New camera and lens finally!!!

[Angry Turnip]

Finally got sorted with new camera gear after a long wait-insurance company wanted me to use Jessops to get all the gear but after 5 weeks the lens still had not turned up so I got that part refunded and got a lens within 24 hours from Clifton Camera's-vey impressed with them-only charged £7.00 for next day delivery.

I now have a Canon 450D and a Sigma 150-500mm HSM OS Lens-haven't used it as yet as weather not good.
450D seems good but I dont like the massive screen on the back-what's the point?
I preffered the smaller screens on earlier models-and I have NO use for live view-just relieved to get some kit finally!!!

Still no internet until late next week-friends PC again!

[casper]

Happy days, glad you got your gear sorted. Looking forward to seeing some results

[Dave]

Nice one Angry, glad to hear you got it sorted at last. How's the move in going? Hopefully things are going well. I remember you mentioned you were moving in under the flight path to Aldergrove. Seen anything noteworthy?

I'm pretty sure I just saw a 767 flying over Belfast before heading into BFS and it's not on the list so I assuming it was a military charter. although it kind of looked like an SAS 767 

Anyhow with your new lens you should be able to get some cracking distance shots. What lens did you have before hand if you don't mind me asking.

[Angry Turnip]

Possibly Mr Chips-might have been the Star Air B767 that operates for UPS?

Previous lens was a Sigma 170-500mm but new lens has HSM focus and OS,also build quality is better.

Have used the camera very little due to the poor weather,but so far I have found the 450D images to be very soft which is a pain in the butt!

I understand this is a gripe of 450D owners-I would have preffered to get a 40D which although has less megapixels (10.1) as oppossed to the 12.2 of the 450D.
Unfortunatly the insurance company wouldn`t let me get a 40D and I could not afford to pay the difference myself at the minute,with moving house and all.
Hopefully internet should be up and running this week-still having to use friends PC.

[casper]

but so far I have found the 450D images to be very soft which is a pain in the butt!

I'm afraid you'll have to live with that - as far as I know this is normal for Canon cameras, images have to be sharpened on the computer. I remember reading a review of the Canon 1Ds MkIII, £6000 worth of equipment and the major gripe was the softness of the images straight out of the camera.

[Angry Turnip]

Don`t know what you mean by "you will have to live with that as it`s normal with Canon camera`s!"

Not in my expierence-I previously had a 350D and images were always pretty sharp and just needed minor tweaking.

The 450D is terrible -images are very soft and I really don`t see the point of producing a camera that doesn`t produce sharp pictures

The Canon 450D has loads of custom features but no matter what I do the images are soft and wooly-utterly useless!!!
-I plan to take the camera back and get a 40D,if anyone plans to buy a Canon 450D,keep your money and go for something else.

[Dave]

It seems the Canon 400D and the 40D seem to be the most popular choices of aviation photographers but I can't see why the 450D would produce softer shots. An issue with the camera perhaps? Were the camera and lens brand new?

Possibly Mr Chips-might have been the Star Air B767 that operates for UPS?

Previous lens was a Sigma 170-500mm but new lens has HSM focus and OS,also build quality is better.

Have used the camera very little due to the poor weather,but so far I have found the 450D images to be very soft which is a pain in the butt!

I understand this is a gripe of 450D owners-I would have preffered to get a 40D which although has less megapixels (10.1) as oppossed to the 12.2 of the 450D.

The Optical Stabiliser is always a good help although I've heard of mixed reviews of any form of image stabiliser being used. Personally mines on all the time.

As for the less megapixels, don't let that fool you. From what I've read its the sensor size that counts. If sensor size is the same but one camera has more megapixel's, then there is zero difference in picture quality between the two.

[Angry Turnip]

I know the amount of mega pixels isn`t the deciding factor in the quality of the image.
As far as I am aware the 400D and 450D sensors are the same size.

Almost all reviews of the 450D mention the soft images-so it isn`t a faulty camera however I have read of people returning them and it seems to be a problem which affects all the 450D`s.
Is more of a problem for aviation photography than for general use I suppose.
I cannot understand why Canon would produce a camera that seems incapable of taking sharp shots

Camera and lens are brand new-lens is brilliant on my friends 350D.

I will try and persevere with it,but the early signs aren`t good.