timsdd aka Tim's Digital Darkroom

Ahhhhh the Canon 70-200/4/L vs. Canon 70-200/2.8/L/IS. One is $600 and the other $1600!

I think both lenses are really great but you just can’t beat 2.8. In terms of lenses though I have to force myself to use my 70-200/4 which is a shame in and of itself. I rented the 70-200/2.8/L/IS for the Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 2009. You know what! It paid off!! One of the GENEROUS fans who noticed my lens invited me to take his spare VIP pass. I was field level for the entire practice! Often times merely 6-10′ from several players.

But back to the lenses. What I should really have done would be some image comparisons, maybe next time! For now just a side by side of the lenses themselves.

Here we have a crude DIY flash extender which allows me to shoot through the rear windows into my backyard to capture various birds that come looking for seed.
The first 16 images are birds without using flash, and it seems I have yet to upload the ones using the DIY flash extender. I’ll have to rectify the latter very soon!

HERE is my camera body and lens, the body is the Canon 40D

Key features:

* 10.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
* 6.5 fps continuous shooting, max. burst 75 JPEGs
* New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors
* DIGIC III processor
* 3.0” LCD with Live View mode
* EOS Integrated Cleaning System
* Clear and bright viewfinder
* Customizable Picture Style processing parameters

The live view mode is a lifesaver. I did not realize it at the time but I am ever so thankful that it is on this camera. It is ENTIRELY useful for macro work AND makes using my TSE lens quite easy, a lot easier than if you didn’t have one!

The lens is the 24-105/4L.

I had to take these pics with my small P&S, Canon Digital Elph (SD1000)

This is my main hot shoe flash, the Sigma EF-500 Super DG.

It is very versatile and of course leaps and bounds better than the pop-up flashes that come with DSLR’s. The flash is a very over looked component for many I think, myself included. There are probably 100′s of other ways I could be using it and who knows how many different settings I have not harnessed yet.
I think it’s a lot like my familiarity with Photoshop, sure I can use it and get good results but I’m probably only tapping into < 25% of the overall potential that is available to me.

I bought the Sigma model b/c they are usually a lot cheaper than Canon and for the most part I don’t think 99% of users would miss the difference (if any) that the Canon model has to offer.

And then this is my Sunpak FP38 Flat Panel flash. I use it as a slave for water drops, breaking bulbs and stuff like that. Might actually be good for portraits too…I have never tried it!

This is the most recent flash I have purchased. It is a Sigma EM-140 DG TTL Macro Ringlight Flash.

It’s stellar for macro images. The only problem is that it is so good it enables my laziness of not using a tri-pod for all of the shots seen in this backyard macro gallery.

It could also be used for portraits and product lighting, the latter of which I have done, used it as the main flash for all the lens pictures I have posted to date!