Canon 5D Mark III

Canon has a new full frame camera and it seems like a great cross between the 7D, 5D II and 1Dx.

• Canon Professional Network has some great info about the new camera.
• DP Review, as always, has some great information too.
• As does Rob Galbraith, but it is more of the same.
• Canon Rumors did a good job of keeping us all informed before the camera was official too. 
• For those that wanted a new video camera with "pro" video features...this article does a good job expelling what you got instead. 

I am excited for this camera and have one, with a grip on order...I can hardly wait for the end of March.

There seems to be a lot of disappointment out there with this camera though. I might be missing something, but what did we all want the 1Ds replacement to be? The 5DII was really just a 1DsIII light and when the 1Dx said it was the "New Flagship" that meant that the 1DsIII needed to be replaced.

My list for the 1DsIII replacement was:

• Drop the weight...check
• Get better AF...(assumably) check
• Get more AF coverage...check
• Get better/more high ISO shooting...check
• Get to 6+ fps...check
• Get to 6,000pix on the long end, but not much more...(close - 5760 x 3840)
• Shoot 1080P with usable features to replace tradition cameras...check (real audio/exposure control and legitimate timecode/monitoring)
• Get internal HDR and Timelapse...we got the HDR half of it
• Get a real GPS option...check (I have experienced the poor reception and battery life of built in versions)
• Get a better screen...check
• Dual multi-selectors...check (if you add the grip)
• Keep dual cards (After the D3x-1Dx I wanted it to stay CF and SD)...check
• Keep a good/consistent Battery...check (same as my 5DII and 7Ds)

It took almost 5 years, but we went from the 1DsIII TO 5D III:

• 5616 x 3744 TO 5760 x 3840 (I really did want to match the D3x at 6048 x 4032, but not much more)
• 100 - 1600 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 3200 TO Auto, 100 - 25600 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 51200, 102400
• Less than perfect 45p AF TO 61p AF (with spot AF :)
• 230,000 screen dots TO 1,040,000
• 5 fps TO 6 fps (the 1DsII was only 4fps and the 1Ds was only 3fps)
• Exposure compensation of ±3 EV TO ±5 EV

I used the 1DsII then the 1DsIII, sold mine and have been waiting for the next sense the 5DII proved to be close for landscapes and the occasional portrait. I did want to hit 6,000 pix, but if 5,760 is going to give me better quality it is close enough. I would have happily taken 7-8fps, but I wanted at least 6fps and I would not give up resolution to have more speed. I did want internal time-lapse shooting, but that is a firmware thing that could be added easily. It looks like I got everything else that I wanted/needed.

I have a 5D III and grip on order, and will use it heavily. It is almost exactly what I have wanted for big mile days when I take only one camera and should be a slight improvement for my landscape photography (over the 1DsIII and 5DII, but they did not need much improvement).

I am sure Canon will eventually deliver a 30-50MP, slow, camera for those of you who want that, but I don't think that I would have bought the camera if it could only shoot 4fps in full quality 14-bit RAW, even at 50MP. When I need insane file size for landscapes I use my T/S lens' like a large format camera. I don't think I have ever had a client as for more resolution, ever. I also don't believe current lenses and diffraction limits of optics will make folks happy when they shoot a 45MP camera much past f/8.

For those that wanted "serious" video features, that is the C300 and whatever else they bring out below it in that line. I don't need to produce music videos, TV shows, feature films or even commercials. I am just looking for a high quality way to record footage while I am in the field to shoot stills.

I am happy with what Canon made for us who choose to purchase one, and I hope that those of you who are not happy will soon get a camera that will do what you need in the field.

Happy analyzing, but really you should get out and do some shooting ;)

Ask Dave, April 27th - Packing for a Lek

Ask Dave, April 27th
'Ask Dave' week eleven… I get tons of questions each week, I respond as quickly as possible, and this is week number eleven of answering them here too. If you have questions you can email me at Learn@DaveShumway.com.

Question:
From Erik...
How do you pack (what do you take along) for a normal day of shooting?

Answer:
I don't know if you would call star trails, time lapses, and a Sage-Grouse Lek "normal;" but I made a little video before heading out for a night and morning shoot on some remote BLM land.

HERE IS THE VIDEO

Enjoy

I also had three tripods along for the ride:

• Gitzo 3540XLS with an Induro GHB2 full gimbal head (with custom long lens support). This was used for the Canon 7D and 500/4.0L IS
• Induro CT214 with an Acratech GP ball head. This was used for the Canon 5DII and 17-40/4.0L for time lapse/star trails and then with the 70-200/2.8L IS while photographing from my blind at the Lek.
• Induro A413 with an Arca-Swiss Z1sp ball head. This was used for the Canon 20D and 28-135IS for time lapse/star trails.

Building a Better Online Portfolio

Another great webinar from PhotoShelter was just posted online in video form.

The video takes a great look at how to think about your portfolio website. Happily many of the things discussed are things I considered and took into account when I designed my new site; but I bet some of you should think about these same things on your site.


Just like I often ask about peoples images: "What is your subject? What are you trying to communicate? Who are you trying to communicate with?" I would ask the same about your website, as I ask myself the same about my websites often.

For those that freak out about her comments on watermarking here is a decent article about watermarking; but I'll share my personal thoughts quickly:

• I don't think your portfolio site is a place for watermarking.
• Centered watermarks are a huge distraction.
• I think that your stock site is a great place to consider visible; but not overly distracting, watermarks.
• I use watermarks on my stock site, so that those that snag images from google for presentations/mock-ups/etc, and those that view them, know where to go look for the real image later. I drop them at the bottom, so if people want to steal them they can, they are registered with the copyright office so...

Some other things from the video that gel with my personal thoughts, and design:

• Let there be white.
• Simple, clean, and succinct, with no extra distractions, is beautiful.
• A readable site that is easy to navigate, and organized with a logical flow goes a long way.
• Cut the fat and only provide extra information if it is relevant.
• Take your own emotions out of the equation and think about your target audience.
• A portfolio is not your stock site, it is not the place to show all of your images.
• Let the site be about your images, not your images only being a part of the site.
• Let them see the image, and you had better know how they will see it. (think web color/sharpness/resolution)
• Make sure that their impatience does not keep me from seeing your site. (my site is even slower than I want it to be)
• Kill the freaking music, especially if you are not the creator/owner/licensee. (artists, unfortunately, are often the biggest thieves of other artists work)
• KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid (a motto I try to live by)

Take the time to watch the video, and feel free to bounce thoughts and questions around here, on my Facebook, or straight to me at info@DaveShumway.com.

Happy Shooting

p.s. Why on earth do I always type 'often' with two ffs? I know that it is 'often' and write it that way with no issue... odd.

Home from Yellowstone... with video to share

THE VIDEO IS ONLINE HERE IN HD

I was in Yellowstone from February 26th - March 2nd. The photos will take me a while to edit; but I put together some of the video clips for those who might want to watch. I have removed the audio from the Otters as there was lots of shutter clicking going on while I was recording. The (spoiler alert) Wolf footage has the audio on all except the last clip as the sound is the best part.

The footage of the Otter/s was captured with the 7D and 500/4.0L IS while the Wolf footage was captured with the use of telephoto converters (2X and 1.4X). The Wolf was a long way off and the atmospheric distortion is very obvious. The distance adds a cool element of delay on the audio... you'll see.

Enjoy

iPad for Photographers

When I work on a blog post I tend to search the web to be sure that someone else has not already written something very similar. This is another time where The Luminous landscape has taken the words out of my mouth.

I have been very open about the issues I see with the iPad, and while it has shortcomings it will change things as to how the average person reads books, newspapers, and magazines. So it changes how I, as a photographer, must be prepared to deliver content.

The full essay by The Luminous Landscape is here.

Enjoy

The Nikon D3s does Norway and Finland

The video (by Vincent Munier) is here

An interesting merge of video, rapid photos, and single photos edited together very well. I felt that it was worth sharing with you, so I hope you enjoy.

I have been slowly adding video clips shot from the 5DII and soon to be shot from the 7D to my site; but I have yet to take the time to edit together a real video from the clips.

For my ART280 students here is something you could have done on the trip you planned into the area.

New high quality EVF in production

Here is the full release

Epson announces their mass production of high-quality EVF panels.

What does this mean? It could start to bring in the end of using mirrors in high end cameras. With better quality Electronic Viewfinders we can merge DSLR's and high end video gear easier and really change the face of how we shoot both professional photos and video.