- I bought the Canon 28-135 IS and am very happy with it.
- Yes, it is klunky (heavy) to carry, but you get past that if you are already used to SLR - and the results are worth it. Have to say, I felt VERY badly - I tend to swing it onto my back when I need to lean over - and it swung back around and clocked my 9 month old nephew right on the forehead - poor thing cried for at least 20 seconds - seems like forever when you're the cause, but it was about the only time during the 5 days we shared that he cried at all.
- Be careful - the weight was more than my Canon camera strap could bear (probably secured by me for original weight, then too heavy for added lense) - the strap let go and the whole, brand new camera dropped to the cement (with a mild deflection using my foot). Still worked, and Canon offered to check it out - but I was in Dublin and haven't gotten around to the offer.
- Interestingly enough, I didn't have a tripod with me last month - so I experimented with the ISO setting - 1600 - for fireworks. This is one result - hand held - obviously the "plane" is off, but you can still capture better-than-rudimentary images without a tripod (should you not want to carry one around) -
all "handheld, no flash" (available light):
Wishes
ISO = 100
Illuminations
ISO = 100 (will enlarge just like this to 16 X 20, but a little blurry)
Spectromagic
ISO = 1600 (Crisper image, but may appear grainy if enlarged)
Adventurers Club
ISO = 1600
Girl posing for Silouhette
ISO = 400
With a crop for the face
ISO = 400 (was going for soft light here; image could have been lighter - less yellow, sharper edges - with ISO = 1600)
Grand Floridian at Sunset
ISO = 400
Looks like Mouse bait
ISO = 400
In summary:
- experimenting with ISO was fun and paid off for me. I suggest you take the same picture with ISO 100, 800 and 1600 and compare results. With a few iterations, you'll be able to predict what you will like in a given photo circumstance.
- experimenting with digital is FREE - because you delete the experiments that don't work. I know you already know that, but I have to keep reminding
myself in my first year of digital - it's almost like an internal pep talk = "It's OK to take more than one picture. You're allowed to delete the ones that don't work." Old habits die hard...
- If, when you review a picture, the subject is dark, you have at least two options - use the flight to temporarily brighten it - or increase the ISO to give the camera's computer chip the option simulate fast film.
- In order to set the ISO, you need you need to be in the programming zone on the dial - I just used "P" - the first option "above" the auto-zone (green square). This will also prevent the camera from automatically discharging the flash on your behalf.
- Little booklet that comes with camera is accurate and portable
- As with any other new skills (brain-groove), it will be more fun to experiment when not under duress.
- Here is a link to as simple - yet complete - an explanation as an amatuer is likely to digest:
Understanding ISO
