March 29, 2007
Gearhead
After posting about my photography group a few days ago, I've been asked by several people what kind of equipment I use. MicheleLouise in particular asked about all my peripherals--lenses, flashes, filters, calibrators, software, etc. I am, as always, happy to oblige, especially on days when I'd rather check Beck's site for baby pictures every two minutes instead of be thoughtful here.
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I've mentioned my camera body before: It's a Canon Digital Rebel XT (also called the 350D). It's black, about a year and a half old, and I love it like my own child. I got it $200 below retail through B&H. What ended up making me choose the Canon over a comparable Nikon was the size and shape of the body; most of other differences between the two brands ended up being negligible to an amateur such as myself (trust me when I tell you that you will not be able to tell the difference between 8 million and 9 million megapixels). Compared to the Nikon, the Canon felt to me smaller and lighter and more user-friendly--I knew it wasn't something I'd mind carrying around all day every day, which is what I do.
(Here's a recycled sideshow of me and my camera during the two weeks after I first got it.)
The Rebel's standard kit lens (18-50mm) pretty much sucks (it's $100; you get what you pay for), so instead I sprung (sprang?) for the 17-85mm, which is fantastic and amazing in every way--so much so, in fact, that it's still my one and only lens. (Simon inherited some old Canon lenses from his dad, but I think they need adapters to work with my digital body.) Although I'd love a (free) lens with a better zoom, or a wider wide-angle, or a finer macro, the reality is that I'm far too lazy to carry around multiple lenses (not to mention take the time to swap them out), so the 17-85mm has been the most perfect lens for my needs--good range on both the wide and the zoom ends, and it also has image stabilization technology, which helps in low light sans tripod.
Speaking of tripods, I have a full-size on and a mini one, and I never ever use them. I probably should, but again, I don't want to haul fifty pounds of gear with me so they stay in the closet.
I have three lens filters: a $12 UV skylight, mostly to protect the $600 lens; a $30 6x cross, to make light sources turn into stars (as seen here); and a $30 circular polarizer, which reduces glare and probably does a bunch of other neat things but I haven't really taken the time to figure it out.
My memory card is a Lexmark 1 GB with write-assist technology (allows fast shooting and prevents file corruption). The only time I ever wish for a bigger card is when I'm on vacation or shooting weddings. In those cases I usually either dump the full card onto a laptop or use a $30 connecter to transfer them to my iPod Photo. The latter method always makes me a little nervous that something's going to go wrong and I'll lose all my pictures, but so far it's worked perfectly.
Aside from one good, big memory card, my other best peripheral is the spare battery. The camera came with a Canon battery, and my extra is some generic brand that cost half as much and also works half as well. I wish it had a longer life, but it's been fine in a pinch. I always ALWAYS keep a fully charged backup battery onhand.
When I bought my camera online, I also ordered a $15 camera bag, only to discover upon arrival that the better (longer) lens made the unit too big for the bag. A few months later I found a bigger bag with a bunch of velcro dividers for $2 at Goodwill, and it has since been a handy storage container for my circular polarizer and my mini-tripod...in the closet. My dad stores his camera equipment in an old metal lunchbox and I think that's rad.
The other accessory I have but don't use enough is a special microfiber glass-cleaning cloth, which I bought at Heathrow airport because I liked the pink paisley design. My lens is always embarrassingly smudged and I have been known to spit-shine it on occasion; I should be better about that.
The only upgrades I've done to the camera have been a lenscap bungee (I almost lost the lenscap in Venice, about a week after I bought the camera) and a cushy shoulder strap, which Simon bought for me last Christmas. I haven't ventured into the world of external flashes, although that should probably happen eventually.
One of the main reasons I don't yet have an external flash or a second lens or a bunch of crazy filters or lens attachments is because I have Photoshop Elements, the simplified and waaaaaaaay cheaper version of full-fledged Photoshop, which will run you about $650. Maybe when I win the lottery...Or maybe not since my limited skills would surely be wasted on professional-level software. Still, don't underestimate the power of good photo editing, and if you're like me, don't underestimate the power of good photo editing to fix mistakes you made in the field (see also: smudged lens, wrong ISO, weak composition). I covered processing in some detail here.
Well, so...that was kind of boring unless you're camera people. Are you camera people? Did I just turn you into camera people? My ability to talk at length about cameras and Mormons has always saved me at cocktail parties, so how come all I hear now is crickets? Anyone? Guys? Come back! I'll talk about baby/marriage/housing angst if that's what you want!
Posted by Leah at March 29, 2007 04:28 PMYou had me at Canon Digital Rebel XT
:)
Only because I have the exact same camera and you inspire me to do what you do with yours :)
Posted by: Angella at March 29, 2007 06:55 PMObviously I am camera people since I asked about it! Your right the kit lens does stink. I might have to look into adding the one you have to my list of lenses to get. I need a better all-purpose one. It's the 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS right? You do get what you pay for with lenses my favorite right now is my 20mm wide angle that was $430, it was amazing for landscapes when we went to Kauai last month.
Thanks for the info! Now I have more questions. =)
Posted by: MicheleLouise at March 29, 2007 08:39 PMI would love to learn more about photography but the first step in that task is getting a better camera...which is nowhere NEAR in the budget this year.
I love hearing about what you're learning and experimenting with you camera...you've definitely got a great eye that will only get better and better with practice.
For doing nothing more than tweaking photos, Elements is all you'll ever need. If you want to do crazy and fancy stuff, seamlessly integrating Simon into the photo of Roosevelt and Churchill at Yalta or whatever...well, a lot of that can be done with Elements, too, but it's much easier with the big bad $700 full package.
Posted by: Hulkster at March 29, 2007 09:37 PMYay, I love your photography posts! I am always inspired by your pics and although I take loads myself, I just don't seem to have the time to organise, upload etc. I have Photoshop Elements but am ashamed to say that I just can't seem to find the time to learn how to use it. For my birthday this year my hubby is giving me a three day intensive photoshop course, I will be giving myself Photoshop (with some money I came into recently! hooray!) Hopefully I will then be more proactive about working on my pics and uploading/sharing them! Thanks for continuing to inspire! Oh, and I have the 300D and the exact same EFS 18-85mm Canon lens that I picked up second hand on an aniversary trip to Dublin last year.
INFO REQUEST: can you share your tips for using the macro functions of this lens, I am hopeless and wish I could take pics (like your tulip shot on Flickr) THANKS
Posted by: The Reak Mrs White at March 30, 2007 01:50 AMMy boyfriend has a whole book called "Understanding Exposure" which lives in the bathroom. I horrify myself by actually reading it sometimes.
Posted by: bok at March 30, 2007 02:33 AMLast fall I had asked you about your camera and why you chose it. I was so inspired by your photos and by some users on Flickr ie. Rebekka. So I started shopping around, I went and held the cameras like you suggested and started narrowing down my choices. The only problem was budget. So I started to save my money. In December I was surprised for my birthday with a Nikon D80, my whole family had pitched in.
And now after reading this post I feel the need to start researching some accessories. Wow this can be an expensive hobby.
I absolutely love hearing about your interest in photography and seeing your weekend recapped in a photo essay. Keep them coming!
I want very much to be camera people. I am shopping for a bag that I can use to comfortably carry my camera in at all times so that I can take more pictures and practice using all of the settings that my camera offers. I just won my auction on ebay for a new lens (zoom) that I'm looking foward to breaking in.
Posted by: Melissa at March 30, 2007 06:28 AMThat you have the camera with you all the time is the single most important thing in this post.
Expand your lens list by one...get the cheap (~100) EF50mm f1.8. It's plastic crap, but very sharp. Most importantly, you'll be able to experiment with narrower DOF. Even wide open, the 18-85 does gives you a pretty wide DOF.
My husband is about to make the leap from his current (cheap) digital camera to something more substantial for his fledgling nature photography biz. I think I'll have him read this post! :)
I forgot to add that I'd love to hear about who inspires you. Do you have any favourite photo bloggers or flickr users?
Posted by: Teej at March 30, 2007 10:38 AMTeej--See this post.
Two of my regular favorite superstars are Rebekka and Phitar, photos "Eleven" and "Four" in the linked post.
Another good place to go is JPG mag, although I prefer seeing bodies of work rather than just one photo by a particular person.
The one real-life down-to-earth person who inspired me to get my camera and get shooting was Gimmy: http://flickr.com/photos/cliov/sets/72157594313380558/
Posted by: Leah at March 30, 2007 10:55 AMI second the motion for the 50mm 1.8. Very cheap, but in this case you get MORE than you pay for (~$100). It's very small and light, takes great low-light photos, and the short DOF makes for very arty shots. (Drawback: Very often one of my kid's eyes will be in focus, and the other won't be. The DOF can be that short.)
Posted by: Lori at March 30, 2007 01:40 PMI love the camera talk. I just got a decent digital camera at Christmas time. I am just starting out. A friend of mine (who is more experienced and a better photographer) and I are doing a year a photo project together. We pick a theme for the week and then send each other a picture. We actually print and send them via snail mail. Cause it's fun to actually get mail and with digital this forces us to print them. We started at the beginning of the year and plan to take it through all 52 weeks.
Posted by: thesparkler at March 30, 2007 03:28 PMhttp://confessionsofanewmommy.blogspot.com/2007/03/id-like-to-thank-academy.html
Consider yourself tagged ;)
Posted by: rookiemom at March 30, 2007 08:26 PMOh, I also meant to say that I also have a no-name battery in addition to the Canon battery that came with my 10-D, but unlike yours, mine easily lasts 4x as long as the Canon battery. Not sure why; I assumed that rechargeable batteries have only so many charges in them, and the Canon battery was nearing the end of its life. I use the Canon battery as a backup, in case the "good", no-name battery dies.
Posted by: Lori at March 31, 2007 06:48 PMThis was a great post! I am currently stashing my pennies for a digital SLR - I have a nice regular digital camera, and a non-digital SLR, with zoom lenses, etc. I've been researching and trying to decide between the Nikon and the Canon, and you brought up a great point - instead of just looking a specs and reviews, I really need to go pick one up in my hands and see how it feels. I've been taking pictures for years, so if I buy a camera that makes me change my style completely, there could be definite unhappiness on my part. Thanks for the reminder!
Posted by: mar at April 1, 2007 08:09 AMI'm about to buy a Rebel XTi, but apparently I'll be sentenced to a few years of wedding photography to pay it off. The Nikon-Canon question is a matter of preference; both are good. It's Ford-Chevy. I find the Canons are easier to use, though, so I guess it's really Mac-PC.
If the old Canon lenses are EOS lenses, they'll fit your camera. The only downside is that the digital sensor will create more magnification, so that a wide-angle lens won't be as wide-angle.
Posted by: Texas T-bone at April 3, 2007 03:04 PM
