Recent content by simoscribbler

Just seems too expensive to me: unless you really need F2.8 I'd buy a nice F4.

Back in the dim and distant past Canon made some odd Ls, like the 100-300mm F5.6 L that I bought cheaply a few years back. But I agree, of the modern Ls the pre-IS 70-200 F4 is a beaut. I have the IS now, but I still remember the old design with affection, not least for its lovely colour. Best...

Yes, another vote for the 3. Great spec, not too old, and not as heavy as the 1 series. Best Richard

Yes, I'd suggest buying the 85mm F1.8 (have one and like it a lot) or the 100mm F2, and keep the 24-105. Best richard

I'm a stills snapper turned film-maker, and the learning curve is fairly steep, especially if you're going to edit yourself, although it depends on the standard expected. But, to answer your original Q, assuming audio isn't vital shooting on a suitable DSLR is a good plan, because you know how...

I was walking along a street in Barcelona with a Bronica RF 645 and this older guy came up to me and seemed more than a little agitated. It wasn't a diversionary tactic: he was trying to tell me to wear the strap across my chest to stop someone pulling it off my shoulder. I took his advice and...

Strikes me that you're a classic candidate for a two camera body approach - assuming that the action and car stuff are of roughly equal importance to you. So maybe pick up a used 5D to go with the 40, build up your FF lenses, then upgrade bodies in a few years... Best Richard

I wouldn't be too hard on yourself - the nifty is pretty flimsy. I once dropped one about a foot (onto a hard surface I admit) and it broke into 2 pieces. My highly trained eye spotted almost at once that there might be a problem.... Didn't stop me buying another though. Best Richard

Yes, another happy customer: I've bought and sold quite a few things through them over the years - and went to the old shop in Southend a few times before they headed (a long way) north. Best Richard

My partner is left-eyed, and she found it hard to see the corners of her 5D MKII's screen as a result - so she's fitted an eyepiece extender (the Canon one) and loves it. I had a try: makes the viewfinder image smaller, looks like about x.75 or something, but works for her. Best Richard

I used to have the Tamron 17-50 and thought it was really excellent on a 400D, better than the 28-75 on my 5d probably, but now I only have FF (5D and MkII) and use the 24-105 F4 IS as a walk-round. Great value used - I picked up a nearly new one, boxed, for just under £600 on another forum. And...

Yes, annoying but it's not like buying a car that's done 10k more than you thought. I'm guessing that most DSLRs are obsolete and worth very little/sitting in a cupboard long before their shutters fail, so I'd just forget about it and see if you can get the shutter count up into 6 figures...

I think the MKII is a big step up from the MkI. High ISOs are miles better, but in lower ISO use I find the higher resolution just makes a huge difference. The dynamic range seems quite a bit larger on the MkII and tonal gradation is lovely too. Best Richard

Tricky one because landscapes will surely benefit from FF, especially in future as pixel counts continue to climb, so maybe a two camera strategy is best? Crop body and quality long lens (full frame capable) and doubler if needed, and then FF primes for the full frame body. Means a total re-jig...

Don't own the 2.8, but love the F4IS. Used to own the non-IS F4 and the new lens is amazingly good - much better than the old one. Easily the best zoom I've ever owned. I don't shoot action, and have fast primes for shallow DOF, so it's the F4 for me every time.