I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

[StuartR]

[Ian]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

I've always wondered why Canon don't supply a lens hood - even the 50mm f/1.4 doesn't come with a hood

You need to check that you're getting the new IS version of the 18-55, of course if going for the Canon option.

Pixmania is based in France but now owned, as I understand, by Dixons Stores Group (DSG) - I can find out if a Pixmania purchase is subject to the UK cashback offer. I know that Olympus honour DSLR warranties internationally.

Ian

[Ian]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

I've always wondered why Canon don't supply a lens hood - even the 50mm f/1.4 doesn't come with a hood

You need to check that you're getting the new IS version of the 18-55, of course if going for the Canon option.

Pixmania is based in France but now owned, as I understand, by Dixons Stores Group (DSG) - I can find out if a Pixmania purchase is subject to the UK cashback offer. I know that Olympus honour DSLR warranties internationally.

Ian

http://dpnow.pricegrabber.co.uk/sear...n%20lens%20kit

[Stephen]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

As an aside, all my Canon lenses came with a hood, though I remember my 75-300 didn't but I no longer have that.

I'd also agree about the Nikon D40 user interface, it seems they try to make it user friendly for newbies etc., but I did find it confusing when I briefly used a friends Frankly I think when I tried the Canon 400D it was pretty similar

I suppose if your brother only uses it on full auto it won't make a lot of difference though.

[Ian]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

As an aside, all my Canon lenses came with a hood, though I remember my 75-300 didn't but I no longer have that.

I'd also agree about the Nikon D40 user interface, it seems they try to make it user friendly for newbies etc., but I did find it confusing when I briefly used a friends Frankly I think when I tried the Canon 400D it was pretty similar

I suppose if your brother only uses it on full auto it won't make a lot of difference though.

I had a hood with my 75-300 EF USM when I bought it 12 years ago, but I can't remember if I had to buy it separately; probably did actually. Same for my 28-80 kit zoom the year previously when I bought my EOS-100.

Ian

[Ian]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

Had a word with Olympus; they aren't sure about Pixmania or eBuyer - the best advice is to seek advice from the vendor concerning eligibility for the cashback offer.

Ian

[StuartR]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

As an aside, all my Canon lenses came with a hood, though I remember my 75-300 didn't but I no longer have that.

I suppose if your brother only uses it on full auto it won't make a lot of difference though.

That's because you're minted enough to buy L series lenses Stephen . Those of us at the lower end of the market have to pay for lens hoods - I certainly did for my 17-85mm, 70-300mm, 60mm Macro and 50mm Canons. They're not cheap either! The one for the 50mm is a bizarre two-piece affair the looks like they forgot to think about how to fit the lens hood until after they'd made the lens! I struggled to find one too and had to buy one 2nd-hand on eBay.

Incidentally I refused to buy one for my 70-300mm and bought a cheap rubber extendable jobbie from 7dayshop (IIRC). Turned out to be brilliant at the zoo - you can press the lens right against glass and even angle the camera slightly to get reflection-free images.

On your second point, yes, I suspect the camera will never come off auto. I've tried to teach the others the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO setting but the penny just won't drop - not going to even try this time. Perhaps, when he gets a flash, I'll have a go at explaining reciprocity failure though

[Ian]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

That's because you're minted enough to buy L series lenses Stephen . Those of us at the lower end of the market have to pay for lens hoods - I certainly did for my 17-85mm, 70-300mm, 60mm Macro and 50mm Canons. They're not cheap either! The one for the 50mm is a bizarre two-piece affair the looks like they forgot to think about how to fit the lens hood until after they'd made the lens! I struggled to find one too and had to buy one 2nd-hand on eBay.

Incidentally I refused to buy one for my 70-300mm and bought a cheap rubber extendable jobbie from 7dayshop (IIRC). Turned out to be brilliant at the zoo - you can press the lens right against glass and even angle the camera slightly to get reflection-free images.

On your second point, yes, I suspect the camera will never come off auto. I've tried to teach the others the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO setting but the penny just won't drop - not going to even try this time. Perhaps, when he gets a flash, I'll have a go at explaining reciprocity failure though

My understanding is that digital sensors are not so prone to reciprocity failure compared to film

Ian

[StuartR]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

My understanding is that digital sensors are not so prone to reciprocity failure compared to film

Ian

[Stephen]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

I've also never associated it with the use of flash either, though I can see why you might To me the reason a flashgun won't illuminate these stadiums as you mention is simply due to flash drop off, ie the distance is too great, and the flash gun isn't powerful enough, if anything you shoul;d be trying to explain the Inverse Square Law

[Ian]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

Erm, are we thinking about the same thing?

Reciprocity failure happens in either extremely long or extremely short exposures and causes the normal linear relationship between shutter speed and aperture to 'bend'. So a change of one stop no longer has the effect of a stop's difference in exposure under normal photographic conditions.

I think your reference to flash is regarding the inverse square law - the light intensity drops off dramatically beyond a certain distance, almost like an exponential increase in reverse.

Ian

[StuartR]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

Many years ago a very intelligent colleague explained to me, in great detail, reciprocity failure AND the inverse square law - to be honest I was more interested in my pint & pork pie at the time so I probably wasn't listening that carefully. IIRC he mentioned that he'd been a photographer in the airforce and I said that I'd just read about reciprocity failure in a Time-Life photography book and, with that, he was away...

I guess, thinking about it (plus a quick google) reciprocity failure is more to do with long exposures without flash and the inverse square law could be used to explain flash drop-off so I got it the wrong way round..I think.


Pint & pork pie - staple diet of my 20's that I'm still paying for now, I don't do either anymore...don't miss 'em! I just associate a pork pie with a pack of lard and they don't seem attractive anymore...reminds me of the cheese sandwich I made myself whilst slightly inebriated (70's again) that, after a couple of mouthfuls, I discovered was actually full-fat anchor butter - not cheese

[Ian]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

Many years ago a very intelligent colleague explained to me, in great detail, reciprocity failure AND the inverse square law - to be honest I was more interested in my pint & pork pie at the time so I probably wasn't listening that carefully. IIRC he mentioned that he'd been a photographer in the airforce and I said that I'd just read about reciprocity failure in a Time-Life photography book and, with that, he was away...

I guess, thinking about it (plus a quick google) reciprocity failure is more to do with long exposures without flash and the inverse square law could be used to explain flash drop-off so I got it the wrong way round..I think.


Pint & pork pie - staple diet of my 20's that I'm still paying for now, I don't do either anymore...don't miss 'em! I just associate a pork pie with a pack of lard and they don't seem attractive anymore...reminds me of the cheese sandwich I made myself whilst slightly inebriated (70's again) that, after a couple of mouthfuls, I discovered was actually full-fat anchor butter - not cheese

Haha! I see so much of myself in what you say

I lived on beef pasties when I was at college - I'm quite surprised I haven't gone down with Mad Cow Disease - maybe I shouldn't joke

I do like pork pies - but they are strictly a once in a blue moon treat these days!

Ian

[Tom]

Re: I recommended Olympus! Have I gone mad?

I am over the moon with my relatively new Pentax 10D and their 50-200 lens is the best lens I have ever worked with.