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Okay, I admit I never even noticed this symbol on any of my camera bodies until I saw this article. In my defense, it's tough to see on modern Canon bodies, as it is just a molded black on black indented symbol. I don't really do macro work, though, so it's not something I have ever really needed.

I don't have one of those "black foamie things". Can you elaborate, Cameron? I will have to try pointing my flash a little backwards -- I'm not sure my Canon Speedlite will go back 45 degrees, but it can point somewhat backwards. I have been pointing it almost straight up when bouncing. Thanks...

Thanks for the links, @Cameron Yee . Using supplemental lighting is easily my weakest photographic skill, so any additional info is always appreciated. My biggest issue is I just don't shoot with a flash much -- only during family gatherings. Most of the subject matter I enjoy shooting is...

John, That is bad. The main forum I participate in (photography-on-the-net) is not nearly that bad. It's a very Canon-centric forum, though, so may not be of as much interest to folks who shoot other brands -- although there are a few participating members who shoot Sony or Nikon. There are...

While most of my photos are of static images, too, I do occasionally shoot birds in flight, larger wildlife in motion, or ice hockey. In fact, I was going to take my camera to the hockey game last night (we have season tickets to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program), but decided at...

Mike, you seem to be getting the focus figured out with the camera. That 2nd shot, though, is a great example of learning about shutter speed. Notice how the moving legs are blurry? A faster shutter speed would freeze that motion and make the entire image sharp. Of course, there are times where...

Does the native ISO really matter that much? I honestly cannot tell the difference in noise or overall image quality between any of the lower ISO values for any of my cameras, but I am not a pixel peeper. I don’t even think about anything at 400 or less — I just dial in what is needed to balance...

I rarely use auto-ISO, either. At one time Canon's implementation wasn't very good compared with Nikon. They have gotten better, but I'm just so used to adjusting the ISO myself that I rarely use it. The one situation where I found it useful was whale watching. I was using shutter priority mode...

Mike, Glad you are finding the book useful. I have recommended it to several friends, and they have all found it helpful. I still have my old edition sitting on the shelf. It takes a little time and effort, but eventually the aperture and shutter speed numbers will become more intuitive for...

Good choice to add the lens hood, Mike. While most of my lenses came with a hood, I bought a hood for those which Canon didn't include one. The only exceptions are the two pancake lenses I own, as the hoods are pretty ridiculous looking and one of the main reasons I use a pancake lens in the...

One other suggestion for copying the files to your PC -- instead of messing around with the Canon EOS Utility program, I instead use a USB 3.0 card reader that handles both compact flash and SD cards to copy the files to the appropriate folder on my PC.

First, Mike, congrats on the new camera! As for the DNG conversion, you do not lose anything when converting the RAW files -- the information is just being converted to another lossless "digital negative" format. You will only be able to use the DNG files with programs that support the format...

Mike, Give back button focus a try, but don't be too worried if it feels cumbersome. I have tried it a few times, but still prefer the traditional half-press of the shutter release to set focus. I use my thumb on the joystick (your Rebel doesn't have one) to move the focus point, and it's...

I have not felt the need to adjust the micro focus setting of any of my lenses with either of my bodies that have the feature, either. I know some people on the forums are obsessed with dialing in the micro focus parameters, but my lenses seem to be fine.

John, Yes, I see people in the Canon forums like that, too, who refuse to use their lenses at any aperture other than wide open. I always thought that was ridiculous, too. I'm attempting to tell a story with an image. Sometimes that story requires a great deal of the frame to be sharply in...

Mike, A camera with a newer sensor will allow you to use a higher ISO in lower light situations without too much noise. That, in turn, will allow you to use a faster shutter speed in those situations. For example, my firs camera was a Rebel XT, and it's highest ISO setting was 1600, but...

I do not have any of those lenses, but I have read good things about the 18-135mm IS USM. There are lots of different versions of the 18-55mm IS kit lens, so it depends on how old yours is as to how much image quality improvement you'll see. The USM auto focus motor, though, will give you much...

I must not know what I'm doing, either, because I rarely shoot my lenses wide open. I shoot a lot of landscapes, so closing down the lens for more depth is my usual technique. I'm usually somewhere around f/8 - f/11. The lens gets opened wider when it makes sense based on what I'm shooting, not...

The 80D is a very nice camera, especially at the lower price. I went with a 7D2 over the older version of the 80D (either 60D or 70D, can't remember which was out at that time) for several reasons, none of which probably apply to you. (1) The 7D2 was replacing an original 7D (and before that a...

I own a 50mm f/1.2 lens, and I almost never shoot it wide open because the depth of field is just too narrow to reliably get my subject in focus. Just the slightest movement can render the subject out of focus at that aperture. I usually use it around f/2.8 by default and adjust from there as...

The auto focus system of the 7D2 is worlds better than your Rebel. It can be a little intimidating at first with all the possible settings, but once you get used to it the camera is easy to use and the performance is excellent. If you go in that direction, there are some tutorials I can point...

Mike, It really boils down to why you are thinking of upgrading, and what it is about your current setup that you find lacking. For example, if you want to shoot wildlife but are lacking reach, then a long telephoto lens may be the answer. If you are shooting a lot of people and want to be able...

Patrick, I am dealing with the RAW to DNG conversion issue with my Canon M50 mirrorless, which uses the new CR3 RAW file format. Neither Lightroom 6 nor DxO PhotoLab -- the two processing applications I use -- currently support the format, although I expect DxO to add support in the future (it...

The ironic thing about that situation is it takes an even more skilled and experienced photographer to shoot food items properly, as there is a lot involved in arranging and lighting the food so it looks good. It's something I certainly do not have the skills to do professionally.

One of the comments that bugs me is when someone looks at one of my photos and says "that's a nice photo, you must have a really nice camera". Would that person say to a chef "that was a nice meal, you must have some really nice pots and pans"? :rolleyes: As I've said before, you could give...

I have similar feelings, John -- "it's the archer, not the arrows" is a favorite saying. As Sam pointed out, though, there are a lot of gadget geeks out there who love new toys. I like new toys, too, but the equipment keeps getting more and more expensive, with less and less gains in image...

Mike, take heart. As John said, we've all done stupid things at times. My mode wheel will get moved sometimes, too. My default use mode is aperture priority (Av on Canon bodies), but occasionally the wheel gets jostled to M and I don't always notice -- and it's pure luck if the exposure is...

I don't use AdobeRGB, John, so cannot offer much insight here. All my cameras are set to use sRGB color space. I find it simpler than having to worry about when and how to convert from AdobeRGB.

When we were walking around the zoo on Sunday morning, I saw a person with a dSLR with the lens hood mounted in its reversed "storage" position while shooting. I am amazed at how many times I actually see this, and wonder if the hood was shipped that way and the person has always left it there...

John, There's lots of confusion regarding crop sensors versus so-called "full frame" sensors, so it's a shame when a website attempting to educate gets it wrong. There are already too many people out there who think a 400mm lens magically becomes a 640mm lens when put on a crop body. :huh...