Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM Lens is unarguably one to the best mid-range “walk-around” zoom lenses one can get for their non-full frame EF line of Canon cameras.  With an image quality at par with some of Canon’s full frame L lenses and a three-stop image stabilization feature unheard of in its line, there isn’t a lens in its class that could possibly rival its versatility and range of features in terms of professional shooting standards.

The crop-optimized Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens is well tailored to fit smaller image sensors on APS-C cameras.  This is clearly perfect for the EOS line with 1.6x crop sensors (like the 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 7D, etc.), the Rebel XT and Rebel XTi model cameras.  This S series lens is the key to making your APS sensor bodies capable of taking excellent professional level images.

Canon’s 17-55mm S lens, however, will not suit full frame and 1.3x digital cameras nor 35mm film cameras.  This lens will only fit Canon cameras with EF-S lens mounts.  Seeing a possible problem with this, Canon has thoughtfully provided a rubber ring in the rear that prevents inadvertent damage in case someone tries to jam the lens onto an EF mount.

Canon’s 17-55mm price is no joke but it does live up to the its reputation as the best kit upgrade or even perhaps, as the only lens you may ever need for your non-full frame camera.   Here is why:

Fantastic Image Quality and Wide Aperture:

Images are brilliantly crisp and absolutely sharp.  The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM serves up higher contrast pictures with vivid colors.  It takes far better photos than the Canon EF-S 18-135, one of those lenses in the same line it is so often compared with.  Images are also comparable to some full-frame L lenses like those of the 24-105/4L and the 35/1.4L as the EF-S 17-55 incorporates similar components as these high-end full frame lenses.

The aperture, f/2.8, is generously wide all the way through and makes for faster, extremely well taken shots in low light conditions.  Indoor shots are more natural looking as this lens eliminates much need for the flash feature.  Wide angle shots in the daytime are likewise superb with the lens’ Super Spectra coating which minimizes flare and ghosting.  Canon’s exclusive coating technology allows the sensor to absorb more light while reducing reflections to produce sharp, undistorted images with very good color balance.  Outstanding picture quality in many situations just proves that the EF-S 17-55 may be the only lens you may actually need in many situations.  Its acceptable weight is a plus as well over the heavier L lenses.

The wide aperture also allows you the versatility of creating beautiful bokeh, an aesthetically pleasing background blur that draws attention to the sharply detailed subject up front.  This produces wonderful portrait shots, with the best qualities you can squeeze from a midrange digital zoom lens.

Image Stabilization:

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM Lens with its Image Stabilization feature, makes handheld photography a cinch.  No other lens in the EF-S line has been endowed with the three-stop IS feature, another advancement that makes the EF-S 17-55 a stand-out in its class.

Image Stabilization makes for an effectively faster lens, enabling you to shoot great pictures in dim light at low shutter speeds, provided the subject is still.

The IS feature basically corrects blurring caused by camera shake.  It compensates for vibrations and camera movements by maintaining a steady image plane, ensuring clear, intense images even under low light.  This does not rectify blurs, however, from fast moving subjects.

Full Time Manual Focus:

The Full Time Manual (FTM) focusing feature of the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens gives full control to the shooter.  You may move from auto-focus to manual focus instantly by simply rotating the manual focus ring.  You don’t need to switch auto-focus off or restart it after a manual override.  This is a nice feature that saves time and lets you progress from shoot to shoot without stopping for this adjustment.

The Ultrasonic Motor feature (USM) uses ultrasonic frequency vibrations to drive a super quiet, fast auto-focus motor.  In fact, USM is known as the fastest and most quiet auto-focus technology.  This is another edge this Canon lens has over other brands in its category.

Build Quality:

Not too heavy and not a feather weight either, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is somewhere in the middle at 645 grams or 22.8 ounces. It is however, the largest EF-S lens in the market now at 3.3” x 4.4” or 83.5 mm x 110.6mm; but it balances well on camera bodies it was made for.

With a top-notch build quality, this lens is not much to worry about it.  Users who have continually used this lens over time attest to its durability in some weather conditions. The solidly constructed plastic body makes this a much lighter choice over the heavier metal-bodied L lenses which could weigh as much as 940 grams.

A lot of shooters from the huge fan base of Canon EF-S DSLRs have already taken to the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM Lens.  It’s a stellar lens that combines very good zoom range, low light capability, fantastic image quality, wide aperture for control on field depth, fast and whisper quiet auto-focus, a trove of features which sets it apart from all lenses in its class.

Known for its versatility, the EF-S 17-55 is a keeper.  There is hardly any lens out there in its category that can truly rival its features; so, as a sure high resale value lens, the EF-S 17-55 would  be a wise investment should you see a full frame camera upgrade in your future.

CANON EOS 5D MARK II

Four years ago in 2005, Canon pushed the envelope in the professional camera range to develop one of the best mid-range DLSR packages ever to hit the market.  The Canon EOS 5D was the first of its kind to offer a large CMOS sensor, about sixty percent larger than those in most DSLRs of its time and comparable to the frame size of a 35mm film, rendering this camera the first full-frame DSLR in a standard sized SLR body.   In 2009, Canon replicated its aggressive camera packaging, adding a fantastic bundle of features to the widely popular EOS 5D to birth a brilliant upgrade: the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II, like its predecessor, pushes the bar on the mid to high-end class camera range. For a professional camera under U$ 3,000.00, it delivers the best value for your money with this wealth of improvements:

Image Resolution:

This wonderful baby boasts a 21.1 megapixel sensor, matching its lofty cousins in the EOS 1D series, but at the fraction of their prices.  Image quality is hands-down superb with Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor.  Images come packed with more detail and at lower noise levels than the earlier 5D.  In this aspect, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II certainly outclasses others of its kind.  There had been some alleged black dot issues concerning the initial models.  Canon, however, had fixed the problem earlier in the camera’s introduction; so, this old news shouldn’t deter anyone from considering this rather drool-worthy gadget.

Screen Quality:

The Mark II flaunts a vast improvement over the venerable 5D with a bigger and brighter 3½” screen that gives greater clarity and a broader 98% viewfinder coverage. Its high resolution LCD monitor allows users to see fine details during live composition or after- shot reviews.   Its water-repellant, glare-proof screen is smudge-proof as well and conveniently offers access to most camera settings, including the ISO values and battery life.  The camera’s top screen is also an improved version.

Movie Mode Feature:

Canon has pulled out their big guns with this feature.  You will be hard put to find a Movie Mode feature in DSLRs.  After all, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is only the second, after the Nikon D90, to offer this hallmark.   The movie mode is the best in the category, even trumping older camcorders with its 1080p full HD-quality.  A firmware update released in June 2009 allows adjustment of the aperture, ISO settings, and shutter speed before or even during the filming process.  At the current price level, what can beat the Mark II with this competitive feature?

Video enthusiasts and independent filmmakers are sure to fall for this special point.  Although, it cannot really replace a camcorder, experienced video takers can work around the Mark II’s limitations to own both an awesome professional stills shooter and great video cam in one neat little package.

Other Notables:

Mark II comes equipped with Lighting Optimizer that corrects underexposed shots to produce brighter images. A face detection system rescues subjects from backlit environments.  Its DIGIC 4 processor backed up by a 25,600 ISO sensitivity will give beautiful tones and colors, and allow pictures to be taken even when the sun goes down.  Moreover, a plethora of photographic modes would squeeze the best photo outcomes.

While being a little heftier than the senior 5D at a little over two pounds, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II packs a punch with its two-pound solidly made frame.  Its myriad features, handling ease plus the improved dust and weather sealings make this camera one of the best pro camera buys you’ll ever make.  Indeed, Canon’s little engineering marvel presents tremendous value, assuring you great pictures time after time.

Canon EOS 7D

The Canon EOS 7D seems to be Canon’s long sought answer to serious pro-camera Canon enthusiasts who had wanted a camera replete with features but at a reasonable price point.  As an affordable camera for professionals and serious amateurs, this particular gem from Canon settles comfortably between the Canon EOS 50 D and the 5D Mark II in price.  It also makes for a serious contender to the more expensive Mark II, although the 7D is really a class on its own.

The Canon EOS 7D is designed to tackle almost every shooting challenge and it does so extremely well.  It is particularly in top form when shooting fast action at eight frames per second.  Its features read like a list of answers to a wish list from professional users.  Let us see why this particular DSLR has been so favored:

Superb Image Quality:

Still images are excellent — very sharp, clean, and bright with low noise at high ISO settings. At ISO100 and ISO2000, shooting is a great delight.

The camera’s 18-megapixel APS-C sensor is backed by dual DIGIC 4 chips to speed up processing as the Canon EOS 7D is all about speed shooting.  The advantage of a smaller size cropped sensor compared to the Mark II’s 21-megapixel full frame one is that it can achieve faster frame shots.  Shots of moving objects, sports and wildlife action shots are fantastically handled with the 7D’s 8 frames per second, serving up strong details and color. Landscape and portrait photography are also handled superbly by this camera with other features like its 19-point auto focus system that make this camera a very versatile piece of equipment.  The Highlight Tone Priority retains more detail in the highlight areas.  This is especially useful in wedding photography where it can outstandingly pick up detail on white or light-colored dresses.

The Canon EOS 7D also boasts stunning video capability with 1080p full HD recording at 24 or 25 frames per second, or 720p at 30 frames per second.  Video quality isn’t compromised even at low light conditions.  Although there is a mono mike built in, you may plug an external stereo microphone to add better sound quality to your gorgeous videos.

Nineteen-Point Auto Focus System:

The auto focus system is where the Canon EOS 7D particularly shines.  Where other DSLRs offer only three auto focus options, the 7D packs nineteen fantastic AF choices which can track very rapidly moving objects across the frame.  At 8 frames per second, its auto focus system has no trouble keeping up with the fast action.  The 7D also has the capability of clustering AF points, and moving them around the screen.

You may customize the AF functions by specifying the focus points for different shoots or for specific lenses.  The 7D offers three Custom positions where you may want to include your auto focus options.  This is especially handy when you do three types of photography.  You may have one setting for product shots, another for modeling shoots, etc.

Build and Other Features:

The Canon EOS 7D is solid, built for reasonable rugged use and weatherproofed. Its tough body is packed with a lot of easily accessible dials and buttons to make fast shooting a breeze.  It is a little larger than the EOS 50 D and weighs about 2.08 pounds, without the kit lens.  However, it has a good grip with an indentation where the middle finger may rest comfortably.

Its LCD screen is huge and super sharp.  Canon got rid of the air space between the LCD and the glass cover by placing a special optical material in between.  The result is a screen with images having more contrast and less glare.  This new manufacturing turn also disposes of the blue cast, a phenomenon in outdoor photography which often poses difficulty in color judgment.

The added plus of a 100 percent optical viewfinder with a 1.0x magnification and an optional overlay grid gives an edge to this camera where such a feature is a premium among non-full frame DSLRS. Actually, the 7D is the first in the EOS line to be equipped with a feature like this.

Other generous additions include the option to shoot in RAW or JPEG and RAW+JPEG modes.

For many pro shooters, the Canon EOS 7D is an impressive DSLR camera incorporating almost everything a professional user on a budget could want.  Designed to fit a plethora of photographic needs, this camera should be one of the best all-around choices you can make.

The Canon Powershot G11

Canon’s Powershot G-series has always been a favorite in the top-end compact camera range all these years and with good reason.  The much lauded G-10 has given way to a new addition, the Canon PowerShot G11 .  As the latest marvel in the family, it defies the ubiquitous adage “the more, the better” by surprisingly sporting a much lower resolution than its predecessor!

Canon has bravely come out with a 10-megapixel CCD sensor that blatantly challenges the previous G10’s 14.7 megapixel-rich one.  At first glance, you’d think this was a huge step backward especially in a later model.  What, you may say, had Canon been thinking?  Canon had done a lot of thinking; so the result is a camera that is a far superior performer than the G10.  Here is why:

Image Quality:

Image quality has always been Canon’s top priority.  Here, Canon believes in a balance between megapixel count and sensor size. It is on this premise that the G11 deigns to correct the G10.

The G10 reveled in loading 14.7 megapixels onto a small sensor.  This resulted in some rather noisy photos at high ISO levels.  The G11 has scaled down on the megapixel load with only 10 MP, allowing the little sensor to breathe in more light and produce exquisite photos with minimal noise even in difficult low-light shooting environments.  Photos are sharp, clear, and fine in these situations, outclassing images from most compact cameras in its category or even in its own family.

Because of this, professional shooters prefer to tout the Canon PowerShot G11 where their DSLR cameras are just too bulky to go.  Photo journalists find this an extremely good substitute for their pro cameras in situations that require discrete shooting and in low light environments.  The superb quality of the Canon lens which offers a 5x angle zoom and the optical Image Stabilizer guarantees lesser blurred photos and perfect shooting in darker conditions.

The G11 is also capable of macro shots, as close as 1 cm and captures these shots in great detail.  As an addition to its arsenal of features that make this compact camera feel close to a DSLR, it also offers the option to shoot in RAW format.

LCD Screen:

The Canon PowerShot G11 takes on from where the G6 left off in terms of the tilt/swivel screen.  A lot of Canon G-series enthusiasts were pretty disappointed when the later models came with a fixed LCD screen.  Many will be happy now to note that this nice little feature is back with the G11.

Just a tad smaller than the 3-inch screen of the G10, the 2.8-inch screen nevertheless rocks! It’s bright and clear and the colors are vivid.  Composing shots with this isn’t a problem even in direct sunlight with its anti-reflection coating.  The flip and twist screen is useful for self portraits and for shots requiring difficult angling.

Build Quality :

You could say that in terms of body, the G11 mirrors the G10.  It has the same classic rangefinder look. Like the G10, it sports a well-built metal body with a lot of chunky dials and buttons to merit the feel of a serious camera for professional users. Although not a DSLR, it is way above the category of most point-and shoot cameras with its myriad features that are just too advanced for the average snappers. However, those who understand their apertures and ISOs will easily take to this almost pro top-notcher.

Other Features:

The Canon PowerShot G11 is capable of video recording but is limited to 640 x 480 resolution.  Compared to other gadgets’ capabilities of recording 720p HD quality videos, the camera’s seemingly abysmal video resolution may at first get your thumbs down.  However, after you’ve actually compared it to many taken at the 720p HD quality range, you may be surprised to find that this camera’s video is generally more outstanding than those.  Why?  That’s because the G11’s VGA resolution is packed with data averaging around 10 Mbps, which can far outstrip HD resolutions at 9Mbps.  You would more likely appreciate high quality VGA videos over crappy HD ones.

A wide range of accessories of lenses and flashes are available for the Powershot G11. A waterproof case, the WP-DC34, can adequately house the G11 for the underwater photographer who needs full control of the camera at depths up to forty meters.

The Canon PowerShot G11 certainly outguns the G10 in most respects.  At high ISOs, photos look great unlike those from other compact cameras except for the Canon S90.  As a well thought-out camera with outstanding features and a body design many photographers like, the Canon Powershot G11 is, indeed, a worthy successor to the G10’s fame.

Having invented the world’s first 80-200mm f/2.8 in 1982, Nikon has become a byword in lens technology.  Every five years, they come up with better and better opticals so that today, we have one of the sharpest, fastest telephoto zoom SLR lenses with more focal accuracy and the least distortion-prone issues ever produced.  We are talking about the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm VR II.

The lens may be the most important purchase a serious photographer can make as it has perhaps more effect on the quality of the photo than the camera itself.  The best advice a serious amateur with a budget can listen to, is to think of the best lens he can get first before considering his camera.  SLR lenses can make or break your whole photo set-up, so don’t settle for cheap, average lenses if you can afford better ones.  Camera bodies lose value after several months and get upgraded often.  SLR lenses retain their value for quite some time and remain functionally current for a decade despite all the new camera models churned out.  This is why we should flesh out what makes the Nikon 70-200mm AF-S f/2.8G ED VR II a good decision.

Its predecessor, the VR I, has already proven its merits especially with professional wedding photographers.  The VR II, while heavier and about $500 more than its ancestor, boasts further refinements.

Photos from the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm VR II are ultra sharp and the colors, fantastically vivid and dynamic. Sharpness extends to the corners of a shot for superb landscape photography and even portrait shots when shooting off-center rule of thirds.

This much vaunted degree of sharpness is aided by the VRII’s Image Stabilization technology.  This Vibration Reduction enhancement optimizes every shot by effectively minimizing image blurs from camera shakes and allowing optimal shooting at low shutter speeds in challenging light conditions.  This feature is the lens’ best offer as it does spell out the difference in being able to shoot at maximal focal point without a monopod or tripod support.  There are two modes for this: Normal for everyday shooting conditions and Active for effectively decreasing vibrations when shooting from a moving vehicle or while on the run.

Nikon’s exclusive Nano Crystal Coat on this lens combats flares and ghosting to produce beautiful, high contrast images shot even in low-light environments.

In addition, there is a marked bokeh improvement in this model over the VR I.  Color and contrast is also much better with the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm VR II lens especially when subjects are backlit against the sun.

Focus is fast and silent.  This newest Nikon lens complements the latest auto focus technologies.  The Nikon 70-200mm AF-S f/2.8G ED VR II offers three modes: A/M, M/A, and M. Its fast response makes it marvelous to use for wildlife and action shots.  VR II also flaunts closer focus ability rated at 1.4 meters or 4.6 feet versus other Nikon f/2.8 SLR lenses of which the close focus limit is 1.5 meters or 5 feet.   Most full-time pros would not mind the extra cost of getting a half foot closer as the ability to shoot at a closer distance is worth the convenience, especially if they shoot for a living.

Built for serious shooting, the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm VR II sports a strong magnesium body, extremely sealed well against dirt and moisture to a withstand a wide range of weather conditions.  The shorter, more compact length and hood vis-à-vis the VR I’s makes it easier to pack and tote around in crowded spaces.

It is also a versatile choice for most Nikon bodies.  It works perfectly on those in the DX line and especially those in the FX family, as this is primarily a telephoto zoom lens for full-framed digital cameras.  It will also do very well on those of the D series (D40, D40x, D60, D3000, and D5000) and surprisingly, even on AF film cameras such as the F6, F100, F5, N80 and N75.  Just don’t push it with really older and cheaper film camera models.  Although it will work, you will lose some features.

Whether you’re a demanding pro or a serious amateur, you won’t go wrong with the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm VR II.  This high-performance lens addresses many image challenges inherent in sports, travel, portrait, wildlife, landscape and journalistic photography.  With all the features crammed into Nikon’s latest pro workhorse, this lens will be one of the best equipments you can ever own within the decade.