Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Cameras Canon’

Canon EF 24 70mm f 2 8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

The Canon EF 24-70mm standard zoom lens does what many pros thought couldn’t be done–it replaces the L-series 28-70mm f/2.8 lens with something even better. The lens offers extended coverage to an ultra-wide-angle 24mm, making it ideal for digital as well as film shooters. The new processing unit, meanwhile, makes the autofocus (AF) faster than ever. And thanks to the two aspherical elements and a totally new UD glass element, the optics are far superior to the earlier lens. Sealed and gasketed against dust and moisture, the EF 24-70mm lens carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 24-70mm
• Maximum aperture: 1:2.8
• Lens construction: 16 elements in 13 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 74 to 29 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Front-focusing method
• Closest focusing distance: 1.25 feet
• Zoom system: Rotating type
• Filter size: 77mm
• Dimensions: 3.3 inches in diameter, 4.9 inches long
• Weight: 2.1 pounds

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Wonderful Lens
Pros:

- Solid construction

- Outstanding optics (sharpness, contrast, saturation)

- Complementary zoom range if you carry a telephoto lens like the 70-200.

- 2.8 aperture

- Focus is as expected on a USM 2.8, quick

- Lens hood & soft carrying case included*

Cons:

- Heavy, nicknamed “The Brick” (2-3 pounds) for a short lens

- Lack of IS

- Awkward lens hood*

I would like to first say that I recommend this lens – it is outstanding. I fancy this as a good walk-around lens. It is an excellent complement to a telephoto lens (such as a 70-200) which covers the my field needs – except macro and longer zoom.

Just understand what you are purchasing when you buy it. Quality is not a question in this lens and I will not discuss it. The decision is between the 27-70 F/2.8 and the 24-105 f/4 IS as they are very comparable (but not precisely identical in use) quality lenses.

Compare the 24-70 F2.8 and 24-105 F4.0 IS:

- The aperture difference means the 24-70 is superior in motion freezing and to an extent in lower light.

- Camera movement during longer exposures is less of a concern between the 24-70 and 24-105 as the IS and 2.8 tend to offset (remember that IS does NOT resolve subject movement)

- The 24-105 is more versatile by having 50% more zoom.

- I understand the 24-105 is significantly lighter. The 24-70 was disturbingly heavy for such a short lens having never held a 24-105.

- No comment between the 24-70 and 24-105 optics due to not personally encountering a 105. Ratings on the 105 are good, however.

Pay close attention to the fact that the 24-70 2.8 lacks IS and the 24-105 does have IS but at a cost of F/4 – a precarious trade-off situation. That trade-off decision likely determines what lens you should purchase unless low-weight is a major factor.

I chose the 24-70 because I preferred F/2.8 over the 105’s IS – I’ll suffer through my camera jitters as I have done in the past. The weight of the 24-70 was more of a surprise to me than an annoyance.

*: The lens hood functions adequately but attaches to the fixed portion of the barrel. The hood extends 70% of the total lens length when the lens is retracted. You can reverse the hood but it prevents use of the lens controls. This is why I call it “awkward”.

Now to save up for that 70-200 2.8…

4 Stars Great lens, but is it worth the premium?
I wanted this lens for a long time and finally bought it. Its a great lens and the other reviewers point out all the great attributes.

But to be honest, I also have a Sigma DC 17-85 F2.8 for my crop sensor 20D. That lens is nearly as sharp at all apertures. Sigma also makes a DG version for full frame cameras and is about $300 to $400 cheaper.

In the end, I’m not sure the Canon L’s price premium justified it because its performance in my experience isn’t that much better than the Sigma DG. Read up on the Amazon reviews on the DG and you will see that the Sigma is also a great lens but 30%+ cheaper.

No regrets, but my next lens may be a Sigma instead. Canon seems to keep increasing their prices with little improvement in product quality to justify those repeated increases.

5 Stars A must have lens for those who…
This is a must-have lens for those who appreciate great quality photos and the fixed f2.8. It could also be useful for photographers working on their biceps considering how heavy it is.

5 Stars A superb lens
I bought this lens to replace an old Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8 that I had been using since about 2001. The Tokina was a very good lens, but on digital cameras it had serious problems with ghosting whenever something like a light bulb or a flourescent tube was in the frame. It also had a very annoying mechanism for switching between auto-focus and manual focus that had to be worked just right or it wouldn’t let you switch.

The Canon EF 24-70mm L USM is even more of an improvement on that lens that I had expected. Not only does it extend down to 24mm, focus faster, control flare and ghosting much better, and implement manual-focus sensibly (including, like all ring-USM Canon lenses, the ability to adjust focus manually even in auto-focus mode), but it’s much sharper. I had no idea how sharp a zoom lens could be until I bought this lens! It is just a bit soft wide open at the long end of its range, but from 24-50mm or so it’s quite sharp even at f/2.8, improving to stunningly sharp by f/5.6. Softness creeps in again at about f/11 due to diffraction limiting, but that’s a natural optical restriction, not a flaw in the lens.

Ergonomically, the lens is excellent. The zoom and focus rings are well-placed and move easily, with a comfortable level of resistance. It is a fairly large, heavy lens, but typically so for Canon L-series lenses, and not much more so than the Tokina that it replaced in my setup. I don’t find it uncomfortable to hold, but I do tend to keep my left hand under it for extra support when in use.

Aside from the minor softness at the long end that I mentioned above, the only significant negative of this lens is the lack of image stabilization (IS), which would come in handy in low light situations.

One interesting property of the EF 24-70mm is that it reverse-extends when zooming — that is, the inner barrel is extended more at the shorter focal lengths, and fully retracted at 70mm. This seems counter-intuitive until you notice how this interacts with the lens hood, which is mounted on the outer barrel and so does not move with the inner barrel. The EF 24-70mm has a much deeper hood than I have seen on other standard-range zooms, and the extension of the barrel at shorter focal lengths means that the hood optimally covers the lens at all focal lengths. At 70mm, the lens is fully retracted, so the hood provides an appropriately narrow field of view; at 24mm, the lens is maximally extended, and the hood provides correspondingly less coverage.

To sum up, the EF 24-70mm L USM is an excellent lens, fully worthy of the L-series designation. The only improvements I would hope for in a future update would be IS and a little more sharpness at wide apertures near 70mm. Until that lens comes into being, I’ll happily continue using this one.

5 Stars Love this lens!
I had been looking for a fast lens in which to

use for photojournalism. I wanted a lens that

could handle low light situations. I rented

different lenses to see which would produce the

clarity, the color, etc. I was torn between

the Canon EF 24mm f 1.4L USM and the 24-70mm f2.8L.

I decided I could get better use of the 24-70mm

since it was zoom and it worked well in low lights.

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Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control for EOS D30 D60 D10 1D 1V and 20D SLR Cameras

This is a remote switch with a 2.6 feet cord and a self-timer, interval timer, long-exposure timer, and exposure count setting feature. The timer can be set anywhere from 1 sec. to 99 hrs., 59 min., 59 sec. The plug for connection to the EOS-3 has a quick lock feature. A new dial enables you to easily enter the numeric settings with a single thumb. The LCD panel can also be illuminated. The rear of the Controller has a hole to keep the EOS-3’s remote control socket cap. Large 2.5-inch Vari-angle LCD enables easy viewing This AA battery powered camera enables you to easily power up Effective Pixels – Approx. 12.1 Megapixels Type – 1/2.3-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD) Lens – Canon 20x optical zoom with Focal Length – 5.0 (W) – 100 (T) mm f/2.8-5.7 (35mm equivalent – 28-560mm) LCD Monitor – 2.5-inch TFT color Vari-Angle LCD with wide viewing angle Shutter Speed – 15-1/3,200 sec. ISO Sensitivity – Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent Exposure Control Method – Program AE, i-Contrast, Manual; AE Lock, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift White Balance Control – Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash), Custom Built-in Flash – Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro Shooting Modes – Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Special Scene, Super Macro, Night Snapshot, Stitch Assist, Movie Storage Media – SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus Card, HC MMCplus Card File Format – Still Image – Exif 2.2 (JPEG); Movie – MOV (Image – H.264; Audio – Linear PCM (Monaural)) Still Image – Up to 4,000 x 3,000 (Large); Movie – 1,280 x 720 (HD, 30 fps available up to 4GB or 29 minutes, 59 sec.), 640 x 480 (30 fps) Power Source – Alkaline Battery AA x 4 Dimensions (WxHxD) – 4.88 x

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars The bad: International Warranty, too expensive, I want more control
Would you like to send a product back if it stopped working properly? Well, if you are in the USA, the International Warranty isn’t going to help you.

Intervalometers should be built into the camera but they aren’t (well, more cameras are starting to do this) and so Canon charges an arm and a leg for a counting device.

I shouldn’t have to work around the fact that I want to take more than 99 photos without reseting the device. It should be easy to select how many photos you want at what interval you want. But it’s not like that.

4 Stars A good timer
It works well but is unintuitive to set up for use. Definitely requires a manual. The one which comes with the unit is Ok but there is an online manual which is more thorough and better.

5 Stars Canon Timer Remote
Works great and saves me a lot of time and effort. The cord could be longer, maybe a foot or so, but for macro or night sky shots it is plenty. I would recommend a piece of velcro on your tripod and the back ot the remote to keep it from dangling and getting tangled.

The only issue that I have with this unit is that the extension cord costs way too much considering that it is only a piece of wire and canon only end pieces.

3 Stars The Good… the Bad… the…
Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control – I purchased this item about 2 years ago. Good product. Great Battery Life, but no manual, expensive. I wish it had some kind of case, because eventually the cord will separate (or pull out) from the body and quit working. Which it did in the middle of a photo shoot.

5 Stars Very handy to have!
Although a bit pricey, it is very well made and does what it is supposed to do to perfection. Stays on forever though. Should have an on/off switch? Taking the battery out is the only way to turn it off.

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Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Canon’s new Speedlite 270EX adds power and flexibility for enhanced flash photography anywhere. Light, compact and small enough to fit in your pocket, Speedlite 270EX features 2-step coverage for 28mm and 50mm focal lengths, plus a highly useful bounce-flash function for amazingly easy, polished results. Powered by 2 AA batteries (not included), Speedlite 270EX is easily set-up and controlled through your camera’s menu system (with select models), communicates color temperature information with your camera for optimal white balance and recharges silently in less than 4 seconds. An indispensable complement to your Canon camera, Speedlite 270EX is a perfect extension of your photographic genius. Optimized recycling time (approx. 0.1 to 3.9 seconds) Quieter charging Easy storage soft case Powered using just 2 AA batteries Type Mode – E-TTL II, E-TTL Compatible Cameras – All Canon EOS cameras; PowerShot G-series cameras and select SX-series cameras Guide Number – 72 ft./22m (at ISO 100); flash head at 28mm zoom setting / 89 ft./27m (at ISO 100); flash head at 50mm zoom setting Recycling Time Normal flash – Approx. 0.1 to 3.9 seconds; Quick flash – 0.1 to 2.6 seconds (AA-size Alkaline Batteries) Flash Range (At ISO 100, with EF 50mm f/1.4) – For normal (28mm) – 2.3-51.5 ft./0.7-15.7m; For tele end (50mm) – 2.3-63.3 ft./0.7-19.3m; For high sync speed (at 1/250 second) – Approx. 2.3-24.9 ft./0.7-7.6m AF Assist Beam – Intermittent flash firing system Power Source – Two AA-size/LR6 Alkaline Batteries Unit Dimensions – 2.5 x 2.6 x 3.0 in./64 x 65 x 76.5mm; Weight – 5.1 oz./145g (without batteries)

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars simple to use
I’m a real novice, but I was easily able to figure out how to use this flash – and they do, of course, include instructions that I skimmed over. This is the only one I’ve ever used, so I’m not able to compare it to any others. I do like that I can change it’s position to bounce off the ceiling, instead of a straight on flash.

4 Stars Perfect for the Powershot G series cameras
I bought the 270EX for my Powershot G10, simply because the thought and usability of putting my 580EX II on a “point and shoot” camera is quite comical. The flash on the Powershot G10 isn’t that bad, but I’ve got a Lensmate with a UV filter and the G10’s onboard flash is effectively cut down and makes shadows because of the barrel of the Lensmate.

The decision came down to the 220EX and the 270EX. The 270EX’s ability to bounce the flash towards the ceiling so I am not blinding my subjects is pretty nice. It also puts distance between the Lensmate, so I can have a “mini-SLR” rig instead of the full 5D Mark II and accessories. And the price difference was negligible.

Like anything, there’s a tradeoff. Smaller flash units means less power, and thus less distance. Instead of the LCD I’m used to on my 580EX II, I’ve got to control everything from the camera’s LCD, which is no real big deal. But since it’s smaller, I’m more likely to carry it than not in a jacket pocket.

If you’ve got a Powershot G series camera, you might want to consider this flash. It’s worked fine for me, and would probably even work if you had one of the Digital Rebel series instead of the 430EX II. But like anything photography related, you get what you pay for BUT the more you spend, the more time it takes to adequately learn it.

5 Stars Nifty little flash
It is what it is… a simple, no-brainer flash. No serious settings to adjust, no serious factors to consider, a straight forward way to add more light into your pictures. If you want, you can make a few manual flash adjustments on the camera itself. Great bang for the buck.

I really like using it on my G10.

4 Stars Good Value For An Add On Flash
I needed to get more flash than was produced by the stock flash on my Canon EOS Rebel. I did not want a large, heavy (4 or more batteries), mounted on the camera.

This unit solved the problem! It only uses 2-AA batteries and makes a big flash for a smaller unit. I’m a realtor and it fills the room for color rich pictures.

I love the bounce feature and find I’m using it whenever I have a white ceiling in a room. I’m not a photo artist but this Speedlite in combination with my 10 to 20 wide angle lense has helped me to produce wonderful listing photos. I love the compliments from the other agents in my office!

1 Star Two Major Glitches
This is a nice little convenient flash to carry when you cannot or do not want to carry a larger flash. It weighs almost exactly half of the 420EX or 430EX and balances very nicely on a 40D camera. I bought the 270ex with the intention to use it for fill flash on my 30D and 40D cameras.

HOWEVER, it is not good for my purposes because…

The flash is touted to cover the view of a 28mm lens on a 1.6x camera. This should allow it to be used with the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens at 17 or 18mm (which is equivalent to a 28mm lens on a full-frame camera)… You get a shadow at the bottom of the frame when using that lens at less than about 24mm with an attached lens hood. Sure, bouncing would correct that but, it the unit cannot be adjusted right to left so you cannot bounce it at 24mm or below with the camera in the vertical position. Also, you could remove the hood to alleviate the shadow problem but, I don’t want to be removing and replacing the hood frequently.

The flash cannot be controlled on a camera earlier than the 40D, despite the instruction book saying that the 270ex is compatible with “E-TTL II/E-TTL autoflash EOS cameras” In other words, you cannot reduce the power of the flash or select 1st curtain, 2nd curtain or Hi Speed Sync on a camera like a 30D.

Neither of the above problems was noted in any review of this unit, nor in the instruction manual.

My final grade for this flash would be 3-stars (because it can only tilt and cannot swivel) for 40D cameras and later and 1-star for cameras earlier than the 40D.

Buy/More Info

Canon MR 14EX Macro Ring Lite for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Canon’s Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX for close-up and macro shooting comes equipped with many features and capabilities. Utilizing E-TTL (enhanced through- the-lens mode) technology, it takes full advantage of the flash performance of the Canon EOS-1V, EOS-3, and other E-TTL cameras, and also supports E-TTL wireless auto flash, when used with at least one Canon 550EX Speedlite flash. The circular twin flash tubes of the MR-14EX can fire at even power, or vary between themselves over a six-stop range. The controller unit has an illuminated LCD panel, and the MR14-EX also accepts optional high-capacity battery packs.

The MR-14EX attaches directly to Canon’s EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro, EF 100mm f/2.8 macro (both versions), and MP-E 65mm macrophoto lenses, and can also be used with EF 180mm f/3.5L macro USM via the Macrolite adapter 72C.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars PRO !
Very usefull for Marco pictures !! a must have item if you can afford it !

5 Stars Great For Dental Photography
I take pictures for an orthodontists, and this has drastically improved the lighting on my photos. Its great for close up pictures. I use this in conjunction with a Cannon Rebel XT and a 60mm lens.

5 Stars A necessity for close macro work
The Canon MR-14EX was a perfect addition to my macro photo equipment. It snaps onto my 50mm compact macro lens quickly and easily and illuminates extreme closeup subjects that a regular on-camera flash could not reach, and it saves futzing with an off-camera extension flash.

My only beef is that the inside diameter of the ring is too small to fit larger diameter lenses (I often like to use my sharp Canon 24-70mm lens with macro rings for extreme macros). There is no easy way to mount the MR14EX on this lens. I have sometimes hand held it in place, but this risks wiggling the rig during exposure. The ring is specifically designed to snap onto only the 50mm and 180mm macro lenses. That said, the small ring diameter does allow you to deliver light onto smaller, closer subjects.

The diverse selectable features of this flash unit allow you to tailor the results to your specific macro needs. The price tag is an eye-popper, but if macro photography is an important part of your photographic repertoire, the MR14EX will expand your creative possibilities considerably and give terrific results.

5 Stars Awesome for intraoral shots
I use this for taking photographs of my orthodontist patients. I have it mounted to my 100mm macro lens. Perfect.

5 Stars Canon MR-14EX
Excellent ring light. Easy to use. You get good shading effects with the variable bulb output.

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Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras

Further development of Canon’s flagship Speedlite has led to the production of the 580 EX II. This is the premier Speedlite for all photographers, including professionals. Newly designed to match with the EOS-1D Mark III in terms of improved dust- and water-resistance, body strength, and the ability to control flash functions and settings from the camera menu (EOS-1D Mark III only). Other features include improved communication reliability through its direct contacts, and recycling time is both 20% shorter than the 580EX and is completely inaudible. Optional External power supply – compatible with Dust- and water- Resistant External Power Pack, Canon battery pack CP-E3 and Transistor Pack E Unit Dimensions – 3.0 x 5.3 x 4.5 inches /76 x 134 x 114mm; Weight – 13.2 oz./375g, without batteries (4 AA alkaline batteries add 3.5 oz./100g)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars AWESOME~!
The old flash I had was a 420 EX and I didn’t get the best lighting from it. Once I got the 580ExII everything changed. It is such a powerful flash, I love everything about it.

5 Stars Great Flash!!
this flash brings a new world for your photography. Great quality and structure. The battery life is excellent, i did a complete photo shoot for models with only one pack of batteries.

5 Stars Strongest shoe flash!
Gotta love this flash for the power it packs!

I’ve owned this device for over a year and a half, and along with it, i have the Canon ST-E2 wireless transmitter.

There is so much i can do with them both combined.

But just as is, the 580EXII is great for close portraits, indoors or outdoors as fill light.

Dont expect this speedlite to operate like the 430EX and 430EXII with the Pocket Wizards.

The 580EXII isnt compatible with the PW and it cannot really do wireless through walls like the PW. For this speedlite, with use of the Canon ST-E2, both infrared lights must meet in order for the flash to be fired wirelessly.

5 Stars Great Flash
This flash is a great flash. The other night, My wife and I heard something in the trees behind our house. I grabbed my Canon t1i and this flash and my 55-250mm lens. Started taking pictures at the area where the sound was coming from. Sure enough, there were 2 raccoons way up in the trees. this flash was able to pick them off from about 200mm in the tree. Great Flash!

5 Stars great flash
I buy this flash to replace my 380EX for 5D. It is very powerful, accurate TTL, fast recycling.

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