Photography - equipment, help hints

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I'm with Eric.

 

[GrauGeist]

Well, it took me a while to decide on a good lens to fill the gap in coverage that I have between the two lenses I use most often, and the 50-200 looked like it would do the job.

When I get it, I'll give it a shake-down and post my results here.

Gnomey, I saw your comment earlier about that Speedlite 430EX II and it looks really cool...how's it working for you?

 

[evangilder]

I will be interested in seeing test results of both the new lens, and Gnomey's new flash. New gear is always fun!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Does anyone know how well the Sigma 18-250 rates. I haven't seen much on it but am very interested in it.

 

[GrauGeist]

Not sure about the 18-250, but I can tell you that my Sigma 70-300 is a top-notch performer.

I can't find anything bad to say about it.

An 18-250 would be a heck of a lens for landscapes, that's for sure!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

That's kinda what I was thinking and it would be good at the air show for taking closeups and shooting a passing aircraft without changing lenses.

 

[Gnomey]

So far so good on the flash, still working out the finer details of it. Works great for portraits, especially with bouncing the flash off nearby walls/ceilings. Isn't bad for night sports either, has a really good range and really blows the onboard flash out of the water. Range is about 120ft at high ISO I believe.

 

[GrauGeist]

Well, took the new lens out and jumped it through some hoops...

I really like the range that it offers, but we'll see how it works for a landscape the next time I get a sunset opp. (and that's the whole reason why I got it...lol)

The two things I have noticed so far, is it has a wicked-fast focus as well as it seems to be real touchy in various lighting conditions. With a little practice, I should be able to get better results.

I posted up some test shots in my photo thread, if anyone's interested in seeing how the lens did: GrauGeist's Photos

By the way, I thought it would be interesting to post a shot of my photo gear, since I had it all out today. I know it's a far cry from a pro's setup, like Eric's, but it works well enough for a total amateur like myself!

I shot this photo with my trusty little Kodak DC3500 that's about 10 years old...that little 1Mp camera was the best money I've ever spent on anything electronic!

 

[evangilder]

Nice setup, Dave. The hard cases are nice. Where's the film kept?

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Nice set up Dave! I like the hard cases to but for a romp through the woods I would have to stick with the bag but the cases would work extremely well for transport to protect the equipment.

 

[GrauGeist]

lol Eric...I keep my film in a special compartment, hidden from view and each roll is stored in special little blue wafer thin container...

Aaron, I only use the hard case when I travel or store everything...the orange Pelican case is what I use to haul my camera around to and from work, or wherever. That particular case was about 78 dollars, but I consider it cheap insurance when you consider how much I have invested in my camera lenses!

That Pelican is waterproof (it floats), shock proof and dust proof...far better protection than the backpack/carry case I was considering when I first got my camera and it'll hold any combination of lenses I happen to have on the camera body.

 

[RabidAlien]

Nice setup! I went the backpack route (for carrying gear while out hiking...until I discovered cargo pants with extra pockets for those two or three lenses that I actually use), but have a Pelican for more....vigorous outdoor adventures. I find that using a backpack is much handier when flying, its easier to carry on than a hard case, and there's no way I'm gonna check my camera stuff!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Here is most of what I purchased with the the gift certificate to Amazon.com I had. I also got a 72" Zeikos tri-pod.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Update, also got a new hood today for my EF70-300mmf/4-5.6ISUSM lens. Purchase price, $5.67. Amazon.com

 

[GrauGeist]

You're getting a good collection of gear, Aaron!

I've been having a blast with my new "Monster" lens, the Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM APO (what a kickass Valentine's gift from my sweetheart!)

It weighs a whopping 6 pounds but what an amazing collection of glass!

I've discovered that it really performs well in low light conditions and allows me to get sharp photos on cloudy days of moving subjects like birds where my Sigma 70-300 would fall a bit short.

Can't wait to try this at the next airshow!!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I'll bet. The 2.8 F/stop is the reason for the excellent low light capability. I have been looking at the 500mm but it's a long way off. I can't wait to see some more shots with that new lens to. Keep up the good work!

 

[RabidAlien]

Yep. Your standard affordable ($300-ish range) zoom (70-300, for instance) doesn't have a very big barrel, so while you get a decent range of zoom, and a fairly decent apeture (f4.5, usually), you'll still need to keep a tripod handy. A fixed lens usually will have a bigger body, with a larger lens diameter, which lets in a lot more light, but is going to cost a lot more for various reasons. But, they're usually worth it if you take a lot of pics. I think my next lens (still weighing what's more important...authentic 1942-era scope/mount for my Mosin, or camera lens...hmm...) is probably going to be a good 100mm macro.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

The body on my 70/300 is larger than on my 75/300 and does better but it wont do what large body will.

 

[evangilder]

Looking forward to see some shots from that new lens, Dave. I have been mulling over some F2.8 and lower lenses for some projects. Weight is the big factor with them though. The Bigma that I use for air shows is about 5 pounds and you feel it at the end of the day.

That being said, I got a strap system that has done wonders for my back. I used to be in a lot of pain at the end of a day of shooting from my shoulders to my hips from having 2 cameras around my neck. I got the dual shoulder strap system and can say that the pain was absent even after day 2 at Cable this year. HUGE difference in the way the weight gets distributed. It's on sale for $24.85 right now (normally 99).
Amazon.com: Rainbowimaging Black Qucik Release Dual-shoulder Camera Neck Strap for Canon Nikon Olympus Pentax Panasonic Sony Dslr + Lens: Camera Photo

 

[GrauGeist]

Comparing the the monster 300mm to my 70-300 is actually like comparing apples to oranges...lmao

The monster 300mm has a front lens that measures about 109mm compared to the 70-300's 58mm!

Don't get me wrong, I love my 70-300 and have always been satisfied with it's performance. I was just recently able to score some real nice shots at the Redding airshow during a heavy overcast, and it was able to land some sweet shots where others were getting blur, underexposure, etc.

Here's the specs for the Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM APO lens:
Lens Construction: 11 Elements in 9 Groups
APO Tele Converter: 1.4X AF - 2X AF
Angle of View: 8.2º
Number of Diaphragm Blades: 9
Minimum Aperture: f32
Minimum Focusing Distance: 250 cm / 98.4 in
Filter Size: 46mm (Rear)
Maximum Magnifications: 1:7.5
Dimensions: (Diameter x Length) 119 x 214 mm / 4.7 x 8.4 in
Weight: 2400g / 84.7oz.
MSRP: $4,500.00

And here's the specs for my Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro lens (yes, it has a built in Macro mode):
Lens Construction: 14 Elements in 10 Groups
Angle of View: 34.3º-8.2º
Number of Diaphragm Blades: 9
Minimum Aperture: f22-32
Minimum Focusing Distance: 150*(95) cm / 59.1*(37.4) in
Filter Size: 58mm
Maximum Magnifications: 1:4*(1:2)
Dimensions:(Diameter x Length) 76.6 x 119.5 mm / 3.0 x 4.7 in
Extended Dimensions: 208.30 mm / 8.2 in
Weight: 530g / 18.7oz.
MSRP: $290.00