A Photographer's Gear

Photographers spend a lot of time talking about the kind of gear they have, want, etc. But what makes a photographer is what they do with what they have. I've compiled some good tips about the relationship photographers should have with their gear.

1. Keep your batteries charged
Nothing kills an impromptu photo session faster than a flat battery. Keep them charged and have extras on hand.

2. Clear your memory cards
Like dead batteries, full memory cards will seriously impede unplanned photography. Ideally, as soon as you get back to your computer after a photo session, dump all your cards. Also, re-format your cards in-camera if your camera has that capability. This will ensure that your card's file structure remains in optimal condition. This will avoid corrupted photos.

3. Keep your gear clean
You expect it to work when you pick it up. Keep it clean. A dirty lens is the fastest way to degrade your image, even if you do everything else right. However, that's not all I mean. Keep the entire exterior of your camera clean and free of dust and grit. If you have a DSLR, your sensor will get dirty over time and you'll begin to see "sensor spots" in the solid-colored areas of your photos. I clean my sensors with special swabs but there are a variety of professional services that can do it for you. For all-around camera cleaning, I love my Giottos Rocket Blower. Note that camera manufactures never recommend non-professional sensor cleaning. Here's a good article on sensor cleaning.

4. Keep it all in one place
There's a beautiful bird right outside your window but where in the world did you leave that short lens? If you're like me, this has happened to you. If you're not like me, you've probably already figured out that the best thing you can do is keep all your gear (or at least the stuff you use all the time) in a bag. If you don't have a bag, I highly recommend you get one to keep your gear safe. However, my point here is keeping your gear together is a good idea.

Cold Weather Photography

Well, it's that time of year again. It's cold outside (for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere whose summer is just beginning, I envy you).
Living in Canada, I have had to learn how to treat my gear so that it still preforms even when the mercury drops below -40. I decided to share my cold weather lessons with you.

Disclaimer: the following information is not recommended by any manufacturer. It is simply what I have found works best for me. Use this information at your own risk.

When you are going out to take photos, some planning is needed. Your electronics need to cool down to the temperature in which they are going to be used. I like to pack all of my gear into my camera bag and place it in the trunk of my car at least an hour before I go out. You could also put your bag in a garage or storage shed; anything that can be locked and not easily carried off.

Once you get outside, you can pretty much work as normal. Just make sure not to get any snow in your camera when changing lenses.
The good thing about cold weather is that if you are shooting photos in rapid succession or extended exposures, the cold helps stop the buildup of heat on your sensor that would otherwise cause noise. Unfortunately, cold does not do any favors for your batteries. I suggest keeping extra batteries in a pocket within your jacket to keep them warm. When a battery runs out, just warm it back up again and you'll likely find it wasn't anywhere close to empty.
Also note that you need to charge your batteries at room temperature. Cold batteries won't accept a charge nearly as well as room temperature ones will.

My camera's manual says it will function down to 0°C (+32°F). I've personally used my camera at about -42°C and the only ill-effects I was aware of was the top LCD display responded very slowly. Other than that, everything worked as it was intended to work (Does this mean I suggest you treat your gear this way? No. That choice is up to you).

Once you finish your shoot, you need to reverse the process to allow the camera to slowly warm up. This is the part where you could really cause some damage if not done properly.

1. Before going inside, remove your lens and replace with the body cap.
2. Remove camera's batteries.
3. Remove batteries from external flash unit if you have it with you.
4. Remove memory card(s) from camera and case and place them in your pocket. They will warm up quickly and you'll be able to see your photos.
5. Wrap camera body in small towel or t-shirt and place back in case (this will soak up any moisture  from condensation).
6. Zip up case and bring inside. Do not place case near any register, radiator, or other source of heat. This process should be as slow as possible. Keeping the gear in your bag will assist in slowing the process.
7. Wait as long as possible. I like to leave my gear alone overnight. Also remember that just because the exterior of your equipment is warm and dry does not mean that is how it is inside.

AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 Review

Courtesy of Nikon

Well, it finally got here. I ran downstairs to grab my camera, cut open the box and quickly snapped on my brand new Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II lens. Wandering around the house (and soon my yard and neighborhood), I tried the super high-quality optics, the Vibration Reduction, and my cat's patience. 

I'm going to try to create some sort of universal format for this review that I can use on reviews in the future. However, after blowing out my bank account on this lens, that future will likely be a long ways off.

Bear with me.

First Impressions

Somehow, the stupid grin on my face was so big it actually hampered my attempt to open the box...okay, I'm exaggerating, but in fairness, I've been waiting to get this lens for years.

My real first impression was how big it was. In photos, it looks quite slender. 

It's not.

It's actually a beast. It feels and looks solid and I immediately felt that I'd made a good purchase. The lens comes with a matte box (that looks really cool), front and back lens caps, a carrying case and a shoulder strap for the case (which can also go on your belt).

Pros and Cons

Great Optics: The BEST feature of this lens are the optics. The amazing depth they provide, even on the short end, are great!

Huge Iris: I've shot several hockey games with this lens and have been getting about 1/100 shutter speed at ISO 250: no flash. There's still some motion blur and perhaps I will start using my flash but I'm pretty happy with the results.

Ease of Use: The functions are pretty self-explanatory and for those that aren't, the manual is quite helpful. A feature that I really like is that the focus ring is geared down so that manual focusing is much more precise. 

Vibration Reduction: The vibration reduction works wonderfully. This is definitely one of my favorite features of the camera.

Metal: It's both a pro and a con but the lens is made out of cast aluminum (I think). Of course, this makes the lens much more rugged and able to withstand abuse. However, since I live in Canada, I have already run into the problem of my hands freezing because the metal gets quite cold quite fast.

Weight: It's HEAVY. Now, for me, that's not really a big problem. I'm a relatively big guy but someone smaller than me may find it a difficult lens to wield. However, when it's on a tripod or monopod, there's virtually no problem at all.

Other Notes

As I've mentioned before, I use Black Rapid straps which attach to the camera's 1/4"-20 tripod nut. With a lens like the 70-200, there is way too much weight to attach the strap to the camera as this could damage the lens mount. Instead, the strap should be attached to the lens itself. I thought this meant I was going to have to leave the lens' tripod foot on so I could attach my strap: I was (happily) wrong. It turns out that after the foot is removed, there is actually another 1/4"-20 mount point attached permanently to the lens so I can attach the strap and leave the foot off. 

I do, however, use the foot to attach to tripods and monopods for a few reasons. One, it gives me a bit of added height. Two, I can pull the lens off quickly if I'm not using a quick release. And three, if I break or strip the foot, it's a heck of a lot easier to replace than to have the lens repaired. 

Why do people use this lens without the lens hood? In addition to the obvious, the hood protects the front element from accidental impact and it looks really cool.

Cost-To-Benefit

I paid about CAD$2,100 plus shipping for the lens and let's be honest: that is a lot of money. As such, this probably isn't a lens for someone with no intention to move into professional photography. However, if you do intend to do so, you may want to take a very serious look at this lens, and/or it's smaller sisters, the 24-70mm or the 14-24mm. Ultimately, I plan to own all three and as you may have noticed, most professional Nikon photographers own all three, or at least the two longer ones.

The features of this lens, especially the amazing optics and the nice big aperture, drive me to conclude that it was a great purchase. I can only assume that I will be using it every day for decades to come.

Conclusions

I think I'm probably a pretty tough person to please but I would buy this lens again. With virtually every piece of equipment I own, I can say "I wish it did..." fill in the blank. But with this lens, when I try to think of something it could do better, the best I can come up with is that I wish it could accumulate more light than there actually is. Obviously, that's simply not possible so I've got nothing.

If you are thinking of buying this lens and you have the money for it, buy it. I beg you not to waste your money on anything else.

I give the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II five Petri 7s out of 5.

Post Listing Page

I've added a new page to the blog, accessible via a new tab at the top of the page.
The Post Listing page will make it easier to locate resources.

Tripods

I promised in my very first real post that I would go more into depth about tripods. There are, of course, a variety of different tripods, depending on application and budget. 

As I tried to establish in that first post, wether you have a cheap Walmart tripod or something more substantial, at least having something is a good start. 

I'm going to detail exactly what you may want to invest in depending on what kind of thing you want to shoot and what kind of equipment you have.

Cheapie-Charley

Image Courtesy Bower

We've all seen (and likely had the misfortune of using) the cheap aluminum and plastic tripods pedaled at the big-box stores. I will say again that something is better than nothing. If this is what you have, keep using it. However, these tripods present problems like stability and overall quality issues, not to mention a very low weight limit and very unsteady panning. Granted, a nice smooth pan isn't essential for photography, but it is both nice and helpful.

Bottom line, these types of tripod are okay for small point-and-shoot cameras and, once again, are definitely better than nothing

Legs

Once you decide to go with a professional tripod, there are two main components to any tripod: the head and the legs (or 'sticks'). We'll detail the legs first as there are many more head variants. 

The most important thing for legs to be is stable. They should isolate the camera from movement and vibration while at the same time being versatile: easily adjusting to uneven terrain or other obstacles. Photographic purists will tell you that wooden legs are the only way to go, as they best isolate the camera from vibration. For those of us who do not wish to break our backs hauling wood around, aluminum or carbon fiber are generally accepted as standard.

There are several considerations to make before choosing a set of legs. 

1. Do you want to travel with it? If so, think about getting a "travel tripod." These tripods generally have more leg sections which saves room but takes a bit longer to set up.
2. Do you want to put a big lens on it? If you do, make sure it is rated to hold at least the weight of the tripod head, your lens, camera, and any other accessories. I would, of course, suggest going above that total weight as other stresses (such as you leaning on it) could cause problems.
3. How tall will you want it? Leaning down is fine but if you're 6'4" and your tripod is 5', you will likely become uncomfortable very quickly. Making a tripod shorter is easier than making it taller. Also, try not to rely on the tripod's center column as this will make the tripod less stable.

(CC BY-SA 3.0) By Nebrot

Ball Head

One of the most popular types of heads among photographers is the ball head. It allows one to pan or tilt in any direction with a varying amount of resistance. These are great for being able to follow a subject, even fast moving subjects. These heads are basically all-purpose workhorses and are very highly recommended.

Manfrotto 222

Courtesy Vitec Group

Pistol Grip Head

Pistol grip heads are essentially a slight variation to the ball head. These heads (also called "joystick" heads) move freely when squeezed but lock when let go. These are great for things like portraiture, scenery, and object photography. However, they will prove more cumbersome than useful for things like sports and wildlife, especially if you are using a zoom and/or manual focus lens.

Wimberley Head II
Courtesy Wimberley, Inc

Gimbal Head

Gimbal heads are designed for using long lenses for things like wildlife and action. Long lenses have feet and they are placed on lenses in such a way that, when mounted to a camera, it is close to balanced. A gimbal head relies on this to make using a long lens a easy experience.

Gitzo Series 3
Courtesy Vitec Group

Panoramic Head

Panoramic heads are, obviously, for panoramic photography. This is a pan-only head with a precise gauge for panoramic stitching. This is a very specialized head with limited usage.

Manfrotto 229
Courtesy Vitec Group

Three-Way Head

The three-way head (also known as a "pan & tilt" head) is basically a higher quality version of the head on the cheap tripods. That being said, these heads are great for portraits and group shots, among other things, of course. It allows the photographer to lock the camera firmly at any angle of pan, tilt, and spin.

Arca-Swiss C1
Courtesy B&H Photo/Video

Geared Head

The last head type we'll look at is called a geared head. These heads are highly precise and are created for use in techniques such as macro photography and stop-motion animation. Each adjustment is marked in small measurements and can be easily adjusted in very small increments.

Arca-Swiss plates
from Really Right Stuff

Quick Release Plates

Most tripod head manufacturers offer at least one style of quick release plate. However, you should know that the "Arca-Swiss Style" plate is generally considered industry standard. In fact, B&H groups its quick release plates into "Arca-Type" and "Proprietary" Also, you'll notice that three of the heads on this page take these plates. The good news is, they are available from a variety of companies. You can get generic plates or plates created for specific cameras and lenses. Further, you can get adapters for tripods not compatible with this system. This way, you can have a quick release plate for every tripod-mountable piece of equipment.

Perhaps I'll go into quick releases in a later post.

Film Photography

The first known photographic portrait. 

Photographer Robert Cornelius, Nov. 1839.

Public Domain

When photography was in its infancy, a bitumen of judea-covered piece of metal was the medium of choice. Eventually, this evolved into a silver halide-covered piece of plastic film.

Film has been used more than any other photographic medium in history. Assuming there are no unexpected revolutions in photographic technology, digital will, of course, eventually eclipse that...in a hundred years or so.

However, film still has its uses—even for professional photographers. I'm going to detail a few of these uses. Perhaps you may find one or more of these interesting.

Hobby/Experimental

A great use for film is hobby photography. Though I'm calling this "hobby," that certainly doesn't exclude professionals. Wether you're wanting to learn photographic lessons with some vintage equipment, or turn out unique photos that digital simply cannot duplicate, film photography is a great way to both play around and learn (but then I repeat myself).

Large Format

You've seen the old-fashioned "bellows cameras" of yesteryear. What you may not have known is many professionals still use this technology due to the stunningly high quality results that can be obtained with these cameras.

Large format photography is largely used by specialized professionals but used equipment is available at a price range well within reach of those hobbyists that want it.

This format is often used for things like landscape photography because it can be blown up to a massive size.

"Large format" is generally any format which is too large to come in rolls. The most common large format size is 4x3 inches but comes in other sizes also including 8x10 and even larger. 

The largest cost associated with this type of photography is developing, so I would really suggest investing in the needed darkroom equipment instead of paying someone else to do it.

Widelux F7 35mm Panoramic Camera 

© Nic Neufeld/Photo Basics

Panoramic Photography

Panoramic photography is technically a large format but deserves its own description. 

While there are many people who create panoramas by "stitching" a series of photos together with software, a film panorama creates a single, seamless image on one strip of film. 

However, these cameras are expensive.

I recently found a Widelux F7 at an estate sale. I knew it was worth quite a bit more they were selling it for but I had no idea how much. This camera was worth a whopping $700+.

And this is a camera that takes 35mm film. 

Other cameras meant to take medium format roll film cost even more. I've seen large format panoramic cameras that were popular in the mid 20th century but haven't been able to find any information about them online to point you to. Sorry. I can tell you, however, that they functioned by passing the film in front of a slit as the camera swung from one side to the other. The exposure was adjusted by changing the speed of the camera's movement. Of course, motion blur is often a problem with this system.

Cinema

Finally, while there have been several digital cinema cameras released to the market such as the Red One, and the Arriflex Alexa, almost all major Hollywood productions as well as prime time television shows are still shot on film. Why? Because film reproduces images with better color, contrast, and "resolution (film, of course, doesn't have 'resolution')" than digital. It will remain this way for a very long time because even if digital meets or surpasses 35mm film, you can make a film frame bigger much more easily than creating a larger digital frame.

There are countless other ways that film and related technologies are still in use. It's (in my opinion) the best way for a new photographer to learn the basics. You don't have to get a bunch of expensive equipment and film. The cheap stuff works just as well. After all, the first camera was just a glorified box. 

Also, Walmart in the US offers cheap photo processing so unless you decide to really get into film photography, you don't have to accumulate all that stuff either.

Drawing with Light

If you break the word "photography" down into its basic parts, it pretty much defines itself. Photography literally means "drawing with light."

I have created another bad animation to attempt to illiterate the most basic concept of photography.

© Nic Neufeld/Photo Basics

What is happening in this animation is relatively simple. Photons (light) are emitted from a light source. In this case, it happens to be the sun but it isn't always.

After leaving the source, the photons then strike surfaces. "Dark" surfaces absorb more photons than "light" surfaces. The light surfaces reflect light and it then makes its way to our eyes (or our camera).

Strangely, photons act both like particles and like waves. That means photons with different wavelengths are interpreted by our eyes to be different colors. So, when photons are reflected from a blue surface, we see them as blue.  I'm not a scientist so I don't think I'm explaining this as well as I otherwise could...but as long as you get the basic idea.

If you'd like to know more, forget what your teachers told you, Wikipedia is always a good resource.

Quote of the Day

"Composition is the elimination of all unnecessary elements." 

-Paul Comon in Digital Photo Design: How to Compose Winning Pictures.

Gear Review: Black Rapid RS-4

Image courtesy of BlackRapid

I know I just finished saying that it would be silly for this blog to turn into a big gear review blog but I did want to share my thoughts about my favorite camera strap: the RS-4 from BlackRapid.
The best thing about this strap is how it connects to the camera: via the camera's 1/4"-20 tripod nut. This is good for two reasons: 
One, it holds the camera upside down which puts your camera in a good position to grab, no matter which side you carry your camera on.
Two, if you have a longer lens with a tripod foot attached to your camera (such as the Nikkor 70-200mm), you can attach the strap to the lens rather than the body of the camera, thus relieving stress on the camera body and also properly balancing your camera/lens.


Another interesting feature is the metal fastener actually slides up and down the strap. The strap actually stays in place. It's also easily adjustable and features a small zippered compartment in the shoulder pad for things like memory cards.


BlackRapid suggests that retailers sell the RS-4 for $53.95. B&H follows this suggestion.

Gear Review Teaser

I never really expect this blog to become a long list of reviews...and who wants that?
However, I have finally purchased an AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR-II. When it gets here (it can't be soon enough), I'll put it through its paces and post the results here.
I am really looking forward to this lens and it has a lot of expectations to live up to.