I have a 600d but recently also added a 5d Mk IV which I love, I have a 24-70 F4L (which is great - it has IS and is a lot cheaper and lighter than the 2.8L version and is probably a much better bet for most amateurs because you probably won't use the extra stop of light that a 2.8 has very often but you'll always be glad of the IS). I also own a 70-200 2.8L MkIi, 1.4 TC and a nifty fifty (the cheapo F1.8 version). A 16-35 F4L will be next when funds allow. For large zooms - I have rented the Sigma Sport 150-600 which I thought was incredible, I took some fantastic shots with it. Probably the best super telephoto lens at sensible money (£1.1k). It's big, heavy and you wouldn't want to hand hold for very long but it's worth a go and at the moment if you use Lenses For Hire it can be rented for a long weekend for £25.
DSLR Cameras + Drones
- Thread starter jimmybell
- Start date
original guvnor said:
Weekend rentals are definitely worth looking at, Calumet (which is now WEX) does 3 days for the price of one over the weekend I think. Completely agree on the F4 with IS over the 2.8. Mine never get used unless im working, but I do like the extra reach of the 24-105.
Got some lovely kit OG
get some pics posted 
Definitely agree on the Sport its so heavy need a monopod to use it comfortably really. The 100-400mm MKII is smaller, lighter, faster, better AF and IS and is sharper with a 1.4x converter than the sport is at 600. The 100-400 is also awesome on a crop camera its super sharp. The canon with a 1.4 is about £500 more but worth it I think.
The digital picture is a good resource if your looking for lenses. They have a lens comparison chart that you can select the most recent crop or FF cameras and compare the image quality of both. Obviously every lens isnt the same but they usualy have 2-3 copies you can look at and gives a good idea what sort of quality you will get.
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=978&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=7&API=2&LensComp=972&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=5&APIComp=2
Used the 100-400mm on the 5DMKIII and 7DMKII and got some great images traveling and tested it out with the 1.4 on the 6DMKII when I got it and it gets some pretty amazing results.
I was miles away here and here is the native and a crop + 100% crop.
Lyme Park Red Deer by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Lyme Park Red Deer by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Lyme Park Red Deer by Tom Scott, on FlickrAmazing how much detail it retains and could still be printed at A3, couldn't do that back in the day! The 40Ds output was less than A3 with the full image :rofl:
If you can fill the frame its even better
Fallow Deer, Dunham Massey, Cheshire by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Fallow Deer, Dunham Massey, Cheshire 100% Crop by Tom Scott, on FlickrReally really love the 100-400 and if you like the 70-200 you will love that too.
One of my faves from traveling but with the 7DMKII
Thanks Tom
Lovely images as per usual! I'll post a couple I took with the Sigma/600d combo when I'm home and can access them on the external hard drive.
Funnily enough I was going to rent a 100-400mm as my next hire because it's 50% off on all orders in Feb at Lenses for Hire and I've used them a couple of times now and I think they offer a really good service. You don't have to use it in Feb, just order it. I'm planning on going to BTCC at Donington in April and I thought I might take it there. Plus, I can try the 100-400 with my 1.4TC too (560mm with the 5D but 896mm on the 600d). I love wildlife photography so it would be ideal for that. I did think about hiring the 400mm F5.6L prime, which is ridiculously good value for money, but its not compatible with the TC of course. You can even hire the 800mm F5.6L for £115 for 3 days (you actually get 4 days because they deliver pretty early the day before the hire starts)!
If I was starting out with Canon now and not ready for FF I think I would definitely be looking at 7DMkII or 80D. Great cameras for the money. But I might wait for 7DMkIII to surface if I wasn't in a rush. If I was eventually planning to go 5D then I'd definitely choose 7D MKII for the reasons you mention (same layout and buttons, compliment one another etc.)
Having said that, if I didn't already have Canon stuff I think Nikon would've been more tempting than they were when I first started buying kit. They've released some fantastic bodies in the last couple of years.
Lovely images as per usual! I'll post a couple I took with the Sigma/600d combo when I'm home and can access them on the external hard drive.
Funnily enough I was going to rent a 100-400mm as my next hire because it's 50% off on all orders in Feb at Lenses for Hire and I've used them a couple of times now and I think they offer a really good service. You don't have to use it in Feb, just order it. I'm planning on going to BTCC at Donington in April and I thought I might take it there. Plus, I can try the 100-400 with my 1.4TC too (560mm with the 5D but 896mm on the 600d). I love wildlife photography so it would be ideal for that. I did think about hiring the 400mm F5.6L prime, which is ridiculously good value for money, but its not compatible with the TC of course. You can even hire the 800mm F5.6L for £115 for 3 days (you actually get 4 days because they deliver pretty early the day before the hire starts)!
If I was starting out with Canon now and not ready for FF I think I would definitely be looking at 7DMkII or 80D. Great cameras for the money. But I might wait for 7DMkIII to surface if I wasn't in a rush. If I was eventually planning to go 5D then I'd definitely choose 7D MKII for the reasons you mention (same layout and buttons, compliment one another etc.)
Having said that, if I didn't already have Canon stuff I think Nikon would've been more tempting than they were when I first started buying kit. They've released some fantastic bodies in the last couple of years.
Thanks OG
Definitely worth a go with the 100-400mm the only problem is you will want one!
The 400mm F5.6 L will work fine with a 1.4x the MKIV it is group F with then MKIII 1.4 extender under the AF guidelines allowing 61 points of AF and all the group AI servo modes. It is optically excellent but almost identical to the MKII 100-400 but you get the zoom which is more usable.
The more length you have the more difficult it is unless freezing action. Panning with 900mm is almost impossible especially with no IS much easier with 200-300mm. If you can get close to track-side, the 100-400mm is excellent because it has the horizontal panning IS mode and you can use the FF camera over the crop with its much better AF.
600mm is the sweet spot really. The tele-converters work much better on FF cameras because they are more forgiving than the smaller high density crop cameras. I like that on the 7DMKII the 100-400mm is 640 its perfect for almost everything.
Fish Eagle, Chobe National Park, Botswana by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Although the crop cameras take the 1.4 the same issues apply its just a little bit too far and the images do get soft.
Took this one as I physically couldn't get closer, good in a pinch but not really ideal but I got the image. Its not particularly sharp but at the end of the day a pic is better than no pic. When its hot anything over 600mm gives you atmospheric issues with heat rising so was useless most of the time in africa and kept the bare lens on most of the time.
For wildlife you can never have enough so its definitely worth sticking it on crop with the 1.4, works well in the UK as long as there is enough light for the F8
Definitely worth a go with the 100-400mm the only problem is you will want one!
The 400mm F5.6 L will work fine with a 1.4x the MKIV it is group F with then MKIII 1.4 extender under the AF guidelines allowing 61 points of AF and all the group AI servo modes. It is optically excellent but almost identical to the MKII 100-400 but you get the zoom which is more usable.
The more length you have the more difficult it is unless freezing action. Panning with 900mm is almost impossible especially with no IS much easier with 200-300mm. If you can get close to track-side, the 100-400mm is excellent because it has the horizontal panning IS mode and you can use the FF camera over the crop with its much better AF.
600mm is the sweet spot really. The tele-converters work much better on FF cameras because they are more forgiving than the smaller high density crop cameras. I like that on the 7DMKII the 100-400mm is 640 its perfect for almost everything.
Fish Eagle, Chobe National Park, Botswana by Tom Scott, on FlickrAlthough the crop cameras take the 1.4 the same issues apply its just a little bit too far and the images do get soft.
Took this one as I physically couldn't get closer, good in a pinch but not really ideal but I got the image. Its not particularly sharp but at the end of the day a pic is better than no pic. When its hot anything over 600mm gives you atmospheric issues with heat rising so was useless most of the time in africa and kept the bare lens on most of the time.
For wildlife you can never have enough so its definitely worth sticking it on crop with the 1.4, works well in the UK as long as there is enough light for the F8
Nice pics! We really should have more entries to the photo competition 
Hm, i'm going to have to decide something soon, goodwood members meeting is coming up Have watched a good 30+ camera review/comparison videos now!
Next task is to diligently try to understand Nikon and compare against Canon. It's funny - i never know anyone who uses Nikon!
Hm, i'm going to have to decide something soon, goodwood members meeting is coming up
Have watched a good 30+ camera review/comparison videos now! Next task is to diligently try to understand Nikon and compare against Canon. It's funny - i never know anyone who uses Nikon!
I was actually thinking when i could find time to visit a camera store and fiddle around like a clueless monkey.
Ahh that's where Park Cameras is! i've seen some of their vids. Randomly i'm actually heading down that way (towards hailsham) tomorrow, i may just pop in. Hoping its decent weather so i can drive the noise machine.
pvr said:
Ahh that's where Park Cameras is! i've seen some of their vids. Randomly i'm actually heading down that way (towards hailsham) tomorrow, i may just pop in. Hoping its decent weather so i can drive the noise machine.
She’s a beaut
V12 Vantage would be in my Top 5 cars I’d like to own before I shuttle off this mortal coil!
V12 Vantage would be in my Top 5 cars I’d like to own before I shuttle off this mortal coil!
Another spanner in the works.
Sony announced the A7 III yesterday which is pretty much one of the best all round FF cameras you can buy and its cheap... £2k launch probably £1400 grey market. I am very tempted to order one.
Few highlight features
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/26/17056162/sony-a7-iii-camera-price-specs-release-date
Sony announced the A7 III yesterday which is pretty much one of the best all round FF cameras you can buy and its cheap... £2k launch probably £1400 grey market. I am very tempted to order one.
Few highlight features
- 24.2MP full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor
- 15-stops of dynamic range to showcase subtle graduations from shadows to highlights
- ISO range of 100-51,200 which is expandable to 50-204,800
- 14-bit RAW capture even in silent and continuous shooting modes
- 5-axis 5-step in-body image stabilisation, making it possible for users to shoot handheld at lower shutter speeds, while also providing smoother video capture
- 4D Focus – 693 phase-detection, and 425 contrast detection AF points
- With implementation of focal-plane phase-detection technology, the camera's autofocus system is approximately twice as fast as in previous models
- Like the flagship A9, the camera features enhanced AF tracking, allowing for precise focus results when shooting video, or in continuous/burst modes with moving subjects
- Utilise the touch screen to find focus in a shot thanks to the A7 Mark III's Touch Focus and Touch Pad functions. Either tap on the rear screen to find your focus, or intuitively drag the focus frame across the shot while using the viewfinder
- Continuous burst at up to 10 frames per second with AF/AE tracking, or up to 8 frames per second burst shooting when in Live View mode
- Full sensor read out 4K High Dynamic Range video (without pixel binning) and make the most of the new Hybrid Log Gamma profile for extra flexibility in post-production
- New high-capacity NP-FZ100 battery, allowing users to shoot up to 710 images on one charge
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/26/17056162/sony-a7-iii-camera-price-specs-release-date
haha i was just watching vids of it!
Do you know much about Sony lenses ? i understand the Canon arch and have a decent feel for what's good/popular and what's not (mainly because canon is so well documented and widely used, and ive used in the past), but sony stuff is all new to me!
Shame the screen isn't fully flippyrotatey!
the digitalrev guy:
[youtube]8P5irosYUnA[/youtube]
this annoying guy who seems to know his s**t, but is still annoying:
[youtube]kD9tyixtjFc[/youtube]
Do you know much about Sony lenses ? i understand the Canon arch and have a decent feel for what's good/popular and what's not (mainly because canon is so well documented and widely used, and ive used in the past), but sony stuff is all new to me!
Shame the screen isn't fully flippyrotatey!
the digitalrev guy:
[youtube]8P5irosYUnA[/youtube]
this annoying guy who seems to know his s**t, but is still annoying:
[youtube]kD9tyixtjFc[/youtube]
jimmybell said:
The Sony lenses are great. Its a new system and the lens selection is limited and they are expensive roughly 20-30% more over the equivalent Canon. For example the 100-400mm is 2kish not 1.5kish. The Sony lenses are as sharp if not sharper as they are all new. They do have the main bases covered.
Main issue is the 2.8 lenses are the same size and weight and the body is much smaller so can feel unbalanced but its worth having a look and seeing what you think.
You can get the slower lenses but they arent great as far as I know. Like canon they make a budget and a high end.
Your in a unique position that you can swap without really any loss. I would like to give the Sonys a go but with a body and the trinity of 2.8 zooms is around a 6-8k investment and its too much to give it a go... especially when the canon stuff is still working great keeping 2 systems isnt really feasable or easy to switch with when your shooting a wedding etc Its also a learning curve, my brain is trained with the canon stuff and I dont even think about where each button is and what it does etc.
This is basically the camera Canon fans have been screaming for at the right price point. Its arguably along the lines of what the 5DMKIV should have been.
The 5DMKIV is one of the best cameras you can buy but it is expensive for what you get in comparison. What it does give you is reliability which always worries me with the Sony system.
Good or bad thing is they are continuously innovating so a new body every 12-18 months. Its good because its new tech but takes the old stuff defunct quickly and you end up spending more
pvr said:
Sony bought minolta and rebranded it.
The A series uses a different mount called the E mount and the SLR style cameras use the A mount which I think was probably developed from the Minolta mount.
Anyway the nice thing about the Sony mirrorless cameras is that you can convert any lenses to work on it with an adapter. They all have inbuilt stabilisation so you can use nice legacy glass. Has all the peeking and zebras etc in the viewfinder so you can use manual focus lenses without issue too.
Pretty cool.
