How many DSLR users here?

[N_Architect]

At the wide end it becomes an effective 38.4mm, so in actual fact it'll be slightly worse than a 35mm on a full frame. I think it should be ok, but best if you try. Take your point & shoot, set it in approx 38mm focal length if possible of course, sit comfortably and take a picture of your main course dinner tonight at home.

They are both good lenses, though large. Especially the 24-70, it is pretty big & heavy - are you sure you would like to go round and about with something like this attached to your (small) 450D? If you believe the improvement in quality is worth the stretch, go for it; but keep in mind that these lenses (and especially the 24-70) are much better suited to full frame bodies. With some waiting or saving, you could buy a 5D II (even a refurbished 5D would do) and then pair that with a 24-105/4L or a 17-40/4L - the latter would blow your mind away in wides, believe me...

Of course your opinion may vary. I have also heard that the 24-70/2.8L is due for an upgrade sometime soon, but have yet to see it coming...

[SQflyergirl]

At the wide end it becomes an effective 38.4mm, so in actual fact it'll be slightly worse than a 35mm on a full frame. I think it should be ok, but best if you try. Take your point & shoot, set it in approx 38mm focal length if possible of course, sit comfortably and take a picture of your main course dinner tonight at home.

They are both good lenses, though large. Especially the 24-70, it is pretty big & heavy - are you sure you would like to go round and about with something like this attached to your (small) 450D? If you believe the improvement in quality is worth the stretch, go for it; but keep in mind that these lenses (and especially the 24-70) are much better suited to full frame bodies. With some waiting or saving, you could buy a 5D II (even a refurbished 5D would do) and then pair that with a 24-105/4L or a 17-40/4L - the latter would blow your mind away in wides, believe me...

Of course your opinion may vary. I have also heard that the 24-70/2.8L is due for an upgrade sometime soon, but have yet to see it coming...

Good advice. It'll end up residing on an also small 550D now (which I'm loving by the way). I'd love to go full frame, but i think i'd be blowing my weight allowance (the camera actually travels with me in my handbag usually ) and $$ budget on a 5DII.

[phaleesy]

at the wide end on an APS-C 1.6 FOVCF , would 24mm be wide enough to get an Airline Tray and food in? (Y class naturally, since that's where I usually am)

At the wide end it becomes an effective 38.4mm, so in actual fact it'll be slightly worse than a 35mm on a full frame.

I can't take airline food trays with the 24-70mm mounted on a 400D.

It is possible with a full frame camera. In fact the 24-70mm is such a brilliant lens for food pictures. I am not referring to airline trays. But you have to be a minimum distance away from the subject. On the plane, that can be difficult. You'd have to shoot aerially or stand up to take the picture.

I did not realise the 24-70mm is such a great lens until I had to send it for repair a few weeks ago. I rented the 24-105mm for a week and was not satisfied with the quality of the pictures, especially at 24mm. I am glad I rented it for a trial period because I was considering purchasing it for a walk-about lens but it looks like I'd still be stuck with the 24-70mm and 70-200mm for now. Images from these two lenses are so sharp and I'd rather put up with the weight and inconvenience.

[SQflyergirl]

I can't take airline food trays with the 24-70mm mounted on a 400D.

That's all i needed to know. But the 16-35 is SO expensive

[phaleesy]

Try the 10-22mm. I have no complaints about the lens at all.

[SQflyergirl]

Try the 10-22mm. I have no complaints about the lens at all.

THat's what i was looking at also, and the 10-22 isn't that bad an investment since I'll likely never go full frame.

My only concern is that it's only F3.5 on the wide end.

[haf]

Girls talking about lenses, hot!

[phaleesy]

THat's what i was looking at also, and the 10-22 isn't that bad an investment since I'll likely never go full frame.

My only concern is that it's only F3.5 on the wide end.

Use any available lighting on the plane. If that's still not enough, get a LED unit or something. I'm thinking of getting one for my food pics in restaurants. You can adjust the direction of the light any way you want.

I don't like to use low apertures anyway for food pics because it's difficult to get everything in focus at such a close distance.

Girls talking about lenses, hot!

We should start talking about flashes too.

[phaleesy]

Help!

Trying to frame my pictures at the moment.

Problem 1:
Since it's sakura season, I try to frame all my buildings, animals , etc with sakura in the foreground.

But I am having problems with getting everything in focus.

E.g. I want to get a shot of a mountain or building at infinity in focus. But I also want my sakura branches which are a few metres away in focus too. It is an impossible task if I use a telephonto lens, say at 200mm. I've tried using high F stops, even up to 32? What else should I do besides moving further away from my foreground (sakura branches)? Or is this such an impossible task? Would ND filters help?

Problem 2:
There's so much flowers on the branches and in the trees.
Too cluttered. What exactly do people look out for when photographing sakura? Macro and close ups against an interestng background? An interesting focus?

I tried different apertures and the pictures look like a mess of uninteresting flowers. Some in focus, some not since they're in different planes/distance.
Messy lump of junk which I just end up deleting at the end of the day!

[N_Architect]

haf: Our girls are hot indeed [in a good sense] (though I haven't met any of them in person yet).

SQflyergirl: The Canon EF 10-22/3.5-4.5 USM lens is a very good option in your case, for the following reasons.

1. You won't be stretched financially for an item like the 24-70/2.8;
2. You immediately have real ultra-wide capability (16-35 mm) at good quality;
3. Weight of this lens is not that much, size is reasonable and as per wide zoom lens category standard;
4. Such a lens stays with you forever, and fits any APS-C camera you have or may get in the future. It is important, in my opinion, to have one such tool in your arsenal, it will change the way you view wides.

Possible drawback(s):

1. Getting a good copy. Sometimes Canon supplies lenses that are not up to desired standard; it is rare, especially with mid- to high-priced items but you never know. Mine was a good copy, but I have sold it. Bought at a later stage a Tokina 11-16/2.8 (constant 2.8 aperture), very good lens, but still, my 10-22 was a great tool as well. It is resting somewhere in Alesund now...

Samples (10-22):



phaleesy: I would imagine that an aperture of 8-11 would suffice, in combination with an ISO of 400-800. You can take the high ISO with the 5Ds... (though you may not want to, of course). You could send me a sample photo, say in 800x600, to have a look of what exactly we're talking about.

[phaleesy]

phaleesy: I would imagine that an aperture of 8-11 would suffice, in combination with an ISO of 400-800. You can take the high ISO with the 5Ds... (though you may not want to, of course). You could send me a sample photo, say in 800x600, to have a look of what exactly we're talking about.

Thanks, I didn't think of bumping up the ISO!

I went back to the same spot with a tripod the next day and focused manually. It was a lot better. But still not entirely desirable. Would upload the pictures and send you some samples when I get more time.

[taipeiflyer]

got a canon 5d mark II as a gift from the girlfriend. have added an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Autofocus, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens, and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Autofocus. my first dslr, so i thought i would splurge. really happy with it so far but still getting the hang of them.
they definitely provide a great workout- my girlfriend is 40kg and she says a day of shooting is equal to a day of working out the arms at the gym. once my pics are even remotely close to what some of the others here can capture, i will post a couple of them up.

[nickbot]

Excellent news taipeiflyer - please share sooner rather than later, nice to see someone else going through the learning process

[N_Architect]

Congrats, taipeiflyer. Enjoy the 5D II, it's a great tool...

[taipeiflyer]

Just came across this on Gizmodo - a little something for the Canon fans out there



...looks like a 70-200mm Canon L-series lens, but then if you look a little closer...

that is so frickin cool. i will glady trade someone the 6 or 7 starbucks insulated thermoses i have around the house for one of those!
p.s. sorry, i posted the previous comment in the wrong reply. mods, can you please delete my previous comment, so as to avoid double posting.