i ordered my 70-200mm f/4l today

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-06-2007, 10:48 AM

i guess im just a little excited. no i just need to get a body but i have my friends xti to use for the next couple weeks. any hints when using the lense?

(rson) · (rson) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 06-06-2007, 3:19 PM

Does it have IS?

(richd) · (richd) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 06-06-2007, 5:37 PM

I think I know where Rich is headed, if it's the non IS version keep your shutter speeds up on the long end or you images may suffer from camera shake. I'd say minimum 1/250th of a second at 200mm. The IS version is good down to a 15th of a second. Use the XTi in some sort of manual mode (or sports mode at the very least) and watch your shutter speed. I think auto tries to give you 1 /125th of a second all the time. The metering doesn't know what focal length you're at.

(rson) · (rson) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 06-06-2007, 6:04 PM

you read my mind....not to pop Charly's bubble, I would save for the IS version. I have a Nikon 18-200 Non VR version...Love the zoom, but I need the VR.

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-06-2007, 6:44 PM

i have never used is before also i don't have the money for the is as im just outta highschool. yeah i try and keep my shutter above 500 most the time in the boat. also i use either apeture priority or manual on the xti depending on if im shooting or if im setting it up for a friend

(rson) · (rson) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 06-06-2007, 7:18 PM

http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php

Check here, there are always good used lenses for all the Canon-eers realizing that Nikon is the way to go.

:-)

(cmawsr) · (cmawsr) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 06-06-2007, 7:23 PM

don't worry about not having IS. You'll rarely have slow shutter speeds shooting wake. I would suggest using manual. You'll get varying exposures using AV. The only other suggestion is work on technique. Keep your arms in, dont hold breath when pressing shutter, stuff like that.

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-06-2007, 8:46 PM

yeah i have been in photography for my 4 years of highschool. im somewhat new to digital thats all. i was having a hard time deciding on a body and brand so i just decided on a lense and bought it so i could use it on my friends body till i get my new body( 30d or 20d)

(swami) · (swami) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 06-06-2007, 8:48 PM

Charlie, you won't be disappointed with this lens. Good luck and post some shots! :-)

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-06-2007, 11:22 PM

i will when i get home from the trip i get it friday and leave saturday morning for a 2 week trip to shasta. im really excited and can't wait till i get my own body to use it on

heres some pics i have from the kit lense not riding but cool shots none the less

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(bigdad) · (bigdad) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 06-07-2007, 8:51 AM

You said you are new to digital. Get to know photoshop or similar programs and adjust the levels. By looking at the histogram you can see that the shot is underexposed. I did a quick edit in PS and the details of the ground started to show up. Usually when I shoot I look at the histogram readout on the camera to see where I'm at. Then adjust accordingly.

(rson) · (rson) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 06-07-2007, 9:18 AM

Here are 2 images to prove my point.
I bought a Non VR lens. Notice the difference from the pics? The light wasn't as bright as before and the pics started to blur.

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(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-07-2007, 9:56 AM

yeah i plan on later getting the vr lense but i could not justify it at this moment.

is there a way to look at the histogram in photoshop etc? i kno my way around photoshop a little as i took digital photo this semester but it was more of a basic photograhy class sadly

(wakesurf12) · (wakesurf12) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 06-07-2007, 10:01 AM

Rich, I am going to dissagree with you a bit here. But then again I am in the same debate myself, 80-200 nikon no VR or 70-200 nikon VR lens. Somehow I keep thinking about the jump in price and it scares me. But regurding blur with your wake images Rich is correct and that your shutter speed should be equivalent if not faster to your focal length of your lense to prevent arm shake. If your shooting 200mm then it would be 1/250, 300mm 1/320, etc.

Now, you can get away with slower shutters with a VR or IS lens but you aren't going to be able to stop the action of your subject. The slowest shutter you can usually use to stop action would be 1/250, thus, making the VR or IS obsolete when shooting any kind of sports since the slowest you could shoot would be 1/250 anyway.

Now, I am not saying that the VR or IS aren't great lenses. I have used them for shooting concerts and have gotten AMAZING results at shutters as slow as 1/15. I was just lucky to catch the moment in time when my subject wasn't moving fast. (see attached photos)

As far as your photo goes it looks like you were definitely dealing with a situation where you lost a lot of light fast. I also notice that your focus seems to be a tad off (see photo) which resulted in your subject being a bit more blurry. A few suggestions I would give would be to bump up your ISO as you loose light in order to keep your shutter faster than 1/250 (the faster you can get the better!) And if you find yourself in a situation where you just cannot get that fast then maybe try panning with the subject in order to keep your subject still.

Hopefully that helps! Now I gotta figure out which lens I want to get!

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(wakesurf12) · (wakesurf12) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 06-07-2007, 10:01 AM

(rson) · (rson) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 06-07-2007, 10:08 AM

Sorry my Circa 2000 laptop has a crappy screen....I'll post another later tonight.

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-07-2007, 10:58 AM

i figured wake would keep my shutter speed high enough.

i never knew there was a minimum shutter speed for every focal length

(richd) · (richd) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 06-07-2007, 12:58 PM

Good points Ryan, in fact I think he's got all 3 things working wrong in that shot: POF is off, motion blur in the rider due to to slow shutter and camera shake softness everywhere (a bit underexposed as well).

Unless you're panning I wouldn't shoot below 1/800th for wakeboard.

Adjustable ISO as you point out is the real boon of digital, don't be afraid to use it.

As far as Charley's sunset shots go I thought they were exposed pretty well for the highlites. It's tough to get the shadows exposed properly unless you're doing exposure bracketing. Better not to blow out the sky if doing single shot IMHO.

(richd) · (richd) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 06-07-2007, 1:00 PM

"i never knew there was a minimum shutter speed for every focal length"

There isn't if you have great long lens technique. (I don't, I rely on IS)

(clubmyke) · (clubmyke) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 06-07-2007, 8:47 PM

just picked up a canon 70-200 f4 is.... amazing lens..sharp..very sharp,,

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-07-2007, 8:49 PM

thats what i though becuase on my film camera i shoot it anywhere from 60 to 1000 at all the some levels ona 70-210. i usually shoot at around 500 or higher for wake

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-08-2007, 6:48 AM

my lense is 20 min away to bad with ups it will problly be here round 3

(bigdad) · (bigdad) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 06-08-2007, 10:03 AM

Just type in levels or histogram in the help section of Photoshop. Google Histogram and you will get plenty of responses. Adjustment of the levels is probably one of the most important thing you can do with digital pictures.

(wakeeater) · (wakeeater) **Join Date: May 2002** 06-08-2007, 3:59 PM

i just got the lense im so excited to use it this weekend