Canon EOS 1100D

[goosey]

After having a few months of problems with my old camera (mentioned in this thread Lens error message. ) the zoom function got to a state it was only working about 80% of the time, then would leave the camera useless for upto half an hour. I had only had the camera 18 months but it is constantly used for everything from macro, to zoom for birds and night photography for my moths. That was the beauty of it it did everything not fussing on with lenses and tripods and carrying a lot of kit around.

So it was time for a new camera.

I was worried if I went for the same sort of camera with a large or larger zoom (which I had my on another Canon, Fuji or Pentax) the same sort of problem would occur.
Last week I got a Canon EOS 1100D, very different than what I am used to.
It came with a lens which is more for portrait us but I needed to get a telephoto to use straight away.
My old camera was great (when the zoom worked ) as it had a 20x zoom, I got a Sigma F4-5.6 DG OS which doesn't zoom as far as that so I was a bit worried but couldn't afford a bigger telephoto. I wanted to get it in a local shop so I could go in if I needed and ask for help and after care if I need rather than get a cheaper off the internet. This Sigma has a stabilizer which seems to work well, much better than the one on my old camera and even in not such bright conditions doesn't result in grainy images.

I went for a camera which still does alot of the work for my and I don't have to sort out every setting for myself.
It is taking a bit of getting used to, I even forgot to use the eyepiece to view what I was taking a picture of in the begining instead of the screen at first!

This camera though comes with a rechargeable battery pack (I bought a spare but will need another when it come to going on holiday) which is a fantastic compared to 4AA I needed with the other one which just ate batteries and it cost me a fortune. The packs charge really fast. The opening for SD card and Battery is really easy, my old one was a bit fiddly especially if I was in a hurry or had cold fingers.

The lowest ISO is only 100 rather than the 80 I was used to, I used this for my moon pictures and was worried 100 wouldn't be good enough, and the fact I wouldn't be able to zoom so far, but I had a practice the other night and was really pleased with the results.

What I am impressed with is the inflight bird images, I am surprised how well the came out.
I suppose if I used a tripod the normal bird images would be better.

What I don't like is being tied to having one lens on and not being able to switch subject type immediately. Although switching lenses is quick and easy it's getting the other one out of a bag and finding the lens caps and packing them away that is time consuming. And I need to spalsh out on a new bag really, at the moment I am making do.

I am carrying two camera's around, I take my old one for macro work, its fine as long as I don't turn the zoom on and takes lovely close up images. I suppose in the future I will invest in a macro lense but there is no hurry. I tried the lense it came with yesterday for close up work and it just didn't do what I wanted it too, either using auto focus or manual.

All in all I am very pleased, but just need a bit more practice and I hope it doesn't all take to long before everything sinks in and my brain and fingers do it automatically instead of thinking about everything I do.

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by goosey

This camera though comes with a rechargeable battery pack (I bought a spare but will need another when it come to going on holiday) which is a fantastic compared to 4AA I needed with the other one which just ate batteries and it cost me a fortune. The packs charge really fast. The opening for SD card and Battery is really easy, my old one was a bit fiddly especially if I was in a hurry or had cold fingers.

Probably don't need a third battery - just take your charger with you and alternate the batteries.

Originally Posted by goosey

The lowest ISO is only 100 rather than the 80 I was used to, I used this for my moon pictures and was worried 100 wouldn't be good enough, and the fact I wouldn't be able to zoom so far, but I had a practice the other night and was really pleased with the results.

You probably won't notice the difference between ISO 80 and 100. Moon pictures more a matter of balance between aperture and shutter speed. Try using ISO 600, 800 or even 1600 (on a stable surface/tripod).

Originally Posted by goosey

What I am impressed with is the inflight bird images, I am surprised how well the came out.
I suppose if I used a tripod the normal bird images would be better.

I use a tripod with a video head for up to 300mm and then a gimbal head for my 400mm. A carbon fibre monopod is also highly portable (suitcase) and does for much of what we want.

[Drosera]

Another simple and relatively inexpensive piece of equipment is a circular polarising filter. I use UV0 filters to protect my lenses normally but change to a pol filter for skies, water and some other things. You will lose an f-stop but can can compensate with aperture/shutter/ISO - but this is not really a probelm as you will use it most for sunny scenes
It will give you dramatic skies and transparent (almost reflectionless) still water surfaces.
A drawback is that it might change the colour of flower for example. A blåsippa (Hepatica nobilis) which might be blue to our eyes will appear more purple/red with a pol filter.
Worth experimenting with!

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Drosera

Another simple and relatively inexpensive piece of equipment is a circular polarising filter. I use UV0 filters to protect my lenses normally but change to a pol filter for skies, water and some other things. You will lose an f-stop but can can compensate with aperture/shutter/ISO - but this is not really a probelm as you will use it most for sunny scenes
It will give you dramatic skies and transparent (almost reflectionless) still water surfaces.
A drawback is that it might change the colour of flower for example. A blåsippa (Hepatica nobilis) which might be blue to our eyes will appear more purple/red with a pol filter.
Worth experimenting with!

I did buy and had them fit for me a protective filter for the telefoto lens, this is the one I will be using at the beach and I struggle keeping the lense and barrel clear of seasplash and salt and sand on a windy day.

It took me so long to move my old camer off Auto for absolutley everything -I messed everything up once experimenting and got so confused and couldn't remember what I used things for.The only thing I did change looking for better results all the time ws night mose for moths and the power of the flash. I have all that to come if I get a macro lense.

I do feel completely out of depth at the mo'.

[goosey]

Oh dear, another tale of woe and goosey idiocy .

This is all self inflicted and happened the very first day of my summer holiday back in August but I am only getting it sorted now .

I had finally plucked up courage and had sawpped lenses a couple of times the first trip out on holiday all was going well until we ended up on the beach when I got a bit of muck somewhere, I could see it everytime I looked through the camera. After cleaning the lense and eye bit the muck was still there so I took the lens off and saw the culprit on the mirror in the camera body, so I wiped it off with my finger. Checked the view again - strange the picture was worse, so I huffed on it to clean it and wiped it again this didn't help but left a scratch aswell. There were a few more fruitless attempts wiping it with the hem of my t-shirt before I gave up in a depressed panic - oblivious I had done anything wrong although I did know that everytime I tried to clean it it got worse..

If my photos were of colourful or "busy" things the marks left didn't show, but iff there was a lot of pale grey sky or sea in the image "every" blob and scratch showed horrendously and had to be cloned out on photo shop .

I took the camera to where I bought it and I can not explain the face of the the man who was unfortunate enough to deal wit me when I told him what I did. But he pulled himself together and explained the mirror I had been cleaning isn't a conventional mirror with a protective layer of glass over the silver layer, but the silver fragile layer is on top of the glass. This is why everythime I touched it it got damaged.

Anyway he said it would have to be sent away and cleaned professionaly, which would take 4-6 weeks - so I didn't bother sending it off as I wanted it for a planned trip away and the autumn migration pictures I was planning of taking.

Now it is January and the camera is packed up on the table waiting for collection. I haven't been told when that will be, but when it is at the Canon center they will look at it, and contact me with a price for sorting it and how long it will take, then I will decide if it is worth getting fixed or if I will muddle on with it and photoshop.

IDIOT, I hear you shout - yep!!!!

[goosey]

My camera arrived back On Thursday, I was really pleased as it took a few weeks less than than I was lead to believe and it was cheaper than I expected - it was the registered post both ways and tax which really knocked the price up.
At first glance and a few snaps everything seemed fine the pictures I took were of busy subjects, but yesterday I took a few pictures including the sky and there on the images are 4 dark blobs. Granted this is better than how I sent it, but its still not good. The repair is under guarantee but I am so loathed to send it back.

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by goosey

At first glance and a few snaps everything seemed fine the pictures I took were of busy subjects, but yesterday I took a few pictures including the sky and there on the images are 4 dark blobs.(

Good that it is better! Are the blobs in the same position in every photograph? If so it means that there are some dust particles on the sensor - a guarantee job which the shop can sort out in 5 minutes.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Drosera

Good that it is better! Are the blobs in the same position in every photograph? If so it means that there are some dust particles on the sensor - a guarantee job which the shop can sort out in 5 minutes.

Yes they are, is the sensor different than the mirror then?

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by goosey

Yes they are, is the sensor different than the mirror then?

Yes - different things. The sensor is behind the mirror and captures the image when the mirror flips (the sound you hear when you press the shutter release). When you take off the lens and look into the hole it is the mirror you see. It might be possible in your camera menu to flip the mirror and then you can see the sensor.
Digital single-lens reflex camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[goosey]

I have sent the camera away again, I was tempted just to leave it and deal with the blobs, but hubby contacted them saying there were still marks after it had been repaired and sent them an image which included the marks. They wanted us to send it back so it was collected again on Wednesday.

I haven't heard anything back yet, so it could be a sensor problem after all - if it is that won't be under their repair guarantee will it so we will have to pay for that - what a bummer - I don't blame them at all, its all of my own making but all I want is my camera!

[kayleigh]

Sorry about your mishap with your new camera I have had my canon 500D over a year now and there are blobs on my pics in the same place but I am loathed to do anything about them as they are tiny atm and I am worried about sending the camera away.
I hope yours comes back all like new.
Its a problem when you change lenses all the time not get small particles of dust inside the camera you can do it yourself but again I am not confident to do this but see here.
How to Clean dust off the sensor of the Canon EOS cameras - YouTube

[goosey]

Originally Posted by kayleigh

Sorry about your mishap with your new camera I have had my canon 500D over a year now and there are blobs on my pics in the same place but I am loathed to do anything about them as they are tiny atm and I am worried about sending the camera away.
I hope yours comes back all like new.
Its a problem when you change lenses all the time not get small particles of dust inside the camera you can do it yourself but again I am not confident to do this but see here.
How to Clean dust off the sensor of the Canon EOS cameras - YouTube

Long time no see!
Thanks Kaleigh, I am glad it not just me .

I never had this problem with my previous camera's as I never had to change lenses, they did everything. It wasn't until I uprgraded I realised how tricky it was to try and change lenses and keep things dust free especially at the beach. At first I was so busy trying to concentrate on changing and not dropping either lens it didn't even occur to me bits would get inside.
There is probably a knack to changing lenses and limiting the chance of contamination.

Thanks for the link, it looks eay but whether I would dare try myself I don't know .

[goosey]

Hooray, my camera is back and no blobs and no charge!
Now just for an oppertunity to get out and use it

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by goosey

Hooray, my camera is back and no blobs and no charge!
Now just for an oppertunity to get out and use it

Great Goosey! As a famous running shoe advert says "do it"