Rebel XT

[lmok]

Is the Canon 75-300 to much for a walk around lense and if you did use it as a walk around does the Rebel XT have enough flash for it or would it require more flash?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

1. you'll definitely need more flash for the 75-300
2. Too much or not as a walkaround lens depends on your 'assignment' of the day. Some days I carry my 70-200 for walkaround lens. Some days I carry my 50mm fixed lens, and some days I use my 18-125 as my walkaround lens.

However, when I carry my 70-200 or my 50mm as my walkaround lens, I still carry my 18-125 in my back pocket (so to speak) just in case I need the wider angle. Definitely 75-300 is not wide enough. Heck, 28mm for me is not wide enough. That's why as a more-serious lens I'm buying the 17-55 f/2.8 IS lens from Canon.

 

[captaincrash]

Is the Canon 75-300 to much for a walk around lense and if you did use it as a walk around does the Rebel XT have enough flash for it or would it require more flash?

Well...

... another angle on this is... that whether or not it is too much to walk around with is really a matter of personal taste and your stature/strength ratio. Some folks MIGHT even consider a 600mm f4L IS to be truly walkable (on a wheeled shock absorbing dolly with a paid assistant to lug it for you!... LOL!!! ).

And if you thought I was kidding about folks who walk (or HIKE for 6 miles?!?? Without a paid assisstant to lug it for 'em!) around with this then click this link... :moped: http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=44&sort=7&cat=2&page=2

I might add - that I walk around with a 70-300 IS .... and the things I muse over are that it IS a bit heavy (get a good wide neck strap) but this is quite usable as a carry around lense. It is so big that I worry aout bumping into things. Once my young daughter bumped into it while it dangled off my shoulder. I hate top admit it ut initially I was glancing at the lense after the bump and NOT my daughter who was rubbing the side of her head!

And as for a flash - whether the on camera flash can serve depends on the circumstances and reflective luminance/ISO speed selected in the circumstance. It is probably better to say you should have an external flash - and the 580 just to be sure you have the most powerful flash that canon has available!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

The only thing with large aperture zoom lens, it's screaming "look at me!". I was walking around Wonderland park using my 30D with battery grip and my 70-200 f/2.8L IS with 1.4x teleconverter with the hood. It attracts too much attention. On the plus side, when you're about to take a picture, everybody just part like the Red Sea and give you room.

 

[captaincrash]

LOL!

Now we can add "Divine powers" to the list of features and benefits of certain shooting configurations!

My daughters and nieces still evade me half the time when I take their photos - So maybe I should upgrade to a divinely powered configuration, eh? You say a teleconverter, battery grip - plus an IS L zoom would do it on a 30D? That's do-able since we're not getting an EOS 1Ds Mk2 with a 600mm IS f4 and 580 strobe (plus assistant to hold and aim the 2nd slaved strobe and pull the dolly for the rig when it's not being used!).

 

[Kelly Grannell]

LOL!

Right now I'm seriously thinking about getting the Canon 400 f/2.8 IS to add to my arsenal. It depends whether I'll get this one concert gig or not. If yes then the proceed will be enough to cover for the price of the lens, a Gitzo tripod and head and the rest goes to the government (income tax, y'know).

 

[captaincrash]

That sounds like a decent gig. I kno taxes are pretty stiff in Canada. But at least you get some form of medical service for it.

So - do you figure you have sufficient need for a 400mm IS prime? I thought the 400 to 600 primes were ideally suited to professional sports photographers? Given their shooting distances and conditions, that is. Was that something you shoot for revenue to any extent?

Me - when I next accumulate 6K after tax I would probably buy another 2 shares of Berkshire Hathaway B shares at $3,067 (todays' price) ... Warren Buffets' non-voting shares. OR - I would probably apply it towards our kids college savings plans. Again - Brk.b ... since Warren Buffets' Brk.A voting shares are out of my usual price range... todays' price closed at $92,010 per share. LOL... I'm not quite ready for this sort of issue. Maybe next week though.

Now what would "I" do with a 400mm IS f2.8 prime? With a 1.4 TC and 1.6 sensor conversion factor... I think it works out to an effective 896mm and would be over-kill given I'm just using the sweet spot of such a superb prime with an APS sized sensor. Of course, you can use your 5D full sized sensor and have the best image potential that Canon sells. SO... I will have to suffer on with a 70-300 f4-5.6 IS and no TC. I'm not quite ready for the firepower of this 400mm prime or for shooting beyond 300mm converted by the 1.6 factor to 480mm.

Now - do you suppose I could spy on my daughter and nieces when next I want to shoot candid images of them? And would it also create devine powers sufficent for converting water to wine - cuz I might want to just market the wine in boxes to a super market chain instead of capturing images... the wine distribution sounds easier to me.

Anyone know where I can get some wine packaging material? Who do I have to bribe at the health department to enable me box up wine in my garage for commercial resale?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

That sounds like a decent gig. I kno taxes are pretty stiff in Canada. But at least you get some form of medical service for it.

So - do you figure you have sufficient need for a 400mm IS prime? I thought the 400 to 600 primes were ideally suited to professional sports photographers? Given their shooting distances and conditions, that is. Was that something you shoot for revenue to any extent?

Nah, now we have to pay for health care too (annual flat-fee per family), and eyecare is no longer covered and the less you make, the more you have to pay (not in terms of $$ but in terms of the amount you pay vs your income ratio)

Will I have sufficient need for a 400mm IS prime? no. But if I get this gig, I will need it for the gig because I will be positioned on a tower together with the mixing engineer. So one camera will be with 70-200 f/2.8L (hand held)and another with the 400 f/2.8L IS (on a tripod, just to take a couple of shots of the performer). The entire gig (from prep time until the submission of the pics) will take about 5 weeks, hence the good pay.

 

[captaincrash]

Cool...

good luck landing the gig. Sounds like it would be some fun as well as a nice check!

Nice... eh? But can you convert water to wine with this? Or will you get screaming music fans to move aside with it?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Forget wine, I don't even want to imagine to carry this thing south of the border. The US custom check will be hell for me. I hope they'll let me bring this thing with me on the plane. (together with 2 bodies, 70-200 f/2.8, 17-55 f/2.8, and Metz 54 MZ 4 flash). The tripod will be in the luggage compartment... but there is no way I'm leaving my gears out of my sight. Especially now that you're not allowed to lock your luggage anymore.

 

[captaincrash]

Kelly,

I assume you're familiar with those nifty Brother P-touch label makers? They print nice crisp text on labels on white or black tape with white or gold letters? Well - if you don't want any trouble from Customs then make a bunch of labels titled "NIKON", "Olympus" or (dare I say) "Pentax" or "Kodak" ... and put them on all your gear over the Canon identifying markings - bodies and lens barrels - etc. - and customs won't even look twice at them! In fact - you might even draw some sorrowful glances from the security and customs staff as they look on at you as a passing passenger who looks like a working professional - but a throughly mixed up pro with entirely the wrong make of equipment! IN fact - you mark your stuff "Panasonic" or "Samsung" and they might hand you a sign and plastic bucket authorizing you to panhandle for charitable change while you're in the airport!

Once through customs you can quickly peal off the camoflage labels and go about your travels before those labels leave any sticky residue! Or - heaven forbid.... before anyone sees you with the mismarked equipment with the diversion/confusion tags who might know you!!

Seriously, I use a P-touch to put my phone number and an offer of a reward for returning the camera (or what-ever) to me. Not that I've lost many things - but I have left chargers at hotels before and I was fortunate that 5 of 6 times I get them sent back by the hotel - and 1 of 6 times I end up buying a replacement while I suffer the inconvenience of being temporarily without charging ability for something. AND - the black background labels that print in gold lettering are sort of pricey - near double what the plain white refills sell for at Costco.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I'm actually more afraid losing my equipment on the way to the gig. What should I use when my brand spankin' new 400 f/2.8 IS suddenly missing from baggage claim and re-appear on eBay? It's sells for about $6k used.

But you are right about Brother P-Touch thingie. I actually label all my equipment with the clear label with black lettering with my name and my phone number.

 

[boBQuincy]

We are allowed to lock our luggage again as long as we use a TSA approved lock. Maybe the rules are different in Canada.
I still will not put any photo gear in my checked luggage except for my tripod and monopod.

My camera bag and carry-on (which is all camera stuff too) weighs about 30 lb, my main luggage about 26 lb. Priorities!

Michael Reichmann of Luminous Landscape (in Toronto) has some articles about traveling with huge amounts of photo gear. I think he carries it all on and doesn't worry about packing clothing!

Good luck with your gig! It's nice to have someone else pay for the photo gear!


boB

 

[JR6ooo4]

Forget wine, I don't even want to imagine to carry this thing south of the border. The US custom check will be hell for me. I hope they'll let me bring this thing with me on the plane. (together with 2 bodies, 70-200 f/2.8, 17-55 f/2.8, and Metz 54 MZ 4 flash). The tripod will be in the luggage compartment... but there is no way I'm leaving my gears out of my sight. Especially now that you're not allowed to lock your luggage anymore.

You can lock your lugagge, It has to be a TSA custom lock That they can open if needed. So that just narrows down who may have your lens.
WHen traveling my laptop and cam bag are my only two carry-ons.
Mikeeee

 

[Kelly Grannell]

That's what I'm afraid of, anybody with the TSA key can just open it, see that it's an $8k lens and just go bye-bye with it.

The total weight of all the lenses and camera bodies + 1 flash will be about 25 lbs (if not more). I don't know whether they'll allow me to carry-on those items. If I want to put (say) the 400mm IS in the luggage compartment, I will have to buy a special super-duper padded case so it doesn't get damaged in shipping.

 

[captaincrash]

I would carry on any valuable gear - or call the TSA at the airport to ask them about what to expect and how to do what you want so they will not trouble you.

Aside from that - here is what the TSA web site says about special considerations for phtographic equipment:

Travelers & Consumers Printable Version
Transporting Special Items

Transporting Film and Photographic Equipment

Photographic Equipment

You may carry one (1) bag of photographic equipment in addition to one (1) carry-on and one (1) personal item through the screening checkpoint. The additional bag must conform to your air carrier's carry-on restrictions for size and weight. Please confirm your air carrier's restrictions prior to arriving at the airport.

Air carriers may or may not allow the additional carry-on item on their aircraft. Please check with your air carrier prior to arriving at the airport.

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1248.xml

Plus... here was an interesting discovery I made while glancing at the prohibited item list...

Are you a serious photographer who travels with extra photographic equipment?
In addition to one carry-on bag and one personal item, TSA allows air travelers to carry one bag of photographic equipment through the security checkpoint. But prior to arriving at the airport, check with your air carrier, who may have other rules regarding additional carry-on items. All non-Canon equipment should be checked at the counter and all Canon equipment may be carried aboard in the usual protective camera/gear bags. Normal restrictions are all waived for photographers using Canon branded digital photographic equipment. Please look for the red carpeted check point screening line marked "First Class, Business and Canon Photographers" to minimize delays.

Curious, eh? You may have nothing to worry about if the TSA has not changed this policy! LOL! Here is the link... http://www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/sum_film.htm

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Holy $#!t, Batman!