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WilbaW
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May 17, 2008
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Timmie: "The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Has a Crude Focus Mechanism"
Interested how you are going to debunk this, I could get mine to focus properly in less than 50% of shots. Some people might start explaining about shallow DoF at 1.8 but after switching to the 50 1.4 I got more keepers at 1.4 than at 1.8 with the 50 1.8.
Granted, I know nothing about the mechanism itself other than that it breaks easily (talk to someone who repairs lenses, they'll confirm this) but the results were definitely "crude".
Yes, you don't get consistent focus with a typical 50/1.8, but it's not because the focus mechanism is crude (in fact the focus mechanism is extremely accurate). That's what makes it an interesting story worth telling. :- )
Winner of mini-challenge 363 – Public Sleeping
Your questions are appropriate for the "Canon Rebel (EOS 1100D-300D) Talk" forum, not as an article. I suggest you start a thread there and delete your article (unless you intend to turn it into a collection of the answers you get...).
Catalana: Jeez, I used exposure compensation back in the old days by selecting a different value on the ASA dial. You knew the film speed value and adjusted the ASA value up or down. In this manner, the needle in the viewfinder would be "zeroed". You would just have to remember to set the correct ASA on the next shot or roll of film. But what is really happening with modern DSLR's, is that the EV compensation settings don't work in manual mode. Yes, you can still do "EV compensation", but it would have to be done by adjusting the value of either shutter speed, aperture or ISO and watching the bars of the exposure indicator.
That's a good point about how to do compensation with a film camera (that's how it's actually done on my Pentax ME Super does it), so I'll include something about that. Thanks.
Echarbon: Thanks for writing all of this.. was a pleasure to read even after i got my t4i.. i'm very happy with it and learning every day. Used p&s for passed 10+ years.. and for me a dslr is a great upgrade, my photos are sharp and clear.. There are some situation where i struggle a little but over all it's the best thing i bought and should have got a dslr a long time ago.
Thanks. Welcome to the joy. :-)
Topaz: The author wrote the last section on exposure compensation after his identical claims were debunked in a discussion thread. There is no law about correct terminology for photography. But despite the twisted justification above, readers should be well aware that extremely few people use the term "exposure compensation" in reference to simple over/under exposure in manual mode. You are more likely to confuse people you're speaking with, or to cause them to think you're a confused newbie rather than Ansel Adams.
Topaz is referring to the "You Can't Do Exposure Compensation in Manual Mode" myth. He's a classic "photographer two". He will acknowledge that compensation is and does the same thing in all modes, and that the meter shows it the same, but ultimately his argument comes down to - I use the term to mean only this, so it can't possibly mean anything else.
It's easy to spot a type-two photographer. They will refuse to acknowledge any facts that disprove the claims they use to support their case (e.g. that's what would ultimately happen if you challenged the "extremely few people" claim above).
TomFL: Good article. Well written.
As to the question of why an engineer may choose a known inferior method, the answer in today's world is unfortunately PATENTS.
The US patent system is now polluted with an enormous number of bogus patents, especially software patents. Seemingly obvious methods of feedback related control get patented and a competitor can lock you out for 20 years.
And the irony is the patent system was created to foster innovation. If you have been in engineering more than 10 years, you will have probably been bitten by this already.
Now _four_ different manufacturers.
malibu flyer: One additional item which would be very helpful is a description of the histogram and how to use the settings [aperture, shutter ISO] to optimize it. I have a very basic understanding of what a histogram shows but not how to improve the IQ by adjusting the settings.
I imagine this is not a new topic [although probably a complicated one]. Is there already a good description of this already posted?
I've added a sub-section and rearranged the Metering and Exposure section. Let me know if you're still in the dark after reading that section and trying the experiential stuff in it.
malibu flyer: I have just purchased [due to arrive tomorrow] my Rebel 4Ti; 18-135 STM [upgrading from my S95] and really learned so much from this FAQ. You have not only clearly explained everything about digital photography but also linked to some amazing additional information. I had already viewed Rudy Winston's AF video at B & H and highly endorse it. You dealt with many questions I had [should i go for a FF 6D, 5d Mark III or a APC-S Rebel; What additional lens should i get etc.]
I will follow your advice and go shoot and experiment with all of the settings.
I will come back and give you feedback once I have played around with the camera. In the meantime just know how helpful this summary is for someone who had just enough knowledge to be dangerous to my pictures.
Can't say enough how helpful this FAQ is.
Thanks a bunch. I'll have a think about what I could add about working with the histogram, but I don't want this to start reading like a guide book, since there are many good ones out there already. Thanks for the feedback.
tallymom: This is wonderful. I know so many people that could benefit from this especially those that think they'll take amazing pictures just because they now own a DSLR.
That's a good way to say it - I hope this document helps people to make the transition from camera owner to photographer. :-)
Thanks.
No sad smileys in the forums? :-(
Florida Nature Photographer: How do I separate a quote so that I can quote one sentence and respond to that then quote another sentence and respond to it in a way that is clear and easy to understand? I could do this easily with the old software.
How do I preview my post before submitting it so I can tell that my quotes aren't appear correctly?
How do I find answers to these types of questions without having to wait for a response to a post?
The old forum told you how long ago a post was submitted. The new forum tells you the time it would be submitted in GMT. This would be more useful if it converted GMT to my local time EDT. I see no place to tell the forum what my local time is. This is normal functionality for these forums.
This morning on Firefox I was able to hit Enter to break a line in a quote, then Ctrl-Z, which left the lines broken but with the quotation restored.
This afternoon in IE I can't break a quote at all! So if I want to insert my own text I have to copy and paste the quote to create two separate pieces, then edit each piece so that they look like they were broken apart.
janzu77: Thanks Wilba for thorough explanation! Lot's of interesting things there to read :)
Hello Carl, thanks. Somehow your reply got hidden so I saw it for the first time today.
Sadly, RDKirk is still not responding. He was recently invited to comment (in http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/07/autofocus-reality-part-ii-1-vs-2-and-old-vs-new), but nothing came of it.
I have no problem with what he said back then (it made sense and fits with what Canon have always said). The problem is that it is taken as gospel, and the true believers simply refuse to gather and examine the evidence that would prove their beliefs.
OTOH, my guess is that Chuck Westfall knows the truth but is not allowed to discuss it.
Winner of mini-challenge 335 – A Rainy Day
Winner of mini-challenge 328 – Macro
Winner of mini-challenge 321 – Show Us Your Gear
Winner of mini-challenge 326 – Signs of Spring
Winner of mini-challenge 309 – In The Park
Winner of mini-challenge 301 – Tell Me A Story
Winner of mini-challenge 289 – Water & Nature