Have you used the Magic Lantern firmware hack on your camera? It’s an amazing piece of software that unlocks an incredible amount of functionality for Canon DSLR users and Thomas Juliano wanted to know how I feel about using Magic Lantern on my Canon DSLR cameras.

In addition to that we’re talking about zoom lenses and whether Image Stabilization is worth the money, and how to deal with harsh sunlight when you’re out shooting photos.

Here are the questions answered in this week’s Q&A:

“Sorry for posting twice – I’m not sure if you’ll get a comment notification when I reply to a previous comment.. so here goes:

Question: (Since you really seem to know your stuff). I understand the Canon 70-300 USM and 70-300 IS USM are on the low end of the lens quality scale – no argument there. But for someone who rarely needs a telephoto lens (though it does come up) I don’t want to drop a lot of $$$ (I’d rather toss that extra money into a high-quality macro lens).. That being said, if you were going to buy one of these two low-end lens’ – do you feel the IS feature is worth double the price? ($219 for non-IS and $429 for IS) Again, rarely shooting telephoto but occasionally would like the ability. I mean, if having to use a tripod when zoomed all the way in means I save $250 after tax, I’d go that way.. but based on your professional opinion, if the IS is really worth it (I know IS is a good thing to have, especially when zooming) for this particular lens, maybe I’d drop the extra coin.” – TOUR du PARK

“From now until next fall Kansas will have much more bright sunshine a majority of the day. I don’t want to waste daylight just because it is bright outside. What are some tips for outdoor photography in bright sunlight. Not just portraits but buildings, landscapes etc.” – Alan Simpson

“How do you feel about running something like Magic Lantern on your Camera?” – Thomas Juliano