Author Topic: HOLY! I just bought something special! (Read 2920 times)

ichiro17 · « **on:** May 18, 2008, 11:39 »

Canon EF 500mm f/4L

WOW. I feel so empty (monetarily)

But I can't wait to put that bad boy on a 1.4x and go birding

I am still in disbelief

maco0708 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 18, 2008, 11:44 »

No IS?

leaf · « **Reply #2 on:** May 18, 2008, 11:57 »

wow.. nice. I am looking forward to seeing some pictures.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #3 on:** May 18, 2008, 12:27 »

I bought a spooky broom at a craft festival yesterday, for Halloween pictures.

Pixart · « **Reply #4 on:** May 18, 2008, 12:28 »

I am not jealous.

I am not jealous.

I am not jealous.

Contakt · « **Reply #5 on:** May 18, 2008, 12:50 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on May 18, 2008, 11:39

Canon EF 500mm f/4L

WOW. I feel so empty (monetarily)

But I can't wait to put that bad boy on a 1.4x and go birding

I am still in disbelief

My D2X + 105mm cost that. Nice piece of kit. Look after that beauty.

melking · « **Reply #6 on:** May 18, 2008, 13:12 »

that is great! what kind of Camera you have with that?

ichiro17 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 18, 2008, 18:03 »

Sorry, there is IS. Its brand spanking new. Hasn't arrived yet. Should be here in a week. Making me a very anxious fellow.

Unfortunately I only have a 30D to play with right now. The idea is to have the new 5D II to work on it when it comes out so that hopefully I can get 16 million pixels on a subject instead of just 8 cropped (but its 16 million better pixels).

Contakt, I will definitely be looking after that beauty. I just hope that I can get some stock shots from it so that it can earn its elite status

Hopefully some outdoor sports (baseball) will result in some good sales...maybe not 6000 dollars worth, but its a start.

JC-SL · « **Reply #8 on:** May 18, 2008, 18:25 »

Congrats! and welcome to the world of long lenses!!! You'll love it... and the new outlook on life.. try it with everything you do including landscapes.. just remember with glass that long you really, really need to watch your shutter speeds at all times! Other than that...enjoy!

My standard lenses are from 400 - 600mm ... and the 500 is the best versatile long glass as it's the only one in a pinch you CAN handhold! In a few months you'll laugh when you use your 70-200 and it feels like a wide angle!!

Cheers, JC

Contakt · « **Reply #9 on:** May 19, 2008, 04:59 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on May 18, 2008, 18:03

Sorry, there is IS. Its brand spanking new. Hasn't arrived yet. Should be here in a week. Making me a very anxious fellow.

Unfortunately I only have a 30D to play with right now. The idea is to have the new 5D II to work on it when it comes out so that hopefully I can get 16 million pixels on a subject instead of just 8 cropped (but its 16 million better pixels).

Contakt, I will definitely be looking after that beauty. I just hope that I can get some stock shots from it so that it can earn its elite status

Hopefully some outdoor sports (baseball) will result in some good sales...maybe not 6000 dollars worth, but its a start.

Well, I don't want to tell you your business, but if you're looking to get a return on investment the last place you want to be using that weapon is for microstock.

We have two 400's with 2x converters in the office and although I'm getting a bit old for all the drama, I could quite happily bob about on a motor boat off St. Tropez watching the tourists all day.

The next thing you need is to get your machine gun rate up a tad. The 30d simply won't cut it and if Angelina Jolie happens to be licking the face off Brad on the back of some super-yacht you need to be much faster than that.

DanP68 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 19, 2008, 05:29 »

Quote from: sjlocke on May 18, 2008, 12:27

I bought a spooky broom at a craft festival yesterday, for Halloween pictures.

Does it work?

maunger · « **Reply #11 on:** May 19, 2008, 07:02 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on May 18, 2008, 11:39

Canon EF 500mm f/4L

WOW. I feel so empty (monetarily)

But I can't wait to put that bad boy on a 1.4x and go birding

I am still in disbelief

Was that lens covered by the USA Canon rebates that started Sunday?

Pixart · « **Reply #12 on:** May 19, 2008, 10:03 »

I saw that list yesterday (but not on a Canon site) and thought of Ichiro but I didn't see a 500 on the list. But Ichiro you should go directly to the Canon website to check for certain. I think you are in Canada though, aren't you? Canon often doesn't give the same rebates in Canada for some reason.

ichiro17 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 19, 2008, 13:17 »

Quote from: Contakt on May 19, 2008, 04:59

Quote from: ichiro17 on May 18, 2008, 18:03
Sorry, there is IS. Its brand spanking new. Hasn't arrived yet. Should be here in a week. Making me a very anxious fellow.

Unfortunately I only have a 30D to play with right now. The idea is to have the new 5D II to work on it when it comes out so that hopefully I can get 16 million pixels on a subject instead of just 8 cropped (but its 16 million better pixels).

Contakt, I will definitely be looking after that beauty. I just hope that I can get some stock shots from it so that it can earn its elite status

Hopefully some outdoor sports (baseball) will result in some good sales...maybe not 6000 dollars worth, but its a start.

Well, I don't want to tell you your business, but if you're looking to get a return on investment the last place you want to be using that weapon is for microstock.

We have two 400's with 2x converters in the office and although I'm getting a bit old for all the drama, I could quite happily bob about on a motor boat off St. Tropez watching the tourists all day.

The next thing you need is to get your machine gun rate up a tad. The 30d simply won't cut it and if Angelina Jolie happens to be licking the face off Brad on the back of some super-yacht you need to be much faster than that.

Yup, but right now I'm not sure where else to go to grab some return for that 'weapon'. I'm open to suggestions as to what other avenues of selling photos (other than microstock) would be a good way to make some spare cash to pay for this bad boy

RT · « **Reply #14 on:** May 19, 2008, 13:32 »

Quote from: Contakt on May 19, 2008, 04:59

We have two 400's with 2x converters in the office and although I'm getting a bit old for all the drama, I could quite happily bob about on a motor boat off St. Tropez watching the tourists all day.

I thought you were the subject of an ASBO in St.Tropez

RT · « **Reply #15 on:** May 19, 2008, 13:36 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on May 19, 2008, 13:17

Yup, but right now I'm not sure where else to go to grab some return for that 'weapon'. I'm open to suggestions as to what other avenues of selling photos (other than microstock) would be a good way to make some spare cash to pay for this bad boy

I mean no disrespect, and believe me I'm equally guilty of buying shiny new bits of kit, but why did you buy it in the first place then?

If your answer is "because I wanted one" I'll understand fully

ichiro17 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 19, 2008, 13:55 »

Quote from: RT on May 19, 2008, 13:36

Quote from: ichiro17 on May 19, 2008, 13:17
Yup, but right now I'm not sure where else to go to grab some return for that 'weapon'. I'm open to suggestions as to what other avenues of selling photos (other than microstock) would be a good way to make some spare cash to pay for this bad boy

I mean no disrespect, and believe me I'm equally guilty of buying shiny new bits of kit, but why did you buy it in the first place then?

If your answer is "because I wanted one" I'll understand fully

Bought it for wildlife and sports - no real purpose other than to take those pics because birds just don't cut it at 400mm (I also have the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L)

So we'll see what happens

Sports might be the best way to go

ichiro17 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 19, 2008, 13:58 »

I'd just like to add that I'm not too worried about re-sale because I can probably get back 90% of what I bought it for if it comes to that. Its a rare piece (rarely see them here) and I'm pretty sure I can find someone who wants to buy it if I need the extra cash

Contakt · « **Reply #18 on:** May 19, 2008, 14:44 »

Quote from: RT on May 19, 2008, 13:32

Quote from: Contakt on May 19, 2008, 04:59
We have two 400's with 2x converters in the office and although I'm getting a bit old for all the drama, I could quite happily bob about on a motor boat off St. Tropez watching the tourists all day.

I thought you were the subject of an ASBO in St.Tropez

Cheeky bugger

But coming back to that behemoth, I think RT is right about deciding what you're going to do with that piece of glass or more to the point what you're going to earn with it.

To illustrate my point, I left this business and came back to it after many years absence. I make no bones about the fact that I was a pap and having a long lens in the trunk of the car was standard kit. You had no business going after anyone without a minimum 70-200 and the 400 only came out on statics or outside courtrooms.

Anyhow, you've got the picture, but if you're going to do sports arenas, you'll need accreditation and if you're a lancer you're going to find it very difficult to sell the content on. No1 because you're going to get a crappy patch if you do manage to blag your way into the big arena and No2, the existing press corp will cotton on to your 30D and start laughing you so get that sorted out fairly quickly including a wireless rig that will allow you to rip those shots down the line and meet 4pm deadlines when a game has finished at 3:30.

My advice, go shoot the birdies and learn how to use that drainpipe at speed. It took me about 6 months to get comfortable with the 400 and nearly every decent shot I thought I'd got was off until I learned to spin that thing like a ballet dancer.

I hope I'm not coming across too cynical but whenever I hear somebody spending the price of a family car on a piece of glass, the 1st question I always ask is: "what are you going to do now?"

Have fun and as for the cost for it, fugehhdaaboudit!

ichiro17 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 19, 2008, 15:24 »

I admit, thats good advice. Right now I wouldn't dare step into a high profile sports arena mainly because I can't, but also because I don't have the rest of the gear as well. Plus I'm not a pro and only 12% of my income comes from photography right now.

I'll have fun with it, and if I can take photographs in microstock that will do alright and make a few dollars here and a few dollars there, I should be fine from the financial aspect of it.

From another point of view, I do run my photography as a personal business, and this will be a business expense etc etc...Am I disillusioned about what I can use it for, no. I have a clear idea in my mind. But all in all, I want it, so I bought it.

Thanks again for all the input.