What Gear do you Use? – Pro Photographer Tells All
The following is a continuation of a series of questions with a Pro Photographer.
I am a Canon nut and always have been (it goes back to my film days when I invested way too much money in Canon lenses).
I shoot with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II as my main camera but have more recently invested in a Canon EOS 5D as a secondary camera (it was a spur of the moment thing and something I get a little grief about from other photographers who think its a little to amateur – however I love it).
Two lenses stay on my cameras almost exclusively (although I have quite a few others). They are the:
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS – while I used to use the 24-70mm f2.8 L lens I upgraded to the 24-105mm option because I wanted the extra focal length and image stabilization. While I miss the f2.8 range I find that the IS more than compensates in most cases and the extra reach that the lens gives me makes it a lot more useful. Plus if I really need the extra aperture I can switch to my other lens.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS - this lens is amazing. I do a candid/photojournalistic style of portrait photography and this gives me the reach to create intimate images without my subjects feeling intruded upon. It also gives a nice narrow depth of field (lots of blurry backgrounds) and is one of the sharpest lenses I own.
The other lens that I’m falling in love with is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens which is super sharp and amazingly sharp. I prefer having a zoom on my cameras for my more candid style shots but if I have more time on my hand and am going for a more formal/posed shoot the 85mm is great.
Other Gear
- I use a Speedlight 580 EX Flash
- I’m not big on filters (I use UV filters but that’s about all)
- I have a Manfrotto tripod (although it doesn’t really fit with my style of photography so don’t use it a lot)
- I have a number of camera bags (my wife says I have a worse bag fetish than she does) for different situations but like Crumpler and Lowepro Bags for day to day photography.
- My computer set up is an Apple PowerMac. I use Apple’s Aperture 1.5 as my photo editor of choice.
18 Responses to “What Gear do you Use? – Pro Photographer Tells All” - Add Yours
November 17th, 2006 at 6:31 am
what equipment would you recommend for a less professional photographer and a much much lower budget???
like, i’d love to get the 70-200, but that’s just too way out of range for me.
thanks
November 17th, 2006 at 7:20 am
Why the 24-105… I would have the 17-40 F4L as well as the 70-200 F2.8L and that covers pretty much anything
November 17th, 2006 at 7:38 am
from my experience the 17-40 is great for the wider end but I personally usethe 40-70 range a lot for portrait work which you’d miss with just a 17-40 and 70-200mm…. having the 24 right through to 200 is a nice range.
Also the 24-105 is image stabilization which gives an extra couple of stops which is very very handy.
November 21st, 2006 at 11:42 pm
hi! i’m also thinking of getting a walkaround lens since i only have the kit lens now. I was thinking of the 24-70 f2.8 L but when i saw your article, i am now confused. a couple of questions – i know that f2.8 is really fast in low light, but can the f4 IS compensate for it? in what circumstances do you have the f2.8 advantage?
Thanks!
November 29th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
mike, there is an advantage of f2.8 when the subject is moving. this is because you can use a faster shutter speed. Where as is and f4 IS lens, you can take a shot hand held using a slower shutter speed which means that it works only for rather still subject. the bokeh is also more than f4
January 9th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
I have the following lenses: EF-S 17-85 4-5.6 USM IS, EF 24-70 2.8 L USM (no IS), EF 70-200 2.8 L USM IS, and of course, the inexpensive and impressive, EF 50 1.8 II.
I WISH the 24-70 had IS! I am a bit frustrated with this lens for the money I paid for it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great lens, but you need decent light and steadier hands than mine or a tripod. I’ve been spoiled with IS on my “kit lens” (17-85). I think I’m going to keep the 17-85 as my “walk around” lens and use the 24-70 as my studio lens. I was hoping for less stuff in my bag, but I guess it didn’t work out that way. Good thing I ordered a larger bag!
The whole reason for this rant was to respond to Mike Lao’s post above. If I had it to do over again, I would probably get the 24-105 F4 USM IS. I’m not sure what the cost is of that though!
The good thing is…is you take care of your lenses, they hold their value VERY well! Especially with the “L” series.
Enjoy!
J.Simonian
November 15th, 2007 at 7:36 am
hi, I am just moving from the point-and-shoot to the dslr world and I have a few questions.
I am getting familiarized with the kinds of lenses and to the cameras, but there is an entire world of accessories that I don’t know, e.g. polarizer filters, lens hoods, battery grip, etc.
Could you make an article that summarizes the kinds of accessories that exist for dslrs and the purpose for each one of them?
June 28th, 2009 at 3:29 am
I have an accessory that came with my Canon Camera that I have no idea for what it is intended. Obviously, I am new to photography. It attaches to the lens. I have a Canon powershot sx10 is. This camera is intended for taking shots that are further away than my last camera. I like the camera and would like to maximize its use.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
hi,
I’m using a canon 450D and invest on my lenses. I have a canon 50mm f/1.8II, canon EF-S 10-22mm 3.5-4.5 for my landscape; canon 24-105 f/4L for my walk around lens and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS for my zoom with a teleconverter 2X for more reach. Also have speedlite 480EX II and with hoya circular polarizer.
October 17th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Am I writing at the right place? t seems that everybody here is using Canon……… I started out in 1979 as a 14 years old with a Canon AE-1, and later udgraded to an AE-1Program. In 1997 I decided that I had my manual focus for the rest of my life or sell now. I therefore had to sell my white 500, but that made it possible to buy the Minolta 9xi and a 28-105xi and a 100-300 APO. In 208 I decided to buy a Sony a200, the smallest model (“Saying a camera takes nice pictures is like saying a guitar plays nice melodies.”) I still use my old lenses, because Minolta sold there system slr’s to Sony. This means that you can buy a 24 years old lens and use it on a Sony with built in Anti Shake, Super Steady Shot, or what they call it. That makes it possible to buy a 75-200 2.8-3.5 for 500Dkr/100US$/80€. In the last 1½ year I have bought 14 lenses. They have cost less than 2 god quality lenses, and have made it possible to choose the best ones for me, and the photos I take.
My primary lenses is the kit lens
18-70 a Sony
28-105xi a Minolta, the one I bought in 97
75-200 2.8-3.5 Sigma
And finally, I stll return to my 100-300 APO
By the way the crop factor on a Sony (or Minolta) is 1,6 as on a Canon.
Information about Lenses for Sony and Minolta SLR’s is on http://www.dyxum.com and http://www.mhohner.de
November 13th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Hi – what lens can you recommend for a newby. I have a canon rebel and the standard kit lens. I also have a zoom lens which I recently used for wildlife photography its the canon 100-300 range. I want a camera that would cover all my shots from 15 -300mm can anyone recommend something suitable?
I don’t like carrying too much on me so it would really help to have a lens that can do it all!
January 19th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Maheen,
No lense can ever “do it all”. I too have the Rebel and just bought my first non-kit lense 4 months ago, and I chose the 24-105mm. It pretty much does it all for me, right now. Depending on your budget, there’s so many options you can choose from. I would recommend that you stick with your kit lense, figure out if you like to shoot wider (indoor, tight spaces) or more outdoor natural shots. If you do indoors consider the 17-55, if outdoors you can save money and get the 28-135. So many choices…
Check out this website, my favorite, http://www.the-digital-picture.com/
I sometimes find my lens (cropped it’s more like 38mm, not 24)- not wide enough. Sometimes I debate whether I should of gotten the 17-55 EF-S lense or not, but the extra reach up to 105mm is useful to me too. Pretty much the bottom line (and it’s hard to accept) is you CAN’T have everything, just figure out what u want the most and go from there.
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:49 am
We all seem to fall into the same photographers trap, i.e there will always be a lens lusted for!
I have a Canon 500d with kit lens and an old 24-85 gold edition. Have been going great till I started looking at forums and reviewing sites. So, naturally became obsessed with the 70-200 2.8L IS. It’s been on my mind for weeks, eating away at me. Even went into a shop and held one on my camera. Took a few frames, went home and as you can all now guess……just bought one! We humans are so weak…ha ha
My actual point relates more to the 1st post above. About the 5D being still a bit amatuer. What some of these pros do is fall into the pro trap. After all, it’s what you do with it that counts! Sure mine isn’t waterproof, sure it’s not as fast and sure it has less focussing points but hey, it takes a very comparible picture and costs much less in coinage and weight!
Yes I do lust after a 1DMkIV but a 5D would actually be my next upgrade. Belive it or not, I shoot for money too. The clients all see my 500D with a grip and the 70-200 and a flash and never once thought I looked amatuer.
My best advice to anyone with a great camera and a kit lens is to make the very most of what you have before investing in finer glass. Photoshop can do wonders but if the photo is good enough in the 1st place then who apart from the like of us is going to pick holes in it?
It’s about art and enjoyment more than the pixels!
March 7th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I have also fallen into the trap of buying multiple lenses. I own the 100-400 LUSM IS this is my favorite. If you have the bucks this lense is worth it. I just bought the 28-135 usm is & use that for my everyday shooting. I also own 60mm macro 2.8, 19-35mm 3.5-4.5,80-200mm & my kit 18-55. Know I need a wider lense & Im looking at the Ef-S10-22 3.5-4.5 usm. I believe this is the widest canon makes is that correct?
Im not going to pay extra for IS since I usally use a tripod for all my landscape anyway.
With all my lenses do I really need to get the 24-105 F4 USM IS everyone is talking about getting?
February 28th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
i do hope there were some guy clever enough to make a 6mm-500mm F1.2 . (HAHA) wit some intercvhangeable mount that can be used in different cameras. (yeah rite)
its heavy but but it worth more than thousands of doollars of brand war and investments.
April 29th, 2011 at 6:10 am
Paul, If you are still following this thread, not all wide angle lenses have the same glass and crop and full frame cameras will handle the width differently. You didn’t say which type of camera you have, but on my full frame 5D, a 10mm would be 10mm. On a D70, with a 1.6 crop factor, it would be 16mm, so you have to factor that in when choosing your lens. My friend just bought the 10-22 and it is wonderful but I have the 16mm and it is much wider because of the curved glass. Just food for thought.
December 24th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
I shoot weddings 99% of the time…. and I have a lot of lenses.
If someone told me to pick just one though… it would be, hands down, the 70-200mm f 2.8 IS Canon.
At the end of the day, if you are worth your salt, you can make anything work…. but apart from getting down lower for dark reception work, the above lens just rocks it for me!
February 6th, 2012 at 7:38 am
I have a Canon T3i with a Tamron 28 to 300mm zoom lens, and want to know how to take photos of the moon.
Any help would be appreciated.
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