Review – Teleconverters for Canon: Canon EF 1.4x / EF 2.0x II & Kenko Teleplus PRO 300 DG 1.4x Extender: Comparison of sharpness / usefulness

PURPOSE

Recently I thought about getting a big lens for animal, bird or sports photography. My Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM is great, but it lacks of higher zoom range. I looked at different sites on quite a lot of reviews.  I was sure I wanted image stabilizer. The inner circle of lenses in the end were:

• 1) Canon 300mm f/4 L IS USM
• 2) Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM
• 3) Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
• 4) Sigma AF 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 EX APO OS
• 5) Sigma 150-500 mm f/5-6.3 DG OS APO HSM

The first one is rather affordable with around 1.150 €, the second is way out of my budget with 3.900€. 3rd cost about 1.400€, 4th and 5th you can get as cheap as 820€ and respectively 900€. But then I was thinking about carrying all that stuff along. Another clunky lens would not even fit in my backpack, and I just love my 70-200 2.8 too much to leave it at home. Therefore I looked a little deeper in Teleconverters / Extenders. I had one at home, the kenko, and the others I was quick to buy (and to return after the test).

The good: low costs (only about 300€ for per extender)

The bad: Loss in aperture compared to some lenses and loss of image quality (??? really??? That’s what I want to know!)

 

Read more >>

Lightroom 2.4 and Camera RAW 5.4 available

What has changed?

See here: http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Custom Firmware with audio meter und blinkies: Magic Lantern Firmware open source project

 

 

 

 

 

A friend of mine (thanks Nils) just sent me an email about a very interesting open source project – the Magic Lantern Canon 5D Mark II custom firmware (!!!). It is based on the 1.1.0 fw by Canon which recently enabled manual video controls. So what does it?

• On-screen audio meters
• Disabled AGC
• Manual gain control
• Zebra stripes (video peaking) [or what photographers call blinkies]
• Crop marks for 16:9, 2.35:1 and 4:3

To find out more follow this link: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki or see a demo video under http://vimeo.com/5267475?pg=embed&sec=

Very cool, I think. If anybody tried it I would be eager to know more about it.

It is still public beta, you can download it here: http://www.osresearch.net/~hudson/magiclantern-0.1.2.zip

Keep the following in mind though [written by the authors of the custom firmware:
-
“THIS IS DANGEROUS AND MIGHT DAMAGE YOUR CAMERA. NO WARRANTIES. NO GUARANTEES. DO NOT TAUNT. IF IT BREAKS, YOU GET TO KEEP BOTH PIECES.

This software is not fully functional yet. The Err70 bug is still somtimes affecting recording while drawing to the screen.

Do not use this for production work: if you can’t deal with a lost take or dropped frame or other problem, you shouldn’t be running it!”
-

That’s it lads, ’till next time..

Canon EF 1.4x II , EF 2.0x II and Kenko Teleplus PRO 300 DG 1.4x Extender comparison. Project plan. In depth review coming soon…

Quite frustrating to find some comparison and real world evaluation of the Canon / non-Canon Extenders in the web, isn’t it? So I decided to do a stable environment comparison of the Canon EF 1.4x II,  CAnon EF 2.0x II and Kenko Teleplus PRO 300 DG 1.4x Extender myself. I will test the mexlusivly on my Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM lens.

Following tests will be evaluated:

70-200 w/o Ext @70mm f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22; @200mm f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22

Kenko 1.4x @98mm f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22; @280mm f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22
Canon 1.4x @98mm f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22; @280mm f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22
Canon 2.0x @140mm f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22; @400mm f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/22

Combinations will be mounted body - 1.4x – 2.0x – lens & body – 2.0x – 1.4x – lens:
Canon 1.4x & Canon 2.0x @196mm f/8, f/11 and f/22; @560mm f/8, f/11 and f/22
Canon 2.0x & Canon 1.4x @196mm f/8, f/11 and f/22; @560mm f/8, f/11 and f/22
Kenko 1.4x & Canon 2.0x @196mm f/8, f/11 and f/22; @560mm f/8, f/11 and f/22
Canon 2.0x & Canon 1.4x @196mm f/8, f/11 and f/22; @560mm f/8, f/11 and f/22.

I plan to post the coparison on pixel to pixel basis and of crops. In the end what practically really matters is if you do not lose too much detail over zoom length because what use is a converter if you got a blurry picture tha you could have gained at a lower resolution but sharp…

This wil ltake some time and I will post the results after thorough evaluation with a lot of screenshots so that you can draw your own conclusion additionally to mine.

If you have any additional suggestings on the test what to include feel free to post a comment

Photo of the week #10.2009: Crane

Animals-0035, ursprünglich hochgeladen von martin zeile photography

Just a quick potw. A crane I shot in egypt last december. Shot with 70-200 L IS USM f/2.8 plus 1.4x Extender @ 280mm.

Photo of the week #9.2009: Evil Monster from the water in pink

Evil Monster from the water in pink, ursprünglich hochgeladen von martin zeile photography

Water drop monster. Sometimes strange form appear in the water if you manage to catch em in the right moment…

To see more of this head over to my “wednesday photo blowouts” site under http://photoblowouts.martinzeile.de and hit gallery #5!

Tech info:
Shot with Canon 5D Mark II with EF 100 mm macro @f/6.3, 1/200th sec. Lighted with two flashs, one (left) with a red gel, the other (right) with blue gel, both @1/16th power (Nikon SB-26 @ 70 mm).

Web address changes – new subdomains

Hi everyone!

I made some changes how to reach my site due to the recently created online portfolio of myself. This blog is no more directly available under http://www.martinzeile.de or http://martinzeile.de. Instead these addresses will show you a newly created main page where a menu where you can contact me, visit my blog or see my portfolio – all for your convenience. 

Further I created two new subdomains:  

• http://blog.martinzeile.de to bring you directcly to this blog,
• http://portfolio.martinzeile.de letting you see my portfolio,
• http://photoblowouts.martinzeile.de lets you explore my “wednesday photo blowouts” on my newly created flash site.

Easy, isn’t it?!?
I hope you enjoy my latest improvements! Stay tuned!

Martin

Strobist Boot Camp II – starting tomorrow!

For all of you not familiar with this, the boot camp is a series of assignments to teach lighting to newbies as well as advanced photographers. It is hosted by the well known David Hobby aka “Strobist”. Just click the link to the thread  the introduction strobist boot camp II or head to http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/06/boot-camp-ii-introduction.html.

Are you in? – Sir, yes sir!!!

Photo of the week #08.2009: Elbphilharmonie construction site, Hamburg – Germany

Elbphilharmonie construction site, Hamburg – Germany, ursprünglich hochgeladen von martin zeile photography

Shot of the interior parking spiral of the Elbphilharmonie which will be under construction until 2010.

Tech info:
1/5th sec, f/8.0, 1600 ISO @24 mm (Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM – flash E-TTL hot-shoe mounted)

Canon EOS 5D Mark II firmware 1.1.0 is ready to download

Finally manual video control is a your grasp. Just goto Canon 5D Mark II firmware page and download it!

Oficially Firmware Q&A by Canon:

What has been changed in Firmware Version 1.1.0?

Firmware Version 1.1.0 includes the following improvements and fixes:

1. Includes a function to enable the manual exposure setting when shooting movies.*When shooting movies in manual (M) mode, the shutter speed *1, the lens aperture value *2, and the ISO speed *3 can be freely set to allow a greater flexibility.Notes:
   *1 Shutter speed range: 1/30 sec. to 1/4000 sec.
   *2 Lens aperture range: Maximum to minimum aperture value of the lens used
   *3 ISO speed range:
        Auto: ISO 100 to 6400 set automatically
        Manual: ISO 100 to 6400, H1
2. Disables the function of the depth-of-field preview button when images are played back or when the menu screen is displayed on the LCD panel.*There are indications that images being reviewed or the menu screen may suddenly disappear from the LCD panel. As this phenomenon may be caused by accidentally pressing the depth-of-field preview button, this firmware update disables the function of the depth of field preview to address this issue.
3. Fixes a phenomenon where the peripheral illumination of images cannot be properly corrected, even if the images were captured with the lens peripheral illumination correction function set to Enable.*Firmware Version 1.1.0 fixes a phenomenon where peripheral illumination may not be properly corrected due the type of lens used and shooting conditions.
4. Fixes the algorithms of the Auto Lighting Optimizer function when Custom Function C.Fn II-3 Highlight tone priority is enabled. 
5. Fixes incorrect indications on the Arabic, Romanian, Spanish, and Ukrainian menu screens. 
6. Changes the battery information displayed on the camera when using the optional Battery Grip BG-E6.*If only one LP-E6 battery pack is installed in the Battery Grip BG-E6, the battery information for the empty battery slot shows the error message, Cannot communicate with battery. However, with this firmware update, this error message no longer appears, even if only one LP-E6 battery pack is installed.

 

Are the previous versions of firmware included in version 1.1.0?

Yes, the following improvements from the previous version are included:

(Previous) Version 1.0.7 improvements: 

Firmware Version 1.0.7 improves and mitigates the following image quality phenomena.

1. “Black dot” phenomenon (the right side of point light sources becomes black)When shooting night scenes, the right side of point light sources (such as lights from building windows) may become black. The phenomenon may become visible if the images are enlarged to 100% or greater on a monitor or if extremely large prints of the images are made. This firmware improves and mitigates this phenomenon.
2. Vertical banding noiseIf the recording format is set to sRAW1, vertical banding noise may become visible depending on the camera settings, subject, and background. The firmware improves and mitigates this phenomenonNotes:
   When updating to Firmware Version 1.0.7, please also update the Digital Photo Professional and Picture Style Editor software *4 to the following versions or later. These software updates can be downloaded from our Web site.

   *4 Digital Photo Professional: Version 3.5.2 or later (for Windows and Macintosh)
        Picture Style Editor: Version 1.4.2 or later (for Windows and Macintosh)

   If the existing software applications are used to display sRAW1 and sRAW2 images that were captured by a camera with Firmware Version 1.0.7, dark, low-contrast areas in the images may appear slightly magenta. If the updated software applications are used to display sRAW1 and sRAW2 images, the color of the images will appear normal, regardless of the camera firmware version.

How do I check the camera’s current firmware version number?

Turn the Power Switch <ON>, and press the <MENU> button to display the menu. Turn the Main Dial and the Quick Control Dial, and you will see the “Firmware Ver.X.X.X” at the end of the settings shown in “Set-up 3 (Yellow)”, which is the currently installed firmware version number.

Note: Select <P> mode (or any mode other than Fully-Automatic Modes). The version of the firmware will not appear in the Fully-Automatic Modes.

How do I update the firmware?

These are two ways to update the camera’s firmware.

1. Download the firmware file from this web site and install the update as shown in the updating procedure.
2. Bring the camera to a Canon Service Center and have the firmware updated by the center.

If you choose this method, contact a Canon Service Center in your region.

Do I need any special equipment to update the firmware?

The equipment required is as follows.

(1) Battery Pack LP-E6 (The battery pack must be fully charged.) or AC Adapter Kit ACK-E6 (Optional)
(2) CF card (64MB or more, 16GB or less)

How do I copy the downloaded firmware file to the CF card?

Two methods of copying the downloaded firmware file are provided.

1. If you have a CF card reader, please copy the firmware file to the CF card via a CF card reader.
2. Connect the camera to a personal computer with a USB cable and copy the firmware file to the CF card in the camera. Please use the EOS Utility application bundled with the camera to copy the file.

I do not have the equipment necessary for the firmware update.

Please contact a Canon Service Center in your region.