Hey! I'm Craig Single, owner of SingleExposure Photography. Yeah my last name is finally useful instead of the joke...okay so it can still be a joke. Seriously, I love photography, especially weddings and portraits. In the past few years my business has exploded beyond belief thanks to awesome clients and friends. Take a peek into what is going on in my business and my life!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Canon 200 2.0 vs 135 2.0...the showdown!

I am no expert equipment reviewer, only a wedding and portrait photographer that practically uses my equipment to deliver my art. I love low light photography and most of my lenses are prime lenses with huge apertures. Honestly I don't use my EF 135 2.0 L lens all that much but after this comparison...I will definitely be using it a lot more after playing with the EF 200 2.0 L IS.

First a disclaimer...I love tight shots, open aperture, yummy boken, and stealthy shooting. My favorite compliment from my wedding clients is, "I never knew you were there getting that shot". My second favorite is loving the "3d" effect of my images, most often with the EF 24 1.4 L lens. Anyway, if you happen to be reading this and don't shoot the way I do...stop reading...I don't have the time or patience for someone else second-guessing my evaluation, cause it is just that...MY evaluation for ME. That said here goes.

So I got the 200 lens from Canon Professional Services...what a great service! So after opening the case and comparing some basic stats, here were a few that were important to me.

Close focus distance:
200 - 6.2 feet, that is a bit far for me personally
135 - 3 feet

DOF of minimum distance:
200 - .02 feet on the 40d and .03 on the 5d
135 - .01 feet on the 40d and .02 on the 5d
All of these are razor thin and requires some really careful focusing and a steady hand

Angle of view:
200 - 12 degrees
135 - 18 degrees
Not that big of a difference in my opinion

Shutter speed for a steady shot:
200 1/200 on 5d or 1/320 on 40d
135 1/135 on 5d or 1/200 on 40d
Of course the HUGE advantage is the IS on the 200...I think I can shoot it at 1/30 with a sharp image...then again I have a really steady hand and can do the same with the 135...remember IS doesn't slow people down!!

The focusing distance alone is one thing that almost made the decision for me before even testing the sharpness and most important to me to compare the boken, angle of view, and compression of the image. So here is how I am comparing the two for my purposes. The 200 on the 5d and the 135 on the 40d...almost equaling the focal length feel (yes I know it isn't the same thing...blah blah). The 135 on the 40d is about 216, or about a half a step back with my zooming feet.

That focal length for me is mainly used for some tight shots in a small church during a ceremony or full-body shots of the ceremony in most churches. For portraits or bridal formals I can definitely use that length for close shots of a senior or couple. With the 135 the focus is fast enough to even track indoor sports or fast kids running around for a family session. I mainly have used the 135 on the 40d as a stealthy reception lens to get all the guests and on the 5d as a great headshot lens for senior portraits.

So here are a couple of images with the lenses mounted...

Down the barrel...


My favorite of the 135 on the 40d shot through the 200 mounted on the 5d...couldn't resist.

So those are basics and the test images are coming on my next post in a week or so...

Friday, August 22, 2008

Meghan & Luke at Longwood Gardens

Meghan and Luke were guests at Ann & Scott's wedding last year (on the coolest day of July in years) and we decided that it would be a great match for their wedding at Rivercrest in Phoenixville. We spent a hot (temperature that is) hour at Longwood Gardens and got some great shots!




Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Canon's New Lens...

Well it isn't the newest of the Canon lenses, but I now have my hands on a Canon EF 200 2.0 IS L lens and will be testing it over the next week and at a model shoot next week. My first impression is that it is heavy...feels heavier than the 300 2.8 IS only because it is more compact. I am sure when I test it fully next week that it will produce some stunning images, but my hypothesis is that it will be no better than the Canon 135 2.0 L that I already own, which is smaller, lighter, and just as stunning to make all my couples and seniors look AMAZING!!! Stay tuned for more from this next week with a complete review and comparison to the 135 and even the 70-200 IS.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Anniversary Ideas???

So every year we spend a long weekend away for our anniversary and love going to neat little towns. For our upcoming 11th year anniversary I am lacking ideas...we have been to great places in Williamsburg (Liberty Rose B&B), Cooperstown (Cooper Inn), Cape Cod (Ocean's Edge), The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA (also our honeymoon location), and a few other places around.

If you have some ideas of neat little joints to head to this year post a comment below or email me...craigsingle@singleexposure.com.

Monday, August 4, 2008

I'm one of a kind...

Here is a funny website that proves that I, Craig Single, am one of a kind! LOL...How Many of Me

Saturday, August 2, 2008

I'm back....

After an amazing week at the Pittsburgh Project I am back! Yeah! Can't wait to get back in the swing and get some amazing albums out to everyone! Until that...here are a couple shots from my week away.

Here is my awesome work-site crew...nothing like teenagers paying to go work on a stranger's house in another city.

Before....

After...


Yes...even when I am working on a mission trip I bring the weddings with me....lol

Melting ice...it was hot...

A painting that only one can create!