Why would the Canon EF-S 55-250 IS II be cheaper than the first version?

Question

I was about to order the Canon EFS 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens from Amazon, when I learned about the difference between a Grey Market / Imported versions. Not only that, I saw that there is a version II available, and the weird thing is that the first version is being sold for $240 in Amazon, while version II is being sold for $183.

I googled around to see if the second version had any compromises or got downgraded someway to make it cheaper, but it doesn't appear so. My question is..is there a reason why the first version would be better or more expensive?

Here are the links:

Version I ($240) Version II ($183)

Asked by GR7

Answer

Price Difference

The list price is the same for both the lenses ($299).

Version I is sold by Amazon, but version II is sold by PHOTOTECH through Amazon. Maybe PHOTOTECH can give higher discounts due to a favourable deal they have with Canon, a stock clearance sale or some other reason. The price difference has nothing to do with the capacities of these lenses but with the seller.

Physical Difference

For the physical differences between the two lenses, see this question.

Answered by Bart Arondson

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Are these images symptomatic of shutter failure?

Question

This is a burst sequence taken with a Canon 1D Mark II N in high-speed mode (8fps). You can see the bright line down the center and the dark area in the upper-right. I have several other sequences with similar artifacts.

Is my shutter failing, or is there something else going on?

Shutter count utilities at http://www.foxbat.me.uk/2.0/index.php#/1dcount and http://www.camerashuttercount.com/ both indicate a shutter count of ~79,000, though I do not know the accuracy of these sites, nor do I have an estimate of the camera's shutter count as I got the camera used with no pedigree. My understanding is that this particular model's shutter life expectancy is around 200,000 actuations and I've heard of people getting over 400,000.

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UPDATE: I decided to crack it open and inspect the darn thing:

Seems pretty conclusive that it's the shutter, though if anyone wants to dispute the claim I'm game to entertain it :-) Guess it's off to the shop...

Asked by djangodude

Answer

My guess for the shutter speed in the comment was based ob the approximate width of the bright strip relative to the image width, multiplied by the sync-speed. I assumed a 1/250sec sync speed.

Just a speculation: it looks like the shutter blades get stuck for an brief instance around the middle of the frame. It is possible that you have a piece of dirt stuck there, or that the spring or rails are about to fail. Try to decrease and increase the speed by a stop and see if the stripe gets twice as wide and as narrow. If so, it is indicative that it is indeed the shutter having a problem.

UPDATE after the mystery was resolved - I'd think the first thing to do (OK, maybe the second) would be to remove the lens and have a look at the internals... but that's just me ;-)

Answered by ysap

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Does the selection of sRGB or Adobe RGB in camera when shooting RAW ever matter?

Question

In talking to a colleague of mine yesterday, we got onto the subject of color spaces in digital photography. He's a Nikon buff, I use Canon (specifically, an EOS 50D); I don't know if that is relevant to my question or not, but mention it for completeness.

I shoot RAW essentially 100% of the time, and have the in-camera color space setting at AdobeRGB (sRGB is also offered). The raw converter in turn is set to produce sRGB output files. As I understand the process, the general flow is for raw shooting: raw sensor data readout (including A/D conversion), compression, write to a raw file, then in post-processing rather than in-camera apply color space/color temperature/etc; for JPEG shooting: raw sensor data readout, apply color space/color temperature/etc, JPEG compression, write to memory card (in camera).

Hence, when he said that I should leave the camera set to sRGB for best/consistent results despite using the camera's raw format, it didn't really make much sense to me. I have mulled it over for a while now and it still doesn't really make any sense.

One of the answers to What is RAW, technically? seems to support my view of the differences in the data recorded in RAW and JPEG modes, respectively.

I did find What's the difference between Adobe RGB and sRGB and which should I set in my camera?, but the answers there seem to focus more on the difference between AdobeRGB and sRGB. My question is, when shooting RAW, does it ever matter (except for the image preview) whether the camera is set to sRGB or AdobeRGB? If it does, then why, and in what situations? Is my understanding of the "raw" format processing chain flawed?

Asked by Michael Kjörling

Answer

The answer is basically the same as this one on white balance and raw. You're right, it doesn't matter at all in how the image is recorded or stored.

As you note, the selected color space applies to the preview image and to the histogram. The camera also may make metering decisions intended to avoid clipping (overexposing to the full saturation point) in particular channels, and that may be affected by choice of color space in-camera. I think this is less likely to be a real problem than having the white balance far off might be, though.

But I'd also take a careful look at the preview image in both modes. The rear LCD screen isn't something you can calibrate on most cameras. I think it's more likely that sRGB is correctly represented, and the screen might not cover the Adobe RGB gamut very well. (And really, I'd not be surprised if many cameras don't really handle preview display of Adobe RGB correctly at all — that's a lot more complicated than simply having the mechanism to save in that space.) I'd do some test shots and see which looks most like what your final printed output does, and then use that — that'll make the review screen more useful. It may very well turn out that an accurate display of sRGB is more like your final results than a bad rendition of Adobe RGB (even if you ultimately do use Adobe RGB in the end).

Answered by mattdm

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Canon camera body names

Question

Right now I'm rocking a Canon Rebel XS and I get that there's some kind of progression from XS to T1, T2, T3 etc and I get the "i" variants (XSi, T3i, etc), but where I get confused is with the EOS 1D, EOS 5D, EOS 7D, EOS 60D, etc.

From what I can tell they seem to each lend themselves towards a particular niche of photography (one claims improved IR for stargazers), but I'm not sure what the others might be good for.

Can someone explain the differences in this models and maybe what certain features might be good for?

Thanks

Asked by tenmiles

Answer

Canon has an odd numbering system and they adjusted it over the years too, so it not entirely consistent (no manufacturer is but Canon is one of the bigger offenders).

All Canon DSLRs actually have a model number which is used in Europe. In America these are replaced by letters such as XS, XSi T3i, etc. Asia uses a different naming system (Kiss). For example, the Canon Rebel XS is the 1000D. If you use the model numbers, things are a little easier to sort out:

• Cameras with more digits are lower-level, so 1000D is lower than 600D which is lower than 60D, which is lower than 5D.
• Within non-single-digit models, higher numbers are newer and usually better. So a 1100D is better than a 1000D and a 50D is better than a 40D.
• Within single-digital models, lower digits are higher-end, regardless of introduction data. So a 1D is higher end than a 5D which is higher end than a 7D.

The a suffix which was only used twice means for Astrophotography.

Broadly, 4-digit models are the absolute basic models with very limited feature sets and interface. 3-digit models are only a tad better with a few more functions and a slightly larger LCD and maybe a few more megapixels.

Two-digit models are mid-range. They share the same sensor with the 3-digit models but have better bodies with more controls and - crucially - dual control-dials. This makes them more efficient to use. The also shoot noticeably faster.

The 7D is the top-end crop-sensor model, sharing the same sensor with the 60D, but offering a weather-sealed body and a 100% coverage viewfinder, which makes it much more suitable for serious use. It also shoots at an even faster rate.

The 5D series is a full-frame model which looks at lot like a 7D but offers improved image quality. The latest is the 5D Mark III which I just reviewed last week. It has an ultra-fast autofocus system which is also shared with the top-end 1D series.

The 1D X is the top of the line in terms of image quality and speed. It has less resolution than the 7D or 5D but higher sensitivity to light and much faster speed. It is also built like a tank with an integrated vertical grip and huge battery.

Answered by Itai

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Is it necessary to use a full-frame camera to get the best out of my Canon EF 180mm f3.5 L?

Question

I do mostly handheld macro photography and I currently own a Canon 40D. I want to buy a new camera and I don't know what is the best choice.

My goal is to get the best of my lens. So I'm not sure if full-frame 21mpx 5D MkII or III will give better results than the 18mpx 1.6-crop canon 7D. (Also taking in to account the ISO quality for faster shutter speed pixel density and the resolution of the 180mm.)

Can the 5D get better details then the 1.6 crop?

Asked by Daniel

Answer

Yes

The 5D will get better details than the 1.6 crop. A macro lens will resolve a certain number of line pairs per millimetre. Image sharpness is measured in line pairs per picture height, by using the same lens but with physically bigger sensor you will get more line pairs per picture height, hence more detail in your image.

Another way to look at it is that using a smaller sensor is like making an enlargement, or viewing a portion of an image close up - it's never going to look as sharp under those circumstances.

Now on some lenses corner performance can drop off to the extent that you get better average sharpness (but lower peak sharpness) by using a crop sensor and simply avoiding the extreme corners. Here is an example of such a lens, the Canon 35mm f/2.0:

APS-C corners occur at 13.5mm, where sharpness at f/8.0 (fine blue line) remains above 0.8. On full frame sharpness takes a nose dive starting at 18mm, which corresponds to middle of the left or right edge of the frame. Now compare that to the Canon 180mm f/3.5L Macro:

Sharpness is extremely high right across the frame, there is no notable drop off, meaning your full frame image will be sharper everywhere, even in the extreme corners.

However if both cameras have a similar same number of megapixels then a crop sensor can be very useful for macro photography as it allows you to photograph smaller objects. A true macro lens on full frame will let you fill the frame with an object only 36mm across, whearas with a crop camera you can fill the [1.6x smaller] frame with an object only 22.5mm across. This can be very useful for um, photographing really small things!

Answered by Matt Grum

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How to use IR index on Canon EF 24-105mm F/4 L USM

Question

I know that the little red numbers under the distance scale are Infrared Index. According to the lens's manual, you should use these numbers when you do infrared photography. However I don't understand why I need a different distance scale numbers. Also, how exactly I'm supposed to use them when shooting?

Asked by Akram Mellice

Answer

IR light is not bent quite like visible light when it passes through the lenses. This is why you need a separate IR focusing mark in the first place. You have one IR mark for shooting at 24mm, one for 35mm and one for 50mm on this lens. Obviously, IR does not bend consistently at the various focal lengths of the lens either. Neither, strictly speaking, does visible light (the 24-105 is not a "parfocal" lens) but this is much less noticeable.

As for usage: Zoom the lens to your desired focal length, let us say 35mm. Now, measure or guesstimate the distance to your subject. Let us say 5 meters. Manually focus the lens so that the 5m indicator in the focus distance window on the lens is aligned with the red "35" IR index mark. Take your photo.

Of course, you will need a film camera with special IR-sensitive film to do this, or a specially modified digital body, plus an IR filter on the lens which blocks out everything except IR light. (The image sensor in a normal digital camera is quite insensitive to infrared.)

Answered by Staale S

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Do full frame camera require more power than a crop sensor camera?

Question

I had a Canon 60D and used to get around 800 to 1000 shots on full battery charge. I've now traded my 60D to a 5D Mark II and it looks like it requires a lot more power.
Is this normal for a full frame camera? The 5DMII and 60D use the same battery.

Asked by Vivek

Answer

All else being equal, yes.

A bigger sensor requires more power. Advancement in power-saving technologies can sometimes improve that but with higher pixel counts being the norm, we do not see much of that. Each pixel requires circuitry so higher megapixels require more power than making the sensor bigger.

Luckily bigger cameras have room for bigger batteries which compensates nicely until you get to the huge DSLRs with integrated grips which are rated upwards of 4000 shots per charge! Otherwise, most DSLRs are given batteries to last them between 500 and 1000 shots per charge.

Keep in mind the shots you get are highly dependent on usable. Using the flash is the most power hungry thing to do, followed by using the LCD, including Live-View and Video capture.

The stats for the 60D vs 5D are misleading because the CIPA standard requires 50% flash use if there is one, which the 5D does not have.

Answered by Itai

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What is the sound that I'm hearing from Canon EF 24-105mm F/4 L lens?

Question

I've a Canon 600D with Canon EF 25-105mm F/4 USM L lens. When I half press the shutter I can hear the US motor sound trying to focus on my subject, however I hear another sound, it's lower than the sound that the US motor makes when it's trying to obtain focus. And when I raise my finger of the shutter I can hear that the sound of the US motor has stopped while this other sound is still going few seconds and then it stops. I wonder what is this sound?

Asked by Akram Mellice

Answer

You're hearing the IS start to activate.

Answered by rfusca

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Does decreasing image size increase the frame rate for continuous shooting on a DSLR?

Question

If shooting in RAW mode decreases the burst rate to 2 frames per second (on Canon 1100D), then would using a lower resolution JPG setting increase the frame rate?

Please tell me if I have mis-understood the concept. Thanks.

Asked by theSuda

Answer

Generally, a DSLR has a fixed maximum frame rate, and it will take images at that rate until the memory buffer is full. After that the rate drops depending on how fast the images can be converted and written to the memory card.

The Canon 1100D has two different maximum frame rates, 2 fps for RAW format and 3 fps for JPEG format:

"Continuous: 2 fps up to 5 RAW frames / 3 fps up to 830 JPEG"

So, whatever resolution you pick, it won't go faster than 3 fps.

A lower resolution will let you take more images before the memory buffer fills up and the rate drops, so that would increase the 830, but you would not normally take that long bursts anyway...

Answered by Guffa

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Is it possible to hack other brands of cameras in a manner similar to Canon cameras?

Question

Some Canon cameras can be hacked with a tool called the Canon Hack Development Kit (http://chdk.wikia.com), which does interesting things like add manual controls and allow scripting. Do similar tools exist for other brands of cameras? HP cameras, in particular?

Asked by snostorm

Answer

The chdk project is the only one I've heard of.

Answered by chills42

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Canon extender 2x III with 70-200mm F4L vs 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L for wildlife shooting

Question

Photography.SE, hello there, this is my first question, hence please pardon my inexperience of phrasing the question.

I am about to go to Yosemite and Yellowstone for 3 weeks next month, and exhilarated to do some wildlife shooting. I currently have an EF 70-200mm F4L which is the entry level Canon telephoto lens.

Now I wonder either to buy an extender or to buy a new lens(supposedly the entry level supertelephoto lens EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L)? also I am somewhat concerning with the performance of these two choices performing on my 6 years old 30D, how about the focusing speed of each?

Or there are other greater lens choices of wildlife shooting for my 2k budget?

Asked by Jon

Answer

This is going to depend very much on what camera body you are using. Canon cameras do not focus past f/5.6 unless you are using a 1-series body (or are willing to do some warranty-voiding pin taping to force f/8 AF on unsupported bodies...which is usually a moot exercise anyway). Slapping a 2x TC onto a 70-200 f/4 is going to give you an f/8 aperture, and you are most definitely going to lose AF on anything other than a 1D something. Given that you are on a 30D, the AF speed will be a perfect zilch with the 70-200 f/4 + 2x TC combination, which is pretty much a no-go for wildlife and birds.

I'm a die-hard bird/bif/wildlife shooter myself, and I currently use the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS. Its a great lens, has decent IS, and is pretty easy to carry around for a few hours at a time (or pretty much all day with the right kind of strap, such as a BlackRapid R-Strap...or better yet, a more durable home-made version of the same.) The IQ of the 100-400 is great. The lens is definitely getting a bit dated...the IS mechanism is good up to about 2 stops at most, however when it comes to birds, its maybe good for 1 to 1.5 stops at best. Canon is rumored to be working on an f/4-5.6 replacement with 4-stop IS, which would be a significant improvement to any replacement...however expect it to come with a heftier price tag ($2000+ vs. the current f/4.5-5.6 $1600 street price).

For wildlife shooting, the 100-400L is superb in pretty much every respect. You don't need as much IS for hand-held shooting of wildlife as you do for birds/bif. It offers good reach with a modern high-res cropped sensor (it offers an FoV effective 160-640mm), however with the 30D's 8.2mp sensor, the benefit of extra reach is not really going to be as great as if you were using a 600D/60D/7D with their 18mp sensors (roughly 75lp/mm vs. 113lp/mm spatial resolution.)

You could certainly try to manually focus for wildlife...and so long as what your photographing is fairly slow-moving, you could probably get away with that on a 30D. Its lower spatial resolution means its not going to be capturing fine detail to start with, so it will be more forgiving of less precise focus. For anything that is moving that you will want to track, AF is pretty much essential. To that end, the 70-200 f/4 + 2x TC is a non-starter, especially if you were considering the non-IS version. For hand-held tracking, both IS and AF are pretty much given essentials for wildlife and birds, so the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS is really the only option here.

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There are also other options you could look into if you can expand your budget a bit. A 300mm f/2.8 L or 400mm f/2.8 L, IS or non-IS, with a gimbal-type tripod head and a sturdy tripod, offer a LOT of flexibility with TC's. An f/2.8 lens can take a 2x TC and still be only an f/5.6 aperture, so it will still AF on any Canon body. These are certainly more expensive than the $1800 100-400 L, but older used ones can often be found on eBay and Craigs List for around $3000 to $3500 (original non-IS versions), and starting around $3500 to as much as $6000 (IS versions). A 300mm with 1.4x TC is 420mm, while with a 2x TC is 600mm. The 600mm reach is pretty much the ideal sweet spot for a LOT of birding, as it lets you frame birds pretty tightly without encroaching their comfort zones. A 400mm with 1.4x TC is 560mm, and with a 2x TC is 800mm. At 560mm you have some great reach and excellent IQ to frame wildlife at a safe/non-intrusive distance. At 800mm you can frame wildlife and bird portraits without intruding into safe/comfort zones. All the while, any of these focal lengths would be at an f/5.6 or f/4 aperture, and plenty capable of supporting AF on any Canon body.

If you have the funds, a older 300mm f/2.8 with a 2x TC could offer a lot more than the 100-400, greater reach with better IQ.

---

PhotoSE is currently running a "lending library" of sorts that allows our members to try out gear rentals and be reimbursed for it, at the cost of having to ask questions related to the gear or write a few blog entries on the PhotoSE blog about your experiences with the gear you rent. You could use this offering to try out the 100-400 to see if would work for you, and if you were willing to chip in a little money and some extra time writing more blogs, you might even be able to try out a 300mm f/2.8.

Answered by jrista

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Better 10-22mm lens for Canon

Question

The famous Canon 10-22mm lens is quite well-built. The image is sharp near the corners, and it has a fast auto-focus system.

But unfortunately, it's aperture is relatively narrow...

Would there be any very wide angle lens of comparable focal characteristics, that would have a significantly larger aperture, and that would be adaptable on Canon cameras ?

Asked by Skippy Fastol

Answer

Quality of the Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 is amazing. There is one for Canon mount. You lose some on the long end but if you already have some that starts around 17mm it should be good. Otherwise maybe you look at prime lens but I have trouble finding wide and bright ones for cropped sensor. I looked too :)

Answered by Zak

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How do I read the flash distance scale on the Canon 580EX II?

Question

My Canon 580EX II has a distance scale running from 0.5m to 18m.

When the flash is in manual mode, a single segment of the distance scale illuminates to indicate the maximum effective range for my current aperture and ISO settings.

In E-TTL II mode, the scale illuminates a number of segments. For example, if I set my aperture to f5.6 and ISO to 400, 7 segments illuminate between 1m and 9m. What does this mean?

Asked by gjb

Answer

This shows you the optimum range of distances you can use those settings with. In your example, beyond 9m and the camera settings mean you won't be able to illuminate the subject properly; and closer than 1m and the subject will be overexposed even on the flash's minimum setting.

In manual mode, you've already determined the flash power, so the effective range is reduced to just the single bar.

Answered by Nick Miners

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Metering with a Tilt-Shift Lens

Question

The manual of the Canon TS-E 17mm F/4 states that metering only works when the lens tilt and shift are set to zero (in the same position as a standard lens would be). Logically this implies that the meter indicator in manual mode would be incorrect as well.

What techniques then would be recommended to meter with such lens? Does the light entering the lens depend on the shift and/or tilt positions? If you meter from a highlight the the lens and camera straight, would that be still valid after tilt, shift and the orientation adjusted? (Obviously for reflective surfaces the answer to the latter is no).

Asked by Itai

Answer

It is very simple: Metering does not work when the lens is shifted, metering does not work when the lens is tilted. The workaround is also very simple: Shoot in M mode. Adjust the exposure to your satisfaction with the lens untilted and unshifted. Then shift and/or tilt, and take the actual photo.

Note: It is the metering that is affected by tilt/shift, not the actual exposure. If 1/200, f/f5.6 is the correct exposure with tilt/shift set to zero, 1/200, f/5.6 is still the correct exposure when the lens is tilted and shifted.

Answered by Staale S

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What's the difference between holding a half-pressed shutter button and pressing the AE lock?

Question

As I have been looking around today the AE lock button is supposed to lock in the focus and exposure settings (aperture and shutter) so that the picture can be recomposed before taken. I also believe that holding my shutter button half pressed does the same thing.

As I type this I realize that there's a multiple successive shot consideration as well as the ability to release the shutter button while pressing the AE lock button, but I wonder if it is otherwise still the same?

Rebel XS (1000D)

Thanks!

Asked by tenmiles

Answer

It's mainly about using the camera as a tool in extreme situations where user experience and preference and circumstance mean that very fine differences in operation may make all the difference to achieving the desired shot. Use or non-use of AE lock may be appropriate for different users and differing situations.

The effect on exposure and focusing is identical as long as the camera is set to lock both of these on half pressure. With many DSLRs, having either or both or neither lock on shutter half press is an option. Similarly, the AE button can usually be set to affect focus and/or exposure and to lock or to toggle.

AE can usually be set to lock only on pressure or to toggle the controlled parameter(s) on/off alternately and focus and or exposure may be able to be controlled. This adds to theaspects needing to be considered.

I'll use "shutter operated" for actual operation of the shutter mechanism below to avoid confusion of the term shutter-released and button-released.

The differences are minor but significant. To some extent it is a matter of preference and personal experience and both have their place. The differences probably only matter at all under extreme pressure at the outside edge of user and camera shooting ability.

The following modes are "denied to you" by using the AE lock feature:

• With respect to multiple shots with the settings locked, this is also generally possible using shutter half-pressure but can take some getting used to. To do this the shutter is operated by full shutter button pressure, but the shutter-button pressure is then returned to half pressure rather than being released fully. This holds the locked settings and allows the next photo to be taken with the same focus and exposure settings. I find this immensely useful when you want a variable multi shot mode but slower than the auto repeat rate or at variable timing. This is to some extent an alternative to using tracking focus with the exposure locked and which is better is a matter of preference and circumstance.

• If you like to work in "one armed wallpaper hanger mode" you may wish to set the shutter button to lock only one of the two functions, allowing the other to release after the shot when the shutter button is held and then using AE or some other option to reset and relock the second function. For example you could lock and hold focus with the shutter button but not exposure, allowing the latter to be altered and then locked with AE button or some other button. This requires the brain to coordinate several fingers with he shutter finger needing to be partial-travel controlled and would not be usual (but, you did ask :-) ).

  Why would you want to do that? One reason MAY be to allow tracking something that held focus position but was moving through a zone of variable lighting. This would be a rather extreme case and not usually preferred.

• If you use AE lock it takes an extra finger operation to release it, which is one more factor (amongst many) setting the outside edge of what you can achieve in a given time in utterly extreme shooting situations.

Camera stability and ability to hold user-attention on the job at hand and to track a "target" (especially a fast moving one such as an animal or surfer or gymnast) is affected by using either AE lock or half pressure. Which way it is affected is again a matter of preference. I much prefer using shutter half pressure as it allows all control in the index finger without extra time or thought to access the AE button, to the extent that I never use AE lock, whereas others may value the lack of need to hold button tension in absolute extreme situations. (Time i a vanishingly small consideration once the preferred functionality becomes burned into the brain).

In a tripod situation of a fixed scene, or where a scene is not going to change for some seconds until a critical moment arrives (head turns, bird flaps, diver dives, ...) and a shot will be taken, perhaps with a "cable release", use of AE lock may be preferred to maintaining half pressure for an extend period. An alternative is to swap focus to manual mode and to accept the minimal penalty of exposure 'calculation' at exposure time, ot to use AE toggle, but this too is a preference.

Other similar and subtle considerations could be thought of.

Answered by Russell McMahon

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Where are in camera ratings on the Canon 5D MkIII stored?

Question

The Canon 5D MkIII introduced a new featured that lets you rate images by using a dedicated rear button. I am interested in finding out where in the EXIF data that this rating is stored. I wasn't aware of any metadata field that ratings were typically stored in, so I'm not sure what they would be using.

You can read about the feature on page 255 of the manual. The manual notes that:

With Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can see each files rating as part of the file information display or in the provided image viewer.

Asked by dpollitt

Answer

Sadly I don't have a 5DmkIII but I've managed to figure it out with a bit of detective work.

The answer is that it's stored in an XMP header as the <xmp:Rating> value.

I started by hunting down a Canon 5DmkIII group on Flickr and found this thread. Click on one of those photos then go to the metadata page and you'll see one of the values listed is Rating (in this case with a value of 3). I'm certain that value hasn't come from post-processing because the metadata also shows it was processed in Lightroom 4. I use a 5DmkII and Lightroom 4, and rate all my photos before uploading to Flickr, and yet my photos don't have a Rating value on their metadata page.

Unfortunately all the photos I checked in that group have download disabled, so I headed over to dpreview.com's gallery of 5DmkIII test shots where I found this test image:

If you click that to go through to dpreview.com you'll see one of the tags on the photo is pre-production. Seeing that, and knowing dpreview.com's usual approach, it's pretty certain this image is straight out of camera.

So, I got the URL of the original image and posted it into Jeffrey's Exif Viewer. And there it is, right in the XMP section:

<?xpacket begin='' id='W5M0MpCehiHzreSzNTczkc9d'?>
<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/">
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
<rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/">
<xmp:Rating>0</xmp:Rating>
</rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta> 
<?xpacket end='w'?>

Also note there's no Software value in the metadata anywhere: a further indication that this is straight from camera.

Finally, just to be absolutely sure, I took a straight-from-camera JPEG from my 5DmkII and ran that past Jeffrey's Exif Viewer. Sure enough, no rating value.

Answered by Mark Whitaker

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How can I see the number of shutter actuations for my Canon EOS 350D?

Question

I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT (otherwise known as the EOS 350D). I'd like to find the number of shutter actuations.

I have tried ExifTool, and the ShutterCount is not part Exif information for a Rebel. FileNumber is though. For one of my latest .jpg files, the FileNumber was 425-2556. Does that mean I've used 4 million files? If I took 1000 pictures a day for a year, that would be 365,000 files. So 4 million files would be over 10 years worth.

Asked by WireGuy

Answer

I am not aware of any available software that would give you the shutter count for Canon 350D.

I have used before EOSInfo Utility but I am afraid it only supports 40D, 50D, 450D, 500D, 1000D and 5DmkII. I tested it on 40D and 450D and it worked fine. Based on the notes on the EOSInfo website it seems that this information is not available for other models

The shutter count information is available only on Canon DIGIC III/IV DSLRs except the 1D* series. This means that EOSInfo will display the shutter counter for the 40D, the 50D, the 450D, 500D, and the 1000D. It will also show the shutter counter for the 5DMkII, but the camera must be power-cycled before the value is updated. The shutter counter will not be displayed (or will be displayed as "0") on the 1D*, 5D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 300D, 350D, and 400D. It's not that I have anything against the owners of those cameras, but simply that the Canon SDK does not support retrieving the shutter count for them. UPDATE (08/06/2009): Apparently, Canon has removed the facility for checking the shutter count on the 500D. More news when I learn something.

I am not sure if this refers to the EOSInfo software or the availability of that information in general

Answered by kristof

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Is Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens that much better than Sigma 24-70mm f2.8?

Question

I am looking for a 24-70mm f2.8 lens for general use and low light gig/concert photography.

The 2 I am looking at are:

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-24-70mm-2-8-USM-Lens/dp/B00007EE8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294854646&sr=8-1

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 IF EX DG HSM Zoom Lens

The Canon is almost twice the price of the Sigma. Is it worth paying for for the Canon? Which lens is best

Asked by MightyAtom

Answer

Absolutely. With most lenses, the old saying 'you get what you pay for' applies. If you want to buy a good Sigma lens (they have some excellent ones), you'll have to buy an expensive one.

Between these particular models, the Sigma is much softer near the wide-angle end and has stronger fall-off as well. At the long end, it diminishes but you have to stop it down a few more stops than on the Canon.

The Canon unit is also weather-sealed against the elements, dust, moisture, rain and snow, when used on a weather-sealed DSLR.

Answered by Itai

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What are the differences between the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the one that isn't IS II?

Question

On Amazon, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras is $2500 whereas the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras is a mere $1400. Why is there such an important price difference? I'm saving to buy the cheaper one; should I wait, save more money and buy the "better" one?

Asked by the.midget

Answer

Adding to to the answer above it has to be mentioned that a zoom lens benefits significantly from the Image stabilizer. I own the IS lens and can tell you that the effect is very strong, specially if you use a 1.4 or higher extension on the lens.

The price difference is given by the fact that the non-IS lens you listed here is much older (its the first, not the II model) AND lacks the image stabilizer. You should read reviews of all 4 lenses (IS vs. non-IS, I vs II) To see how big the quality difference is and if it matters to you. If you look for example at the lens flare comparison, the older lenses perform MUCH worse than the new ones, similar for contrast.

In general, I can only recommend to never save on a lens, specially the L lenses since they last for a very long time and are more important than having a good camera in my opinion. You will change bodies over the years more often than throwing out a lens and getting the successor model.

Answered by uncovery

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How do I effectively photograph direct sunlight?

Question

I have been trying to get a good shot out of direct sunlight but my shots just turn out dark, even if I set my shutter speed to the 1000-4000 range at ISO 200. Another odd thing is that even if my shutter speed is below the thousands range, they still turn out dark when sunlight is involved.

What settings can I use to remedy this? I am using a Canon EOS 50 film camera, and I usually use ISO 200 films. I am at Manual Mode. What shutter speed-aperture combination can you suggest. ISO? or even lenses?

EDIT: with no means to scan the photos, I guess I will just describe one of them in detail.

The picture is composed such that the camera is pointed at the sunlight, and a person is at the left side of the photo. The sun has just risen, about 7 am, and a little above the horizon. The output image is dark, so is the person, but the sunlight is beaming radiantly, forming some sort of a huge ball of light, and everything that's near the camera (the person, the plants around the person) is dark, and the sky is a bit dark too.

If that did not help, I'll try to scan it :P

Asked by Ygam

Answer

How are you metering the photograph? There is no one aperture/shutter-speed/iso combo for any situation, you either need to get an accurate meter reading or 'guess'. When I say 'guess' I mean use the Sunny 16 rule which is:

In daylight, the appropriate shutter speed at f16 is 1/ISO

So if your ISO is 200 and your aperture is f16 then your shutter speed is 1/200 (or 1/250), from this you can figure out any other aperture/shutter-speed combo 'guess': f11 would be 1/400, f8 would be 1/800 etc.

Given this starting point you can hold the camera up and get a meter reading to see how far off the guess is and adjust accordingly by looking at the meter in the view finder and changing your aperture/shutter-speed until it reads a good exposure. You may also want to try changing metering modes to be tighter (spot) or wider (matrix) which has a pretty good discussion going here:

Rule of thumb for metering? When best to use Multi-Zone/Matrix, Spot, or Center-Weight?

EDIT (given the OP's edit):

The problem most certainly is metering. The camera is metering for the scene which sounds like its 90% The Sun and 10% your subject, you need to meter for your subject. You can accomplish this in a variety of ways:

-You could switch to spot metering and take a meter reading off your subject first and then use that for the photograph

-You could get really close to your subject and meter their chest/face such that they fill up most of the frame for metering and then go back to your original position and use that reading.

-You could look around near you for something in a similar amount of light (the ground in front of or behind your feet) and take a reading and use that

-Get more light on your subject somehow

-etc

Answered by Shizam

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