Photography Chat and Questions Thread

[Šįk]

Next is what lenses to go for.. I'm after 2 or 3 and looking at the following. Has anyone used these lenses that could tell me what they thought of them, or if they have a better alternative..


ef 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
ef 50mm f/1.2L USM
ef 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM


Looking at these as going off better/newer versions of my old kit (ef-s 10-22mm f/3.5, ef 50mm f/1.8 & ef 70-200 f/4)


il just be buying 2 for now and the third in the near future.


cheers

 

[JamesBryan]

I'd go for the 17-40 F4L, it's just as good i think.

Had mine for years. It's a lot cheaper too.
Niall97 has the 50 F1.2L it's awesome!

 

[Niall]

Yeah those are a good selection, as James says the 17-40 is great and will save you around £250-300.

I love my 50mm F1.2L too, it's not been off the camera since I got it, but only get one if you know that you use your 50 a lot, if you don't then the f1.4 is good enough and will save you £600.

 

[Šįk]

Cheers, the 17-40 is a good shout and il probably go for that instead!

My boss has the 50mm f1.4 so will have a play with that before I buy a 50mm prime. Would love to try a 35mm prime on a full frame mind!

 

[Geddes]

Been looking at some courses and found this website

http://www.goingdigital.co.uk/photographycourses/slr-photography.php

seems rather good and what I'm looking for to get off from using the Auto function but it's quit pricy like. I think I'm going to go for it just get a jump start.

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

I'm sure if you asked on here you'd get better advice and it wont cost you a penny.

What do you want to acheive? Just getting off Auto? What do you want to take photo's of? Any particular style?

Ask questions on here before spending £75. Chuck that towards a 50mm 1.8 if you can.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Been looking at some courses and found this website

http://www.goingdigital.co.uk/photographycourses/slr-photography.php

seems rather good and what I'm looking for to get off from using the Auto function but it's quit pricy like. I think I'm going to go for it just get a jump start.

Read the stickies on here .. then read them again. Then use your camera... then read the stickies again.

£75 to 'blur the background' ? Wow. PayPal me £20 and I'll tell you how to do it :rasp:

 

[Geddes]

I'm sure if you asked on here you'd get better advice and it wont cost you a penny.

What do you want to acheive? Just getting off Auto? What do you want to take photo's of? Any particular style?

Ask questions on here before spending £75. Chuck that towards a 50mm 1.8 if you can.

Alright, I just want to get off Auto mode i got a Canon 500D 2 years ago and it's been rarely used, i think i got a good eye. And like more help on the Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed. I'm more aware of the Grid or what ever it's called but need to practice more on that. There's nothing really in particular i photo just general stuff really.

I'd like to take pics of people or objects and it's blurry in the background and i really like to take pics of water where it looks cloudy. I've got a stand too. I'm not doing anything this weekend so i'll have a look on the sticky's.

I'd like to post some pics up on the other thread, a few people say i take some good pics but their prob just saying it, just need to master the Manual function, i presume i need to use just this?

 

[Geddes]

Read the stickies on here .. then read them again. Then use your camera... then read the stickies again.

£75 to 'blur the background' ? Wow. PayPal me £20 and I'll tell you how to do it :rasp:

Yeah just for 6 hours or so, been looking at Sunderland College but it's full for the next term over a 10 week period but i'm not bothering now just doing it myself and practice

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

What lens do you have? Just a kit lens? 18-55?

To achieve a blurry background you need to bring your f number down as low as it will go (shooting using AV mode on the dial) but you'll need a decent distance between the subject and background for a decent amount of but. The 50mm 1.8 is brilliant for learning this with. It makes you take more time framing the shot with it being prime and offers good bokeh (blurred background) for a good price.

For cloudy water you need a long exposure, so you'll need a ND filter so it doesn't over expose the shot.

Post some of your shots so we can have a look.

Also check Flickr. Look at the types of shots you would like to achieve and look at the exif info for it. It will tell you the shutter speed, focal length, aperture etc. Can learn a lot from that.

 

[Geddes]

What lens do you have? Just a kit lens? 18-55?

To achieve a blurry background you need to bring your f number down as low as it will go (shooting using AV mode on the dial) but you'll need a decent distance between the subject and background for a decent amount of but. The 50mm 1.8 is brilliant for learning this with. It makes you take more time framing the shot with it being prime and offers good bokeh (blurred background) for a good price.

For cloudy water you need a long exposure, so you'll need a ND filter so it doesn't over expose the shot.

Post some of your shots so we can have a look.

Also check Flickr. Look at the types of shots you would like to achieve and look at the exif info for it. It will tell you the shutter speed, focal length, aperture etc. Can learn a lot from that.

Yeah just the standard 18-55 EFS lens, i've bought a Polarizing Filter too is this the same as the ND filter? Do i need to put the camera on the tripod to blur the background? I presume you will have too for the cloudy water long exposure means the more time the lens is open?

Yeah i'm on Llickr i think your on my list Aaron too. I did get a email of them saying they've changed email to Yahoo is this right cos i'm still getting updates through gmail.

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

I still get emails through Gmail too. I think its just that you need to have a Yahoo account /email to start a new Flickr.

You'll need a tripod for doing pretty much any long exposure shot. If it's dark enough though you can get shorter long exposures without a filter by making the f number go as high as possible and bringing the iso down to 100 (this needs to be on full manual mode though)

The polariser filter isn't the same as an ND, but it's a handy filter. It'll cut reflections in glass, bring out the blues in the sky better.
There is a sticky about filters I think on here.

 

[Geddes]

Just sorted out the new Flickr now, been also looking at the ND filter can get one for £6.99 of Amazon for that price i'll add it to my collection. I'm popping out with my mate over the weekend no idea where we going but i'll post up a couple on what i've done

 

[Geddes]

Having a bit bother trying to log into Flickr using the new Yahoo log in, been locked out for 12 hours ffs. Just would'nt accept my details

 

[Geddes]

Had a pop over to Seaham, took some pics by the beach, I used it in M mode and just couldn't get it right. Some horrible ones like some were too bright

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

That was full manual.
Try shooting in aperture priority for a while (AV)
Leave the iso on auto too. Just while you get started

 

[Addicted]

Seeing my friends camera setup and the quality of his photos compared to mine has got me looking at lenses.

Looking at something to replace my 18-55mm kit lens (550d).

He's got a 5D with I think a Tamron 70-200mm (I think, about 2k's worth of lens alone), but naturally I don't want to spend that much!!

I'd absolutely love a 28-300mm, that would kill off both my kit lenses (18-55mm and whatever the other is, possibly 85-250mm or something), but the cost scares me!

The only other one I have looked at so far is the usual 24-105mm, but can't see if I'm missing any others I should be looking at? As I say, I'd love up to 300m to sack off my other lens, but in reality £1800 is too much lol.

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

It all depends how much you want to spend.

I have the same camera as you (for the moment) and I have a selection of lenses. A 55-250 is pretty cheap and for the money (around £100 ish), a brilliant lens. I also have a 70-300 but its awful quality and super slow to focus. Both Canon (I got the 70-300 super cheap in a bulk buy).

Maybe go with the 55-250 and a 17-50? The Sigma 17-50 2.8 can be had pretty cheap now and its a good walkaround lens.

Or a Sigma 10-20 if you want to go wide?

 

[Addicted]

Ahh yes, sorry I thought I said which lenses I had already

Currently have:

* 18-55mm kit
* 55-250mm kit - it is this one i have, couldnt remember the size
* Tokina 11-16mm wideangle
* 50mm prime

So with that in mind, not sure!!

As you say, the 70-300mm is pants, but that doesn't really go as low as I want really anyway. Tempted by the 24-105mm as it has a nice range, I'd love the 28-300mm purely as above it would mean I'd then only need 3 lenses (11-16mm, 28-300mm and 50mm prime), but it's the cost!

Are there any others similar to a 28-300mm that are nearly as good? Or even a similar range?

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

I've just double checked my other Canon lens, it a 75-300. Super s**t.

How about a 24-70 & 70-200? If you need the extra length maybe an extender?
I've looked at the 70-200 2.8 recently, the Sigma version is pretty cheap (around £800)

The Tamron 70-200 2.8 is on Amazon now for £511 (Non IS)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0013DG08E/?tag=cliospnet01-21

Sigma 24-70 2.8
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0009E1XF8/?tag=cliospnet01-21

I think I'm going to go for a 6d plus 24-105 bundle first, then sell off everything I have bar my 50mm and sigma 17-50.

Edit. I've just read again and the 70-200 doesn't go down enough.

 

[Geddes]

That was full manual.
Try shooting in aperture priority for a while (AV)
Leave the iso on auto too. Just while you get started

I was playing with the EF3.6 and the 1/60 numbers if it was too bright or too dark I'd change the numbers. Yeah I leave it on ISO auto and play about with the AV and TV mode. Is there no need to post up the pics so you can tell or will you know?

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

Post pics up if you want.
I'd just concentrate on shooting using AV as it will set everything else for you, and keep the iso on auto for now.
Have a good read of the stickies on here there's a lot of useful info.

 

[Coby.]

Going to attempt and get some pics of my friends at a rugby game tomorrow, Any tips on settings for getting crisp images of what is quite a fast moving sport.

I have a Nikon D60

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

Shutter priority. At guess, 1/500th +. Hopefully the weather will be kind and you won't need a massive iso.

 

[Coby.]

Yeah did a little reading and it said the lowest shutter speed of 500 upto maybe 1500 and play with the ISO.

Will get there early and snap away as they warm up, I hardly use my camera so am still so useless with it.

 

[v15ben]

Not sure on rules, but if anyone needs/wants a Canon kit lens, I've just put my spare one up for sale on here.

 

[Coby.]

Well photographing Rugby on a dull day spitting with rain was tricky, No idea how anything has come out but I was continuously flicking between ISO's, Shutter speeds and often going with just P and adjusting the wheel on my D60.

Will get them on the laptop later to really see how poor they are.

Only had my 55-200 lens which wasn't long enough to capture all the action

 

[Niall]

Eddie’s E21 by Niall97, on Flickr

 

[Coby.]

Raising the ISO is what causes grainy photos isn't it?

My Rugby photos are very grainy as it was a very dull hazy day

 

[Ay Ay Ron]

It can make them noisy but it shouldn't do that too much given it was outside in the day time. Maybe your aperture was wrong or you had a too high shutter speed causing the iso to go really high.
I don't know the camera so can't comment on iso handling.
I can shoot night shots though at 3200 and it's not that bad on my Canon and I thought Nikon were usually good at high iso noise reduction?

Chuck some shots up.

 

[Coby.]

I'll have to upload a couple to FlickR later so you can see the settings and advise how I've gone so wrong, I'm a complete newbie with cameras.

 

[ukaskew]

Been working towards this for quite some time...

Sony RX1 by Harry_S, on Flickr

Sony RX1 by Harry_S, on Flickr

Thrilled to bits, nearly all my shooting is at 35mm so to have a full-frame set-up that small makes me a very happy boy. It's so much smaller than I had expected and absolutely silent.

 

[Coby.]

Open for criticism and advice, I was running late so didn't get a chance to practice as they warmed up.

Couple of ones with very basic cropping and adjustment using windows programmes.

Rugby Test 3 by andrewcoby18, on Flickr

Rugby Test 2 by andrewcoby18, on Flickr

Rugby Test 1 by andrewcoby18, on Flickr

Rugby Test 4 by andrewcoby18, on Flickr

As said I'm useless with my camera so would appreciate an tips in basic English on how to improve for next time.
Shot with a Nikon D60.

 

[Niall]

My crash photos from the Gumball made it to The Mail Online -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-crashes-lamppost-Jaguar-XFR-ends-hedge.html

 

[welshname]

Why are they all showing as Riad's?

 

[Niall]

Why are they all showing as Riad's?

He contacted them including his video and they assumed that the photos were his as well, he’s told them to change the credit but it doesn’t seem to have changed.

 

[The Fatty]

He contacted them including his video and they assumed that the photos were his as well, he’s told them to change the credit but it doesn’t seem to have changed.

you should contact them and tell them to remove them unless they change the credit. they will soon update it! Awesome pic above btw!

 

[Niall]

you should contact them and tell them to remove them unless they change the credit. they will soon update it! Awesome pic above btw!

Riad wanted it removed all together because it reflects negatively on him to be associated with crash images at the event as an automotive photographer (and the fact that they aren’t his so he hasn’t taken the crash photos). I get my share of the money from it anyway so I’m not too bothered

 

[v15ben]

Money for new lenses, eh?

 

[Niall]

Money for new lenses, eh? :smile:

Photography equipment is on hold for the moment, my money is all going towards getting on the road later this year now, so I’ll actually have a car after being on a car forum for 4 years haha.