CANON EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM

Let me introduce you to the lens that brought to light my understanding of what “L” quality means, “The Canon 200mm F/2.8 Prime”. What a beauty this is. It is fast, accurate, light and sharp as a laser.

I was contracted to shoot a Major League Baseball Game and I needed a lens that would do the job. I had recently been on vacation and was shooting a Minor League Game from the stands for fun about a month before this life changing meeting. Their photographer was there to shoot as well. Well, me not being a stranger to anybody, introduced myself and asked a few questions. The lights here were not great but he gave me some pointers and advised me that to shoot the game at night I would have to have a 2.8 lens and I would probably have to shoot at 800ISO as well. The whole meeting and Q&A session lasted probably no more than 10 minutes tops.

OK, I needed a 2.8 lens on a shoe string budget to get the job done. After looking at them all I settled on the Canon 200mm f/2.8 prime. Mainly it was because of the price. I really had no idea what I was in for. After the first game was shot I was left with my jaw almost dragging the ground. I could not believe I took those images. I kept calling to my wife, “Hey come here and look at this!”

Was it the perfect lens for this type of shooting? Not really. On some shots it was more lens than I needed while on other shots it was more. Bottom line was I got the shots I wanted. Over the next month or so I played with it endlessly.

Although this is a long range at 320mm on the 1.6 crop body you can find quite a lot of surprising shots at this range: Candid’s, head shots, half body and full body from a distance. It is a great secret lens that will let you take pictures of hard to photo subjects from a distance and just let them be themselves.

As far as sharpness goes this is one of the best I’ve seen and on course with the famed 135mm f/2. I knew I was in trouble when I started to analyze each shot and I found I could tell you what time their watch says. Every line wrinkle and detail explodes with this lens.

“Highly Recommended.”

But, beware if this is your first “L” quality lens you will never be happy with less as far as sharpness and detail are concerned.

F STOP, EXPOSURE AND SHUTTER SPEED

This demo comes from Dry Reading by Craig Hickman who states:

"I'm testing a new Flash movie designed to teach exposure concepts as they relate to digital cameras. Anyone can use it but it was originally designed for my students at the University of Oregon in the Digital Arts, Digital Imaging class. It still has a few rough edges and bugs, but you can try it out."

While it is not perfect, it does give you the idea and concept of Exposure, Shutter Speed and ISO changes and what happens to the photo in each situation.

Thanks Craig, its a lot of fun.

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Sometimes I also want ot check an F-stop table. I have 2 that I have bookmarked for easy access.


This first one comes from Joe Miller's site at http://www.fineart-photography.com/



The second one comes from http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/fstops.html. It does not reference a name but I have used this one for years. Warning: This site does have a popup screen that comes in behind it.

RESEARCHING A LENS TO PURCHASE

A while back I was asked about where I look for reviews when deciding to purchase a lens. I thought I would add the list here so it would be readily available should the need arise for you.

When researching a lens I will search the net and read countless posts and articles but these are the top sites I check.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/
http://bobatkins.com/photography/digital/10d300dlenses.html
http://www.eflens.com/
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.nikonlinks.com/~nicke/photo/lenstest/brand.html
http://www.photozone.de/active/survey/querylens.jsp
http://www.bruidsfotojournalist.nl/gear/photogear.html
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/
http://www.pbase.com/lightrules/lenstests
http://www.northrup.org/equipment/
http://www.camerareview.com/templates/compare_specs.cfm?Category=8
http://www.nobell.org/~gjm/photography/lenses.html
http://www.outbackphoto.com/the_bag/uwes_canon_lenses_2004/essay.html
http://www.photographyreview.com/reviewscrx.aspx

Some of these are well known, other may not be. They are listed in no particular order.

Good Luck

CANON 28-135mm IS REVIEW

This lens is one of the lenses I both love and hate. Finally the hate grew greater and I sold it.

It is a good lens and can produce some very fine images. It can also be a frustration and capture about as many stinkers. This is my take on the lens and why.

It is f/3.5-5.6 and does have image stabilization. It can be used for a wide range of situations from wide angle landscape to portrait work. It also has USM for supposed faster focusing.

What I have found that it will focus fast but only in heavy sun. When in the shadows it will tend to hunt. In low light it is unbearable. Can you shoot in any situation? Yes. Can you make this lens work for you? Yes. Is it sharp? Sometimes.

Popular Photography has done a review on this lens that can be found here. Unfortunately it was well after I had the lens. The summary chart pretty much tells the story of what I found. It was pretty good up to about an 8x10 print.

I had originally got an DSLR because the point and shoots could not compete with the instant focusing during school plays and performances. But, I also wanted a lens that would have versatile range and cover most situations I would be in. With the increased ISO I should be able to achieve a good image. There was my flaw. I soon realized that I was a pixel peeper. I had moved up to the DSLR because of preformance and quality. Little did I realize at the time the quality was held in the glass more than the camera it was attached to.

If you are looking for a walk around lens and are not a pixel peeper like me, I would suspect most people would be happy with this lens. However if you are considering this lens check out the new lines of Tamron's (3 Lenses) that range from 18-300, one has IS and the specs sheets and test that I have read confirms that they are equal to if not better on the IQ than the 28-135.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

For this post I will show you how I made this shot and what I learned in the process.






The setup:

1 large red rug (not roled out all the way)
2 large wicker baskets
1 large potted plant
1 carry basket with 2 sides
1 teddy bear
1 doll bed mattress
1 blanket







The door was opened all the way to allow for the natural light to come in and fill the area the 2 side window blinds were opened. Afternoon sun not direct light.

One large basket was set up for the baby with the mattress and blanket to cover with. The second basket was placed behind him as a background. I did not worry about the room because it would not show in the shot. The large plant was set up behind him to add color and texture to the top crop. The 2 sided basket was placed just beside him for balance and a contrast of greens with one green plant and the other side held a stuffed panda (still dark fur with a splash of white) just incase the shot went wide or I wanted a different angle.

I placed a baby doll in for the test and ISO 100 f/4 @ 1/60 produced a very flattering creamy light with a bounce panel placed beside it (silver side).

The Baby was placed in the basket and we began to shoot. Two things were immediately wrong was I did not account for the the movement of the baby. Mainly the speed of his hands and head.

I got a small monolight from the studio and added a touch of light at it's lowest settings. I had my oldest daughter put her hand in the basket and continued to shoot until the color and spped were to my liking. What suprised me is the amount of light that was poured into the shot to capture all those wiggles and giggles.

What I ended up with was ISO800 f/2.8 and 1/400. All this was done with the natural light, monolight and a bounce panel to get the light the way I wanted.

Make a background for almost nothing

It all started with a good book. How many times have you heard that one. I picked up the book "Master Lighting Guide" by Christopher Grey (122 pages) because it was all about studio lighting with layout designs followed by samples and suggestions. I am still in the learning curve for the studio and this book seemed right up my alley.

In section two he relates that you can make "flying walls" out of just about anything. I love a challenge and have a passion for learning. So, a DIY project for practically nothing? I?m in! What?s to lose?

The concept was great and the look was fine but how do you go about it. Well, it is and is not as easy as it looks. There was no elaboration on how it was done and no tips given. I will walk you through making one of these light weight portable backgrounds and share some shortcuts, pointers and the mistakes I have already made.

I stopped by my local fix it store to pick up a piece of 4?x8? Styrofoam house insulation. I have seen these in blue and pink. The hard part of this is to find a sheet that is not torn, ripped or crushed in places. I found a nice new stack several layers down. After about 10 minutes and heavy inspecting I had 2 good pieces to load. I grabbed a piece of 1/8 inch plywood just in-case this did not work out. Ok, lets see I spent roughly $10 each on the Styrofoam and about $6 for the plywood (I think it was a flooring grade piece).

While heading to the check out I walked by the paint department and saw a crazy looking roller. It was standard size and made out of what looked like a sea sponge with different heights around it. The coast on this was another $10. $36 and tax and I'm out the door. By the way, I would recommend the plywood even if you don't paint it. It is light enough to carry and it holds the flimsy styrofoam down in the truck and prevents it from damage.

Unloaded at the house, I grab some lunch and go through my inventory of paint. You would be surprised how many cans you can collect after 2 kids and some minor school projects. Not to mention the left over?s from the various painting project around the home.

Not really sure of what to use I made a trip the following day to the paint store. I explained what I was trying to do. After the third time of the same explanation and a bug eyed clerk. I told him I just wanted some primer. "OK!" was the joyous response. A can of Kilz2 is $14.

Let me stop you right here to give you a warning.

"ONLY BUY WATER BASED PAINT AND PRIMERS!" Luckily, I chose this to start off with, and yes it was luck and not knowledge. It did not even cross my mind that oil based paint would eat completely through the Styrofoam in less than 2 seconds.

One (1) can of kilz2, no I need some paint. The book recommended that you go at least 2 shades of difference. The blues I chose were 1 shade. Oh, the paint. The top off the line water based one coat does it all 2 pints $23. So far that is $73. That is everything that is needed to create my new master piece. I know it sounds like a lot but I am about to save you some money in just a few minutes.

Newspaper is laid the board is down, non-printed side is up. I apply the first coat of primer, it bubbles up and pops all over the place. Leaving little dots that I need to fill on the next coat. Well 3 coats later it is ready for painting. 1/2 gallon of primer used.

The high dollar paint goes on a smooth a silk with the expected 1 coat. I walk away and let it dry for an hour. Here, is the first tip on painting these: don?t let it dry! Wait about 10 to 15 minutes and then start your crazy roller or rag or sponge (your preference). What I have found is that letting the colors mix a bit adds to the beauty of the piece there will be enough of the highlighted areas left to see.

On the first one I rolled the crazy roller all over the place and in about every direction and it blended pretty nicely. I left it to dry overnight and shot some the next day with my little one. I could only get her to do it if I told her she didn't have to even smile. "Ok". The background looks great and the kid not to bad either.

On others I have waited another 10 to 15 minutes to add highlights. Just going over lightly in one direction to really make it stand out. Here is the other hint. No matter the color, even one that made my bathroom glow green out into the hall still looks white on the highlights. The point is have fun and go crazy. Try different things.

This is where I save you the big bucks! Ready!

The primer that was $14. Don't need it! The expensive paint $23 (1 coat does it all) don't need it!
After doing everything correctly the first go around, now it is time to experiment. The entire wall base coat uses about one-third of a pint. The highlight part uses about one quarter of a pint. So a little bit will go a long way. I started grabbing stuff off the shelf I already had, even stuff that has been there for over 7 years. Slapped it on and presto 1 coat did it for the base.

Conclusion
Don't forget 1 sheet has 2 sides so that is 2 backgrounds per board. One board cost $10, the crazy roller coast is $10 but I have used it on countless backgrounds, or you can opt for the sponge/rag approach ($0). All rollers can be washed ($0). Any water based paint you can find ($0, shed, garage, basement, neighbor, family: get the picture).

You can use different paint for each side or you can just use a base color of your favorite from the other side. Time Painting about 20 minutes and that includes opening the paint can and closing. Clean up: Through the stuff in a water bucket for lunch or dinner and plan on 10-15 minutes.

Final coast per background? Let's go on the high side and call it $12.


Have fun.

More shots on these backgrounds can be found at http://www.wcandersons.com

AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Review

I for one understand that quality means “L” when shooting with a Canon Camera. Usually the image that is acquired by an “L” lens is head and shoulders above the pack in terms of sharpness, speed and build quality. I say usually because there are some standouts in the third party market and today I want to give you my opinion on one of those lenses.


The Tamron AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD.






I am an avid sports shooter and require the need for a f/2.8 or faster lens for most of my shooting. I have been happy with my 70-200 f/2.8 as well as my first L lens purchase the 200 f/2.8 prime. Speed, clarity, construction and results spoke for themselves in the images that were taken with them. So, when I needed a short lens for indoor use I turned to the Canon 24-70L. I purchased the lens for a photo shoot at a local gymnastics school. Due to the dimness of the lights and no windows the lens did not hold up to the stop action speed that was needed. I was able to adapt with the 70-200 and got the job done but it left me scratching my head at the $1300 purchase.

Back to the computer I went, searching all other 2.8 glass with the same relative focal length. I ran across the Tamron 28-75mm and it really had mixed reviews. Some loved it and theirs were tack sharp, while others claimed it was useless.

One review stuck out among the hundreds I had poured over, it stated that the owner was really happy with the lens. In fact like a lot of forums and reviews we read he stated that, “I must have got a good copy.” Ok, that’s not the part that stands out. It was the reply to his post which stated very lengthy that it is about 1 in 10 of these lenses that are stand outs and that they are tack sharp. The same person also stated that about 1-3 Canon lenses are “The One”.

Off I went with this new information to get my lens. To test the theory I shopped locally where I could test the lenses there. I drove around Atlanta for two days and was in at least 5 stores many of which had only one copy. I tested each one at 28, 50 and 75mm at 2.8. None of which were any sharper than the 28-135IS that I normally use and most were softer on at least one of those focal lengths.

Yes, I do understand that that you are going to give up some quality with a zoom, and I know that you are not going to have tack sharpness at all lengths most of the time. But, remember I am looking for that “1” lens that will knock my socks off.

I ended up at a store in Atlanta that had several copies of the lens available. After testing the first two I was getting really down. The store had 3 more left and I almost said, “just forget it” when the sales lady talked me into trying the others since I was there already. I place the third copy of the camera; which by the way was number 8 tried so far.

The heavens parted and the sun shown almost right on the counter itself. “A perfect copy.” I ran through the test twice more at different signage around the store. With a smile I bought it. While standing there I noticed the other two on the counter and suddenly remembered the 1 in 10 quote from the forum.

Most all of my studio work is done exclusively with this lens. It is also my walk around vacation lens as well. At $400 for the Tamron, I saved $900 and matched the speed and image quality of the 24-70L.

I’m happy

wcandersons.com