My Equipment

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ChristophMaier's avatar
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I thought I remove the super long ID text and simply create a journal entry with my equipment. This does clean the page up a bit. I will keep this journal entry updated should I get some more new things.

  • Body:

    • Canon 7D Mark II since 2016/04/09
      Finally got an upgrade to my trusty good old 7D. I admit it was one of those 'I really want something new' moments, but it was certainly worth it. The AF is much better than on my old 7D and IQ and especially low-light quality is much improved. Especially if you combine it with the higher MP count it has. Most of the picture I take are really only for web-usage so end up being at 1920x1280. The 2 extra MP certainly give you quite an edge there. Did I really need it? No, but I like having it and last weekend I was able to test out my new two-camera setup and it really proved to be a good solution. Much less lens changing resulted in a lot more images that turned out to be perfect.
    • Canon 7D (2nd one, first was stolen) 2011/03/20 - 2016/04/09 (now using it as my second body)
      This is a beast of a camera. High speed, high resolution and plenty of features. Yes, it's still an APS-C, but the image quality and features are really great. (And it's really the only affordable choice if you need speed)
    • Canon 40D (Optional) 2008/05/23 - 2011/03/19
      My first upgrade after the 300D. Probably the camera that I learned the most. It's a great camera and is now being used by my dad who loves it as well. Really versatile all-round camera that still offers great IQ. Low light performance is lacking, but that's not a surprise considering how old it is. One of the really great features it has is the ability to micro-adjust your lenses. Canon removed that feature from the 50D (and I believe later models as well)
    • Canon 300D (Sold) 2003/10/25 - 2008/05/17
      my very first dSLR, I learned a lot about photography because of this one.
  • Lenses:

    • SIGMA 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art
      This lens is a beast. It's heavy and large, but boy does it perform. It's only usable for APS-C, but there it is just insane. The IQ is incredible throughout the whole range easily competing with primes. It opens up a whole new level of possibilities when doing party or even photography. While the range is not super large it really gives you an edge when composing pictures quickly. (And sometimes moving around too much at a venue simply isn't an option) It's my new go-to lens often being complemented by the 24-105. (Sometimes 50mm is just not wide enough) Again, the image quality if this lens is insane. I am truly in love with it.
    • SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM
      My newest addition. I did not had any chance to really test it out on the field but what I have seen so far is simply great. The build quality and feel to it is the best of all lenses I have. It feels really solid and the zoom ring is great to use. The optical stabilizer it has really does wonders. I still need to do some controlled test shots to figure out how far I can push it, but the first few attempts are simply astonishing. If IQ holds up I can easily see this lens replacing my Canon 24-70. Yes it has a smaller aperture, but the OS appears to be able to more than make up for this. Combine that with the greater reach and I think this will be my all purpose lens from now on.
      Having played around some more with it it really does hold up my expectations. IQ is really good and the image stabilization helps a lot on those low light situations where you still need some better depth-of-field.
    • SIGMA AF 10-20/3,5 DC EX HSM
      One of my newer additions. I had not yet the chance to do too much shooting with it but it is certainly a fund and useful lens. There is very little distortion even at 10mm and the overall build and quality is really great. I hope to be able to play around with that one a lot more soon! To be honest I think this is one of the lenses I don't really need. I really rarely use it and whenever I need a wide angle I often just use my Sigma 24-105 these days.
    • Canon 50mm 1.8 (2nd one, first was stolen)
      You can never go wrong with this one, though with the new Sigma 50-100 I don't really need it anymore. Although it is a great option if you need something really lightweight. Focus is pretty slow though and cannot be adjusted on the fly.
    • Canon 24-70 2.8
      Just got this one instead of the Sigma version. (The Sigma had some issues, plus I like that the Canon has better macro abilities and can fit a 77mm filter instead of the 82mm the Sigma uses) Finally had some time to play around with it. It's a good lens with nice IQ, though not quite as stellar as some reviews I read. I do believe however that for this range it's the best possible option. If you need more IQ primes simply are the way to go. It sure does feel really nice, L lenses really do have an amazing build quality! Since I got the Sigma 24-105 this one is being benched most of the time. The larger aperture is nice, but the Sigma counters that with it's incredible image stabilization and also offers a bit more range. Still a great lens, but if I am short on space and weight it stays home these days.
    • SIGMA 85mm 1.4
      My favorite lens so far. The photographs I am able to capture with his one are simply amazing. Having a 1.4 aperture really makes a difference in low light situations and the detail I can get out of a well focused shot is absolutely stunning. (Be aware though that an aperture of 1.4 has next to no depth-of-field, so make sure your focus is absolutely spot on!) Still one of my loved lenses, but again the new Sigma 50-100 replaces that most of the time. While the bigger aperture can be great, the really thin depth-of-field does limit it's uses. And the added low-light capability is most often outweighed by the added flexibility of the zoom. In terms of IQ I don't really see any difference even though this one is a prime. (Again, noting how incredibly the 50-100 is)
    • SIGMA 150mm 2.8 OS Macro
      Personally I do not think this lens needs OS (image stabilization) but they no longer make the non OS version. Since my old one was stolen I had to get this one. I haven't had time to test it thoroughly, but I do like the look and feel of the new EX finish and from what I have seen image wise it's just as good as my old one. (Which means it's simply incredible)
    • Canon 100-400mm 4.5-5.6 L IS USM
      It's heavy as hell and the push/pull zoom feels really strange. But it's the only lens with this zoom range that I can afford and IQ is really good. Using my 2x converter and taking APS-C crop factor into consideration I now have a 1280mm lens at my disposal. That is one long lens to be sure. Finally got the chance to play around with it and must say that I am really impressed. It's an extremely versatile lens and the IQ is really great. I also did an amazing moon photograph with it and the 2x converter: xwauforceflow.deviantart.com/a… Really glad I decided to go with that one and can certainly recommend it to everybody!
    • 2x SIGMA Converter (2nd first was stolen)
      works with the150mm Macro (making it a 300mm 2:1 macro!) And the 100-400 from Canon, though that one will get really dark when using it. I got the second one used for an incredible bargain, else I don't think I would have bought it again.(Due so limitations AF does not work on the 7D and possibly other cameras when using it however, so be aware)
    • SIGMA 17-70mm 2.8 - 4.5 (Optional)
    • Canon 75-300mm 4,0-5,6 Zoom (Optional)
      My first zoom lens, pretty slow and not the best quality, but it was a nice starter zoom.
    • SIGMA 24-70mm 2.8 (Exchanged)
      Seems this lens finally broke my perfect Sigma record. The first one I had had somewhat of a front/back-focus problem. (Depending on the zoom level, so micro-adjusting was no option) The store I bought it at finally had a second one in stock, but that one turned out to be broken. (Luckily I tested it right in the store, so I never got that one) In the end I decided to exchange this one with the Canon 24-70mm 2.8 I hope that will serve me better
    • SIGMA 17-70mm 2.8 - 4 HSM OS (stolen)
      I only had about half a year to play with this one. It's a nice lens with a good price, but in the end I found it a bit soft at the edges for my taste. So when it was stolen I decided against getting this one again. (Even though it's most likely the best lens with this range out there)
    • SIGMA 70-200mm 2.8 (stolen)
      Sadly without OS, but I simply couldn't afford the better one. If you do have the extra cash make sure you go with the OS version. It's still a great lens though
    • SIGMA 150mm 2.8 Macro (stolen)
      I decided not to wait for the OS version especially since I got this one at an incredibly bargain. I really don't think OS is worth twice the price. The image quality of this lens is absolutely stunning, best lens I currently own by far
    • SIGMA 50mm 2.8 Macro (Sold)
      Served me well for many years. But I finally wanted something with more reach.
  • Lighting Equipment:

    • SIGMA 610 DG Super (2nd one, first was stolen)
      Very powerful, very fast charge rate and full E-TTL compatibility. Comes with a bunch of extra features as well, though some do not appear to work with my 7D. (Well, actually once you read the whole manual it seems they all do, it's just not very easy to use)
    • SIGMA EM 140 DG
      Ring flash, very useful for macro photography
    • 2 Yongnu Speedlite YN560-II
      I just recently acquired those and had not a lot of time to test them. They charge very fast and have good features. They are pretty much manual use only but that's what I will use them for anyways. Pretty much boils down to a lot of power with a very small Price tag.
    • Pixel Soldier Wireless Flash Trigger (with 3 receivers)
      Really nice if you want to work with off-camera flashes. Opens up a whole new dimension of lighting. I have only played with it very little so far but even there I got some really interesting and good results. Keep in mind that they are 'dumb' triggers meaning you have to set the flashes manually! I still have them, but I never use them anymore. I got two more of the YN560-IIs which I find much more reliable than the Pixel Soldiers.
    • Yongnuo YN-622C (4 Trigger/Receivers)
      Just like the Pixel Soldiers but with full eTTL compatibility. This means that you can adjust the off-camera flash via the camera. This is a really nice feature and let's me use the DG 610 features much more easily than when I have it diretly connected. Upside is that you can mount another flash trigger or flash on top of the trigger that is on your camera. Especially nice if I want to also use my ring flash. Sadly it does NOT let you use second curtain for non-eTTL flashes. (So my two YN flashes are first curtain only)
    • Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe Softbox
      Just arrived, it's easy to set up and looks pretty stable, but I couldn't test it any further yet.
    • Canon 420EX (Optional)
    • Dörr Pro Soft Diffusor
      both for the 420EX and the 610 DG Super
  • Stabilization:

    • MANFRETTO 055XPROB tripod with 804RC2 head
      Incredible price/performance value. It's a bit on the heavy side, but I love it!
    • MANFROTTO 676B digi
      Sometimes a monopod is all you need
    • cheap and light tripod
      For when I need to add an off center flash
    • two lamp stands
      For when I need to add more light, really great for studio shooting
    • Gorillapod SLR (2nd one, first one was stolen)
      I highly recommend this to anyone! Really nice if you can't take a tripod with you!
    • LP-03 Macrorail
      For when you need precision positioning
  • additional equipment:

    • GGS Display protection
      Have them for both the 7D and 40D. Good protection and no loss of quality from the screen
    • Katz Eye Split Prism Focusing Screen
      I absolutely do not understand why this is not available from Canon directly (for the 40D and 7D)
    • Bilora ND4 filter (72mm and 77mm)
      Played a bit with them, overall they are too weak fro my taste.
    • Step Up Adapter to 77mm and 77mm Ring Flash adapter
      Once I realized how expensive the Ring Flash adapter was (and all the other filters I might buy later on) I decided to go ahead and get step up adapters for all lens diameters to 77mm. I thought about going to 82 but those are not really compatible with my ring flash. (And so far I have not yet gotten a 82mm lens anyways, and I doubt I will any time soon) The only 82mm I have is the 10-20 but mounting a ring flash on that would would result in severe vignetting
    • LowePro Pro Trekker 300 AW
      Expensive as hell, but one incredible photo backpack! Well worth the money if you ask me
    • hama LensPenMust have! Great and easy tool to clean your lense when you are in the field!
    • 3x16 GB SanDisk Extreme III
      because size DOES matter... but without speed it doesn't do you much good
    • three legged camping chair
      Why? Because 20kg of equipment on your back get's heavy, that's why ;)
    • Remote Cable Release (2nd one, first was stolen)
      For those long night sessions when I don't want to use the 10 second timer or generally be more flexible. Really useful if you ask me.
    • Canon Selphy CP800
      Great portable photo printer. Nice speed and good quality without having to worry at all about any of the usual ink-problems. Reliable as long as you don't use the external battery, that one seems to be bugged as hell
    • Sanyo Eneloop Mignon
      Simply great batteries for my flashes. I've been using them for over a year now and am still impressed. Very fast loading cycles with tons and tons of power behind them. A must have for anybody working with external flashes for sure!
    • LCW Fader ND MKII (77mm) (stolen)
      Hadn't had the chance to play with that one much, but it certainly is dark. When used with the ND4 filter you can actually look into the sun and barely see anything. Quality is okay, but unusable at the darkest setting because of the way the filters work.
© 2010 - 2024 ChristophMaier
Comments3
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SpinningStarshine's avatar
For a teenager who has just bought her first SLR, I can only be impressed by all the camera equipment you have. =) I'd love to buy myself some new lenses, at least.