Equipment Reviews
Fuji G617 with Fuji SW 105mm f/8
After purchasing two books of Colin Prior’s work I could instantly see the appeal of panoramic photography and marvelled at how well it suited Scotland’s landscape. I found an excellent sample on eBay and have never looked back. It is very well built and simple to use. Looking through the viewfinder is exciting. The quality of the Fuji Velvia transparencies produced by this camera is incredible. The fixed lens has horizontal coverage equivalent to about 22mm in the 35mm format and is ideal for my use. After scanning I can comfortably reach 140 megapixels which is well ahead of what the Canon gives me and the colours are so rich and vibrant. However, it is heavy and expensive to run, costing about £3 with each press of the shutter as it only gives four shots per roll of 120 film.
Canon EOS 20D
My first step into digital photography was a breath of fresh air. All the images looked much healthier and clearer than the results form my APS compact. I bought it to accompany me on hill walking trips and now I am so pleased I took the plunge in the first place.
Canon EOS 5D
This is the camera that had the biggest impact on my photography. Finally I had a film-like viewfinder and rich, clean images with plenty of detail. It is well built and has never malfunctioned in 3 years of use. It has survived being used in sub zero conditions, at the beach, in snow, and was in a carrier bag in the bottom of my bag bumsliding down the slopes of Aonach Mor and survived with only a minor scuff. I was sad to see it go but I needed the higher resolution of the mkII for stock photography.
Canon EOS 5DmkII
I feel my arsenal of lenses has reached a maximum in terms of resolution without jumping into Canon’s L series telephoto price range. The 21.1mp sensor is great and allows for cropping while still retaining maximum detail. I’m often asked how much better this is over a 5D and when I resize the shots down to the 5D’s proportion the new model is clearly a winner. However, for the same money I would rather have superior weather sealing and no video. I have been fortunate not to have experienced the ‘black dot’ phenomenon that plagued earlier models of this camera.
Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Upgraded to the 24-70mm but this lightweight lens which compares nicely in sharpness with its bigger brother. However, I needed the superior build and fixed aperture of the L lens for other applications.
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM
This was my first lens for the EOS system. Expanding to a full frame camera shows the super wide 17mm view. It creates excellent images. It is also very well built and nicely weighted and I like the internal zooming/focusing.
Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
This is a quirky and well built lens with a unique characteristic. With over 170 degree coverage horizontally I find it useful for super wide panoramic landscapes. I plan to use it for star trails shots. Not to be used for portraits though ;-)
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
This lens is fast becoming a favourite of mine. I have a sharp copy and wish to hold on to it. The focal length is perfect for walkaround photography and if I had only one lens this would be it as it is fast becoming my most used lens. I like its reverse zoom construction. Built like a tank it has never let me down.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM IS
I bought this lens after selling the 100-400mm L as this is much superior optically and is built substantially better. My shooting style rarely needs above 200mm and this range has been useful for private portrait sessions. It’s hefty weight is worthwhile once I see the results.
Canon EF Extender 1.4x II
This accessory is compatible with my telephoto zoom and tilt-shift lens. It's focal length multiplication of 1.4 allows for a greater reach without adding much weight to my kit.
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
A perfect wide angle companion to my 20D and has allowed me to capture images not possible with the 17-40mm.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
This lightweight and very sharp lens has been useful for low light event and portrait work. For landscapes it provides a natural perspective and makes me think more carefully about framing shots.
Canon 90mm f/2.8 TS-E
Probably the best performing of my SLR lenses. This lens has brilliant resolving power from wide open even in the corners. It's tilt function allows for greater depth of focus than would normally be possible.
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 G
I use this lens manually adapted to my EOS camera with a special adapter available from 16-9.net. This lens has replaced my 17-40mm and 15mm fisheye lenses as it covers a similar range. The adapter is very solidly built and allows easy aperture control. I wish Canon made a version of this lens.
Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 tripod and 804RC2 head
Firstly I'm glad I opted for the lighter carbon fibre tripod over its all metal and heavier sibling. The head allows independent locking in any of its three axis and is ideal for panning. It is also strong enough so that my camera does not 'creep' downward while in portrait orientation. This combination of head and legs weighs about 2kg with carry bag and provides excellent weight and stability.
For excellent reviews of Canon gear please visit:
www.the-digital-picture.com
www.luminous-landscape.com
www.fredmiranda.com/reviews
After purchasing two books of Colin Prior’s work I could instantly see the appeal of panoramic photography and marvelled at how well it suited Scotland’s landscape. I found an excellent sample on eBay and have never looked back. It is very well built and simple to use. Looking through the viewfinder is exciting. The quality of the Fuji Velvia transparencies produced by this camera is incredible. The fixed lens has horizontal coverage equivalent to about 22mm in the 35mm format and is ideal for my use. After scanning I can comfortably reach 140 megapixels which is well ahead of what the Canon gives me and the colours are so rich and vibrant. However, it is heavy and expensive to run, costing about £3 with each press of the shutter as it only gives four shots per roll of 120 film.
Canon EOS 20D
My first step into digital photography was a breath of fresh air. All the images looked much healthier and clearer than the results form my APS compact. I bought it to accompany me on hill walking trips and now I am so pleased I took the plunge in the first place.
Canon EOS 5D
This is the camera that had the biggest impact on my photography. Finally I had a film-like viewfinder and rich, clean images with plenty of detail. It is well built and has never malfunctioned in 3 years of use. It has survived being used in sub zero conditions, at the beach, in snow, and was in a carrier bag in the bottom of my bag bumsliding down the slopes of Aonach Mor and survived with only a minor scuff. I was sad to see it go but I needed the higher resolution of the mkII for stock photography.
Canon EOS 5DmkII
I feel my arsenal of lenses has reached a maximum in terms of resolution without jumping into Canon’s L series telephoto price range. The 21.1mp sensor is great and allows for cropping while still retaining maximum detail. I’m often asked how much better this is over a 5D and when I resize the shots down to the 5D’s proportion the new model is clearly a winner. However, for the same money I would rather have superior weather sealing and no video. I have been fortunate not to have experienced the ‘black dot’ phenomenon that plagued earlier models of this camera.
Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Upgraded to the 24-70mm but this lightweight lens which compares nicely in sharpness with its bigger brother. However, I needed the superior build and fixed aperture of the L lens for other applications.
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM
This was my first lens for the EOS system. Expanding to a full frame camera shows the super wide 17mm view. It creates excellent images. It is also very well built and nicely weighted and I like the internal zooming/focusing.
Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
This is a quirky and well built lens with a unique characteristic. With over 170 degree coverage horizontally I find it useful for super wide panoramic landscapes. I plan to use it for star trails shots. Not to be used for portraits though ;-)
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
This lens is fast becoming a favourite of mine. I have a sharp copy and wish to hold on to it. The focal length is perfect for walkaround photography and if I had only one lens this would be it as it is fast becoming my most used lens. I like its reverse zoom construction. Built like a tank it has never let me down.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM IS
I bought this lens after selling the 100-400mm L as this is much superior optically and is built substantially better. My shooting style rarely needs above 200mm and this range has been useful for private portrait sessions. It’s hefty weight is worthwhile once I see the results.
Canon EF Extender 1.4x II
This accessory is compatible with my telephoto zoom and tilt-shift lens. It's focal length multiplication of 1.4 allows for a greater reach without adding much weight to my kit.
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
A perfect wide angle companion to my 20D and has allowed me to capture images not possible with the 17-40mm.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
This lightweight and very sharp lens has been useful for low light event and portrait work. For landscapes it provides a natural perspective and makes me think more carefully about framing shots.
Canon 90mm f/2.8 TS-E
Probably the best performing of my SLR lenses. This lens has brilliant resolving power from wide open even in the corners. It's tilt function allows for greater depth of focus than would normally be possible.
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 G
I use this lens manually adapted to my EOS camera with a special adapter available from 16-9.net. This lens has replaced my 17-40mm and 15mm fisheye lenses as it covers a similar range. The adapter is very solidly built and allows easy aperture control. I wish Canon made a version of this lens.
Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 tripod and 804RC2 head
Firstly I'm glad I opted for the lighter carbon fibre tripod over its all metal and heavier sibling. The head allows independent locking in any of its three axis and is ideal for panning. It is also strong enough so that my camera does not 'creep' downward while in portrait orientation. This combination of head and legs weighs about 2kg with carry bag and provides excellent weight and stability.
For excellent reviews of Canon gear please visit:
www.the-digital-picture.com
www.luminous-landscape.com
www.fredmiranda.com/reviews
