Any Photographers with DSLR's Around ?

[Highland Fling]

[s/v Jedi]

Shelter Bay Marina 180 degree pano HDR:



ciao!
Nick.

[s/v Jedi]

Don't touch me!

ciao!
Nick.

[s/v Jedi]

We took that caterpillar home to do a studio session with multiple flash units, reflectors, diffuser, full frame camera on tripod etc. This is the current candidate to go into our stock photography portfolio:

ciao!
Nick.

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

We took that caterpillar home to do a studio session with multiple flash units, reflectors, diffuser, full frame camera on tripod etc. This is the current candidate to go into our stock photography portfolio:

ciao!
Nick.

You CHEAT next you will be telling us your Sundeer is faster than the average Condomaran

[terradagua]

We are using Canon 5d mark II over here. I used to shoot with Nikon and my partner with Canon. When looking for new equipment to brig on the sailboat, we needed to make a choice. We chose Canon, I got used to it and love it now.
We are now shopping for a new lens and I would like to have advice of sailor/photographer. If you had only one lens to bring on your boat for extensive sailing, which one would it be? I have a good idea in mind for what we are going to buy but I might discover something through the answer of experienced ones. thanks for sharing.

[jackdale]

Caveat - Nikon user

For one lens = 18-200mm. (even with the lens creep issue.)

Enough wide angle for interior shots, enough reach for some telephoto work.

[teneicm]

And for all the Canon fans following this thread, Canon just officially announced today the 5d Mk III:

Canon EOS 5D Mark III hands-on preview and video: Digital Photography Review

[terradagua]

thanks jackdale, i will have a look at that.
i saw this Canon Mark 5D III, but I can't wait to see if the improvements is really worth the xtra 1000 bucks.... let me doubt about it a little:-)

[s/v Jedi]

Only 1 lens?! Sorry, if it were that simple then I wouln't look for more even with my collection

But here is my take on the issue: you want wider and longer. Standard lens is less important on a boat. The reason is that everything is smaller and closer so you need to go wider. In Canon speak: those who try to stay in budget or want a 77mm filter size go for 17-40mm f/4L. If you got more to spend and don't mind 82mm filter then there's the 16-35mm f/2.8L. Both are L-lenses because that is the only thing I recommend on a boat with the salt (air).

That takes care of the wide. Now for the long... that is a problem, because you also want it fast... because the boat moves. The thing is that if the subject isn't on the boat (which would be wide lens), it is far away from a photography point of view. I hate to bring the message that this combination of long with fast means expensive. Here's what I would buy today: 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II with both 1.4x and 2.0x Mk.III extenders. This brings your length to 400mm max. If coupled to a Canon 7D you get an extra 1.6x boost to reach without aperture penalty. If you have a 5D2 now, I would consider adding a 7D body to the collection, which is obtainable for a good price 2nd hand now with the 5D3 coming.

We have the older Mk.I lens with Mk.II extenders. Those also work very good so you could get that 2nd hand as well but read on:

We are now contemplating the new 300mm f/2.8 IS USM II prime lens. This is where it really gets pricey. But with this lens you really need the Mk.III extenders. So if you buy the older Mk.I 70-200mm you might want to consider getting the new Mk.III extenders to save money later on if you ever buy a longer lens (when it becomes available 2nd hand if budget requires that).

Lastly, I would add the 24-105mm f/4 IS USM lens just because it is a great lens and I tend to use it often when doing trips away from the boat. You can get it as kit lens with a 5D2 which is what I did.

Here's the "cheap" line up:

- EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
- EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
- EF 1.4x Mk.II extender
- EF 2.0x Mk.II extender

and the $$$ line up:

- EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
- EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Mk.II
- EF 1.4x Mk.III extender
- EF 2.0x Mk.III extender
- EF 300mm f/2.8L USM Mk.II

I have the "cheap" line up but am eying the last 3 items from the $$$ line-up

Do not forget carbon tri-pod (Manfrotto 055X) at least. Also, a high end flash that can work as commander, i.e. the 580EXII or the new 600EX.

We have lots of macro photo's... we use the EF 100mm f/2.8 IS USM lens for that which is great. You can also use it for portraits and landscape panorama's. For macro, you *must* match it with a macro-flash, making this an expensive thing too but it tend to get used 80% of the time by my wife and her bugs

ciao!
Nick.

[s/v Jedi]

In addition to my above message: the lists above are for a full frame camera like the 5D or 5D2.

The 17-40 or 16-35 become a standard lens on the 7D body. So if you have a 7D or other 1.6x crop sensor camera like 60D, Rebel etc., you need something wider. I have a 12-24mm Tokina lens for it but that is no L-glass.

The first camera body I would buy today is still the 7D. If you now have a double or triple digit model like 40D, Rebel Xti etc., I would buy a 7D before any L-lens.

I would even buy a 7D before a 5D3, no matter if the 5D3 will have better auto-focus. You simply need the 1.6x crop sensor for extra reach with long lenses from a boat. The 7D is fantastic.

What interests me with the 5D3 besides the new AF is the programmable min and max ISO for auto-ISO mode, plus the min shutterspeed for auto-ISO/Av mode. Also, bracketing up to 7 exposures and 5-stop exposure compensation. Lovely for landscape (seascape) HDR photography.
I do wonder if it uses the same battery...

ciao!
Nick.

[mparent]

I just bought a Panasonic Lumix all weather camera and have attached my first underwater picture to this post. I am now looking at buying a better camera but do not want to lug around lenses and worried about salt and water with interchangeable lenses so I am looking for an all in one which I cannot find. The new Canon GX-1 looks interesting re sensor size but only has 4 times optical zoom and I think I would like at least 10x. this leaves the new fuji ultrazoom but there is a lot of play in the barrel when extended which worries me for a 799 dollar camera. If I drop the ability to shoot in raw from my list other cameras can be considered. so my question is what in order of priority is most important RAW, zoom, sensor size, optical viewfinder?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by mparent

I just bought a Panasonic Lumix all weather camera and have attached my first underwater picture to this post. I am now looking at buying a better camera but do not want to lug around lenses and worried about salt and water with interchangeable lenses so I am looking for an all in one which I cannot find. The new Canon GX-1 looks interesting re sensor size but only has 4 times optical zoom and I think I would like at least 10x. this leaves the new fuji ultrazoom but there is a lot of play in the barrel when extended which worries me for a 799 dollar camera. If I drop the ability to shoot in raw from my list other cameras can be considered. so my question is what in order of priority is most important RAW, zoom, sensor size, optical viewfinder?

great underwater shot! those fish seem to be posing for you so I guess there's food involved

IMO, your only choice is the GX-1 (or similar) or the DSLR with the lenses. I don't think your argument about not wanting to "lug around lenses" is a fair one... I think it's an excuse for not wanting to take that path or spend that amount of $$$. Because lugging lenses is never a problem in reality.

Do not look at stuff like 10x zoom lenses. They will never give you quality shots. I recently tried to get a picture I took with a high end P&S into our stock photography portfolio but it was rejected even after a second processing round where I gave it all that Lightroom and Photoshop had to offer. It's the lens that fails and the sensor isn't far behind. That is why the GX-1 will only have a standard-zoom lens instead of tele-zoom: the tele-zoom would not be able to meet the quality level of the sensor in the camera. That said, there are some GX-1 competitors with longer lenses and we'll have to wait and see which one wins on picture quality.

If it is about budget: you can take a step down with the DSLR body towards for example a Canon 60D. If you put a 24-105mm f/4L IS USM on that you outperform most anything while having a nice tele-zoom (168mm equivalent). The lens is good for the rest of your life and the body is good too and even if you upgrade later it will make a great spare or 2nd camera (you're gonna want to have two )

ciao!
Nick.

[mparent]

Thanks. Any thoughts about the mirrorless cameras from sony, nikon, or panasonic?

[deckofficer]

This is one of those all time great threads on CF Nick. And what could be safer? No fear of losing posting history to a thread shut down.

The hot rod and I get around.