[M_Six]

This nasty storm cell passed just south of campus today. Some weather spotter supposedly saw a funnel cloud and all hell broke loose. Sirens and website warnings and so on. I was watching the weather radar thinking it wasn't the right type of storm for a tornado and the area weather in general was not typical of tornado activity. As the sirens were going off, the sun was breaking out everywhere. I took this pic while the sirens were wailing. I think someone got a little too excited and over-reacted.

[dcstep]

Nice one Mark.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Nice one Mark.

Thanks, Dave. I'm not really happy with it. The clouds were blindingly bright and don't show up that way in the pic. I rushed the PP though because I needed leave. I may rework it later.

[MaximusJ]

Originally Posted by hieu1004

Agreed.

I have the Canon equivalent, 70-200L f/2.8 II and it is a beast (both quality and size, lol). In fact, ever since I got it, I've used my other primes much less. I'm glad you're enjoying yours - it seems to be a perfect lens for paintballing shoots.

It is; indeed. I needed a fast lens to take fast moving subjects from a distance. I picked the perfect lens for my craving.

I am still struggling with its size; thus place for improvement, sharp-wise, when I find a comfortable and stable way to handle it. But i'm really happy with the overall ease of use.

I didnt fully test it tho since I was also coaching that practice, but I had a lot of fun shooting with it.

I received my Meike Macro kit today. They have an extension tube kit which is sturdy made and communicate EXIF data through it. I got the 12-20-36mm kit for $53 shipped. Should be a good buy since its solid made and looks pretty much the same the Keiko's kit; but for a third of the price.

I also got the Meike LED Ring for $35. So it makes a cheap option for Macro. I just have to see what kind of result one can get with those.

So review and pics to come! I need to find some bugs for that contest.

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by MaximusJ

I received my Meike Macro kit today. They have an extension tube kit which is sturdy made and communicate EXIF data through it. I got the 12-20-36mm kit for $53 shipped. Should be a good buy since its solid made and looks pretty much the same the Keiko's kit; but for a third of the price.

Interested where and the results/review!

[tekmoe]

[GTHAUS]

Quick snap of our F30 335i from the other day.


F30 BMW 335i w/ Meisterschaft GTC Exhaust by GTHAUS-Meisterschaft, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

It slows it down from 6 fps to 3 fps, sadly.

then it's a no-go.

[The1]

Originally Posted by dcstep

If it doesn't slow down fps, then I'd use it all the time.

Dave

I was shooting a 5DmkIII in the store yesterday, and it's a much quieter shutter sound in it's normal mode then the 5DmkII, so that may be of use.

I didn't test the silent shooting, or compare it to the 7D, but I have a suspicion it may be slightly quieter then the 7D as well.

At least it seems that way. It's a different noise altogether.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by MaximusJ

It is; indeed (the 70-200/2.8). I needed a fast lens to take fast moving subjects from a distance. I picked the perfect lens for my craving.

I am still struggling with its size; thus place for improvement, sharp-wise, when I find a comfortable and stable way to handle it. But i'm really happy with the overall ease of use.

I didnt fully test it tho since I was also coaching that practice, but I had a lot of fun shooting with it. ...

You hold these no different than any other lens, with your left hand under the lens near the mounting plated. With the Canons we can manage the zoom with our index finger and thumb without moving the other fingers. Balance is important and can vary from body to body. If it's too front heavy, then move you left hand out toward the optics until you find the balance point. This is important and will reduce strain.

Make sure your stabilization is on (I hope you got that feature. Skimping on that feature is a huge mistake that many make). Your shutter speed, particularly while you're learning to hand hold, needs to be at 1/500-second and higher (raise ISO to get there). When you get more experience you'll be able to go as low as 1/100-sec for a stationary subject.

You may need to build some arm strength for holding this lens in position. Thankfully that means simply shooting a lot and paying attention to your results and trying to improve. I didn't get really good at hand holding my 500/f4 until I'd shot maybe 20,000+ shots. A little weight lifting, seriously, might be in order to speed things along.

This is a workhorse lens that you need to invest the time to get very comfortable with. It works for portraits, some landscapes, sports and nature. I'll never be without one in my bag, although I'm very happy with my f/4 version.

Dave

[hieu1004]

My niece

5D II + 70-200L f/2.8 II


IMG_5076 by hieu1004, on Flickr

[The1]

those are some intense blue eyes!

[hieu1004]

Originally Posted by The1

those are some intense blue eyes!

She has really gorgeous blue eyes

5D II + 24L


IMG_5008 by hieu1004, on Flickr

[- Paul -]

Window to another world.

[The1]

crazy, well I expect you'll be taking lots of pictures of her eyes over the years.

[The1]

Originally Posted by - Paul -

[IMG="http://pcdn.500px.net/7211975/dcf8b687cac7be9c427b1c9114f00b7c54130d8d/4.jpg"]http://pcdn.500px.net/7211975/dcf8b687cac7be9c427b1c9114f00b7c54130d8d/4.jpg[/IMG]

Window to another world.

I like it, but the haze almost makes it look like it's a painted background

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by - Paul -

Window to another world.

Great colors and composition Paul, BUT your horizon is drooping to the left. Sorry, but horizons just grab my eye.

Dave

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by The1

I like it, but the haze almost makes it look like it's a painted background

It was very hazy! I think it adds to it.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by The1

crazy, well I expect you'll be taking lots of pictures of her eyes over the years.

I love her crooked smile also.

[hieu1004]

Stupid work firewall, won't let me view it

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Great colors and composition Paul, BUT your horizon is drooping to the left. Sorry, but horizons just grab my eye.

Dave

I know - I've already rotated the sea round a few degrees already! - the tunnel was uphill.

[The1]

Originally Posted by - Paul -

It was very hazy! I think it adds to it.

actually the larger you view the picture, the better the background looks. I like it, wish that were out my window