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"Don't Take Pictures, Be Taken By Pictures" - Ernst Haas Our Photo Gear Cameras We Use and Our Decision to Go Digital When I first started shooting, I started with a Canon Rebel that was 35mm format. This camera had everything that we needed, and allowed us to use manual controls or shoot fully automatic if we wanted that option. For years we used this camera and ended up buying another body so we could carry Black & White film in one body, and Color Film in the other. We first bought a Canon Digital Rebel and were able to keep all our same Canon EOS lenses we had for our 35mm bodies. We made the leap to digital and I think when we sold our 35mm bodies a year later, they still had a roll of film in them that we had forgotten about. It was the best decision we made and really made both of us better photographers. With the ease of seeing our images instantly, we now don't waste so much film bracketing our shots, and when we think we have the shot we're looking for, we can move on. We have since gotten rid of that Digital Rebel and have upgraded our Digital Bodies a few different times as the technology improves. One thing that we found out the hard way was as you upgrade your cameras with higher mega pixels, you need to do the same with your computers and hard drives. Between computers, external hard drives, card readers, compact flash cards and editing programs, the switch from digital isn't as easy as we thought it was going to be, and the price isn't for the penny pincher, but we're still not complaining. Camera Bodies We Use or Have Used in the Past This camera is old, but it never let us down!! We bought this camera used, and never thought we'd have to upgrade. This monster was a workhorse when it comes to taking pictures of action or sports type photography. If I could ever recommend a camera to anyone looking to step into the pro field of sports, this would be the one. It will do everything and anything you want, and with the ability of shooting 8 frames a second, it will keep up with any sport you want to try shooting. For the abuse we gave this camera, I'd recommend it to anyone. You can find them on some of the Camera forums so inexpensive, it would be a great way to step up and see if Sports Photography is your calling without dropping the serious coin on a Canon 1D Mark III or similar body. We'd probably still be using this camera body if I hadn't tipped over in my kayak while in Baja Mexico and sinking it to the bottom of the Sea of Cortez. No, the camera wasn't in a waterproof housing! Yes I know I'm an IDIOT - the useless pro body sitting on my desk is a reminder to make sure you keep your gear protected while on the water. It is now a very expensive Paper Weight. We bought this camera as a back up and for the constant arguing over who got to carry the 1D when hiking and out shooting. This camera is a step up from the base model Canon Rebel and a joy to use. We chose the 30D because of it's larger frame and stronger shutter lifecycle. We haven't had any problems with it and like the fact that we can pull the BG-E2 grip off the bottom if we need a smaller lighter camera. I'm amazed with the abuse we've given this body and its ability to hold up and continue to produce stunning images. Canon 5D - Falling in Love with Full Frame When we needed to replace the waterlogged 1D, we decided to see what all the fuss was about with the Full Frame sensors. What this means is the camera sensor shows you 100% of what the lens was intended to show. Not the typical 1.6x or 1.3x crop factor that most of the other Canon bodies give you. All I can say is once you go full frame, you'll never go back to a regular sensor, or you'll always have one in your arsenal. Granted, the 30D's sensor with the 1.6x crop adds length to our telephoto lenses without needing to add any type of extender, so they do have their situations where they make sense. For instance if you put on a 300mm lens, the 1.6x crop factor will actually have you shooting a 480mm. With the 5D, you'll still only be shooting a 300mm. So the cropped sensor cameras make more sense for wildlife or sports photography where you might want that extra length added to your lens line-up. But throw a wide angle lens on the 5D and you'll be amazed at the view. The Canon 5D is an awesome camera that is right at home in the studio or shooting landscape photography. The colors are amazing and the images it produces are so rich you feel like you could reach in and feel the subject matter. With 12.8 megapixels, a high-precision 9-point AF system with 6 assist points and a 2.5 inch LCD screen, its a high end photographers dream camera. My only gripe with this camera is its speed. But I'm used to shooting a 1D with its 8 frames per second shutter speed, so anything seems slow after using that camera. The 5D will only shoot a gruelingly slow 3 frames per second, which makes action photography almost impossible with the camera. The newer version, the 5D Mark II has solved all these problems and is the body we're looking at due to its HD Video it offers. For right now, we'll continue to shoot with this body and grip and let you know if anything changes. This grip makes the smaller framed 30D much more stable when you have the larger "L" lenses attached. The beauty of this grip, is it allows you to hold the camera body vertically like the Pro Bodies and still have the controls at your finger tips. Besides giving you a stronger, more comfortable grip on the camera, the added girth of the grip allows you to add two batteries for double the amount of shooting. No need to worry if you don't have two batteries, you still can use the grip with only one battery, but for the inexpensive price of a spare battery, it's worth the cost to have both and never worry about running out of power. We keep these grips on 99% of the time, unless we dont want to draw any attention to the camera's
Take Nothing But Pictures Leave Nothing But Footprints Lenses and Other Useful Accessories
If you're shooting with a Canon set up, you've probably seen the big, white "L" Lenses. There is a reason they are so expensive. These lenses are night and day over the standard lenses you see at most photo shops and the images they produce prove their worth. If you're serious about photography, check out the 'L' line up of Canon glass and you'll be amazed with the results. Good bags like the ones ThinkTank makes and quality straps are also a must if you're doing a lot of traveling. Our cameras take a ton of abuse, and if there is one thing we've learned, it pays to buy things that are comfortable. If you have a bag or strap that makes the camera more comfortable to carry, chances are you're more likely to carry it. This was our first big lens we purchased, and it changed the way we thought about photography. The fast shutter speed and Image Stabilization allowed us to get great shots hand held in very low light. Something that was not accomplishable with our cheaper lenses we had prior to this purchase. With the fixed aperture of f/2.8, this lens is amazingly fast and can be zoomed from 70mm to 200mm in a snap of the wrist. The zoom is all done internally, so the lens never changes length or moves if situated on a tripod. Focus is very quiet and sharp and results in great blurred backgrounds when zoomed to it maximum. We use this lens most when shooting concert footage or anywhere we need low light capabilities. If you're into photography and wanting to up your image quality, this is the lens to buy. It is well worth the cost. Canon 28-300 f/3.5-5.5L IS USM For traveling, this is one of those lenses we seem to use the most. From it's wide angle capabilities on one end, to being able to zoom out with the flick of a wrist, this is a 'Do All' lens. We tend to use this lens the most and argue over who gets to keep it on their camera body. It's not nearly as fast as the 70-200 f/2.8, so it's usually just used for outdoor photography in good lighting situations. If Canon made this lens in a f/2.8 model, we would probably own two of them and not need anything else. Our only gripe is the weight of this lens. It is quite heavy and can become uncomfortable while carrying on long hikes or times when you have to hold it for extended periods. If you get this, make sure to have a comfortable and sturdy foam strap on your camera. One other complaint with this lens is the push/pull type of zoom it has. In order to zoom from its widest setting at 28mm, you must pull the lens which extends its length considerably. This means you usually have to pull your eye away from the eyecup which can sometimes result in you missing your shot. There is a ring you tighten to keep the lens from sliding open if you're hiking or carrying the lens, so if a subject approaches and you need to get the camera up and in the ready position in a fast matter, this can be a bit of time delay before you're ready to shoot. I guess I'm just spoiled with the ultra smooth zoom of the 70-200 and complaining a bit. This is a great lens when you're hiking or want to travel light. It has plenty of wide angle capabilities and enough zoom to get you onto your subject for anything but those real long range objects. It's not the best for low light, but it does its job when trying to go light weight and be inconspicuous. We'd love to be able to afford the Canon version of this lens, but the Sigma has performed fantastically for us for years now. This is our Wide to Semi-Telephoto lens we use for all indoor work. It is great in low light and Macro situations and has taken a beating over the past few years. With a 82mm front element, this lens is big, but not overly heavy. It feels comfortable on the camera and zooms easily with a twist of the zoom ring. This is also a lens that will change in length with the amount of zoom you set it at. It's not as hard to zoom as the 28-300 which is a push/pull type zoom, but it will change the length of the lens when zooming. At one point it stopped focusing for us for no reason at all? We sent it back to Sigma and a week later had it back working flawlessly at no cost to us with no questions asked. Thanks Sigma!
It is the best for wide Panoramas, and with its low light capabilities of a fixed aperture setting of f/2.8, it can be used almost anywhere. One thing you have to remember is how much it can distort the picture. This can be a fun lens with the kids or when trying to get a different look out of a boring picture.
This is a picture taken with the
Fisheye lens held out the sunroof of the truck. For a super wide angle with macro capabilities, this is a great lens. With the f/2.8 capabilities it's also good with the low light images, but its not a fixed f/2.8, so when zoomed out to 35mm, it moves your aperture up to an f/4. The 17mm on this lens looks great on the full frame 5D, but there is a problem with edge vignetting on the 5D at the widest setting. We don't have that problem on the 30D, but again there is a 1.6 crop factor between the two cameras. This is a tripod we bought after our older one, which we had for years, wouldn't hold up our heavier lenses. The problem with the older one was it had an attached head that wasn't made for large cameras. It was fine for the lighter camera bodies and smaller lenses, but with a pro body and large "L" Lens, it just wasn't working. With this new Bogen/Manfrotto, we can add any size ball head we want, so if we upgrade to a larger camera or bigger zooms, we don't have to keep upgrading tripods. When I went in to purchase this tripod, I originally wanted the model with the Carbon Fiber legs thinking it would save so much in weight. That was till I held each tripod side by side and could barely notice the 3lb difference. The Magfiber model was over $100 more and when every penny counts for our tight budget, we chose the heavier model. We love how easy this tripod is to set up and lock into place due to its leg locks and quick release buckles It is the 3 section tripod meaning there are 2 sections that extend out of the main section. I think they also make a 4 section model if you're tall, but with me being only 5'5", this model works fine. Bogen/Manfrotto 322RC2 Grip Action Ballhead
We like this ballhead as it allows for one handed operation and allows for the other hand to still be on the camera. Bogen/Manfrotto 685B NeoTec Monopod This has to be the easiest monopod to use. Once you get the hang of this one handed operation, you wonder why anyone would use anything else. This monopod is also helpful for many places that don't allow you to use tripods. Many museums, galleries and concert halls don't allow photographers to use tripods, but you can walk right in with a monopod. This model is also great for long hikes as it can double as a walking stick. We've had this camera bag for about 10 years now and it's seen more abuse then most would think possible. We joke that we should test backpacks and gear bags for a living, but of all the bags we've bought and tried, we seem to keep coming back to this one. It's deep enough to hold a pro body like the 1D and a few extra accessories and still has a few pockets left for granola bars and those side items we bring along. ThinkTank Streetwalker HardDrive
It also holds our big Canon 400mm f/2.8 lens which is the main reason we picked it up. Not many bags can carry that big lens and still be comfortable while hiking. When just carrying a few of the lens and both bodies, this is the best and most comfortable way to bring it all. The large capacity has movable slots and can be situated for just about any set-up you want to carry and the durability of all ThinkTank Products are well known in the photo world. Lowepro Topload Zoom AW Holster Bag This is the ideal bag when you're carrying the camera in your hand and just need a light bag to keep the accessories in. The bag is large enough to hold the camera with a grip on or a pro size body, but it would only hold the body with one lens attached. When we are out, we usually keep the camera in our hands and this bag holds back up batteries and the Fisheye lens.
We love this bag for it's ease of
carrying. It's comfortable while hiking and can be clipped to a normal
backpacks shoulder straps to become a chest pack.
Tamrac N-27 Boomerang Camera Straps I cant imagine carrying the cameras with the stock straps they come with. For the minimal cost of these straps, they make all the difference when carrying the cameras for long periods of time. Their latest model comes with two little pockets that hold compact flash cards so you're never left with out back-up cards. Tamrac N-11 Backpack to Camera Straps If you do any hiking or biking and try to carry a camera with you, these are the straps to have. They allow you to attach the camera to the much more comfortable shoulder straps of the backpack you're wearing. It keeps the camera right on your chest and within easy reach, and also is great for quick shots while biking. It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save our environment - Ansel Adams We Thank You for stopping by our site, and feel free to email us with any questions or comments you might have. Pat & Cindy Bonish - Bonish Photo |
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Once
we got the new tripod, we chose this Grip Action Ballhead so we could
use it's fast action ability to follow the scene we're trying to
capture. 
We
got this backpack for it's ability
to hold all our gear in one case, and still be comfortable enough to
hike with over extended periods of time. The one cool thing about
this backpack, is it has a slot against the back that holds our lap top
incase you have to bring everything in one bag while traveling.