• Members 72 posts
    April 5, 2023, 1:37 p.m.

    It’s encouraging to see how this site is progressing, albeit being very early days, and also how the EOS M section is becoming quite active. So it’s good to see some fellow refugees from DPReview over here who have been so helpful recently.

    I say that as, despite Canon’s lack-lustre support, I have only very recently made the decision to buy into it as my general purpose system. I will though still keep an R7 and 100-400 Lii plus a couple of other EF lenses for occasions like air-shows for example.

    The M6ii really is a wonderful camera especially for its AF and I will be keeping my M5 as I still like shooting with it and its in-built EVF.
    But it’s the combined system package of camera body plus lens where I feel EOS M is unbeatable. For me at least.

    Now to pick up some more lenses to complete what I need.
    Keeping my original DPReview name BTW.

  • Members 6 posts
    April 5, 2023, 2:07 p.m.

    Hi Dave and welcome - I joined last week.
    Be sure to check the Sigma f/1.4 trio - I own both the 30 and 56 - the latter is probably one of my favourite lenses I have ever owned and that includes L's as I came to EF-M from FF Canons and EF glass.

  • Members 72 posts
    April 5, 2023, 2:25 p.m.

    Hi Alexis and thanks for the welcome.
    Yes I'll be looking at the Sigmas but first I want to source the Canon 32mm f/1.4
    I hope the Sigmas are not too heavy and large as one reason for going EOS-M was for small size and weight.
    Dave

  • Members 31 posts
    April 11, 2023, 8:11 p.m.

    The 32mm is brilliant and so small.
    I really liked the 56mm sigma - very very sharp too and not much bigger. The 16mm is nice but was just too big for me to have always in the bag and did not use it that much - so sold it.
    I only sold the 56 as also have the 60 macro and did not often need f/1.4 at that focal length - and on rare occasions can use the FF with 70-200 f/2.8. Do regret a little selling the sigma 56, dont regret selling the 16mm.

  • Members 15 posts
    April 12, 2023, 12:28 a.m.

    ***I am seriously considering the Viltrox 56, 1.4 .

  • Members 72 posts
    April 13, 2023, 12:01 p.m.

    Thanks for the personal recommendations. I have just ordered a 32/1.4 so will wait a little while to use and enjoy what I have and then decide what I am missing.
    But a fish eye would be fun. Anyone any experience with those on an M?

  • Members 39 posts
    April 13, 2023, 2:48 p.m.

    I'm enjoying using the manual focus Rokinon 8mm f2.8 UMC II fisheye in EF-M mount, which I got on eBay for less than $150. It's sharp, and fast enough to be useful in low lighting. I especially like its even stereoscopic projection --- even though it's a fisheye there's less distortion than typical fisheyes. If used carefully by putting the horizon across the middle of the frame its images in some cases don't look much like fisheye pictures.

    Here's an image taken at dusk of a train in very low lighting with the Roki 8mm f2.8, taken at f2.8. I pushed it in post to about ISO 3200 and used DxO Deep Prime XD noise reduction.

  • Members 72 posts
    April 13, 2023, 6:23 p.m.

    Thanks Larry for that input.
    Can I ask why you chose the Rokinon 8mm over, for example, the wider Laowa 4mm? I am interested not just in an ultra-wide but also the special circular fish eye look.
    TBH I think I need to read up a bit more about the various “fisheye” projections (eg stereographic and orthographic) that are available and also about de-fishing. As ever the more I learn the more I realise what I don’t know.

  • Members 39 posts
    April 13, 2023, 7:17 p.m.

    I chose the Roki 8mm f2.8 based on the good reviews I read about it, the attractive price, and my very positive experience with other Rokinon lenses I had ( EF 135mm f2.0 and the EF-M 12mm f2.0, both bought to use for Astrophotography, but I also use them in other night shooting as well).

    Much later I bought the non-fisheye Laowa 9mm f2.8 rectilinear Zero-D lens, which I like and use more than the Roki 8mm fisheye. If I had bought the Laowa first I might not have bought the Roki 8. But I do like the 8 fisheye and am keeping it as it allows you to get some unique shots, and its great for all-sky meteor astrophotography.

  • Members 72 posts
    April 19, 2023, 9:52 a.m.

    Thanks Larry,
    I'm about to get the Roki 8mm (called a Samyung in the UK) but was wondering what you recommend to de-fish your shots?