LENS CAPTURE

Vol. 1 No. 60

Bet you're wondering where the year went. I am. So I figured this would be a good time to contemplate on the "stuff" I've come to find interesting, desire, and/or add to my kit over this past year.

My favorite camera
For the last couple of months my main camera body is a Nikon D300s. Outfitted with the MB-D10 Battery Grip, this baby weighs in at just under 3 pounds without a lens attached. But she is a beauty with an DX 12.3 megapixel sensor, capable of 7 frames per second continuous shooting, cinematic 24 frames per second 720p HD video recording, exceptional low light sensitivity up to 6400 ISO, all clad in a weatherproofed magnesium-alloy body. She's not cheap, but a dream to work with.

Favorite lens

Without hesitation I would say the Nikkor AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR II. This optically stabilized zoom is my grab-and-go lens. It allows me a great deal of flexibility when it comes to framing the shot. My runner-ups are the Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED VR Micro close-up, my Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4D for low-light, and the Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye which is just a load of fun to use.

Favorite point and shoot

Just out this past September is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. It boasts a 12.1 megapixel sensor and an 8X optical zoom LEICA DC Vario-Elmar lens. Able to capture wide expansive landscapes and detailed close-ups thanks to the 25mm - 200mm zoom lens. This slim compact features lens-shift image stabilization, face recognition for sharp portraits, a 2.7" LCD display, and dynamic 720p HD video capture at 30 frames per second.

Favorite Accessory

The indispensible Black Rapid R-Strapis almost always attached to my main camera. Not being a fan of the straps that come supplied with most camera bodies, I have gone through a great deal of straps to find something that works for me. The Black Rapid solution is not worn around your neck, but instead is slung across your body from shoulder to hip. Very well-made, this strap allows you to slide the attached camera to eye-level to capture your shot, and then drop it down securely to your hip freeing your hands. So simple in design, I scratched my head wondering why I hadn't come up with it. Darn, another missed opportunity.

Favorite Gadgets

I couldn't settle on one, so here goes.
The Gorillapodline from Joby make excellent travel companions. With models starting at less than $20 ranging as high as $100, these extremely flexible mini tripods can steadily hold just about any size camera from ultra compact point-and-shoots to pro SLRs. What's really great is how you can wrap these lightweight flexible wonders around poles, railings, tree limbs, and across uneven surfaces providing your camera a stable surface. Once you're done with it, the Gorillapod takes up very little precious space in your camera bag. I've even used these handy platforms to affix an electronic flash to something to free myself from holding it off camera.

The second is the ExpoDiscfrom expoimaging. It's a simple solution that helps to achieve consistent accurate color in your photographs. Most people leave their camera on auto white balance. Say you a taking a photograph of someone in an office setting. With fluorescent lighting above and natural window light streaming in from the side, auto white balance is pretty much a crap shoot. Instead, by placing the ExpoDisc over your lens and snapping a image, you then can tell your camera to use that image to white balance the scene. All subsequent images taken with the new preset white balance should be spot-on.

Favorite Camera Bag

The Urban Disguise 30by ThinkTank Photo is just that — a camera bag that doesn't look like a camera bag. This stealthy shoulder bag can easily hold a pro SLR with two lenses up to a 70-200mm f/2.8. You can even fit a netbook within the roomy interior. While not cheap, ThinkTank Photo manufactures a top quality product. Beautifully finished, solid construction with ballistic fabric, YKK zippers, a non-slip shoulder strap and a rain cover make this a feature rich choice that leaves you no excuse for carrying your camera.

Favorite Books

Two books by one author, award winning photographer Joe McNally still left me wanting more. The first, The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters, Joe shares his straightforward insight into the world of professional photography. He details the challenges that the various projects in the book bring, and the steps Joe took to tackle them. As the rear cover proclaims, "The first book with one foot on the coffee table, and one foot in the classroom," this book is both visually impressive and exceptionally informative.

The second, The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes, author Joe McNally provides us a look at his approach to lighting. A lighthearted adventure through his thought process, backed up by stunning images, makes this one hard book to put down. With the time Joe has spent in the trenches shooting for National Geographic, LIFE magazine, Sport Illustrated, and the recipient of many awards for his work, these two books are chock full of experience.

Well, that's it for this post. If you have a favorite photography-related item, share it by leaving a comment.


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Vol. 1 No. 57

So you want to buy a dSLR?    Are you sure?

Almost daily, someone will stop me and ask for a recommendation on a dSLR (digital SLR) camera. I find myself asking the same question which results in a very puzzled look from people - Why?

 Most of the individuals asking for advice are point-and-shoot camera owners. And most have little to no experience with using the features, other than the shutter release button, on their existing cameras. I mention this because purchasing a dSLR just to use it on the "Auto" setting does not seem to me to have value.

One of the commitments that must be made when owning a dSLR is to learn how to use the camera, and the flexibility it brings to the table. To learn how to make photographs and not just take snapshots.

You don't take a photograph, you make it. Ansel Adams 1902-1984

Often, I will hear the response, "because I want to be able to change lenses." Last time I checked the point-and-shoot realm, cameras routinely have 10x + zoom capability. The Olympus SP-590 UZ touts a 26x power zoom. That's a 26mm-676mm zoom lens. Guess the UZ stands for über-zoom.

Don't get me wrong, changing lenses provides the dSLR shooter with a great deal of flexibility. I own some great "glass" (that's geeky-photographer speak for lenses) that provide me with a great deal of creative freedom. This freedom also comes at great expense. Good glass is not cheap. When you buy a dSLR, you need to buy it as a kit. Most new dSLR owners purchase a kit that includes one or two starter lenses, such as an 18mm-55mm and a 55mm-200mm lens. Otherwise a dSLR camera body, without a compatible lens, is nothing more than an expensive (but cool looking) paperweight.

Changing lenses bring with it a whole new problem - DUST. I recently traveled to the Southwest of the United States into Red Rock Country. I now refer to it as Red DUST Country. Very fine red dust wound up on, and in everything. Whenever you change a lens, you need to be careful and quick. I've been doing this photography stuff for a while now, and I can tell you I am pretty adept at switching between lenses. Regardless, dust gets inside the camera body and settles on the low-pass filter that sits above the image sensor. This results in specks of dust on your image that require a great deal of post-production time to remove from the photograph. My camera even has a sensor cleaning option which I employ automatically every time I turn the camera on. Even after additional manual cleaning, I need to send my camera bodies (the 2 I used on this trip) for professional cleaning. Another added expense of dSLR ownership.

So, do I think it is still worth owning a dSLR? Definitely! As long as you understand the commitment required to make good photographs starts with learning the camera. The camera is only the tool. A hammer cannot drive nails without being held properly and swung with determination towards the nail head. It takes practice.

On more than one occasion, a new dSLR owner has been heard to say, "I thinks there is something wrong with this camera. It doesn't take the photos I expected it would."

The secret ingredients of good photography: patience - practice - persistence.


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Vol. 1 No. 29
SPECIAL ADVISORY - The New York State Attorney General's office announced this past week that seven online camera shops have agreed to pay a $765,000 settlement after the investigation proved they engaged in bait and switch schemes. So before you buy online, read the following:

Bait and switch: Online electronics stores caught in fraud - CNET News

NY Attorney General Fines, Closes Down Infamously Scammy Camera Stores- The Consumerist

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