OT - Ball!

[swjim]

I took the camera in the backyard yesterday evening with the intent of taking some pics of my younger kids. We started playing ball with our dog, Marble, and he ended up having a photo shoot of his own. All pics are taken with a Canon 85mm f/1.8 so most are cropped in some manner from the originals.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5 I missed the focus a bit on this one but like the shot anyway.

#6 My favorite

 

[kb27973]

I love that lens! I was going to ask you how it was as a portrait lens but #6 answered that. In #4 it's hard to tell who is happier your son or the dog! Great shots.

Ken

 

[Reef Bass]

Terrific job with those! I really get a sense of the focus and intensity of the dog. I like the action in #2 and the "all paws up" thing in #6. I'd caption that one "My ball".

 

[swjim]

Thanks, I was pleased with the way they turned out. I'll try again soon with my 70-200 to see what I can get.

And Ken, it's a great portrait lens too. This is is a shot of my older boy at f/2.2. It was just a quick snap in the driveway but it can give you an idea of what the lens can do.

 

[kb27973]

Nice Jim. I haven't looked up the lens online - don't want to get tempted... But being a fast f1.8 I'm sure it wasn't cheap. What body are you using?

Ken

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

It has a big brother, the 85mm f/1.2! (sexiest lens out there)
I love the f/1.8 for its faster focus speed though.

Great lens, Great dog, Great technique!

 

[swjim]

B&H has them for $380, it's one of the best bang for the buck Canon lenses you can get. The f/1.2L version is the one that TS mentioned is much more expensive, but I completely agree with him it's a very sexy lens.

Thanks TS!

 

[t5Nitro]

I just can't believe the clarity in those shots. Amazing. I'm sure my 24-70L has capabilities of that so now I'm disappointed again. Should I get the 5DMkII or what settings are you using? I can't take portrait (or dog) shots at all. I thought a few of mine of my dog were pretty good until those showed up online.

Nice job. I might look into that 85mm f/1.2 lens. Or is the 24-70 fine? Just tell me to learn my own camera??

 

[swjim]

Thanks T5. These were taken with my 5D MKII in AI Servo mode and the 85mm f/1.8. All were shot in AV mode at f/1.8-2.2.

Even though it's not considered a sports camera it still tracks pretty well, IMO.

 

[t5Nitro]

In your honest opinion does the new full frame offer a lot to picture quality? I was really interested in high ISOs with no to low grain but even so... I know there has to be more to a full frame other than full range of the lenses and lower grain.

I just picked up my new motorcycle so I won't be buying a piece of camera gear until the end of the year. But if that new camera body is "a beast" let me know. I will save up longer.

Awesome shots, though. And very cool being that lens. I just checked it out and it's insane how different the prices are between that one and the L. Obviously you don't need the L.
Good job.

 

[swjim]

The high ISO performance was the biggest draw for me and I haven't been disappointed. The below shot was taken with the 70-200 2.8L IS at 1/60, f/3.5, 195mm, ISO3200. I opened the RAW file in DPP, changed the WB to shade and saved it as a jpg without making any other adjustments. It's much cleaner than my 30D could produce.

I also like how wide my 24-70 has become on full frame vs the crop.

The 21MP give incredible detail, you can crop a lot and still have a very usable image if you like.

I'm starting to play with the video mode a bit, it's actually pretty cool but I need to learn a lot more about how to get the most out of these capabilities both in capturing and editing.

Anyway, here is the sample shot at ISO3200 I was referring to and this is the link to the full res version: http://jimpr4photo.smugmug.com/photos/547269393_nbR5d-O.jpg

 

[t5Nitro]

That's just insane. At ISO 800 my 30D goes pretty grainy already.

Mmmm, I might save up for this camera toward the end of the year. I'm thinking about taking college photography courses since I like the hobby and have already taken courses for it in high school. Maybe this will be my excuse of why I need the new camera.