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Canon 10D Profession DSLRMany photographers wax lyrical about the cameras and lenses they own. Pride of ownership is fine, even fun, but I believe that great photographs come from the inspiration and skill of the photographer, and the equipment is but a means to an end.

But, for all my gear-head friends, I have posted a list of my most used cameras and lenses below. I enjoy good equipment, and I have an extensive selection of toys, as you can see below. But, some of my favorite photos were taken with some of my oldest cameras and lenses.

 

 

My Equipment
DSLR Bodies | Video | EOS Film | EF Lenses | Accessories | Bags, Tripods, Heads |
Prev. Owned Equipment | MF Equipment | Lighting | FD Bodies System | P&S
Digital SLR Camera Bodies
Model
Type
Comments
Canon 10D 1.6 crop Digital SLR

3rd generaton digital SLR - 6 mpixel, My "at risk" camera. I use it when shooting in risking situations such as wading in streams or hanging out over cliffs.

Canon 20D 1.6 crop Digital SLR

Now superceded by the Canon 30D and 40D, this used to be the most recent version of Canon advanced amateur/pro camera - 8 mpixel. Converted to IR by Lifepixel.

Example Infrared Image 1 Example Infrared Image 2

Canon 40D 1.6 crop Digital SLR Canon's latest comsumer release. 10 megapizels, improved AF, Live View capability, mulitple custom settings and many other improvements. Truly an upgrade from the 20D, unlike the minor improvements of the 30D. I'm still testing it.
Canon 1D MK II N 1.3 crop Digital SLR Weather sealed, wickedly fast, pro body. This camera does everything but make me coffee in the morning - 8 mpixel.
Canon 1Ds MKIII Full Frame Digital SLR This is Canon's current top-of-the-line studio camera. It's a 21 mp full frame body with all of the updates incorporated in the Mk III upgrades.
Canon 5D MKII Full Frame Digital SLR Great camera - I love the Auto-ISO feature. Implements micro-adjustments, Live View and an HD Movie Mode, I'm still playing with it, but so far I love it.
Digital Video Camera Bodies
Model
Type
Comments
Canon Elura MC Digital Video Excellent consumer Digital Video Camera. Small, lightweight with an good capture. Utilizes MiniDV tapes.
Canon GL2 Digital Video

3 CCD Pro Video Camera. Utilizes MiniDV tapes. Great captures.

EOS Film SLR Camera Bodies
Model
Type
Comments

Canon
EOS 3

35mm Film Great 35mm film body with 45 point AF and Eye Controlled Focus
Canon A2E 35mm Film

Nice amateur 35mm film body. Uses Eye Controlled Focus

Canon EOS IX APS Film A nice little APS offering - I got it primarily for the 24-85mm lens that came with the kit.
Canon EOS Lenses
Model
Type
Comments
Canon 28mm f/2.8 Very decent lens. Sharp with good resolution. Fairly inexpensive. Technical Details
Canon 50mm f/1.4 Great prime lens - good for portraiture and low-light photography.Technical Details
Canon 85mm f/1.8 Great portraiture lens. Sharp, fast with excellent resolution. With its fast AF and low light capability, this is often the lens of choice for indoor sports. One of my favorite lenses.Technical Details
Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro

A great macro lens capable of achieving 1:1 image size. This really should be designated as an L lens. It's that good.Technical Details

Canon 135mm f/2.8 SF Nice portraiture lens with 3 different settings for soft focus. Some people think the soft-focus feature is gimmicky, but I like it. Click the lens name for a mini review.Technical Details
Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS This is my only EF-S lens. I got it to go with the 40D for use for indoor venues and as a lighter walk around lens. It is fast, sharp and the IS works quite well, It's defintiely a keeper. Technical Details
Canon 35mm f/1.4L Sharp, very fast, very expensive prime - an excellent wide angle on a full frame body, a great normal lens on a 1.3 and 1.6 crop body.Technical Details
Canon 50mm f/1.2L Sharp, very fast, quite expensive, and a joy to use. I've found I use primes more and more and this lens perfectly fills the gap between my 35L and my 85L. Technical Details
Canon 85mm f/1.2L Sharp, very fast, very expensive prime - great for portraits on a full frame body. The bokeh is wonderful and te f/1.2 allows for razor thin depth of field. Technical Details
Canon 135mm f/2.0L

Sharp, fast, expensive prime - medium telephoto. This is my glamour lens. I dont't think I've ever shot a bad photo with this lens.Technical details.

Canon 200mm f/2.8L Sharp, fast, expensive prime - telephoto. Nice for when you want the speed and the reach, but don't want to lug around a bit, white 70-200 f/2.8 L. Technical Details
Canon 16-35 f/2,8L Great wide angle lens - sharp and fast. Review is pending. Technical Details
Canon 24-105 f/4L IS A great walk-around lens. Much lighter than the 28-70 f2.8 L, or the newer 24-70 f2.8 L. Not fast, but the IS helps to compensate. It's my primary lens for fair and festival photography. Technical Details
Canon 24-70 f/2.8L Very sharp, well built, and fun to use. Known as the "brick." Final review is pending. Technical Details
Canon 70-200 f/2.8LIS The IS version of the 70-200 f2.8L, Purchased to give me better low light handheld capability in overcast and shaded environments. Technical Details
Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS A long telephoto lens with a relatively slow aperture, but Image Stabilized. Great for birding and wildlife photography. It's also good for some glamour and for isolating individuals from a crowd at fairs and festivals. It is sharp, has great contrast and color saturation. It uses a push-pull zoom vs. a zoom ring. Technical Details
Canon 2X TC II 2x teleconverter - used to increase focal length, but at the price of a 2 stop loss of light and some image quality degradation.
Canon 1.4 TCII 1.4 Teleconverter - used to increase focal length, bbut at the price of 1 stop loss of light. Image quality degradation is relatively minor but does exist.
BaOther Accesories
Model
Mfr.
Comments
Ee-A Canon Standard Canon focusing screen for the 5D
Ee-D Canon Grid Focusing Screen for Canon 5D - interchangeable viewfinder screen with grid marks etched on screen. Great for landscapes.
Ee-S Canon Precision Focusing Screen - this screen allows for more distinction between in-focus and out of focus. Great for manual focus.
Ec-A Canon Same as the Ee-A above, except for the 1D series cameras
Ec-D Canon Same as the Ee-D above, except for the 1D series cameras
Ec-S Canon

Same as the Ee-S above, except for the 1D series cameras

Ec-B Canon Precision focusing screen with a split prism center - great for manual focusing, better even than the Ec-S screen.
E-1 Canon Handstraps - 4 of these on 4 different bodies. Great for the way I hold my cameras. Note: You have to have a grip on your camera to attach the E-1 handstrap
TC-80N3 Canon Remote Control with Interval Timer
RS-80N3 Canon Remote Release
Off Shoe Camera Cord 2 Canon This device allows an Speedlight Flash to be connected to the camera hotshoe via a 3 ft long cord. Great for use with a Stroboframe or othe camera mount.
     
BaBags, Tripods and Heads
Model
Mfr.
Comments
3021 BPro Manfrotto/Bogen

Nice heavy tripod leg set with quick release clamps. Good for studio work.

3444 Carbon Manfrotto/Bogen Light, strong carbon fiber tripod leg set. Great for hiking.
Able300DX SLIK Heavy tripod and head. Ok, but not very versatile. Uses threaded leg clamps.
1013 WF Monopod with ball head and quick release clamps. Heavier than the Manfrotto counterpart but very solid and it comes with a case and an extra quick release plate.
3016 Bogen

Monopod with head. Lightweight, quick release clamps.

3265 Manfrotto/Bogen Quick Release Action Grip/Head. Very versatile but can only take up to 5.5 lbs of weight.
3130 Manfrotto/Bogen A lightweight fluid head with adjustable pan bar and quick-release camera plate with secondary security. Ideal for cameras up to 8.9lbs in weight. The head has smooth fluid movements, pan and tilt locks. The adjustable pan bar can be positioned either on the left or right side.
C1276M Gitzo Magnesium ballhead with quick release plates.
488RC2 Manfrotto Excellent ballhead for large loads.
Slingshot 200AW Lowepro Great shoulder bag. Well designed and great for hiking. Holds one camera and several lenses. Has additional small compartments for accessories.
Slingshot 300AW Lowepro Larger version of the Slingshot 200AW .
Commercial AW Lowepro A huge bag I bought with my MF system. This bag will hold 2-3 bodies, half a dozen lenses, and just about anything needed for a location shoot.
Stealth Reporter 650 AW Lowepro A medium large shoulder bag with a top opening flap. Good for location shooting. Holds 1-2 bodies and 3-4 lenses.
ProRoller 1 Lowepro Looks like and airline roll-on case, but has a foam insert for cameras and lenses. Versatile in that it can double as luggage and a camera case. Great for trips.
?? Crumpler This is one of the first Crumplers released. It's a bright red shoulder bag, so you're not going to be missed in the crowd. It works well for a camera with two or three lenses.
SB-904 Kata Shoulder bag - great medium size bag with a dual opening top for quick access. Two bodies, 2-4 lenses.
407-110 Haliburton Zero This is my standard storage case in my office. It's large aluminum case with foam lining. It has a combination lock and provides secure storage for vehicular travel.
Backpacks Canon I have both the older and new version. Lightweight. comfortable straps, but difficult access. Useful for long hikes.
Previously Owned Equipment
Model
Type
Comments
Canon 5D Full Frame Digital SLR Full frame, 12.8 megapixel digital SLR. Very nicely equiped and perfect for landscape photography.
Canon 17-40 f/4 L Great wide angle zoom lens. Sharp with minimal flare. Kind of pricey though.Technical Details.
Canon 28-70 f/2.8L My workhorse lens for 8 years. Sharp, fast and heavy. The 24-70 above replacde this lens when I sold it (sold as of 7/26/08)Technical Details
Canon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 A nice compact zoom. Quite handy when traveling light. (Sold as of 7/18/06)
Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 Another nice zoom. Good color, contrast and weight. Comparable to the 24-85mm with just a little more reach at the long end. (S(Sold as of 7/20/06)old as of 7/18/06)
Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS Image stabilized zoom - great for handheld shots. The image stabilizing function works quite well, but the image quality wasn't that great on this lens.(Sold as of 7/20/06)
Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L A great zoom lens. I use it all the time. My 2nd favorite lens. Sold when I upgraded to the IS version. Technical Details
Canon 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 An okay lens. It has USM for AF, but the image quality isn't the greatest. Given to my youngest daughter along with a Rebel Xs film camera.
Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-S Until I purchased the 17-55 f/2.8 IS, this is the only EF-S lens I had owned. It came with the 20D as part of the kit. While it's capable of decent shots at f/8, it usefulness is quite limited and it's become just a paperweight on my desk. (Sold as of 7/20/06)
Canon 50mm f/1.8 Excellent, sharp lens despite it's low cost. Also known as the "nifty 50." (Sold as of 7/18/06)
Canon Rebel Xs 35mm Film Beginner camera that has a full range of controls and uses EOS AF lenses. I use it to teach photography to youngsters. Given to my youngest daughter.
Canon D60 Digital SLR 2nd generation digital SLR - 6 mpixel (Sold as of 7/18/06)
Canon D30 Digital SLR 1st generation digital SLR - 3 mpixel (Sold as of 6/5/05)
Medium Format Camera Bodies
Mamiya 645 Pro
MF Film
6 x4.5 Film Medium Format Film Camera - great for portraits and landscapes. Not so great for action.
Mamiya Medium Format Lenses
Model
Type
Comments
Mamiya 80mm f/4.0 Standard Medium Format Lens
Mamiya 120mm f/4.0 Macro Excellent Macro Lens
Mamiya 105-210mm f/4.5 Decent medium format zoom lens.
Lighting and Miscellaneous Accessories
Model
Type
Comments
Ultrazap 1600 Studio Strobe Made by Paul Buff's White Lightning Company. I have two of these with stands, reflectors, umbrellas, barndoors, snoots, and gels.
Ultrazap 800 Studio Strobe

This is my background strobe. I use it with a background stand and attachment. I also works well with a snoot for a hairlight.

Alien Bee ABR800 Studio Strobe - Ring Flash

Ring studio strobe - Great for glamour photography. Produces very evenly lit, nearly shadowless lighting. Great for minimizing skin imperfections. I also have the Moon Unit diffussion kit which provide a large, diffuse light source.

Pocket Wizard Remote Synch System Wireless transmitter/receiver which allows the strobes to synch with the camera. Very handy in that it eliminates the synch cords. One transmitter, on receiver and one transceiver along with the Remote Camera Motor Cord.
Sekonic L508 Light/Flash Meter This meter measure ambiet lighting, reflected or incident, as well as incident flash. It can average several different readings and has an excellent spot metering function.
Canon Speedlight 540EZ Strobe

Powerful, portable strobe for use with Canon EOS film cameras. Does not synch with the digital SLR's.

Canon Speedlight 550EX Strobe An E-TTL capable strobe. Powerful and versatile.
Canon Speedlight 580EX (2) Strobe Another E-TTL capable strobe. Also E-TTL II capable which helps with white balance with Canon's latest digital cameras.
Canon Speedlight 580EX II Strobe Updated version of the Canon Speedlight 580 EX
Canon MR14EX Strobe A specialized strobe that fits on the end of a macro lens to provide flash illumination for macro photography.
Pro-T Stroboframe Pro frame for mounting camera and flash separately - using the Off Camera Shoe Cord 2.
Metz 45 CL Strobe An extremely powerful and versatile flash, but requires adaptors to use with various camera bodies. I use it primarily with the Mamiya 645 film camera.
Canon FD Bodies
Model
Type
Comments
Canon AT-1 Film Bought in 1978, this was my first SLR camera. It is fully manual with split prism focus and match needle metering and a cloth, horizontal focal plane shutter. It still works, and I still use it occasionally.
Canon A1 Film

One of the first Canon's to utilize electronic readouts in the viewfinder. An all black body, manual focus and automatic exposure modes.

Canon FD Lenses
Model
Type
Comments
Canon 28mm f/2.8 Great little wide-angle lens - manual focus.
Canon 50mm f/1.8 Excellent standard film lens - manual focus
Canon 70-210mm f/4 Very nice zoom - manual focus
Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 An excellent zoom with decent macro capability - not a true macro, but it works in a pinch.
Point and Shoots
Model
Type
Comments
Pentax Optio W30 7.1 MP Digital Small and handy water proof (down to 10 feet) digtial point and shoot. Takes great photos for a P&S.
Canon Elph APS Film Uses APS film. Neat looking stainless steel body, but I found the construction to be quite flimsy.
Canon Digital Elph Digital Small digital camera - 3 mpixel. Nice little stainless steel body.
Canon S3 IS Digital 6 mpixel point and shoot with an electronic viewfinder and built-in Image Stabilization. Nice compact camera, but I find the electronic viewfinder dim and not very useful for focus control.
Canon Sure Shot A1 35mm Film This is a small waterproof camera that's great for snorkeling, rafting or shooting anywhere the camera will get wet!
Olympu IS 3 DLX 35mm Film An advance point and shoot from Olympus with full manual over-ride, remote capability, and a dedicated hot-shoe.

 

Home | Philosophy | Equipment | Articles | Family | Blog | Portfolio || Updates | Contact Me