Thinking of switching to mirrorless? On the fence, but hesitant to take the plunge? Here are a few of my thoughts on making the full switch from DSLR to Mirrorless.
Since picking up a camera, I’ve always been a Canon shooter…
Selling all my Canon gear!!!
Well the time has come, after many restless nights going back and forth, I’ve finally made the decision to make the leap and sell off all of my Canon gear. EEEK! Not an easy decision to make after spending nearly 20 years with Canon and having their system become such an integral part of my work. However change is inevitable and I felt like now was as good as time as any. Recently I’ve been working with Fuji’s X System and have decided to incorporate both the X System and their new medium format GFX system into my workflow. So below is what I have left for sale, if you have any questions or want to snag anything on this list before it’s gone, message me on facebook or shoot me an email jason@jasonsavagephoto.com
In perfect condition, no scratches or marks. Top lcd cover and back show normal use, no scratches. Body has 24,131 shutter count going off my Lightroom catalog. Comes with all original packaging, a 32gb & 64gb CF card and extra battery. Purchased 7/15 from B&H. Asking $2100
Lens is in perfect condition as well as glass. Only a slight marking on lens hood from the lens cap, which is normal for this lens from general use. One of best Canon lenses I’ve used, sharp from edge to edge. Amazing lens. Comes with all original packaging, purchased 3/15 from B&H. Asking $2200
Lens is in pristine condition. No marks and glass is perfect, has had uv filter on from day one. Comes with all original packaging, purchased from B&H 2013. Asking $850
Lens is in perfect condition as is the glass. Comes with camo lens coat, lens coat cap and Wimberley P-40 Plate. Extremely sharp lens, purchased 7/14 new from Amazon. Asking $7100
Lens is in pristine condition as is glass. Just purchased in Oct 2017 from B&H. Has had UV filter on from day one. Comes with all original packaging. Asking $1400
Canon 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II
Lens is in perfect condition so is glass.Had UV filter on from day one. Just sent in to Canon Professional Service to have all internal dust removed a few months back. Only a slight white mark on hood. Comes with all original packaging. Asking $1600
Canon 1.4X Teleconverter III & 2X Teleconverter III
Both in perfect condition as well as glass. Asking $300 each
Fall Workshops
Now that fall is on its way out and things in the photo world are giving me a slight break, I thought I would share a few images from our fall workshops this year.
September and October had me up in Glacier National Park, Seeley Swan Valley and my own backyard of the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana chasing fall colors and leading workshops. In mid September the smoke finally cleared from the fires that we were having out west and ushered in snow for the mountains and gorgeous colors throughout Montana.
Enjoy!
Washington’s 2017 Palouse Workshop
Finally getting caught up on some editing here and thought I would share a few images from our Palouse Workshop this spring. We had a fantastic trip in eastern Washington’s amazing landscape and old Americana towns. Despite a couple days of rain we managed to work some great scenes and explore some new locations this year.
Whenever inclement weather rolls in, it’s easy to get discouraged, especially when you have your sights set on certain scenes and images you’ve envisioned. I’ve learned a while back that great images can be made in any conditions and instead of fighting the weather, use it to your advantage. Making lemonade out of lemons. Adversity in nature photography or any photography for that matter is a great teacher and forces you to really reach in and dig deeper for your inner creativity. It also is a great way in training the eye to work for compositions and studying elements.
On this trip we had a couple days where we shifted gears from big landscapes to things that would work in our couple days of rain. Classic cars, fading paint, abstracts, old Americana. Focusing more of our attention on one of the Palouse’s endearing qualities, it’s history. After a day or two of wandering some of the small towns, I was really impressed with what our group came away with. Especially seeing everyone’s unique perspectives.
Despite the initial rain, the Palouse did not disappoint as usual. For our night at Palouse Falls, the skies began to clear, giving us an epic sunset, intense colors, and great atmosphere that night. We came away with some of the best shots I’ve seen there. In the morning we were treated to the classic Palouse shots from Steptoe Butte and had some brilliant light turning the hills into a pastel painting.
All in all our trip to the Palouse had some great variety, which is why I love shooting here. Barns, classic Americana, and stunning hills reminisant of Tuscany can keep landscape photographers busy to no end, especially if you visit from season to season. As the crops are harvested the landscape is ever changing making it a different scene year after year.
Thanks to all my travelers this year for making this trip so much fun! I didn’t want to leave:)
Rocky Mountain Front Montana
As I’m catching up on some much overdue editing here, I thought I would share a few images from this year’s Rocky Mountain Front Photography Workshop in Montana. We timed it just right this year with spectacular wildflowers and perfect weather. Spring in Montana is pretty hard to beat, especially in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Front, enjoy!
Canon 5D Mark IV
I’ve finally had some time to really put the 5D Mark IV through some serious use and thought I would share a few of my thoughts on Canon’s latest update in the 5D series.
These are just a few of my thoughts on what works, what doesn’t, and things that make the Mark IV stand out against its predecessor the Canon 5D Mark III.
First off most of the externals are the same. Canon has added a new selection switch directly below the back joystick and they have also added a plastic prism cover that accommodates the added wifi, although it’s not very noticeable. The ergonomics of the body essentially remain the same and if you’re a longtime Canon shooter, you will probably appreciate this. The body is actually a hair lighter than the 5D Mark III, but size seems identical.
One new feature on the back is the new LCD Touchscreen, a first in the 5D lineup. I was initially impressed by its responsiveness and convenience, although I will admit with my workflow around the camera I just don’t use it much, but it is nice to have and I imagine some will enjoy it. I do use it when selecting images for WiFi transfer.
As far as the internals go, I have been really impressed with a few new features that really make the 5D Mark IV a worthwhile upgrade.
First is the 30MP resolution increase. This is a very nice spot for a camera of this caliber and it offers a lot more versatility for those who may want to crop their images to get some extra reach or those who are making larger size prints. I think it’s a nice increase from the 22mp of the Mark III and it doesn’t seem to impede on the overall function of the camera too much.
The other area that I think really puts the 5D Mark IV into the perfect “do-all” camera is its increased frame rate to 7FPS. This really makes it capable for a serious wildlife camera for a majority of folks, although depending on what you’re shooting, a faster frame rate may be warranted, but for most situations this can fit the bill. In addition to the faster frame rate, the improved autofocus is even better now, especially in low light (if you can somehow imagine that?) It’s what’s found in the 1DX II and has greater improvements in tracking and low light performance. I have definitely noticed a real world improvement compared to the 5D Mark III.
In addition to the higher resolution, faster frame rate and improved autofocus, is the updated ISO performance. Here we really don’t see much increase in low light noise compared to the 5D MarkIII. Maybe just a hair at a 1/2 stop improvement at best, but you also have to remember we have increased the resolution to 30MP which creates more challenges for low light noise performance. I’ve found shooting up to ISO6400 to be quite acceptable, especially with improvements in noise correction in Lightroom over the last couple years.
Other then some of these notable updates, the menu system still remains mainly the same, I’m glad to see Canon continuing to use this format as most are use to it by now. Wifi and GPS are nice features also to have and Wifi is new to the 5D line. I have used it a few times using Canon’s own app while downloading selected images directly to my phone and iPad. What I like with this is you can shoot in RAW and it will convert it to JPEG when transmitting it to your devices, very nice indeed.
All in all the Mark IV is probably the best, well rounded camera I have ever used from Canon. I really do consider it to be the perfect “do-all” camera for those looking for one camera to rule them all. I am using the Mark IV for landscape, travel and wildlife photography, and so far it has not disappointed. I’ve tested it out in drenching downpours and massive dust and dirt and no problems whatsoever. Forgot to mention they also have improved the internal weather sealing slightly as well.
Currently I am using the 5D Mark IV paired with the 5Dsr for a nice well rounded kit, but I think I would be just as happy replacing the 5Dsr with another 5D Mark IV. I am no longer shooting with the 1D series as I am tired of lugging around the extra weight and for what I shoot, the 5D series work very well. I hope this helps for someone looking to either upgrade or just getting into Canon’s lineup!
Final thoughts on Canon’s 11-24mm f4L
Now that I’ve had a good 5-6 months of working with Canon’s new 11-24mm, I thought I would give my final thoughts on how this unique lens fits into my own particular workflow and also how its super-wide perspective opens up new creative possibilities for photographers.
Last March I received the 11-24mm just as I was heading into Yellowstone for a couple weeks in early spring and had the chance to work a few landscapes in and around the northwest corner of the park. This was my first experience with the lens and my first experience with that initial jaw-dropping moment when you look through the viewfinder to see what 11mm really looks like.
Having used a variety of wide-angles over the years, I hadn’t really ventured beyond my 16-35mm or 15mm fisheye. I’ve done some pano work with tilt shifts giving wider perspectives, but really going past 16mm with a rectilinear lens was new territory for me.
After getting over the whole coolness factor of the super-wide, I was surprised in the difficulty I had trying to compose certain compositions, especially going wider than 14mm. Arranging the scene took a little more creative thought and also the acceptance that too wide is too wide for certain scenes. A good friend of mine also reminded me about the “wide-itis” you can get when you have something like this in your bag.
Over the course of the next few months I worked this lens in Oregon’s waterfalls, Washington’s rainforests and up though the Rockies into Glacier National Park. Over these trips I learned when to pull out the 11-24mm and when not to. When appropriate, these extra-wide focal lengths create amazing images and open up the doors for creativity in compositional arrangements and new ways to think outside the box. They also allow for immense foreground inclusion and add increased dimension to the scene.
Beyond the 11-24mm’s unique perspective, the optics are superb. I’ve been nothing but pleased with sharpness and resolution across the whole range of focal lengths. Corners look good, chromatic aberration is almost non-existent and really, I can’t find anything negative to say about its optics. I will also add that Canon has done an amazing job with its new coatings. Fingerprints and cleaning are excellent to deal with and I’m feeling much more confident running around with its massive protruding front element.
A couple weeks back I was shooting in a field of fireweed in Glacier National Park and stepped away from my tripod only to look back in horror and see it, my 1DX, and the 11-24mm go crashing front element first into the ground. Fortunatley, the patch of fireweed cushioned the fall, but there was a whole bunch of leaves, pollen and other stuff mushed into the lens. After a good cleaning, not a single scratch, again impressed at these tough coatings Canon is working with.
The only negatives I have to say on the lens as reported previously are its weight and price. It’s a big heavy lens that takes up a lot of room in the bag and adds extra heft when trying to travel light. This is probably the biggest negative to me, but it is the price you pay for this focal length range. Speaking of price, at $3000 it’s also a big hit to most photographer’s wallets and hard to swallow for a lot of us, but all in all, I think its worth the cost of admission for the quality and opportunity it provides.
Even with its size and price, the 11-24mm still has found a permanent spot in my camera bag and has become a working part of my landscape arsenal. It has allowed me to capture compositions and perspectives that normally would have been impossible and it’s spurred new creativity for more unique landscapes. Overall it is a remarkable engineering achievement by Canon that delivers superb results. I highly recommend this lens to anyone looking for the ultimate in sharpness and super-wide perspectives for their landscape work.
Canon 11-24mm f/4L
Along with many other Canon users I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 11-24mm and it’s finally here! These are just a few of my initial thoughts so far and not a full in-depth review. Having a fair amount of experience with other Canon wide-angles, my use so far with the 11-24mm has given me a good sense on its quality and capabilities.
First off it’s big. This lens weighs close to my 70-200mm 2.8L IS II and its front heavy balance is very noticeable when handholding. The lens comes in at 2.6lbs, certainly a beast for a lens of this size, but necessary considering its huge front element and design. …
Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge
I had the opportunity to spend yesterday with a friend photographing Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge on a spectacular Montana morning. As we wandered through the refuge we saw a lot of the usual suspects: ringed-necked pheasants, trumpeter swans, mallards and even a brief glimpse of a great horned owl. But the backdrop of the Bitterroot Mountains was what stole the show with their snow-capped peaks towering over the refuge.Further south the far off Como Peaks with cattails in the foreground looked like a painting in the early morning light.
As one of a handful of important wildlife refuges in Montana, Lee Metcalf encompasses 2800 acres of critical habit for nesting and migratory birds and other wildlife in the Bitterroot Valley. Over 240 different species of birds have been recorded on the refuge which is made up of wetland, grassland, and forest habitat.
Its rich abundance of wildlife and habitat is a reminder of what’s at stake as our wild lands continue to shrink, but also what’s possible with our country’s conservation efforts and management of National Wildlife Refuges.
For more info on our National Wildlife Refuges and Lee Metcalf visit http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Lee_Metcalf/about.html
Canon Prograf IPF6400 Printer
Thought I would share our new piece of equipment that arrived in the office last week! Needless to say, I’m all excited like a little kid with this thing. Last year I decided to try one of Canon’s desktop printers, the Pixma Pro-10, and was so impressed I seriously started looking into their newer large format printer lines. Previously I had been using Epson with a variety of printers over the years and unfortunately as good as their printers are, I still had numerous ink consumption issues and clogging problems.
With the 6400 I’ve been nothing but blown away so far. The print quality, profile handling and color management has been outstanding and I really haven’t found anything to complain about yet.
A few impressive things to note:
- 12 color LUCIA EX inks provide a very large color spectrum, with smooth graduations
- Now includes 130ml ink tank sizes as well as the 300ml, you can also change ink while printing
- An excellent Print Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop & Canon’s DPP
I’ve also had a chance to start filling our new print orders this last week and it’s been a real treat to work with, I look forward to doing a more in depth review as I get some more time using it. For more info on this and Canon’s other large format printers, here’s a link www.usa.canon.com