Canon Focuses

Quick update on my switch from Nikon to the Canon 5D.

Big View HERE
Just got done with a Geva show and two major things I noticed:

High ISO rocks!
It was wonderful to shoot most of the show (a VERY dark Sherlock Holmes mystery) at 800 and 1600 ISO, instead of thinking that 500 was OK on my Nikon D200 and really not liking ISO 800 on that camera. The Nikon would get mushy at high ISO, as well as the noise. The Canon gets less noisy, but more importantly, the subject stays solid looking, not mushy.
Also, my 2 D200’s both had big dead pixels at all ISOs and much worse at 800.

The Canon Focuses!
Man, I blamed myself for years with the Nikon, and had ‘backfocus’ problems… but the new camera shows me that the Nikon was just crummy at focussing.

So I’m very happy.

I will complain about Canon things in some post too, so stay tuned for the down sides…

Switched from Nikon to Canon

I’ll get more in detail on this someday, but I’ve just switched from my Nikon cameras to Canon after 20 years.
Funny thing is back then I was shooting Canon and switched to Nikon when autofocus first started!
And waay before that… can anyone say ‘Yashika?! in High School.

So why did I switch and what do I think so far, everyone asks:
• I shoot lots of theatre, and so Canon is undisputedly better at high ISO (I just did a Geva shoot and didn’t hesitate to use 1600)
• I’ve had some repair issues with Nikon’s Pro Service and my most recent two cameras had manufacture flaws that bugged me (dead pixels on the CCD)
• I was ready to replace my long lens with a zoom version, since I’d need that more with my current PR shooting and I was drooling over the Image Stabilization that I could get (Nikon makes that too… but when I compared both, I liked the build of the Canon better)
• The lens that kept being repaired poorly broke one last time! So I need to replace my other key lens, and after paying $1500 for it and then another $900+ in repairs, I was ready to switch
• The Canon doesn’t seem to have the focusing problems that the Nikon’s I’ve owned do (I’ve had D1, D1X and D200s)…It’s a relief to just have a shot be in focus most of the time

The folks at Rowe Photo here in Rochester NY let me try everything out and my associate Ron loaned me his top-of-the-line Canon for a few shoots (Big Thanks Ron!!)… and the key was, the files were just plain better based on what I shoot and how I shoot (Both companies are fine, and your mileage may vary, but I really was impressed with the Canon).

Sorry this is so text heavy, but since folks were asking, that’s a start to the answer.

I bought a Canon 5D and it comes in a nice kit now. Total outlay around $8000… relief when photos are sharp and low grain at high ISO… Priceless

Next, I’ll bust on the Canon a bit.

cheers,
Ken

Tripods

[b]Beatrice in Japan Asks (a Ninja!):[/b]
…sorry I couldn’t help the Ask a Ninja Ref

Mother’s Day is around the corner and my husband wants to get me a tripod for my gear. It is waaaaay overdue! I am on the brink of a migraine and tears trying to figure out what to purchase. Could you make a recommendation based on the following information?

+ Canon 20D w/battery grip
+ Canon 580EX flash
+ largest lens: Canon 70-200L IS f/2.8 w/collar
****************snip**********
(note: and she’s on a military base and so can play with options much)

[b]Ken Says:[/b]
You know, I hate tripods and consider them a necessary evil… so my advice is about what I use, and not up-to-date review filled with love for tripods
I have an old, lightweight[b] Slik tripod[/b] I love. It seems like this one:
Slik U212 Universal Deluxe Tripod with 3-Way Pan Head #212
for $99 here:
http://www.adorama.com/SLU212D.html

I love that it’s legs can go out seperately, has a quick release for the camera, level, rubber and spiked feet and flips pretty easily and versatilely for copystand work, etc. Even though it’s light, it should be fine for a normal digital setup as you describe.

I used to own a Bogen/Manfroto which was super heavy. You buy those legs, then head of your choice. It was nice and solid, but a bit of a pain then to drag around. But do you know the real reason I didn’t like it?? The stupid flip-style leg locks really hurt when opening and closing… Maybe I’m just a dufus, but I couldn’t find a way to not pinch my fingers in every photo session. So fortunately it was stolen and I didn’t have to keep getting pinched
So do consider which leg lock setups it has. I don’t like the spinning lock as it’s harder to tell when they are tight, they get loose easily, etc… YMMV. Also how the camera will attach and quickly be removed.

My life is hit and run, so I like speed releases. I’m also a fan of the heads that you grip to let loose, then the ball gives total swivel positioning. BUT it MUST be a top-quality, expensive one or it can slip or be cheesy quality. Good ones are very easy to use and lock down tight.

I used to work at camera stores in college and my first year out, so I’ve been around a few tripods… but that’s 20 years ago now. I am interested that my Slik is still made. I think that’s a good sign for it. Also, tripods aren’t high tech and don’t change often.

Great husband, BTW to do that. Military and supporting the photo habit. Tell him I say he rocks.

Cut it Out with the Megapixel Questions!

If someone asks me one more time on a shoot ‘Hey, how many mexapixels does that camera have??’ I’m going to scream.

Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!

Hhhhh, whew, that felt good.

Cameras ALL have enough megapixels now, they have for several years and any camer you buy will have enough resolution to make photos 8×10″, 11×17″ and if you want bigger, Genuine Fractals is only a few dollars purchase away. With GF you can get (from a nice file) any size image you need.

So relax with the pixel questions… I’m sure folks are just trying to be interested and that’s the thing they know to ask (or show they are hip to digital photo lingo

What should we ask?
Ask me if they camera has any cool features, or what my favorite cameras are now, or how to improve shots you are having trouble with, or ANYTHING but about the specs of my camera.

I’m bored stiff about MP and it shows the marketing twonks who sell cameras have people focused on buying more than they need and avoiding the real needs like good menu systems, bright lenses, flash that looks good, etc.

(end of rant)

Doin’ Taxes Like it’s 1999

I rotate my taxes boxes over a 7 year period, so I just pulled my 1999 taxes to make way for doing 2006.

How different things were just seven years ago:

• Digital Cameras—I paid $900+ for my first digital pro-sumer camera a year or so before (Kodak DC260) and was in 1999 deducting my next digital camera, the Nikon CoolPix 950 for over $1000.

• Computer RAM…anybody up for the big 128Megabyte RAM upgrade (PC100) for $138!

• Blank CD’s for my burner—$2 per blank CD (they are about 25¢ each now)… ah, and on the same invoice, I bought the first version of the

Myst Game!

• Phone Bills—Back then I had a normal phone line and long distance via Sprint. It was around $35/month for the local phone and $40-$50/month in long distance.
Today, I have Vonage for my home line for less than $20/month and my cell service with Cingular comes with free long distance.

• Film & Chemicals—I would go to RIT and buy around $300 worth of supplies every three to four weeks. And then there was process and color at labs, and my time doing this all.
Today: Digital, baby! After you plunk down the big money for the camera, upgraded Mac, Software, etc, etc…as Lisa I’m sure will tell you

• A delivery service was needed back then to deliver things from here (45 minutes from Rochester). Now clients edit online and get their images from me by convenient download.

• My Photoshop 5.5 Upgrade was bought in 1999,

and I paid $70 to renew HuthPhoto.com for two more years (I just paid around $80 to buy it till 2015.

• I photographed Meryl Streep as my first big event for the George Eastman House in 1999, and I see that Geva was going strong as a big client

• Logos—Above, you’ll see I was phasing out the ‘film and sprockets’ logo (top of page, on the right) and was moving toward the big, swoopy H logo (up there again on the left).

I bagged that after a few years of getting payments to H Photo. Is my current logo, here, too dated yet?

So, that’s the trip in the way-back machine I just took and hope you’ll get a kick out of seeing how much has changed with digital photography, the ‘net and HuthPhoto in these last amazing seven years.

Comment (from my old blog):
Joe
I think I still have notepads with both of those old logos!
Monday, February 19, 2007 - 11:17 AM

Beautiful Light

I’m a real convert to my LightSphere from Gary Fong.. man that’s sweet light. Check it out at www.garyfongstore.com. It’s giving me awesome bounce flash like the shot of the boy. For outdoors, I flip the head with the lightsphere straight on for nice soft fill

You can see she was totally backlit, so the soft flash really made the shot, keeping her from having shadows and allowing that pretty light to stream through the cloth.

Shot only with my LightSphere into the ceiling. This is a live-action shot in a real classroom for the Harley newsletter.