Equipment Used for Webmaster's Gallery Photos

Currently Used Equipment                     Lenses Used

From June, 2010

It has been a long time since I've updated this page!

Canon 7D: I moved from the Canon 40D to the 50D in October, 2008. It was a really excellent camera offering improvements over the 40D. Normally, I upgrade to the newest camera as soon as it comes out. I delayed quite awhile when the 7D came out because I didn't like the price jump and didn't feel I would use the video capabilities (which I haven't). But the other features and reviews finally got me to get one in February, 2010. Now, I'm sorry I waited so long. The feature dropped from the 50D the bothered me the most was the DEP setting which adjusted the aperture for a good depth of field covering all subjects was bothersome because I used to use that a good bit. Aside from that, the new features are just great! Particularly impressive is the 8 frames-per-second shooting which will handle a burst of nearly 100 photos when shooting highest quality JPG images. The 18 megapixel sensor gives the advantage that even if a subject is distant, a lot of cropping can be done and still leave a reasonable size image - especially for presentation on a website.

Hi-Rez Panoramas: In May of 2009 I also added a Canon SX110 IS and a GigaPan Epic 100. These were added to work together to produce huge, high definition panoramas. For examples, please see http://www.GigaBend.com. I chose the Canon SX110 IS for the extremely good pictures it takes combined with a 10X zoom - giving the equivalent of 360mm maximum. The GigaPan unit is, essentially, a robotic device that allows mounting of a camera. The unit is then programmed to move to a series of positions in x number of rows and columns. At each position stop, the unit fires the camera to take a picture. The camera is zoomed to its maximum. After shooting this series of shots (often in the hundreds) the images are stitched together using the GigaPan stitcher. The resulting image may well be in the multi-gigapixel range!

Lens Repairs: I've had really good luck with my lenses - I've only had one break down! One of my favorite lenses is my Sigma 28-105mm f2.8-4. It is so versatile! It is no longer made and almost impossible to find a used one. Sigma told me they could no longer repair it - which I thought to be very low on the customer service scale. However, I did find a repair company that quickly repaired the lens and got it back to me working flawlessly. If you need repairs, you may want to consider United Camera (http://www.UnitedCamera.com). I was very unhappy with their communication - it's impossible to get anything answered by them from email and even by phone, answers are ambiguous and vague. However, their price was good and their work was excellent.

From September, 2007

When I got the 40D, it replaced both my Canon EOS 30D and the Canon Rebel XTi. This is a fantastic camera! It shoots nearly 7 frames per second and just keeps on shooting in burst mode! I have gotten up to 60 shots (and the camera never stopped or slowed down and could have shot more) in a burst of 6.5 frames per second - using the highest quality JPG images. This is a 10 Megapixel camera and produces truly excellent photos - a big step up from either the 30D or XTi.

From July, 2007

While I have used Canon cameras exclusively for a long time, their point-and-shoot cameras just don't seem to be keeping up to the competition. I replaced my secondary Powershot A540 with this Sony Cybershot DSC-T100 as my secondary camera.

I use this camera when I'm working with a larger lens in the field. It's great for shots I can't get with the EOS 40D - or can't get without carrying additional lenses and a lot of hassle. Extreme close-ups of very small items (e.g. a tiny flower) are shot with this camera. Also, occasionally, things such as a shot of a plant when it isn't convenient or possible to get enough distance between myself and the plant to get a good shot with the 40D. It's also nice to have a camera around from time to time that will take a nice movie - and this one will just keep shooting until the 4 GB memory card is full.

The downside on this camera is the proprietary batteries. They are rechargeable, but one must have two of them (for when one goes dead - to keep shooting). These babies are $50 each! Ridiculous! Aside from that, it is a really fantastic camera with a serious optical zoom and produces really great pictures - detail and color - with its 8 Megapixels.

-June, 2010 - Still using this great little camera. It is invaluable for some close ups and macro shots!

Camera (since September, 2006)

When the Rebel XTi came out I wanted to try it - especially with the 10 megapixel sensor! In many ways, it just isn't the 30D - but that 10 megapixel sensor is EXCELLENT and produces great pictures. I'll use it along with my 30D. For a comparison between the two, see below...

Camera (since April, 2006)

I use the Canon EOS 30D SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. It is an 8 megapixel camera that will shoot as fast as 5 frames per second! I love it!

Lenses Used

~ Click on either image below for an enlargement - scrollable if it is too big for browser window ~

ImageRescue SOFTWARE

Available free with Lexar Professional 4GB 133x Write Acceleration CompactFlash cards - and possibly other cards as well.

WOW! Recovers images from card without problems! I tried it on a 4GB card I have been using for quite some time. It recovered 1394 images (3.75 GB) from the card when I did not specify anything but to recover images. It did incorrectly identify RAW images as TIFF, but when I changed the extension form .TIF to .CR2, the image software recognized them and they were good and complete RAW images. I didn't check every image, of course. In spot checking the images, all were perfect. I've lost some images in the past - I won't in the future with this software.

After testing as above, I tried the same thing with a card that had been formatted in the camera. Same great results.

From July, 2006 (No longer owned / used)

I got the Canon Powershot A540 (top - right) as a secondary camera. The first thing I did was get the Extension Tube and a UV Filter to add to the front to protect the lens when the camera is turned on and to keep it clean. With the tube in place, I'm also ready to use the Wide Angle / Macro Adapter Lenses (bottom - right). Only the Macro is actually used, though - wide angle shots are always with the Canon 30D.

I use this camera when I'm working with a larger lens in the field. It's great for shots I can't get with the EOS 30D - or can't get without carrying additional lenses and a lot of hassle. Extreme close-ups of very small items (e.g. a tiny flower) are shot with this camera. Also, occasionally, things such as a shot of a plant when it isn't convenient or possible to get enough distance between myself and the plant to get a good shot with the 30D. It's also nice to have a camera around from time to time that will take a nice movie - and this one can get about 30 minutes on the 1 Gigabyte memory card I use with it.

From about June 2004 (No longer owned / used)

I switched to the 8 megapixel Canon EOS 20D (when it came out on the market). Along with the SLR, I use a number of lenses including: Sigma 8mm fisheye, Sigma 17-35mm apochromatic wide angle zoom, Sigma 28-105mm macro zoom, Sigma 75-300mm macro zoom, Sigma 120-300 f2.8 telephoto zoom, Hartblei 85mm tilt/shift. Additionally I use 2x and 3x teleconverters to enhance the power of the Sigma 120-300 telephoto lens and various extension tubes to enhance the macro capabilities of the 28-105 and 75-300 lenses.

After June 2003 (No longer owned / used)

I started using a Canon EOS 10D - a single lens reflex digital camera with 6 megapixels.

Prior to June 2003 (No longer owned / used)

Almost all photos were taken with a Canon Powershot G2. In addition to the camera, several accessories are used. The G2 is a 4 megapixel camera. It has been superseded by the G6 and G6. All are excellent cameras!

About the Canon Powershot G2

Even though I have discontinued use of this camera, I keep the following information I put on about it because these point and shoot cameras have such versatility and capability with a few accessories and I feel this information may be helpful to others.

I always keep the tube adapter on the camera with a UV filter attached. The UV filter keeps the lens clean and protected and the tube adapter provides protection for the zoom lens unit. I fell with a previous camera while it was on and the zoom lens extended - causing extensive damage to the zoom lens. Had there been a tube adapter on it, the camera would have been saved! It only took one instance to learn my lesson on this.

Above: Standard Canon Powershot G2
Left: G2 with Tube Adapter and 55mm UV protective filter installed
Below Left: Wide angle (0.48X) lens with integrated Macro lens
Below: Same lens separated

The Tube Adapter allows quick, easy attachment of the accessory lenses shown to the camera for special work.

The macro portion of the wide angle lens shown above is probably my most important single accessory - especially for the bug and flower shots in the Webmaster's Gallery. This allows some really close and magnified work (in combination with the zoom of the G2 lens itself). The close-ups of some of the really small bugs would have been impossible without it. I have found that this macro lens also works quite nicely with 35mm lenses - as mentioned below for my new camera. The biggest drawback with the attached macro lens is that you must find the exact distance from the subject to position your camera so it will focus sharply. For slightly larger subjects, I use the camera and its zoom lens and set it for macro mode focusing and can get close enough to get a sharp picture without accessories.

The wide angle lens used as a complete unit allows a little extra width for shooting in a close spot, such as a room interior, where I wish to capture as much as possible of the room. There isn't too much distortion with this particular wide angle accessory and it is easily corrected with PhotoImpact photo processing software (and other similar packages). If I need a really wide angle shot, of I want a whole new perspective, I use the extreme wide angle lens pictured below. It causes a lot of distortion, but it is still pretty well corrected with image processing software.

Left: Phoenix Super Fish-Eye 0.25X lens
Below Left: 2X Teleconverter
Below: 3X Teleconverter

When the zoom on the camera isn't quite enough, I attach a teleconverter to double or triple the lens power. I have found the 2X (double) teleconverter works quite nicely and produces good pictures. The 3X (triple) teleconverter reduces the sharpness of the picture a lot and any camera shake at all will show up quickly in a blurred image. I have never found it very useful.

With my Powershot G2 I used the Canon Speedlite 420EX when the flash on the camera wasn't quite enough. The Speedlite powers the flash out significantly further. If I had it to do over, I would have purchased the much more powerful Speedlite 550EX to start with. I did get the 550EX when I got the new EOS 10D. The two flash units can "talk" to one another and to either of the cameras and work together to provide extra dimension and coverage for flash pictures.