A couple of months ago, I helped a friend source a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens. Oddly, a day or two later he found that his order had been canceled. Another day later, the retailer contacted him with an explaination for canceling his order. While packing the lens for shipping, they heard a rattle inside the box, determined that the lens was damaged, and instead of risking a damaged lens being sent to a customer, they returned the lens to Canon.
After a brief conversation with my contacts at Canon USA, it was expected that the image stabilization unit not being parked was the source of the rattle sound. It was not thought that the unparked state was a damage risk to the lens and it was thought that mounting the lens on a camera would resolve the problem.
I just took delivery of a new 600mm f/4L IS III lens and upon removing the lens from the packaging, an obvious rattle could be heard. It sounded like this:
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens Rattle Sound
After the lens was mounted to a camera, the power cycled (parking the IS unit), and the lens removed, the sound was dramatically diminished.
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens with Less Rattle Sound
So, the expected cause of the rattle proved to be correct and you probably need not worry about the rattle your new super telephoto lens makes.
The hard-to-get Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens is available for order at B&H ("More on the Way" — coming soon) (save the tax, use the B&H Payboo card), on backorder at Adorama, "Temporarily out of stock" at Amazon, and available for preorder at WEX.
Lensrentals has the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens available for rental.
Opening Up About Canon’s New Sumire Prime LensesSaturday, June 1st
Paramount Theater
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Announced earlier this year, Canon’s new Sumire Prime lenses are full frame, PL-mount cinema lenses that offer a unique, artistically pleasing look with gentle and beautiful skin tones and smooth bokeh. In this panel discussion, cinematographers discuss their first impressions after their recent experiences shooting with the lenses.
Canon ConversationsFollow Canon’s Cine Gear activities on Twitter at @CanonUSApro or on Instagram at @CanonUSAprovideo.
Paramount Theater
Canon’s cinema cameras and lenses have had a substantial impact throughout TV and film since the company first entered the market in 2011. In this panel, leading cinematographers will discuss the Canon gear that they’ve used on their recent projects, and how it has helped them capture their vision.
Cine Gear attendees will also be able to learn more about Canon’s CarePAK PRO Accidental Damage Protection Plan, which covers professional cinema and video products. Canon CarePAK PRO offers coverage from accidental damage such as drops, spills and power surges, protecting customer investments from unforeseen repair costs and excessive downtime.
5DayDeal's next video education bundle, Complete Video Creators Bundle 2019, launches on June 6th. Stay tuned for the details!
While these image quality results may appear simple, they have a background. Keeping the story short, my first copy of this lens took forever to arrive and when it did, the performance was not as expected with damage sustained in transit being strongly suspected. The second lens also took a long time to acquire and the results being shared here are from this lens.
Before announcing these results, I did some sanity checking including with my Canon USA technical rep. My concern (always) is ensuring that this lens' performance is representative of what buyers should expect from their own lens. The MTF charts suggest that the version III lens should perform nearly equally to the version II lens. While I'm not absolutely 100% confident that a better copy of this lens is not available (and will likely test at least one more copy of this lens to be sure), I have enough confidence that this lens is representative of the model, showing what we should expect, to share these results.
That said, let's jump right into the comparison that most will be interested in, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III vs. II Lens image quality comparison. The version III lens produces very impressive image quality wide open. My only cause for concern about this lens copy was that the version II lens is very slightly sharper in the center of the frame with the difference primarily noticeable when extenders are being used. With less lateral CA, the version III lens produces better peripheral image quality, even with the 2x extender in place.
Unmistakably better is the version III's weight. As I was creating this post, I grabbed the lens from my desk and ran to attempt to catch a pileated woodpecker on a tree just outside the studio. That effort reminded me how amazingly light this lens is for its specs.
Here is another relevant comparison: Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III vs. Nikon 600mm f/4E AF-S FL ED VR Lens.
The hard-to-get Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens is available for order at B&H ("More on the Way" — coming soon) (save the tax, use the B&H Payboo card), on backorder at Adorama, "Temporarily out of stock" at Amazon, and available for preorder at WEX.
Want this lens in your hands tomorrow? Lensrentals has the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens available for rental.
When photographing low light action, one historically had to choose between a moderately wide aperture (f/2.8) in a zoom lens and an ultra-wide aperture (f/1.4 for example) in a prime lens. With the RF 28-70, you can have both a wide aperture and a zoom focal length range. While some prime lenses still have the wide aperture advantage, the RF 28-70 f/2 L lens bridges the divide and, especially from an image quality perspective, is an outstanding option for low light needs including concert photography.
The spot lights happened to be on the singer (Ledger) in this image, allowing a very clean ISO 800 with a shutter speed adequate to stop most of the motion at f/2. Other images were captured at ISO settings as high as 6400 where the 1-stop advantage this zoom lens has over most other zooms makes a considerably bigger difference in image quality.
At concerts, the location of the action is often unpredictable and changing fast and that means focal length changes are required, ideally fitting for a zoom lens. Yes, some prime lenses could have given me another 1-stop lower ISO setting, but I would have minimally needed multiple cameras to cover the same range and often the performers were moving so fast that the shot would have been long gone by the time the cameras were swapped. Shooting wider and cropping later is an option, but lower resolution images are the result.
Also great for fast moving subjects was the R's touch and drag AF. With the left hand adjusting the focal length and the right thumb moving the focus point as needed for ideal framing, the EOS R was an ideal choice.
Every shoot teaches new lessons and here are a few concert photography tips from that night.
First, if photographing with a media pass, know without a doubt which gate you are supposed to enter through and be ready to politely ask for a additional opinions when the first person(s) thinks they know the different gate you are required to enter through. This saves walking half way around a stadium to the shipping and receiving area and waiting for a security guard to make a series of phone calls to figure out what you already knew and send you back to the other side of the stadium. If opting to ignore this advice, strongly consider arriving at least 1 hour early.
Also if photographing with a media pass, make sure that you have a signed copy of that pass (minimally on your phone) with you because the media reps for some reason may not have your name on the list. If offered a label with your name handwritten on it, request a lanyard because your camera strap is going to peel the label off within 10 minutes of your arrival, leaving you without the pass. Minimally attach the label to something that avoids the peel-off risk.
While your media pass may specify where you are supposed to photograph from, the media pass may not have been updated since the 360° stage was implemented. The specified locations may not exist and those working the show may have no clue about the topic or even how to get to the floor from the entrance level. Arrive early enough that if the instructions do not align with reality there is time to figure out where you are permitted to go without negatively impacting the show (it is probably not being performed for you).
Oh, if the tour is promoting a 360° stage, just get a ticket and leave the camera at home. Within seconds, the performer can be a basketball court distance away and even two cameras with complementing zoom lenses are not adequate. Compounding the problem is that you will have backs toward you for at least 270° of the stage.
I'll add these notes to the concert photography tips page.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
Still need a graduation gift? This camera would make a great one.
Canon USA refurbished gear is like new and comes with an as-new warranty.
Again, more information about this lens is coming.
The Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens from Lensrentals.
Capturing this image was primarily a matter of repeatedly getting out in front of the bull and properly predicting where it would enter a clearing at the right distance for the big prime lens I was using. As you will notice from the camera settings for this image, it was quite dark when this image was captured. The pursuit started under cloudy weather that deteriorated into light rain.
I still have one opening remaining for the September elk in rut photo tour in Rocky Mountain National Park (or get on the 2020 waiting list).
Consider joining a small group of photographers (all skill levels welcome) pursuing these awesome animals and other wildlife and landscape opportunities in this great park!
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
You are going to be impressed with these results.
This is a unique lens. The product images show that this lens has a manual aperture ring denoted "T", for T-stops, showing the actual amount of light transmission. While this is technically an f/2.8 lens, the T-stop ring stops at f/5.6 and f/5.6 is the widest aperture selectable in-camera. The reason has to do with the STF (Smooth Trans Focus) feature including an optical apodization lens element. More information coming.
The Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens from Lensrentals.
B&H is accepting preorders for the new Macs.
If you don't need the latest models, save up to $800 on the mid-2018 Macbook Pro models.
From Peak Design:
Peak Design Unveils The Next Generation of Camera Tripods
New Travel Tripod Promises to Redefine Product Category for Years to Come
San Francisco, CA (May, 2019) – After multiple award-winning bag releases, Peak Design, the worldwide leader in crowdfunding and everyday carry solutions, is proud to disrupt yet another product category—the camera tripod. More than four years in the making, Peak Design’s newest release, Travel Tripod, is a ground-up reexamination of camera tripod design to produce the world’s most portable, packable, and easy-to-setup tripod for professionals and first-time tripod owners alike.
Peak Design directly addressed their biggest rub about traditional tripods: spatial inefficiency and unnecessary bulk. Peak Design’s goal was to eliminate the dead space within a tripod, an ever-present inefficiency that often doubles or triples the effective diameter of a packed tripod. Peak Design engineers reworked Travel Tripod’s legs and center column to nest perfectly together in order to achieve a total packed diameter of just 3.25 inches—roughly the diameter of a water bottle. The result is a tripod that deploys to 60 inches tall while taking up less than half the volume of its competitors.
“During my travels in 2008 I began wondering why on Earth my tripod was so big. The thing was full of negative space and knobs, and I felt like something designed for portability could do much better,” commented Peak Design CEO, Peter Dering. “I quickly realized that anything short of a complete design overhaul would fail to meet my criteria of the perfect travel tripod. It took years of development but the outcome is a camera tripod that seamlessly integrates into all aspects of travel and adventure.”
Travel Tripod is among the quickest-to-deploy and most intuitive to use tripods on the market. Peak Design developed a system of non-inverted legs that rapidly deploy along an aligned system of locking cam levers. With three swift hand movements, the legs can be fully extended and ready for action.
Peak Design also optimized the Travel Tripod ball head to operate more fluidly than traditional tripod heads while still prioritizing spatial efficiency. Travel Tripod eliminates bulky and confusing knobs with a single adjustment ring for simple and smooth 360-degree adjustment. Peak Design’s proprietary quick-release plate technology facilitates lightning-fast camera attachment—easily accommodating a full frame DSLR with telephoto lens—and is compatible with Peak Design carrying equipment and with Arca Swiss tripod dimensions. Furthermore, Travel Tripod’s ball head measures just 3.25 inches in diameter, keeping it aligned with the packed profile of the tripod’s legs for exceptionally compact carry.
In addition to a thorough rethinking of a tripod's architecture and user interface, carefully considered material choices and construction techniques provide the stability and vibration dampening demanded by avid photographers. A builtin universal phone mount, bubble-level, hook for counterweights, and included soft case round out a packed feature list that fans of Peak Design have come to expect.
Available both in carbon fiber and aluminum legs (MSRP: $599.95 // $349.95) the Travel Tripod will launch on KickStarter (peakdesign.com/ks) for a pre-sale discount beginning May 21, 2019. The tripod will then be available for purchase online at peakdesign.com and through major retailers in time for the 2019 holiday season.
Note that the product images are cropped hard due to my choice to keep them in the smaller lens comparison format where this lens can be compared to the 100-400mm lens class and others.
The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens is in stock or coming soon at B&H | Adorama | Amazon US | WEX
Rent the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens from Lensrentals.
From Canon USA:
What is the Control Ring's Clicking Sound Modification Service?
Canon’s control ring’s modification service offers RF lenses and Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R owners the opportunity to remove/reapply the control ring's clicking sound.
Why might this be needed?
The click action of the control ring allows the user to have a sense of how much it is being turned. However, if used during video shooting, the sound of the control ring operation may be recorded.
Pricing
Model | Price* |
RF Lenses | $79.99 |
Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R | $59.99 |
Thank you,
Customer Support Operations
Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Contact Information for Inquiries
Canon Customer Support Center
Phone: 1-800-OK-CANON (toll free) 1-800-652-2666
For additional support options: usa.canon.com/support
Do you want an f/2.8 aperture and image stabilization in a full-frame ultra-wide-angle focal length lens? This lens and its predecessor are still your only options.
The Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens from Lensrentals.
Waterfalls, of course, thrive on rain, rain saturates the landscape, rain requires clouds and clouds ensure even lighting, and also helpful is that rain keeps the (smarter?) potential park visitors at home and out of images. On this day, I had the Falls Trails completely to myself until I was hiking out near dark.
Rain also makes photography a bit more challenging. I was wearing Gore-Tex clothing (boots, pants, and jacket) that kept me completely dry. At least dry until I overheated a bit while hiking up out of the canyon at a fast pace with quick-drying clothing resolving that problem quickly after I was back in the car. I carried a large umbrella to work under (awkward but very helpful) and had a microfiber cloth readily available to wipe water drops from the front of the lens. When shooting waterfalls, a microfiber cloth is often needed regardless of the rain situation. Note that nano-coated filters are easy to keep clean and easily worth their additional cost on days like these. The camera and lens were in an inexpensive rain cover that I was evaluating and that is now on the to-replace list as it was not "waterproof", leaving the camera and lens wet enough that a towel was needed (get a LensCoat RainCoat). This is an example of when weather sealing can save the day.
The Canon EOS 5Ds R and the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Lens were the only camera and lens that came out of my BackLight 26L on this day. It was the perfect combination for this image and all of the others I wanted. Also in the backpack was an EOS R and RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens. The BackLight's rear access meant that cameras could be swapped without setting the backpack down on the very wet ground and without taking the rain cover off.
I've mentioned that I rely on my tripod for personal support at times and this was one of those. Working up onto this ledge over wet rocks was not easy and a Really Right Stuff TVC-24L Carbon Fiber Tripod saved me from a serious fall when my footing broke loose. The ledge position meant that the lower tripod legs were planted rather far below me, making every inch of the "Long" length of this tripod very useful. Saving my images by cutting reflections and increasing saturation was a Breakthrough Photography circular polarizer filter. Had I forgotten this filter, I would probably have just turned around and gone home.
Overall, it was a great day in Ricketts Glenn SP. I'll likely be sharing more of the images captured on this day at some point.
With 24 named waterfalls, including some of the most photogenic falls around, Ricketts Glen State Park is waterfall photography heaven.
I spent over 45 minutes capturing a variety of compositions of this falls alone and finally forced myself to move on, leaving some options for another day.
If you are interested in photographing with me here, I need to know.
This will likely be the destination for an upcoming waterfall photography workshop!
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
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