Street Spirit

What will be your next big camera-related purchase?

cmschmie

Well.....

I am a noob to the digital slr market (purchased a Canon Rebel XT over the weekend) and got some of the early essentials. CF card, tripod and bag.

So it should be a zoom lense or decent starter kit.

dom

I'm hoping to get into a SLR soon (XT probly) and then pester Dan with an endless amount of photography questions.

You know what they say about the shoemaker.

Dan Martin

After my little lens shuffle a few months ago, I'm pretty well set up. A new body would be the next purchase, followed by a long tele.

Dom, I think the XT will be replaced in a few months. If not at Photokina in September, for sure at PMA in March. I bet it will be out for the Christmas rush. Not that there's anything wrong with the XT, but since you've waited this long...

Yumcha

An actual digicam...



Gotta stop stealing the GFs.

dom

Ya, I only say XT because I'll probly be able to pick one up for real cheap before their replaced.

Dan Martin

No doubt. You can grab them from the states for $650 now, so I'm sure they'll be down around $500 when the next body comes out.

dom

Dan, I know they are mostly for studio work but what about a wireless file transmitter? any interest there?

Dan Martin

Like 802.11g?

I wouldn't be surprised to see it built in to more cameras since it can't cost that much to add and it would be nice for those who don't have a card reader. There are a couple P&S cams with the capability already. I've seen sports shooters get transmitters for their pro bodies so they can transmit to an assistant on a laptop to edit the photos and send them to the paper. Pretty efficient workflow...

I really don't have any need for it, but I think its a good technology.

dom

Ya. I guess most wouldn't have much use for this.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1356

Street Spirit

I'm hoping to get a DSLR at some point too, but prob not for the next little while. For now, I'm happy to use my two Elan7 SLRs. Actually, I find it rather frustrating using my Canon P&S, so I'm more prone to "borrow" someone else's DSLR in the meantime

mattg

rebel XT w/ wide angle lense

see my thread for more details.

Billiam

New DSLR body to upgrade my 10D. I'm just waiting for Photokina to see what Canon will announce. If there's nothing significant in the prosumer range, then I'll just go ahead and get a 30D at that time.

I have a strong suspicion that Dan is correct though. If anything, it will be the XT that is replaced/upgraded. My priorities lie along the lines of improving dynamic range, more autofocus points, etc... I'd be willing to bet that there won't be any notable improvments on those fronts until the DIGIC III engine is released which makes more sense for next year's PMA show, if even then.

I'm also sort of half-heartedly looking for a tripod, or accessory for my current one, that's good for close to the ground Macro work. That's not really a big purchase though.

FWIW - Unless you're a photojournalist working in urban environments, I see zero point to wireless file transfer.

Stapler

Well I have two things on my list. Can't decide really.

Either a nice say 17ish to 40ish zoom. Possibly f/4. Like say a L type thingy tp replace my 18-55 kit lense.
Or a new body. Say a Rebel XT.

I'm really leaning tword the w/a zoom, but I don't know how many more pixles I can stand becomming stuck on my digirebel. After doing a long night shot for the first time in a year or so, i noticed a alarming number of them. Did a long shot with the cap on, and there are 80 or so, not counting pixles that are grouped togeather to make one cluster. I suppose since it's only during long exposures I could live with it a couple more years though.

wndrlst

Any idea what changes will be made? I planned on buying a DSLR next month, but I can be patient if it's worth the wait.

Dan Martin

No clue. It's unlikely to be anything crazy though; the Rebel XT is a very capable body as is.

You might as well wait for Photokina if you're not in a hurry. I'm positive Canon will have a new body there, but it's unclear if it will be high-end or consumer level. Photokina does tend to cater more to the pro market, whereas PMA focuses on consumer products. If there's nothing new at Photokina, you might as well pick up something then because you'll be waiting a while for anything else to be announced.

Dan Martin

You can send your body in for service for them to map out the stuck pixels, but 80 is a lot.

I'd recommend you shoot both the 10-22 and 17-40 before going with the 17-40. I had the 17-40 for about a year before I analyzed my shots and found that 90% of them were right at 17mm. That lead me to believe that I could probably use something wider, so I swapped it for a 10-22 and couldn't be happier. The 17-40 is a better walk-around lens, but it's so nice to get true wide angle on my cropped body. I'd also say that the 10-22 is sharper than the 17-40, which I believe is mostly due to the rear element being so much closer to the sensor.

The EF-S 17-55 f/2.8IS is also worth your consideration. It's one of the sharpest standard zooms that canon has made, it's very fast, and has stabilization. It's pretty spendy though...

Billiam

It sounds to me like you have an unsatisfactory amount of hot pixels not stuck pixels. They're two different things. A stuck pixel is just that, stuck on. You will always see it regardless of the exposure settings used for an image. You may not notice it, however, until you zoom in to 100% or 200%. If the pixel in the same X,Y location is there "glowing" abnormally even in your daytime shots, then it's a stuck pixel.

If the pixels that bother you only show up during long exposures, then those particular pixels are hot pixels. They are basically the photosites on the sensor that are more sensative to thermal and/or electrical interference than the other photosites. The good news is that on most digital cameras a majority of the noise that results in hot pixels is not random. The hot pixel noise pattern will repeat itself. This means that if you really want to do long exposures, you can actually "capture" just the noise pattern and then subtract it out from your actual image. Many DSLR's have a method of doing this for you but it can be inconvenient when you're shooting. You can also do it yourself later in post processing.

Google "DSLR subtract dark frame" and you'll get a bunch of info. A fair amount of it will be related to astrophotography but the techniques still apply.

Stapler

Crikey, an awfull lot of photographic information acura car board.

Thanks for the clarification on terms for rogue pixels. I suppose then I do have some stuck pixles, but the majority of them ar hot. I have not seen the option for the subtraction you speak of on my rebel, but i'll certainly check out how to do it manually as it is a source of frustration.

Also dan, Thank's for the suggestion. Your probab ly right, as I have a 50mm prime anyway, I hardly use the 18-55 past 20 or so mm. And yes the 17-55 efs lense is a bit out of my range right now. I have yet to use any lense with IS though. I'm hopping to remain ignorant and blissfull and to keep saying I don't need no stinking is as it seems to be quite a investment.

Thanks again

Roadmaster

I'd like to find a nice used 20-35 F2.8 L somewhere. I know they are out there.

I need something a little more wide angle than my 28mm -- the 20 won't be much, but it will be better. 17-40F4L would be the next option.

Bdog

Mine's going to be a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 or a 20mm or under fisheye. I have a crap 100-300 f5.6 Canon lens that I can zoom out on a nice day with, but no really wide lens.

ChodTheWacko

I'm, pretty happy with what i have- i just needto learn to use it better. i should get some filters, though, and maybe a tripod.

wndrlst

Finally saved enough pennies to order a decent tripod.

Dan Martin

Nice! What are you getting?

wndrlst

Well, I was looking for something light-weight, as I really like to take my camera on hikes, so I went with the Gitzo G1157 and a Really Right Stuff BH-40 LRII ball head. Luckily, I'm short, so I don't need a lot of height!

Dan Martin

Wow, great setup! I'm jealous!

Check out the new G1930 if you're looking at the G1157. They're essentially the same, but the G1930 uses the new conical locks that actually get stronger with the more weight that's applied on the tripod. The G1930 is made from Basalt, and the G1157 is Carbon, but I think they weigh about the same.

The 1930 will likely be my next pod, but I'm undecided on what head to go with. Right now it's a tie between the RRS B40 and the Acratech V2. Decisions decisions...

wndrlst

The G1930 looks interesting. The 1157 is already on the way (I hope), so I'll check it out. That's what I get for ordering without posting here first! But yes, it looks like the specs are pretty similar. Is the basalt as strong and as non-conductive as the carbon? It's quite a bit less $$, so if all else is equal, I may consider an exchange.

It was a close call between the pod and the 10-22 or a macro, but all things considered, I decided I shouldn't get another lens if I don't have support. It didn't seem to make much difference when I was shooting 35mm and only printing 4x6, but now that I'm shooting digital, I can really tell that some of the shots are lacking in sharpness.

wndrlst

Oh, and I had the hardest time deciding on the ball head, too. I looked at the Kirks and a few others. I don't remember if I looked at the Acratech's. When I chose the RRS, it was basically because (in addition to the design itself, of course) the options to attach look unlimited, no matter what direction I end up going with all this. I was also sick of the research, so I just pulled the trigger.

Dan Martin

I just looked up the specs on the 1157 and it looks like a very good pod:

G1157: 2.3LBS, supports 9.9LBS
G1931: 3.1LBS, supports 15.4LBS

The basalt 1931 might support a little more, but it's also a little heavier. I think the added carrying capacity is due to the new locks, because the replacement for the G1157 (the GT1530) can hold 17.6 lbs.

wndrlst

I really wish I could just bury my head in the sand & pretend I don't know there's always something better right around the corner.

waTSX

I'm seriously eyeballing the EF-S 17-55, the EF-S 60 Macro and the EF-S 10-22. My recent hiking excursions have led me to the conclusion that 17mm on a 1.6 camera just isn't quite wide enough for landscape work. The 10-22 would solve that issue. The constant aperture of the 17-55 appeals to me. I've about had my fill of variable aperture lenses. The 60mm would serve as both a fast portrait type lens and a macro, which I'd like to delve into. Plus it's small and light and very sharp by all accounts.

The sharpness, contrast and color of all three sounds to be a couple of steps above my 17-85, which I'd probably keep because I do like it.

All three lenses have been getting very solid write-ups. I may just break down and get all three. At that point, I'll be set up as far as lenses go.

The only thing still making me hesitate (besides the considerable cash outlay) is the EF-S 1.6 body only thing, but that's becoming less of an issue as it looks like the format will be around for awhile.

Any opinions on the three I listed?

Dan Martin

Those are all excellent lenses. I love my 10-22 for landscapes and as a wide walk-around. The 17-55 is high on my "must buy" list as an everyday lens.

The EF-S 60mm is a fantastic lens, but I'd probably get either the Canon EF 100 (I steal Street Spirit's all the time) or the Sigma 150mm if I was in the market for a macro today. The working distance is major issue for me when I shoot macros. The EF 100mm gives 47% more working distance, while the Sigma 150 gives 87% more. If you shoot insects, they'll likely fly away before you can get close enough to them with the 60mm. You'll be fine though if you shoot plants or still life.

waTSX

Thanks, Dan. I take it you have no issues with the EF-S not being compatible with "FF" cameras.

Dan Martin

Doesn't bother me at all. It looks like Canon will keep the EF-S format for quite a while, if not indefinitely. If I choose to move to a FF body, the resale value of EF-S lenses is quite good.

ChodTheWacko

I am pretty much set. I don't see replacing anything I have unless it breaks.
In the far future I can imagine myself replacing my 20D with something better, but it's hard for me to imagine what It would take to get me to upgrade it. the 20D satisfies my needs very well at the moment.

srika

I would like to say its a D2Xs, we'll see. But I also really want a Canon FF!

badboy

Just ordered myself the 50mm 1.8, and 28-105mm lenses.
I need to buy a tripod for night shots and low ss shots. Budget will be less than 100 bucks.
Any ideas?

moeronn

It's not imminent, but I plan on getting a DSLR in the next few months. If it's sooner than later, it would probably be the 30D. If after January, then I'd probably wait to see what news/rumors gets leaked of it's replacement. I've been wanting to get one for a while now, but had a couple of other large expenses to take care of first.

waTSX

^^The D80 looks pretty good too. If you have no commitment to a lens system yet, you may want to take a look at that.