Tamron 28-300mm Zoom For Full Frame Camera

The one lens that I have been pining for is a good "all-in-one" lens. I have a Canon 18-200mm lens that I use on my Canon 60D crop sensor camera, and I love it, but it is a crop sensor lens and won't work on my newer Canon 6D full frame camera. I quickly discovered that there was virtually nothing available (until recently) like it for full frame cameras.

I don't expect an "all-in-one" lens to perform like my "L" glass lenses, and for specific shots and situations, I wouldn't think of using one. But there are times, like on vacation, where I just want to travel light while still having more capability than my compact G1X MarkII can give me. I got all excited last year when I heard that Tamron was coming out with a 28-300mm zoom for full frame cameras. It finally came out as model A020, and I held off buying it until I could study some reviews from users, but it suddenly disappeared from the market place (especially the Canon version). I waited for it to reappear, having heard that it was so popular that Tamron couldn't make them fast enough. After a while, I called Tamron and they said they would be available in a few weeks, but they never showed up. I couldn't get a straight story anywhere and there were still no alternatives to Tamron for this kind of lens. Then, recently, I saw that Tamron was showing another 28-300mm lens, model A010, that appeared to be a little larger than the original lens and had a platinum band around it instead of the original gold band. It was also about $100 more than the model A020. I waited a while to see the reviews and they were pretty good, so I finally bit the bullet and ordered the lens. http://tamron-usa.com/lenses/prod/28300_vcpzd.asp#ad-image-0

The Apparently Defunct Model A020                            The New Model A010
 

I haven't had much time to play with the new "all-in-one" Tamron yet, but the initial photos I took with it are promising.  I used it at a family outing, so the photos are personal family pictures that I don't wish to post on the internet, but when I get a chance to use the lens a bit more, I will post some photos taken with it so you can see the results.

On Sept. 8 I went to Hartford, CT where Tamron was holding a Tailgate Tour event and I had an opportunity to talk to a couple of Tamron reps. I asked what happened with the A020 28-300mm lens, but they either didn't know, or wouldn't tell the story, but I would guess that the original lens had some major flaw in it and they stopped making them. It took them some time to redesign the flaw out of the lens and reissue it, but I finally have my "all-in-one" lens for full my full frame camera. I have not had a chance to really put it through its paces yet, but when I do, I will post my opinion along with some photos taken with it. It won't replace my "L" glass lenses, but it will probably save my back on my next vacation.

Canon G1X Mark II

I decided that I wanted to buy a good compact camera to carry for instances where I didn't want to carry my big DSLR. I made a list of what I wanted in  the compact camera and then I started to look for cameras that fit my list. Frankly, there weren't any. I found that, as in life, I would need to make compromises and figure out which features were the most important to me.

Here is my basic list;

1. Picture quality - Since I wanted this camera so as not to miss good photos, I felt that the IQ was the most important thing to me. If I just wanted snapshots, I would not want a compact camera and would just use my cell phone.
2. Features - I wanted the basic features of a DSLR so I could control my photos and get the image I wanted. This included being able to shoot in RAW.
3. Fast lens - I wanted to be able to use as low an ISO as possible to maximize the quality of the photos.
4. Small and light - I wanted something that is easy to carry with no extra equipment needed that I couldn't carry in my pocket.
5. Good zoom lens - I wanted the best lens I could get with the widest angle to the longest zoom.

Price, while a consideration, was not initially thrown into the mix until I found specific cameras to compare.

Here's what I found;

1. Picture quality - The Canon G1X Mark II has the largest sensor of any camera in the class. AT 12.8 megapixels, it is not at the top of the list, but it is near it. But the actual sensor is almost twice as large as the other cameras in its class. Megapixels don't tell the whole story when it comes to IQ. The size of the pixel also counts and, in  a 12.8 megapixel camera with larger pixels on a sensor twice the size of the competition, the IQ would have to be better.
2. Features - The G1X has all the features I wanted, and then some. It has Wi-Fi built in, shoots Raw, JPEG or both together, is fully functional with manual operation, aperture priority mode, shutter speed priority mode and of course full automatic and the other specialty modes available in most cameras today. It has an LCD screen that folds out upwards for taking pictures at a low angle, but also can fold out downwards for taking photos from overhead. One thing that I was adamant about was having a view finder. Most of the cameras now come with only an LCD screen. I hate composing photos on an LCD screen in most situations. The G1X MII has an optional (about $250) viewfinder that mounts on the camera's hot shoe. 
3. Fast lens - The G1X MII has a lens that goes from f-2 to f-3.9. The few cameras that had faster lenses were barely any faster. The fastest lens in the class was an f-1.8.
4. Small and Light - The G1X MII isn't a pocket camera, but it is small enough and light enough to carry all day without any strain.
5. Good Zoom Lens - This is the one place where I really had to accept some trade offs. The G1X MII lens is a 24-120mm. The 24mm is fine, but the 120mm is not as powerful as I would have liked. However, my "walk around" lens on my Canon 6D has been a 24-105mm f4, so I am used to finding ways to compensate for the short focal length.

Photo taken with Canon G1X MarkII. Photo is not retouched at all, other than rotating it for viewing. It was 3:17 PM, storm clouds were rolling in and I was facing west. Shot at 18.4mm (not taking crop factor into consideration), 1/50 sec;   f/16;   ISO 100 Evaluative Metering.

The G1X MII was $799.00 and the view finder was $250.00, putting the package at $1,050.00, well above any of the other cameras I looked at. However, after much consideration I realized that it was easily the best camera in its class and it would give me the picture quality I wanted. I could have bought something for several hundred dollars (or more) less expensive, but I know I would have regretted saving the money at the expense of picture quality and functionality. As much as I hated spending that much more money, I am happy with what I got for the money and don't have regrets about making that decision.

Manfroto Monopod Follow-up

Now that I've had a chance to play with my Manfrotto 685B Neotec Monopod Deluxe a little more, I have to tell you that, overall, I like it. The ease and speed of set up and break down, as well as the adjusting while you are shooting is what makes this monopod, along with it being a really solid base even for heavy, longer lenses, is what makes this monopod. However, on the minus side, it is too long and too heavy to want to use for traveling where a compact size might matter. It is also too heavy to use as a walking stick when you are hiking and the handgrip is too big and not comfortable for use as a walking stick.  It's too bad that Manfroto didn't add another section to the unit to make it shorted when it is compacted, and a better hand grip. But it is a great monopod for places where you don't need to carry it too far and can't use a tripod. It is a great monopod for shooting sports events, like football, where you need a long lens, can't run up and down the sidelines with a tripod, and the speed of adjustment allows you to get shots that you might miss with a monopod where you have to fiddle with section after section to set up your shot.

Overall, I rate the monopod as an A+ for specific situations, but you will want something else for hiking or use as an all around monopod.

New Monopod

I just received my new Manfrotto 685B Neotec Monopod Deluxe. I've been playing with it and I see pros and cons, like most everything has.

 The pros are;

• It's solid. There's no flex to it.
• It's fast! Just pull the leg down all the way - it locks itself. Then pull the trigger on the handle, push down on the grip until the monopod is at the height you want and let go of the trigger. It's set and locked! 
• It's listed to support 17.6 lbs.
• The unit is relatively water. sand and dirt proof because the lowest section is the largest and the upper sections slide down into the lower section. So, if you stand it in a puddle, in sand, mud or dirt, it won't get into the workings of the unit.
• It has a nice, large rubber, non-slip foot that makes a nice base to rest the monopod on. The rubber foot slips off to expose a ball that is hiding an adjustable spike to give support on surfaces that don't work well with the rubber foot. 
• I put a Manfrotto 234C Swivel Head with quick release for the RC2 Rapid Connector. I like the head. The quick release has a locking function which makes me feel much better about putting an expensive camera and lens on it.

The cons are;

• The monopod is not compact. Completely collapsed, it is 32" long with the swivel head on it.
• It is not light. It weighs 2.38 lbs, not including the swivel head. With the head, you are looking at 3 lbs. I wouldn't want to use it as a walking stick.
• It's expensive for a monopod.  This unit is aluminum, not carbon fiber. I paid $123.95 plus $55.95 for the head on Amazon. 

Manfrotto also makes a Neotec tripod which works the same way. Each leg just pulls down and has its own "trigger" to adjust the height. It is 5.3 lbs without the head. Maximum height, without the head, is only 61.4 inches, so most of us will have to stoop to look through the camera's viewfinder. And it closes up to 25.2 inches without the head. The unit will run you about $550.00 with a decent ball head. Frankly, it doesn't really make sense at the price, but the quick and easy setup and take down is very attractive. I hate using a tripod because of the frustration involved in setting it up, especially if I'm in a hurry. If this tripod is really that quick and easy to set up, that might be worth the price all by itself.

Eagle Cruise

Eagle Cruise A Bust? Yes! ... and No!

Well, my eagle cruise was a partial bust. The day was overcast, cold, windy and it rained when I first got on the boat, but it let up quickly. The osprey were nesting so they were hard to see - usually only a head would appear above the top rim of the nest. There were a few flying, but they were usually out of range to get a good picture. The eagles were even worse. We never got close to one. I was using a Canon 60D camera with a crop factor of 1.6 with a Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens and a 2x extender, so the lens was operating as a 224mm -640mm f/5.6.  I set the camera to auto ISO and set it to shutter speed priority of 1000th of a second.

The problem was threefold. The day was dark, so if I shot at more than 1000th of a second the ISO would go too high. I probably should have been shooting at 1600th or even 2000th of a second, but with the birds that far away, I knew I couldn't shoot at a faster speed because of the amount of noise I would get when I enlarged them to be able to see the birds. On top of that, even though the boat ride was fairly smooth, there was still some rocking as well as forward motion, negating any advantage that might have been offered by using a tripod or monopod.  And the third problem was how much the 2x extender slowed up the autofocus. All in all, I wasn't able to get sharp, clear pictures.

Another problem I had was that I couldn't get some potentially nice landscape shots. With a minimum length of 224mm, the lens was just too long forl landscapes, and changing lenses quickly, in the limited personal space on a crowded cruise, was just impossible. This is a problem that was my own fault due to lack of planning. Next time I take a cruise like this, I'll bring a second camera with an appropriate lens already attached for landscape photography.

So, the day was a bust as far as getting nice pictures, and it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been due to the lousy weather. But an outing is never a bust if you learn something from it, and I learned a lot from this outing.  I learned;

• how slow the 2x extender causes the auto focus to react
• the realization that, if I want to do this kind of photography in the future, I will need a longer lens like a 100-400mm or larger
• my Canon 60D is a good camera and I've taken some really nice photos with it. But as sensors improve, a newer crop sensor camera with increased ISO and reduced noise will be in my future. If the 60D had a sensor a good as my 6D has, I could have raised my ISO further, allowing me to raise my shutter speed even more and still be able to blow up sections of the resulting photos with little to no noise.
• how often we are dependent on the weather to get a decent picture
• to broaden my thought process when planning an outing, to take more situations into consideration when planning what equipment to bring

But my biggest realization was that I don't enjoy taking photographs in this manner. Please re-read the last sentence. I don't like TAKING photographs in this manner. There was no ability on my part to change distances, angles, wait for lighting to change, etc. I took the shot as it was presented to me as I cruised by. I like to make a photo rather than just take one. I want to change the angle, the perspective, to wait for the lighting to be just right, etc. I want to create the picture rather than just take it. 

That doesn't mean I won't take a cruise or a tour again, just that I will approach it differently. Rather than going with the express idea of taking photos, I will go to enjoy the scenery. I'll take pictures, but I'll enjoy the outing first and take pictures if, and when, they present themselves. I did see some photos I'd like to get and I will be looking at maps of the river to find public access areas where I might be able to "make" some pictures from shore.  The Connecticut River is beautiful along much if its 400 plus mile length and there is a lot to see and photograph along the way. 

A NEW BEGINNING

Welcome to my blog. Isaac Ber is my "nom de lens" and I use it because my foray into photography at the level I am seeking to achieve is a new beginning for me.

I have always loved having a camera in my hands, ever since I was in grade school. Of course, the equipment, not to mention the cost of film and developing, was prohibitive for a youngster, so taking pictures was only for special occasions. When digital SLR's came out, I started to play with them, but the normal business and family obligations made it hard to find the time to really grow as a photographer. It has really been in the last two years that I have had the time and opportunity to really start taking photography more seriously.

Currently, I am shooting with a Canon 60D and a Canon 6D and have acquired a nice selection of mostly "L" glass lenses, along with a nice complement of accessories for most situations.  I'm not a professional, but I bought a professional level camera and lenses so I couldn't use the equipment as an excuse for my results.  I went el-cheapo on things like light stands, soft boxes, backgrounds, etc. because I don't have a studio and I won't be giving this equipment heavy usage.

Like every photographer, there is always a piece of equipment I want, whether I need it or not. I guess that will never change.  I'll always want something, and I'll always claim I need it just because I want it. That's a photographer's illness, but one I'm OK with.

I have started a gallery of my work at www.TheIsaacBerGallery.com. I will be adding to the gallery as I take pictures that I think are worthy. It's hard to find pictures that I want to take in the winter, but the weather has finally broken, spring has sprung and now my focus is on getting out there and exercising my right forefinger and seeing how much wear I can put on my shutter button.

This weekend I'm taking a cruise down the Connecticut River in search of eagles and osprey to hunt with my camera. I will probably use my Canon 60D with my EF 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom and a 2X converter. With the 1.6 crop factor of the 60D's sensor, that will give me the equivalent of having a 224-640mm f/5.6 lens. As much as I would prefer the quality of the sensor on my full frame 6D, without the crop factor that same lens and converter will only give me a 140-400 f/5.6 to work with. I think the trade off of the better sensor for the longer lens will be justified. I'll let you know if I was right.