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Cameras
Ebony RW45 fully
extended with Fujinon-C 450mm and extension tube (click for larger image)
Canon EOS 5D (click for larger image)
Canon EOS 350D/Rebel XT (click for larger image)
Canon PowerShot
S80 (click for larger image)
4x5 Gear
Camera
Ebony
RW45
This camera may look old, but it's actually a 2005 model
made of mahogany and titanium that is handmade in Japan. The RW45 is Ebony's
entry level 4x5 camera which is among the lightest field cameras weighing
in at just 3.6 pounds. Ebony makes the highest quality wooden field cameras
out today. The basic technology it utilizes in exposing film is over a
hundred years old, and is certainly much slower than any other type of
camera format, but the size of the film, which is just under 4x5",
is the main attraction. Starting out with a size of film that big allows
for much larger prints which holds much more detail, sharpness and tonality
than something along the lines of 35mm film, or even top-end digital SLRs
out today, since you don't have to stretch it out as much. To illustrate,
a 40x50" print from a 4x5" piece of film is roughly equivalent
to an 11x14" print from 35mm film! And, 11x14s from 35mm look pretty
darn good! It is for this reason that I try to capture most scenes using
this camera, though sometimes it just isn't the right tool, such as if
there is a stiff wind or you just arrive at a place and the light is doing
its thing. And, in case you're wondering how much it costs per one picture
(and I'm sure you are!), it's about $3.65 — that's $1.90 to buy
the film, and $1.75 for processing.
Lenses
Schneider
Super-Symmar 80 XL f/4.5 and 3b center filter
Schneider
Super-Symmar 110 XL f/5.6
Nikkor
W 150mm 5.6
Rodenstock
210mm 5.6 Apo-Sironar-N
Nikkor
M 300 f/9
Fujinon-C
450 f/12.5
Other
Harrison
changing tent
Fuji
QuickLoad holders
BTZS
dark cloth
Toyo
3.6 loupe
Sekonic
L-508 light meter
Half-darkslide for 2x5"
panoramas
Film
Fuji
Provia 100F
This was the first slide film I started
with and used from September of 2000 through August of 2003. It returned
as my preference and main film used starting in August, 2007. I feel it
has the most natural color palette of any of the Fuji slide films which
lies in between either extreme of Velvia and Astia. My tastes in color
saturation have matured and mellowed, and I think I'm finally back at
the right place.
Fuji
Velvia 100
This was thought to be originally intended
to be the replacement for Velvia 50, but turned out to not be the case.
It has a slightly cooler color palette than Velvia 50, but finer grain,
and of course, an extra stop of speed. It was my primary film I used between
September 2005 through July of 2007. I have mostly discontinued its use
for the same reasons I list below for Velvia 50. However, I still employ
it for some overcast scenes where it still shines.
Fuji
Velvia 50
The
industry standard for landscape photography since it was introduced in
1990. Super saturated colors and fine grain. It has a narrow exposure
latitude which is less forgiving than other slide films in high contrast
scenes. The main aspects I don't like about it is the gaudy purple colors
it produces during certain warm situations along with an overly electric
blue skies in other situations. The latter which can be desaturated and
controlled easier in digital post-processing than the former. It was the
primary film I used between September 2003 and September 2005.
Fuji
Astia 100F
The
finest grain film on the market provides the most true to life colors,
though it has a distinct green cast. It has the highest dynamic range
of Fuji's slide film, but this means it is super dull and unimpressive
to look at on a light box, for most situations anyway. It is extremely
muted on the warm colors such as the reds and oranges of sunrise and sunset.
Starting in January, 2007, it was my intent to switch to this as my primary
film. My original plan was to process these in Photoshop and treat them
just like I would a raw digital file and bring it back to life. I mostly
shot Velvia 100 side-by-side through August, 2007, but felt Astia was
at too much the other extreme as Velvia, the latter which I still preferred.
Ultimately, I wanted something in between. Enter Provia.
DSLR gear
Cameras
Canon 5D (12.7 megapixel)
The Canon 5D is Canon's second best camera (to the 1Ds Mark II) for shooting landscapes. This full-frame, 35mm sensor camera provides the the image quality I desire when using the 4x5 camera isn't the best tool for the job as this is the next best thing. It allows for generous enlargements with great detail and full image control that a raw digital file possesses.
Canon
350D/Rebel XT (8 megapixel)
The
Canon Rebel XT was my first digital SLR camera and now serves as my capable
backup and wildlife camera. Though it used to be Canon's entry level DSLR,
it is a very capable little machine that can make wonderful 20x30"
prints, and sometimes larger. It is extremely small and lightweight, which
is a landscape photographer's dream. The smaller, ~15x22mm sensor packs
almost twice the pixels in the same image area as the 5D, which is why
this is vastly superior for critters that would only fill its image area,
such as birds or distant wildlife.
Lenses
Canon
16-35 f/2.8L
Canon
24-105 f/4L IS
Canon
28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS
Canon
100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS
Canon
2x Extender II
Filters
Tiffen
Polarizer
Singh
Ray 2-stop soft and 3-stop hard graduated neutral density
Tiffen 81B
Digital point-and-shoot
Canon PowerShot S80 (8 megapixel)
The S80 is actually my workhorse, believe it or not. This camera, which I upgraded from the 4-megapixel S45, really gets a workout as I take far more pictures with it compared to any of my other cameras combined, and I really love this thing! Point-and-shoots are perfect for those journal-type shots that you can just fire away which help to tell a visual story in my travels. But wouldn't you know, it is too often the case where I take a snapshot using this camera that I don't take the time to shoot with a different one, then when I get back home I'm kicking myself that I wish I had because the scene actually looks better than I thought it did! This was the main reason I upgraded to the S80, so it could offer a bit better quality of enlargement over the S45. Well, the large 2.5" LCD is super nice, too! I also use it to record any voice notes, and it can record up to a minute of audio on a related picture, which is longer than any other camera brand I've come across. I used this feature extensively on my 2005 Canadian trip with the S45. The only negative aspect this camera has is the lack of raw file support, which allows for greater flexibility in post-processing. This is actually not a concern for me anyway as I would always opt for JPEGs with this camera format, and if it's a picture worth taking, I always use a more capable camera anyway. The zoom range on this is a 35mm equivalent of 28-110mm, so it is great on the wide end and works perfect for most scenes. It also has a rapid start-up and shut-down sequence that is as fast as I've seen in a point-and-shoot.
Other
Tripod umbrella (Sand-n-Sun
beach chair, clamp-style umbrella found at Wal-Mart—$5.95)
Bags
Lowepro Super
Trekker backpack
Lowepro Nature
Trekker backpack
Tripod
I finally got around to buying a carbon fiber tripod back in April, 2006,
to replace my heavy, 5 lb 9 oz Bogen 3221 (black version of the very popular
3021). At $290, the Velbon is about as cheap (Feisol
being the cheapest) as there is in the carbon fiber genre. It weighs 3
lbs 6 oz. Price wasn't the top priority as I had considered going the
Gitzo route, but ultimately, I am not a fan of twist locks at all and
I couldn't pull the trigger on one, so the Velbons looked all the more
enticing. Plus, they were lighter than an equivalent Gitzo at the time
I was looking. It was a no-brainer, and I am happy to report that I really
love my El Carmagne 630 and can highly recommend it. I should've made
this move years ago.
I just needed a basic tripod that did exactly what my Bogen did, but in carbon fiber to shed a couple of pounds. I don't need the shorter packing height and extra bit of hassle of a four leg section tripod. The flip locks are a treat and the included neoprene grip and pad on the upper legs are nice as well. The 630 sits about 3" shorter than the 3221 at maximum height without the center column extended which is noticeable as I'm pretty much always raising the center column, but that really isn't a big deal most of the time. This is a very well built and solid tripod for photography, though it wouldn't fare as well as my 3221 if I ever had a run-in with a mountain lion where I might need to take a few swings!
My only minor gripes are with the center column, leg adjustment levers, and the rubber feet:
The two-piece aluminum center column is split in a very odd place. It's basically an 80/20-split. If you need to shoot low to the ground, you'll just have to unscrew the longer piece. It would've been nice if it were dissected a bit more evenly so I could leave the bottom piece off, but with just the top, it only extends a couple of inches, which isn't enough for my 6-foot frame.
The leg adjustment levers/lock mechanism isn't quite as user-friendly and speedy as the easy Bogen system. The Velbons require you to pull the levers to a locking position before you can spread the legs further apart. It isn't difficult, but you have to do this individually where you could do two at a time on Bogens. It takes some bit of getting used to, but again, this is just a minor quibble. I always keep mine in the pulled-up position so the legs can be spread without having to mess with them all that frequently.
As for the rubber feet, they're of a harder rubber/plastic material which don't grip as nice as what I'm used to on surfaces such as slickrock. Again, this really hasn't been a real issue while shooting.
I'm such a big fan of this tripod that I had to order another one almost just like it. Currently (8/22) on order is the 530 legs. I mainly bought these to shave another half-pound, or so, plus some additional girth for hiking and backpacking. While certainly shorter, the weight savings is more than worth it. Plus, it gives me a backup carbon fiber tripod so I don't need to continue to lug around my 3221 as insurance while on a trip. More impressions to follow once it arrives.
Tripod heads
Manfrotto
410
Acratech
Ultimate version 1
Digital darkroom (picture to be updated soon)
CPU: Mac Pro 2.8 GHz (8-core)
35mm film scanner: Nikon Super Coolscan 4000ED
Flatbed scanner: Epson Perfection 4990 Pro
Printer: Epson Stylus Photo 1400
