Good point...a cooler will only last so long.

 

The only other real contender was a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. It's a strong option, but the price difference of the EF-S 17-55 is easily justified by the IS and USM. The image quality is similar between the two, with the slight edge going to the Canon. The Tamron is still no slouch in the IQ department though, it's really quite a bargain.

The EF 24mm f/1.4 is a great lens, but a little too specialized for my use. I found it's CA to be a little on the strong side, but it can be cleared up in Photoshop with a little effort. If you shoot live action indoors, then it's a great choice. If you're shooing stationary objects, the 17-55 will actually give you one extra stop in the same shooting conditions without using a tripod.

 

Dan, Have you added the "new" picture styles to your 30D? I just remember last night about them. I've never installed any of the Canon software to my PC. I guess I'll just wait until I get my MBP.

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/picturestyle/index.html

 

I have never uploaded them to my 30D, but since I shoot RAW, I can just apply them in Canon's DPP software if I feel like using one. Adobe Camera Raw ignores picture styles, so if you're going to use them, DPP is really your only choice.

That being said, I tend to like the "landscape" and "autumn hues" styles for some shots. If you're out on a walk and just taking some casual snaps, they're great for no-effort batch processing of your images. You can always go back and choose another style or manually process them if you like a different look.

 

You even needed to ask....














































I AM!!

Sorry, we've been so busy with just having moved and finishing up some last minute wedding errands....I haven't really been able, or had much time to focus on much else lately. I've decided what my first pic will be though! Lets just say, it involves Dan and shoulder restraints! I'm hoping to have some down-time and will take it sometime over the next few days.

 

^^ Ok, I'm still shooting both.

 

Don't make me!!

 

No puppy either!

 

We don't!! We just eat off our 600mm F/4

 

Dan, don't kill me!!!




Expensive furniture

 

Daaaang, you two!! Congrats on all the new toys!! Looking forward to seeing some output soon!


@ Billiam!

 

They aren't even married yet. Give 'em a couple of years. Sheesh!

 

My bad.

 

They can still take pictures.

 

But that would be of the INput

 

 

dang... i so want the 17-55 2.8

 

I just received it today along with the hood and 2x2GB extreme III cards. The lens is pretty sexy.

If it cools off tonight, we might just have to go for a walk to test it out.

The tripod also arrived today, but it got delivered to my old address across town so I'll have to pick it up on the weekend. Now if we can just get the ballhead and plates in, we'll be good to go.

 

post examples it'll make me want it more

 

And if you're taking requests Dan, could you give us an idea on how likely the Feisol horizontal adapter is to work on a non-Feisol tripod?

 

Good question, I'll let you know on the weekend.

 

Dan, any problems with the Feisol getting through customs?

 

Nope, it only took 4 days from HK to my doorstep. I just had to pay tax when it crossed the border, like I would on anything I purchased here.

 

The toys just keep coming... the Acratech GV2 and plates arrived today!

Coming from a machining background, my first impression is this ballhead is it's one beautifully machined product. There is zero slop in any of the moving pieces and everything you touch just screams quality. It's also obvious they spent a lot of time perfecting the finishes of all the parts in the assembly.

The rubberized knobs are a nice touch and all of the adjustments are very precise. I don't really need the gimbal feature of the ballhead yet, but it looks like it would work well when I get some longer glass (now if only Canon would bring out a 400 f/5.6 with IS). The biggest draw for me to this head after trying out a V2 (non-gimbal) at Vistek in Toronto was it's incredible light weight while maintaining a rock-solid platform to work from. It weighs only 450g (just under 1 pound), yet it can support 25 lbs. In ballhead mode, it can be used with a 600mm f/4 or a 400mm f/4 in gimbal mode. I think the only reason for the reduction in lens size for the gimbal mode is just because the load would be hard to balance with an 11 pound lens tipped on its side. The locks are certainly up for the challenge of holding that weight.

I'm really looking forward to putting it through its paces when I get the tripod this week. I think it will be hard to beat for a lightweight head for backpacking.

 

The last package is finally in my hands: the Feisol CT-3342 with horizontal kit and center column.

I literally just picked it up, so consider this a very preliminary evaluation. First off, to answer your question Billiam, yes the horizontal adapter can be used on any tripod. It's just a standard thread that would screw into the top plate of your tripod. The only other thing you'd have to buy is a Feisol center column because it's unlikely that your column would fit. The build quality of the adapter is quite good, but it's a little heavier than I thought it would be. I haven't weighed it, but it's about the same size and weight as the Acratech head I got yesterday.

The tripod itself is very light and seems to be constructed very well. The spider is nicely machined and the locks are smooth. The legs don't have an anti-rotation slot which is a little inconvenient, but Feisol deliberately chose to leave them as conventional round tubes for the highest strength-to-weight ratio.

Since there are only two locks per leg, the set up really isn't bad at all. You just have to lock the top segment before locking the bottom segment. Fully deploying the legs is still very quick. Feisol does make a four segment version (the CT-3442) which packs down to an amazingly small 18.9 inches vs. 23.2 inches for the three segment.

The legs can flip over 180 degrees so it packs smaller for transport. The other benefit of doing this is you can conceal the ballhead within the legs so the knobs won't get snagged on branches on a hike. Very nice.

My only quibble so far is the way they packed the tripod. One of the legs has some writing silk screened on the outside with the logo and model number. That wouldn't be a problem except when you fold the legs over, the center column rubs on the lettering. One of the letters had a slight smudge because of that. The rest of the packaging was very good, it's just a shame they didn't throw some bubble wrap over the leg with the lettering on it. I'm sure it would have at least as many smudges after a single trip into the woods, but I prefer to know it was me that screwed up and not them.

My initial impressions are very good so far. I'll just have to give it some time in the field before I can fully evaluate it. The light weight combined with the flexibility of a horizontal center column should hopefully land me a few shots I normally wouldn't have been able to achieve with a conventional pod.