Canon lineup! I will post a follow up to this review in a few months time, in the meantime, keep a eye out on my folio for photos taken with my EOS 7D.
31-10-09 Bewdy! Jasper’s Sunrise #1 / !h…
31-10-09 Bewdy! Jasper’s Sunrise #1 / / has been FEATURED in the Nirvana Group. My sunniest thanks to the Hosts and to all who have appreciated and supported this misty dawn photograph. GB / Dennis
3-11-09 You Li’l Ripper! Brigadoon / !http://ima…
3-11-09 You Li’l Ripper! Brigadoon / / has been FEATURED in the IPA -International Photographers Alliance. Heaps of thanks to the Hosts and to all who have appreciated and supported my dawn photography. GB / Dennis
OMG SWOOPO isn’t a con! I just received my Canon EOS 500D, 8 days after “winning” the auction! Total cost to me £36.54 yes that is all…
OMG SWOOPO isn’t a con! I just received my Canon EOS 500D, 8 days after “winning” the auction! Total cost to me £36.54 yes that is all! Hahahaha! £30 spent on buying bids, £4.90 postage, and winning bid price of £1.64. I still have 21 bids left too! Hubby wants me to try an win a laptop I think now, so at somepoint that will be another sleepless night! If you missed my last journal entry about how I got this amazing bargain and the warning/advice I gave on this site which is basically a gamble and a game of chicken SEE HERE I still can’t believe it but the opened box is sitting on the floor infront of me! Just got to work out how to use it now! And then whether I am keeping it or selling it and getting better Nikon equipment!
/ . / GIRL AND THE SEA photo...
/ . / GIRL AND THE SEA photo / Estoril / Portugal / . / Thank you dear Host BigD (Dave) of CANON DSRL group for this feature:))) / That is so nice of you:) / Thank you wonderful Friends who visit my work and are always so kind:) / Hugs, / Tereza:)) / . / . /
/ . / PAÇO D’ARCOS / LISBON COAST / PORTUGAL / . / . / Thank …
/ . / PAÇO D’ARCOS / LISBON COAST / PORTUGAL / . / . / Thank you dear Friederike Host of THE BEAUTY OF EUROPEAN WATERS group for this feature:)))) / You are so sweet:)) / Thank you my dear friends who come to my site and visit my work, blessings to you all. / Tereza:))) . / . /
Canon now have a site for online ‘exhibitions’. I’ve set one up to test the level of interest and traffic flow. It’s an interesting con…
Canon now have a site for online ‘exhibitions’. I’ve set one up to test the level of interest and traffic flow. It’s an interesting concept, it’s always nice to see your work on a wall! See my gallery here: ...elements of life The exhibitions are only displayed for less than a month. Be patient the site is a little slow on the first visit. Any feedback is always appreciated. Let me know if you create one yourself. Thanks / Shane
My image of Roger was selected as a finalist on the first EOS Canon 1 Wall. The public can vote for their favourite image this week – and there are some terrific images there too – well worth a look …..and maybe even a vote ;0) Check out the finalists here
I was going though my folio seeing which were the most popular art of 09 and possibly doing a bit of a end of year clean up, I noticed a …
I was going though my folio seeing which were the most popular art of 09 and possibly doing a bit of a end of year clean up, I noticed a few pieces that seemed to have gone unnoticed with no comments, and not many views. Before I remove these works forever, I thought I would show you all the work that has gone unnoticed. Smoky Sunrise Over Jandakot Airport Pelican Point – Perth Western Australia Matilda Bay Jetties At Dawn Rockingham Jetty Swan River Sunset Claisebrook Cove Night Panorama Perth City At Night Perth City Panorama Burswood Casino At Sunset Shelley Jetty At Dusk North Beach Dusk Panorama 2 Fremantle Docks At Night Panorama Western Australia Maritime Museum Building Western Australia Maritime Museum Building Low Tide At Mosman Bay Boatsheds Mosman Bay Boatsheds Panorama Mosman Bay At Sunrise Panorama Mosman Bay Boatsheds Panorama And then the rain came down….. Crawley Edge Boatshed Storm Surge Mosman Bay Jetty At Dawn Mosman Bay Boatshed Jetty Mundaring Weir Mundaring Weir Pemberton Vineyard Panorama Kalbarri Coastal Cliffs At Sunset Kalbarri Beach Kalbarri Beach Decoy At Sunrise Perth City Towers At Sunset Perth At Dawn Perth The City Of Lights Perth Skyworks 2009 – Panorama #1 Perth Skyworks 2009 Finale Bowl Of Red Capsicums Bowl Of Noodles Point Walter – Long Exposure Perth Wheel Panorama Perth Wheel Lancelin Sand Dune Champion Lakes Foothills Champion Lake Champion Lake Panorama 1 Tree At Sunset Farm Trees At Sunset Matilda Bay Brewery Panorama
Thank you so much dear Sandra Hos…
Thank you so much dear Sandra Host of WINDOWS AND DOORS group for this feature:))) / You are so kind:)) / Hugs to you and all my friends:) / Tereza / . / . / / .
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