The Sun Shines Underground

It has (mercifully) been a while since I did a Sunday text update, so I figured it was about time to do another one.

One topic I thought I'd cover is one I always find interesting from other people: what equipment they have and use.It tends to be a good way to find out what's out there and what gear people recommend, so perhaps this post will introduce you to something new or help you research a new bit of hardware.

Body
When I started taking the pictures I have been posting here (everything up through the end of the honeymoon photos, so 2-3 years worth of work) I was using a Canon Rebel XS. I have since graduated to a Canon 60D.

Since the Rebel XS isn't being made any more I'll skip over that for now and focus on the 60D.

It's a solid body, especially compared to the XS. It feels like it can take a beating and, from all accounts, it can. I haven't personally banged mine up too much, but it's been smacked into hard surfaces a few times and is none the worse for it. The control layout (wheels, buttons) is fairly intuitive and for anyone used to DSLRs and Canon offerings in particular, it should not take more than a few minutes to acclimate to. The biggest difference here from the XS is that the wheel for controlling aperture in Manual mode is now down by your thumb, rather than up top by your index finger. The wheel at the top is now exclusively for shutter speed when in Manual.

Other benefits of the 60D include a fairly high ISO cap, better burst mode (around 6FPS), a top mounted screen to show settings so you don't waste battery keeping the main screen on, and a really nice set of informational screens for when you do keep the main screen on.

Far and away my favorite thing about the 60D, however, is the display screen. Because this body can do HD video and is often used as such, a movable display screen on the back of the body can be flipped out and rotated around. Check it out!

Image courtesy cameralabs.com

The ability of the screen to be posed like this makes certain shots infinitely easier - if I want to shoot from close to the ground, I don't have to lay down to do it and can just angle the screen to look up at me while using Live Preview. Same for the opposite - I can hold the camera far above my head with the screen tilted down so I can see what I'm doing. Awesome!

My next step up from here will likely be the 5D. The only complaint I have about the 60D is how heavy the thing is, but I know that won't be going away with upgrades either :).

Lenses

Lenses are what everyone cares about anyway, right? I currently run with 3 lenses in my arsenal.

The one I use most is the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. This is a great multi-purpose lens, with the ability to get usefully wide or usefully tight in any situation. I can use it to shoot indoor or outdoors, wildlife or landscape, and don't need to change it out very often. In conjunction with this lens I use the requisite UV filter as well as a tulip lens hood.

This lens has a solid build and has taken quite a few hits unscathed. The lens hood actually really helps in that regard and acts as a bit of a shock absorber at times. Chromatic aberration is a bit of a concern at times, but I've learned to keep it out around F6.3 and it reduces that issue greatly. Otherwise, no complaints.

My second lens was one I mentioned getting here on the blog, a Rokinon FE8M-C 8mm fisheye lens. Fisheye isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for an affordable and good quality lens, this is it. I was a little skeptical of buying my first third-party lens, but this one has been great. The build quality is good, though not quite as heavy as the Canon lenses. Having to set the aperture on the lens itself using a ring might be off-putting to some people who prefer to shoot in Auto, but I don't mind it and I find it doesn't really slow me down. Manual focus is also one of those things that pretty much goes along with fisheye, so no surprises there. The lens does what it sets out to do, which is take absurdly wide shots; experience has shown it to have around a 180 degree field of view.

The final lens to round out the kit is a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II. It's a pretty basic lens, but it gives me a little extra reach when the 135 isn't enough. Optical quality is ok, though not the best in the world. I don't use it very often, though, so it works well enough for my purposes. My next lens buy will probably be something to replace this one.

I also carry a set of Kenko Extension tubes. Extension tubes allow you to basically turn any lens into a macro lens, and they are totally awesome. If you already own several lenses and want to turn your telephoto into a microscope, definitely give these a shot!

Filters

I have a couple specialized filters I carry along with my standard UV filters.

The first is a gridded star filter, but I hardly ever use it and don't recommend buying one unless you have a specific use in mind. I grabbed it more to play with than anything and, while cool, isn't for everyday use.

The second is actually pretty nice, a variable range ND filter. Instead of carrying a full set of different grades, this one lets you darken or lighten it with a twist. Awesome for trying to do longer exposures during the daytime.

The final set is a range of IR filters. The ones I have aren't readily available for purchase any more as far as I can tell (sorry, no link), but they are pretty similar to the other ones on the market now. IR filters are tricky to work with and require a lot of patience, but are pretty neat. I've posted IR pictures resulting from these filters in this post (last picture) and this post (third picture).

Flash

I currently use the 430 EXII. My feeling, after owning this for a while and also having access to the 580 EXII, is that if you don't specifically need the extra features of the 580 don't waste your $230. The 430EXII is a great flash and can do wireless line-of-sight remote triggering from the 60D and up. The 580 is a bit brighter and charges slightly faster, but I haven't found it to be usefully superior. The 430 is reliable and doesn't go through batteries too quickly, but does take 4AAs. Well constructed and useful, I recommend the 430 any day.

That said, if you already have a 430, the 580 is a great additional flash. You can do remote slave triggering of the 430 from the 580, which is awesome.

However, if you have to only buy one, I say go with the 430 and save the money.

It's worth noting that I almost never use my flash without this totally awesome diffuser. Seriously, a diffuser makes a huge difference and is well worth the money. It fits snugly on the flash and I have never had it fall off. Just get one.

Bags

I have two bags that I use on a regular basis for different needs.

My standard bag is the 2400 SLR, which can contain all of my standard lenses, filters, body, and accessories without trouble. It's a sturdy bag for sure, and great for when I just need to grab all my crap and throw it in the car to take somewhere. It's moderately water resistant, and keeps dirt/rain/snow/whatever off the equipment. That said, it isn't good for carrying long distances or for a long time since it is so bulky and has but one shoulder strap.

For longer trips I have the 200EG. This one is more water-proof, just as rugged, and has the benefit of being a backpack. I've done a few hikes with this thing and it's quite comfortable. It doesn't have quite as much useful room as the 2400 so I have to be a little more selective with what I take, but it hasn't been a problem yet. It has a great set of tripod mounting straps on the bottom for carrying a tripod on the go, and overall I definitely recommend this bag if you want to carry some equipment while walking around or hiking. The only complaint is that you have to make sure to lay it flat when you open it, or everything will come spilling out. Not a problem, really, just a little annoying if the ground is wet :).

Misc.

There're a few other odds and ends floating around in my camera bags as well.

The most useful one is my homemade remote shutter release (wired). I made it from an old cellphone headset and it works like a charm. If I ever upgrade to the 5D I'll need to actually buy a real remote, but this bad boy works with any camera that uses the 2.5mm jack.

I obviously carry a few memory cards which are boring.

I currently do not own a great standing tripod and am planning to acquire one within the next few weeks, but I do pack a Gorillapod. Essentially a flexible tripod that can be attached to trees, railings, pretty much anything. I use it for a lot of the outdoors pictures you see on this site because it is lightweight and small, making it easy to hike with. If you look into getting one, I recommend the SLR or SLR-Zoom versions, which did not exist when I bought mine. The main difference is how much weight the ball joints can support - I find that mine definitely starts to crumple under the weight of my larger lenses.

Other small items which go in my bag include batteries for the flash, a white index card for white-balancing, and generally a flashlight for fixing small lighting problems.

Well, that's it folks. Hope this was interesting!

As everyone who reads this will immediately notice, I did a bit of a re-work on the blog's appearance. I really liked the old layout/theme, but I wanted to add a few things that that layout couldn't handle.

Aside from the complete color scheme overhaul (I've always been a big fan of dark backgrounds with lighter text), I have added a few new items to the right-side menu. The one I'm most excited about is the "Popular Posts" section - this will show the 3 most-viewed posts I have, so you can see which things other people have liked and make sure to check them out.

There are two other new boxes which you will hopefully find useful as well. The first is a "Subscribe by Email" option, which (if I set it up correctly) will email you to notify you of a new post. The other is a search function for the blog so you can find previous items.

If anything isn't working right for you, please let me know! Sometimes there are kinks to work out in a new layout.