| Photo Equipment Discussion | |
| The links below will give you details on the specific photo equipment that I use | |
| Focal length on lenses are listed for 35mm cameras, you must multiply by 1.6x for the 10D and XTi. Focal length is correct as stated for the 5D Mark II as it uses a full frame sensor. | |
I spent many hours researching all of the equipment I eventually purchased. Click the links below to see examples of photos I have taken using specific equipment. Also, find out why I purchased each particular piece and what I think of the equipment now that I have taken a thousand or so shots with it. | |
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Links to Manufacturer | Links to Discussion on Equipment |
| Canon 5D Mark II - Click here for an extensive review. I purchased this camera in November 2008, before a trip to Rwanda and Kenya. This camera is absolutely fabulous. Go to dpreview.com and check out the specs and review on this camera there. The number one reason to get this camera is it's ability to shoot amazing photos at high ISO. Shots at ISO 6400 are amazing. The 1080P HD video is fun as well. This camera is put together really well, and has lots of nice features that make it simple and a pleasure to use. Don't even think about it, just buy one, you won't regret it. | |
 | Canon Rebel XTi - I purchased this camera for my wife in November, 2006. Go to dpreview.com and check out the specs and full comprehensive review on this camera there. This is a great camera for beginners who do not want to bother with lots of settings or custom functions. Photos quality is great. If you like to make lots of manual adjustments or have custom settings to make shooting quicker and easier, this camera is not for you. I'm not saying you can't shoot in manual mode, or plus up a photo, it's just a bit less convenient with this camera. |
 | Canon 10D Terrific Camera. I love it. Go to dpreview.com and check out the specs and full comprehensive review on this camera there. I purchased this camera back in April 2003 and currently use it as my backup camera. It's a workhorse. The popup flash no longer pops up, but I will always love this camera. Now that I have the 5D Mark II, the difference in photo quality is pretty large. Click above to see some of the photos captured with this camera. |
 | 70-200mm 2.8 L IS This lens is absolutely fantastic and a must for wild life photography. The image stabilization is amazing. Combined with the 1.4X Extender, it has even more power, with almost no loss of quality. Click above to see some of the photos captured with this lens, and the amazing resolving power possible when combined with the 10D. |
 | 24-70mm 2.8 L I use this lens mainly for people shots, portraits, and macros. I also often use this lens in conjunction with the EF12 Extension Tube. Click above to see some of the photos captured with this lens on the 10D. |
 | 16-35mm 2.8 L This is my wide angle and landscape lens. In conjunction with the EF12 Extension tube it takes dramatically magnified images. Click above to see some of the photos captured with this lens. When shooting with the 5D Mark II in jpeg mode with Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction active, vignetting is eliminated in camera. Great feature, and great results. Click above to see some of the photos captured with this lens on the 10D. |
 24-105mm 4.0L IS | 24-105mm 4.0L IS - I bought this as a walk around lens for my wife to use with her XTi. It's a great lens, and takes wonderful photos. The one downside of the XTi is the 1.6x factor on the wide angle side. This lens becomes a 38mm - 168mm lens when mountied on the XTi. For landscapes it would be nice to actually get down to at least 24mm. F4.0 is also a bit limiting for low light, but the IS makes up for it a bit. Still at times it's nicer to have 2.8 or lower when shooting portraits. If you are only going to purchase one lens with your body, this one is a good choice. |
 | Extender EF 1.4x II A fantastic extender. It changes my 70-200mm lens into a 98-280mm lens. Now with the 10D's 1.6x factor it actually becomes a 157-448mm lens. I personally can see no loss of image quality while using this extender. It is an absolutely amazing piece of glass. I highly recommend purchasing one along with the 70-200mm L IS. You'll need the image stabilization for sure at this point if you don't want to use a tripod. |
 | Extension Tube EF12 This tube can be combined with any of the above lenses. It is great fun for those who enjoy macro photography. Your magnification factor will increase as you combine it with lower mm lenses. It is an inexpensive item to purchase and great fun. |
 | Speedlight 550 EX Great Flash. Amazing power. Also very easy to us. Basically just point and shoot, the E-TTL does the rest. Best part is the infra-red low light focus assist beam. The 5D Mark II has no pop-up flash so it's nice to have a flash on hand for those rare occasions where it is needed to illuminate the subject or just for focus assist. |
 | Kaesemann MRC Circular Polarizing Filter A polarizer is necessary for anyone who enjoys taking landscape photos. It cuts the haze and increases contract for a much nicer picture. Circular Polarizers are necessary for auto focus lenses. They don't polarize as well as traditional polarization filters, but you have no choice if you still want to auto focus. Click above and see why I chose the Kaesemann MRC filter. |
 | B+W UV Haze MRC 010 Filter The UV filter helps reduce haze in photos as well, but it's main purpose is protection. Many people recommend not using one, but I rather have this filter get scratched instead of my expensive lens. Click above and see why I chose the B+W Filter |
 | Gitzo 2220 Explorer Tripod Tripods are often overlooked as a critical piece of photo equipment. If you have a cheap tripod that shakes in the wind, your picture will be blurry no matter how good the rest of your equipment is. This tripod is unique in that it can be set in many unusual positions. Each leg locks individually at any angle from 0 - 90 degrees. Also the center column is offset so that it can swivel horizontal or upside down. Click above and see why I chose this particular tripod. |
 | Gitzo 1276M Ball Head Guess what. Pro tripods don't come with head attachments for the camera. You have to purchase it separately. This was the head recommend by Gitzo for the tripod I purchased. That is why I picked it. So far it has been great. The Arca Swiss B1 is the head recommended by every pro out there, but heck that thing is big and heavy and cost a mint. The Gitzo has worked fine for me. |
 | RS-80N3 Remote Trigger If you want to shoot photos on a Tripod you can use the 10D's built in 10 second delay, or set the mirror lock up and get a 3 second delay, but that is just too annoying for me. If you take many photos on a tripod and want good control you really need a Remote Trigger. Click and find out about the other Remote Triggers available from Canon, and why I choose this one. |
 | LowPro Mini Trekker: So you have all your equipment now, but how are you going to carry it all around. This backpack is wonderful. It easily fits ALL of my gear, including a setup on the outside to firmly hold my tripod. It has a rain hood that completely covers the pack as well. Great padding, and it looks just like a regular backpack, so most will not realize you are carrying photo gear inside. (LowPro has recently upgraded the Mini Trekker to the Mini Trekker AW. The new backpack has an All Weather cover.) |
 | Epson R2400: I love it. As stated by many tester of this printer, this is the best printer for Black and White printing. It is also far superior over the 2200 with regards to glossy prints. Though superior to the 2200 with regards to color matte prints, it is not dramatically better in this regard. The 2200 already was pretty awesome when it came to printing color on Matte papers. Though better than the 2200 with regards to high gloss printing, most say that the Canon i9950 is the best when it comes to color high gloss printing. |
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