Can I have some cars with that coffee?

[Neilda]

coming around a very tight blind corner 100 feet from my driveway doing 5mph and here comes this Prius driving on my side of the road......I stop suddenly.....she stops suddenly....then rolls up to me with a big fake smile....stares at my GT then says in a suspiciously friendly voice "WE need to slow down on this road as it has many blind corners".....to which I replied in a calm almost expressionless tone "yes WE do.....WE also need to drive on the correct side of the road"........ I get another big fake smile....another stare down of the GT and a wave good-bye........very California of her I thought. (no disrespect to anyone here of course)

I can imagine that scenario - Prius drivers are just as smug over here in the UK too.

I had one driver in one try and cut up my Range Rover in London not so long ago and we pulled up next to each other at the next set of lights, the passenger gave me a very disdainful look and I looked back and said 'whilst your car is an inferior vehicle to mine, it is, nevertheless, fitted with indicators. Why don't you use them?' No reply. :biggrin

Great pics Syco - what camera are you using? (I'm sure you've told me before, but it's early Sunday morning )

 

[timcantwell]

Beautiful photos Randy!

 

[nthfinity]

They may or may not be, but not intentionally created that way.

definitely looks very cool

 

[HHGT]

This is my personal eco friendly solution. And yes, I've even taken the entire family to a wedding and parties, although I wouldn't recommend it as a daily family hauler. Daily driver, sure, but not for hauling people around all the time.

That's right Sam...You know you love the MINI's...

All I have to say is that it was no 4 on the list..........

 

[SYCO GT]

Great pics Syco - what camera are you using? (I'm sure you've told me before, but it's early Sunday morning )

Thanks Neilda. It's a Canon 5D Digital SLR body, about 3 years old. 12.8MP, sells for just over $2K.

The long awaited replacement has been announced, the Canon 5D Mark II, and should sell in the next 4-6 weeks, hopefully.

You might already know this, but I recommend buying the cheapest SLR body you can live with, and the best lens possible. The lens for the most part makes the image (along with the photographer).

The Canon 50D is a nice camera also. The main benefit of the 5D series is that they are full frame cameras, so they do not add a magnification effect to the lenses (which can be a plus to a landscape, wedding, or sports photographer), I like the full frame, having shot 35mm film for years before digital cameras.

 

[HHGT]

Thanks Neilda. It's a Canon 5D Digital SLR body, about 3 years old. 12.8MP, sells for just over $2K.

Randy, is the later model Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR worth the $? I've been looking at cameras and real like the 12.8MP

 

[SYCO GT]

I shot these at the Long Beach Grand Prix with an entry level Canon Rebel XT body and Canon 70-200mm f/4.0 IS L lens.

 

[SYCO GT]

Randy, is the later model Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR worth the $? I've been looking at cameras and real like the 12.8MP

Personally, I think it offers solid value at the price, and I actually think the price is good. But again, it just depends what you need it for and what you want to do with it. The files are going to be massive (think extra storage and processing time) and the quality of the camera can bring out weaknesses if you are not using high quality lenses.

Why not just buy the absolute best (i.e. expensive) if you can afford it? Well, the more sophisticated lenses weigh a lot and can be a pain to carry around all day if you are not dedicated to absolute image quality.

The Long Beach Grand Prix photos were taken with a camera body that probably costs around $450 today.

I'd recommend that you take a hard look at the Canon 50D, which is another great camera. If it's your first digital SLR, the Canon 5D Mark II might be serious overkill.

I always recommend high quality lenses, but again, it depends what you want to do. I see too many people spend $5K on a camera and lenses and then they sit in the closet, since they've overbought for their needs and never get into photography.

But again, I have no idea of what your needs are. Share more and I can possibly advise better.

 

[SYCO GT]

Oh, and megapixel, particularly at the consumer level is grossly overmarketed and misunderstood. Too many megapixels in a small camera can be a bad thing, depending on the sensor size. But average consumer thinks, whoa, that has 12MP and this one has only 8MP, the 12MP must be better. Not always true. But in a high quality digital SLR, you can always shoot at a lower MP setting and also the higher MP is probably legitimate. My motivation to want the Mark II is not primarily motivated for more MP. I like other features of the camera.

 

[SYCO GT]

In response to a PM, I wanted to share this info with the forum (although off topic)

If you are in the market for a used Canon 5D, I would recommend waiting 4-6 weeks, as the Mark II version rolls out.

In about 4-6 weeks, there will likely be a bunch of used Canon 5D SLR's hitting the market, including, hopefully mine (I say hopefully, because I want the Mark II so bad, although I know the 5D I have now is perfectly capable of strong images).

I would sell it now, before the supply bubble, but I tend to use my camera every 1-5 days. (as you can probably tell)

My suggestion is to wait. Supply will improve, demand will stay about the same, so pricing should drop.

 

[SYCO GT]

This shot was taken at the Rally with an $85 Canon Lens, the 50mm f/1.8, that's right, a cheap plasticky $85 lens.

It's funny, with photography, people often assume it's equipment that makes the final result.

But in cooking, for example, no one ever asks the Chef what utensils they are using when they make a delicious meal.

I've taken a good amount of the forum pictures with a Canon compact camera that you'll see me using from time to time. Since I'm used to shooting an SLR, it's kind of a PITA to use something else, but it doesn't mean the camera is not capable of good pics.

 

[skyrex]

Great pics as always. I don't care what camera I use. The pics won't turn out as good as yours. :thumbsup :cheers

 

[BlackICE]

Why not just buy the absolute best (i.e. expensive) if you can afford it? Well, the more sophisticated lenses weigh a lot and can be a pain to carry around all day if you are not dedicated to absolute image quality...

Your not kidding!

...I always recommend high quality lenses, but again, it depends what you want to do.

For Canons I like the 70-200mm F2.8 IS a lot. But big and heavy. The images are outstanding for a zoom and it is only slightly softer with the 1.4x converter. If you don't need to use the 1.4x the F4 version is lighter and less expensive and work almost as well. The new bodies do very well at high ISO settings. In focal lengths below 35mm is a challenge to get the same sharpness I see in other Canon lenses. (pixel peeking sharpness that is). I am not impressed with any of the wide angle zooms, nor fixed focal below 35mm. Not to say you can get great photos with them, just that the pixels are not as sharp as the other lenses.

...I see too many people spend $5K on a camera and lenses and then they sit in the closet, since they've overbought for their needs and never get into photography.

Yep, people do the same with their cars too. Guilty on both counts. :biggrin


Randy, my 28-135 IS has bit the dust, not that great of a lens, but handy and sharp enough for snapshots. Have you tried the 24-105 4.0L IS? Need something to replace it with, or I could get the 28-135 repaired. The zoom barrel is sticking sometimes.

 

[HeritageBruce]

SYCO GT,
It was great to catch up on things too. Do you have any direct frontal shots of that ACR???

 

[Kingman]

...and then there are the medium format digital cameras

http://www.dtgweb.com/shop/home.php?cat=1483&gclid=CNrJlMWS15YCFQhJagodC1Df3Q


http://www.hasselbladusa.com/products/h-system/h3dii-50.aspx

 

[SYCO GT]

For Canons I like the 70-200mm F2.8 IS a lot. But big and heavy.

Randy, my 28-135 IS has bit the dust, not that great of a lens, but handy and sharp enough for snapshots. Have you tried the 24-105 4.0L IS? Need something to replace it with, or I could get the 28-135 repaired. The zoom barrel is sticking sometimes.

BlackIce,

Yes, I borrowed the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS, a really incredible piece of glass. But that thing is an absolute brick. I barely used it.

So, I bought the smaller and lighter 70-200mm f/4 and loved it, but later when the IS version was released, I considered and felt the IS would be helpful, so I sold my non-IS and got the 70-200mm F/4 IS, which I have been very pleased with. I used the 1.4x converter for AYSO soccer, and was impressed that the converter didn't seem to really downgrade the image much at all. I think the f/4 works for me, since I don't use a telephoto zoom indoors much.

The 28-135 IS was a work horse for many years on a Canon Elan and then A2E 35mm film body. I also used it on the 10D, and later sold it, probably for almost what I paid, at least 8 years later.

Then I used the 24-105mm f/4 IS for a few years and was generally pleased. But I sold that, and I am using the 24-70MM f/2.8, which is also a heavy brick, but I am very pleased with it, in terms of color saturation and IQ. No IS, but I figured my hand is steady enough for a short range zoom.

You can't go wrong with either the 24-105mm or 24-70mm, and you will be seriously pleased over the 28-135mm, which in itself was a good lens. But there is definite improvement.

I've shot with several of the other brands like Sigma and Tamron and even Kalimar over the years, but it's nice to be at a point where I can afford the Canon glass - it's all I currently use. The other stuff looks good on paper and by specifications, until you actually shoot with it, at least that's been my experience and is simply a personal preference, not an attack on the other lenses. Also, I haven't used the other brands lately, so they may have improved significantly, and I shouldn't really say.

 

[SYCO GT]

SYCO GT,
It was great to catch up on things too. Do you have any direct frontal shots of that ACR???

I took just five shots total of that ACR. I only had the zoom lens with me, so I couldn't get close enough. It's funny, somehow I got clean shots of the Veyron. I think the Veyron had a natural air of, stay 10 feet back.

Here is the one frontal shot. The ACR was swarmed with baby strollers, photographers, and people, so I decided I would capture that moment.

 

[SYCO GT]

...and then there are the medium format digital cameras

http://www.dtgweb.com/shop/home.php?cat=1483&gclid=CNrJlMWS15YCFQhJagodC1Df3Q

http://www.hasselbladusa.com/products/h-system/h3dii-50.aspx

So damn cool. Probably not in my lifetime to own a digital medium format. I watched the Hasselblad Masters short video, and decided to order the 2008 Competition Book. Thanks for the links Herb.

For my birthday last year, my wife's cousins got me a simple 120mm plastic Holga medium format film camera as a complete surprise. For around $30, it's an absolute blast, and there is no cheaper way to get into medium format photography.

There's a whole cult following, and you can make some really sweet images and have the purity of film. Fun stuff. Part of me wants to take the plastic lens and hack it onto my 5D to see what it can do. But then, I would lose the romance of film.

http://www.lomography.com/holga/

 

[nthfinity]

Oh, and megapixel, particularly at the consumer level is grossly overmarketed and misunderstood. Too many megapixels in a small camera can be a bad thing, depending on the sensor size. But average consumer thinks, whoa, that has 12MP and this one has only 8MP, the 12MP must be better. Not always true. But in a high quality digital SLR, you can always shoot at a lower MP setting and also the higher MP is probably legitimate. My motivation to want the Mark II is not primarily motivated for more MP. I like other features of the camera.

Exactly.

I was originally planning on upping from my 40D to a 50D; however, the benefits of Full Frame really are worth the difference in price.... additionally, I'm curious how good/bad the video capture is on the 5D MK II. It potentially could be very interesting cross use device with that.

I also second syco's sentiments that a L lens mated with any cheaper DSLR will still be fantastic! The only downside is you will definitely not want to be changing lenses on the fly; as dust is a MAJOR issue on cameras w/out automated dust removal (through a ultrasonic vibration).

 

[BlackICE]

DSLRs are in a different class. I started with a 10D and upgraded to a 5D. Compared to any point and shoot, my old 10D at only 8MP would take much better pictures. You can capture RAW files which allow you to manipulate the photos with less degradation and the color, sharpness and contrast blows away any compact non-slr.

But when people ask me which type of camera takes the best picture, my answer is the one you have with you. Many times the my SLR stays at home.