*OFFICIAL* general photography conversation thread

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Weebl

Mark, is that a "normal" sound for you lens or is it messed up but working.
I don't think he wanted a messed up but working lens.

I guess for the 35mm it is normal. But it sounds just like his does in the video. I have no experience with Tokinas, though.

Matt, is it focusing correctly at least?

[MATT0404]

Originally Posted by sourphish

Yeah, total BS. How can you NOT know what your lens sounds like if it sounds like that. Unless he didn't touch it in years. Try to get your money back or something.

He says it was one of the lenses he used the most.

I asked him for the original receipt (required for warranty repair). He says he purchased it from B&H and should have the receipt somewhere. I'm betting I never get the receipt.

Originally Posted by M_Six

My 35mm f2 (non-USM) is like that. People call it the beehive because of the buzzing. But it focuses fairly quickly. Is yours focusing accurately, at least?

I hadn't heard that about the 35mm f/2 before. The Tokina isn't focusing as fast or accurately as it should. I took my dog out swimming the other day, since he loves retrieving from water, I snapped about 50 pics in AI servo mode and i have no keepers. The focus was off in all of them, unless the dog was at a standstill.

Originally Posted by Weebl

Mark, is that a "normal" sound for you lens or is it messed up but working.
I don't think he wanted a messed up but working lens.

No, I did not.

Originally Posted by M_Six

I guess for the 35mm it is normal. But it sounds just like his does in the video. I have no experience with Tokinas, though.

Matt, is it focusing correctly at least?

No, it seems to be slow and inaccurate. As I mentioned, the focus seems okay for still subjects, but is way off on anything moving.

[The1]

I don't find AI servo the most usefull focusing mode, so may not be the best indicator depending on camera body.

I've taken lots of pictures where i was focusing on an animals head and gotten it's tail in focus with AI servo... it's just too sow to keep up.

The 7D has a much more acurate system, but i've never taken the time to bother testing it, just because i don't like shooting with it activated.

p.s. I've never heard a lens make a clicking type noise like that. the Non-usm lenses are lounder, but they don't sound like a machine gun with no bullets in it.

[MATT0404]

Originally Posted by The1

I don't find AI servo the most usefull focusing mode, so may not be the best indicator depending on camera body.

I've taken lots of pictures where i was focusing on an animals head and gotten it's tail in focus with AI servo... it's just too sow to keep up.

The 7D has a much more acurate system, but i've never taken the time to bother testing it, just because i don't like shooting with it activated.

p.s. I've never heard a lens make a clicking type noise like that. the Non-usm lenses are lounder, but they don't sound like a machine gun with no bullets in it.

I've been pretty successful using AI servo in the past with other lenses. I only use it when tracking moving subjects, though.

My nifty-fifty isn't as loud as this thing is. I'm waiting to see if the guy can come up with the receipt before sending it off to Tokina for evaluation/repair.

[M_Six]

That clicking noise might be gears skipping. Some printers we had made the same type of sound. The plastic gear cogs get a little worn and they skip/slip past each other.

[vachss]

I also rarely shoot in AI Servo mode, but it's very useful for those times when I need it (rapid fire action sequences - typically birds in flight). The thing to realize about the way AI Servo works is that it uses the first shot to acquire focus and then tracks from there. As a result the first shot in a sequence of frames will be less likely to be in focus then the later ones. For the same reason if you shoot single frames in AI Servo the focus will be less reliable than if you use One Shot mode.

In summary: if you're shooting single frames (as I do most of the time) you're better off with One Shot. If you're shooting machine gun bursts (particularly of a moving target) use AI Servo.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by The1

I don't find AI servo the most usefull focusing mode, so may not be the best indicator depending on camera body.

I've taken lots of pictures where i was focusing on an animals head and gotten it's tail in focus with AI servo... it's just too sow to keep up.

...

Are you either using single-point or selecting the AF point? If you let the camera select AF points, then you're very likely to have it focus on the most contrasty part of the subject, rather than your goal.

I switch between 9-point and single-point, depending on the background and/or subject. For a bird against blue sky, I'll use nine-point. I'll use single-point on the eye for most everything else. I'm on AI servo (fast) most of the time, but switch to single shot for portraits, landscape and other subjects not likely to run or fly.

Dave

[gary88]

Ordered an HP Touchpad on sale for $99 last night. Never planned on buying one but for that price it was hard to pass up. Plus it has an IPS display so I can use it as a mobile portfolio

[Chewy734]

nice pick up Gary. It's a nice enough tablet to view photos, etc.

[M_Six]

I guess they're going cheap because HP is going to stop making them and is getting out of the PC business. Hopefully they'll continue to support the existing tablets out there. Not a bad price for one, though. Better than the $600 Apple wants.

[sourphish]

Damn, I was thinking about picking one up too as a mobile portfolio like you said Gary...I wonder if there are any still in stock around me

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I guess they're going cheap because HP is going to stop making them and is getting out of the PC business. Hopefully they'll continue to support the existing tablets out there. Not a bad price for one, though. Better than the $600 Apple wants.

Well, Apple wants $500 for a similar configuration. That being said, HP is supposedly losing over $200 per tablet they are selling, because it cost them ~$300 in parts to make one.

[Chewy734]

Sony has just announced their next set of higher-end cameras:

NEX-7
SLT-A77

Both look pretty sick right now (spec-wise, at least).

[Weebl]

Any comments out there on Samsung 10" Galaxy,Panasonic LX5 or EF-S 17-55.
Pondering luxury purchase.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by sourphish

Damn, I was thinking about picking one up too as a mobile portfolio like you said Gary...I wonder if there are any still in stock around me

HP is supposedly releasing more to the stores soon. I never heard a peep about the fire sale until after it happened.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

Sony has just announced their next set of higher-end cameras:

NEX-7
SLT-A77

Both look pretty sick right now (spec-wise, at least).

One of my friends is a Sony fan. He tried the prior transluscent mirror dslr and loved the high speed (fps), but hated the related slow AF. He ended up trading it in for the equivalent floppy-mirror version. He was getting lots of shots, but few of them were in focus. He's still with Sony, but their more "traditional" bodies.

Dave

[The1]

future of cameras is going to be very interesting indeed.

[UdubBadger]

hey any of you mofo's use etsy to sell prints?

http://www.etsy.com/category/art/photography

[Weebl]

Mine are free, even then no one takes them.

[oneintheory]

just sold my 135L to buy a Kimber and an 85 1.8

[TL]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

hey any of you mofo's use etsy to sell prints?

http://www.etsy.com/category/art/photography

i've heard and seen that site before but never used them

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by oneintheory

just sold my 135L to buy a Kimber and an 85 1.8

our of curiosity, how much did you sell the 135L for?