Mark II vs Mark IV

Canon Professional Services (CPS) sent me, on loan, a new Mark IV camera body to test out. I will have it through the 25th and am going to carefully compare it to my current Mark II bodies. I'll post my results and personal opinions here.

I came across these and thought I should DEFINITELY post them. They have helped me - not only with getting the right settings on my 1D Mark II for sports, but Peter Read Miller from Sports Illustrated went and posted his settings for the 1D Mark IV on Sportsshooter.

Here are the two (2) CSD files that you simply put onto a memory card, insert into your camera and "Load Camera Settings". Then, you're ready to go.

Canon 1D Mark II  - Camera Settings File

Canon 1D Mark IV - Camera Settings File

7/15/10 - Day One

Didn't really have much chance to test anything today but I have a few "first impressions" of the camera...

First of all, it seems lighter. The battery size probably is the difference. It is approximately 1/2 the size of the batter that the 1D Mark II uses.

Writing different formats to different cards. This is a pretty cool fact. I never owned a Mark III, so I am not sure if this is available on that model, but the camera allows you to write a RAW (.CR2) file to the CF card and a JPEG (.jpg) version to the SDHC card that is also inserted.

This is pretty cool for a couple of reasons. With me, I use a Eye-Fi card a lot. So, I can now write a RAW file to the CF slot and a small JPEG to the Eye-Fi card in the SD slot. Then, the JPEG gets transferred wirelessly for a real-time slideshow (Photo Mechanic) and I still have the RAW format for later editing.

I can also see this being useful if you have to get JPEG versions of your "take" to an editor immediately and have time to fully edit your images later.

The sutter is as fast as the Mark II but doesn't seem to vibrate the camera as much. This may not be very noticeable to some photographers, but I am constantly firing off 10-20 frames in a burst and maxing out the 10 frames-per-second. This much shutter action does cause some vibrations that are more annoying than anything that affects the image quality. I am sure that, over an entire day of shooting, this lack of vibration could help lessen the fatigue that we all go through.

ISO Performance seems to be pretty impressive. I only took a few shots in a dark, poorly lit room with the ISO set to auto and it was grabbing a lot of ambient light at 1/60 and the shots were coming out amazingly bright. It'll be interesting to crank it up tomorrow at the Pittsburgh Pirates game and see where the ISO starts to get noisy.

Wrong Lens, Wrong Everything... Right Photo? How can that be??

It's amazing how sometimes when you think you've gotten everything wrong, something turns out a lot more "right" than you expected. On the 4th of July I had this happen to me. There was a very unfortunate and tragic house fire that was apparently caused by fireworks. This is all still under investigation, so I'll skip any more details.

After hearing the 3rd alarm, I thought I might want to take a look. I didn't have the scanner on, so when I launched my iPhone Scanner app - I heard quite a bit of chatter about an engulfed house fire just a few blocks from where I lived.

I jumped in the car and went to take a look. Figured I might get a few decent shots and see what was going on. Well, I had just shot a Pirates game that day and guess what? All I had was my Canon 1D Mark II with my 300mm f/2.8 lens. Not bad if I was going to be kept 500 feet away. But, this IS my hometown and I am usually allowed pretty close to these types of events.

So... I had WAY TOO MUCH lens. I only had one choice, try and get a lot of "in your face" shots of the firemen. In fact, I was too close to the fire to even get any shots with the actual fire. I posted a few of them on Facebook and I got a pretty surprising response. Turns out that most people thought they gave a very different perspective on the event.

I guess this goes to show that sometimes having the wrong equipment just might make us think differently about what we're shooting and we'll end up with a decent outcome if we just go with it. Trust me, I could have easily just put the camera back in the car and became a "sidewalk-watcher" like everyone else.

Here are a few shots to show you what I was restricted to. These are not cropped. They are full frame. That's what makes them interesting, I think.

 

 

 

 

So, I'm not longer one to complain when I forget to take my long lens off my camera (or forget to put it on, for that matter) - I am just going to interpret what I see and I might just be surprised with the outcome. 

* Yes, I know these are crappy photos - technically. They are noisy, maybe not the absolute correct white balance... but that's NOT the point. The point is to not let the obvious obstacles (no/low light, wrong camera body, wrong lens, people in your way, etc) get in your way of shooting. You never know what you will end up with at the end of the day.

Highlands All-Stars

Just a quick note to inform you that team & individual photos, as well as action shots from Thursday's game vs Lower Valley for the 9 & 10 year old team are online and available for purchase. Gallery expires 7/31/10.

Game action photos from the game Wednesday vs Somerset for the 11 & 12 year olds are online as well. Gallery also expires 7/31/10.

* A substantial portion of the proceeds from the sale of photos, "fathead" vinyl wall graphics and other items through HSI will be donated to Highlands Little League to help in their efforts. Please keep this in mind if you are ordering prints. You're helping your own league when you do so.

During this time period ending 7/31/10, you will receive free shipping ($15 value) when ordering a Vinyl Action Cut-Out for your wall - using any image you choose at no additional cost. This offer applies to all potential customers, just not members of the Highlands Little League.

PHOTO GALLERIES - Expiration Dates

Due to space limitations and in an effort to not have my online galleries be overwhelmingly large, all image galleries that are for sale will expire 30 days after the event.

Please make any purchases before that time to ensure that you can purchase at the pricing indicated.

After a gallery expires, the images may only be purchased under an "ARCHIVE LICENSE" which is at a higher price level. Images from an expired gallery will be at least TWICE the original cost - depending on event.

So, if you have a gallery (Highlands Little League), please make all purchases before 7/31/10. After that date, the images will no longer be available for purchase at the current rate. More than 4,700 photos were viewed in the first 24 hours of the gallery being available. If you were one of those people browsing, please don't hesitate to purchase photos or other items.

To recap general pricing, here is what you will pay for standard print sizes and downloadable versions within the first 30 days. If it is a public event (sports, etc), the amount will double when the gallery expires. If it is a private event (graduation, communion, portrait, wedding, party, etc), the amount will triple when the gallery expires. This is referred to as "ARCHIVE LICENSING".

4x6 (glossy, matte)  -  $3.00 per photo  ($6 or $9 after gallery expiration)
5x7 (glossy, matte)  -  $5.00 per photo  ($10 or $15 after gallery expiration)
8x10 (glossy, matte)  -  $10.00 per photo  ($20 or $30 after gallery expiration)
11x14 (glossy, matte)  -  $20.00 per photo ($40 or $60 after gallery expiration)
16x20 (glossy, matte)  -  $35.00 per photo ($70 or $115 after gallery expiration)
Wallets (set of 4)  -  $5.00 per set ($10 or $15 after gallery expiration)
Download (low-resolution for online, email)  - $2.00 per download ($4 or $6 after gallery expiration)
Original Digital File (high-resolution)  -  $50 per image ($100 or $150 after gallery expiration)

I hope this helps clear up any confusion and explains the price increase when a gallery expire. If you have any questions, please email me ASAP.

Highlands Little League - Team & Game Action Photos

I'd like to thank the parents of the 9 & 10 year old team who purchased either a team or individual photo last night. If you weren't aware, a significant portion of the proceeds is returned to the league in the form of a donation by Heffran Sports Imaging. This donation signals our commitment to helping Little League and youth sports succeed. The more photos, Action Cut-Outs (Fatheads) and gift items you purchase, the more the league you participate in will benefit.

For the parents of the 9 & 10 year old Highlands Little League All-Stars, coached by Justin Sadowski, your team and individual prints are complete and will be delivered tonight before your game. Also, anyone who wishes to purchase additional photos or downloadable images - you may do so by following the link below.

NOTE: There is an additional INDIVIDUAL pose which was taken. It is different than the pose chosen for individual pictures. Also, there is a humorous TEAM photo where the kids are acting like they are celebrating a World Championship.


Click here: Highlands Little League 2010 All-Star Photo Galleries (Team & Individual Photos)

For the parents of the 11 & 12 year old team... I have not taken any team or individual "posed" pictured for your age group. I am not sure if that is the plan, but I did take several (200+) action images at last night's game versus Somerset.

They are shots similar to what I do for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Major League Baseball when I work as a photographer at PNC Park. They are unique and something you cannot capture with a regular camera. So, browse the photo gallery and you might find something you like of your ballplayer.

Click here: Highlands Little League 2010 All-Star Photo Galleries (Game Action Photos)


Parents from Somerset (visiting team)... you weren't forgotten. I made sure to capture several shots of your players in action. You can follow the same link to view the images of the Somerset players in ACTION.

Click here: Highlands Little League 2010 All-Star Photo Galleries (Game Action Photos)


If you have any questions, please let me know. For those who asked last night... YES, these ACTION photos are perfect for an ACTION CUT-OUT wall decal (Fathead). You can view a brochure by clicking HERE.

This is the type of image that is needed. and you will receive the image at no additional cost with the purchase of a ACTION CUT-OUT wall decal (Fathead). If you have not seen one, there is one on display at the concession stand.

I'll be there again tonight shooting the 9 & 10 year olds' game to get more action shots. If you have any special requests, please let me know. A "special request" outside the normal action coverage is just $10 plus the cost of the print ($3 - $10). You pay the $10 at the time of the request and either order the print from me or you can do it online. But, you'll have a shipping cost.

I'm easy to find... I have the BIG WHITE LENS.