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Minolta Maxxum 7000i
This was my first serious camera, and it initiated my photography. Kalimar 28 - 200 mm lens f/3.5 - 5.6, 72 mm filters This lens I bought with the first camera. I didn't know better at the time. It did take some nice pictures, but I didn't know how limited it was. It's biggest drawback was the long focal length: you had to be at least 8 feet away from the subject to obtain focus, unless you used close-up filters, which I did use for some photos. Rokunar flash This too, was my first purchase of a flash, for the Minolta. Took awhile to understand the problems of not being able to shoot portrait mode without getting the nasty shadows. |
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Minolta Maxxum 9xi
This camera was a beauty. It has been very serviceable, with an occasional quirk, giving trouble with loading film. But all in all, it has been my work horse for most of my photos. Sigma 28 - 70 mm f/2.8, 72 mm filters This is the lens I use for most of my everyday photos, including normal portraiture shots. Great having the fast f/2.8 wide open lens allowing all the light I need for most shots. |
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Sigma 70 - 300 mm APO f/4.0 - 5.6, 56 mm filters
This lens has been a great telephoto lens, with high quality shots. It's first use was with the butterflies and finches. It also has a macro feature, making it great for close-up work. |
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Sigma 18 - 35 Aspherical f/3.5 - 4.5, 82 mm filters
Finally had to have a really wide-angle lens. Been good for some special scenic shots, as well as getting large groups into the picture in tight quarters. It makes for interesting special effects too when putting your subject into the foreground, and making the background fade off into forever. |
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Astranar 800 mm fixed f/8
This long lens really does telephoto. I have captured a number of great shots that couldn't have been had without it. However, as you can see, it is bulky and heavy. It requires that it be mounted on a tripod. And it has a minimum focal length of 82 feet (25 m). It is 32 inches long, and filter size is 105 mm. |
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Sunpak Auto 622 Pro-System Flash with Zoom head
This flash is what makes me look like a pro. It's powerful, and very versatile. Being able to pull it off from the bracket and hand hold it makes for the ability to eliminate those nasty shadows. The only drawback to this flash is that it does have some significant weight. Also, if I put it into place in the camera backpack, I am unable to fit the backpack into airlines overhead compartments. I learned to take the risk and pack the flash in my suitcase to fix that problem. MX-1AF Sunpak Auto-flash for Minolta This device is used to send the flash signal from the camera to the flash, and to enable the auto-focus feature for the camera. It also allows the TTL communication between the camera and flash. |
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Tele-converter 2X Manual focus
I picked this up when I got the first camera. Didn't know better to choose an auto-focus one. But it did serve good purpose, and did extend the range of my first lens. Even added it a few times to the big 800 mm lens. However, the picture loses sharpness when doing that. |
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Filters: 72mm, Tiffin
Enhancing: Brings out greater saturation in the reds. Soft/FX - 3: Gives a slightly dreamy effect. Can remove wrinkles as well. Sometimes adds a nice effect, other times makes it look out of focus. 85 (Orange): Not as orange as the 85B, but still enhances sunrise and sunset pictures. 80 B (Blue): Can add blue cast, to picture for special effect. Normally needed for color correcting daylight film when shooting with tungsten lights. Star 6 point: When shooting lights, especially at night, it adds that nice star effect. Circular Polarizer: A must for every photographer. Makes those blue skies blue. Also enhances color saturation in other outdoor shooting. Can also be used to remove glare when shooting into water, allowing better view of what's in the water. UV Haze: Standard for all cameras, typically used to protect the lens from scratches, when no other filter is desired. Used most often on indoor photography. I have one of these for every lens I have. Close-up filters 2, 4, 6: Used for close-up macro photos that are closer than the focal length of the lens. Was needed for my Kalimar lens, but the macro feature for my Sigma 70-300 mm lens has made these filters no longer needed. |
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Filters: 82mm, Tiffin (Needed only for my Sigma 18-35 mm lens.
85 B (Orange): Stronger orange than the 85 filter. It's nice for enhancement to sunsets and sunrises. 812: Warming filter: Rarely used. Was part of a package of other filters. Circular Polarizer: See above under 72 mm filters. |
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Cokin Filters
Graduated neutral density 3: used effectively for bringing out detail, and over contrast, especially for sunsets and sunrises, as well as darkening bright skies, and bring out detail in the shadowed areas of land. Neutral Density 3: Can be used to remove harsh bright light, or to force a longer shutter speed for special effects. |
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Velbon Tripod
An essential part of any nature photographer's gear. Since I often want great depth of field so I can have objects both far and near in focus, it requires a small aperture (large f stop number) and a slow shutter speed. Since most all my nature work is done with ASA 100 film, I may shoot slow shutter speeds, requiring a tripod to eliminate camera shake. A slow shutter speed can also add a nice effect to moving water. |
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Tamarac #777 Camera backpack
Should have bought this years sooner and saved my sore back from the pain caused from carrying a shoulder strapped camera bag. When you get all this equipment, you need something to carry it with you. I did learn that when putting the Sunpack flash in its place, the bag will not fit in the overhead compartment when flying. I often now pack the flash in my luggage. |
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Minolta DImage 7
This is my first digital camera, and is the newest addition to my photography tools collection. It is a 5.2 mega-pixel camera, with an optical zoom that goes all the way to 7X. It has an additional 2X digital zoom, but as most of you know, digital zoom on digital cameras are worthless. It's another bell and whistle to help sell to the unknowing. However, it seemed to be the best bang for the buck at the time. |
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.38X Super Wide Angle Macro HR and 2X Tele-converter AF Lenses
Both these lenses are auto-focus lenses, and extend the range of what the camera can already do. The wide angle can focus within a fraction of an inch of subject. However, the built in flash will not work with that lens since the lens will shadow most of the picture. When using the telephoto, one must zoom in some to avoid vignette. |
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Nikonos RS
This camera is the ultimate underwater camera. The price range for it seemed beyond my ever being able to have. It's like the exotic car, like maybe the McClaren F1, priced at a cool million! (That's the price of the car, not the Nikonos RS.) But I was very fortunate to get a price break that's too good to publish here. It's a true, underwater, SLR, with auto-focus, auto-exposure, and lots of bells and whistles. Handling, and maintenance of an underwater camera is so much more intensive than a land camera. If you fail to properly grease your O-rings, or change film and drip some sweat or seawater into the camera, the expense can be great. And one time I almost lost it! I just did my back roll off the boat, and the neck strap came undone, and let the camera go free, in 70 feet of water with moderate current! My dive buddy went down and recovered it! |
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R-UW AF Nikkor 28 mm Lens f/2.8
This is the lens that came with the camera. It is slightly wide angle under water, and cannot be used above water. It's a good general lens for underwater photography, especially good for shoots during a shipwreck dive, or during a shark feeding, or any other pelagics. It can focus as close as 0.9 feet (0.24 m). |
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R-UW AF Micro-Nikkor 50 mm f/2.8
This lens is great for shooting some of the smaller subjects, and for macro photography. Unlike the 28 mm lens, this one can be used for shooting above the water. I've had a few interesting shots trying to shoot pictures split between above/below water at the same time. That's more challenging than one might realize. Although the manual says it's closest focal point is 6.6 inches (.167 m), I've successfully focused within just a few inches. Not too much sea life will let you that close, but a few Neon Gobies have let me do it, as well as an occasional few other fish. Those have rendered some real macro photos. Also, a few Coral-banded shrimp have done well with close focus. |
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Nikonos Speedlight SB-104
This has been a versatile flash. Again, it requires intensive care an maintenance, and it did have flooding problems once that cost me grief and significant down time, and some damage to the pocket-book. |
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Mamiya RB67 Medium Format
This is my medium format camera, that has taken a few nice shots at special events including a few weddings. However, I don't use it as much as the 35 mm cameras. Of course, it is completely manual. No autofocus, no auto-exposure, or anything like that. So my light meter got lots of use when using this. I used it along with the Sunpack flash. Of course, you have the max in resolution with a 6 x 7 cm negative. |
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