As my camera history shows, Canon models have featured quite heavily in the line up of cameras I’ve owned.  Much like Windows computers, Canon were the popular and safe choice.  Well, hey, it’s 2009 and I’m composing this on a Mac because I believe it to be the better personal computing platform for me at this time.  As the title of this blog post suggests rather unsubtly, Canon have lost their hold on me and I’ve ‘gone to the dark side’.

Out went the Canon EOS 5D and in its place came the Nikon D700.  So, why the big move?

Improved high …more

Does ‘better’ equipment make you a ‘better’ photographer?  Without proper definitions of both instances of the word ‘better’, it’s a very ambiguous question.  Is newer better?  Is more expense better?  Are more megapixels better?  Are photographs that sell for more money better?

Anyway, the path from 40D to 5D is considered by most to be an upward one due to the increase in sensor size even though the 40D is 2 years the junior in terms of release dates.

Okay, bigger sensor size.  What exactly does that mean?

Technically speaking, DPReview provides the following information about the difference in 40D and 5D sensors:

Canon …more

When I decided to get back into SLR photography, I didn’t really give too much consideration to the difference between the different sensor sizes on offer.  After trying a friend’s 40D, I decided it was a good choice for me to go with and indeed it was.  After 8-months of shooting with the 40D, I’ve shot almost 12,000 frames, learned a great deal and produced some images that I’m proud of.

However, having shot with 35mm film in the past, in the back of my mind there was always the desire to get back to shooting with a full frame sensor.  …more

The EF 50mm lenses from Canon are probably the most talked about lenses I’ve come across (in the world of Canon). Their popularity is no doubt partly due to the great value of the f/1.8 flavour, which costs less than £70, in light of the sharpness a fixed focal length lens brings.

As well as the f/1.8, there are f/1.4 (2/3-stop faster than f/1.8) and f/1.2L (1/3-stop faster than f/1.4) versions each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

50mm f/1.8 (aka nifty fifty) offers sharpness, shallow depth of field and low-light capability in a very light and inexpensive lens.
50mm f/1.4 improves on …more

The rumours and reports of accidentally published official web pages have finally been ratified with the announcement of the latest Canon digital SLR; the EOS 50D.  Just a year younger than its sibling, the 40D, the new mid-range camera once again brings Canon up to speed with the latest Nikon releases with features such including:

15.1 MP (APS-C) CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4 processor
ISO range up to 12800
3.0″ 920,000 dot VGA LCD with Live View
Face detection technology [on a semi-pro model?!]
AF adjustment

I’ll leave the feature debate for others and simply say that I won’t be replacing my 40D with the new 50D.  …more

A question that I often see being asked in photography forums is

What’s a good walkabout lens for my xxxD?

Rather than it being a reference to lenses with legs, a walkabout lens is one with which you might take out on a day of walking whether it be to a park, to the shops or to your friends barbeque. The requirement being that because you don’t know what type of subject you’re going to come across you take a lens that can cover most general situations rather than lugging about a heavy bag filled with lenses.

Prime lenses don’t fall into …more

The auctioning of my Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens concluded today after, relative to other things I’ve previously sold on eBay, a huge amount of interest. Bidding started at just 99p in order to attract interest and minimise listing fees. Most of the time, my listing tend to stagnate for a while and only receive bids closer to the auction end, but this one received a few bids early on.

My nearly new Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM zoom lens is being auctioned on eBay and starting at just 99 pence!

430EX II

Typical. Weeks after I buy myself a Canon Speedlite 430EX, Canon announce its replacement; the 430EX II. Still, from an initial read of the announcement, it doesn’t look like I’ve missed out on much. New features are said to be:

20% reduction in recycle times meaning it’s ready to fire quicker than the model it replaces.
The high-pitched whine normally associated with a charging flash has been eliminated and it’s now silent to minimise distraction. Can’t say I ever found it distracting.
The mounting foot is now metal constructed for a more robust connection with a camera body.
A …more

Back when I was first thinking about buying my 40D, I thought about the first lens I wanted to go with it. I considered the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, but decided against it due to the relatively high cost. Then, after a couple of months with the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM I settled upon, I decided I wanted, no, needed the 17-55mm!

The pull of the f/2.8 was just too strong and so last week I took delivery of the lens (and am now looking to re-home my 17-85mm) and it was just how I expected it …more

What’s a nicer way to start off my new photography blog than with a post on how I’ve just received my Canon Cashback cheque through the post today?

Canon having been running their Cashback promotions for quite some time now, but I was always going to buy Canon when I once again became a SLR user however, it’s a certainly a nice sweetener to receive a cheque in the mail.

When I purchased my EOS 40D body and EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM standard zoom, Canon were offering £100 cashback on the body and £40 on the lens. I went on …more