After returning from Peru, I knew the backpack I had chosen for travel, the Calumet BP935 Small Backpack, was not the one for me. It was very nice, but here were the drawbacks for me:

• Did not fit my back very well. Even with a waist strap, it was just too big for my body, and most of the wait still hung on my shoulders.
• Too big for my needs. If you have a lot of camera equipment, this bag will fit it all! But I needed extra compartments for storing books, laptop accessories, and other items for use on the road.
• One major compartment. Instead of allowing access to individual items, you have to open the whole thing to get to anything.
• Small front pockets. Pockets didn’t stretch at all, making it hard to even store batteries and camera accessories in them. They were also designed in a way that things tended to fall out when you opened them.

Calumet graciously allowed me to return the backpack. Now that I knew more specifically what did and did not fit my needs for travel, I was able to exchange it for another backpack: the Tamrac 5788 Evolution 8 Photo Sling Backpack. Though I have used it only slightly, here is what I have enjoyed thus far about it.

• Slightly smaller size fits me very well. Even though the waist strap isn’t as big, the whole thing seems to fit me better. For some reason, the weight is better distributed between my hips and shoulders.
• More room for extraneous supplies. The large top compartment, accessed separately, can be used for books and travelling items while still converting to camera space if desired.
• Multiple access to camera. The camera can be accessed from the front as well as from both sides. This makes it very easy to get things out of the bag when traveling or hiking.
• Quality padding. Even though I think the Calumet bag had better padding, this bag is top notch when it comes to protecting your equipment.

Well, I hope these thoughts are helpful for anyone looking to purchase a camera/laptop combination backpack. I don’t think I’ll be searching for a new bag in a long time.

Well, I gave in and finally bought Photomatix. After experimenting with three different programs, Lightroom, Photoshop CS5, and Photomatix, I figured this was the best way to go.

Lightroom does an excellent job simulating HDR with it’s Fill Light slider, but the quality gets real low real quick. I have a few presets created, and it works nice for some pictures, but it just doesn’t make the cut, especially since it can only work with one, single, 8-bit or 16-bit image.

I was able to use Photoshop CS5 for a few days with a trial version. I worked really hard to get what I wanted, even to the point of reading up on it and following specific directions. There were just too many steps. And the end product always appeared flat. If I ever upgrade to CS5, I’ll have more time to work with it, but that upgrade will probably be in the far future.

It was at least a year ago that I first started looking into Photomatix. With the perpetual, watermarked, trial version, I remember being very surprised and pleased with the colorful, almost surreal product that it produced. And consistent, too. Every time I would take a batch of pictures through, I always came up with something I liked. It’s got a lot of settings and you could tweak things forever, but once you get used to it, it really doesn’t take that much time. Usually, a little contrast had to be added in Lightroom once the merge was completed.

So I went ahead and bought it. It’s normally like $100, but you can get free 15% or 20% coupons online. Here are a few of my first images with the program. They are all fusions of three images, each with a difference of at least one stop of light.

Recently someone told me that they were seriously updating their lenses and wanted my recommendation on what portrait lens I would recommend. I couldn’t really tell her exactly what lens to buy because I don’t do enough portraiture to be 100% confident, but I could point her to this website which I have found to be extremely helpful in finding detailed information about Canon’s lens lineup: The-Digital-Picture.com. I frequent this sight all the time.

But I am curious. For anyone reading this blog, which lens would you recommend as the best portrait lens?

I drove down to Indianapolis with three folks from Headquarters today and joined five other students who are greatly anticipating a lively, full, intense week of learning DTP!

I’m looking forward to sharing tips in Photoshop and InDesign, studying principles of design with everyone, and working on a few design projects to boot.

Having been through this course before, I heartily recommend it, knowing that it has completely changed my perspective in layout and design. Watch for future courses at Verity’s website!

I have often been asked: “What camera would you recommend I buy?”

There is no easy answer. There are dozens of important factors to consider such as what type of photography you want to pursue and how much you are willing to pay. Add to this technical factors such as durability, frames per second, processing speed, sensor size, and screen size, and you’ll find yourself asking: “How do I explain all this in one setting?”

The answer can be found at www.snapsort.com! I ran across this simple, straightforward website today as I was looking around for a camera recommendation. The site is divided into four sections:

1. Explore: basic camera reviews
2. Compare: contrast one camera with any other camera
3. Learn: simple explanations for camera functions and capabilities
4. Just Tell Me!: camera recommendations by usability categorization

It is clearly designed for beginners. Most of the camera comparisons are for compact cameras, and they don’t mention anything more powerful than the Canon 5D Mark II. But that’s ok, because most people who are wondering what camera to purchase won’t want anything that powerful anyway.

I just got a new battery grip for my 40D. I usually only buy Canon products and accessories, but I didn’t feel like spending all the extra money. So I held my breath and bought a Zeikos ZE-CBG50 Battery Power Grip for Canon 40D & 50Ds.

And I guess I’m still holding my breath. I haven’t experienced any problems even after the expedition to Peru plus two family Conferences. I like the way it makes the camera look more imposing, and the second shutter release is so much more handy than I anticipated. I also have come to like the super long battery life. At first I didn’t think it would be much different than normal, but now I almost never have to worry about running out of power during the middle of an escapade or photoshoot.

In deciding what battery grip to purchase, I finally went with Zeikos after much research because it had a consistently high rating among many users. It doesn’t have a “squishy” shutter release, it does have the extra zoom and metering buttons, and it seems relatively sturdy for an off-brand product.

I bought it off of Amazon, receiving it in very good time. I recommend this product.

I hadn’t either, until recently.

From a trusted source, www.squaretrade.com was recommended to me as an inexpensive, reliable, and customer friendly location to purchase warranties for just about all electronics, including cameras, lenses and related accessories.

Before I buy into it, however, I’d like to hear from anyone who has researched them out or experienced working with them. I’m looking for some unbiased, experiential information about this seemingly too-good-to-be-true company. If you have heard of SquareTrade, would you recommend it?

Any and all comments are welcome!

“I was wondering what your thoughts were on what kind of lens would make a good portrait lens. I am not looking to spend a lot of money. If the lenses I have now will do just as good as something that I would buy inexpensively, then I would not really want to buy anything else. I currently have the standard kit lens (18-55mm) and the 28-105mm EF Zoom lens.” – Chad

Hey Chad,

Because I’m not the privileged photographer who has had the opportunity to try out every lens Canon has to offer, I will simply speak from experience and what I’ve heard from others.

I absolutely love using the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens for portraiture. It’s an expensive lens, but the quality, bokeh, and DOF at the higher focal lengths is phenomenal. However, I find myself closer to my subject than I would prefer. Therefore, I would tend to say go for something a little longer, though I wouldn’t sacrifice the f/2.8. Because I find myself in low light often, the IS is extremely helpful in bailing me out of such situations.

I hear the 50mm f/1.8 lens is a superb portrait lens. Because it’s a fixed lens, it decreases flexibility, but it’s cheap and there’s not a lot of glass in the way for producing beautiful pictures.

Keep in mind that the best portrait is the one with least distortion. A wide angle lens distorts an image in a way that causes the nose to appear big and the ears pinched. A telephoto lens distorts an image in a way that compresses space resulting in unflattering appearance. The least distortion is found somewhere between 50mm and 100mm.

So, next time you’re asked to take a portrait, grab your camera, take into consideration your camera’s crop factor (if it isn’t full frame) and choose a lens that will best capture your subject without distortion.

Hope that helps!
James

I got an e-mail asking for details about Canon’s complete camera lineup. Compiled from a number of different websites, I think I’ve got a pretty good up-to-date list. Canon’s lineup is constantly being revised, so when new models are released, older models are discontinued. Though you can buy just about any one of these camera’s used online at a cheap price, the older models are becoming increasingly harder to find, as well as just plain impractical. Below, bolded entries indicate that the item is in Canon’s active lineup.

Entry Level:

• August 2003: Rebel (EOS 300D)
• February 2005: Rebel XT (EOS 350D)
• August 2006: Rebel XTi (EOS 400D)
• January 2008: Rebel XSi (EOS 450D)
• June 2008: Rebel XS (EOS 1000D)
• March 2009: Rebel T1i (EOS 500D)
• May 2010: Rebel T2i (EOS 550D)

Amateur Enthusiast Level:

• February 2003: EOS 10D
• August 2004: EOS 20D
• February 2006: EOS 30D
• August 2007: EOS 40D
• August 2008: EOS 50D
• September 2009: EOS 7D
• August 2005: EOS 5D
• September 2008: EOS 5D Mark II

Professional Level:

• November 2001: EOS 1D
• April 2003: EOS 1Ds
• August 2005: EOS 1D Mark II
• February 2007: EOS 1D Mark III
• October 2009: EOS 1D Mark IV
• August 2007: EOS 1Ds Mark III

As you may have already noticed, this list isn’t necessarily chronological. I listed them in order of my personal evaluation of performance capabilities.

Recently, someone asked me, “Would you have any apprehensions about refurbished cameras? Do you know of anyone who has purchased one?” These are good questions. First, not only are they asking for my opinion, but they also want some insight from someone who has experience. Well, they have come to the right place. Not only do I have an opinion on the matter, but I also have some experience.

Last November, I needed to upgrade. My first digital camera, a faithful 20D, died on a trip to Mexico City, and I was looking to replace my kit 18-55mm lens. I figured it would be best to do my research all at once and buy them both at the same time. Due to funds, I found I could feasibly purchase what I was looking for at Adorama if I bought them refurbished or used. I was apprehensive at first because I had never bought anything that wasn’t completely new before, but after some study, I came to the following conclusion:

• Refurbished is worth the risk; used is not!

The difference between Refurbished and Used can be significant. Refurbished usually means that someone bought the camera, opened it, decided they didn’t like it, and sent it back to the manufacturer. Why they didn’t like it is where you have to take the risk. Perhaps it malfunctioned. Perhaps it had missing parts. Perhaps they just didn’t like the way it looked. Whatever the reason, once a camera is sent back, it can’t be sold as new anymore. Thus, they make the necessary repairs, run it through whatever functionality tests are required, and, if it passes, they put it up for sale as a refurbished item.

On the other hand, Used refers to a camera that someone has had for a while and has sold it back to the manufacturer for any number of reasons. It’s impossible to gauge the health of a used camera. The outward appearance might be excellent, but there is no way of telling what the inside condition is. Used cameras are cheap and you might get just as much life out of them as you would a new camera; it’s just that the changes are slim.

So, speaking from both opinion and experience, I would take the risk to buy a refurbished camera. Though I am only speaking from six months of light and occasional use, both my refurbished camera and lens are doing just fine.