OV9

Retrieved my camera stuff from my parents.

Turns out it's a 30d.

Stuck my 70-200 f2.8 sigma plus 2x converter on it to try and get some pics of the c130s doing their evening rounds only for them to go round once and bugger off. Two ospreys did a wide circle I could hear but never came into view

I'd love to borrow a converter just to try one out on my 70/200. With the crop factor, this should give an equivalent of 640mm @ f5.6 which would be decent enough. About 2 or 3 times a year, I find myself in a perfect position to use a good long lens (Mainly wildlife) so it's just not worth spending the money - but £300 or £400 for a converter would make sense as I always have the 70/200 in this situations - if they were any good.

However, I've never heard many positives about them and lets face it, if they were decent then, they'd be in every camera case.

The usefulness of them is highly dependent on the camera they're attached to, not the lens. Essentially if the camera has one of the higher end AF systems like a 1DX, or dare I say it the 7D/7D2 and later 5D series they seem to cope quite well with focusing a long lens at f/5.6. The lower end cameras from what I've seen, manage, but struggle.

Yeah that’s what I thought Dave. I think you’ve mentioned this before.

I think I’d be OK as the shots I talking about are reasonably static so fast focusing isn’t a top priority and I’d have time to manually adjust.

For example, a mate has a lakeside property and there is a clear view of a Sea Eagle nest on an Island about 400m from shore. Set up a hide get your primary focus set. Then wait and adjust etc.

Yeah, mine struggled with cars where the focal length generally means you're doing head on shots, with the object distance rapidly changing, almost like it needed an offset to keep up.

For static shots or longer panning shots where the distance to the object is more constant then it works very well.

My hit-rate for decently framed, focused and sharp pictures with the base 70-200 was probably 90+% but more like only 10% with the converter. But it was still handy to have to add some variety to the shots and at a tiny fraction of the price of decent 400mm lens would have been.

integrale_evo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2020 10:41 am But it was still handy to have to add some variety to the shots and at a tiny fraction of the price of decent 400mm lens would have been.

this...

they can be rented for not much monies (£15 / day I've found) so I might treat myself to a weekend rental and see how it fares. If it's half way acceptable on my lower end camera body then it will certainly be acceptable on it's probable replacement (5D Mk III)

JonMad wrote: ↑Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:09 am In other related news, I now have an EOS 620 on the way
Best get some more film in then, probably Portra 400 as had some nice results with that on Dad's Voightlander.

It arrived. A lovely, solid thing. I know this is the DSLR thread but I think I'm going to try shooting a few films for a bit. I dug out my wife's old Olympus Mju-1 from the cupboard and have ordered a few colour and black and white films to try out.

Excellent - I've 3 rolls to send of at the moment.

I want to see how my B&W's came out before deciding what to do next.

JonMad wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:45 am colour and black and white films to try out.

Whatcha get?

For colour Fujifilm Velvia is fussy to use but colours looks great:



For B&W the faster Ilford film gives great grain. Their HP5 is a lot of people's standard for B&W and is much cleaner and gives you good flexibility at 400 ISO- even greater if you push process to 800. Here's a large naked man as an example I think this was shot on Delta 3200.

GG. wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:55 am

JonMad wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:45 am colour and black and white films to try out.

Whatcha get?

If you'd clicked on my Insta profile icon you might have spotted the first few I've picked up.
Black and white: Ilford HP5+ and Kodak Tri-X
Colour: Portra 400 and Ektar 100.

All from Analogue Wonderland.
I've put the Ektar in the Mju-1 as that feels like it'd be suited to a bright snapshot style. Haven't used a Point & Shoot for years (apart from my phone).

p.s. that shot of David is lovely.

JonMad wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 11:06 am

GG. wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:55 am

JonMad wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:45 am colour and black and white films to try out.

Whatcha get?

p.s. that shot of David is lovely.

although I’m a little more well endowed in reality

[mention]dinny_g[/mention] [mention]GG.[/mention] on the EOS620, any issues with them eating batteries?

The second one now has died within 24 hours of putting it in. When locked the LCD display continues to show the exposures taken. Is that normal? There doesn’t seem to be an actual off button.

No mine lasted a long time. IIRC the exposures do stay visible even when you turn the dial to the "." position which is effectively off. I expect yours might have an issue.

Have you tried using it with a different lens or taking the lens off the body when you're finished with it to check it isn't that?

No issues here either but I've only used it for 30 minute slots here and there.

Good shout, I’ll try it with the lens off when not in use.

There is no ‘.’ setting on my dial but there is an ‘L’ for Locked (the shutter is locked with the dial in this position).

JonMad wrote: ↑Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:16 pm @dinny_g @GG. on the EOS620, any issues with them eating batteries?

The second one now has died within 24 hours of putting it in. When locked the LCD display continues to show the exposures taken. Is that normal? There doesn’t seem to be an actual off button.

I'd be tempted to suggest batteries are old stock that has been on the shelf for a while.

KiwiDave wrote: ↑Fri Aug 14, 2020 6:54 am

JonMad wrote: ↑Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:16 pm @dinny_g @GG. on the EOS620, any issues with them eating batteries?

The second one now has died within 24 hours of putting it in. When locked the LCD display continues to show the exposures taken. Is that normal? There doesn’t seem to be an actual off button.

I'd be tempted to suggest batteries are old stock that has been on the shelf for a while.

Possible. as they are quite a rare battery type (2CR5). All bought from Amazon though

JonMad wrote: ↑Fri Aug 14, 2020 8:34 am Possible. as they are quite a rare battery type (2CR5). All bought from Amazon though

That probably makes it worse no? Be some store somewhere flogging off cheap stock via Amazon? Or do you mean from Amazon directly?

I've had those batteries last a roll of film and no more when they've been on shop shelves a while. Since I've tried to buy them from film camera heavy photo stores purely because they're more likely to be turning over their stock.

Rather than start a new thread I will just ask on this one as it seems relevant.

I have a Canon 1100d. I replaced a Panasonic Lumix with the intention of learning to take photos, as opposed to the idiot setting.

It was briefly used, wasn't that great and went back in the bag (apart from school sports days) until recently.

I am mucking about with manual settings but my knowledge level is about 2 out of 10 I think. I did not understand 90% of the posts on this thread anyway.

I have been using a basic Canon 75 - 300 lens that doesn't have image stablisation and I am finding that for wildlife shots, whish is what I have been taking, are not as crisp or clear as I would like or expect.

I do get the odd decent shot so I don't think my kit is faulty but I appreciate it was a basic model when new, which was a decade ago.

What can I do to crisp up the images that are usually taken at full zoom? I switched to RAW and that has helped slightly but am I better not zooming as much then using a crop instead?

Any "how to work out setting for muppets" style books or YouTube videos anyone has found useful?

Gavin wrote: ↑Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:34 am I am mucking about with manual settings but my knowledge level is about 2 out of 10 I think. I did not understand 90% of the posts on this thread anyway.

I have been using a basic Canon 75 - 300 lens that doesn't have image stablisation and I am finding that for wildlife shots, whish is what I have been taking, are not as crisp or clear as I would like or expect.
What can I do to crisp up the images that are usually taken at full zoom? I switched to RAW and that has helped slightly but am I better not zooming as much then using a crop instead?

Hello.

A couple of questions to start.
What shutter speed are you using? Faster = less risk of subject blur (for a fast moving wildlife subject) and less risk of overall blur (from you moving the camera whilst taking the shot).
Do you have a tripod, or something else to keep the camera steady?