Book your place on one of our great training courses now

Great training ready to go

We’ve had some requests for a menu of courses that you can easily book. So to start your learning off you can book now for a First Steps in Flash, Advanced Speedlite Flash and Introductory HD movie shooting with DSLR courses.

EOS Network courses are special because Dave and Brian have between them, probably have more knowledge about the EOS camera system, and how to make it work in any situation, than anyone else. They are both highly skilled presenters able to convert information from complex instruction manuals in to easily understood practical usage. Not only that, but as accomplished professional photographers in their own right, they understand the issues you face when you’re shooting and also how to overcome them.

Book your EOS Network Training in the new web-store

To make it simple we added a web-store to the site and you can now book the training courses for the dates you need directly. Our web-store is safe, secure and simple.

We currently have dates in June, July and August ready to book in the store and will be adding more shortly.

Great training at affordable prices

To make our training accessible we’ve worked hard to keep the prices low and the quality high. We use a studio location for our courses that is great for training small groups, we use Canon XEED projectors – the best way to project images – and have the latest kit, and quite a lot of the older stuff too.

Visit the store to see individual course pricing

Consultancy

Consultancy days allow you to set the agenda and book time with us to work out solutions to your questions and photographic knowledge gaps. Book from a single hour to several, the time is yours and you will have direct access to us exclusively for  that time. Need some help with a WiFi transmitter or confused by Custom Functions, then consultancy is for you. If you are not sure how much time you’ll need then get in touch with your questions and we can advise on the likely time you will need.

Mk III Extenders and Mk II Lenses

Back last year I wrote a blog post all about the new EF MkIII Extenders from Canon looking at how they performed and whether they were worth the upgrade. At the end I concluded that indeed they were very good and definitely a step up from the Mk II Extenders.That was using them in conjunction with an EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM – in other words the outgoing version.

Well, the other week I was working for SanDisk (as part of my being an Extreme Team Member) on safari in the Masai Mara with Jonathan and Angie Scott, two fellow Extreme Team members. For the trip I managed to lay my hands on one of the new range of Mk II Super Telephoto lenses -  the EF400mm f/2.8L II IS USM and both the EF1.4x III and EF2xIII Extenders. First of all, that lens is stunning and is a great (if expensive) choice for wildlife photographers, but I’ll write more on that at a later date as this is really about the Extenders.

A lot of my images were taken with either the 1.4x or 2x attached to the 400mm, which seemed permanently bolted to the front of my EOS-1D Mark IV. While shooting I got the impression everything was working well, but it was on looking at the files afterwards I saw just how well. The Mk II lenses really seem to be a step on from previous models, especially when put on an EOS-1D Mark IV – almost like they speak a special kind of ‘super-Japanese’ that makes them even better than you’d expect. However, even with the Extenders attached I was blown away.

In days of old, the 2x Extender was reserved for those ‘dammit, it’s too far away but I really need to get that shot. Oh well, I’ll *have* to use the 2x. Image quality won’t be up to much though…’ situations. In other words it was to be used in a pinch only and only if there was no other solution. No more though. There is one image from the files that really stood out for me. One image that really showed just how far the technology has progressed. If this doesn’t convince you that the Mk III Extenders are a big improvement over their Mk II counterparts then I guess you’re beyond help!

If you’re wondering why I’m concentrating on the EF2x III, it’s because the EF1.4II was always good. The Mk III is definitely better, but the jump in image quality on the EF 2x III is so great that it caught me even more by surprise.

First up is the whole image. This is direct from the camera with the Picture Style set to Neutral so there is no sharpening applied at all. All I have done is re-size it for the web and put the watermark on. I’ll say it again to be sure, THERE IS NO SHARPENING on this first, or indeed second, image. The flat colours are the result of no contrast or saturation being applied by the Neutral Picture Style. Exposure details as follows:

ISO 400, 1/800sec, f/6.3. Handheld.

EF400mm f/2.8L II IS USM, EF2xIII Extender, EOS-1D Mark IV

Next up is a 100% crop of this image. Again, Neutral picture style and no sharpening.

100% crop, Neutral picture style, no sharpening. EF400mm f/2.8L II IS USM, EF2xIII Extender, EOS-1D Mark IV

Now we get into a little bit of processing. Here’s the full image but with the Picture Style set to ‘Landscape’. This adds sharpening in RAW at Level 4 (out of 10).

Landscape picture style, no additional sharpening. EF400mm f/2.8L II IS USM, EF2xIII Extender, EOS-1D Mark IV

Now for the two crops. Firstly a 100% crop of this Landscape Picture Style image:

100% crop, Landscape picture style, no additional sharpening. EF400mm f/2.8L II IS USM, EF2xIII Extender, EOS-1D Mark IV

And finally the same 100% crop but with some sharpening applied specifically for display output using Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0. And yes, it could easily be argued that actually adding any sharpening to the previous image will result in over-sharpening. The settings in Nik for this image have been kept very low, but I personally would not argue with someone who said it’s actually a bit too much…..! :

100% crop, Landscape picture style, SHARPENED FOR DISPLAY OUTPUT with Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0. EF400mm f/2.8L II IS USM, EF2xIII Extender, EOS-1D Mark IV

If you look carefully at these last two images, you’ll notice a bump just below the catchlight in the eye. Well, the catchlight is unsurprisingly the sun. The bump is the vehicle I was in. Yes, I think it’s fair to say that the performance of these Extenders really is a step on. I for one will no longer dread reaching for the 2xIII, knowing that it is more than capable of resolving an amazing amount of detail, especially on the newer lenses.For those of you thinking of buying an EF100-400mm f/5.6L IS USM lens for wildlife, this may convince there there could well be a better option – the EF70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM and an EF2xIII Extender. If you’re thinking along those lines, then I can’t see anyway you could be disappointed as I’m fairly confident that combination will out-resolve the EF100-400mm and given that you can take the Extender off, you’d have a much more versatile lens arrangement.And don’t forget that adding an Extender to the lens doesn’t reduce the minimum focusing distance, so if you want to use an Extender but still get close to your subject for really frame filling shots, you can.

And before someone comments, I suppose I should point out that the four black dots in front of the hyena are not dust spots, but flies buzzing around! This is the lowest of the four shown here cropped out of the image. He’s slightly off the plane of focus so not as sharp as it should be, but it shows the resolving power. This is cropped out of the full Landscape Picture Style image with output sharpening applied by Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0.

Fly! EF400mm f/2.8L II IS USM, EF2xIII, EOS-1D Mark IV

What do you think? Will you be considering making the upgrade, or even buying to the new found abilities of the EF 2x III Extender?

SWPP 2012 round-up

Brian and I took a trip to the SWPP 2012 show in Hammersmith the other week, with a view to having a look around, catching up with some old friends and seeing what various stands had to display. Most interestingly was the ability to actually put hands on the new Canon PowerShot G1X. While we couldn’t take any pictures with it, it feels nice in the hand and the layout and design look great. I really think it’s a great move by Canon and early reports suggest the image quality really is as good as you’d hope it would be with a sensor that size.

We also got to have a chat with Guy Thatcher from www.hireacamera.com – a really great place if you’re looking to hire cameras and lenses either for a job or to try out before buying. Guy always has the latest stuff in stock and the service has always been great when we’ve used them before.

Colin Woodley from Eizo gave us a quick tour of their self-calibrating monitors and Gary Astill took us through some of the Lastolite Speedlite flash accessories and light modifiers they had on display. We also spoke to Helen Atkinson from Snapperstuff who told us about the updates to the ThinkTank Photo bags they were now shipping. So, take a look at the video and see what you missed.

If you’ve not been to the SWPP before, then male sure you book up to head in next year. While it is very much aimed at Wedding and Portrait shooters, there is always something of interest for people working across the genres.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV is THE choice for HDR photography

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is one of those ‘marmite’ types of photography, with some folks loving it, and others detesting it. Regardless of which side of  the ‘great HDR divide’ you sit on the requirements of a camera for the ultimate in HDR imaging are pretty specific. Basically HDR photography requires that several exposures are taken of the scene at slightly different exposure settings, usually the shutter speed is varied and aperture kept the same.

It was after an email from one site reader with his full set of requirements that the ideal camera for HDR imaging could be selected for him. With HDR there are several camera requirements

• Can shoot several exposures automatically bracketed around the cameras measured exposure – most cameras offer auto exposure bracketing (AEB), but often it’s limited to 3 shots
• Can shoot the bracketed images quickly after each other. For natural landscapes the key for a successful merge of images is that all the images are shot as fast as possible
• Good clean higher ISO performance
• Mirror lock-up that doesn’t come down between each bracketed exposure

HDR Beach Huts, Norfolk UK

Given the original question, and the thoughts that the EOS-1D models might be the ideal here’s a few tips for configuring an EOS-1D Mark IV.

• EOS-1D models have custom function C.Fn I-6 for 2, 3, 5 or 7 shots in a sequence. It’s also possible via another custom function C.Fn I-4=1  to set the camera to not automatically cancel the automatic exposure bracketing even if the camera is turned off. Since EOS cameras allow the steps of the bracketed exposures to be set from 1/3 to 3 stops this would mean the EOS-1D models could actually do autoexposure bracketing over a range of 18 stops.
• EOS-1D Mark IV shoots at 10fps or reducing the difference between multiple frames, making even handheld HDR possible.
• EOS-1D Mark IV has great high ISO performance, and even if needed can be set to shift the ISO setting if an extremely wide range of bracketed exposure would result in over or under exposure. C.Fn I-8=2 sets ISO safety shift.
• Mirror lock-up can be set to only return the mirror with the SET button after a sequence of exposures using C.Fn III-17=2, though live view mode achieves a similar effect
• Since most HDR applications automatically can arrange the sequence of bracketed exposures the C.Fn 1-5 which changes the order of the bracketed sequence is not needed, though I have found that setting C.Fn I-5=1 to start capturing the bracketed sequence from the under exposed frames makes it easier to see the sequence when reviewing the images on the LCD out in the field.

hdr-photography.com has a great autoexposure bracketing by camera comparison table listing not just Canon cameras [link]

Hit the comments to let us know how you shoot HDR, or even if you are on the ‘anti-HDR’ side tell us why?

The EF135mm f/2L USM – everybody should own one!

We’ve written in the past about the brilliance of the EF135mm f/2L USM lens and how many people overlook it in favour of more ‘techy’ lenses. But to do so is a travesty. Pretty much everytime I use this lens I’m blown away by how good it is.It just seems to create images that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

I’m especially a fan of putting it on an EOS-1D Mark IV or EOS-1D Mark III – the 1.3x crop gives it a little more apparent length and the Field of View is just beautiful. You can even shoot full length portraits with it!

Shooting with a prime lens is also a good way to get you moving your feet to find images. Without the versatility of a zoom, you’re forced to move around more and find different angles. It also makes you more aware of your surroundings. This isn’t just true of the 135mm lens, but of any prime lens. If you’ve never tried shooting with a prime, you really should.

Here’s a couple of images from a recent wedding I was a guest at, and also from a World Press Photo event I photographed a while ago. All of these were taken with the EF135mm f/2L USM lens, and all on a 1.3x crop camera.