This weekend, though, I decided to do something a bit different.  Given a home I had to photograph in Monroe, I decided to take a trip to Ben Hierland’s Wildlife Park.  I took along my 100-400 and my 7D and used my monopod for stabilization.  I’ve had my 7D for a good month now, but this was the first time I had actually used it for wildlife.  The idea was that the crop factor should give me a good idea what magnification I truly needed and which lens would work the best for me.

I must say I was completely shocked at what the answer turned out to be.

Over the period of the day, I came to realize two very painful things.

First, I know almost nothing about photographing wildlife other than insects.  I spent a great portion of my time there traipsing around and proceeded to scare away a great number of very interesting looking birds.  Heck, even an 800mm would not have helped me.  I need to learn some serious technique.

The shot above is one of the few shots I did not delete.  I should have deleted it along with every other shot from the trip, but I felt sorry for myself.

The second thing I realized is that the 7D really sucks for low light.  I had already been aware of this but this was the first time where I was forced to truly see it.  To date I had mainly used the 7D during the day and hadn’t really been forced to go above ISO 400 for anything I truly cared about.  The extra stop of a 500 or a 600 will not help here.  With my 5D2, I feel fully confident in shooting at ISO 3200.  Beyond that the shot may look interesting on FlickR  – but commercially will be unusable.  With the 7D, I would not go above ISO 400.

The simple fact is that when it comes to taking early light photos of birds and other wildlife, the 7D will not cut it for me.  At some time before I truly get into wildlife photography I will need to look into a 1D Mark IV.

However, to be honest the real limitation here is my abilities as a wildlife photographer.  A 1D4 will just help with the low light solution.  It will not help me learn how to get close to many of these birds and many other techniques of wildlife photography.  To learn those, the best way for me to improve is to keep using the 7D with the 100-400 and hope for good light.

The result of this entire escapade is I concluded that I am not yet ready for a large telephoto.  I remembered back to how I started in macro.  The MP-E 65 was not my first macro lens.  I started out with the Canon 500D diopter and used it for a year – slowly improving my macro techniques.  After some time I hit a wall with the 500D.  I knew I needed more magnification and after a great deal of research I concluded (correctly) that the MP-E 65 paired with the MT-24EX was the answer to my problems.

For that reason I am now learning towards investing the money originally aimed for a large telephoto into more macro equipment.  I haven’t yet come to an exact conclusion on what I will purchase, but I will certainly move towards taking more tripod based macros as today pretty much everything is hand held.  However, given my experience with shooting macros I am fully confident I will make the right choice when I do purchase something.

Sometimes, you just need to take a step back and realize that better equipment will not help you.  The real difference maker in photography is technique.  It is certainly true that sometimes equipment will allow you to do something that is otherwise not possible, but unless you’re fully able to use that equipment it still will not make a difference.

That is the case with me and a large telephoto right now.  I will need to spend some time practicing and studying before I can truly say that I am limited by not having a large telephoto lens.

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After nineteen days of travel in Istanbul, Antalya, and Cappadocia, we are finally back!  Actually we got back a few days ago, but it has been difficult getting back to this time zone and taking care of various issues.

The trip was very interesting and was one of the better trips we have taken.  Everyone had fun and I set a personal record with over 2000 pictures taken and 80GB of data.  Rather than discuss at length what we did, I thought I would cover what went well and what did not in terms of the photography planning I did for the trip.

What went well

Canon 100-400 lens

This was my first vacation with this lens, and it was very useful.  Admittedly, I did not use it nearly as much as my 70-200 F4 IS or my 16-35 2.8 II but I did use it about 15% of the time.  In particular, it was very useful during the balloon ride and when on sightseeing boats.

Slingshot 200 bag

This was the first vacation where I used this bag and it was certainly very handy.  I used it for walking around town and carried my 70-200 F4 IS, 16-35 2.8 II, and a 580EX II flash.  Sometimes I also added my 50mm 1.4.  The bag was very light and seldom caused problems.

Canon 5D Mark II

I simply cannot imagine what it was like now with my old 5D.  The two features most useful were the high ISO capabilities – allowing me to photograph in dark caves and churches – and the video functionality.  I took several videos while there that I know will be family classics.

Canon 70-200 F4 IS and 16-35 2.8 II

These are the main lenses I use for traveling and again they did not disappoint.  I find that I need to go either very wide or need a medium telephoto.  The IS of the 70-200 worked splendidly in museums, while the 2.8 aperture of the 16-35 worked wonders in dark caves and churches.

Nexto DI backup HD

I borrowed a 120GB unit from a friend and it turned out to be a very wise decision as my Digimate III died on the trip.  I was a bit nervous, but this device read the cards quickly and worked like a champ.  Without it, I would have been limited to the capacities of my flash cards.

What went just OK

ThinkTankPhoto Airport Accelerator v2.0 bag

I cannot trash this bag as it did fit easily into the overhead and IMHO is the best solution for transporting the maximum amount of equipment in the overhead.  On our return flight, a Lufthansa representative almost did not let me take it because it weighed more than the allowed 8kg.

What really bugs me about this bag though is it is a very poor bag for the field.  Its lack of pockets meant that I had to dig through the two pockets provided when I needed something.  I rarely carried it in the field, but did take it on longer day trips.  Some time in the future I will probably buy a different bag for use around Seattle and at times abroad.

Gitzo GM5561T monopod

I wound up finding my monopod useful only once – during an air balloon ride in Cappadocia.  Although it was extremely useful there, otherwise I did not use it at all.  I did try using it with my 100-400 on a boat, but the rocking of the boat caused all of my shots to be slanted.  I obtained better results hand held.  Also, the foot fell off the monopod and was lost, though I understand it is easy to replace.

What did not go well

Canon 180mm macro and macro flash

I took exactly three shots with my 180mm macro on the trip and did not use my MT-24EX at all.  I did see a lot of interesting insects, but there were simply too many other things to photograph.  For future trips similar to this, I will leave all of my macro equipment at home.

Pocketwizards

I played with them once but otherwise I didn’t need to bring them on this vacation.  On future vacations, they will stay home.

Digimate III

I always try to bring two backup hard drives, and it turned out to be a very wise decision on this trip.  My Digimate III died on the trip (wouldn’t stay on for more than a few minutes – even when fully charged) which would have been a disaster had I not borrowed a friend’s unit.

Turkish GPS

Though the GPS was in English, it drove us in circles for an hour and a half until we put it out of its misery and just used a map.  I’m not sure what was wrong with it, but it clearly had no idea how to handle round abouts and sent us in the opposite direction from where we needed to go, but once we started using the maps it agreed with our course.

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Canon TS-E 17 – This is simply too tempting, especially for my real estate work.  I am currently saving for this lens, which is good as it is not out yet.  I hope to have it by the end of the year, even though it is quite pricy.

Canon 600mm F4 IS – I will most likely start saving for this lens after I buy my TS-E 17.  I will use the TS-E 17 for real estate shoots that will help pay for this monster.  I’m still debating between this and a microscope, but the around town opportunities to use this are just too tempting.

Canon 135mm 2L – I am a bit conflicted about this lens and am unsure it will truly be on my list.  The issue is that I already heavily use my 70-200 4L IS for pictures of my kids and I’m not sure I will have room in the bag for this lens.

Microscope – The problem is I don’t want any microscope – but a DIC microscope, which will set me back more than the 600L.

Really Right Stuff pano kit – I love doing panoramas and the only thing keeping me from getting it right now is the price and the two lenses in front of it.   I almost bought it a few months ago but chose to buy a monopod instead – which I do not regret.

Singh-ray vari-ND – I haven’t done much landscape work lately, but I hope that will change.  When it does I hope to have one of these to do some long shutter shots.

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You know that you are the same, so it’s best to admit it now and get it over with!  Therefore, with that spirit in mind I will discuss the gear that I currently use.

Camera:

Canon 5D Mark II – I really like this camera and have already discussed it at great length on this blog.

Lenses:

Canon 70-200 4L IS – This is my walk around lens and the lens I most commonly use for shots of my kids.  I bought it over the 2.8 because it is much lighter and the IS is better.

Canon MP-E 65 – This is the lens I use for the majority of my insect shots.

Canon 180L Macro – I use this less often than my MP-E 65, but it is my main lens for larger insects and flowers.

Canon 16-35 2.8L II – This is the main lens I use for real estate and for landscape shots while traveling.

Canon 50mm 1.4 – I rarely use this lens, but it does come in handy for low light situations.

Canon 100-400 4.5-5.6L – This is my zoo and wildlife lens.

Lighting:

Canon 580EX – This is the first flash I bought and I still prefer it in some ways to the 580EX II, which sometimes has difficulties with the Pocketwizards.

Canon 580EX II – It’s nice to control the flash from the camera, but otherwise it is no big upgrade.

Canon MT-24EX – This is the flash I use for most of my macro shots.

Pocketwizard MultiMAX – I love the added versatility over the Pocketwizard Plus II, but I rarely use multiple lights in my shots these days.

Other:

Really Right Stuff L Bracket – IMHO their L brackets are the best.

Gitzo 1348 tripod – The tripod is a bit big, but is extremely sturdy.  It is great for real estate and for around town, but not so great for traveling.

Markins M20 head – Great head for less price than the Really Right Stuff head.

Gitzo GM-5561 monopod – Expensive but amazingly small and strong for a monopod.  I almost always have this on me.

Really Right Stuff Tilt head – Works great when tracking birds or other things.

Kirk Macro Rail – I shoot most of my macro shots handheld so I now use this mainly for panorama shots – to adjust the nodal point of the lens.  It’s not a bad macro rail but I would probably buy the Really Right Stuff one if I had to do it over again.

Lumiquest 80/20 system – I almost always have this on my flash.

Wimberley macro brackets – When I am using a flash with my 180L, these are always on.  I also use them for drop shots.

In my next post I will cover the gear I hope to get.

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First, I will divide the trip into the different types of photos you may take – landscape, wildlife, and macro.

Landscape photography

The landscape is absolutely beautiful there – and most of my favorite photos taken there were landscape shots.  However, this is mainly because I lacked a good telephoto.  If I had had an SLR with a telephoto lens, things would have been the other way around.

The best lens to take for landscapes would be the 16-35mm 2.8L II.  In this case, the 16-35 is a much better choice than the 17-40 4L because the 2.8 aperture really makes a difference – especially when you are in the jungle – which is very dark.

However, you will not have a tremendous amount of time for landscape photos because you’ll find yourself on the move quite often.  Unless you go on a photography specific tour, you’ll find the need to shoot handheld most of the time because you won’t have the time to set up a tripod.

Wildlife photography

There are actually three different ways to see wildlife on a trip like this.

A lot of the time will be spent in a canoe similar to the one above.  This is actually the best way to take pictures and most of your keepers will likely be from the canoe.  Most of the time, it moves quite quickly – but the engines stop whenever they spot something interesting.

For a canoe, if I had one lens and one body I would take the biggest telephoto I had.  Ideally I would take the Canon 600mm 4L.  Most of the interesting critters will either be on the shore or high in trees – which often is a good distance from the boat.  Therefore, you’ll need a very long lens.  Even with the 600mm I would be tempted to use a 1.4x extender.

The main drawback with such a large lens is weight.  On the trip I went on, we were severely limited in the weight we could carry due to the small plane we took back.  You will need to make sure to work this out with the company before going.

Even more ideal, I would bring a second body with the Canon 100-400L lens.  In order to accomplish this though you will need a second helper.  You will not have time to pull a camera out of the bag and you need to secure the lens well when the canoe is moving – which is often very windy and wet.

The next best way to see wildlife is from blinds.  During the trip, we went to two different blinds.  At the first blind we saw hundreds of macaw parrots and at the second we saw a tapir late at night.

The poor quality of this shot is due to the night vision feature of the F717 – probably the only time I used that feature for a real purpose.  However, Tapirs don’t mind flashes so if you plan to view tapirs a flash would be a good thing to bring.  Otherwise, I would not bother for a flash unless you want to take pictures of your traveling party.

For a blind, the same equipment as mentioned above would be important.  In this case though you’ll have time to set up your tripod and get a lot of shots.  In the tapir case, we were quite close to it so even a 70-200 would have worked just fine.  However, for the macaws I definitely would have wanted a 600mm – expect when taking pictures of a number of macaws at the same time which would require the 100-400.

For walking around in the forest, you’ll probably be disappointed.  The majority of wildlife will not stick around for awhile once they notice you – which in the majority of cases is before you notice them.  Monkeys are probably the only exception.  You’ll need to shoot them handheld – so I would use a 100-400 for this purpose.  You will not have time to setup a 600mm – so leave that back in the camp where it will be perfectly safe.

Macro photography

This is the place for macro, but unless you go on a photography specific trip you’ll notice that you won’t have much time to take shots.  On my trip the guide was constantly on the move.

You will have time when at rest around the camp.  For this purpose the best lens is the MP-E 65.  However, for some things such as army ants I probably would bring the 180L because I want to keep some measure of space between us.

It’s not a bad idea to bring a 180L when walking in the forest.  Most of the shots in the interior will be macro shots because other animals won’t stick around very long.  This will also allow you to get some monkey shots if you happen to see them.  Make sure to bring a macro flash like the MT-24EX because you will not have time to setup a tripod.

Recommended companies

The two main companies I am familiar with are Manu Expeditions – which is the company I used – and Inkanatura.  If I were to go again I would use Inkanatura.  I felt the group in Manu Expeditions (10 people) was a bit too large and Inkanatura uses smaller groups – though charges more.  When I was there I also ran across two individuals who arranged for an individual guide – which in my opinion is the best way to do a trip like this.

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For buyers

Buyers have a multitude of places to buy used camera equipment these days.  The following are the major options.

• Buy it at your local camera store.  Most larger camera stores sell used equipment.  Typically the inspect it before putting it up for sale and will price it according to its condition.  In general most of these stores are honest, though you’ll pay a bit more for the item than you would elsewhere.
• KEH.com.  This is the most reliable place on the Net to buy used equipment.  They have a wide variety of equipment and their prices are fair, though a bit higher than if you purchase the item directly from the seller.
• EBay.  EBay can be a great source for used equipment, particularly if the item you are purchasing is hard to come by.  However, you won’t know the true condition of the item until you receive it, so there is a fair amount of risk involved.
• Craigslist.  The variety of items is not high, though the more common items (such as newer camera models) are readily available there.  Prices are all over the place, but you can usually negotiate.  Always have common sense when meeting someone you don’t know.  I have never had issues with meeting anyone through Craigslist to sell gear, but if you are a single woman I would meet in a public place.
• Groups and clubs.  If you are a member of a group or club, this is a great way to buy equipment.  Usually these are people you know and trust, and their reputation is on the line when they say the equipment is in good shape.

In my opion, the best procedure for buying a used item is the following.

1. Look up the item on KEH.com.  You should not pay any more than the price listed there.  If you see a price that is too high, point out the KEH price to the seller.
2. Look on Craiglist for the item.  This way you can see the item for yourself and best judge the condition it is in.
3. If the item is not available on Craiglist, consider EBay.
4. If you need the item soon and you are willing to pay extra for a good quality item, buy it from KEH.com or your local camera store.

For sellers

Admittedly, I have not purchased many items used.  However, I have sold a number of items.  The following are my opinions of the options above from a seller’s point of view.

• Local camera stores have profit margins to make, so they will not offer you top dollar for your equipment.  Honestly I would only consider selling an item through my local camera store if I were so ridiculously busy that I could not take the time to sell it myself and the extra money isn’t worth it to me.
• KEH also doesn’t offer great prices to sellers.  While they are great for buyers, I have had them quote equipment for me and the quotes were very low.
• EBay works great if the item is a specialty item that only a few people would be interested in.  For common items, I found that people are very cheap there.  They tend to not want to pay much and very often my items wouldn’t sell there.  I now almost never use EBay.
• Craiglist.  I have had a decent amount of success here.  A lot of people still try to bargain regardless whether my price is already cheap, and some of the offers are downright insulting, however in the end I often sell the item there.  Higher priced items are a bit more difficult, but I did sell my Sigma 80-400 OS there for a decent price.  The key is your presentation and wording for the item.  My wife has sold most of our baby items and old toys through Craigslist for very good prices.
• Groups and clubs. I work for a large company that has a rather large photography group.  I have sold several pieces of equipment (including my old 5D) through this group.  Higher prices are sometimes possible through Craiglist, but as long as you are willing to post a fair market price (vs a slightly higher price) you should have no problem selling items in large groups.

There are a number of other sources to buy and sell items.  A large site that I did not mention yet is FredMiranda.  I know of a number of people who have purchased items from their forums, but I have not done so myself.

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Currently our budget is locked down, but with the real estate market getting better here (my wife had two sales this week) it looks like somewhere at the beginning of May the funds will be released from my stock photography sales and I can go ahead and make some purchases.  However, again it comes down to what things I want to focus on.  With bird and wildlife photography removed, the following are the avenues I can take.

Macro photography – I will certainly make investments here.  Primarily my focus will be to expand beyond insects and very small things.  There are amazing tidal pools on the coast here, but the MP-E 65 isn’t the best lens for them as things like crabs and other marine life tend to be bigger.  I also would like to start photographing flowers, most likely using a tripod rather than the MT-24EX.

Travel photography – Nelya thinks that sales will be good enough to allow us to take a vacation this year.  I remain a bit skeptical as both kids start private school next year, which will really wallop our pocket books.  Still, if we are going to take a vacation there are some investments I can make here to improve my shots.

Real estate photography – Last week I blogged about my efforts in real estate photography and the wall that I have run up against.  Clearly there are some investments I can make here, though I am still uncertain whether I want to start working with realtors other than my wife.  Also, Nelya has mentioned she is happy with the shots as is.  Her concern is that I can do wide angle – which is easy with the 16-35 2.8L II on a full frame sensor.  However as she does higher priced homes we will likely start doing custom tours and print advertising, so I will need to improve my craft here anyways.

The following is the equipment I am looking at for each.

Macro photography

Canon 180L – This will allow me to greatly expand my macro photography.  This will for certain be on my list, so there is no dilemma here.

Canon TS-E 90 – I have long been interested in tilt shift lenses and this lens will be of great use for flowers and other interesting depth of field experiments.  I also plan to use it for product photography (though I don’t do a lot of it).  Right now I am heavily leaning towards putting this on the list – I would say about 90%.  The current dilemma is about everything else besides these two lenses.

Gitzo lateral arm – For shooting flowers and other macro subjects, I have already noticed that it is very difficult to position the tripod exactly where I need it.  This will significantly help the effort.

Really Right Stuff flash bracket – In order to easily put one of the MT-24EX flash heads above or behind the subject, this bracket would help greatly.  Unfortunately it is also extremely expensive, so I’m not sure right now whether it is worth it.

Books on insects – I went through a number of books on Amazon.com last night and picked out ones that will help me identify insects.  Currently it has been quite difficult identifying things.  However the price of the books came out to be quite high, so for now I will probably just ask on various web sites.

Reflectors and diffusers – This would greatly help me funnel available light in macro photography.  Even with the MP-E 65 I often wished that I had a large diffuser so I can see easier in the viewfinder.

Travel Photography

My current lenses actually do a pretty good job here right now.  On the next vacation I will use the 70-200 4L IS and the 16-35 almost exclusively, so I have no desire for another lens here right now.  However there are some things that could help.

Canon 1.4x teleconverter – This would increase my 70-200mm to reach to 280mm, which would likely help significantly.  I can also use it on the 180L and the TS-E 90 to increase magnification.

Singh-ray vari-ND filter - As you can see from the shot above, I love shooting water shots.  However I rarely get the opportunity except on vacations.  There is still a lot of water around the Pacific Northwest in case I wanted to take local water shots as well.  Note that the above shot is of Snoqualmie Falls, for those who are not familiar with it.

Singh-ray blue/gold polarizer – A friend of mine has it and it does a very nice job.  I already have a polarizer but I like the effect of this one.  The only problem is they do not yet make it in 82mm, so I can’t use it on my 16-35.  Granted, it’s not the best idea to use a polarizer on a wide angle lens due to even light but I would still like to have the opportunity.

Real Estate Photography

Canon TS-E 24 – For interior work this lens certainly interests me, not only for its ability to correct distortion but also because it can help me get shots without appearing in a mirror.  I would also use this for architecture shots when traveling.  However, it currently appears that my biggest issue with real estate photography is lighting, so I am unlikely to purchase this lens at this time.  If I were to purchase this lens along with the 180L and the TS-E 90, my entire budget would be spent.

Strobists approach – This itself is a dilemma.  How many flashes should I purchase?  What remote trigger should I use?  I currently own one Canon 580EX flash.  Most likely the other flashes would be the Vivitar 285s that the strobists site advocates so highly.  The following questions are currently pending.

1) Should I use speedlights or strobes?  Right now speedlights seem to be the obvious choice.  They are far more portable and I can use them for a variety of purposes – such as taking pictures of the kids.  The only question is whether they will generate enough light.  From researching the web the answer seems to be yes as long as I am not shooting huge interiors of multimillion dollar houses.  However I suspect for those rooms I can just use ambient light anyway.

2) What remove trigger should I use?  The ST-E2 is too unreliable so it comes down to the following possibilities.

    a) Pocketwizards.  These are well known and very well reviewed.  What I like about these are the advanced configurations possible and the ability to trigger the camera as well as the flash – something which I will likely try for some types of bird and dragonfly photography. The only drawback is all flashes must be manually set.

    b) Radiopoppers – These have not shipped yet but I have seen several blogs about them and they appear to be the real deal.  The main disadvantages I see with them are that they can’t fire strobes and can’t fire the camera itself.  The Pocketwizards also have far more advanced features.

    c) Cheap Hong Kong triggers.  I know of a number of people that use these and they do appear to work.  They are far cheaper than the other solutions, and can enable me to fire the camera as well as the flashes.  Of course, they are far less feature rich and I may find them not to be dependable in demanding situations.

So there is the dilemma.  I most definitely will purchase the 180L.  If I do not purchase the TS-E 90, I can probably get 4 Pocketwizard multimaxes, three Vivitar 285′s, and some umbrellas/reflectors, etc.  On the other hand I can go with the TS-E 90 and then either purchase the reflectors/diffusers, 1.4x teleconverter, and vari-ND filter, or I can purchase the reflectors/diffusers, lateral arm, and flash bracket.

I have changed my mind several times when making this decision, and I have until May to change my mind several times again.  However any feedback or suggestions will be greatly appreciated, as the advice given for my previous dilemma greatly affected my decision.

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However, while I do think I am gradually improving, I have recently been debating on which direction I will take in my equipment purchases.  The reason is, my next purchase will have a significant impact on which types of photographs I take in the future.  The question has become less, “what lens should I buy” and more “what types of pictures do I want to take in the nearer future”.

I would appreciate any opinions on the possible choices before me.

Option 1 – My original plan was to buy the Canon 180mm 3.5L to increase my range in macro photography.  I have often longed to photograph bees and dragonflies, but the truth is they are just too difficult to get with the MP-E 65.  A longer lens such as the 180L would make this much easier.  I currently have more than the savings necessary to do this, so it’s the easiest choice to act on now.  After the 180L though, I have several choices and I am currently undecided.

a) Go the strobists route and purchase some flashes and remote triggers.  Most likely I would go the pocket wizards route as I have seen the ST-E2 in use and was not very impressed by its reliability.  To be honest I am not very big into the type of portrait photography that this approach helps most with.  Still, as Nelya gets more real estate listings this will probably help out greatly.  Currently I use a tripod and hold the shutter for my real estate photos – but I am not very impressed of the results when there are lights I cannot dim or windows.  However, I do have a feeling I would use the approach with Eitan and Nathan.

b) Strengthen my lens “collection” more.  The main lens, other than the 180L, that I have my eyes on now is the TS-E 90.  I would use this chiefly for macro shots and it would fully complete my macro arsenal.  Other lenses I have an interest in are the 85mm 1.2 and the 14mm 2.8 (for real estate).

c) Improve my filters and accessories.  The chief filters I would look at are the Singh-Ray neutral density and blue/gold polarizers.  I may also look at a RRS panorama bracket kit.

Option 2 – Take the plunge into bird photography and buy the 600mm F4L.  I have long been interested in birds, just like I am interested in insects, but I was quite disappointed in the performance of my Sigma 80-400 OS here.  There were multiple issues with this lens – I found the sharpness lacking, autofocus was extremely slow, and 400mm was often not enough.  The Canon 600mm F4L, combined with a 1.4x extender would surely answer these questions.  I have already spent a great deal of time comparing this lens with the Canon 500mm F4L and the Sigma 300-800 and have chosen the 600mm F4L as the best choice.

The obvious disadvantage with this route is the fact that this lens is extremely expensive.  I will need to save my microstock funds for the entire year to be able to afford it.  Another disadvantage is the fact that I cannot really use this lens from the house.  I need to drive somewhere where I can find birds for it to be effective.  Actually, this isn’t exactly the truth.  I’m sure that I can put some bird feeders up and bird friendly bushes and then photograph from an opening in a window.

The main advantage of this lens is the new types of photographs and knowledge that it would open up.  The main difficulty with insect photography is it is extremely difficult to find someone with intimate knowledge of insects who is willing to walk around with me in the forest and teach me things.  This is not the case with bird photography – where there are numerous Audobon groups who would be more than happy to help me learn the basics.  It also helps that I have a cousin who pretty much knows everything there is to know about them.

Currently this is a gut wrenching decision for me.  Do I save for the entire year and enter the world of bird photography, or do I strengthen my equipment in macro and landscape photography?  One choice that I have already eliminated is upgrading my Canon 5D.  Almost assuredly Canon will release an update for it this year, but given the frequency with which Canon replaces cameras and new technologies come out, it is a far better choice right now to invest in lenses, which have much longer life times.

Each path enables new types of photography for me.  My immediate path lies in improving my skills with the equipment I already have, but I can’t resist looking towards the future and what types of photography I would like to add.

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I have a point and shoot right now and I want to buy an SLR. What type should I buy?

This question is usually followed by several models – such as the Canon Digital Rebel models or the Nikon D40 or D80. What most beginners do not realize is that the camera is only a small part of the equation. I have decided, as an interesting exercise, to look at my own equipment. I would not expect new photographers to buy the same equipment that I have, nor would I expect you to spend as much as I did. However, I would expect that anyone getting into photography will wind up spending the same ratios on equipment that I have.

I will not list the prices I paid, as many of these fluctuate and that drifts away from the point I am trying to make. In addition, I expect if my wife saw the numbers she might have heart failure. In general, there are six areas of expenditure for digital SLR photography. Also, I will calculate things at the original price that I paid and I will not include items I have since sold (which reduces the lenses percentage).

Cameras – most people realize this and this is where beginners put most of their thoughts

Lenses – this is perhaps the most important area as the lens typically determines what type of shots you can take, not the camera. Note that I also include filters in this category.

Accessories – all the little do dads that add up

Lighting – this includes flashes and studio lighting

Support – this includes tripods, ball heads, and miscellaneous brackets

Software/Hardware – this includes your computer and any necessary software

The following is a graph of what I wound up paying for each area as a percentage.

I will now break down the areas and list what equipment I use, for those who are interested.

Camera equipment

    I currently use the Canon 5D. The main reason I went for the 5D was the relatively high megapixel count (at the time) and the fact that it is full frame.

Lenses

    Lenses should be the largest expense of any photographer. I currently use the following lenses.

    Canon 70-200 4.0L IS – This is currently my walk around lens. It is incredibly sharp and the IS is amazing.

    Canon 16-35 2.8L II – This is still my favorite “normal” lens. It rivals the 70-200 in sharpness and was on my camera constantly in the canyons of Petra and through most of Israel and Jordan.

    Canon 50mm 1.4 – I don’t use this lens very often. However it is great for taking pictures indoors without flash and when I use it there’s really nothing else I have that can do what it does.

    Canon MP-E 65 – This is the main lens I use when not on vacation and is used for most of my macros.

    Canon 180 3.5L – I haven’t actually bought this lens yet, but I already have the funds for it and am just waiting for the final OK from the financial controller.

    B&W Circular Polarizer – Basically a required filter in my book.

Accessories

    Simple diffuser – I have a simple diffuser for my 580 EX flash. I forget the name of it.

    Canon remote switch – This is also a basic, required, accessory. I really wish Canon would just include it in the box with the camera.

    Flash extension cord – If you buy a flash, this is also a very important accessory. Very often I remove the flash from the camera. I do not yet have the strobists setup.

    Angle Viewfinder C – I’ll probably use this more often with the 180L. With the MP-E 65 the viewfinder is too dark and it’s too difficult to track things. I suspect I will find some interesting uses for it though.

    Hot shoe leveler – This is critical if you are taking panorama pictures

    Canon CP-E 4 – This extends the battery life of both of my flashes significantly and decreases the recycle time. I use it whenever I am using either the 580 EX or the MT-24EX and it is always in my bag. I can’t imagine what life was like before it with my MT-24EX, as flash recycle time is critical when photographing moving insects.

    Extra battery – Always get one. When one battery runs out I replace it with the other one and charge the first one.

    Giotto rocket blower – This is essential for keeping the sensor clear. It may be less necessary with the newer dust removing cameras.

    Eclipse cleaning solution and swabs – Always remember to clean your sensor. The rocket blower helps for the big dust spots but at times you need a more thorough cleaning.

    Eneloop rechargeable AA batteries – Necessary for the flashes

    Travel hard drive card readers – I bought a simple device called the Digimate III for about $30 and put a 60GB laptop hard drive in it. When I travel, I take two of these units so I can backup my photos as well as for when my memory cards are full. I always place them in different places to reduce the risk of loss.

    Memory cards – These have gotten cheaper it seems each day. I currently have an 4 GB card and an 8 GB card and do not see the need to increase them until I upgrade my camera.

    Flash card reader – This is very helpful for getting pictures on the computer and is much better and faster than hooking the camera itself up to the computer.

    Tamrac camera bag – I forgot the model number, but a camera bag is a basic necessity. I am currently able to fit my camera, all lenses except for the 180L, my filters, extra battery, cords, 580EX and CP-E 4 in my bag. I will likely need to look at a bigger bag soon, though I’ve never had airport issues with my current bag.

Lighting

    Canon 580 EX – This is the workhorse flash when I am not taking macro shots. I have found no reason to upgrade to the newer II model. An external flash is a basic necessity for starting out, though there are cheaper models than the 580 EX. I do not yet have any studio lights or a strobist configuration as I am not very interested in taking shots of people. Perhaps someday.

    Canon MT-24EX – As I mentioned before, this is a requirement when you purchase the MP-E 65. I use this flash for all of my macro photography.

    Medium and small light tents – I bought a jewelry light box kit some time ago that contains two different sized light tents, two constant 5000K lights, and one “sparkle light”. I now use this setup (sans sparkle light) for my isolation shots.

Support

    Gitzo 1348 tripod – A good tripod is essential and Gitzo is basically the best out there. I am quite tall (6’5″) so this tripod works well for me. I also like that it doesn’t have a center column because those tripods are less stable.

    Markins M20 ball head – Expensive, but I have no complaints about it.

    Lens plates – both the MP-E 65 and the 180L require lens plates. I use ones from Kirk, though Really Right Stuff I’m sure is just as good

    Really Right Stuff L bracket – The L bracket lets you take both horizontal and vertical shots on the tripod. I liked Really Right Stuff’s version the best and I am very happy with it.

    Kirk macro rail – To take macros on a tripod you need a macro rail. Mine also does double duty for panoramas – so I can adjust for the nodal point of the lens (though for single layer horizontal panoramas only). When used with the MP-E 65, the vast majority of macro rails out there simply aren’t precise enough. The only two good ones out there are Kirk and Really Right Stuff. The RRS macro rail is more precise, but the Kirk rail is significantly cheaper due to a smarter design. I have no complaints about the Kirk macro rail.

Software/Hardware

    This one is hard to quantify, as I use my computer for many purposes other than photography. Basically, though, you will need a good size monitor for editing and a relatively fast computer. I currently use a duo core 64 bit system with 4 GB of RAM and a 24″ monitor. I expect in the near future to get hit with more expenses here as I upgrade my software, buy a monitor calibration unit, and perhaps buy a Wacom unit. As this area is rather fuzzy I will not include it in the ratios.

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Here’s the ugly truth, for the majority of macro photographs natural light simply won’t cut it. Yes, there are exceptions of course. I once had a discussion with another photographer on whether the MT-24EX (or the MR-14EX) is necessary when using the MP-E 65. His answer was that he does abstract photography at F2.8. Well, if you want to take blurry pictures at F2.8 (and I must admit that his look quite nice) then you do not need lighting. If you object is stationary, you can use a tripod and macro rail and unnatural lighting may not be necessary – though you will probably find some reflectors and diffusers helpful. For insects and flowers bouncing in the wind though, you will need some lighting.

There are a variety of lighting solutions you can use and there are even more custom solutions out there. The key gotcha in macro is that your standard on-camera flash will not work. It has to do with the angle between the flash and your lens. Because you are getting very close to the subject, your lens will block some of the light. In a number of situations you will also need the light to be powerful – meaning almost right on your subject. On camera flash simply cannot do this. Note that by “on-camera” I mean both the popup flashes you find on some camera models and the hot-shoe flashes (such as the Canon 580EX) that you can buy. There is a difference though. While the popup flash is practically useless for macro, a hot shoe flash can be made useful if you can direct the light better to your subject or get the flash off the camera.

To get the flash off the camera, simply buy an extension cord. They are not very expensive and are well worth it. If you follow strobists, you can also use his techniques for off camera. Another solution is to create a reflective “tunnel” that goes from the flash mounted to the hot shoe to the front of the lens.

When I first started in macro photography, I would manually hold the flash off the camera. I used a tripod to hold the camera and I held the flash and the remote trigger. This took decent photos, but eventually I wanted more. “More”, meant a solution specifically for macro.

Canon happens to sell two different lighting solutions for macro. Nikon also has solutions, but I am not as familiar with them. At the low end is the MR-14EX, which is basically a ring flash. At the high end is the twin flash MT-24EX. There is, of course, debate on which is better. Those who favor the MR-14EX say the MT-24EX is too harsh (the flashes are bare vs. the MR-14EX diffused) and they prefer the effect of the MR-14EX. Those who favor the MT-24EX like its increased versatility and feel the light from the MR-14EX is too flat, too with MR-14EX favorers respond that this can be fixed through settings. Personally, I strongly prefer the MT-24EX. It is true that out of the box the lights are too harsh – but this is easily corrected with diffusers. I prefer this mainly because I can reposition the lights as needed and try more interesting effects – such as changing the direction and angles of the lights.

In terms of what type of lighting you will get, this mainly has to do with money. If you can afford it, and you are serious about macro, get the $650 MT-24EX. If you don’t know how much you’ll get into macro, get an extension cord for your hot shoe flash. For an end today, I will show two photos of somewhat similar subjects to show how lighting (and lenses) can make a difference.

The first was taken with a Canon 500D diopter on a Sigma 80-400mm lens with a 580EX flash off the camera. Notice the shadows and poor details.

This one was taken with the Canon MP-E 65 and the MT-24EX.

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