I took the plunge!

**jmagrino** · 10-07-2005, 08:18 PM

I posted the other day about a bad experience with a shady online store. You guys helped me out a lot. I took care of them... called AMEX to investigate them, reported them to the Better Business Bureau. Maybe one night I'll type my whole story because so much more took place after I first posted.

On a good note... I went to B&H today in NYC and bought my first sports setup for about $3300. It hurt, but I feel good about it.

Canon 20D
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG
Extra Camera Battery
Mack 3 Year Warranty
Sigma 2x Extender
(2) Sandisk Ultra 1GB cards
Sandisk Reader
Some filters
Tamrac 5574 backpack/case

I originally wanted the Canon lenses but couldn't afford more then the f/4L's. The salesman told me the Canon lenses were better as far as communication because if I ever had a problem, I wouldn't be able to call Canon about the lenses. I told him I was willing to take that risk for $1000 cheaper. I read nothing but great reviews about the Sigmas, on here and on other sites.

I had it shipped to my house to avoid sales tax, so i should be getting everything during the week. I will get it and test the crap out of it. I can't wait.

Let me know what you guys think of the setup!!!

Thanks for all your help!!!

**JSPhoto** · 10-07-2005, 09:53 PM

Glad I wasn't the only one to go off the deep end lately

.... I'll trade ya bills though

your $3300 for my $8500.... I had to try

Can't help ya on the one lens but the 70-200 is a good lens. I used one for three years. Come Monday though it gets retired to back-up service as one of the lenses I bought was a Canon 70-200mm USM IS.
Sounds like a good setup for you there though. Hope you like it!

If all my new shows up in time Monday I will go Monday night to shoot a college JV game that has some former players from my county playing. They were at tonights 47-0 blowout watching their old school blowout a huge rivalry foe. I don't remember a game between these two that was so lopsided.

JS

**JETA** · 10-08-2005, 09:57 AM

Good going Joe! You bought the mother load!

I'll be curious to hear what you think of your tamrac backpack & if it's easy to carry around while you shoot. I have the smaller Tamrac sling pack and I really like it because it is small and easy to handle while I'm shooting. I have outgrown it though because when I have my big lense on my camera it doesn't fit in the bag.

Anyway, congrats to you on all of your NICE new gear!

**Old Timer** · 10-08-2005, 11:47 AM

Looks like a very good setup. Real interested in seeing some results.

I have never been able to use anything but a shoulder type bag with an open top that I could get into quickly. When I started out I was shooting all primes and was changing lenses very often and had to get to them in a hurry. I am shooting mostly zooms today, but old habits are hard to break.

**Scott_F** · 10-08-2005, 12:34 PM

I picked up similar rig, 20D, Sigma 70-200mm 2.8. Had my 2nd ERR01 communication issue putting the Sigma on last night. I think I'm going to ask for a replacement from Amazon. I'm still in my 30 day window.

I ended up getting the Canon backpack that was on Amazon for about 30 bucks. It's a nice set up. Not a ton of protection, but it's nice. Holds everything you need, plus it's got a waist strap if you choose to go hiking with it.

**JSPhoto** · 10-08-2005, 01:42 PM

Hmmm, I just got to thinking.... 2 lenses, two bodies....4 batteries, 2 flash.... spare flash batteries..... maybe I should finally get something to haul all this around in. Don't really like having to carry a bag around but..... guess I better start lookin at bags now

JS

**jmagrino** · 10-08-2005, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Scott_F

I picked up similar rig, 20D, Sigma 70-200mm 2.8. Had my 2nd ERR01 communication issue putting the Sigma on last night. I think I'm going to ask for a replacement from Amazon. I'm still in my 30 day window.

UH OH!!! Now you got me worried. Exactly what the guy at B&H mentioned... if I have a communication problem between the Canon 20D and Sigma lens, who am I going to call? Certainly not Canon. This makes me nervous again. Hopefully I won't have the problem, but what are you going to do? Does anyone out there know a resolution to the ERR01 problem???

**Scott_F** · 10-08-2005, 08:06 PM

I emaled Amazon.com and told them that I wanted a replacement. They told me the only thing that made sense was to send me a complete new order, as in new 20D and new Sigma lens.

The first time it happened to me, I think I might have left the power on on the 20D. But, the next time it happened, the camera body was powered down. I'll try it again a few times before the new rig gets here and I'll try it on the new camera.

I swear by Amazon. I got free shipping, no tax and a great price. Since I bought that lens, the price has gone up there about 100 bucks! I might have paid slightly more using Amazon over using B&H, but I got a 30 day return policy no questions asked.

**Scott_F** · 10-08-2005, 08:09 PM

Oh and on another forum, I read about this error with the Sigma lens. Sigma has fixed the lenses in question under warranty. You have nothing to worry about, especially if it hasn't happened to you at this point.

**jmagrino** · 10-08-2005, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Scott_F

Oh and on another forum, I read about this error with the Sigma lens. Sigma has fixed the lenses in question under warranty. You have nothing to worry about, especially if it hasn't happened to you at this point.

Whew!!! Thanks for that second post. I needed to sleep easier tonight. I went through so much stress wanting the Canon lens, trying to buy through a shady place, going through the BS with them, then settling for a Sigma lens because of money. Finally I felt comfortable enough to buy through B&H and then felt great after the purchase.

Maybe since the lens is so new it could be fixed already? We'll see. I'm freaking and I didn't even get the thing yet. It will be arriving this week. I'm going nuts waiting for it.

**JETA** · 10-08-2005, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by JSPhoto

Hmmm, I just got to thinking.... 2 lenses, two bodies....4 batteries, 2 flash.... spare flash batteries..... maybe I should finally get something to haul all this around in. Don't really like having to carry a bag around but..... guess I better start lookin at bags now

JS

JS, after all you spent you better get yourself something really NICE to put all of your new gear in. What's a bag after all the $$$$$$$$$$ you are putting out.

**JSPhoto** · 10-08-2005, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by JETA

JS, after all you spent you better get yourself something really NICE to put all of your new gear in. What's a bag after all the $$$$$$$$$$ you are putting out.

lol.... that may have to wait a while.... my furnace went out today.....

I had to plug in an electric heater... good thing I have a small house. I guess Monday I will be buying a couple limit switches for the furnace and hopefully fix it, one is stuck open and the thing won't fire..... van, furnace.... whats next?

JS

**Scott_F** · 10-08-2005, 09:21 PM

Canon Backpack, $36.50

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...=UTF8&v=glance

**JSPhoto** · 10-09-2005, 12:10 PM

I'd need something a bit bigger such as: Lowepro Commercial AW All Weather 35mm Camera System Bag .... almost $200. The two pro bodies, 4 lenses, 6 batteries, 2 flash units, Quantum battery pack and associated cables, cards, lens cleaner and so on. Just glad I no longer take a laptop with me!
The bag will wait till spring....
JS

**Scott_F** · 10-09-2005, 12:25 PM

Yep, too much gear for the cheap little backpack. But for a guy with one to three lenses, one body and a few accessories, it's perfect.

**Old Timer** · 10-09-2005, 12:52 PM

I currnetly have 6 or 7 bags in the camera cabniet. Each has a different system in it. The main gear currently lives in a Lowepro Nova 5 AW. It is a mid size bag but holds the gear while not in use and to and from event. Once there most of it goes around my neck or on the monopod. I can get two bodies with lenses attached (D2H with 28-80 AF-S f2.8 and D70 with 18-70 DX AF-S both with hoods), two additional lens (Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 AF-ED and either a Sigma 70-300 AF f3.5-5.6 or a Nikkor 105mm f2.8 micro), also the SB800 fits in the main compartment. All the other needed gear spare batterys, filters, CF cards, tripod adaptors and manuels go into the pockets and flaps. Monopod gets straped under the front flap. Yeah it's heavy but I have everything I need with me and I will park it once I get on the field and hang the cameras on me.

**JETA** · 10-09-2005, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by JSPhoto

lol.... that may have to wait a while.... my furnace went out today.....

I had to plug in an electric heater... good thing I have a small house. I guess Monday I will be buying a couple limit switches for the furnace and hopefully fix it, one is stuck open and the thing won't fire..... van, furnace.... whats next?

JS

Your furnace????????? Seriously, I'm speechless. Sending some good luck vibes to you.

**Scott_F** · 10-09-2005, 03:17 PM

Down here in TX, we use measure furnace use in hours not months.

good luck on that.

**JSPhoto** · 10-09-2005, 04:34 PM

Thanks JETA.... I think my luck ran out though... got email saying new gear didn't get shipped, but they will next day it on Monday.. yeah right. So now I have to cancel my appointments on Tuesday so I can be home if it shows up. ARGH!!!

JS

**jmagrino** · 10-14-2005, 07:54 PM

Hey guys!

I got the gear that I mentioned when I started this post. I picked it up from UPS Thursday night. Unfortunately it has rained for 8 days straight here in New Jersey. A lot of HS Football games got postponed until tomorrow, tomorrow night and even Monday afternoon.

Anyway... I'm testing it all out to the best of my ability. I get 7 days to play with it and like it before it can returned for full refund. Unfortunately I bought a setup for sports, not my living room.

My Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG is a little noisy when focusing, but I realized it's not Sigma's HSM model, like my 70-200mm. You can't even here that thing focus at all. I'm still learning the camera, trying to be ready for tomorrow's games. I'm a newbie so I'm going to use the full auto settings, then the Sports settings, then I'll get more daring with some aperture priority. I have to figure out how to keep it at f/2.8, fast shutter speed, so i can get those awesome shots I see in papers and magazines.

Anybody have any suggestions for me with my current setup??? i could use all the pro help I can get for my first session tomorrow.

Thanks so much!

**livin4lax09** · 10-14-2005, 09:02 PM

first of all...wow. Wish I had that kind of cash to drop on a setup. secondly, its supposed to continue raining. Around here at least. For a newbie, I suggest you shoot in Av mode, and set the Aperture to around 8. A lot of lenses' sweet spots are at f8. That will give you the sharpest photos. adjust ISO to make it so you're getting at least a 1/640 shutter speed (JSphoto tends to disagree) but I believe this is what it takes to freeze action. If you need to put your ISO over 200 or 400 (depending on your preference of noise, I'm fine with 400) to get that shutter, just open up your lens more, as in decrease the f stop number. shoot horizontally for now, on the highest resolution (you should be fine with those 1 GB cards). Hope that helped.

**masdog** · 10-15-2005, 08:40 PM

I disagree, Livin. F8 might give you the sharpest photos right off of the camera, but when you're shooting action, you want to have the lens wide open to make sure you can use the fastest shutter speeds available. When you're shooting under the lights or indoors, f8, even as 3200 ISO will not get you enough light to get you anywhere near 1/300 unless it is incredibly bright. If you're shooting in the early afternoon, you should be able to get away with that, but as soon as the sun sets or you walk indoors, that won't work. Be willing to use ISO 800 or 1600 if need be.

Here is my advice to you. Shoot manual. It takes a little to get used to, but learn to read the histograms of the images to determine if you have the right exposure. You can also meter off a neutral colored object like the grass.

But most importantly, do what works best for you. We can only tell you what works for us, and your mileage on that will vary. Don't be afraid to experiment with settings.

**livin4lax09** · 10-15-2005, 09:56 PM

yeah, i said if the light allows you to. Depends where you're shooting. at f2.8 you run the risk of important elements of the shot being out of the DOF. I shot f8 at 1/640 ISO 200 just fine on a sunny day. I wasn't saying us in indoors. I said that if you can't get a fast enough shutter speed, then open the lens up. What I said was that if you can use f8, use it.