Canon EOS 300D (1 Viewer)

I doubt that Canon will 're-position' their price on any digitlar SLR in the near future. It is probably more profitable to put out a new model and stop manufacturing anything that is "obsolete".

Adey Baker

I would be surprised if the 500 end (at f6.3) would AF. The 10D shuts off AF if you put a 1.4x TC on the 400mm end of the 100-400 (f5.6 + 1 stop for the TC.) It's not that it "will do it in the right situations" it just won't do it. I assume the same is true of that sigma lens. But someone out there must have this lens, can anyone out there tell us based on experience?

As a further note, you can play tricks and put tape over some of the contact pins of the Canon 1.4xTC, and then it will AF with the 100-400L. I've done it. It doesn't do it well, but it will do it. But the point is that I have to lie to the camera so it thinks the maximum f-stop is still f5.6.

I do agree about the price difference vs. features. But people seem to be drooling over the price and saying, "I want it" and not thinking further than that. They need to realize that they are really loosing something for that £600. If they can accept that, then great.... but they seem blinded; "a DSLR at 6.1MP for how much money? I want it!"

Eric

eric s said:

Adey Baker

I would be surprised if the 500 end (at f6.3) would AF. The 10D shuts off AF if you put a 1.4x TC on the 400mm end of the 100-400 (f5.6 + 1 stop for the TC.) It's not that it "will do it in the right situations" it just won't do it. I assume the same is true of that sigma lens. But someone out there must have this lens, can anyone out there tell us based on experience?

As a further note, you can play tricks and put tape over some of the contact pins of the Canon 1.4xTC, and then it will AF with the 100-400L. I've done it. It doesn't do it well, but it will do it. But the point is that I have to lie to the camera so it thinks the maximum f-stop is still f5.6.

I do agree about the price difference vs. features. But people seem to be drooling over the price and saying, "I want it" and not thinking further than that. They need to realize that they are really loosing something for that £600. If they can accept that, then great.... but they seem blinded; "a DSLR at 6.1MP for how much money? I want it!"

Eric

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well from what 10d and 50-500 owners say on dpreview, the 10d with the sigma 50-500 will AF at 6.3 and at any fstop so long as you aren't using a tele converter. It's a little confusing coming from point and shot digitals. Eric with you 100-400L at 400mm with no 1.4x converter, say you are shooting a bird in a lot of light and need to stop down to f10 just to get the correct exposure, would your 100-400L still autofocus in this situation? I know my fuji s602 had a different AF system and of course a different sensor, but if i had to shoot at f11 i never had to worry wether or not it would focus.

well from what 10d and 50-500 owners say on dpreview, the 10d with the sigma 50-500 will AF at 6.3 and at any fstop so long as you aren't using a tele converter.

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Did you mean "any focal length"? Because as written, I agree with your statement. But that isn't what I am talking about. What I am saying is this:
"the 50-500 won't AF at 500mm. The maximum aperture isn't large enough, it is f6.3. The 10D won't AF with a maximum aperture larger than f5.6"

The camera aways focus at the max fstop, just as when you look through the eye piece you are looking at the max aperture. I believe this is what a DOF preview button does... it stops down the lens to the same fstop as what you're going to shoot at so you can see what you will get (I wonder if it takes into account exposure comp? I assume it does, but I've never checked.)

So even if I stop down the 100-400 @400mm to f10 (as in your example) the AF system is still working at F5.6. Then it stops down just before the picture is taken and uses f10. That is what shocks me. The max aperture at 500 is f6.3, so it breaks the "f5.6 or bigger" rule for AF on the 10D.

As far as I know the only way this could work is as follows. The lens lies. It doesn't report f6.3 at 500. It tells the camera f5.6 or something larger. Then the camera will try to AF. It won't work very well (it doesn't have enough light to detect contrast) but it will try.

This is the same as the trick with taping the pins on the 1.4xTC. If you cover the 3 counter clockwise pins on the TC, the TC will not report its presents to the camera and so it will think its got a 100-400 without the TC, so it will try to AF. It huts a lot, and will oscillate back and forth, slowly getting close to being in focus... but it does work (I don't use that trick any more, it isn't worth it. I can manually focus on things like plovers faster than the tricked AF can.)

Does this make what I was trying to say clearer?

Eric

Eric, i 've gotten the sigma 50-500 and digital rebel, the camera thinks the lens is f5.6 at 500mm so i guess it tricks it, it focuses fine at 500mm, i've yet to have it stumble even in shady areas. I think the images it produces are only slightly more appealling than those my pentax scope and cp990 produce, here's a 100% unprocessed crop from both cameras.
rebel pic
http://www.pbase.com/image/21598943
cp990 pic
http://www.pbase.com/image/21630127

ignore the birds head in the 990 pic, it's slightly out of focus, that's an advantage for the dslr, much faster pic taking. The dslr pics also print out noticeably better at 8x10.

How well does it AF? Does it seek, or oscilitate back and forth before going into focus? I know my 100-400 with a TC (making it an f8) is really bad at AF. It will AF, but a blind man could manual focus faster.

The exposure and white balance are better on the rebel as well. Its hard to judge because the extra resolution in the 300D shows its value here. I think the entire picture is a little lacking in sharpness from the 990. I don't attribute it to being out of focus, though.. I think its higher resolution.

Thanks for posting these samples. This is great. Now we need someone with a 4500 to do the same and we'll be in business!
Eric

eric s said:

How well does it AF? Does it seek, or oscilitate back and forth before going into focus? I know my 100-400 with a TC (making it an f8) is really bad at AF. It will AF, but a blind man could manual focus faster.

The exposure and white balance are better on the rebel as well. Its hard to judge because the extra resolution in the 300D shows its value here. I think the entire picture is a little lacking in sharpness from the 990. I don't attribute it to being out of focus, though.. I think its higher resolution.

Thanks for posting these samples. This is great. Now we need someone with a 4500 to do the same and we'll be in business!
Eric

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Even in late afternoon or cloudy conditions it focuses fast. No oscilating unless i don't have the focus point on the subject, i normally choice the center focus point when shooting birds so the camera doesn't pic the wrong one, if i don't have that dot directly over the subject then it seeks, but otherwise it's quick and luckily most birds are pretty good size, when trying to focus on a single blade of grass or twig it gets picky. I think the major disadvantage of this lens is it's weight, which makes me want to try the canon 400mm f5.6, the prime should be sharper as well. here's another 990 crop taken the same day from about the same distance. make that two more
http://www.pbase.com/image/21631674
http://www.pbase.com/image/21631675
here's another rebel crop from a little further away than the first
http://www.pbase.com/image/21631691

the scope pics look at little flat to my eye compared to the rebel, but hey let's remember what we're doing here, takeing a pic of a magnified image through a telescope eyepiece.

Flat is a good word for it. Something bothered me, but I wasn't sure what it was. I wonder if its lack of subtle shadows cast from the feathers?
The center focus point on the 10D (and I assume the 300D) is not the same as the other points. It can detect contrast in both directions, whereas the others can only detect it in one direction. I always use center point for focusing (and then recompose as necessary.) It should be faster and is probably more precise.

I'm sure the weight is a killer. I've been eyeing the 300-800 sigma makes. Really nice distance, but really heavy. I wonder how much I'd really use it... would I really be willing to carry that around?

Eric

I just sold my CP 4500 and ETX-90 digiscoping setup and got the Digital Rebel. My first impressions are really good. Its everything I wanted the CP 4500 to be and more. Although I was happy with the 4500 for digiscoping, it is not a good stand alone camera. It has a poor body design, cramped controls, its slow and has low light focusing issues to name a few. I know its like comparing apples and oranges but this made me realize how unhappy I was with the 4500.

The rebel is fast focusing, does not have problems focusing in low light and is fast shooting. I was expecting a cheap feel due to the plastic construction but that is not the case at all. My only complaint so far with the camera is that it appears to be USB 1 instead of 2. File tranfer is slow directly from the camera so I will be looking into a card reader.

I recommend this camera to anyone considering making the switch to digital slr. Now its time to save up for a good lens

Widowmaker said:

I just sold my CP 4500 and ETX-90 digiscoping setup and got the Digital Rebel. My first impressions are really good. Its everything I wanted the CP 4500 to be and more. Although I was happy with the 4500 for digiscoping, it is not a good stand alone camera. It has a poor body design, cramped controls, its slow and has low light focusing issues to name a few. I know its like comparing apples and oranges but this made me realize how unhappy I was with the 4500.

The rebel is fast focusing, does not have problems focusing in low light and is fast shooting. I was expecting a cheap feel due to the plastic construction but that is not the case at all. My only complaint so far with the camera is that it appears to be USB 1 instead of 2. File tranfer is slow directly from the camera so I will be looking into a card reader.

I recommend this camera to anyone considering making the switch to digital slr. Now its time to save up for a good lens

Click to expand...

I like the rebel also, it's very fast. I have the sigma 50-500, but i think i want to try the canon 400mm f5.6 prime and sell which one i don't like.

I didn't realize so many people were without card readers until the digital rebel came out. Is worth the $20 for me just to not have to hook my camera to my computer, i live in the worst place for lightning strikes.