Topic: Let's talk Canon digital SLRs...

[jdawg]

I'm slow, just noticed from your sig you've got a 40D - sweet camera, eh?     Assuming you have that gripped?

I use AI servo shooting volleyball, also using "*" for focusing, sometimes I get it sharp, a lot of times, I don't    My SS are usually in the 500-640 range. I have yet to try panning.
Great job on yours though. +T at ya!

[stirinthesauce]

BJ, those look nice.  Good job on a obviously very demanding shoot.

[Frank in JC]

posted my first ever attempt at a pro sport...ugg!

Pro Cycling

Cool!  When I lived in Philly, I took my camera to the U.S. Pro Championship race one year and it wasn't easy.  I wasted a LOT of film that day, but getting just a single cool shot made it worthwhile.

[Ryan Sims]

posted my first ever attempt at a pro sport...ugg!

Pro Cycling

Nice shots BJ!

There's a cycling race here on Friday that I'm pumped up to shoot myself.

[sullen]

This was a great, informative, and nice to look at thread.

I just ordered a Canon xti/400d today and a 50mm 1.8 lens.

After trying to resist in picking up yet another multiple thousand dollar hobby/habbit on top of audio and video,
But I really want to get into SLR photography. Temptation was too great! I am excited!!!!

Now I need to find a good zoom lens that will work well in concert lighting conditions.

[jdawg]

This was a great, informative, and nice to look at thread.

I just ordered a Canon xti/400d today and a 50mm 1.8 lens.

After trying to resist in picking up yet another multiple thousand dollar hobby/habbit on top of audio and video,
But I really want to get into SLR photography. Temptation was too great! I am excited!!!!

Now I need to find a good zoom lens that will work well in concert lighting conditions.

Congrats and welcome to the club! You'll love the camera. Nice lens choice
to start out with as well. Depending on what type (size) shows you mostly attend, you may not need a zoom. I easily get by with the 50 and the 85 especially on a 1.6 crop body.

[sullen]

Thanks!
I am excited.

Some shows I am sure I'll get by on 50mm.
I do arena shows sometimes too, so I'm going to need a zoom when i don't feel like filming.

                                                               *** Newbie question ***
I do alot of video recording, but not much more photography than P&S cams.
So, I'm trying to gauge what zoom I will need, and where the various lenses will put me, from video experience during full zoom. 
I think my cam is somewhere between 30 and 40 mm with no zoom.

I get this info from googling specs for a panasonic pv-gs500:
" Leica Dicomar 12x optical zoom lens. This lens has a 43 mm diameter and a 3.3 to 39.6 mm Focal length. "

Soooo the crop factor is confusing me a little bit in trying to get an idea of what im looking for,
 
if it's say 40mm with 12x zoom,
then i was running somewhere between 400 and 500mm in arena nosebleed seats at max optical?

What mm lens, would that figure put me, given the 1.6 crop on the xti body?

[cgrooves]

Soooo the crop factor is confusing me a little bit in trying to get an idea of what im looking for,
 
if it's say 40mm with 12x zoom,
then i was running somewhere between 400 and 500mm in arena nosebleed seats at max optical?

What mm lens, would that figure put me, given the 1.6 crop on the xti body?

A 300mm lens will put you in that range (300mm x 1.6 = 480mm equivalent).

Keep in mind, if you want to get something in that range that is suitable for low light photography (i.e. 2.8 f stop) you are talking about spending between $2,600 - $4,000, depending on if you purchase third party or canon.

[Sanjay]

^ What he said.  Also it will be very very hard to hold that steady if it doesn't have IS for that.  It's a heavy lens.  When I used to use one every day I gained some muscles for sure.

Your best bet is to get a 70-200mm 2.8 lens.  With the 1.6% crop factor you'll have quite a bit of reach and with 10 megapixels you can afford to crop down some.

[sullen]

Thanx guys.
4k is alot of cash, that one will have to wait!!
I'll prob just stick to video when i am that far away from the stage anyways, it was always the best part of nosebleed seating 

At least I have an idea of where I will be in zoom ranges now, makes shopping alot easier.

Sanjay, I'm already drooling over the 70-200 2.8 IS L  think i am going to save for that one.

[Ed.]

wasn't there just a 70-200 2.8L IS in the yard sale for $1250?  You could probably save a few hundred by not buying the IS version as well.  Mine isn't IS and I usually do just fine.  You just snap a lot of pictures, and sooner or later they become less shaky.  Although, I haven't used mine at a concert in forever...its usually at sporting events these days and the light is better.

I don't think you'd need a 300 or a 400 unless you were planning on taking pictures from the second balcony, especially with that 1.6 crop.

[johnw]

FWIW the Canon rebates started today for the 70-200 2.8 IS ($125 off) and Canoga has the cheapest price I foud.

[phanophish]

Thanks!
I am excited.

Some shows I am sure I'll get by on 50mm.
I do arena shows sometimes too, so I'm going to need a zoom when i don't feel like filming.

                                                               *** Newbie question ***
I do alot of video recording, but not much more photography than P&S cams.
So, I'm trying to gauge what zoom I will need, and where the various lenses will put me, from video experience during full zoom. 
I think my cam is somewhere between 30 and 40 mm with no zoom.

I get this info from googling specs for a panasonic pv-gs500:
" Leica Dicomar 12x optical zoom lens. This lens has a 43 mm diameter and a 3.3 to 39.6 mm Focal length. "

Soooo the crop factor is confusing me a little bit in trying to get an idea of what im looking for,
 
if it's say 40mm with 12x zoom,
then i was running somewhere between 400 and 500mm in arena nosebleed seats at max optical?

What mm lens, would that figure put me, given the 1.6 crop on the xti body?

12x Zoom refers to the relative range of the zoom.  39.6mm/3.3=12.  The focal length only becomes important when looking at the field of view.  Camcorder sensors are much smaller than even crop factor DSLR sensors.  On DSLRs 40mm is just getting in the range of a "normal" 50mm lens on a film SLR.  But I'd bet on your camcorder when your lens is zoomed all the way in at 40mm it is a pretty small field of view.  The math I'm coming up with is your CCD sensor is 5.4mm (1/4.7).  Which makes it's 35mm crop factor something like 6.  So at full wide angle your 3.3mm lens gives the field of view equivalent of a 20mm (6*3.3) film lens.  And at full zoom it has a FOV roughly that of a 240mm (6*39.6)lens.  Which still gives us the 12/1 zoom ratio.  Make sense?

[Jimna]

i liked this picture, figured i would share...

its like bizarro world patriotic.

[stirinthesauce]

like the picture

time to clean that sensor