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09/04/2004 03:38:59 PM · #1 |
Hello,
This is my first time to post a message. I have been a stealth member so far, but I'm currently trying to come up with a submission for "backlighting." Maybe Hurricane Frances will be so kind.........
Anyway, as you can read, I have a Canon 300D as my camera. My question to y'all is...
"specifically what kind of items listed below would you carry in your gear bag if you most enjoyed shooting landscape (including wildlife) and macro pics?"
1. lenses?
2. filters?
3. tripod?
4. brand, speed, size of memory stick?
5. gear bag?
6. flash?
7. camera?
8. ?????
I appreciate any and all opinions, cause I know that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Thanks for the help, I'm looking forward to your replies.
Davidtexttexttexttext
Message edited by author 2004-09-04 15:48:35. |
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09/04/2004 03:45:33 PM · #2 |
Just one quick thing to add for your list that is often overlooked, a compass. I keep one in my bag and use it when scouting out new locations. Comes in great to figure out what direction in your scene the sun will rising or setting.
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09/04/2004 04:11:02 PM · #3 |
I carry a GPS receiver so I can record exact locations I may want to return to, and of course because it makes it easy to get back out of the woods if you stray off the beaten path.
For filters I would suggest a circular polarizer for your largest lens, and conversion rings so you can step down to smaller lenses - saves buying multiple filters. You'll also want a Neutral Density, and graduated ND filter. The graduated should be a square plate that fits in a holder rather than circular.
I've been served well with my two current lenses: 18-70mm kit lens, and 70-300 f/4-5.6 zoom. Would like both to be faster, but budget constrained me. The 18-70mm does a great job of covering wide angle and typical portrait needs. The 70-300 covers most of the range you'd need for typical working conditions. At 300mm you can get very nice "macro" shots.
Taken with Nikor 70-300 f4-5.6
It's not as nice as a dedicated macro, and won't let you do Jacko-esque shots, but it lets you work from 10` away, which is nice with bees! If I were to purchase a dedicated macro it would be a 200mm as I like that focal length's working distance for most wildflowers.
If you're into the animals more than the landscapes you'll need a second mortgage. You'll want very long glass for bird or wild animal work to stay outside their fright zone.
Tripod - definitely. I love the weight and convenience of my manfrotto, but I woudl make a different choice (in size) if I did it over again. Before you buy a tripod, bring your camera to the store with your largest glass and a speedlight. Put it all on your camera, then mount it in a display tripod. Now try to frame something across the room. See if the camera sags or is held steady. Ideally, you'll want a tripod that can get very low, and also bring the camera to nearly eye-level without raising the center section. (that'll save you a sore back). This all means an expensive tripod, which is probably heavier than you'd think ideal.
That's what I'd do for a pro's bag, but you can go pretty far with the kit lense and a high-end tripod... I'd suggest starting there, and as you discover things that limit you, buy the gear at that point. Buying it too soon sometimes gives you too much to think about.
Message edited by author 2004-09-04 21:25:30.
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09/04/2004 04:17:38 PM · #4 |
I wouldn't consider myself a pro, but I've been around the block a couple times:
1. Lenses: Sigma 12-24mm for "panoramic" lanscape shots; Sigma 105mm Macro for macro and close up work; Canon 28-105mm USM for general purpose shots; Canon 75-300mm for telephoto work (I am replacing this with the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM IS lens in the next month or so)
2. Filters: Graduated ND filter for sunsets/sunrises (be sure to get the setup with a ring and ND gelatin so you can have more control over where the horizon is), Hoya 8x ND filter for waterfalls, Hoya Circular polarizer filter, Hoya RM-72 infrared filter, and sometimes a couple UV filters for protection and helping to cut through haze.
3. Tripod: Depends on where I am going, either my Slik Sprint mini tripod or my Bogen/Manfrotto 3246 Tripod with 3030 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head.
4. Memory: Right now, I am using two standard Sandisk 512mb memory cards. Sometime in the future I may upgrade to a faster 512mb or 1gb memory card and then buy a portable HD to upload stuff to on longer backpacking trips/vacations.
5. Grear bag: I use a Lowepro Computrekker AW (I don't normally have a laptop with me, but the entra pouch holds maps and other goodies), I also have a Lowepro Nova 1 AW bag for short trips where I only need a couple lenses and a couple filters with me.
6. Flash: I have a Sunpak 555 Auto flash, it's fully manual and plugs into my camera's PC port; I really like the fact that it's cheap, has a good recycle time, and comes with a L-bracket and has a handle built in - very handy for getting great angled light on macros. I'll probably buy the 580EX speedlight when it comes out mostly because I miss the AF focus light that my 420EX had and the auto TTL metering which speeds everything up a bit during high-action shooting.
7. Camera: Canon EOS-10D. I probably won't be upgrading to the 20d - the 10d is a great camera and investing more money in quality lenses and studio lighting equipment is more important to me. Perhaps a year or so down the road I'll pick up a 1D Mark II - after playing with my friend's 1D, I'm not sure I'd want anything less. :)
8. Navigation: I use a Garmin Etrex Vista GPS unit for mapping and compas. It also lets me set pointers on specific locations, so I can come back to the exact spot and reshoot. :) My Nextel phone also has a GPS feature, it's not very advanced but it shows me my coords for future use.
Edit: I also sometimes use a Kenko 2x teleconvertor (a teleconvertor mounts between the camera and the lens and doubles both the aperture and magnification ratio - so my 300mm lens * 1.6x camera magnification factor * 2 = 960mm). The Kenko isn't amazing but it was cheap and performs well when I need it and there is enough light around.
That's all folks, hopefully it helps someone? :-\
Message edited by author 2004-09-04 16:25:21. |
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09/04/2004 06:33:58 PM · #5 |
| I looked in my bag and found a can of Deep-Woods Off, a box of bandaids, and an unopened package of Wrigley's Spearmint gum... seriously! ;o) |
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09/04/2004 06:38:10 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by laurielblack:
I looked in my bag and found a can of Deep-Woods Off, a box of bandaids, and an unopened package of Wrigley's Spearmint gum... seriously! ;o) |
Camera bag Laurie, not handbag ;)
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09/04/2004 06:38:43 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Ecce Signum:
Camera bag Laurie, not handbag ;) |
Andi honey, let's not EVEN go there... ;o) |
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09/04/2004 06:42:26 PM · #8 |
| One of these. Sometimes you can convince a bear to hold one for you. |
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09/04/2004 06:47:50 PM · #9 |
I think your right Laurie, I thought it was a light load for a hb lol.
I'm no pro but my camera bag is now too small, its contents are
300D
75-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM (for 1 more week)
28-135 f/4-5.6 IS USM
17-40 f4 L
50mm 1.8 Mk1
20gb jukebox
spare battery
256 & 128mg compact flash
Cable release
And in Stanstead airport I have a 70-200 f/f L :)
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09/04/2004 08:35:37 PM · #10 |
Oh yeah - that cable release / remote shutter device is a definite! My local shop hasn't been able to get Nikon remotes in stock since I bought my D70 so I've been using the 2 second timer. Works fine, but I always hate hearing that shrill beeping when I'm in a silent forest.
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