That's why I like SyncBack mirror option. It deletes files on the backup that are not on the source drive. So you get a backup of anything that changed. That what I do for my weekly backup. For my monthly backup I backup anything new, and dups are overwritten, older files are not deleted. So I have backups from awhile ago. It just keeps adding on. When it get full I'll get a new drive and start over.

I bought a 2TB WD 3.0 Ultra for MAC to start me out on my Imac. I think I'll set up SyncBack for a weekly mirror/incremental backup for my new files. I like the idea of using a 1TB drive to back up the internal drive. So I'll probably do that later and use the Time Machine system backup.


thx everyone for the insight. It helps.

Personally i'm a little unconvinced about time machine, it seems more like an undo history than a backup.

I wanted to restore a backup but it wasn't able to fit all the files it wanted to restore in the free space on my drive. Part of that backup was 73gb of stuff i had stored else where so tried to delete those files from the oldest backup that deleted the oldest backup entirely.

When time machine runs out of space it automatically deletes the oldest backup so say i have a picture i backed up with time machine and 2 years later time machine runs out of space that picture will go along with the rest of that backup. So its not really an archive as such. things you really want to keep need a different backup plan.

So really i need to have 2 backup drives for my photo's in order to allow for a failure in one of them and time machine too. At least it seems that way to me. Maybe I don't understand time machine well enough.

You can use external drives on both a PC & a Mac if it is formatted as EXFAT. If you have formatted them as NTFS the Mac will need them reformatted.

Time Machine is a great backup system built into OS X. You will need either a second external dedicated to Time Machine or a large external partitioned as two drives, one for Time Machine.

Time Machine is super easy to set up - it runs every hour and will maintain backups for many months enabling you to go back to most any point in time to restore from easily.

You workflow might be more complicated then it needs to be, it would be for me, but what you describe is doable for sure, BUT, you might end up with pictures from your internal on your Time Machine backup, when really they were moved and backed up again on Time Machine from the external. This could fill up your Time Machine partition with duplicate files and waste much of your backup space, not to mention the time it will take to backup.

What I do is import raw from my SD card into Lightroom, the raw files go right to my external drive and into my catalog. The files remain as raw (nef) until I go thru them and get rid of obvious non-keepers. I then convert the remaining raws to DNG before editing.

Files are given basic keywords on import.

Once converted I post process the DNG files.

Additional keywording is done as files are edited.

When edited, exports are done as needed, including uploading files to my Flickr account all from within Lightroom.

2TB is fine for a start, but you may find that you will have need of more or larger externals in time ;)

For example - I have 2TB external connected via Firewire 800 that is my Time Machine backup, a 1 TB external USB 2.0 that is my music backup, a 6 TB Thunderbolt External that is my image library and additional storage, plus a 1 TB internal HD and a 240 GB Thunderbolt SSD that holds some Apps for quick launching, along with my Lightroom catalog.

I also have another USB 1 TB external that is a monthly backup of my images - I use Chronosync for the monthly makeup.

I set my default settings back to factory default. (Why? that's a different subject entirely!) The aspect ratio is now 3:2. I believe I had it at 16:9 before the factory reset. I read different articles on what exactly the AR is, so I think I have a good understanding of it.

For example, at 3:2, if I wanted to print an 8x10, it will be cropped almost a total of 2 inches.

So my question is this: what do most of you keep your AR at, and do you change it depending on what you are shooting or if you will print, or basically leave it alone?


Canon 70D.

TIA---Tony

I shoot a lot of action/sporting events as the "official" photographer...

There are often other photographers shooting near me with their own DSLRs (rather than buy photos from me)... Moms, Dads, Grandparents, etc. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard the "beep" of their cameras, which tells me they are using the wrong focus mode and most, if not all of their photos are going to be out of focus. This happens a lot. I would also bet that most of them are disappointed and blame the camera for the missed focus... not themselves for setting and using the camera incorrectly, which is actually what's happening.

If you had your 60D set to the "Running Man" or Sports Scene Mode, it should have overridden any focus setting you made and used the correct AF mode (though probably also still forcing you to use "all points/auto selecteion", which leaves an awful lot up to chance that the camera will focus right where you want it).

However, I think if you were able to set the White Balance to Fluorescent, it's unlikely you used the Running Man mode. I don't think you can select a white balance setting when using the highly automated modes (but I don't know for certain... I avoid using those highly automated Scene Modes like the plague... they override too many other things I want to use.) So I suspect you weren't in Running Man mode.

This is part of the danger of being overly dependent upon the camera's high degree of automation. To photograph action, you should have been using AI Servo focus mode... not One Shot (which is the only mode where the camera can be set to give a Focus Confirmation "beep".

I never use AI Focus, which isn't really a focus mode at all. It's just more automation, where the camera is supposed to decide for you whether or not the subject is moving, then use whichever is appropriate: AI Servo or One Shot. I've found AI Focus doesn't always choose right, or change modes when the subject begins to move, or just causes a bit of delay that causes more missed focus shots. So I avoid AI Focus entirely (Note: it might be a clue that the more pro-oriented Canon models don't even have AI Focus mode.... they only have AI Servo and One Shot.)

On 60D, any of the AF points can be used since all 9 of them are more sensitive and responsive "cross type". But for best accuracy I'd more likely have used the center point only. I'd definitely have restricted the camera to center point only if it were D60... that camera's 7-point AF system only has one cross-type point, at the center. All the rest are slower, less responsive single axis.



Sorry, but that's utter bull.

I suspect pilotboat meant "60D" (which is from 2010 and a newer model than the two 7D or 5D Mark II that I shoot with), not "D60" from 2002 (which, if I recall correctly, had a top ISO of 1000... while original poster says he was using 3200).

But, really, no matter either way.

I've used the 70-200/4L IS USM, 70-200/2.8L IS USM and other, similar or far more expensive L-series lenses on EOS-3 (1998), Elan 7E (aka EOS 33, 2000), 10D (2003), 30D (2006), 50D (2008) and other "old" cameras. EOS cameras... EF lenses, especially L-series, are guaranteed fully compatible.

I used 10D, with the same AF system as D60 (and more primitive than 60D's) with EF 300/2.8L IS USM to shoot this (and many thousands other action shots)...



I usually use M or Av exposure modes, but keep an eye on my shutter speeds. However, it's possible to use Tv, too... and that's what many people prefer to use for action shots. I usually try to keep to a minimum of about 1/250 or 1/320 shutter speed for action shots... but sometimes that's not just possible and more images may suffer from some "subject blur".

With IS lenses, with reasonable care you don't need to worry about handholding shots at these or even slightly lower shutter speeds (above was done with a tripod, but only because that large lens gets pretty heavy during a 12 hour shooting day). However, IS can't do anything about subject motion... and any blur from that is often misinterpreted as focus problems. Only faster shutter speeds can freeze subject movement.

pilotboat, you probably should be disappointed in yourself, not in your camera gear. In poor indoor lighting conditions, and fluorescent light in particular, autofocus and auto exposure both can struggle. But there are nearly always ways to "get the shot".

Sports photography is difficult, particularly in lower light conditions. Without seeing the actual scene for myself, it's hard to say, but maybe it was just too dark. An f2.8 or faster lens might have helped, in that case. On all Canon EOS cameras, at least one AF point (typically the center one) will act as more sensitive when used with larger aperture lenses. I like using my 70-200/4 and 300/4 lenses, for their reasonable size and weight during a long shooting day. But if needed I have f2.8, f2, f1.8 and f1.4 lenses that can give me up to three more stops light. (However, I have to watch out for too-shallow depth of field issues with these bigger apertures).

Often there are brighter and darker areas within an arena or gym, too. It often pays to explore a bit and find out if there are some better places to shoot and other places to avoid.

When lighting is just too dim, I'll use flash when I can. For action shooting, this forces you to slow down, to wait for the flash to recycle. Using a rather powerful external flash and an accessory battery pack can help speed this up.

Back Button Focusing is a popular technique among sports photogs in particular. If not already using it, that may be something you would want to learn to do before "the next time". (http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/backbutton_af_article.shtml) BBF makes it possible to leave the camera in AI Servo mode in more situations, to make it your default mode to be ready for almost anything. It also sort of puts the photographer back in charge of where the camera focuses, rather than leaving it up to chance with more automated settings.

So I get an email from B&H advertising a Hoya ND filter for $44.95. Decided to buy it. Went to their web site and put it in my cart. Went through the checkout process, first trying PayPal - that didn't work. Then I tried my Credit Card - that didn't work (kept getting error: An unexpected error occurred while trying to submit your order.
Please call or email our customer service dept to check the status of your order.)

I first tried three or four time with my MacBook, then tried placing the order with my iPhone! No joy! It was one of this deals that ends in a few hours and I have to be on a plane in the morning. I have ordered stuff from B&H before and never had this kind of problem. Frustrating!