Good Camera Shop?

[ishoot308]

I'm looking for a good camera shop, preferably in the Gilford / Laconia area. I need to have the internal body mirrors cleaned on my Canon SLR and I have no idea how to do it. I tried once to no avail but a couple spots keep showing up on my pictures. It's not in the lens itself as I have switched lenses and spots appear in same location.

Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated!

Dan

[Sal]

Remove the lens and examine the mirror. If there's a speck if something on the mirror, try brushing it away with a very soft brush. Also brush the area of glass into which the mirror is reflecting (even though this will not clear the speck which is on your pictures). If you don't have a soft (and bushy) brush, try a make-up brush (which you have cleaned thoroughly). It would be almost impossible for these areas to be smudged with something unless you touched them. It's usually a small speck of dirt which fell from somewhere in the cavity or lens. DO NOT use canned air.

[NoBozo]

Use Acetone and Q-Tips to clean the lens and mirrors. Dip a clean Q-Tip in a fresh can or bottle of acetone..then shake the Q-Tip a couple of times briskly to expel excess acetone....kind of like you would "shake down" a medical mercury thermometer in the old days. Make a couple of passes... in the same direction..with the first Q-Tip then repeat with a New Q-Tip dipped and shaken down the same way.

This was the method we used to clean NAVY Optics..binoculars, submarine periscopes, lens, prisms and mirrors.

Be careful not to touch any Rubber, Plastic, or Painted parts with the Q-Tip. NB

[ishoot308]

Thanks for the reply guys, but I did try Q-tips with isopropyl and that did not work. I am concerned about using anything stronger as I can see small electrical thingamajigs on the mirror. I assume these are the focusing lights?? I just don't want to screw up anything.

Just an fyi, my camera is a Canon EOS-20D for what it's worth and it's much smarter than me!

Thanks!

Dan

[tis]

You could try Spectrum Photo in Wolfeboro. It's not Laconia or Gilford but not too far. It is a small shop and they are very nice in there. He also has a place in North Conway.

[Lakepilot]

Originally Posted by tis

You could try Spectrum Photo in Wolfeboro. It's not Laconia or Gilford but not too far. It is a small shop and they are very nice in there. He also has a place in North Conway.

I agree, they're good and if they can't help you they can tell you who can.

[SteveA]

If the same guy is running the store that was there when we bought our Canon, he would be a good place to start. Nice guy and a professional Photog that uses Canon.

Most of the advice on the internet is "don't try it unless you really know what you're doing" .

Ritz is in the Belknap Mall. Good luck!

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Thanks for the reply guys, but I did try Q-tips with isopropyl and that did not work. Thanks! Dan

Using alcohol is a good first try on any cleaning job. I always try the least aggressive method FIRST..and then progress to more aggressive. However: I know from 9 years of experience in the Navy, maintaining Navy Optics, we used acetone.

Alcohol is mostly water..and will leave watermarks. Yes it cleans.....Kinda....but it leaves watermarks on the glass and will not take serious stains off the glass. NB

[brk-lnt]

If there are specs in the pictures, it's not the mirror, it's on the sensor itself.

It's fairly easy to clean, you can order some sensor cleaning wipes from Amazon. If you want to come to Laconia I'll bring my equipment up and do it for you.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

Using alcohol is a good first try on any cleaning job. I always try the least aggressive method FIRST..and then progress to more aggressive. However: I know from 9 years of experience in the Navy, maintaining Navy Optics, we used acetone.

Alcohol is mostly water..and will leave watermarks. Yes it cleans.....Kinda....but it leaves watermarks on the glass and will not take serious stains off the glass. NB

Hi N.B.;

I am pretty familiar with acetone since I am in the glass business and use it quite regularly for degreasing and cleaning and nothing compares to it for this. I am just skeptical about using it on the sensor mirrors.

Thanks!

dan

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

If there are specs in the pictures, it's not the mirror, it's on the sensor itself.

It's fairly easy to clean, you can order some sensor cleaning wipes from Amazon. If you want to come to Laconia I'll bring my equipment up and do it for you.

Wow Brk-Int, I sincerely appreciate the offer but only if I can pay you! I honestly did not post this looking for a freebie so I would love to take you up on your offer.

I love this forum!

Dan

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Hi N.B.;

I am pretty familiar with acetone since I am in the glass business and use it quite regularly for degreasing and cleaning and nothing compares to it for this. I am just skeptical about using it on the sensor mirrors.

Thanks!

dan

OK: I had been wondering if you had a digital camera. My advice was for the old fashioned mostly mechanical film cameras. I have never opened up my little digital. Wish you luck....actually, ...I would chuck the old digital and just buy a new one. Your old digital camera is already OLD as it is.

However: Cleaning Optical Glass is still the same...OH Wait..Is the glass really glass...? I wouldn't be suprised if a modern digital camera had "plastic" lenses and mirrors. All bets are off. DON"T use acetone on plastic. I gave it a shot. NB

[Aguamenti]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

Wish you luck....actually, ...I would chuck the old digital and just buy a new one. Your old digital camera is already OLD as it is.

To the original poster - if you should decide to chuck your Canon EOS-20D, may I be first in line at your garbage can?

[rick35]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Thanks for the reply guys, but I did try Q-tips with isopropyl and that did not work. I am concerned about using anything stronger as I can see small electrical thingamajigs on the mirror. I assume these are the focusing lights?? I just don't want to screw up anything.

Just an fyi, my camera is a Canon EOS-20D for what it's worth and it's much smarter than me!

Thanks!

Dan

I cleaned my 20D for the first time a while back as I was always nervous about causing more problems than the few spots that showed up. Once I got up the nerve it only took 5 minutes.

The cleaner I used is called Eclipse and the cleaners are made specifically for cleaning sensors. One of the absolutely worst things you can use is a qtip. The cleaning swabs are lint free and the qtip is not. I checked amazon and there's a kit for around $18 called Digital Survival Kit which has what you need.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

OK: I had been wondering if you had a digital camera. My advice was for the old fashioned mostly mechanical film cameras. I have never opened up my little digital. Wish you luck....actually, ...I would chuck the old digital and just buy a new one. Your old digital camera is already OLD as it is.

However: Cleaning Optical Glass is still the same...OH Wait..Is the glass really glass...? I wouldn't be suprised if a modern digital camera had "plastic" lenses and mirrors. All bets are off. DON"T use acetone on plastic. I gave it a shot. NB

Canon uses glass mirrors, and if you're buying good quality lenses they are ground glass (I use the Canon EOL "L" lenses).

The mirror in a (D)SLR is only there to allow you to focus and compose the shot through the viewfinder. When you hit the shutter release, the mirror flips up out of the light path, and then the curtains over the sensor open/close to expose the image.

If you see constant specs in your shots, you have dirt on the lens or sensor. The easy way to see if it's on the lens itself is to defocus the lens and look through the viewfinder at something brightish. If you see specs, then hold down the lens release button and turn the lens like you're going to remove it (but don't drop it!). If the specs move, they're on the lens. If they stay still they are on the mirror or viewfinder focus screen (and won't show up in a picture). If you see no spots they're on the sensor.

To clean the sensor you should use swaps sized for your sensor (*most* DSLRs have an APS-C sensor which is 2/3 the size of a 35mm frame. Higher-end cameras have a full-frame sensor and would use a larger swab).

If you use acetone to clean your camera sensor you are going to be in the market for a new camera...

[djwoodward]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Thanks for the reply guys, but I did try Q-tips with isopropyl and that did not work. I am concerned about using anything stronger as I can see small electrical thingamajigs on the mirror. I assume these are the focusing lights?? I just don't want to screw up anything.

Just an fyi, my camera is a Canon EOS-20D for what it's worth and it's much smarter than me!

Thanks!

Dan

Dan if you have a 20D (DSLR) the spots are probably on your sensor not on the mirror. The decision for "do it yourself" sensor cleaning can be a tough one. It's a decision with two definitive camps. You may want to do some internet searching on the "Copperhill Method" which is one of the most widely accepted methods. But you should take caution with any method; you don’t want to scratch your sensor. If you don’t do it yourself you may want to search for an authorized Canon service center to send it to.

By the way, If had the same issues with my Canon DSLR; dirty sensors are inevitable. I’ve used the Copperhill Method with no problems.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Aguamenti

To the original poster - if you should decide to chuck your Canon EOS-20D, may I be first in line at your garbage can?

Is the Canon 20D really that outdated?? It still takes great photos!
Heck I still don't know how to use most of the features! I normally just leave it on auto mode and click away!

Dan

[LakesRegionSpirit]

If the spots are showing up in your images, then you do need to clean the sensor. The sensor is protected by a cover so you really are not cleaning the surface of the sensor but it's cover. You would need to "Mirror Lockup" to do so. with the lens off the body. Brush first, or gently hit with a squeeze bulb of air (with opening facing downwards), then swab with an appropriate cleaner and brush size.

If you would rather not do it yourself, I can reccommend John at ALpha Color in Laconia on Irving St. (Off of Messer)

[Aguamenti]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Is the Canon 20D really that outdated?? It still takes great photos!
Heck I still don't know how to use most of the features! I normally just leave it on auto mode and click away!

Dan

Nah, it would be a nice upgrade from my Rebel!

[NH_boater]

If the spots are on the image, then the dust is on the sensor or lens. If the lens, it is probably the real element (closest to camera) since spots on the front lens don't show up since they are so out of focus. If it is the sensor, use a blower (camera hole down may help to avoid more duct but be careful not to hit the sensor with the blower). A simple blower will clear 95% of dust or lint that I might pick up.

If the spots are in the viewfinder but not the image, it is likely the mirror, viewfinder/prism or lens. My recommendation is to use a blower or leave them.

I have high-end Canon camera and lenses and I never do what many folks are recommending. I do not clean the mirror except with a blower bulb, not a blower brush. The coating on the mirror is very delicate and sweeping it with a brush or swap is looking for trouble. You can easily damage the mirror or coating, for absolutely no reason. A couple specs of duct on the mirror does not affect image quality.

You can have dust on your pentaprism, the glass block in your view finder. Look up above the mirror. It has a fine focusing surface. Again, this surface is easily scratched by grit or dust so I would simply use a blower bulb, then leave it.

You may not need to clean your sensor except once a year or much less. I shoot in a great variety of dirty and dusty conditions and I rarely clean the sensor more than once a year. Copper hill is a good DIY but if you are not comfortable, have it done. There is a good shop in Manchester (Hunts) that can do it pretty cheap.

Lens cleaning - always use blower first. The lens has an anti-glare coating that can scratch with a cleaning rag or swab. Use blower first. After that, breathe hot breath on the lens to fog it and then light circular wipe with a new lens tissue or clean microfiber cloth. You will almost never need anything else to clean your lens.

Many people have permanently scratched or damaged their sensor, mirror or prism trying to remove a spec that never affected their images. I have heard many say they clean their sensor or mirror all the time without damage. Take a look with a lighted magnifying glass and you might see serious scratches or worn off coatings.

Hope this helps.

[NH_boater]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Is the Canon 20D really that outdated?? It still takes great photos!
Heck I still don't know how to use most of the features! I normally just leave it on auto mode and click away!

Dan

A new camera body will not take better pictures for virtually everyone unless you are trying to enlarge images bigger than 11x14 or larger. If you want to upgrade, a new lens is probably a much better choice. The 20D is still quite capable. There are pros using camera with half your megapixles and getting stellar images. My Canon 5D is older than your 20D and I will put it up against virtually any other camera out there. I do not see a need to upgrade anytime soon.

Unless you can clearly identify something your 20D cannot do that a newer body can (very large enlargements, focus speed, shutter speed, etc.) for specific shooting circumstances, it is fine.

If you have a cheaper kit zoom lens, you will see much more improvement with new glass than a new camera body.

[brk-lnt]

While we're on the topic of general cleaning...

All my new lenses get a UV filter first thing after they come out of the box. A UV filter has very little effect on the image itself, and this is a good thing. It basically acts as a $60 insurance policy on the front of a $1200 lens. Anything that might scratch or damage the lens will be stopped by the UV filter, which is easily replaceable and won't ruin a day of shooting.

You can also minimize the intrusion of dust by minimizing lens swaps, especially during windy moments outdoors. I keep Canon's 24-105L lens on my 5D, and that covers the majority of what I need. Sometimes I have to swap lenses, but more often than not if it's going to be an outdoor shoot I'll keep a longer lenses mounted on one of my backup bodies.

[djwoodward]

Originally Posted by LakesRegionSpirit

If the spots are showing up in your images, then you do need to clean the sensor. The sensor is protected by a cover so you really are not cleaning the surface of the sensor but it's cover.

True you aren't cleaning the sensor per se but the cover is usually considered an integral part of the sensor. And to be specific that cover is actually an IR filter that is susceptible to scratching and once its scratched I don't believe it's replaceable.

Here's a link about the Copperhill Method
http://www.copperhillimages.com/index.php?pr=tutorials

[NH_boater]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

While we're on the topic of general cleaning...

All my new lenses get a UV filter first thing after they come out of the box. A UV filter has very little effect on the image itself, and this is a good thing. It basically acts as a $60 insurance policy on the front of a $1200 lens.

Agree in low impact on image quality (sharpness) but filters can certainly add lens flare. I suggest buying an expensive high-end filter such as a B+W if you are protecting high-end professional lenses. I have found cheap filters add flare and soften the image. All my L lenses have good UV filters on them, although I sometimes remove them for challenging lighting situations or important shots. I suspect it is very difficult to see any difference with very good UV filters. Thin filters will also help with light fall-off in the corners.

[cowislander]

Sensor dirt/dust is especially obvious in images that are shot with the lens fully stopped down, i.e., f22 or thereabouts. The D20 has an built in ultrasonic cleaning utility. Get your manual out and look for sensor cleaning. Its buried in the menu system, once you find it give it a try. It essentially puts a 30 second ultrasonic signal through the sensor dislodging any dust particles. Very simple to do. I also agree with the post saying that using dust off with the mirror locked up is a good technique. Acetone......I dont think so.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by cowislander

Sensor dirt/dust is especially obvious in images that are shot with the lens fully stopped down, i.e., f22 or thereabouts. The D20 has an built in ultrasonic cleaning utility. Get your manual out and look for sensor cleaning. Its buried in the menu system, once you find it give it a try. It essentially puts a 30 second ultrasonic signal through the sensor dislodging any dust particles. Very simple to do. I also agree with the post saying that using dust off with the mirror locked up is a good technique. Acetone......I dont think so.

The Canon 20D does not have the ultrasonic lens cleaner (I know, I used to have a 20D as a backup body). Canon didn't start that until somewhere around the 40D and 5D MkII, IIRC.

[nj2nh]

I have a Canon EOS Rebel that dates to 2003. It barely works and won't even focus anymore with certain lenses. I own a Canon point and shoot as well and it works way better than the SLR or a Fuji mid-size I use once in a while. I didn't even bring my SLR up here this year.

I am trading them all in for a Olympus Pen camera next month. My husband has one. It takes the most amazing photographs and my husband has NO photography skills whatsoever. It is a nice mid-size camera that is easily taken just about everywhere. THere are lots of lenses for it as well.

I have to say, though, that the best pictures I have taken (outdoors during the day, anyway) were with my iPhone.

[ishoot308]

Thanks to my wonderful wife's early Christmas present, I upgraded from my Canon 20-D to a 60-D. I also bought a Canon EF 2x telephoto extender to play with.

Any forum members using a 60-D or have experience with a telephoto extender?? Would love to hear your thoughts / review of either.

Thanks!!

Dan

[Resident 2B]

Dan.

I have the Canon 10D, 20D and 50D and I recently bought the 5D Mark II, I also have and use several of the L series telephoto lens. I have the tele-extender you purchased and it works great as long as you have enough light or you can live with a higher ISO in low light. As you extend the "length" of the lens, you also effectively negatively impact your aperture.

My option is the tele-extender works very well in most cases. You will lose a bit of definition on the outer edges, but that often can be cropped out.

With the 60D you are already getting a 1.6 multiplier on the focal length of your lenses compared to full frame digital or 35mm film, so with the 2x you are getting a big boost on your telephoto lenses at the small cost of definition.

Have fun with it and most importantly shoot some RAW stuff and get into digital darkroom instead of just shooting .jpgs Think of the RAW image as a negative and work with it. Time consuming, but inexpensive fun during the winter.

R2B

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Thanks to my wonderful wife's early Christmas present, I upgraded from my Canon 20-D to a 60-D. I also bought a Canon EF 2x telephoto extender to play with.

Any forum members using a 60-D or have experience with a telephoto extender?? Would love to hear your thoughts / review of either.

Thanks!!

Dan

My opinion of the extender (any extender) is kind of "meh".

The extender is going to impact the minimum aperture opening of the lens (since f/stop is a factor of focal length to aperture diameter, the extender can effect focal length, but it CAN'T change the aperture blades). So, it's really only useful for outdoor shots with really good lighting.

I have the 2 extender, I played with it for a bit, but don't think I've ever actually *used* it.

Not sure what lenses you have, but if you want to borrow my 100-400mm Canon L lens, I can drop it off one day. It's a good lens to couple to the 2x extender.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Resident 2B

Have fun with it and most importantly shoot some RAW stuff and get into digital darkroom instead of just shooting .jpgs Think of the RAW image as a negative and work with it. Time consuming, but inexpensive fun during the winter.

R2B

Until work slows down for me, which I hope is very very soon, the "digital darkroom" / photoshop will have to wait. Heck I need a simple photography class first! Until then the auto mode feature will have to suffice.

Thanks for the info!

Dan

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

My opinion of the extender (any extender) is kind of "meh".

The extender is going to impact the minimum aperture opening of the lens (since f/stop is a factor of focal length to aperture diameter, the extender can effect focal length, but it CAN'T change the aperture blades). So, it's really only useful for outdoor shots with really good lighting.

I have the 2 extender, I played with it for a bit, but don't think I've ever actually *used* it.

Not sure what lenses you have, but if you want to borrow my 100-400mm Canon L lens, I can drop it off one day. It's a good lens to couple to the 2x extender.

Thanks for the offer but that lens is on my radar screen and hopefully I will have one before the end of the year. My main telephoto is a 70-300 mm I.S. lens that has been working well for me. I can only imagine the beautiful shots you can get with the L series lens!

Dan

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by Resident 2B

Have fun with it and most importantly shoot some RAW stuff and get into digital darkroom instead of just shooting .jpgs Think of the RAW image as a negative and work with it. Time consuming, but inexpensive fun during the winter.
R2B

R2B.. what software are you using for RAW. can open RAW in Photoshop Elements, but the app in Elements has me completely baffled. Some suggested Lightroom???

[Resident 2B]

I use Photoshop CS3, but I intend to upgrade to CS6 by the end-of-the-year deadline for free or reduced pricing. However, usually the raw image processor that came with the camera's software CD does the job. I also understand you can use the raw processor in Photoshop Elements, but I never did that.

This is something you need to play with and realize that if you make a mistake, you just undo it or start again with the original raw image. This is not for 'snapshots', but for 'artsy' stuff like old barns, fences, mushrooms and things like that. I use it for photos I enter in competition, but I do not win very often, so there are many better users out there.

R2B

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by SteveA

R2B.. what software are you using for RAW. can open RAW in Photoshop Elements, but the app in Elements has me completely baffled. Some suggested Lightroom???

Steve, I used to use Elements, now use Lightroom and Photoshop (but honestly only switched because have access via work. If I was paying myself, Elements would be fine).

As far as I know, the RAW processor is the same for all (Currently Camera Raw 7.2) It comes up when you open an image for editing. You can do some processing in Camera Raw, or some in PsE, and there is a lot of overlap in functionality. When I first started, I would skip through Camera Raw and only use PsE.

Without getting into too much detail here, as R2B implies, Camera Raw works from the RAW image but does not alter your original. PsE works on a processed JPG image, one created by Camera Raw, which is why it starts with the Camera Raw process.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Thanks for the offer but that lens is on my radar screen and hopefully I will have one before the end of the year. My main telephoto is a 70-300 mm I.S. lens that has been working well for me. I can only imagine the beautiful shots you can get with the L series lens!

Dan

It's a nice lens, but heavy. I'd recommend a tripod or monopod with it unless you're a REALLY good hand-holder or use a body brace. It would be a pretty big step up from the 70-300 lens you have now (is that the one with the green-ring on it?).

My go-to lens for 90% of the time is the 24-105L. I think that everyone who shoots Canon relies on that lens I also had the 24-70L but sold it due to lack of use.

My main kit is:
16-35L
24-105L
100-400L

The 70-200L/IS lens is also a great outdoor lens. I had the 70-200L non-IS, but sold it, have not replaced it yet because I haven't had time for serious photography in a while.

I also need to upgrade my 5D to the MkIII...

[Resident 2B]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

It's a nice lens, but heavy. I'd recommend a tripod or monopod with it unless you're a REALLY good hand-holder or use a body brace. It would be a pretty big step up from the 70-300 lens you have now (is that the one with the green-ring on it?).

My go-to lens for 90% of the time is the 24-105L. I think that everyone who shoots Canon relies on that lens I also had the 24-70L but sold it due to lack of use.

My main kit is:
16-35L
24-105L
100-400L

The 70-200L/IS lens is also a great outdoor lens. I had the 70-200L non-IS, but sold it, have not replaced it yet because I haven't had time for serious photography in a while.

I also need to upgrade my 5D to the MkIII...

No doubt in my mind the Canon L series lenses are the best way to go. I would buy a good L series used lens before I would buy a regular Canon lens. The glass is so important.

I bought my 5D MKII on the price drop before the 5D MKIII was released. Great camera body, but the MKIII is the way to go fir the 'artsy' stuff. I like the 60D for nature and sports photography as you get good detail but a bump in focal length. Loons and eagles on and around the lake is an environment where the 60D is great.

With the L series longer lens, you need support. They are heavy and the support should be under the lens, not on the camera body. The carbon graphite mono-pods work great.

R2B

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

It's a nice lens, but heavy. I'd recommend a tripod or monopod with it unless you're a REALLY good hand-holder or use a body brace. It would be a pretty big step up from the 70-300 lens you have now (is that the one with the green-ring on it?).

My go-to lens for 90% of the time is the 24-105L. I think that everyone who shoots Canon relies on that lens I also had the 24-70L but sold it due to lack of use.

My main kit is:
16-35L
24-105L
100-400L

The 70-200L/IS lens is also a great outdoor lens. I had the 70-200L non-IS, but sold it, have not replaced it yet because I haven't had time for serious photography in a while.

I also need to upgrade my 5D to the MkIII...

Brk;

No green ring on my lens. This is it here...

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-70-30...rds=CANON+LENS

I also have these...

EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens (This one is amazing for close up detail)

EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 wide angle USM lens

EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM lens

Dan

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by Resident 2B

No doubt in my mind the Canon L series lenses are the best way to go. I would buy a good L series used lens before I would buy a regular Canon lens. The glass is so important.

I bought my 5D MKII on the price drop before the 5D MKIII was released. Great camera body, but the MKIII is the way to go fir the 'artsy' stuff. I like the 60D for nature and sports photography as you get good detail but a bump in focal length. Loons and eagles on and around the lake is an environment where the 60D is great.

With the L series longer lens, you need support. They are heavy and the support should be under the lens, not on the camera body. The carbon graphite mono-pods work great.

R2B

I look all the time for used L's.. hard to find.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by SteveA

I look all the time for used L's.. hard to find.

Really? I see them fairly regularly on the NH and MA craigslist listings.

You can also save a couple of dollars (maybe $50 on a $1100 lens) buying the non-US lenses. Same lens/glass, just not marked for US warranty.

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

I have a friend that asked me to sell some items on eBay for him. I am a very experienced eBay seller but some items are harder to sell because buyers like to touch or test drive older, classic items. In these cases I will attempt to sell to a local by putting an ad on craigslist and actually meeting the person, but in this case I'm selling something I know nothing about, other than it's a great old camera. Wondering if someone knows a local collector or buyer/seller that would be interested in this camera. It's a Nikon F2AS Black Paint with every bell and whistle including batteries, all original manuals, tripod, accessories, etc. My friend treats his possessions like children so I can say, without doubt, it's as close to mint as a camera this age can be.
Thanks in advance for any advice. He's not looking to break the bank, but I don't want him to get beat up like he would at a pawn shop. A reputable camera person would inspect this package and agree it's worthy of a fair deal.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Brk;

No green ring on my lens. This is it here...

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-70-30...rds=CANON+LENS

I also have these...

EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens (This one is amazing for close up detail)

EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 wide angle USM lens

EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM lens

Dan

That 10-22mm lens is pretty well regarded.

The 18-55 is the standard giveaway "kit" lens, honestly not my favorite.

Not too familiar with the 60mm, but not surprised that it's been impressive. A good prime (fixed focal length) lens usually has the benefit of being fast (low aperture) and very sharp.

I would caution you to not get too over-invested in EF-S lenses if you think you are going to continue with photography as a hobby, as they won't fit a full-frame body (which for many people is something they generally intend to get to as budget allows).

EF-S lenses are intended for the APS-C sized sensors, and they have an extra small protrusion at the back of the lens bayonet that prevents them from mating with 1D or 5D bodies (or whatever other full-frame sensor bodies Canon may release in the future). The upside is that because the APS-C sensors are smaller, the EF-S lenses can be a little smaller and therefore a little lighter (and cheaper).

At the end of the day, all this gear holds its resale value pretty well. I'd personally recommend that you splurge a little for the 24-105L lens next. It will last you a lifetime, has great build quality, very good sharpness across the majority of its range, and would probably be left on your camera body 90% of the time. Your current kit, IMO is weighted towards wide angle to medium FOV (the 18-55) and low telephoto to medium zoom (the 70-300). For "walking around" shots you'd probably have to do more lens-swapping than ideal (wasting time, increasing opportunities for dust intrusion into the camera body).

The 60D has a really good sensor and processor, a shot taken at 105mm could be reasonably blown up for a small sized print (8x10 or less) without sacrificing too much noticeable grain in the image. But, you can't widen a shot after taking it. That makes the 24-105 cover the majority of an ideal working range (IMO). I'd keep the 10-22mm close at hand in a camera bag (it's small anyway) for the rare case where you need a really close/wide shot, since your 60D sensor is going to add an effective 1.6x magnification to any lens- due to the sensor crop.

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Really? I see them fairly regularly on the NH and MA craigslist listings.

You can also save a couple of dollars (maybe $50 on a $1100 lens) buying the non-US lenses. Same lens/glass, just not marked for US warranty.

LOL.. I just checked Craigs list.. you right. Guess my "looking for" skills need a little sharpening.

My lens are all EF - besides the kit I've added
EF70-300 f4-5.6 and the EF 50 F/1.4 USM

My body is the T3 will L Series even work with that body?

[ishoot308]

Steve;

According to Canon, your T3 will work with all Canon EF (electro focus) lens. An L (luxury ) series lens is an EF lens and has that designation in the description. You should be good to go!

You would be wise to double check my info before buying however as I am still very much in the learning mode!

Dan

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

I'd personally recommend that you splurge a little for the 24-105L lens next. It will last you a lifetime, has great build quality, very good sharpness across the majority of its range, and would probably be left on your camera body 90% of the time.

O.K. Brk, took your recommendation and ordered one... OUCH!

I'll let you know how it works out.

Dan

[Resident 2B]

Originally Posted by SteveA

I look all the time for used L's.. hard to find.

Try this place.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...646+4291570227

Good selection of higher end used photo gear. It will get to the lakes region in a few days.


R2B

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by SteveA

LOL.. I just checked Craigs list.. you right. Guess my "looking for" skills need a little sharpening.

My lens are all EF - besides the kit I've added
EF70-300 f4-5.6 and the EF 50 F/1.4 USM

My body is the T3 will L Series even work with that body?

Yes, the EF bayonet mount is standard across all modern Canon bodies, film or digital.

FYI, the thing that essentially makes a lens an "L" designation is the quality of the internal optics, not the mount or interface. Canon used to have a prior mounting system in the 70's or 80's, I forget the designation, it like F or something. Anyways, you could have conceptually had F-L lenses and EF-L lenses, they would not be cross compatible, but being designated as "L" in either series would indicate the higher-end lens.

There are many factors that make up a good quality lens. Would you *should* generally notice from better lenses would be:
-Constant aperture across the focal length, and usually a low number (f/4 or better). Aperture is a function of focal length, not an absolute aperture opening size, for a given aperture opening (say like an 8mm diameter), that would be f/4 at 100mm, but f/5.6 at 200mm (note, I'm totally making these numbers up because I don't feel like looking up for doing the math So, the ability to maintain f/4 over a 100-400mm range for example takes more engineering complexity inside the lens to both have an opening that wide, and scale it with the lens zoom.

-Better sharpness at the edges of the lens. It's relatively easy to make the center of the lens elements crisp, but maintaining the same sharpness uniformly throughout the entire field of view takes more precision and time in the lens glas grinding process. The result of course is that your images appear sharp throughout, and with less visible aberrations at the edges.

-Less chromatic distortions at the edges. Lenses shape and funnel light, we've all seen the Pink Floyd logo of the light beam going through the color splitter, a similar effect happens with camera lenses. Better quality glass, coatings, polishing and groupings reduce this effect so that you don't have color distortions near the edges of the lens.

An interesting side effect of cameras that use APS-C sized sensors (pretty much any Canon that is not a 1 or 5 series, and all but 1 or 2 Nikons), is that the sensor is smaller than a standard 35mm sized sensor, so it's not "seeing" the light coming from the edges of the lens, it's using more of the center of the glass, which tends to be the best area in terms of overall sharpness/etc.

This is also why you hear about a "1.6x" zoom on these camera bodies. If you mount a 50mm lens on your 40D (or whatever camera body), your sensor is seeing less area than that same lens on my 5D body, because the 5D has a larger sensor. This has the apparent effect of a "zoom", because if we both print out the images we take with a 50mm lens on an 8x10" print for example, your print would show an image of approximately the inner 2/3'ds of what my camera would show, or in a manner of speaking, your print at 50mm would look like an image I took with an 80mm lens. None of this part really matters, I just mention it because it seems to be confusing to a lot of people...

Hope that's helpful

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

O.K. Brk, took your recommendation and ordered one... OUCH!

I'll let you know how it works out.

Dan

Wait until you amass a good collection of shots and you start asking about real printers Though in that regard, prices have come down a lot in the last few years. You can now get a good printer for $800, that used to be $1400...

[mcdude]

Originally Posted by tis

You could try Spectrum Photo in Wolfeboro. It's not Laconia or Gilford but not too far. It is a small shop and they are very nice in there. He also has a place in North Conway.

yes, I know it is important to support local businesses and, yes, they might have a certain level of expertise, BUT, the prices! ...oy vey!!
...and yes, I felt they ripped me off and I have an axe to grind!

Comparison shopping at SPECTRUM PHOTO http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...spectrum+photo

[Resident 2B]

The older Canon lens series was FD. I still have an old A1 body and a lot of FD lens. Not sure why.

R2B

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by tis

You could try Spectrum Photo in Wolfeboro. It's not Laconia or Gilford but not too far. It is a small shop and they are very nice in there. He also has a place in North Conway.

Concord Camera on Main Street in Concord is the closest that I know of on the Laconia, Gilford side of the lake. I have used them to clean the sensors, and they run classes on the proper and safe way to clean them yourself. I think they charge $30. for the class and you come away with some tools and training. I signed up, they said they would call when they had enough people to "do a class". Nice people there.

[no-engine]

I skipped thru this thread. I will say that dust on the mirror is not photographed.
Dust on sensor would be the issue in photos. To test, photograph a clean white wall. Dust will be a spot in the same place on every image.

Most manuals have instructions. It's a very delicate process; unknowingly, we can make for further damage. Best left to the pros or experienced.

Never use canned air inside; never blow in.

Spectrum or Concord Camera would be good starting points. Or am email to the camera maker for service.
If you have an editing program, one can set up an action to spot in the same place on each image!

[no-engine]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I'm looking for a good camera shop, preferably in the Gilford / Laconia area. I need to have the internal body mirrors cleaned on my Canon SLR and I have no idea how to do it. I tried once to no avail but a couple spots keep showing up on my pictures. It's not in the lens itself as I have switched lenses and spots appear in same location.

Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated!

Dan

Spots in same place indicate dust on sensor.
As I wrote, it's a very sensitive area to clean. Send it off to Canon, or repair service that Canon suggests.

[Airedale1]

Originally Posted by no-engine

Spots in same place indicate dust on sensor.
As I wrote, it's a very sensitive area to clean. Send it off to Canon, or repair service that Canon suggests.

Excellent advice and the 20D is a great body. I took the image below with the 20D.

My kit now is made up of a EOS 7D EOS 40D and for lenses I have:
EF-400 f/5.6L
EF 70-200 f/4.0L IS
EF 50 f/1.4
EF 17-40 f/4.0L IS
EF-1.4x II extender

I would strongly suggest that you join the Canon Forum at: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

It is free to do so and you will learn tons on there. Good luck.