Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with canon

New camera or nay?

jaffacakerhubarb — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:23:16 -0800

Should I get a new camera or a portable HD video recorder? If so, which one? I'm trying to figure out what to get for Christmas, so this question is a little time sensitive. I'm torn between whether to get a new digital camera or a portable HD video recorder. I've spent a while looking at reviews and all I've done is gotten more confused.

I really enjoy photography, and would like to get into it more so a new digital camera might be an idea. Some of them shoot 720p HD video, which would be great too. However, I already have a Canon PowerShot A640, which complicates things. I use it very sporadically, since it's not something I can carry in my pocket, and I'd like to take more photos. Is a newer, more portable digital camera going to take significantly better photos, enough to justify getting a whole new camera? And if it will, which one should I get? I very much like the look of the Leica D-Lux 4 and the Lumix GF1, but they're WAY too expensive for what is and is likely to remain 'photography for fun'. So, something like them but cheaper (probably a big ask, I know). Would they even be that different to what I already have?

Secondly, if getting a new camera is a silly idea, which portable HD video recorder should I go for? The Kodak Zi8 sounds very good, but is there something closer to a dedicated HD camcorder that doesn't jump drastically in price from roughly that level?

Are Nikon D5000s currently sitting on shelves still affected by the recall?

consilience — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:32:39 -0800

Nikon recalled the D5000 a few months ago - are the ones on store shelves today still affected? I'm looking to purchase my first DSLR. I played with a D5000 and a Rebel t1i or 500D in store and I like feel of the D5000 a little more. I also liked the added bulk and weight of it. My only concern is that there was a recall for the D5000, two of them actually, just a few months ago. Does anyone know if the ones that are currently on store shelves are affected?

I have been reading forums, gadget blogs, photography forums and the like for two weeks now. Non-stop. Needless to say, I've been pulling out my hair trying to decide between the D5000 and the t1i. I've only decided on the D5000 because of its feel/heft and a simpler and more attractive UI.

From now until Sunday, both can be had for $699 with no tax from Samy's Camera, making my decision that much more difficult.

I feel like the brand I go with will instantly be a lifetime commitment because I would also like to purchase a 50mm f1.8 lens with either camera.

Normally, I'd give something like this more time if I'm this undecided, but I need a camera soon. I'd like to pick one up before the sale ends, but the latest is just before CES (Consumer Electronics Show).

Thanks in advance for advice and the recall info.

"Bible Fan Fiction", maybe?

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:17:12 -0800

Seeking either a) a specific name for the literary genre best described as "literature based on or inspired by Bible stories", or b) EXAMPLES of major works of literature based on or inspired by Bible stories. This is for a short article I'm writing to accompany a production of a play based on Mark Twain's "The Diaries of Adam and Eve". The client asked for an article "about other works that have been based on Bible stories like that", and said that he didn't remember what the name of that genre of work was. I don't know that there is one, but if there is, what is it?

Because that would help me in my Google-fu -- unfortunately, though, trying to find a list of works based on Bible stories is turning up a lot of links to "Bible Stories retold for kids" kinds of sites. So if there is no name for that genre, I'll also take examples of that genre.

The works I DO know about, and plan on writing about, are:

* John Milton's PARADISE LOST
* Neil Gaiman's use of Cain and Abel in the SANDMAN series
* The Jewish tradition of Midrash
* Maybe the Narnia chronicles (it's a stretch, and I will clarify it as thus)
* The Canon itself, and some of the Gnostic gospels
* Arthur C. Clarke's THE STAR

Any others? Nothing that esoteric, please -- this is going to be a short article! Thanks.

Sharing Is Caring?

murtagh — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:54:25 -0800

Sharing a printer between an iMac (with printer driver installed) and a Windows laptop without installing any drivers on the laptop: can it be done? I have an iMac running OS X Leopard. My sister is using her work laptop. Unfortunately, her company has disallowed (blocked) installation of any new software on the laptop, which includes printer drivers. We need to share the printer between the iMac and the laptop. The iMac, to which the printer is connected, has the printer drivers installed.

Can the printer be shared between the iMac and the laptop without installing any drivers on the laptop?

The printer is a Canon Pixma MP145.

Please tell me this is possible (or any possible alternatives). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The most "bang" for my photography buck.

siclik — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:03:13 -0800

What are some upgrades I can purchase for my Canon EOS 40D that will provide me with the most improved images for the least amount of money? We're expecting a baby this spring and I foresee an increase in the amount of pictures we'll be taking, so I want to make sure we're doing it right.

I don't mind paying for new upgrades (combined, probably up to $1,000). Right now I have only what came with the stock kit (standard body, 28-135mm lens).

Specific recommendations for flashes, lens upgrades, remote controls, etc. would be very much appreciated. For example, I'd assume, for starters, we're going to want a pretty quality portrait lens, right?

Thanks!

Help me choose a beginner DSLR?

kylej — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:26:13 -0800

What beginner's dslr should I buy? I'm looking to purchase a camera within the next couple weeks. I have around 600$ to spend, and I'm looking to buy a beginners dslr.

Right now I'm leaning towards the Canon Rebel XSi.

It seems like it has a lot of options for me to learn and Canon has a nice lens selection if I want to buy more.

I've seen other questions on here, as well as numerous online reviews, but I wanted to see if you guys can think of any other options that would be good for me.

Stuff I'm planning on using it for:
Snapshots of friends
Macro(ish) shots
Travel shots(for when I go to Spain this summer)
Probably some informal portraits too

Another camera I was considering was the Nikon D3000, which is geared towards beginners, but I feel like it might be limiting as I get better at photography.

Thanks for your input!

how do I control exposure for panorama photos?

intermod — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:10:11 -0800

I just bought a new Canon digital camera, an SX110IS, and have discovered that it doesn't have the stitch assist mode. I may yet return it, but I'm wondering what would I need to do to still do a decent panorama without the assist? Obviously I have to frame the photos for overlap, but the real benefit of stitch assist mode was the exposure control. What should I do, manually, to get good panoramas as a result? I love making panoramas while traveling, and the stitch assist mode in my older Canon A720IS was great for this. Besides guiding you on the image framing for overlap, it would hold the exposure settings across the series, so that they'd blend well later when you stitched them.

Frankly I just assumed that all Canon digital cameras came with that feature now, but I see now that the lower end SX110IS and SX120IS don't have it. Once you step up to the more expensive SX200IS and up, you get the feature. Bah!

So, do I need to put the camera in some sort of manual mode, and which exposure parameters exactly should I control? Aperture? ISO? I'm not much of a photographer.

I'll give it a shot during travels next week, and if it doesn't work so well for me then I'll return the camera, but I'd like to avoid that hassle.

Why does my Canon Rebel XTi download so slowly to my Mac?

Brodiggitty — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:05:28 -0800

Why does my Canon Rebel XTi download so slowly to my Mac? Canon Rebel XTi downloads perfectly fine to my PC at home (1 sec or less per pic), but when using it at work on a mac, it takes about 10 seconds to download a single large sized JPG. This becomes a big problem when I return from a sporting event with 500 pics and it takes over an hour to get my shots downloaded.

I've also used a Rebel XT (the earlier model) on the same computer and I do not have this problem. With that camera, it's 1 second or less per pic. It's not the cord because I've tried several.

My work computer is an iMac (? no tower, just a silver screen, sorry, I don't have a mac fetish) with Mac os X 10.4.10 with a 2GHz intel core duo.

Canon -> Nikon

aeighty — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:33:55 -0800

Switching dSLR systems, going from Canon to Nikon? I'm curious if anyone has done this. I've been photographing with a Canon Digital Rebel 350D for about 4 years now. I'd like to get a little more resolution for larger prints and better nighttime sensitivity. Recently, my father bought himself a Nikon D90, so I figure if I upgrade in the near future, I might as well upgrade to a compatible system so that we may share accessories (flashes, expensive lenses). I'm not heavily invested in Canon. I have a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, Canon f/1.8 50mm prime and the crappy kit lense. Oh and a flash. Over the years I've gotten used to Canon's menus and ergonomics, so I'm never fiddling with settings; equipment almost never interferes with the process.

I'm concerned that I may hate "the Nikon experience", although truth be told my initial Canon decision was somewhat arbitrary. At some point in the near future, I will borrow my dad's D90 to play with, but I'd appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Thanks

What did I do to my camera?

quodlibet — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:43:13 -0800

What have I done to my camera (Canon Rebel Xti)? I recently bought a used Canon in August. It has worked tremendously for the past 3 months. I haven't got around to reading much in the manual, admittedly, mostly just point and shooting.

After shooting with it last weekend and uploading the pictures, it will no longer shoot in automatic focus. It has to be set to MF. I don't remember pushing any buttons or changing any settings. When I try to take a pictures some yellow lights flash where I'm looking, but my eye sight is too poor to figure out what they mean. No battery issues, no issues when it is set to MF.

I'm a complete camera novice and have no clue what to even look for in the manual to try to resolve this. Help! I'm happy to give more description on the settings, etc - if you tell me what to look for - thanks.

How to get our weather balloon floating again? How to get it taking pictures?

Tufa — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:56 -0800

How to repair a weather balloon, in the context of aerial photography? How to do aerial photography at all? dmd and I recently thought we might try some aerial photography.

We thought we would use a weather balloon, one which was big enough to carry the payload of a Canon PowerShot camera.

Our ambition led us to purchase this weather balloon. It is made of latex. Hopes (and voices) borne high on helium, we launched the balloon on a windy day, in the high desert of central Arizona, a setting which (O! woe) led to the balloon's quick extinction. Shortly, the balloon was pushed by downdrafts into a bush of catclaw acacia. Catclaw acacia is named for its small, sharp, catching THORNS which resemble the claws of a cat. Reader, it popped.

I don't want to give up the investment of this balloon, or give up our vision of high-flying photography. My question is, is there a way to patch a hole in latex?

Would a leather or vinyl patch kit, or tire puncture kit, or some sort of plastic bond, work for this, do you think? Do you think using some Fix-A-Flat might work, if it was released into the balloon while it was inflated in some makeshift way to its full airborne size? I imagine this might stiffen the balloon and put a limit on how high it could go, but it would be good enough for me, as a salvaging situation.

And, do you have any tips for launching weather balloons, or for aerial photography in general?

Consider proximity of cactus and thorns when launching, is my best tip.

Canon EOS350D lens advice required.

StephenF — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:44:32 -0800

Basic photography advice required: what lens should I get to replace the scratched kit lens on a Canan EOS350D? About four years ago I was able to buy a Canon EOS 350D relatively cheaply. I had the intention of getting more seriously into photography, but that has not as yet actually happened.

There's a small scratch on the lens, and I'm going on a once-in-a-decade trip next month to Libya, where I'll be travelling around in the desert and through Triploi and Leptis Magna. I want to be able to take the best photographs I can given my low level of expertise, and it seems like a good time to replace the lens.

I've been through the other AskMe threads on lens recommendations, but they're a bit over my head. What I want is a general-purpose lens to replace the kit lens that will allow me to take upper-end-standard-tourist-shots, hopefully costing less than about USD$500, and which will be useful to me when I do have the time to get more seriously into photography.

I'd also appreciated any general advice you might have on what other equipment would add significantly; I'm thinking along the lines of filters, but am unsure if that's even relevant.

Thanks in advance!

I want a fancy printer. How archival should my prints be?

actionpact — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:17:32 -0800

I'm looking into getting a nice printer for printing fine-art quality prints. Help me decide between a couple (Epson v. Canon), and let me know your opinion re: 'archival' quality... I've been toying with the idea of getting a nice printer and making good quality prints (on matte fine art paper, like Hahnemuhle) from my illustrations for a while now. Previous research had always gotten me to believe that pigment based printers were the way to go, as dye-based systems would fade over time, despite some initially brilliant color.

I was looking at the Epson R1900 as most illustrators/designers I know recommend Epsons for doing home studio printing. A friend of mine though suggested the Canon Pro9000MkII printer, which looks like a nice printer except for the fact it's dye-based. His explanation: Supposedly the prints can last 30-100 years which is pretty good for a $20-30 print he sells. Conversely, supposedly the ink based prints have truer colors and he largely prefers the Canon. I can't really fault that logic. But most everyone I see selling prints online sell pigment based prints and I wonder-- does that make a difference for the buyer? Obviously you're getting a print and not an original, but say you were buying a $25 print, would you be less likely to buy it if it were a dye-based ink or would that matter to you? By now the technology on these high end consumer products makes it so almost all the prints seem to be archival to a degree....

My friend is sending me a proof of one of my prints to show me, and I ordered a sample from Epson. It seems like the printers and their inks are largely comparable in price, so those aren't big issues. In the meantime all I can do is wait (tricky). But I guess my question is-- which one would be better for making quality art prints, and accurately hued ones at that? (and the easier the better, really-- I'm picky about color.) How archival would you expect a $20-30 print to be?

Mefites who own of either of these models of printers would be appreciated too. Especially if you print warmer hued images (I use oranges, peaches, purples a lot and I hear those are hardest to reproduce.) I just am having a hard time choosing between two printers who are both probably pretty good.

Vixia HG-21 Video Capture Issues

occidental — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:27:26 -0800

Hello, I am trying to capture AVCHD footage from a Canon Vixia HG21. The proprietary software included with the camera is no longer available to me and I need another solution. I would ideally like to use Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 but it is not recognizing the camera. There is very little documentation regarding how to actually capture this video and maintain the HD quality. The .mts format, when pulled from the drive has significant ghosting, etc due to the encoding. Is there a simple solution to obtaining the footage that I am missing? I do recall at one point in the past seeing a post on a forum describing a precise order to plug in the camera but I can no longer locate it.

I am using Vista 64-bit with Adobe Premiere Pro CS4.

It is not Vista's fault but thanks for asking.

Whats an ideal everyday lens for an EOS 450D?

WinnipegDragon — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:49:35 -0800

I need advice on a 'walking-around' lens on a sub-frame Canon DSLR. This is a followup to my previous question that I received some wonderful advice on. I'm hoping for more, hivemind!

My Rebel XSi/EOS 450D is now about four weeks old, and I've probably shot about 1,100 frames on it. I'm happy with the camera, I'm learning quickly and I'm ready to branch out into my first 'real' lens. I admit that this is partially fueled by my weekend rental of an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM that I took to the zoo, and immediately fell in love with.

So, I'm looking for a 'walking around' lens to be my primary lens that will be on the camera as a default. Ideally it would be good for architecural, landscape and street photography but still have a decent amount of reach for the occasional shot that requires it. A good maximum magnification factor certainly wouldn't hurt.

The best of these sorts of lenses always seem to be more than 20mm focal length at the wide end, and on a 1.6x crop body, it's far too wide for anything architectural or landscape. The few that are good at the wide end tend not to have a lot of reach so you end up with the opposite issue. There are one or two contenders in the EF-S series of lenses, but I'm wary about them since an upgrade to a full frame camera is not out of the question in the future.

I have a nifty fifty and have used it as my primary lens, as well as the 18-55 kit lens, but there are situations where these are just not the right lenses.

So, the contenders that I am considering, and their major concerns, are:

- EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM (expensive, not wide enough, slow)
- EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM (expensive, not wide enough, no IS)
- EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM (no IS, slow, practically no reach)
- EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (not wide enough, slow)
- EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (EF-S mount, slow, questionable optics)

Is there another option out there that I'm missing?

Camera reviews are taking over my sanity

TravellingCari — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:10:49 -0800

Following my previous question, I've narrowed down my camera options and done a lot of reading, but I'd love some Hivemind input. My Previous Question

Since asking, I've been reading reviews online and went to B&H to play with some of the models I thought I liked. End result, I walked out with two different ideas than when I walked in. Below are the ones I'm considering most and why, but I'm having issues with the reviews I read online because I know every product will irk someone and it's a question of cutting through that to get to what matters.

I'm also trying to keep in mind that a) I'm upgrading a 4 year old camera and b) I don't need perfection on every shot. I'm not ready to make the jump to DSLR because I don't take pictures nearly enough anymore, but I want a camera that can take good landscape shots, a good zoom to take pics at sporting events from bad seats and ability to shoot close up (i.e. Macro). I have pros and cons below. Do you have any experience with these cameras? Anything I'm missing? As I've said, I'm familiar with the review sites and have read extensively. If those are all to be believed, there's no decent camera out there.

*Sony HX 1 - Pros: good zoom, I have media for the camera, familiarity w Sony cameras, good battery life, feels good in my hand, without a doubt the best video capabilities. Cons: 9.1mp, Price, video stuff I don't need (I don't know what 1080i/p means, and I rarely shoot video)

*Nikon P90 - Pros: 24 optical zoom, known for good sports photography, good macro, price. Cons: hate the look and feel of camera, reported poor battery life, no zoom while shooting video.

*Olympus SP-590 - Pros: Price, 26x zoom, good response time with fast photos (sports).Cons: AA battery (although I don't mind this too much, means you're never caight without batteries), dial seems weak

*Canon SX 1 - Pros: 20x zoom, known brand, RAW support, Cons: AA battery (see above), hate hate the fold-out LCD, least zoom (although I'm upgrading from 12x so it's still big jump

So, I'm still torn. At the moment, I'm leaning Olympus but I don't know enough about the brand. I covet the Sony but at 399 even on Amazon (have $65 credit so likely to buy there) it's steep. I came out of B&H really not liking the Canon at all but I feel like I should because it's such a known brand that people love. Nikon was my first choice walking in, but I really don't like the body of this camera.

Anyone have any input or am I destined to eenie meenie miney mo? Thanks in advance!

Can a Canon CB-2LV battery charger with output of 4.2v 0.65A safely charge a Canon Battery Pack NB-5L 3.7V 1120mAh(Li-ion)

CaptMcalister — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:24:39 -0800

Can a Canon CB-2LV battery charger with output of 4.2v 0.65A safely charge a Canon Battery Pack NB-5L 3.7V 1120mAh(Li-ion) if I cut the little bits of plastic stopping me out of the way?

Video Editing Software for Travel Videos

mary8nne — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:42:13 -0800

Can anyone suggest a simple Non-Linear Video Editing Software for Windows XP? One that can accept and output variety of Formats. For editing together Videos (MJPG) taken on a Canon Digital photo Camera. I've been messing around recording a few travel videos on my Canon Isus Camera which seems to take 640x480 MJPG Video (30fps). I thought it might be fun to Edit some together and add music tracks to them (and remove the current sound track where is it just wind noise).

Its not really a serious endeavour so looking for cheap / freeware editing apps for Win XP.

I've tried Windows Movie Maker but it will only allow export as DV (huge files) or this .wmv (WMV9 proprietrary format?) and is a bit chunky - but I did like the graphic time-line you get with WMM compared to the editing in the dark of AVIdemux.

Your Tips and Resources for Using An External Flash

nfg — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:32:34 -0800

Help me make the absolute best of my new external camera flash! I have a Canon XSI, and have just purchased a Canon 580 EXII Speedlite flash (which I'll be getting my hands on at the end of this month). I really want to make the best of this setup, so what are your tips for using an external flash? Any pointers to resources (websites, books etc) that would help would be much appreciated to.

Sub-$300 Rebel XT Lens

archagon — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:54:27 -0800

Good sub-$300 Rebel XT lenses? I'm looking for a sub-$300 (but preferably sub-$200) lens for my Rebel XT with the highest possible sharpness and contrast. It has to be better than the supposedly quite decent EF-S 18-55mm kit lens. Primes are okay -- even preferred.

(Everyone seems crazy about the 50mm f1.8, but 50mm is a bit close for me, and I have no idea how well the lens fits my criteria.)

Advice for capturing brightly-lit moving targets in the dark

umbú — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:37:49 -0800

I'm taking still pictures and video of a hard rock-like spectacle tomorrow. What do you think my exposure and ISO settings should be? The show has complicated theatrical lighting that constantly shifts, both in terms of how much light is aimed at the stage, and also what color. At a few points, there are strobe lights.

To complicate things further, the band members are constantly moving around like crazed marionettes trying to break free from their invisible strings.

The one thing I have one my side is that I know the lighting guy, and he has agreed to coach me as to the best moments in each song to focus on specific band members when they are well-lit.

I am using a Canon 5d Mark II for still photos, video, and both at once. During their last show, I locked down the ISO at 3200 because of how dark it was at several points, but that proved not only to make the picture grainier than I think it needed to be, but also made the bright moments blow out.

Here is a video of the band (Cordel do Fogo Encantado). The second half of the clip gives you a sense of what I'm up against.

Canon Lens Dirt.

disillusioned — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:09:25 -0800

CanonFilter: It appears I have dirt inside the my Canon 28-135mm lens... Rather, it looks to me like it's on the inner optics, and not the prime lens... I was cleaning my UV filter which has been on the lens ever since I bought it, a year ago, and noticed that some specks seemed to still remain. I removed the filter and looked carefully at the prime lens, but I've never touched it and, frankly, the cloth I was using to clean the filter wasn't aces, so I wasn't about to touch my actual lens with it.

There appeared to be no dirt or dust on the lens itself, but two or three specks were visible on the moving piece of glass beneath the prime lens... which was, to the best of my ability to determine, not an optical illusion, though I could be wrong.

Is it at all possible there's dirty on the inner optics? I also pulled the lens off and looked at the back, but couldn't see anything there at all. The specks seem to bend and fit the inner lens when I move it... so how do I clean it? Do I care?

Some of my pictures at 28mm show dirt specks, but I think that was just the obvious stuff that was on the filter. I haven't shot again since cleaning...

Do I need to worry or care at all? It's my only lens for my XTi, but still, it bothers me... I imagine about the only thing I could do is send it in for repair, so I guess my question is this: is it at all likely or even possible for there to be dirt on the inner optics, or am I just being tricked?

Which of the Canon Vixia camcorders has the best low light performance?

HappyEngineer — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:27:14 -0800

I have a Canon XH A1 camcorder. It's very nice and has an excellent low light mode. However, it's just too big to carry around casually. I'm interested in getting one of the tiny Canon Vixia HD camcorders. However, most camcorders shoot terrible video anyplace that doesn't have excellent light. Which of the Canon Vixia camcorders has the best low light performance. And, how good is it compared to the Canon XH A1 low light performance? The most expensive Vixia appears to be the HF S10.

moisture in the lens!

Griffinlb — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:21:36 -0800

My canon powershot g10 got water in the lens - can it be saved?! I just climbed Mt fuji in a freak rain storm. I kept my camera as dry as possible and it worked fine for a day and half. Now, quite suddenly the display has fogged up, and bleached out. I think the implications are obvious - but I'm very (VERY) new to photography. Is there anything that can be done to save my dear camera?!

Thank you thank thank you anyone who knows some quick emergency procedures.

(I'm sure I should be scouring google first - but my internet access is limited right now)

I don't need a video camera shaped paperweight.

miss lynnster — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:24:16 -0800

I've inherited a Canon Optura 100 1.3 Megapixel video camera. There's a tiny video of my dad on there that I want to put on YouTube for relatives. I haven't owned a video camera before and really want to learn how to use this, also for other things... but the manual is huge! I've tried sifting through it, but I have a Mac and I see nothing about Mac compatibility anywhere and I don't see any cables that look familiar. I know it *should* be easy... hellppp! Are there any good web sites on this or do you have experience with it yourself? What do I do?