Here are my favorite photos from the March 6, 2013 Baseball game between the Forrest Rebels and the Pedro Menendez Falcons. The visiting Falcons dominated the game ending it in the 7th inning with a 7-2 win over the Rebels. After seeing the images I took that night, I was quite happy. I captured [...]]]>

Sunset at the Field. Canon EOS 60D - Canon EF-S 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM, F/8, ISO 100, 19mm. I had to stop for a moment to capture this sunset. When I saw the Sun is setting, I grab my bag to get my 10-22mm Ultawide and switch lens.

Here are my favorite photos from the March 6, 2013 Baseball game between the Forrest Rebels and the Pedro Menendez Falcons. The visiting Falcons dominated the game ending it in the 7th inning with a 7-2 win over the Rebels. After seeing the images I took that night, I was quite happy. I captured some images that I really like, but there were still some that I can't be proud off, seriously!!! I need more practice, I need to shoot more and improved on a lot of things. Like the usual, I shot mostly with the Canon 7D paired with the Ef 70-200mm 2.8 and my EF 400mm F/5.6 on the 60D for some tight close-up of the players. I also made a couple of tonemapped pictures with my Ultra-Wide angle lens during the sunset hours.

Something Weird Happened on my 60D…

During the 5th inning I checked the battery levels on both my bodies. My Canon 7D is still full and my Canon 60D is 1 bar less, so I'm still good, still plenty of juice left on both bodies, I said to myself. But then halfway on the 6th inning my 60d with the 400mm won't fire, when I check, the battery indicator was blinking, what?? my battery is drained?? Good thing I still have 4 backup batteries on my pockets two canon lp-e6, two third party replacement batteries, but to my surprised none of them worked. When I insert them in my 60d all I got was the blinking battery indicator or nothing at all, just a dead camera. I know that batteries drains a lot faster in cold weather (it was like 45 degrees cold that night), so I didn't bother to play around and switch batteries between my 7D, anyway, only one more inning and I'm done for the night. I packed my 60d and 400mm back in the bag.

When I got home, I downloaded all the photos from my cards and called it a night. I was too tired to check my camera. The next morning I was going out to shoot some macro, but the 60d still won't respond. I took out everything, the batteries and cards, and the battery grip. I'll leave it for a minimum of 30mins and just check back on it later or tomorrow. Don't worry I'll keep you posted.

Favorite Photos from the game:

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Here are some of my favorite shots from the March 4, 2013 Varsity Softball Game. Congratulations to Duncan U Fletcher, they defeated the home team (Lady Raiders) in the 6th inning with a score of 11-0. I was not happy with how I shot. Maybe it's one of those times were I feel a [...]]]>

Canon EOS 7D - Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8 USM, F/2.8, ISO 3200,1/400 at 175mm. Team equipment all lined up and ready for inspection by the Umpires

Here are some of my favorite shots from the March 4, 2013 Varsity Softball Game. Congratulations to Duncan U Fletcher, they defeated the home team (Lady Raiders) in the 6th inning with a score of 11-0. I was not happy with how I shot. Maybe it's one of those times were I feel a little tired and exhausted after a long day at work and then having to shoot a ball game afterwards. But I did get a few that I liked, see below. The game was ok overall, just the usual actions you see on most softball/baseball games. I did try to make some panning shots which was I guess ok for a beginner, but nothing to brag about, also took some photos of the baseball equipments and the dirt just so I have something to do. I'm hoping I'll have some better ones next game.

Gear list:

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon EOS 60D
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
• Canon EF-S 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 Ultra Wide Angle USM Lens
• Think Tank Lens Drop Belt Pouch for Standard Zoom Lenses, Small Primes and Teleconverters
• Think Tank Skin 50 V2.0 Belt Pouch
• Think Tank Pro Speed Belt V2.0, Padded Medium-Large Size Modulus Accessory Belt – Black
• Dual Camera Harness/Strap

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I came early and had the opportunity to shoot the Junior's softball game between the Raiders and the Senators. The Lady Senators led the whole game while the Lady Raiders play catch up, but eventually ran out of energy and lost the game with a 19-12 score ending the game in the 3rd inning.

Here are some of the photos from last Friday's(March 1, 2013) baseball game between Orange Park and Ridgeview. The Raiders won ending the game with a 1-0 in the 7th inning. This was my first time to cover a baseball game all I can say is it's more difficult and challenging to shoot compare [...]]]>

Canon EOS 60D - Canon EF 400mm F/5.6L USM, 1/400, F/5.6, ISO 6400.

Here are some of the photos from last Friday's(March 1, 2013) baseball game between Orange Park and Ridgeview. The Raiders won ending the game with a 1-0 in the 7th inning. This was my first time to cover a baseball game all I can say is it's more difficult and challenging to shoot compare to football or basketball. Difficult in the sense that there isn't much action to shoot. There were moments that I felt bored from were I was standing. But there were a few moments that is worth shooting. I used my EF 400mm F/5.6L for most part of the game because I was shooting from outside the field. I wanted to experiment, that's why I did not shoot from the field and to find a good vantage point outside but in the end, I wish I shot from the field, while shooting from the outside has it's advantages I got less keepers, there are plenty of obstacles and distractions outside the field, like the net that is hanging, the fence, and there are plenty of head popping in front of the lens.

Gear list:

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon EOS 60D
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
• Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto
• Think Tank Lens Drop Belt Pouch for Standard Zoom Lenses, Small Primes and Teleconverters
• Think Tank Skin 50 V2.0 Belt Pouch
• Think Tank Pro Speed Belt V2.0, Padded Medium-Large Size Modulus Accessory Belt – Black
• Dual Camera Harness/Strap

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Finally, my first softball match. Thank goodness it wasn't cancelled, the boys baseball also scheduled last night was canceled because of the rains. It was a great learning experience for me, I'm glad I was able to shoot the match. I shot with my 70-200mm 2.8 on the 7d and the 400mm 5.6 on [...]]]>

My Favourite photo of the night. This ball almost hit us, landed a feet away from us. Canon EOS 7D - Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L USM, 1/400, F/2.8, ISO 3200.

Finally, my first softball match. Thank goodness it wasn't cancelled, the boys baseball also scheduled last night was canceled because of the rains. It was a great learning experience for me, I'm glad I was able to shoot the match. I shot with my 70-200mm 2.8 on the 7d and the 400mm 5.6 on the 60d, being a firs timer to shoot softball/baseball, I honestly didn't know what to expect so I brought the big guns, I wanted to get some tight action shots of the players and to experiment with what will work and what will not. I find the 70-200mm adequate enough, the 400 being to slow for night time sports being f/5.6) isn't really good to use in the dark corners of the outfield, if it was daytime it would have been awesome to use. My 28-75mm F/2.8 stayed in my Think Tank Lens Drop Belt Pouch . I shot in the field together with a photographer friend of mine, our box was right behind the first base. In softball/baseball if you want to shoot in the field they will give you this spot to shoot from and you to stay there the rest of the game. For me it was hard, I'm used to moving around a lot, like in football, soccer and basketball, even wrestling. But I guess it's a good thing, it slowed me down a bit and I have to really observed the game and carefully frame my shots. The ball from the photo above almost hit us, landing from our spot just a feet away. I thought that was scary, just imagine being hit by a softball that's really not soft!!!!!

What I've learned?

• Softball although more relaxing and not as tiring as football and soccer to shoot, it's not also easy to photograph.
• I have to learn and know more about the game.
• I have to shoot more to learn more. I have to work on my timing.
• I've learned to take advantage of the light that was available from my shooting position without having to reposition my self for the shot.

Gear list:

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon EOS 60D
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
• Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto
• Think Tank Lens Drop Belt Pouch for Standard Zoom Lenses, Small Primes and Teleconverters
• Think Tank Skin 50 V2.0 Belt Pouch
• Think Tank Pro Speed Belt V2.0, Padded Medium-Large Size Modulus Accessory Belt – Black
• Dual Camera Harness/Strap

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You've probably noticed that I have not posted for quite sometime. I have been fixing my sites backend stuff like optimizing my database, caching and integrating Amazon's cloudfront into my site. I'm also relocating most of my locally stored images up in the cloud to save some space in my VPS [...]]]>

You've probably noticed that I have not posted for quite sometime. I have been fixing my sites backend stuff like optimizing my database, caching and integrating Amazon's cloudfront into my site. I'm also relocating most of my locally stored images up in the cloud to save some space in my VPS Hosting. Hence the reason for some of the unavailable post and broken images on some of the post. Stay tuned for more updates.

Thanks for visiting SIMPLYNESS.Com

You can get them while [...]]]> For Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX users, the Sigma DN Lens Bundle w/Sigma 19mm EX & 30mm f/2.8 EX DN are still on sale for only $199.00 . Yes, that's two lenses for only $199,

You can get them while supply last.

• Adorama
  • Sigma DN Bundle 19mm and 30mm F/2.8 DN for Micro Four Thirds
  • Sigma DN Bundle 19mm and 30mm F/2.8 DN for Sony E-Mount
• B&H Photo Video
  • Sigma DN Bundle 19mm and 30mm F/2.8 DN for Micro Four Thirds
  • Sigma DN Bundle 19mm and 30mm F/2.8 DN for Sony E-Mount
• Amazno
  • Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens and 30mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens Kit for Sony Alpha E Mount

I ordered mine from Adorama and got the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 last monday, they just shipped the sigma 30mm yesterday and will be here this Satruday, I've have used the Sigma 19mm on both my Pen E-PL1 and Panasonic G3, and I like. It is better than I expected and better than the panasonic kit lens 14-42mm. In my initial test, on my PEN, I didn't have any problem at all,af is quick, probably a little soft at f/2.8 (that's just me), but nothing big, you can easily fix that in post, at F/3.5 it's better, I have to use it more, now on the panasonic g3, I noticed that there were times, it won't acquire focus, and there were times that it's fine, not sure where the problem is, if it's with the lens or the panasonic body, but in the Olympus Pen, it works great, and the F/2.8 certainly is great in low light.

Here are some initial photos from the Sigma 19mm F/2.8 DN.

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I'm all set and ready for tomorrow's District Wrestling tournament. I've charged my batteries, dust my lens (thank god, can't remember last time I did that). This would be my second time shooting wrestling, the first one was last year, first week of December 2012. It was an amazing experience. First I thought [...]]]>

I'm all set and ready for tomorrow's District Wrestling tournament. I've charged my batteries, dust my lens (thank god, can't remember last time I did that). This would be my second time shooting wrestling, the first one was last year, first week of December 2012. It was an amazing experience. First I thought that it wasn't going to be as exciting as basketball, or football, I really thought it was going to be a slow game. But it's not, it is actually pretty intense and full of action.

Like most sports, a fast shutter speed is the key  to stopping the action. And to do this I rely on my canon gear, here's what's in my  bag for tomorrows tournament.

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon EOS 60D
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM ;
• Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP
• Canon Speedlite 580EX Flash
• CF and SD Cards
• Extra batteries for cameras and flash
• Lowepro Flipside 400 AW Backpack
• Think Tank Pro Speed Belt V2.0
• Think Tank Skin 50 V2.0 Belt Pouch
• Think Tank Lens Drop Belt Pouch

For tomorrows tournament, I will mostly the Canon 7d with the EF 70-200mm F/2.8 and the Canon 60d With EF 85mm F/1.8, I will also test my new Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G3 Micro Four-Thirds with the Panasonic 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 Lumix G Vario to see how it will perform.

Here are some photos from the last wrestling match that I shot:

We got this beautiful yellow roses last weekend that is starting to bloom, it is really beautiful and a great subject to photograph. So I decided to test my new Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G3 16 MP Micro Four-Thirds Camera and see how it does with macro. I use [...]]]>

We got this beautiful yellow roses last weekend that is starting to bloom, it is really beautiful and a great subject to photograph. So I decided to test my new Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G3 16 MP Micro Four-Thirds Camera and see how it does with macro. I use the Panasonic 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 Lumix G Vario MEGA OIS Zoom Micro Four Thirds Lens for Panasonic and Olympus Micro Four Thirds Cameras a Raynox DCR 250 and 1 speedlite on top fitted with a .  Opteka OSG14 1/4-Inch Universal Honeycomb Speed Grid .

For the shot, I use an old technic called focus stacking. In Focus Stacking you take multiple photos of the same subject very much like shooting hdr, the only difference is, in focus stacking, we shoot different focused points without changing exposure. We do this to increase depth of field and to increase the sharpness of the final image. In this photo, I shot 5 frames, focusing on different spot of the flower. One more you'll need for focus stacking is a sturdy tripod. 

The last step in focus stacking is to merge them together, and that can easily be done in photoshop cs4, cs5 or cs6. I found a great video tutorial below from Photofacts Tutorials:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Other than Photoshop, you can also use Helicon Focus a software from Helicon Soft which cost around $30-$55 for a 1 year license and $115-$200 for unlimited license.

At last, my first post of the year. I was really busy since the start of the new year. I have been really struggling to find time to post here and to my GPlus and FBook pages. But today I did it, and hopefully it's a start.

I have been really [...]]]>

At last, my first post of the year. I was really busy since the start of the new year. I have been really struggling to find time to post here and to my GPlus and FBook pages. But today I did it, and hopefully it's a start.

I have been really busy juggling between my main job as a net admin and part time high school sports photographer in the afternoon. It's a really fun learning experience and I'm really thankful for the opportunity. I will posting more of my sports photography experience in the next few days.

Going back to the photo above, This is Coby of the Smithsonian National Zoo. She was born May 26, 2004. The National Zoo exhibits two female gray wolves, that arrived in July of 2012 from the Calgary Zoo. You can see them at the newest exibit at the zoo, "The American Trail"

Gear:

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM
• Manfrotto 680B Monopod 4-SCTN Replaces 680

More Info: Last time I was at the National Zoo, the American Trail exhibit was still close, I was surprised when I saw that it is now open to the public. It was past 5pm and close to getting dark when I got there, and when I saw this mighty gray wolf standing on top of the ridge, I said to myself, WOW, I got to take this, so I took out my EF 400mm, took some shots. This one was taken at 1/400, F/5.6 with an ISO of 3200. I had to boost my ISO to 3200 because it was getting dark. It did have some noise, but that is to be expected and can be removed in post using lightroom 4. I also added some vignette and finishing touches in LR4.

Happy Holidays from Simplyness.Com

Todays #Macro Monday Sub Theme is Dreamy, like the usual, I dug through my archives and I found the photo. It was ok and perfect for today's theme, but I wanted to add a little more lens effect.  Topaz Labs has the right tool for [...]]]>

Todays #Macro Monday Sub Theme is Dreamy, like the usual, I dug through my archives and I found the photo. It was ok and perfect for today's theme, but I wanted to add a little more lens effect.  Topaz Labs has the right tool for the job, the Topaz Lens Effects. Lens Effects is one the many easy to use photoshop plugins that Topaz Labs offers.

Here are some of the best features that Topaz Lens Effects can offer:

• Explore, experiment with and apply 29 effects and over 200 presets
• Bokeh, (blur) to minimize undesired backgrounds and foregrounds
• Filter characteristics like color tone, fog, reflector and more
• Flexibility to enhance or change your focal point
• Creative focus effects like motion, miniatures and dual focus
• Depth-of-field adjustments with depth map and Smart Brush
• "Apply" button to stack effects and create customized looks
• Separate controls for adjusting background and foreground details
• Enhanced sharpening algorithm, grain, quad toning and vignettes

You can download your free 30day trial of Topaz Lens Effects here and try it for yourself.

For this IR photo I use an old Sony DSC-V3 point and shoot camera, night shot enabled and then I use a IR Filter and a ND Filter. Here’s the setup http://goo.gl/Q8JVS, this is the older sony camera that I also used http://goo.gl/ZpuxQ, more info:http://goo.gl/ud0df

There are many ways to do a long exposure during daytime and one of that is to use a smaller aperture (Large F number).

For this photo, I wanted to have that silky smooth look from the flowing water,  to achieve that, I need to use a slower shutter [...]]]>

There are many ways to do a long exposure during daytime and one of that is to use a smaller aperture (Large F number).

For this photo, I wanted to have that silky smooth look from the flowing water,  to achieve that, I need to use a slower shutter speed, in this case the camera gave me 1.3 sec.  Here's how I set it up,  camera on a tripod in the water, I used aperture priority, set my ISO to 100 to get the cleanest possible image, 200 is also good at that time when I shot this. I dialed my aperture to F/22 and set the timer on the Canon 60d and fired away.  I played around with different aperture settings until I i was satisfied with the result, I started at F/16 and ended up using F/22. The resulting image is the photo above. I also played with composition, and different location and this is my favorite spot.  I like how it came out, not as boring in real life.

My Gear:

• Canon EOS 60D 18 MP
• Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens
• Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod
• Vanguard SBH-300 Large-Format Magnesium Alloy Ballhead with Two Onboard Bubble Levels

This photo of Kandula was taken at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC. This was shot handheld using the Non IS Canon EF 400mm F/5.6L USM at 1/400, F/5.6 with an ISO of 400 and a Canon EOS 60D. In this photo I waited for Kandula to get closer [...]]]>

Kandula the 11 yr old Asian Elephant at the Smithsonian National Zoo

This photo of Kandula was taken at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC. This was shot handheld using the Non IS Canon EF 400mm F/5.6L USM at 1/400, F/5.6 with an ISO of 400 and a Canon EOS 60D. In this photo I waited for Kandula to get closer so I can get a tight shot because I wanted remove the clutter and some distractions on the background, and to get a sharp image, I bump up the ISO to 400, and use shutter priority. My goal is to use  a fast enough shutter speed like a minimum 1/400 to avoid blurring photograph. With a higher ISO I can use a fast shutter speed and not worry about anything else.

For the past 3 years I have been using the original Black Rapid Strap (RS 1). It's a great product that never really failed me, not even once. The Black Rapid is perfect if I'm using only one camera, when I need to use two bodies, I usually bring along my  [...]]]>

Me wearing the Double Camera Strap during last friday's football game. Photo taken by my friend and fellow photographer, Jared Bludsworth

For the past 3 years I have been using the original Black Rapid Strap (RS 1). It's a great product that never really failed me, not even once. The Black Rapid is perfect if I'm using only one camera, when I need to use two bodies, I usually bring along my  Lowepro Toploader Pro 75 AW where I put the second body.  It was ok, but there are times that it gets uncomfortable and hard to move especially with a bulky bag on my hip. So I decided to get a dual camera strap. I first thought of getting the BlackRapid DR-1 Double Strap but the price made me think twice, I looked around and found the CowboyStudio Double Camera Harness/Strap for Digital SLR and Video (Double Harness) from Amazon.

I decided to try it so bought one from Amazon. I'm really surprised with the strap when I got it, the materials that were used are great. Maybe not that great compare to the more expensive ones, but for $21.00, this is a steal. It worked right out of the box. 

Features:

• Two adjustable camera mounts
• Even weight distribution, makes it comfortable to wear
• Two chest level accessory clips/hooks (perfect for ID/Tags, pont and shoot camera, mobile phone, memory pouch, small video camera)

It camse with two of these adjustable camera mounts on each side.

It came with the two adjustable camera mounts pictured above, which I think is ok, but I'm more comfortable using my old black rapid fastener, so I removed the one that came with it and replace it with something close to this Lehigh 7000-12 3-1/2-Inch by 5/8-Inch 110-Pound Round Steel Swivel Eye Bolt Snap Hook, Nickel Plated and use my 2 black rapid fastener. See photo below. I bought the swivel hooks from lowes for only less than $2 if I remember it right, it comes with two hooks in the package and it is rated at 60lbs load.

The Steel Swivel Snap Hook from Lowes(Rated at 60lbs load) and my Black Rapid Fasteners.

I liked this mod better than the original mounts, this way I can easily connect and disconnect the camera when I need to. With the original camera mount, I have to unscrew the mount which takes time and I'm not confident it can handle the load. Overall, together with the simple mod that I did, I'm pretty satisfied with this strap. It works great. I used it wht a Canon EOS 7D with Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L and the Canon EOS 60D with EF-S 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5. With the simple modifications that I made, I confident that the gear won't fall down accidentally. I've use it several times and it really worked for me. I just love it.

Where to buy?

This ESDCFII: SD to Compact Flash Type II adapter works really good on my Canon EOS 7D. I have a lot of SDHC cards that I use for my Canon EOS 60D, and this adapter let me use some of them on the 7D which takes CF Type [...]]]>

This ESDCFII: SD to Compact Flash Type II adapter works really good on my Canon EOS 7D. I have a lot of SDHC cards that I use for my Canon EOS 60D, and this adapter let me use some of them on the 7D which takes CF Type I and II . For $15, this adapter works as design.

Features:

• Converts SD memory cards into CF Type II card interface. Fits into CF type II Slot
• SD Card stores completely into the CF card adapter.
• Works w/ PDA, digital camera, printer etc. High-Speed CF interface w/ extreme performance
• SD 3.0 ready accept extFAT file system on Windows
• Support CF true IDE mode / memory mode/ IO mode

So far it works flawlessly on the camera and my sdhc cards I used a variety of brands, like the Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 10, Lexar Professional 400x 16 GB SDHC UHS-I Card, AmazonBasics SDHC Class 10 16 GB and the older SanDisk 8GB SDHC Extreme III Class 6 Secure Digital Card. All these sdhc cards are 100% accessible on my Thinkpad L520 Laptop using the Transcend P8 15-in-1 USB 2.0 Flash Memory Card Reader TS-RDP8K (Black) and I can transfer files from the sdhc to my laptop and vice versa.

So far I have not encountered any problems. I'm using it everyday on the 7d together with my favorite sdhc, the fast Lexar Professional 400x 16 GB SDHC UHS-I Card to see if it can stand the test. For important work I would still rely on compact flash cards, but this SD to Compact Flash Type II adapter can come really handy as a backup. It is working as designed and I have not had any errors or issues with it while on the camera or on any of the file transfers I have done. Also I have not found any corrupted raw images. For now I can honestly say that it works flawlessly on the Canon EOS 7D. I have read reviews at Amazon that a lot of people have successfully used this on their Canon EOS 5D0 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II as well.

Where to buy?

First Magic Lantern release for the 7D. Please note this is an ALPHA RELEASE, and just like always, proceed at your own risks, If anything goes wrong, Magic Lantern won't pay for repairs. Use Magic Lanter at your own risk!.

Review Part 1.

Review Part 2.

Here's a Gallery of some of the Photos I shot using the Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens

Where to buy?

This photo was captured with Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens For Canon, 1/500, f/4.5, ISO 400

Review Part 1.

Review Part 2.

Here's a Gallery of some of the Photos I shot using the Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens

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Where to buy?

Adorama
Sony Mount
Nikon Mount
Canon Mount

B&H Photo Video
Sony Mount
Nikon Mount
Canon Mount

Amazon
Sony Mount
Nikon Mount
Canon Mount

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can read the first part of this review here.

Conclusion:

Overall I like the lens, results are stunning. I used this on a Canon EOS 40d and EOS 60D bodies and work well on both. It feels comfortable on my hands, feels solid despite having an all plastic construction. So far [...]]]>

Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens For Canon on a Canon EOS 60d, mounted on a Vanguard SBH-300 ballhead

You can read the first part of this review here.

Conclusion:

Overall I like the lens, results are stunning. I used this on a Canon EOS 40d and EOS 60D bodies and work well on both. It feels comfortable on my hands, feels solid despite having an all plastic construction. So far the only problem I can find on this lens is the absence of a focus limter. Other than that, it's a great macro lens. For me great optics is far more important than to worry about, the AF / VC issue. If you need stability, use a tripod or a monopod. If using them isn't possible, a fast enough shutter speed combine with flash and a nice diffuser and you will get stunning results.

I can highly recommend this lens, it's such a fun lens to use and I'm sure it will give you great results. You'll also notice that the boken and background blur from this lens is simply stunning and the 180mm focal length is great because it gives you enough working distance, this is especially important if you are working with insects/bugs which can easily get spooked. Also at 180mm you can get tight portrait shot and tight landscapes. If you are looking for macro lens with great optics. This is it. I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.

The Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens are available from:

Amazon | Adorama | B & H

Here are Photos of the Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens Mounted on a Canon EOS 60D and some of the initial photos I shot with it:

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Big changes are coming to Fotomoto. Last night, I got an email from them informing current users about the changes that are going to be implemented soon.  Starting October 10th, they will start to implement the 3 types of service or models as they call it, these are the:

To read my original review please click here. Thanks.

Update: 09/29/2012 

Tamron AF 28-75mm SP F/2.8

To read my original review please click here. Thanks.

Update: 09/29/2012 

After more than a year of using the Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon, I have notice that the zoom ring is somewhat tighter. Zooming from 28-60mm is ok, but from 60mm to 75mm, it's not as smooth as before, I need to give it a little notch to zoom all the way to 75mm. Also I've been using this a lot to shoot high school football and I noticed that when it gets dark, it is having a hard time focusing, even on still subjects. When using AI Servo to track subject, the lens can't coped up and tend to loose focus on the subject, especially when the subject is coming right at you. In this situation, I usually drop my 200mm and switch camera for a wider shot, but I tend to miss some of the shots when using this lens. My other lenses, perform exceptionally well on this situations, my EF-S 10-22mm, Canon 70-200mm F4L IS, Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM Prime. I still like the lens, and I still use it on well lit environment, but for low light, night time, fast action sports, I rely on my Canon Lenses to do the job.

Another thing that I have noticed, like most zoom lenses, the Tamron AF 28-75mm F/2.8 is starting to exhibit zoom creep. Thank goodness it has a zoom lock that locks the zoom ring in place to avoid creeping.

Am I going to keep it? Yes I would. Just as I have mentioned, daytime and well lit environment is not a problem. It's a great walk around lens, great for traveling and family outing. I don't use it for night time fast moving sports anymore. I'm using my ef-s 10-22mm, EF 85mm F/1.8 in place of the Tamron 28-75mm, together with my Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Prime Lens.

Reasons to buy this lens:

• Cheap
• Great Optics / Can produce excellent image quality
• Great for portraits
• Fast F/2.8 Fix aperture
• Light / Compact / Perfect for the traveler

Reasons to look somewhere else:

• Tendency to hunt in low light situations. (I've used this for indoor events, with no problem, but lately I've noticed that it tends to hunt in low light)
• Not for fast action sports photography. It is having a hard time obtaining accurate focus. Using Canon in AI Servo, it can't cope up with fast moving subjects.  There are times when I have to switch to manual and help it to achieve focus.

Recommendation:

Please note that all the problems that I have mentioned, happened in low light situation, at night in fast action sports, which I have been shooting a lot lately, for indoor events, I have used this lens without any problem. My recommendation, if you need a lens with a F/2.8 aperture in the 24-70mm range and this lens is the one in your budget get it, I'm sure it will work out for you as long as you know it's limitation, but if you need a lens with a realiable autofocus in low light situation in the 24-70mm range, consider  the newer and more expensive, Tamron SP 24-70mm Di VC USD, the newer version features Tamron's new Ultrasonic Drive, for fast accurate autofocus. I have not tried this lens myself, but it has receive some positive reviews from people who have used it. If you have the money to buy the more expensive Canon EF 24-70mm F/2.8 USM MK I or the newer MK II, just go ahead, you won't be dissappointed. The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras will last a lifetime.

This review has been long overdue, before I start, let me just tell you that despite it's shortcomings and limitation, this piece of gear won't dissapoint you at all. The Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens comes in Canon, NIKON and Sony mount, I have the Canon mount for my EOS 40D and [...]]]>

Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens For Canon

This review has been long overdue, before I start, let me just tell you that despite it's shortcomings and limitation, this piece of gear won't dissapoint you at all. The Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens comes in Canon, NIKON and Sony mount, I have the Canon mount for my EOS 40D and EOS 60D. I got mine from Amazon for only $639.00 after rebate late April (2012).

I love photographing wildlife around me, and that includes, insects, bugs and the likes. To do this I need a longer lens that will give me some distance between me and my subjects so as not to spook them away.  I choosed between three lenses, the Canon EF 180mm F/3.5, the Sigma 150mm F/2.8 OS EX and the Tamron 180mm.  The Tamron and Canon 180mm both has F/3.5 fix max aperture and the sigma 150 is a F/2.8 which is a plus and it has OS, but cost more than the tamron, both the Canon and Tamron has slow autofocus, (i'm sure the tamron is slower), and so I was set to buy the Sigma 150mm F/2.8 OS, but I hesitated in the end for two reasons, first I needed a longer focal length, (180mm is the one I wanted at first), 2nd is the price, $1099 vs $689, a $400 difference.  So I went ahead and took a chance on the  Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens, up to now, I still enjoy using it for occasional hunting of insects and other wildlife, also for perfect for not so small and distant birds.

Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens For Canon

What's with the name?

Like all Tamron Lenses, this lens has a very long name – Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens.

• SP – SUPER PERFORMANCE :  Tamron SP (Super Performance) series is a line of ultra-high-performance lenses designed and manufactured to the exacting specifications demanded by professionals and others who require the highest possible image quality.  According to Tamron, "In creating SP lenses, Tamron’s optical designers put their foremost priority on achieving superior performance parameters—they are all designed to a higher standard with little regard for cost constraints."
• Di - (Digitally Integrated Design) is a Tamron designation that applies to lenses that have been optimized for digital capture using advanced multi-coating techniques and optical designs that assure excellent image quality across the entire picture field. Tamron Di lenses are performance optimized for digital SLR cameras and usable with DSLRs featuring sensors commonly referred to as APS-C, measuring approximately 24mm x 16mm, as well as larger full frame (36mm x 24mm) sensors and 35mm film SLRs.
• LD – LOW DISPERSION : Low dispersion (LD) glass elements in a lens help reduce chromatic aberration; the tendency of light of different colors to come to different points of focus at the image plane.
• FEC (Filter Effect Control) : function enhances operational ease of Polarizing Filter use 
  The Filter Effect Control is designed to rotate the filter to the desired position while the hood is attached. This is accomplished by turning the FEC ring that in turn rotates the portion of the filter mount where the filter is mounted.
• IF – INTERNAL FOCUSING : Internal focusing (IF) provides numerous practical benefits to photographers including a non-rotating front filter ring that facilitates the positioning of polarizing and graduated filters, and more predictable handling because the lens length does not change during focusing.

Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Lens with the included lens case/pouch, tripod mount ring and lens hood

What's Included?

The Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens comes with a detachable lens hood, a really good tripod mount ring, manual, registration form and a padded lens case. The padded lens case is fairly useless because it is not design to be carried outdoors.

Impression:

The  Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens comes with a very dissapointing lens case / pouch, a really nice and sturdy lens hood and a durable tripod mount ring. It would have been nice if they added a belt loop with the case or a nice shoulder strap so I can carry it around my shoulders and not carry it by hand. The lens is entirely made of hard plastic with no weather sealing. But despite that, it still feels solid and well built. It sports a internal focusing system which is nice because it maintains a constant length when focusing. Talking about focus, it is true that AF (autofocus) is slow, and it doesn't have a focus limiter which makes it seems really slow because it's micro motor has to travel the entire focus range. Thanks to the well-textured broad focus ring, manual focusing is really smooth and precise. It takes time to get use to the AF / MF switch, unlike other lenses, this one doesn't have an On / Off autofocus switch, instead it uses a focus clutch mechanism like the ones found on tokina lenses. Switching is done by simply sliding the focus ring back and forth between the two positions you can select either the AF or MF focusing position. Another nice feature that I like is the built-in FEC (Filter Effect Control), basically if you use a circular polarizing filter, the FEC rotates the filter to your desired position while the lens hood is attached. I really wish, all lens manufacturer will incorporate this feature on their lenses. 

Overall, the Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens is a great lens. If you are worried about the autofocus issue, don't be. When doing macro I assure you that, you will be in Manual Focus most of the time, and in the event you need to use the autofocus, it can be done, what I do is, I quickly switch to manual focus and pre-focus and switch back to auto, this way, the lens motor doesn't have to travel the entire focus range, you'll notice that the af is precise and achieves focus in an instant. With regards to VC, yes it helps, but it will also add to the costs of the lens. I don't worry too much about IS/VC, I just bump up my shutter speed or use flash to compensate and stop the action, there are times I use my Manfrotto 682B Monopod to add stability.

Shown here is the Tamron AF 180mm F/3.5 SP Macro Lens in between two Canon L Lenses. The EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM on the left and the Canon EF 70-200mm F/4L IS USM Lens.

Above, the  Tamron AF 180mm F/3.5 DI SP Macro Lens is shown in between  the Canon 200mm f/2.8L Prime Telephoto Lens and Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS . It is longer than the Canon 200mm Prime lens and a little bit shorter than the Canon 70-200mm F/4L IS.  Of all these three, the Tamron is heavier, but it feels really wel in my hands. The Tamron is also shown with it's really nice tripod  ring mount with a Vanguard QS-45 Quick Shoe Plate.

The same three lenses, this time each with it's own lens hood attached.

Here's a photo of the same three lenses, this time each with their very own lens hoods. The Tamron 180mm macro is the longest of all three lenses. The Canon EF 200mm Prime is so tiny compare to the Tamron 180mm Macro.

Strong Points and Reasons to buy this lens:

• Excellent Optics (the no. selling point for this lens)
• Gives you excellent quality images.
• For an all plastic lens, it is well built / durable / will last a long time
• Longer focal lenght giving you enough working room
• Built-in FEC – Filter Effect Control, you can use and rotate filter even with lens hood attached.
• Smooth big rubberized focus ring, which is really great to use in Manual Focus mode.
• Comes with a well made tripod mount ring.
• Fast enough fix aperture at F/3.5
• and best of all it's cheap.
• Metal lens mount

Weak Points:

• No focus limiter, making the af horribly slow.
• No full-time manual focus.
• No weather sealing
• No (VC) Vibration Compensation / Image stabilizer
• Focus clutch mechanism type of AF/MF switching can be loud and can scare some insects/bugs at times when they hear the click / clunk

The Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP Macro Lens are available from:

Amazon | Adorama | B & H

Part II – Conclusion and Sample Photos.

Below is a quick sample photo taken with the Tamron AF 180mm Macro lens. 

Tamron AF 180mm F/3.5 SP - Crop Sample, Handheld, Canon 40D, F/3.5, 1/6400, ISO 500, Aperture Priority

Tamron AF 180mm F/3.5 SP - Orginal Image, Handheld, Canon 40D, F/3.5, 1/6400, ISO 500, Aperture Priority

The people at ePHOTOzine were lucky  to get their hands on a pre production version of Tamron's upcoming SP 70-200mm F/2.8 VC USD.

the new telephoto zoom from Tamron. The lens has a new optics system and is the smallest 70-200mm lens in it's class, with a bright [...]]]>

Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 DI VC Lens For Canon, Nikon, Sony

The people at ePHOTOzine were lucky  to get their hands on a pre production version of Tamron's upcoming SP 70-200mm F/2.8 VC USD.

the new telephoto zoom from Tamron. The lens has a new optics system and is the smallest 70-200mm lens in it's class, with a bright f/2.8 aperture, as well as vibration correction (VC), and ultra-sonic motor. Unfortunately we were not able to take any photos away with us as it was a pre-production model on display, however focus seemed very quick and accurate.[via ePHOTOzine.]

Here are some photos of the upcoming Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 VC USD for Canon, Nikon and Sony.

You can also read the Press Release about this new lens here.

I'm Thrilled,  PhotoExtract included me in the 10 Top G+ Photos for Sept.5.

I didn't even know until yesterday. I have been really busy the past few weeks and really didn't have the time to posts on G+ or even visit.  Anyway, I'm happy that the photo above [...]]]>

I'm Thrilled,  PhotoExtract included me in the 10 Top G+ Photos for Sept.5.

I didn't even know until yesterday. I have been really busy the past few weeks and really didn't have the time to posts on G+ or even visit.  Anyway, I'm happy that the photo above was included. Thanks to Jarek Klimek, Editor in Chief of PhotoExtract.Com

Last nights game was wild and dark. It was an action pack game, I got a few good shots during the earlier part of the game, but in the second half I really struggled, shooting under the uneven stadium lights was really challenging. Even when using the 200mm F/2.8 prime I had to boost my ISO [...]]]>

Canon EOS 60D - Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM, 1/500, F/2.8, ISO 5000.

Last nights game was wild and dark. It was an action pack game, I got a few good shots during the earlier part of the game, but in the second half I really struggled, shooting under the uneven stadium lights was really challenging. Even when using the 200mm F/2.8 prime I had to boost my ISO to 5000 to shoot at 1/400, I tried ISO 6400, but I didn't like, but I guess it's ok, at least I got the shots I needed for my job but it's really dissapointing and nothing I can be proud of.

Once the sunlight is gone, stadium lights becomes your primary source of lighting, and your ISO and fast lens becomes your best friend, but there's one problem, most stadium lights does not provide even lighting across the field, and it flickers to a point you get different color temperatures and lighting on your photos. Here are two sample scenarios that clearly shows how light changes affects the photos:

Canon EOS 60D - Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM, 1/500, F/2.8, ISO 5000.

Canon EOS 60D - Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM, 1/500, F/2.8, ISO 5000.

We can see on both sample photos above how the light dramatically changes on all three frames which was shot consecutively, first time I saw this I thought it was my camera, so being new to this, I asked one of the photographers that was there, that's when I learned that it is a common problem with stadium lights, and it's not my camera's. There's nothing I can do except to fix it in post.

What I've Learned?

• I need to learned to observed and to be ready for something unexpected. I have to pay carefull attention to what's happening in and outside the field. I still get stuck trying to get the action shots, but I think I got some shots from the sidelines which is a good start.
• I need to bring my wide angle lens next time.
• Jpg is a photographers best friend, especially if your gear has a low frame rate and low buffer. I always shoot raw since I started photography, but now I know the advantage of shooting in JPG in sports photography. On my 60d, I always, ran out of buffer when using raw, the 60d is only capable of 15 shots a buffer at 5.3 frames per second in raw, but switch it to large jpg and it goes up to like 35 shots before you fill up the buffer, and at medium fine it gives you more. Using jpg will give you more buffer and more storage capacity compare to using raw, but like everything in photography it’s a compromise, with raw you’ll have more room to improve your images in posts, with jpg, there is little or not enough room to improve it.
• Stadium lights can be a problem.

Gear list:

• Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera
• Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
• Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
• Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
• Lowepro Toploader Pro 75 AW
• Lowepro S&F Lens Exchange 200 AW

TAP

Here are my favorite photos from last nights JV football match between Fleming Island and  ED White High Schools. It wasn't a good night for me, first I was late and got there during the 2nd quarter, 2nd I had a rough time adjusting to using a prime, but on the good side, [...]]]>

Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM on a Canon EOS 60d, 1/500, F/2.8, ISO3200

Here are my favorite photos from last nights JV football match between Fleming Island and  ED White High Schools. It wasn't a good night for me, first I was late and got there during the 2nd quarter, 2nd I had a rough time adjusting to using a prime, but on the good side, the images are great when I'm doing things right. The 2.8 really makes a diffence, The eF 200mm F/2.8L II Prime is lighter compare to the 70-200mm F/4L IS and therefore more comfortable to use for hours.

The game itself is ok, the home team, the Fleming Island Golden Eagles easily won againts ED White  Commanders ending the game with a score of 26-6, the Golden Eagles didn't even break a sweat.

Overall, I was happy I was able to shoot the game. It was a great learning experience for me, I've learned a lot tonight, and I would have hated myself if I didn't come.

I'm shooting another game tonight, I'm hoping I'll do better this time.

Gear list:

• Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera
• Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
• Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
• Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
• Lowepro Toploader Pro 75 AW
• Lowepro S&F Lens Exchange 200 AW

TAP

What I've learned tonight:

• I can't get all the plays, I kept on trying to get a shot at all the plays, which is impossible. It's ok to miss a play.
• It's good if you know some of the players this way, you can focus on them. Ask around.
• It's not easy to use a prime in action sports, like anything else in photography, practice, practice, practice, take time to learn your tools and you'll be rewarded.
• I got better images without using a speedlite.
• I need more practice.

Just got my new Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM Prime lens from Amazon, just in time for my second football match tomorrow, I'm excited to try it out to see how it compares to my Canon EF 70-200mm F/4L IS USM in low light. I decided to try the EF 200mm F/2.8L because [...]]]>

Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM on a Canon EOS 40d, mounted on a Vanguard SBH-300 ballhead

Just got my new Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM Prime lens from Amazon, just in time for my second football match tomorrow, I'm excited to try it out to see how it compares to my Canon EF 70-200mm F/4L IS USM in low light. I decided to try the EF 200mm F/2.8L because the F/4L is just isn’t enough in really dark situations. One of the problem I had during the last game I shot was the un-even stadium lighting and for the most part only a small portion of the field is well lit. This 200mm 2.8 prime is like the cheapest quality L lens in this focal range, images are sharp and with a fast f/2.8 aperture I can use faster shutter speed compare to my F/4L, but I have to deal with the fact that it's not versatile as my 70-200mm F/4L.

My plan is to use the 70-200mm F/4 during the first half of the game and switch to the 200mm Prime on the second half when it gets dark, I will just have to pick my shots carefully and together with my Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 on my second body, I think I can get some good shots.

First Impression:

The Canon EF 200mm F/2.8L II USM feels good on both my Canon bodies, (40D & 60D), it's lighter compare to the 70-200mm F/4L IS USM and small, with it's size, it's just so comfortable to take with you everytime. The best part is it takes great pictures, you get sharp pictures wide open and on all apertures. I have not shot a lot with it, we'll see tomorrow night, how it does in low light action sports.

Sample pics:

Sample pic F/5.6, 1/320, iso 3200

Sample pic F/2.8, 1/320, iso 800

Where to buy:

Amazon | Adorama | BH Photo Video

TAP

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