Camera gear

So as not to derail the photo thread, all equipment discussions can come in here

So, what gear do you use? What made you choose that? What's good, what's bad about it? What would you change (money permitting)?

My kit:

Canon EOS 5D
Canon EF17-40 F4L USM
Canon EF 24-105 F4L IS USM
Canon EF 50 F1.8 (mk I)
Canon EF 70-200 F4L USM
Canon EF 300 F4L IS USM
Canon EF 1.4X
Canon EF 2X II
Canon Speedlite 550EX
Manfrotto 681B Monopod
Manfrotto 441 Carbon one tripod
Markins M10 Ball Head
RRS/Wimberley plates
Many camera bags (crumpler budgie smuggler, tube'o'lager, shrinkle, CCS Mammoth, CCS pouches, Lowepro pouches, Kinesis belt, and looking to get a Think Tank Speed Freak). Conclusion: there's no perfect camera bag.

I use the 5D because I like full-frame. I've had two APS-C crop DSLRs, and just never really got on with them. I like the narrower DOF, larger viewfinder and wider FOV of full frame. The 5D isn't a brilliantly fast camera (although with the right technique it is good enough at in-flight tracking), but canon haven't yet made the camera I want (take the AF performance, processing speed and AF system customisation from the 7D, mix with the F8 AF from the EOS 3, and wrap it around the sensor/viewfinder of the 5D II in a body the size and weight of the 5D II with about 5FPS and you'd be about there).

I'm very happy with my lens kit; the only change I'd like to make would be to change the 70-200 for the IS version. I like the F4 L series lenses as they're significantly lighter than the F2.8 versions, but optically very much on a par. If I could afford I would get a 300 F2.8L IS though...

The one area where I feel I have gone wrong is on supports - I spent far too much on the tripod, and yet barely use it. I think I used the monopod once.

 

yeah, I've a humble canon 400D with the following lenses -
Sigma 30mm f1.4
http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/dclenses/30mm.htm

Tamron 28mm - 75mm f2.8
http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/2875mm.asp

and a cheapo canon zoom lens -
http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/EF_Lenses/Zoom_Lenses/EF_75300mm_f456III/

thinking about getting a 40D soonish...

 

Bit of a cameraphile im afraid

Hasselblad 500 c/m various lenses
Pentax 645n various lenses
Leica M4-P Canon 50mm F1.2
Nikon D300 various lenses
Tachihara 4x5 with 5 lenses
Konica c35
Yashicamatt TLR
Pentax k1000

Cameras just appeal to me as objects as well as the technicalities of exposure composition ETC

 

Interesting bits of kit there Chris. I've been toying with the idea of getting a rangefinder. Is that canon lens one of their leica threaded ones from the old canon rangefinders, or an FD adapted to the M bayonet?

I love the look of the new (cosina built) Zeiss Ikon, but there's no way I can justify spending that sort of money... I was thinking more along the lines of picking up a russian leica thread model, or one of the old canon (P or 7), in the region of £100 or less I'd hope, and run a few rolls of the new Ektar 100. Any advice gratefully received.

 

35mm

I still use the Canon EOS-50E

Range of Canon Ultra Sonic lenses
Speedlite flash
Various Manfrotto tripods
As for film, I use Kodak Gold

Produces beautiful photographs.

 

Hi I-S

I do like rangefinders comfortable compact and less noise. The canon lens is one of the old canon thread with an M bayonet adapter (voigtlander job).

The Bessa series R2-R2A rangefinders are cool. Good kit reliable great lenses. Same basic design as the new Ikon

Konica c35 has a great lens easy and compact camera to use (bit small though) I wouldn't bother with the russian zorki type cameras (never know what day of the week they were made)

The Canon P cameras are very good I had the VT deluxe with built in rapid winder very nice bit of kit that was enjoyable to use. Id be as happy with a P though.

 

Bodies Canon D60 and 20D (bought from this forum!). D60 was the first proper camera I had. Bought the 20D as a) I was after a second body so I could easily switch between two lenses in the field b) I was after a higher burst frame rate than the D60 c) it was cheap.

I now tend to use the D60 with a wide angle lens for landscape and the 20D with a 50mm prime or a zoom for portraits and other.

Money no object I would like a body that could auto-bracket 7 exposures...

Lenses

• EF 50 mm f/2.5 Macro + Lifesize converter
• EF 50mm f1.4 prime lens (love this lens)
• EF 17-40mm f4 L
• EF 70-200 f4 L IS

A Billingham 555 bag, which everything lives in (chargers, manuals, books, filters, flash, cleaning kit, batteries, etc) and which I use to lug all the kit around. Too heavy for daily use though, so recently bought a 2nd hand Fogg bag on eBay for carrying just a couple of bodies and lenses.

A Cobra tripod - quite heavy and bulky but very quick and easy to set up. Toying with the idea of getting a compact carbon fibre tripod but I'm dithering.

Software wise I use Aperture with the full suite of Nik plug-ins - cannot rate these too highly. Just recently purchased Photomatix for HDR - very clunky in use compared to Aperture or Nik, but good results.

 

Chris - thanks for the pointers... I've been doing a bit of reading and I think the bessa R2A is perfect as I do 95% of my shooting in aperture priority, and I want a 35mm lens (which the r2 has framelines for).

lbr - you may be interested in a trick you can pull off with the 17-40. The useless EW-83E hood it comes with is something I assume you don't bother carrying around? On the 20D and D60, you can put the EW-83J on that lens without vignetting, and get a FAR more effective hood. On my full-frame 5D I use a slightly filed-down EW-83DII (from the 24 F1.4L) on the 17-40, and the 83J on my 24-105 (instead of 83H).

 

Excellent tip - thanks!

 

Gaaahhhhhhhh!

I've been through the "aspiration inflation" mill. Looking at the rangefinders, I started off thinking about spending a few tens of pounds on a russian rangefinder just to have a bit of a play - nothing to lose.

Then based on what Chris had to say, I think that the voigtlander bessa R2A looks like the job, and they're kicking around £250-£350.

Then I find the Epson RD-1, which is a Bessa R2/R3/R4 body meets the sensor of a Nikon D100 (I have no nostalgia for film), which would be brilliant. But they're around £800!

And I'd still have to buy a lens...

A tenfold increase over my original plan!

 

LOl cameras who'd have em.

ive not used the RD-1 my father had one though and although he liked it he did comment on how slow it was both in recording and delay. Other hand he and i had the Contax G2 very nice bit of kit but again above the Bessa Price.

Brings us back to the Canon P i guess.

 

Well, I was bidding on a 70-200 F4L IS earlier, but didn't get it...

 

oh nice lens so the rd-1 is pulling you in eh ? be interested to hear your thoughts if plump for it and look forward to some pics

 

Nah, there are about 1000 things higher up the list than the R-D1, but if I were to win the lootery I'd pick one up as a toy.

 

Chaps

I keep a cheap little canon 6meg point and shoot in my brief case and I hardly ever use it.

I get much more pleasure and better shots using good old fashioned film.

I have a Leica M6 with a 35/2, a 50/2 and a 90/2.8 lens. I carry it all about in a Billingham bag and it does me fine. I have no urge to change it.

Regards

Mick

 

I started with a Practika L. back in 197? It was a really naff but fun SLR. Then went to a Canon T90 50mm 1.4. Sold that and got a Nikon F3HP 85/1.2

I now use a Leica D-Lux 4 recent purchase to see how I get on.
I still use my Leica M6TTL 35mm summicron on holidays
with the Nikon F3HP

My wants list for 2010:
Leica M9 plus ??? lens.

Rob

 

Today I'm a Pentaxian.

K20D
Sigma 10-20; Tamron 70-300 macro; Sigma 28-80 macro; Pentax 18-55 kit; Petri 135; Petri 28; Kenlock 2x teleconv; Metz 58AF-1; diffuser set; Velbon tripod; Lowepro Rolling Computrekker Plus AW; UV+Pol filter for all glass; remote; level gauge; Giottos Rocket blower, Sensor Swabs, Eclipse and other stuff.

Used to have CaNikon, Minolta, Leica, Rollei, Yashica, Mamiya etc.

Looking forward to the Pentax 645 D launch in 2010!

"dolph"

 

Pentax 645D sounds interesting. A friend still uses a blad 506 or something with a digital back. He earns his living from it. I would just like a great smallish but high quality digital.

 

I went from the usual kodac instamatic (when films especially if you were kid) were hideoiusly dear.

From there a fed 4l (Russian thing like a zorki, made like a "hand granage"

When I was 17 In progressed to an olympus om10 (my bro had the om1)

When my dad ventured into digi (late 90s) I had his Canon A1 off hiim. Stunning camera but the digi bug/get 'em all on the screen that evening , was biting.

For my 40th my folks helpd me with a nikon 5700. A fell in love with the thing in Jessops/ crewe and paid a hopeless price for one.

The focussing ia bit soft but Ii've always liked the colour balance. In fairness it does a nice job. The view finder is COMLETE cr*p though, as is low light shooting and start up speed.

 

Nikon D50 body
Nikon F55 body
Nikon 50mm f1.8
Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6
Tokina 17-35mm F3.8 -4.5 (used on the F55 to utilise the wide angle)
Sigma 28-200mm f3.8-5.6

Yashica 108 with 24mm 50mm and 135mm lenses

Yashica-44 TLR (very difficult to source 127 film nowadays)

Asahi Pentax S3 with 55mm f2 Super Takumar

Olympus Trip 35(the original '70s model with a cracking 40mm lens)