Maybe I'm delusional...

[cdifoto]

...but I think the replacement 24-70 f/2.8L has even better bokeh & color than the first one. Autofocus seems to be slightly better too. It's still not perfect but I might be coming up on the inferior focusing of the XT body - whereas a 1D series would most likely be more reliable.

These were all shot with the replacement 24-70, only mild USM added, nothing adjusted. They aren't those technical tripod & ruler type shots but they're 24mm and 70mm versions of the same photo - as close to the same as I could get handholding at least. All at f/2.8 and ISO100 as well.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051102-013.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051102-014.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051102-019.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051102-020.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051102-021.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051102-022.jpg

[Bluedog]

Those look pretty on par for an f/2.8 lens. Most all of these of any brand tend to be on the slightest soft side wide open. Do it again @ f/4.

[aparmley]

Those look pretty on par for an f/2.8 lens. Most all of these of any brand tend to be on the slightest soft side wide open. Do it again @ f/4.

Hey Blue!


Yea These look darn good to me too. That doesn't mean you aren't delusional though. :D

I believe there is a seperate test for that.

[Bluedog]

Hey Blue! ... right back @ 'ya ... ;) ... I'll slowly start back being around a little more. Notice the sig below.

[ReValveiT]

So is this one good right across the board then, cdi?

Better than the other one @ 24mm???

[TheObiJuan]

This one looks like a keeper.

[cdifoto]

Yeah this one is the keeper. The other one *I believe* is a teensy bit sharper at f/2.8 & 24mm...when it focuses. This second one is more reliable in AF at those settings so I can live with that. A little USM cleans it right up. At f/2.8 and 70mm it's as sharp as the other, if not moreso.

The other one is boxed up and labelled to be dropped off at FedEx tomorrow...

[cdifoto]

Both f/2.8, 1/100th, ISO100, External Bounced Flash. Focus was on the bottom right of the 'a' in Ultra. Shot from same spot, so the one that looks closer was at 70mm, the other at 24mm. No edit. Just a straight up crop, save for web (80%), and upload to server.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051103-001.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051103-002.jpg

Here's the 24mm f/2.8 with USM added. As you can see it sharpens up nicely in PP:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051103-002USM.jpg

[ReF]

Both f/2.8, 1/100th, ISO100, External Bounced Flash. Focus was on the bottom right of the 'a' in Ultra. Shot from same spot, so the one that looks closer was at 70mm, the other at 24mm. No edit. Just a straight up crop, save for web (80%), and upload to server.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051103-001.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051103-002.jpg

Here's the 24mm f/2.8 with USM added. As you can see it sharpens up nicely in PP:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/nftn/2470LB/20051103-002USM.jpg

walmart?

.

[cdifoto]

walmart?

Yeap. Clorox is overpriced.


UPDATE: I made a liar out of myself. The more I shot with the replacement lens, the more it misfocused too. I can only attribute it to the XT's less-than-perfect AF system at this point. The first lens they sent me is sharper wide open so I kept it instead. I woulda kept it if it proved itself a more reliable focusing lens. I'm assuming (hopefully correctly) that on a premium camera like a 1Ds it will have better AF and almost never miss.

[Chucko]

Maybe you should take this as a sign that you need to get more familiar with the autofocus system's behavior. I'm still learning my 10D and 20D. It's been entertaining trying to figure out how to get good sharp pan shots of moving race cars!

[ReValveiT]

UPDATE: I made a liar out of myself. The more I shot with the replacement lens, the more it misfocused too. I can only attribute it to the XT's less-than-perfect AF system at this point. The first lens they sent me is sharper wide open so I kept it instead. I woulda kept it if it proved itself a more reliable focusing lens. I'm assuming (hopefully correctly) that on a premium camera like a 1Ds it will have better AF and almost never miss.

But I'm willing to bet that your 70-200 vertually NEVER misses on Focus. So how can we say that it's the fault of the 'less than perfect' XT/20D's Focusing? Unless is an issue with that particular combo.

It's gotta be the Lens IMO. OR the combo.

[aparmley]

... right back @ 'ya ... ;) ... I'll slowly start back being around a little more. Notice the sig below.


Yes I did, thats quite a lens hood you have there. :D
LOL
came complete with a 17-40 F4 I see. Hows the 430 - I would have picked that one up but it was not out when I bought the 550.

[cdifoto]

Maybe you should take this as a sign that you need to get more familiar with the autofocus system's behavior. I'm still learning my 10D and 20D. It's been entertaining trying to figure out how to get good sharp pan shots of moving race cars!

Maybe I do and maybe I don't but it's very odd to me that this lens/camera combo doesn't want to cooperate in some situations.

I can pan race cars with no problems. Been doing it for 2+ months and selling the results. I just can't get these 2 lenses to TRUTHFULLY lock on someone's face, even with a foot of DOF. Camera beeps and says "Yep, we're good...click me!" but the face is completely OOF. Very wierd.

[cdifoto]

But I'm willing to bet that your 70-200 vertually NEVER misses on Focus. So how can we say that it's the fault of the 'less than perfect' XT/20D's Focusing? Unless is an issue with that particular combo.

It's gotta be the Lens IMO. OR the combo.

You're right...and that only adds to the confusion. I can attribute it to lowlight misfocus on some occasions but otherwise it just doesn't add up. I can only think of the camera to blame because nothing else makes sense.

My Bigma & Kit lens don't go as wide open so DOF is natually larger all the time...misfocuses aren't really apparent if they're even in existence. Stopping down with the kit lens to sharpen it up increases that DOF even more.

It's perplexing to say the least...