Favorite Gear!

Some of my personal favorite pieces of equipment:

Canon 15mm F2.8 Fisheye 180 degree view

I got this lens in a trade for some older flash units I wasnt using anymore, kind of on a whim figuring it was more of a novelty for fun then anything for serious commercial work.  I’ve used this lens more then I ever thought!  Yields very cool perspectives for architecture, automotive, edgy fashion, and even weddings and events in tight spaces for an ultra wide room shot.  One of the most impressive features is the focusing range and sharpness, easily rivaling its pro “L” glass companions. Due to the ultra wide nature and distortion and focusing range, you can literally get close enough that the front element in nearly touching your subject. With an aperture range from F2.8-F22 you can really distort depth of field as you’ll see in the images below.

Joby SLR Zoom Gorilla Pod (shot with the 15mm shown above)

I initially saw these when we were in NYC drooling over all the tech at the B&H Super Store… yep its more then just a website!  This little tripod has a lot more beef then it looks like on the surface.  In this photo its holding a Canon 70-200 F2.8 L IS II mounted on a 50D… thats some seriously heavy glass for a tripod with flexible legs that only stands a foot tall!  Im not so sure I would be eager to wrap it around a tree or a pole with this much weight and money strapped to it, but all the same… with a lighter duty cam/lens combo much more feasible.  My 5D with battery grip and 24-105 was extremely steady.

 

More images from the 15mm…

 

Think Tank Retrospective 20 Shoulder Bag

Ever get tired of having to choose between dragging around a Pelican Case or carry around a dorky looking camera bag.  Think Tank Photo came out with this option and I was given one as a gift this Christmas.  My expectations were beyond exceeded. Its easily one of the most functional bags Ive ever had my hands on.  Everything from the quality of materials to the design and construction has clearly been overbuilt for hard use but without being overly rigid.  The thick padded strap and all the compartments and everything are perfect, plus its fashionable!  Pretty much just as the picture shows, it has the urban weathered kind of vintage military garb kind of finish… I dig it!

(Photo courtesy of Think Tank photo)

Black Rapid RS-4 Camera Sling

I’ll preface this one with the fact that I hate camera neck straps! I’ve always used the Canon wrist strap on my 5D but thats not very practical for carrying and even more so if you have 1 rig for telephoto and another for normal range.  In comes the shoulder sling from Black Rapid.  Another extremely practical camera accessory especially for those of you who like to hike or travel or carry multiple rigs.  It feels kinda weird the first few times but once you get used to it, simply awesome.  Mine has followed me to NYC, Milan, Paris, England, and to every wedding and event I’ve shot since I bought it.  Hands down the best $50 I’ve spent!

(Photo courtesy of Black Rapid)