Photographer's Corner - equipment

[photoguy]

Pic of my Gear Bag

Went on a hike yesterday in Rocky Mountain NP to take a few pictures of wildflowers (not my usual subject). When I got back I took a picture of my gear bag. Everything is stuffed into a lowe-pro mini-trekker classic (do they even make this bag anymore?). I love seeing pictures of people's setup so I thought I'd share mine.

Not shown in the picture is a jacket, food, water which I carried as well.

For urban travel I have a completely different bag and lens setup.

 

[RonBoyd]

Everything is stuffed into a lowe-pro mini-trekker classic (do they even make this bag anymore?).

My only Camera Bag for the past ten years has been a Lowepro Rolling Mini-Trekker AW. (pictured here) I am amazed at how much one can stuff into it. It is on wheels with a pull-out handle, is a backpack, AND, most importantly, it fits in the overhead bin -- even with the new reduced size requirements.

Unfortunately, I cannot find it on Lowepro's website so I suspect it is no longer being made. That's too bad.

 

[explanade]

Most of the time I don't carry a tripod or an additional lens, though my Kata Sling is advertised as being able to carry additional lenses.

I also have a messenger bag with mostly non photo gear, like my iPad, snacks, water bottle, maps.

Even without additional lenses or tripod, after a long day, I feel the weight.

 

[Walt34]

I have this one, but have been thinking about one with rollers and pull-out handle as mine is now stuffed and a bit heavy to lug around. I wouldn't even think of going on a hike with it unless I unloaded it substantially.

Amazon.com : Tamrac 5456 Mirage 6 Photo/Tablet Backpack (Black/Gray) : Electronics

 

[Ronstar]

Nice backpacks - I have a small Lowepro 16L AW that is perfect for hiking and light loads for travel. Fits my camera, a couple of lenses, iPad. But as I got more stuff, I needed something bigger. So I got the Lowepro ProRunner 450 AW. It is huge, and takes everything I have when I go to Arizona for extended periods, to include iPad, laptop, and my go pro stuff. Great backpack, very heavy when full - I wouldn't want to hike with it.

Now I'm going on 3 day trip where I'm going to pack my small Lowepro with camera gear in a carry on. Then use it while hiking. It doesn't have enough room for 3 days of clothes.

 

[photoguy]

I wouldn't even think of going on a hike with it unless I unloaded it substantially.

I should probably lighten up my pack -- lighter gear and fewer lenses. I think my ego is stopping me though

So I got the Lowepro ProRunner 450 AW. It is huge, and takes everything I have when I go to Arizona for extended periods, to include iPad, laptop, and my go pro stuff. Great backpack, very heavy when full - I wouldn't want to hike with it.

Looks like a nice pack. What's the long lens in the middle?

I have a larger Kiboko 30L pack that I use for storing my stuff and moving. But yeah it's way to heavy & big for hiking.

The main thing I dislike about the Mini Trekker classic is there's no water bottle holder and limited room for regular gear.

 

[audreyh1]

With my wide angle setup, I very rarely carry a lot of gear now. I only need to carry two or three lenses and a tripod. The SlingShot 202 AW works quite well for me in the US. Overseas I use a small bag (Lowepro Rezo 170 AW) and only carry one lens, no tripod. I can get a second lens in that bag if I really want to.

 

[Ronstar]

I should probably lighten up my pack -- lighter gear and fewer lenses. I think my ego is stopping me though



Looks like a nice pack. What's the long lens in the middle?

I have a larger Kiboko 30L pack that I use for storing my stuff and moving. But yeah it's way to heavy & big for hiking.

The main thing I dislike about the Mini Trekker classic is there's no water bottle holder and limited room for regular gear.

The long lens is a Tamron 150-600. Great lens, but not a lens to hike with. Really adds a lot to the weight. I think the pack is around 50lbs fully loaded.

I feel your pain on the lack of bottle holder and limited room on your Mini Trekker. My smaller pack 16L AW has a water bottle holder, but very little room for regular gear.

 

[RonBoyd]

The long lens is a Tamron 150-600. Great lens, but not a lens to hike with.

Yes, this lens weighs only ~five pounds. But I can tell you it doesn't take long for it to seem like fifty pounds. Particularly if you are also lugging along a monopod (or, worse yet, a tripod) and the (almost) mandatory gimbal.

 

[FIREd]

Since Apple recently stopped supporting Aperture, I decided to give Adobe Lightroom CC a try. So far I like it. I like the new dehaze tool.

 

[audreyh1]

Since Apple recently stopped supporting Aperture, I decided to give Adobe Lightroom CC a try. So far I like it. I like the new dehaze tool.

I always found Lightroom much easier to use than Aperture. And it was way easier to use than Adobe Camera Raw. Part of it was because I would use ACR before exporting to Aperture. So it was easier to just do everything in Lightroom.

DH still uses Aperture. I'm not sure what he is going to do.

 

[RonBoyd]

Just looks like clarity to me - local contrast - which can be applied to distance features only, if desired, by using a mask.

Ask Tim Grey - New Tool for Haze - June 22, 2015

I had previously referred to the Clarity adjustment in Lightroom's Develop module as the "haze buster", but I will no longer refer to it this way now that the Dehaze adjustment has been added to Lightroom.

The comparison image can be found by scrolling down (in the included link) or going here:

https://www.facebook.com/timgreypho...0254852341936/996986693668743/?type=1&theater

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Do you own a Canon Point & Shoot? Interested in a zero cost way of unlocking features the hardware supports but Canon excluded from the menus because they figure if you wanted those features you'll buy a more expensive camera?
Features such as:

RAW - CHDK can record raw files, giving you access to every bit of data the sensor saw, without compression or processing. Raw files can be manipulated on the camera, or processed on your PC. CHDK supports the open DNG raw standard as well as Canon's version.

Override Camera parameters - Exposures from 2048s to 1/60,000s with flash sync. Full manual or priority control over exposure, aperture, ISO and focus.

Bracketing - Bracketing is supported for exposure, aperture, ISO, and even focus.

Video Overrides - Control the quality or bitrate of video, or change it on the fly. Extended video clip length - 1 hour or 2GB.

Motion detection - Trigger exposure in response to motion, fast enough to catch lightning.

Edge overlay - Detect the edges in a scene, and display them later. Ideal for timelapses, stop-motion, stereography and much more.

Live Histogram - CHDK includes a customizable, live histogram display, like those typically found on more expensive cameras. (RGB, blended, luminance and for each RGB channel)

Zebra-Mode - Displays under and overexposure areas live on the screen.

and more at Features - CHDK Wiki

I installed CHDK on my 'always carry' camera, a Canon S-95 and am happy I did. Everything worked the first time.

Does it void your warranty? All evidence, including an email from Canon, says no if you run it from the SD card. (It can be installed over the existing firmware, but that only seems to save a few button pushes.) FAQ - CHDK Wiki

Cost? Free

Is it easy to install? Yes. Ignore everything but the light purple colored box at the top of this page: Prepare your SD card - CHDK Wiki

Easy to use? Yes, once you learn how to get into and out of the enhanced menu. That took me 30 seconds.

Is there a User Manual for the enhanced features? Yes CHDK 1.3.0 User Manual - CHDK Wiki

Is my camera supported? Check the list on the CHDK main page: CHDK Wiki

What does CHDK stand for? Canon Hack Development Kit. Don't get put off by 'Hack'. Computer wizards did the hacking (in the old school meaning of 'hack' not the newer 'committing illegal acts' sense) so the rest of us can enjoy the result.

 

[RonBoyd]

Interested in a zero cost way of unlocking features the hardware supports but Canon excluded from the menus because they figure if you wanted those features you'll buy a more expensive camera?

Wow! What a find. Thank you very much for posting.

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

OMG. Someone used the knowledge gained in creating CHDK (2 posts up) to do something similar for Canon EOS DSLRs. Magic Lantern started with an emphasis on adding video features but over the years they've added an impressive feature set for still photography. Magic Lantern | Home

 

[RonBoyd]

Magic Lantern started with an emphasis on adding video features but over the years they've added an impressive feature set for still photography.

Unfortunately, during that time, they have been unsuccessful with my cameras -- the &D & the &D Mark II. Other than that, I have been impressed.

 

[freebird5825]

Early morning dew on my pansies.

 

[photoguy]

Ok after 6 years of waiting, I finally got my new camera -- a sony a7r II. I also picked up a 55 f/1.8 native lens and a metabones adapter which allows me to mount all of my canon lenses on it.

It's a lot smaller than my canon, although the picture comparison is not quite fair: the canon has a 24-105 zoom vs a 55mm f/1.8 on the sony. I've also got my RRS l-bracket on my canon.

The camera is a complex beast with a lot of different settings and many new features if you are coming from DSLRs. To list a few, the camera has live histograms, electronic leveling, eye autofocus, silent shutter, automatic zoom in manual focus, focus peaking, zebras, object tracking, and in-body stabilization.

So far, I'm very pleased with it although occasionally I get frustrated when I can't do something that's second nature to me on my canon. I'll be giving the camera a much bigger workout in a few weeks when I go to Badlands NP.

 

[Rustic23]

I am a complete armature! I currently have a Canon Powershot SX60. I bought it for the long lens. Now after taking pictures and doing some research, I am looking for another camera. The SX60 is good, but the pictures at full zoom are not as crisp as I would like.

We are going on vacation to Africa next year. It includes a 9 day photo safari to the Serengeti. I a looking for a good zoom, at least 25x, and as large a sensor as I can get, and a reasonable price. below $1,000. I do not want a DSL I have had them in the past and swapping lenses is a non starter.

From what I have read, and it may not be right, a larger sensor allows for a sharper picture. As I said, photography is not my forte. I can use my SX70, but if there is a better alternative I don't mind replacing it. The cost of a new camera is less than 10% of the cost of the overall trip.

 

[REWahoo]

I am a complete armature!

That's a shocking revelation.

 

[Walt34]

From what I have read, and it may not be right, a larger sensor allows for a sharper picture. As I said, photography is not my forte. I can use my SX70, but if there is a better alternative I don't mind replacing it. The cost of a new camera is less than 10% of the cost of the overall trip.

The larger sensor will get you a sharper image but there comes a point when it doesn't matter if the image exceeds one's visual acuity. If you're shooting for billboards then then yes that matters but if you're only going to be viewing the images on a small screen then it becomes much less important. So give some thought to how you're going to use the images. If you're only going to post them on Facebook or something it won't matter much. If you're going to have a nice printed album done then it will matter more.

What may matter much more is dynamic range (the range from the darkest to lightest) and sensitivity in low light conditions. On a safari I'd think those would matter a lot since you're going to be shooting a lot at dawn and dusk when the wildlife is most active. Unfortunately the cameras best at that tend to be on the expensive side.

 

[RonBoyd]

The SX60 is good, but the pictures at full zoom are not as crisp as I would like.

The SX60 is a wonderful camera. However, you are perhaps expecting too much from it. At full zoom it is a 1365mm lens. At that magnification the "image stabilization" system is probably exceeded. To get really sharp images you need to secure the camera so that it cannot move -- a tripod, bean bag, etc. -- and time the shutter rather than pushing the button. (Even your heart beat will vibrate a camera at that magnification.) On the other hand, the lack of sharp focus at that magnification is probably acceptable to most folks.

BTW, a larger sensor in most cases will not make as much difference as you would think. Technology has advanced past that point... 20+ megapixels has a greater effect (but again, not as much as a non-professional would ever need.)

Under a $1k... good luck.

 

[explanade]

I am a complete armature! I currently have a Canon Powershot SX60. I bought it for the long lens. Now after taking pictures and doing some research, I am looking for another camera. The SX60 is good, but the pictures at full zoom are not as crisp as I would like.

We are going on vacation to Africa next year. It includes a 9 day photo safari to the Serengeti. I a looking for a good zoom, at least 25x, and as large a sensor as I can get, and a reasonable price. below $1,000. I do not want a DSL I have had them in the past and swapping lenses is a non starter.

From what I have read, and it may not be right, a larger sensor allows for a sharper picture. As I said, photography is not my forte. I can use my SX70, but if there is a better alternative I don't mind replacing it. The cost of a new camera is less than 10% of the cost of the overall trip.

This just came out, seems to be well-regarded among non DSLR or micro 4/3 cameras:

Sony RX10 II Review: Now Shooting!

But there are cameras with greater zoom ranges.

Of course, to have one camera, especially with a smaller sensor, have a long zoom means some compromises in picture quality.

For instance this Nikon "superzoom" camera:

Watch people from miles away with Nikon’s astonishing 83× 2000mm superzoom camera | Ars Technica

Here's an article comparing 5 super zoom cameras including the Nikon:

2015 Superzoom Camera Roundup: Digital Photography Review

Note that all of them have a smaller sensor than the Sony so they really take advantage of the super zoom lenses but at the sacrifice of picture quality.


To go up a couple of steps in quality from these would be to get something like a micro 4/3 setup. While not as big or heavy as DSLRs, these micro 4/3 equipment can be even more expensive than low/midrange DSLRs.

I would guess a micro 4/3 setup with at least a 300 mm equivalent to shoot wildlife from a safe distance would cost around $1500 if not more.

 

[folivier]

I would love a camera with fast accurate autofocus, aperture, shutter, and manual modes ONLY, don't use most of the fancy features. Oh yeah and gimme a mirror image so I can use it with my left hand
Meanwhile I'm enjoying my OMD-EM1.

 

[superdave]

Ok after 6 years of waiting, I finally got my new camera -- a sony a7r II. I also picked up a 55 f/1.8 native lens and a metabones adapter which allows me to mount all of my canon lenses on it.

It's a lot smaller than my canon, although the picture comparison is not quite fair: the canon has a 24-105 zoom vs a 55mm f/1.8 on the sony. I've also got my RRS l-bracket on my canon.

The camera is a complex beast with a lot of different settings and many new features if you are coming from DSLRs. To list a few, the camera has live histograms, electronic leveling, eye autofocus, silent shutter, automatic zoom in manual focus, focus peaking, zebras, object tracking, and in-body stabilization.

So far, I'm very pleased with it although occasionally I get frustrated when I can't do something that's second nature to me on my canon. I'll be giving the camera a much bigger workout in a few weeks when I go to Badlands NP.

I have been thinking of moving to Sony from Nikon. How do your Canon lenses work with adapters on the Sony? Stabilization work with the Canon lenses?