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Canon EOS 5D Mark III
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Review Date: Apr 22, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,949.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Autofocus, autofocus, autofocus; increased FPS; and low-light performance.
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Cons:
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No logical reason to exclude flash.
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Having owned a 1D3, 5D2, 7D (currently) and a 50D, the biggest improvement to this product is autofocus. Increased FPS is a help also. Feels like a slightly bulbous 7D. Took me a while to procure but I am happy with the overall performance..
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Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
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Review Date: Oct 13, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Light lens compared to my 16-35mm; nice color and decent low light performance; nice build quality
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Cons:
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Little soft at 10mm but sharpens quickly above 11mm.
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This is an excellent lens for the money. At 10mm (F3.5( it was slightly soft but after 11mm the images were very sharp (F.4 and up).
The quality and feel of this lens is really nice. It is a nice fit and nice price for my 7D.
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Canon EOS 7D
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Review Date: Sep 23, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,519.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast operation. Quick focus. Superior build quality.
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Cons:
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Noise in certain instances.
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The price on this camera fluctuates. That's the only thing I don't like. For the camera itself, it is superb. The noise performance is not the best compared to my 5D2 or 1D3 but the images are nice. Using it for distance shooting is where this baby shines.
Just because I said the noise produced by this camera is more than what is produced in my other cameras, it is still negligible. Using the proper AF points helps bring out the detail of the image. It just takes a bit to adjust to it. It has focusing features like the 1D3 but it is much easier to use like the 5D2.
My plan was to purchase this camera and put my 1D3 up for sale but the 1D3 produces better bokeh with the same lenses than either this camera or my 5D2, so I am gonna keep both. For the price point, this is an excellent camera. I shoot nice, clean photos, with nary an adjustment. This is the power of this camera compared to the 1D's, it doesn't require the the learning curve.
If you want a nice semi-pro action camera, get this. If you want a nice pro action camera, get the 1D3 or 1D4.
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Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
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Review Date: Jun 27, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,250.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast autofocus; sharp images; beautiful bokeh; macro-like photography from a distance
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Cons:
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Noisy IS.
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I really wanted a 300mm 2.8 and will still get one in the future, but not the very near future because this prime telephoto lens performs superbly.
It takes excellent shots in less than favorable lighting. Outside it focuses better with my 1D3 better but inside my 5D2 with this lens takes better consistent pics.
I thought I would be using my 1D3 with this lens more but I reallly prefer it with my 5D2. With the 5D2 it produces beautiful images and wonderful headshots.
I perused the pages on this forum which gave me the confidence to purchase this lens. I am truly thankful for the informative posts.
Highly recommend.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark II
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Review Date: Jun 7, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,399.99
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Clean shots and able to shoot wide angle in native 35mm format. Low noise shots and with L glass an unbeatable combination for the price. Full frame performance without the weight, bulk and price.
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Cons:
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Focusing in low light. Compared to my 1D3 focus is lethargic. Should upgrade AF system in the next iteration.
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The weak point in this camera is the focusing system in low light and when shooting anything fast. Withstanding those issues the superlative color and low noise performance makes this an excellent camera for landscapes and portraits.
The attributes exceed the shortcomings and for the cost of purchasing a 1D series new, you can get a used 1D3 or new 7D for action to go along with the 5D2 for about the same price or less.
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Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
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Review Date: Apr 12, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,420.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Shooting wide on my 5D2, it's clear and phenomenal. Superb low-light performance.
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Cons:
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Costly for the performance.
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Wish it was cheaper. This lens performed admirably out of the box. I shot a video with my 5D2/Manfrotto tripod and it looked professional.
This lens handles low-light better than my 17-40 but in regular lighting the only advantage over the 17-40 is width. I did not have make any microadjustments to this lens.
Sharp all the way around.
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Canon EOS 1D Mark III
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Review Date: Mar 22, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,699.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Super fast and low noise, clean shots.
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Cons:
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Coming from normal SLRs, you must read before you use it but maybe that's not a negative. Heavy is the price for excellence.
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Being a relative newcomer to photography I read alot about this camera being taking the dive. I purchased it from Adorama refubished to save some money instead of buying new but also for peace of mind because it came with a one year Adorama warranty (yes I know it sells cheaper used instead of refurbished) and because I also purchased a 5DMK2 blemish-free refurb.
This camera was not 100% blemish free but it is 98% blemish free and the functionality is perfect. I had to get adjusted to using it initially because of the mostly manual functions compared to my other cameras. Thanks for the the smart-aleck members that gave prior 1DMK3 members a hard time when they asked for help because I lurked in the background and used the good, bad and the ugly advice to help me learn how to use this beast or rather get started using it.
It is a beast but the usable shots it produces compared to my 5DMK2 and 50D are on another level. It is heavy but I am over-joyed when I pull the pictures from the card. My suggestions to those that want to get one is read, read, read and don't ask for guidance unless tou want to get ripped. There are some excellent members that give good advice, hence the reason I purchased this camera.
Last thing, get used to shooting manual because this is where this baby shines.
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Canon Deluxe Backpack 200 EG
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Review Date: Jan 13, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $40.89
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Cheap price.
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Cons:
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None for the price.
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Materials are not the best but for the price and for what it can hold, you can't be it. Nothing else compares for the size and price. I can carry two camera bodies (5DM2 & 50D), 580 EX II, 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, 50 1.4, and 85 1.8 when I want to take a lot of photos and they all fit comfortably. I blackened the logo with a sharpie but real camera probably recognize this bag on sight because it's been around a while. Purchased mine cheaper through Amazon from Adorama than I could straight from Adorama, go figure.
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Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
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Review Date: Sep 25, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,219.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Clear, crisp photos. Decent performance in areas with little light. IS enhances the f4.0 medium aperture.
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Cons:
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None really.
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I had this lens on back order through the military / post exchange (PX, I am retired Army). After waiting over 3 weeks I started changing my mind after reading about the superior performance of the 24-70 2.8. I sent an email to cancel this lens and ordered my 24-70 from another vendor. The 24-70 arrived and was above and beyond what I expected. The 24-70 gave me excellent photos. I called about my 24-105 and asked about the cancellation but they said it had been sent anyway. After waiting another week to receive it, it arrived via USPS.
Let me say I considered refusing the lens and letting it go back but now, after trying it out, it's staying. This lens produce some stunning photos. It's also lighter than the 24-70. With the versatility, I will keep both. This will be my walk around lens, rotating with my 17-40, but occupying the main spot. I am glad I have it. Now if I could just get the 70-200 2.8. My experience with this lens shows me you can't believe everything you read.
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Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
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Review Date: Sep 20, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,249.00
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Pros:
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Sharp across the whole range; large aperture reduces blur; low light performance; build
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Cons:
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Heavy; price, but got mine for a steal; nothing else
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I took some pics yesterday. Some landscapes and potraits for my goddaughter's birthday. I used my 10-22 first because it's an ultra wide. I was very impressed with the 10-22 because you can't beat it the 1.6 cropped bodies. On my 50d it gave me a range I never had. Then I used the 24-70 for comparison. Wow! The 10-22 does its job as a landscape master with beautiful colors but for sheer color and sharpness, the 24-70 is king. It doesn't have the true lanscape capturing ability (width) but for the landscape that you capture, the sky, land and colors of vegetation are perfect.
I kept the 24-70 on my 50D body and went to my goddauthers birthday party. Took so many photos in the house and outside, low light, running kids, etc. This lens is the zoom to have. After taking a plethora of photos I replaced my 24-70 with my 17-40. The 17-40 took some sweet shots, many quite sharp. The one difference I noticed is that the 17-40 lacked the consistency shot-to-shot of the 24-70. If I stood still and took a shot the 17-40 it was super, but on the move, the 24-70 simply produces better, sharper shots. In low light, the 24-70 was a better, but with a little light, the 17-40 produces nice photos. The weight of the 17-40 was a clear advantage and with proper lighting, it is an excellent choice. However, for normal unforseen circumstances, the 24-70 is the go-to lens.
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Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
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Review Date: Sep 16, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $727.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Gives the APS-C shooters true ultra wide capability. Captures true colors and lacks excessive distortion.
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Cons:
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Pricey but you get what you pay for.
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I had purchased my other lenses as if preparing for my eventual purchase of a full-framer. This EF-S lens helps me put off going full frame for a while. The images I captured were sharp, especially in the 17 - 22mm range.
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