My Gear

Somewhere along the long history of recording images with a mechanical box, a rule was put into place that photographers have to be gear-heads and “talk shop.” I’m just as guilty as every other shooter. I do, however, make a concerted effort to not let discussions of gear eclipse the pursuit of the photos themselves. I will unabashedly admit I’m a Canonista — always have been and likely always will be. While I admire cameras from almost every other manufacturer (Nikon D3, Fuji X100, Leica M9 and Hasselblad H4D-60, etc.), I’ve just felt at home behind a Canon.

My first Canon bodies were a 35mm Rebel followed by a substantial upgrade to the Canon A2E with its infrared eye focusing reader in the viewfinder and a vertical grip. That particular body I do miss, but certainly not the expense of Fuji Velvia slide film and lab processing. Two years ago I made the leap to digital with a Canon EOS 40D with a vertical grip. I still use that camera a great deal due to the extra reach of the APS-C sensor on my lenses as well as the blazing 6.5 fps it can shoot in burst mode.

My current camera is a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with several lenses and vertical grip. From a working man’s perspective, I just couldn’t justify the additional $2,400 for a 1D Mk IV that, while akin to a sub-machine gun and it’s 10fps burst, had a smaller APS-H sensor and much lower megapixel file size. (Yes, I know I’m over-simplifying and ignoring the fact that the 1D has two processors, etc.) Time (and my wallet) will tell if I succumb to a full-frame sensor version of the current 1D that I’m sure Canon will release (like a 1D-s Mk IV).

As for lenses, I love a good prime. I shoot all my macro, and a good bit of my portraiture, with an EF 100mm Macro f/2.8 USM lens. My other portraiture and wedding prime is the stand-by “nifty fifty” from Canon, the EF 50mm II f/1.8. While it may be a little soft in focusing compared to the more expensive 50mm primes, that can be a benefit when I’m going after softer portraits and wedding shots. When I need nail-sharp photos, I’ll back up and reach for my 100mm Macro or pull out one of my zooms.

And as for my zooms, I have the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM — the standard staple of Canon zooms. A solid lens, to be sure. But, it’s often the last lens I’ll reach for in my bag. Rather, I’ll grab the EF 70-200mm L f/4.0 IS USM if I need a zoom most of the time, or if sharp focus is an absolute concern (and I’m not shooting macro). The L lens, especially when paired with my full frame 5D Mk II, is a scalpel.

The other benefit of such a long zoom like my L lens is that I can shoot portraiture from a farther distance. This really suits my style of photography, where I try to blend into the background as much as possible and go for a more candid or documentary style. I’ve never been very good with the more formal and posed approach, as it doesn’t suit my personality nor my training.

And lastly, I’ve been known to toy with the LoMob app on my Windows 7 phone, as it is reminiscent of my plastic cameras as a child.