Gear Review ~ Canon 85mm 1.2L

I can remember well the the day I purchase my very first L glass lens years ago…the 24-70mm 2.8L.  I just kept asking myself if I was making a huge mistake?  After all can a lens really matter that much?  Isn’t it the camera that is supposed to make the biggest difference?

I learned very fast after purchasing the 24-70mm that the lens did indeed make a HUGE difference in the quality of an image.  Since then I have added to my L glass collection at about 1 lens a year, unless it was a camera upgrade year.  Two years ago though I just had to see what all the buzz around the 85mm 1.2L  lens was but couldn’t afford the very high price tag.  I wondered how in the world a lens could be that expensive?  Why?  Could it really be worth that amount?  At that point I was rolling into wedding season so I decided to rent one for a month.  I fell in love instantly and shot at least 80% of each of my weddings that month with just that lens.  The one month rental turned into a two month rental and a two month into a three.  At the end of the 3rd month I sadly shipped that fabulous lens back to the rental store.

For the last two years I have dreamt about that darn lens.  Finally late this Fall I decided to sell my 70-200mm 2.8L and put the money towards the 85mm 1.2L .  I am no longer contracting weddings at this time (just second shooting) so the 70-200mm was just sitting in my bag.  I shoot about 80% of the time with my trusting 24-70 and the other 20% with my 50mm 1.2L but I knew if I had the 85mm I would be using it for all of my outdoor sessions and even indoor if space/room allows.

So now I have this fabulous amazing dream lens and I can honestly say that the almost $2000 price tag, for me, is worth it.  I love fixed lenses.  Be forewarned though, as with all fixed lenses, there is a learning curve.  When I first started shooting with fixed lenses I can remember being so frustrated with the focus and how fast things fell out of focus.  I shoot wide open around 2.0-3.0 most days.  I practiced and practiced and the payoff has always been these amazingly sharp images that a good fixed lens can deliver.

I really have to say that this lens even set on “auto white balance” seems to pick up the correct balance of  a bit better than any other lens I own.  I am sure this Spring I will be fine tuning my 5D with a custom function setting that matches this lens and that will help even more in getting consistently good SOOC images.  Always my goal in order to have less editing involved with each image.

Image #1

The color is a bit off on my daughter but I was focusing on the pup.  This dog is ridiculously hard to catch.  This lens is perfect for shooting her because it is super fast!

Canon 5D Mark II  85mm 1.2L F/ 2.0

Image #2

Again I am hooked on the images where the sharpness falls exactly where I want it too.  I was going for focusing on Spike in this one.

F/2.2

Image #3

The hardest part about shooting a fixed lens with more than one subject in the frame is getting both subjects in focus.  It really helps to have them set up on the same level/distance from each other.  I try to shoot them straight on if I want them both in focus.  Of course I do bump the aperture if more than 2 folks are in the shot but I am hooked on the blurred out backgrounds that a wide open setting gives me.  With often shooting in homes and locations with things going on in the background this is a very helpful tool!

F/2.2

So is it worth $2k?  For me, yes.  My suggestion is to always rent a lens you are thinking of first.  Try it out and see if it fits your shooting style and needs.    For me this lens and the limited need for PS after a session really make it worth it for me.  So far really all I have had to do is my traditional bump in highlights, a bit of color and call it a day.

Canon’s Second Generation EF 70-200mm f/2.8L Lens

Have you heard the news?!  Canon just announced the release of their second generation 70-200mm which is anticipated to hit the shelves in April!  You can read all of the details here…..

Top Photography News courtesy of Alltop

So does anyone want to go buy this Nikon girl their new 70-200???!!!!

Carrie Bombria is a designer at Pink Ink Studios, and the owner of Carrie Ann Photography out of Southern Vermont.

Studio Gear to Go

So you’ve been doing photography for a while now, taking just your camera, bag, and a few small props.  But what if you wanted to take the studio gear with you?  Have you thought about doing that but felt it was too daunting a task?  Well it doesn’t have to be.  Backdrop stands, reflectors, and drops are being made more portable and that means more possible business opportunities for you.  So let’s take a look at some products that will take your studio on the road.

Portable Backdrop Stand – Interfit makes a support system that breaks down and fits into a bag that can easily be slung over your shoulder.  The system consists of two tripod stands with a three-piece horizontal support bar and a travel bag.  Set up takes about 3 minutes.  Other companies that offer a similar setup are Savage, Da-Lite, and SP Systems.

Muslin Backdrops – When you are on the go, having backdrops that collapse small enough to fit into your vehicle are a must.  Forget the bulky, awkward rolls of seamless paper.  Muslins come in a variety of sizes and easily fold up to fit into a small bag.  They are light, too!  The only hitch with muslin is that it does wrinkle.  So steaming them the night before a shoot will help keep them nice and smooth.  And if you pack a travel size bottle of Downey Wrinkle Releaser, you can quickly refresh the muslin once you arrive and start setting up.  There are plenty of places to pick up muslin drops including Silverlake, Denny Manufacturing, and Backdrop Outlet to name a few.

Metal Clamps – Spring loaded clamps with a PVC coated handle are essential for holding your backdrops in place.  When you’re on the go, having 3 or 4 of these in your bag is essential.  These can be found at any hardware store for just a few dollars a piece.

Lighting & Modifiers – For truly portable lighting, you can go with just a flash.  But what if you want the more dramatic, studio look?  You can opt for off-camera flash or you can bring a strobe with an umbrella or a softbox.  One of the most portable softboxes on the market right now is the Westcott 50×50.  It opens and closes like an umbrella which truly makes it easy to fit in the car, unlike my 48″ octabox which I can’t even squeeze into the hatch of my Subaru.  The Westcott can be used with a strobe or with a flash, making it a versatile choice.  Of course, you will need a light stand to hold your strobe or flash, and Photoflex makes a nice selection of these at reasonable prices.  If you choose to bring your strobe instead of a flash, you’ll want to invest in a portable battery pack.  Alien Bees and Innovatronix both offer these.

Reflector – If you are using one light, you’ll certainly want to consider using a reflector to fill in the shadows.  Photoflex offers a lite panel kit that is truly portable.  The one I use has a corded collapsible frame, 2 fabric panels, stand and a carry bag.  It’s amazing how quickly this sets up and it takes up just a small amount of space in your vehicle when it’s in it’s bag. If you hurry over there, it’s on sale right now for 50% off.

So that’s really all that you would need to get your studio on the go.  If you have more room in your vehicle, you can certainly throw in a posing stool and some props if you need them.  Just make sure you leave enough room for your camera! 

New From Wacom

Have you heard about Wacom’s newest feature on their tablets?!  The new Wacom’s will add a multi-touch finger based ability (like the iPhone) to their tablets!  How cool is that?!?!  Read more about it here

New Wacom Feature

Source- www.dcviews.com

And see just how cool it is for yourself by going to the Wacom Website and checking out this video (think I’ve just added something to my wishlist!)

Bamboo Fun

Gear Talk – Renting Equipment

Let’s talk gear!

If you’re just starting out in your business, but have been shooting for quite a while, you may find that eventually you don’t have all the equipment that you need. So, what do you do?

Sure, you could take out a small loan to help cover costs. But, let’s be serious, in this economy, I think that’s the last thing we’re thinking about.

My favorite option is renting. It’s a great way to try out new equipment and to cover yourself in a bind. I’ve heard of people having to send in their lenses or bodies for repair, but still have to cover their sessions. So, they rent.

One of our more recommended online sites to rent from is Borrow Lenses. You can’t go wrong with their customer service. But, as their popularity grows, the availability of lenses and other pieces can become less. You have to act quick. However, never fear shooting their owner an email. He’s a pretty nice guy if I say so myself.

Call your local camera stores too. They rent out lenses, lighting, studio equipment and more. You may pay a little more, but you avoid the shipping costs that are involved.

So, what have you been renting lately?

Photography gear review-Canon 5D Mark II

Many of you know that Canon released a new camera, the 5D Mark II. So much buzz and hype went on about this baby. When I heard that some stores were taking pre-orders I contemplated long and hard and finally decided to pre-order it in October. I started to hear that some of my peers were getting their cameras, so naturally I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I waited for my beautiful UPS package to arrive. So, when it finally arrived the beginning of January I hurridly opened the box to find my new “baby”. Now, you might think that I am being ridiculous about a camera, maybe I am, but this camera is awesome.

Here is an image from a shoot I just did. I haven’t even blogged it yet. This image is straight from the camera, the only thing I did was resize it for this blog post and sharpen it. That’s it.

Here are my settings

5D MKII

50mm 1.2 @ 4.5

1/320

ISO 640

Normally I wouldn’t show my SOOC images but I have been getting some beautiful images from this camera. I have been pairing it up with my 50mm 1.2 lens and it’s a match made in heaven. I loved shooting prime lenses before, but I have found a new found love for them with this camera. Not only is the image quality at lower ISO’s beautiful, this baby can go all the way up to 6400! The mega pixels are also amazing at 21.1. Another great feature of this camera is that it has the capability to record HD video. I have played with this feature just a little. You have to have special video editing software like Final Cut to do this.

Here is a video shot by Vincent Laforte with the 5D MKII. This video sold me on the camera and I don’t even shoot video

Isn’t it amazing??

So far I absolutely LOVE this camera! The battery that comes with it is a new technology. I don’t have a battery grip for this camera and I shot a 12 hour wedding with ONE battery. Can you believe it? I was impressed! The images are crisp and beautiful.

The only complaint that I have is that if you shoot RAW, you have to have CS4 to be able to process the images. A friend told me that you could use a free Camera RAW plug in and process each individual image, but that would take forever

I hope this has been helpful to you all. If you have any additional questions feel free to leave a comment. You can also email me directly. To see more images using this camera you can visit my blog HERE

Have a great day everyone!