Posts Tagged Choosing a camera
Choosing a camera bag
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 25th, 2009
Choosing a camera bag…
Disclaimer: I LOVE camera bags. I understand why some women want a lot of purses. No single purse will fit every occasion and no single camera bag will work in every shoot.
There are two things that might help you in your shopping though: first, expect to pay for quality, and second, get over the beautiful photos of the large bags festooned with camera bodies and lenses.
Point one, paying for quality; if you have a lot of equipment, it won’t take long before that ads up to thousands of dollars of gear quickly. You need to protect that stuff. So don’t wince too much when you need to spend $300 for a good bag. It will last you a long time.
Second point; if you get that big bag with 30 slots for lens, four slots for camera bodies, three more for flashes
A promotional photo of a loaded camera bag. I used to drool over these images. What do you think this weighs?
and side pockets for the little things, it needs to come with something else: a Sherpa to carry it. This might be ok if you take the bag from home/office/studio to the car, and from the car into a shooting site where you just pull from the bag all day. But there aren’t too many jobs like that unless you’re primarily a fashion or product photographer.
I still have, and it is still one of my favorite cases, a Tamrac 814. (I think it is an 814. They don’t make this model any more.) And I loaded it full of gear and was trouncing around Cairo one day when I started to take on an “S” shape. That gear was killing my back with continuous walking and shooting. And if you want to keep your gear, you don’t dare set it down in Cairo.
I wasn’t home 20 minutes when I ordered a Lowell Pro backpack. A little more difficult to swap gear in and out of, but a lot easier on the back.
I have a bunch of bags, but here are some favorites:
* Case Logic Camera Messenger bag; This is my everyday bag that allows me to carry my camera and essential gear with me everywhere. I carry a D-700 body with a 17-35 lens attached, and a 70-200 mm lens in the side. I have to detach the handgrip/battery holder and this goes in the other side, along with a SB900 speedlight. I also have room for my Canon HD video camera if I want to take it along. (I shoot video for the Weather Channel, and it isn’t good to run into a nice wall cloud and not have a camera.)
* Tamrack 814; This is a minimal sized bag for carrying a D-700 and two lenses. The 70-200 mm is just too long. But if I get a bigger bag, I’ll just fill it, so I’ll make this one work. It is supposed to be able to carry two camera bodies in this model, but not unless they both have small lenses. Even with two pro quality medium zooms it would be tight.
* Lowell Pro backpack.; this is a great bag. It holds the above gear easily and can accommodate a second body without a lens attached. Or a video camera. This is an earlier version of their packs and the accessories pocket is one big, giant maw. New bags have many smaller pockets to help organized stuff. I recommend this if you carry the stuff I do. (See my packing list below.)
* I have two excellent bags from National Geographic. They caught my eye because I thought they looked good, and I was curious about their quality since National Geographic put their names on them. Yes, they are excellent. I ended up getting a daypack and
Me shooting at the edge of Lake Fagnano in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Everything fit in my National Geographic bag. This is the "Explorer Backpack - Large."
a large backpack. The daypack acts much like the Case Logic bag above, but dressier. I take it when I don’t want to look like I’m carrying a camera bag. The large backpack holds lots of gear and enough clothes for a day or three, depending on where you’re going and what you need. Everything is padded well and looks great too.
I have to admit that I was drawn to the style of the National Geographic bags in part because of Marlin Perkins. You know, the white haired guy from 70’s Sunday night show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. “The lioness has my leather briefcase firmly in her claws, but my companion Jim is going to go get it back for me. Well done Jim! See to those cuts before you get blood all over the Land Rover.” I loved that show. But I digress.
* Tamrack Velocity 5 case; I don’t use this much any more. My first DSLR was a D70 with the kit lens. This bag worked great as my day bag to keep a camera with me, as well as a few other things. But it isn’t big enough to accommodate large pro lenses. The truth is few bags are designed to work with a whole set of f2.8 lenses. So try before you buy.
* Hard cases; I have two hard cases for carrying gear. The first is a Pelican 1650. I got it both to protect my gear in wet environments, and so I could safely check a bunch of gear on an airplane. There was a problem with this latter plan. I don’t know the exact weight of this case, but I’d guess about 35 lbs. That only leaves me about 15 lbs of gear before the airlines charge me exurbanite fees for being over the 50 lbs limit. I still haven’t really solved this since tripods and stuff weigh so much. I’d get charged for multiple bags too, depending on the airline… Sigh.
My other case is smaller and holds one set of gear. One body, two lenses and a flash. It is my go anywhere in any weather case. It is a Seahorse brand. Works well so far and cheaper than the top of the line Pelican cases.
* Tripod bag; There are times when I need to carry a big tripod, and the rest of the gear I’m packing won’t accommodate it. I have a PortaBrace Tripod bag. It is made to carry big video tripods so I can carry two smaller tripods or even a set of light stands. Odd story; once in St. Louis, I’m at the baggage carousel waiting for my gear to come around. I see the tripod bag on the belt and wait patently for it to get to me when this older (I’d guess 70) lady picks up my tripod bag, carries it over and lays it with her growing stack of bags. Folks, there is nothing common about a bright blue, 4 foot long triangular bag with a wooden handle. It wasn’t like it was a black roller bag. When I went to retrieve it, she seemed surprised; “Oh, is that yours?” Hmmm.
Ok, anytime you have a bag, you’ve got stuff to go with it. Some of this stuff varies depending on where you go, but a few things are good anywhere.
Accessories I carry in my camera bags:
Small flash light
Small roll of toilet paper in a ziplock bag
Lens cloth(s)
Comb
Small screwdriver
Small package of Band-Aids
Sensor cleaning swabs (NEVER use paper products!)
Pen & notepad
Business cards
Memory cards in crush proof case
And when I’m actually traveling with my camera bag as my carry on,
Cell phone
iPod
Water bottle & snacks
Tickets & passport in quick access compartment
I used to carry one of those cable locks where a cable pulls out, goes around your bag and connects it to something solid, so someone can’t grab your bag while you are sleeping at the airport or from under a chair at a restaurant. That is until I had my bag locked to my chair at an outdoor café in Uruguay. It wouldn’t unlock. At all. I ended up borrowing a pair of nail clippers and working on the small cable over time to get the thing cut. It took a while. I’ll get another some day.
All about camera bags now. I’m sure you guys have suggestions, tips and stories. Let’s hear them!
Keep shooting,
Mark
Shooting with a splash
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on May 21st, 2009
A friend of mine from New Zealand sent me a note saying he is working on a website dedicated to Stand Up Paddle Surfing. How cool is that? My first guess was that paddle surfing was similar to cross-country skiing; still skiing even when there aren’t hills nearby. Nope, when I saw the website, I saw it is big Pacific Ocean waves and serious surfing. Have a look. If you’re an adventurer, it might be for you.
http://www.standuppaddlekiwi.com
But he wants to be able to take pictures in a really wet environment and he asked if I had any suggestions. Indeed I do.
There are several options to dealing with this wonderful liquid. To determine which path we’ll take, we need to know the whole range of photographic needs and decide if they extend beyond water photography. Some questions we might ask are; Are water photographs all we really need to take pictures of or are these a small percentage of the overall use of the camera? Is it a one-time shoot or will we be frequently updating our wet-shots? Is the camera likely to get damp, wet, dunked or submerged? Any actual under-water photography in the plans?
Lets go the easier route; if using the camera for these water photographs is an infrequent or one-time use, consider renting your equipment. There are lots of places that will rent waterproof gear to you, even if they have to ship it to you. It won’t be cheap, but it will be much less than if you bought equipment that will sit on a shelf.
On the other extreme, if you want to do some diving with your equipment and water photography is in your indefinite future, then you’ll need some specialized gear. For example Nikonos is the Nikon line of submersible camera equipment. Any of it will be suitable for getting in waves and getting water all over everything. (But keep in mind that if you envision diving to photograph colorful reefs, the name of the game is light. You’ll need to be able to use a big external flash, or flashes, to get your photos.)
Most people, and I think my friend Paul is in this group, need something in the middle.
Fortunately, there are several cameras that are designed for the task, mostly in point-and-shoots, but there is an option in D-SLRs too.
For point and shoot cameras, Olympus has a waterproof and shockproof Stylus 720SW. There is also the Pentax Optio W10 and the Vivitar VIVICAM-6200W. (Since you have a choice of several waterproof cameras to choose from, make sure you compare features like what depth it is waterproof to, and how long it can stay there. Is it meant to just survive a dunking or really go swimming?)
The only choice in the D-SLR line that comes close to wetness protection is the Pentax K10D. And this is weatherproof. Not waterproof. So why do I mention it here? Well if rain is what you’re fighting, or if you’re following a surfer in a boat or jet ski with spray and splash, it might be a good choice for you. Especially if you want to work with long lenses and work with manual functions.
There is another choice for people working with sports in a very wet environment, (like surfing); the Sanyo Xacti video camera. I own one of these and when I raced my Tartan 34 sailboat to Bermuda last year, I left it in the cockpit through waves and rain so I capture whatever happened without trashing my best gear. AND it takes 8 megapixel still images. And it can take those still images while recording video.
It really is an amazing camera, but there are two big downsides to it; first, it records video in standard definition (640 x 480) not high definition. (I think there is a PAL version available.) Standard Def is no problem for the web, but if you put the video up on your new 72 inch plasma HDTV, it won’t look as good as you might imagine. (Sanyo makes an HD version of this camera that is not waterproof at the time of this writing, so don’t get confused and buy the wrong one.) Second down side; the still photos are ok, but not great; middle-range point and shoot quality. But if you want waterproof (up to 6′ I think) video and still images at a reasonable price (about $220 US) there really isn’t anything else that I’ve seen.
A good balance to really protect your stuff, especially if you already own some camera gear is to go with a protective housing. There are quite a few to choose from, depending on how much protection you need and features like connecting external flashes. Some are just sealed bags that are custom fit to certain cameras and others are small submarines. The prices vary widely so take an antacid before you go shopping. Ewa-Marine is a well known name in camera housings.
So what do I think? If there is any need for video, that Sanyo is hard to beat.
Really want to use your expensive D-SLR camera but don’t like the prices of the waterproof housing? Save your money and buy a really long, really fast lens and shoot from shore.
If still images are all you need, a waterproof and shockproof point-and-shoot camera is probably your best bet. Very good quality and usable with one hand. (Very important when shooting a guy paddle surfing 20 feet away from you, and you’re both about to get crushed by a cresting monster wave.)
So don’t forget to put the wrist strap on, and keep shooting!
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
Which camera is best for you?
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything, Focus on May 8th, 2009
I’ll say right up front that I can’t tell you the answer to this question, but, I can give you some directions to look.
Point and Shoot vs. a Digital-SLR
Let’s do a big separation here. Do you just want good pictures of the family? Something to grab those irresistible looks on your daughter’s face? Don’t know or care about f-stops? My friend, YOU are a candidate for any of the many excellent point and shoot cameras out there. And the good thing here is that they all take EXCELLENT photos. The only things to consider are features. But that is another post.
Or, did you have a film SLR and loved taking photos a few years ago but never made the leap to digital? You loved your Tri-X black and white film and remember the good old days when you took that dark room class in college. (Oh, the nasty chemicals we used to just pour down the drain!) You have an interest in taking photography to the next level? Being more creative? Then maybe a D-SLR is for you.
(One other note, these two cameras are not mutually exclusive. I have a LOT of camera gear. But I just bought a little point and shoot from Canon and I love it. Why? A few weeks ago my 10-month-old daughter was in a pink dress and the cat walked into the room. She lit up with a wonderful smile and all my camera gear was packed safely away in camera bags elsewhere. So I pulled out my iPhone and took a picture that is now my wife’s favorite. It is a grainy, 1 megapixel image that I can’t look at without wishing I had taken it with a camera instead of a phone. So now I always have a camera with me.)
Leaning toward a D-SLR
Ok, so you want to make the jump to a digital single lens reflex camera (D-SLR.) Here is the good part: the entry-level D-SLR cameras from either Nikon or Canon are excellent choices. You get a lot of camera for your money. At the time of this writing, for the Nikon, it is the D40. For Canon, it is the Rebel. You can spend more money, but I’m not sure why unless you really want some of those extra features. The 80/20 rule works here: you are getting 80% of the features with these cameras. You’ll really have to spend a lot more to get that remaining 20%.
Not convinced the low-end cameras are the way to go? Here is another idea; buy the lower end camera bodies and spend that extra cash you have on good lenses. Camera bodies will come and go, but good glass will stay with you year after year. But brace yourself; good lenses can cost three times as much as your camera.
Can I use the lenses from my film camera with my digital SLR? Answer: Maybe. With Nikon, yes. (As with both Nikon and Canon, because of the small size of the sensor, you multiply the lens focal length by 1.5. So if you put a 50mm lens on a DX camera, [Nikon D40 through the D300 or the Canon Rebels or 50D] the result will be the same as if you put on a 75mm lens. If you buy an FX body [Nikon D3 or D700 or Canon 1D or 5D] the lens will act normally. A really old lens may lack some of the metering functions, but will still work.)
Canon lenses, probably won’t work. They have been much more anxious to incorporate the latest technology, even if that means making a lens for a specific camera line.
Last comment on old lenses; before you pull that old manual focus, 7 lb zoom out of the shoebox in the closet, keep in mind that new lenses are vastly superior in performance to the old lenses. Design, coatings, etc, combine to give you a great lens. Even the “kit” lens that comes with the camera.
Finally…
One final thought about choosing a camera; you may be excited about taking creative photos with a D-SLR, but a camera that gets left at home is worthless. If you get a D-SLR, buy a small bag that is easy to grab on your way out the door. Get in the habit of taking it with you or you might as well have bought a shirt-pocket sized point and shoot.
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
So you’re a professional photographer…..
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything, Focus on May 8th, 2009
I wonder if, in certain professions, the same questions appear over and over. The way a sore elbow is asked about when someone says “Actually I’m a doctor…”.
For me, the question is, “So what camera do you use?”
There are a lot of reasons people ask me this, but I think the biggest is that a lot of people are constantly shopping for a camera, but never buy one because the choices out there are overwhelming. SLR or point and shoot? Canon or Nikon? Which lenses do I get? How much memory? What is a megapixel?
I’m guessing some people think if they ask a professional photographer what camera they use, that might be a magic bullet. If she uses a X900, I’ll get an X900, or maybe an X900 JR.
When I answer the question I loose half my audience right off the bat; because if I say Nikon and the person asking is a Canon user, then never mind. And visa-versa. It seems a person’s preference in one of these two major manufacturers is stronger than politics or Mac vs. PC, and maybe a little more ingrained than religion. (There are other manufacturers out there of course, just as there are always cults out on the fringe. But we don’t want these people taking our picture and we certainly don’t want to ask them about cameras. )
We almost expect to hear a knock on our door, and two well dressed young men saying “Good morning, we’d like to talk to you about Pentax….” Slam the door!
I’ll get it out in the open right now. I use Nikon D700s. I’m guessing some people are saying “Hmm. Too expensive for my tastes.” And others are saying “Hmm, wonder why he doesn’t use the D3? Or the new D3x?”
Here is my answer to both. (Canon users and the rest of you, be patient. Much of this applies no matter what brand you use.) First, the D700 is a “full frame” camera, meaning it has a much larger imaging sensor than “DX” cameras do. By full fame, I mean the sensor is the same size as a piece of 35mm film. There is nothing magical about this size. It is, in fact, an arbitrary size in the digital world, but it is now a standard for larger sensor sizes. So to me, the $3000 price tag for each camera body is worth it.
Why not the D3, Nikon’s top of the line? If I shot sports, or something else that required the D3’s incredibly fast frame rate, I would. But I don’t and I am too hard on cameras to spend an extra $2000 on features I don’t use. I was in Cameroon waiting for a plane full of medical supplies to arrive when my camera rolled off a small ledge and broke the whole lens mount off the frame of the camera. (That my 70-200 lens wasn’t broken was a true miracle.) Fortunately I was with a group of doctors, including an optometrist, who had a nice tool kit and some superglue for fixing glasses. The camera made it through that trip, but if I’m going to trash camera bodies, I need a good reason for that to be a $5000 loss instead of a $3000 loss.
In the near future, there may be a technology gap between the very highest cameras and the D700s that warrant the extra price tag. But right now there isn’t.
For you Canon users, let me say I almost put my whole Nikon collection up on EBay not long ago to make the jump. The release and incredible performance of the D700 stopped me at the last minute.
I, like many of you, stuck with Nikon in the jump to digital because I shot with Nikon film cameras. But truthfully, until Nikon released the D3 and the D700, Canon had it all over Nikon in the digital world. The playing field is now about even. For most things, I’d prefer Nikon. If I was suddenly thrust into the world of fashion photography, I’d probably jump to Canon.
When shopping, make sure you compare FX cameras to FX cameras and DX cameras to DX cameras. There is quiet a price jump between the two.
Next time: which camera is best for you?
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com