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Mark This Day

It was yesterday, actually. Christmas came early. I can't contain my excitement! I have the camera of my dreams! I'm a proud owner of a Canon 5D Mark II! And this wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of my parents. Thank you very very much, Mama and Papa!  :)  

I am truly blessed. I never imagined I'd get my hands on a great camera this soon!

The first few shots I took affirmed that I made the right choice. I forgot all about the new features of the Canon 7D. The pictures are so clear and sharp! Very far from the pictures shot using my Canon 400D. Noise level delivered as promised. Very minimal. Even at high ISO levels I never thought I could use, pictures are usable still. With my 400D, I stop at ISO 800. But now, I can go as high as ISO 3200! I attached my Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L lens and I am just impressed! Now I know the full frame difference. Simply breathtaking! The video recording capability is amazing too! I like how I can easily focus and defocus on subjects when shooting videos.

Canon 5D Mark II mounted with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L Lens

I can't wait to take pictures! I'll be using my new camera this coming halloween when my nephews and nieces go trick or treating. You have to watch for their costumes lovingly made by my sister. I'm also doing the prenuptial photo shoot of a friend who's getting married very soon. I'm definitely bringing this camera.

But wait, there's more! As a freebie with the camera, I received this small box and look what's inside...

You'd think it's just miniature model of the 5D Mark II, but better, it's a USB drive! Cute!

Pictures taken with Canon 400D mounted with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens. 

Bow,

7D or 5D Mark II? The Verdict.

I've been enjoying photography with my Canon 400D for approximately three years now. I'm impressed that it still can deliver good shots vis-à-vis later camera models. The lenses and accessories greatly help.

But I'm so grateful that I'm already up for a camera upgrade. I told myself before that the next camera I'd have is the Canon 50D. However, the advent of the Canon 7D gave me options. And after a Canon salesperson talked my father into getting a Canon 5D Mark II, my options widened even more!

After much research and deliberation, I've trimmed it down to two options - Canon 7D or Canon 5D Mark II. Still, choosing between the two camera models is as difficult. Both models have their strengths and weaknesses. Let me share with you the features I liked and disliked.

Canon 7D

I Like...

• that it has flash. Come to think of it, I had stopped using the pop-up flash of my Canon 7D since I got a Speedlite. Nevertheless, it's still good to have a pop-up flash especially when the Speedlite batteries die.
• the 8 frames per second capability for continuous shooting. This is so good for jump shots! Hehehe!
• its 19 AF points.
• the wireless flash commander.

I Don't Like...

• that it's not full-frame. I'll explain later why this is a big deal for me

Canon 5D Mark II

I Like...

• that it's full-frame. I recently got hold of the digitized film pictures I took years ago with my film camera Nikon F55D (Yes, I was once a Nikon user). Looking back, I'm appreciating the beauty of having a full-frame camera. Since I already have a 400D, which is not full-frame, I just think it's better if I get a full-frame camera this time.
• that pictures will have less digital noise. Noise level in pictures is one of the issues that photographers take into consideration when getting a camera and scrutinizing pictures. With Mark II, I'd get clean images even at ISO 3200!

I Don't Like...

• that it has no flash. I don't understand why this camera doesn't have a pop-up flash. I've read somewhere that adding a flash affects weather-proofing the camera. Oh well.
• that continuous shooting is up to 3.9 frames per second only. The 7D stomps Mark II in this department.

Honestly, there are other features the 7D has that the 5D Mark II doesn't. I searched the internet for information to help me make the decision including my favorite KenRockwell.com that taught me about the full-frame advantage. It's really a tough decision.

But I've made up my mind.

Blur More

Babies are the cutest! It never occurred to me that I'd enjoy taking pictures of babies. I thought it would always be challenging and frustrating. Although there will really be times when they are cranky and uncooperative, babies, I now believe, are naturally camera-friendly. You can just let them do their thing and just snap away! Their innocence just illuminates any photograph. They have this innate glow, which reminds us that everyone is born with goodness in his or her heart.

 

After doing some editing with these pictures, I learned to never discard photos. If you will see the original pictures, or if you see them in their larger sizes, you will find out that they are really out of focus. I was working with low light and was struggling finding the right combination of aperture and shutter speed. Nevertheless, I managed to make them look more pleasing, post-production. Some blurred pictures will actually look better if you blur them more.

Click here to view the whole set.

Bow,

Coffee Through a 50mm Lens

A lot of photographers say that a 50mm lens is a must-have. Before I wondered why every SLR or DSLR owner would invest on it. I thought there's nothing really special about it. Any kit lens would normally have that range. After acquiring one, I now understand why everyone's raving about this short yet powerful glass. The pictures are noticeably more sharp and the depth of field is amazing! With just the few shots I took, I know this will be one of my favorite lenses! 

Truly a must-have. Simply because it delivers!

I've been wanting to take pictures of coffee in the French press I got for Christmas last year and coffee in my favorite cup. Here are the pictures I took using my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens.

Bow,

Let the Battle Begin: Aperture vs. Lightroom

I thought Photoshop and iPhoto were the only tools I needed for photography - not until I realized I'm running out of HD space. Now, I've got to have a photo managing-slash-editing program that will work perfectly with my external hard drive. Apparently, the two most capable products available in the market today are Aperture and Lightroom. And I am very happy to know that either works with my budget.

Luckily, the two have trial versions, which allow me to explore their features and more importantly, to see which program answers my needs. I've just downloaded their trial versions and started using them. As early as now, I can say it's going to be a tough decision. In 30 days, I'm hoping to make up mind.

Thoughts and suggestions are always welcome. 

Bow,

Emily and Julia

Just want to share with you a picture of Emily and a picture of Julia with practically the same feel:

Cute.  :)

Bow,

Ideas on Rechargeable Batteries?

Hello my dear readers! 

I need help in choosing the best rechargeable battery available in the market. I need batteries for my Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash and I think it's wise to use rechargeable batteries instead of the disposable ones. It's more economical and friendlier to the environment. I started using GP PowerBank rechargeable batteries, but I'm not impressed with both the charger and the batteries. The green light of the charger turns on even if the battery is not yet fully charged, so I could not really tell if I have charged the batteries long enough. I don't think I get to maximize the batteries' potential since power runs out faster than disposable batteries.

Do you have recommendations on what rechargeable batteries to use? Or better yet, are there rechargeable batteries specifically designed for the Canon flash?

Need your help badly.

Thanks!

Bow,

Just Arrived: Telephoto Lens!

My sister, Ate Shy, just arrived from the States and she brought with her my new lens Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens! Can't wait to take test shots! In the meantime, see product shots of my new baby.

I took the pictures using my Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens. Neat!

You may check out more pictures taken with the macro lens here.

Christmas Shopping for Myself

I went to SM MegaMall with my parents today to check out some photography stuff - lenses in particular.  They might get me the top item in my wish list this Christmas!  Hehehehe!  After settling for the lens type (picked the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens), I still looked around to check out other things I could buy.  I finally found the Manfrotto tripod and ballhead!  I just couldn't buy it right away because, as expected, it's expensive.  I ended up buying the RC-5 remote and polarizing filter for my kit lens.  I almost forgot, I also got these candleholders:

Hahahahaha!

Now I'm thinking of getting the Manfrotto tripod and ballhead for myself this Christmas instead of the Kenneth Cole watch.

Hmmm.  What do you think?

Thinking of Switching Image Host

I've been using Photobucket as my image host way back since Blog-City days.  Too bad Blog-City took down my site, probably due to non-payment.  Hahahaha!  I was a student then and it was my mother who paid for the one-year subscription.  I'm now employed and happy with TypePad.  Going back to image hosting, I now use Photobucket to host my blog-related images like the signature, subscribe to RSS feed icon and the newly created contact icon.  For hosting my photo sets, I've turned to Jalbum.  What I really like about Jalbum is the flash-based viewer that prevents photo-grabbing (Sorry to burst your bubble, Ate Mary.  Hehehehe!).

It's about time that I upgrade to a paid account.  Either I upgrade my Jalbum account or switch to another host.

I'm toying with the idea of switching to Flickr.  What do you think?  Though I won't be able to use quingdom as my username (it's already taken.  Damn!), what that keeps me wanting Flickr is the photobadge and the unlimited space.

Do you have any other image hosting suggestions?  Comments will be highly appreciated.