Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Canon USA/Europe Issues Statement re: EOS 1D Mark III Focusing Fix

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The information can be found in the FAQ section of the Canon Europe Self-Service site. [UPDATE: Canon USA has issued a formal statement as well.] More information on the history of this issue can be found on this page. The following information is from Canon Europe:

Title

Why do I experience inconsistent Auto Focus (AF) behaviour with my EOS-1D Mark III?

Case Id: 72525

Applicable models

EOS-1D Mark III

Solutions

Phenomenon:

The focus or AF tracking is inconsistent when using the Artificial Intelligent (AI) servo continuous shooting mode under high temperatures in particular.

Cause:

In the digital SLR camera, EOS-1D Mark III that was launched in May this year, Canon has found that some cameras have an adjustment problem with the mirror for AF. The adjustment problem means for the affected products that the focus is not stable or that the Auto Focus tracking is not right when using the AI servo continuous shooting under high temperatures in particular.

Affected products:

The products that could have this problem can be identified as explained below. If the serial number on the bottom of the camera is between 501001 and 546561, it could contain one of the AF mirrors with the adjustment problem.

Support:

For customers who have affected products and are experiencing these problems, we are making preparations to offer free of charge repairs planned to start from late November. We will announce additional details about the repair process on our Web site as soon as they become available.

In case you have questions about this or other issues, please contact Technical Support using the button at the end of this message. Alternatively you can also call our Helpdesk. Please click here for the phone number.

We offer our most sincere apologies to all affected customers who have been inconvenienced by this issue.

Last modified date: 01-Nov-07

[tags]canon, 1d, mark iii, focus, fix, problem, recall[/tags]

 

Olympus E-3 Update

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From the DPReview.com forums:

pixinfo.com has a report up on the E-3, though you might only want to have a look if you happen to speak Hungarian. I will try to summarise the highlights. A number of European journalists were invited to Istanbul, Turkey, to hear presentations on and actually take photographs with, the Olympus E-3. They were also granted permission to post full-sized JPG samples, but were asked not to comment on them as they were still taken with cameras sporting firmware version 0.9. A chap called Hans Wiesel presented for Olympus, and the author of the article says that in the middle of his presentation he poured a bottle of water on his demo camera, which had its onboard flash popped up. (I have heard of users washing their E-1s under running water, but never heard of Olympus doing anything similar – they officially claimed the E-1 was only dust- and drip-proof.) (Read more . . . )

Follow all of the latest news and reviews for the Olympus E-3 on this page.

[tags]olympus, e3, e-3, review, news, sample, photo, pic[/tags]

Sony ?700 Review at Let’s Go Digital

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Let’s Go Digital has posted their review of the new Sony ?700:

My conclusion after extensively using the Sony DSLR-A700 in practice and testing it thoroughly can be short. Sony’s Alpha 700 is a beautiful DSLR and offers the demanding photographer as well as the amateur a perfect tool to practice photography on a high level. The camera is not perfect but if you put some effort in getting to know the camera and making it part of your digital work environment, you will soon find that you have a refined DSLR camera in your hands. If you are looking for a new DSLR or ready to get acquainted with an advanced camera system you definitely ought to put the Sony Alpha 700 on your wish list.

The Sony ?700 is now readily available for purchase as a body-only or in a kit with the 18-70mm lens. The Sony ?700 kit with the 16-105mm lens is available for pre-order and should be shipping shortly. You can find more reviews and resources for the Sony ?700 on this page.

[tags]sony, ?700, a700, review[/tags]

2007 WERA Grand National Finals

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The 2007 WERA Grand National Finals were held at Road Atlanta on October 13. I took a trip down there with my cousin Joe, who’s an avid motorcycle enthusiast. This was my second year of watching and shooting the WERA GNF. I took my trusty Canon Rebel XT and Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8. While this setup performed quite well at Road Atlanta, due to the track setup, I could’ve used a longer lens and/or more megapixels. 200mm wasn’t quite long enough to reach out on some of the corners. I would like to have had a EF 100-400mm L or something longer to really get in tight. Unfortunately, those weren’t an option for me and I was limited to cropping in on some of those shots that were way out there, which is where more megapixels could’ve come in handy.

That said, here’s a few of my keepers from the day:

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Race start coming out of Turn 1.

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Close in on Turn 1.

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More from Turn 1. Seeing a pattern here? Turn one was the one place that I really had close access to and the light was on the face of the riders coming at me.

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Coming out of a deep lean on Turn 1.

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Showing off a bit out of Turn 10B.

If you dig these, you can see more on my Smugmug page. Also, you can check out Steve Beck’s photos from Road Atlanta. I met Steve at Road Atlanta this year. He had a great setup for shooting bikes at Road Atlanta – Canon 1D Mark III and a 500mm f/4 L, which enabled him to really get in tight.

Cameras for Christmas

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Welcome to the 2007 Edition of Photography Bay’s Cameras for Christmas Shopping Guide.

Chances are, you or someone you know has a digital camera on their Christmas Wish List. Which one do you really want or which one should you get for that special someone? I’m picking what I think are the top cameras in a variety of categories below. I’ll also try to give you some kind of sense of what kinds of people fit with these cameras.

Camera on a Budget – Under $200

The growth of technology has really prompted this catagory of cameras. Five years ago, finding a digital camera under $200 was practically impossible. Sure, you might have seen a few on ebay, but how well did they work – or better yet, did they work at all? There are several great cameras in this price range now.

The Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph is just one example. At about $172, it’s well within the budget-minded giver’s range. It’s a 7.1 megapixel cameral with a 3x optical zoom.

Another great camera is the Canon PowerShot A570IS. It’s a 7.1 megapixel and has a 4x optical zoom and runs in the neighborhood of $165. While it’s got built-in image stabilization, it’s also physically a larger camera. Still, on a budget, you can’t go wrong with this camera. You get a lot more than what you pay for here.

The Kodak Z885 is also an impressive little camera. It’s got 8.1 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom. Popular Photography recently reviewed and had some great things to say about it.

Small Camera, Big Picture

On the high side of the technology wave, there are tons of features and specs to consider. A lot of these considerations are making it into smaller and smaller packages. You can get a lot out of a camera that will fit in your pocket comfortably. That’s what this category is all about. Folks who want to have high technology accessible (in their purse or pants) but not in the way.

The Sony Cybershot DSC-T200 fits the bill nicely. It’s 8.1 megapixels, has a whopping 5x optical zoom, and has image stabilization. It also has a 3.5? LCD and only weighs in at 6.6 ounces. Price of admission? About $367.

Also, take a look at the Canon 950IS. 12.1 megapixels, 3.7x optical zoom, and image stabilization. It’s priced in the $400 range. You might also want to gander at the Fujifilm Finepix F50fd, which has 12 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom and is around $250.

All-In-One Do-It-All

If you or someone on your list wants a camera that can reach out and touch someone, this is the category you need to look at. These cameras typically have a zoom range equivalent to roughly 35mm-400mm+, which is huge! What’s more, is that the best of these have image stabilization built in, which is almost a necessity for such a long reach. With all these features, however, the camera is considerably bigger than the pocket cameras discussed above. You’re going to want to grab a dedicated camera case to tote these along in.

The Canon S5IS is probably the most popular in this category. It’s a 8 megapixel (up from 6MP on the previous S3IS), has a super long zoom and built in image stabilization. It runs about $340. Not a bad deal considering all you get in one camera.

I think the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 offers Canon some strong competition in this category. Also 8MP and image stabilized, the FZ8 is a pretty camera to look at and has received rave reviews. One big plus for the FZ8 is the ability to capture images in RAW format – a feature that is not a common find among point-and-shoot cameras. It’s also over $100 less than the S5IS at $225 from Amazon at the time of posting.

Olympus has stepped up the competition a notch with the Olympus 560UZ. The 560UZ has a whopping 18x optical zoom. The 18x zoom is the equivalent focal length of 27-486mm on a 35mm film camera, which beats out the Canon and Panasonic competitors. At $420ish, it’s also the priciest of the bunch.

I’ll mention one more Canon camera that doesn’t have quite the reach of the others in this category, but it’s still a great (maybe the best) point and shoot out there. The Canon PowerShot G9 12MP Digital Camera with 6x Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom is the newest of the G-Series line. I encourage you to investigate this camera further. It has a lot of advanced options that you don’t get on your run-of-the-mill point and shoot camera.

Still Not Convinced?

Here’s a link to the Top Selling Point & Shoot Cameras on Amazon.com. Check out the prices. Read the reviews. Decide for yourself.

Digital SLRs

There is a lot of hoopla and debate surrounding the DSLR (digital single lens reflex) question. If you’ve got someone that has a DSLR on their wishlist, you’d better think twice about making this decision on your own. Your best bet is to feel the person out for which particular camera that they want. Go with them to a camera or electronics store and observe their reaction to the cameras listed below. Chances are, after holding and shooting with one or the other, they’re going to form a bias about what “feels” best. Go with that one.

If you are totally out on a limb and you know that the person for whom you’re shopping is as clueless as you about the choice, get the Canon Rebel XTi. It’s the latest offering from Canon in the entry-level DSLR realm. I recommend this camera because of Canon’s sheer market power. While any of the choices below would be suitable, Canon offers a wider selection of lenses than any other brand. When you buy a DSLR, you are buying into a system. Canon lenses fit Canon cameras and likewise with other brands. Canon is the Microsoft of the DSLR world (without the security issues and blue screens of death).

Here’s a list of the DSLR’s that should be on a first-time buyer’s Christmas list:

Want a cheaper list? Consider these 5 DSLRs for under $500.

The Photographer

So, you’ve got a photographer (profession/amateur/enthusiast) in your family and you really want to please them? These guys are the tough ones. Hopefully, they’ve given you their wish list in writing and you can hop on Amazon or B&H, or go down to your local camera store, and get what they want. If not though, what do you do?

I think you’ve still got to know categories of what they like or want. If you can figure out the ballbark areas of interest, consider some of the below suggestions. Don’t forget to read some of the reviews on Amazon when you’re shopping online. Sometimes those can be your best indicator of whether you should get the product or not.

Books:

If they’re just starting out, consider Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It’s a rather cheap book but could very well be the best $16 anybody spends on photography. If they are into Photoshop and want some good references consider the Photoshop for Digital Photographers series by Scott Kelby. There are several versions of Photoshop out there, so make sure you buy the appropriate corresponding book (e.g., The Photoshop Elements 5 Book for Digital Photographers). Additionally, consider the How to Wow Photoshop series and the Photoshop Cookbook, The Camera, The Negative, or The Print.

Camera Gear:

A quality tripod is a necessity for every serious photographer. In this case it’s hard to go wrong with something from Bogen-Manfrotto. Consider your price range, what your photographer will use it for, and educate yourself on their great line of tripods and monopods.

An off-camera flash is another important item for the new SLR user that has yet to acquire one. Buy the right brand and a flash that has a bounce/swivel head. For Nikon users, get the SB-600 or the SB-800. For Canon users get the 430EX or the 580EX.

More memory please!

This is an easy item to pick up. Find your price range and buy the largest SanDisk Ultra II card or Extreme III card that is within that range. You’ll make a photographer very happy with this gift. To learn more about memory cards, take a look at this earlier post.

Is a camera bag on your list? Lowepro and Tamrac are two very popular and high quality brands. In most cases, I would recommend that you stick to these. However, if you’re on a tight budget, Amazon frequently has a real deal on the Canon 200EG backpack. I’ve got it and I love it. It was cheap and holds everything I need and expect it to hold. Like I said though, if you want to impress, you should probably get the Lowepro.

Finally, consider some other gifts like print albums or even a digital picture frame.

Where to Buy

If you’ve not clicked on any of the links in this post yet, please note that they all will take you to the relevant pages at Amazon.com. I trust Amazon and regularly shop with them for my own camera needs. That said, if you’re buying online, I recommend sticking with Amazon, B&H Photo or Adorama. These three vendors are reliable, trustworthy and generally have the best (legitimate) prices. Additionally, purchasing your camera through these links helps support this site.

You’ve got my two cents now. I hope this run down gives you a better idea of what to look for when shopping in the camera aisle this Christmas. Feel free to fire away with questions, offer additional advice, or even make derogatory comments. Merry Christmas!

[tags]christmas, shopping, wish list, cameras, where to buy, nikon, canon, sony, olympus[/tags]

Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS Lens Now Available

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The new Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is now available at Amazon (w/ free shipping), B&H Photo and (soon) Adorama. For $199, it’s a heck of a deal! If you’re not familiar with this lens, it was introduced along with the Canon 40D this August. I expect that this will become the kit lens in the Canon Rebel XTi replacement due in Jan./Feb. 2008.

More on the EF-S 18-55mm IS lens:

Developed in response to consumer demand for a high-quality yet affordable optically image stabilized lens, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS standard zoom lens adds a phenomenally flexible lens to the EOS 40D SLR shooter’s imaging arsenal. While it features the wide-angle to mid-range zoom flexibility of its non-IS predecessor, this new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens offers the significant advantage of a true lens-shift image stabilization system that yields up to a full four stops of image-shake correction.

The higher performance provided by Canon’s lens shift IS system (compared with the in-camera sensor shift type offered in some competitive SLRs) includes the ability to optimize the lens performance for specific shooting situations such as low-light, long-zoom or movement while shooting (or virtually any combination of the three). What’s more, the shooter can see the image stabilization effect in the viewfinder. As the image already appears steady, more accurate framing and composition is possible, the AF point can be placed more precisely, and the photographer can concentrate on the optimal shot more comfortably.

Compact and lightweight, the optional EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens is manufactured by Canon specifically for the EOS 40D SLR and any other EOS SLR that takes EF-S lenses including the EOS 30D, EOS 20D, EOS 20Da, EOS Digital Rebel XTi, EOS Digital Rebel XT and the original EOS Digital Rebel camera.

[tags]canon, 18-55mm, is, ef-s, lens, price, availability[/tags]

Canon Powershot G9 Review at DP Review

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DP Review has finally posted its review of the Canon G9:

IQ-wise the G9 is about as good as it gets in a compact camera (at low ISO – once you get to ISO 400 the gap between most decent cameras is very narrow), and physically it puts virtually everything else to shame.

There are a whole lot more reviews of the Canon G9 on this page.

[tags]canon, powershot, g9, review[/tags]