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
 
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.



Links to Manufacturer
 Links to Discussion on Equipment
Canon 10D Terrific Camera. I love it. Go to dpreview.com and check out the specs and full comprehensive review on this camera there. This camera has been updated a few times now. Canon is now up to the Canon 30D. Major improvement: faster auto focus, better focus tracking, better low light focus, improved high ISO images, and 5 fps RAW shoot speed, plus more. Also consider the Canon Eos 350D Rebel XT , also reviewed there. The Rebel XT is significantly less expensive than the 30D, but has almost all the same functionality. The Canon 5D is another great camera that features a full frame sensor.
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.
24-70mm 2.8 L I use this lens mainly for people shots, portraits, and macros. Remember the 10D has a CMOS sensor that is smaller than 35mm in size. You must multiply by 1.6x, so this lens actually covers 38mm - 112mm. 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.
16-24mm 2.8 L This is my wide angle and landscape lens. The one downside of the 10D is the 1.6x factor on the wide angle side. This lens is actually a 26mm - 38mm lens. For landscapes it would be nice to actually get down to 16mm or at least 24mm, but this lens is a must if you want to take any wide angle shots with the 10D. In conjunction with the EF12 Extension tube it takes dramatically magnified images. Click above to see some of the photos captured with this lens.
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 10D uses the pop-up flash for low focus assist. It works OK, but the 550 works a lot better. It's faster and has a greater range. In addition you don't have the annoying strobe of your in camera flash that also reduces your camera battery life.
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 2200: This printer is now discontinued. This was the printer that most semi-pro to pro users recommend if you want to print photos yourself. I love it. It works best with Epson Enhanced Matte paper and the Matte Black Ink. Forget the other papers, the matte quality blows the rest away. I only use Enhanced Matte and Velvet Fine Art Paper. The Epson R2400 replaces the Epson 2200. As stated by all testers for this printer, this is the best printer every produced 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. I will surely upgrade from my 2200 to the R2400 within the next few months, and I look forward to viewing the improvements in Black and White printing as well as high gloss printing. 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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