A repost of a recent article, following popular request:

So… did your favourite holiday icon deliver any photographic gifts to you this last week?

For your sake, I hope he/she/it did. And if so, my advice is: learn how to use it properly. From a new camera to a new flash to modifiers to accessories, they are all much more effective if you learn how to use them properly. And the good news: it is easier than you think. Often much easier. And more often than not, adding additional extras will extend your creative options.

So is photography about the equipment? No, it is not. But without that equipment, there is no photography. So let me take you through some of the main equipment I use, to give you an idea of what you might like to look at if you wanted a full “pro” kit. Of course you do not need all this, but it is worth knowing what the full range would be. And this is pretty much a full range. Click on the links I provided for your convenience to read details (and to order: Amazon has amazing deals – especially on the perfectly good older models, i.e. the Mk1 instead of Mk2 lenses).

Cameras:

• Canon 1Dx full frame body (today, there is the 1Dx Mk2)
• Canon 5D Mk3 full frame body (today, there is the 5D Mk4)
• Canon 7D crop body (today, there is the 7D Mk2)

Why one crop body? To make my longer lens (200mm) appear even longer (320mm) when I need it!

Prime (fixed) Lenses:

• 35 mm f/1.4 prime
• 85 mm f/1.2 prime
• 100 mm f/2.8 macro
• 45mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift

Why so many fixed lenses? Well—their quality is great, they are typically smaller, and they provide wonderful consistency in your work. And.. they are usually faster (lower minimum “f-numbers”). Finally, some lenses (macro, tilt-shift) are only available as primes.

Zoom lenses:

• 16-35 f/2.8 wide angle zoom
• 24-70 f/2.8 general purpose zoom
• 70-200 f/2.8 telephoto zoom

Flashes:

• Canon 600EX
• Canon 580EX
• Canon 430EX
• But also, consider Yongnuo flashes such as this one. They are clones, and very well made clones at that. And very affordable!

Flash modifiers:

• Honl Photo range of flash modifiers (highly recommended). Like the softbox, the invaluable grid, the gels, and the speed snoot. I could not live without these.

A few of my add-ons, etc:

• Yongnuo 2x telephoto extender
• Tripods
• Spare batteries
• Intelligent NiMH chargers – a must have.
• Yongnuo flash extenders, such as this one and these ones.

There’s a lot more, but these are the main items. In future posts I’ll mention some more for you. Have fun—and remember, always carry your camera.