UNEDITED image shot by John (assistant)

Dueling Cameras 
The Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 70-200mm L F2.8 lens pictured to the far left along with the Canon 24-70mm L F2.8 are two of my core go to lenses especially for corporate event photography. Since I have a second Canon 5D Mark III (not pictured), I can use a dual camera strap to have one lens on each side.

I kept the small lens pictured which is a Canon 50mm F1.8 to give some perspective on the size of professional lenses. However, the 50mm (nifty fifty) is hard to beat for around $125.

Focal Range For Photographers
Whether you are shooting with professional or consumer photography gear, the 24mm to 200mm range will cover most anything you shoot from wide angle to telephoto needs. That’s a key reason why the two larger lenses on the left are likely covered by most professional photographers pending there exact shooting needs of course. (Soccer and football are two quick, potential exceptions that come to mind.)

The Nifty Fifty
I got my first real camera for Christmas in 1981 which will be 35 years ago this Christmas. It came with a 50mm F2.0 lens. The core kit lens with film cameras of that time period was a 50mm lens which is also known as a prime lens because it has one focal length and doesn’t zoom. Even today, it’s a good idea to pick up a 50mm prime to keep in your bag. *Canon has 3 versions: 50mm F1.8 for $125, 50mm F1.8 for $349 and 50mm F1.2 $1,349.

The post Photography Gear Week Day 4 of 4: Canon 5D Mark III With Canon 70-200mm F2.8 Lens first appeared on .

Image from Canon USA

Although I own (2) Canon 5D Mark III’s that I shoot with professionally, I just bought a Canon 70D with the 18mm-135mm IS STM lens. The thought of purchasing a 3rd camera body came to me after realizing that I may have to send one of my 5D Mark III’s back to Canon for a simple battery terminal issue. As a professional, I cannot show up to a photoshoot with just one camera body which is exactly why I own (2) Mark III’s.

Although the 5D Mark III just dropped to $2,499 for the body only from a long standing body only price of $3,399, I didn’t want to make that level of a purchase, so after seeing images from two of my friends that own the 70D, I decided to look at the 70D as a backup alternative as well as using it for personal use as an on the go camera and video.

Not only has all of the online information that I have found really influenced me that the 70D is a solid camera, my own testing and use of the camera has further sold me on it. Although it’s not my primary go to camera, it will serve me well as a backup camera, an on the go camera for vacations, etc. and as a video camera.

Here’s My Take On The Canon 70D:

1) The image quality is very good. I have tested it side by side at 1600 ISO with the 5D Mark III. I am very impressed with the image quality at 1600 ISO and definitely sold on the quality at lower ISO settings. I have a post coming up showing the 1600 ISO comparison. Grant it, 1600 ISO is not a setting to stay on all the time, but it’s often a must in low light stage settings. It also makes a difference which lens is used on the camera because at the end of the day, it’s not always about the camera body, but the glass (lens) that is attached to the camera body.

2) Although as a professional I shoot with Canon L lenses, there are advantages to the 18-135mm STM lens that came with the camera. A) For video, it’s silent for video autofocus. B) The 18-135mm is the equivalent to a 28mm to 216mm focal length because of the crop sensor on the 70D making it a great one lens fits all for vacations and casual shooting.

3) Autofocus for video on a DSLR is another feature that I like about the Canon 70D. With the 18-135mm STM lens, the autofocus is silent. I also like the ability to touch the screen and change where the autofocus is placed. That feature allows for some creative flexibility when using shallow depth of field.

4) The flip screen is not something that I am used too because Canon Pro Cameras don’t offer that feature. Although I haven’t used it yet, I can definitely see how that will come in handy.

5) One advantage to having a crop sensor with a factor of 1.6 is that the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens becomes a 112-320mm lens which allows for a longer zoom range by simply using the 70D instead of the 5D Mark III. I guarantee you without a doubt in certain shooting situations that I can use the 70-200mm L lens on the 70D and you’d be hard pressed to tell me it was shot with the 70D vs. the 5D Mark III.

In closing, I am not saying the Canon 70D is a better camera than the Canon 5D Mark III nor am I saying that the Canon 70D is a bad camera by making that statement. I am simply saying that for the money and for certain uses, the Canon 70D is an awesome camera overall. As a professional, I can feel confident grabbing it out of my bag for certain uses. As anyone knows, it’s the person behind the camera that makes the difference in the end. When adding an L lens to the 70D body, I will have a tool in my hand to get the job done if necessary.

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The post Using The Canon 70D DSLR As A Backup, As An On The Go Camera And For Video first appeared on .

The above image is of one of my Canon 5D Mark III’s that I took with my Mamiya 645 film camera outside with the camera sitting on my car.

The Canon 5D Mark III was first released in 2012. It is an amazing full frame PRO DSLR that is used by numerous pro photographers around the world.

Fast forward 3 years to 2015 and the Canon 5DS and 5DSR will be available for purchase in the US on B&H in June 2015 starting at $3,699 for the body only. The Canon 5D Mark IV is expected to be released later in 2015 which will make for 3 bodies with similarities to the Canon 5D Mark III. Don’t get me wrong, new releases include the latest technology and upgrades, but all of this leads up to some nice savings for anyone in the market for a full frame PRO DSLR: The Canon 5D Mark III.

The Canon 5D Mark III has worked extremely well for me and several of my fellow photographers who also shoot with it. New releases do not mean that the 5D Mark III is all of a sudden a bad choice with immediate upgrades to new releases being necessary. What it does mean for someone looking for an amazing full frame PRO DSLR is that the regular body only price that has been $3,399 for some time now before any rebates that have recently been $300 bringing the price down to $3,099 is now just $2,499 after a $300 INSTANT SAVINGS. $3,399 before any rebates and $2,499 after instant savings is a nice difference in price.

The Canon 5D Mark III is still an amazing camera. That has not changed by new releases on the horizon. Now’s the time to give the 5D Mark III some serious consideration unless you simply have to own the latest release on the market which over time will not remain the latest greatest.

There are still professional photographers who shoot with the Canon 5D Mark II which changed the DSLR world drastically when it was released. The 5D Mark II was discontinued around late 2012 / early 2013 or so. Yet, it is still used regularly in 2015 by numerous professional photographers.

The key thing to remember is that it’s NOT about the camera at the end of the day but the person operating the camera. Now don’t take that way out of context and think that a Rebel kit lens will yield the same results as a 5D Mark III with an L lens if used by the same professional because equipment plays a role. However, don’t get caught up in the hype that the 5D Mark III that you’ve had your eye on for so long is now the red headed step child because there’s some releases on the horizon.

Here’s are two links to see for yourself (prices subject to change): B&H and Adorama. Locally in Raleigh, be sure to check with Southeastern Camera.

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I shot nearly 1,000 images on this commercial shoot and this single image was the only one that had issues in RAW. The JPG file was fine.

I love having dual card slots in my Canon 5D MarkIII. The RAW image to the left did not show properly in Lightroom or Photoshop. It was not usable. However, as I do with all on location commercial photoshoots or corporate events these days, I set my 5D3 to shoot to both the Compact Flash and SD card at the same time. I also shoot a smaller JPG along with RAW to both cards. Dual cards is a feature that I don’t know of any consumer cameras having the ability to do.

There may have been a recovery solution that would have worked from the RAW file, but thanks to having dual card slots and shooting to both cards, I didn’t have to jump through hoops to attempt recovery. I’m still baffled as to why this ONE single RAW file out of nearly 1,000 images was not usable on just one of the cards. Logic tells me that it must have been a card issue since the other card worked fine.

Not every professional will agree with this next statement, but if you shoot professionally, you should consider owning a professional camera with dual card slots. This is just one example of when it could come in handy. My primary reason for shooting to two cards at once is to have a backup of my images on another card. In some cases, I may keep the images on the second card for several weeks. I did that when I shot a 5 day event in Canada with over 5,000 images. It was nice to have a second card to hang on to until the images were delivered to the client.

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