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and in other news... Found! Spendy Gift And The Winner Is... Devilishly Good What To Wear Stupid Please, Not Again. Soap I'm An American Girl Size 16 other stuff: buy stuff i designed my flickr page forgotten new york frellyheck chinh loobylu jakwon tof reknin 63 days heart and mind obscure store dooce oddy-knocky natruallycurly.com knitty TRIPPYswell RSS Feed www.flickr.com
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Photo Junkie
Sunday, December 10, 2006 I might have mentioned this before, but photography is a very expensive addiction, er, I mean hobby. Back in the days of my Minolta X-700, which was lovingly purchased for me used by my mother, I could only get one camera related gadget at a time. First came the camera and strap, which I vividly remember because the clerk at the store held up this hippie-guitar-strap-looking thing in jest, but I actually loved it. One of the first things I did with my new camera (after plugging in the battery charger) was to see if I could use my Jimi Hendrix camera strap, but these newfangled cameras have different strap connectors. Too bad, because that strap is so cool. Anyway, I started out with the camera and basic lens and ye olde camera strap. I also had a semi-hard case, but I don't recall if I got it right away. This was either a Christmas or birthday gift, I don't remember which, but each successive gift-giving occasion produced trip to the camera store. Eventually I amassed a nice little camera kit including a Sigma Zoom 1/4 - 5.6 70-210mm lens, a Cokin filter set including a polarizer, a red filter (for those contrasty black and white photos that I loved) and a macro lens thingie and, most importantly for a vain teenager such as I was, a shutter release cable and a Bogen tripod. I still have all of this equipment (minus the tripod) nestled safely in a beat-up, tan Nikon camera bag I inherited from my Uncle Jimmy. The bag still has his address written in Sharpie, which I then crossed out and replaced with mine, as if anyone who found a bag full of free camera stuff would obligingly send it back. This was my go-to camera until I got my first digicam back in 1999. Jeez, that was like the stone age of digital camera history. I'm amazed I didn't throw that piece of Olympus crap out, considering how shitty the pictures looked, but back then I reveled in the large amount of pictures and I could take with out having to pay for the two things that make SLR photography an expensive habit (that is, after you pay for all that expensive equipment): film and processing. Once I went digital, I never looked back. I haven't used my Minolta in years. I don't even remember the last time I bought film or took it in to be processed. When I got tired of the grainy Oly shots, I graduated to a Sony Cybershot. Then I had a brief, but ill-fated love affair with a Canon Powershot SD400 (which, after two unsatisfactory months, I sold on eBay) and then I got my Fuji F10. I cannot sing the praises of this camera and its offspring enough. Before Kyle got me my new toy I seriously thought about selling the F10 so I could trade up to the F30. It's really that good. If you want a point and shoot that takes amazing low-light pictures, this is the one for you. I am a strong proponent of existing light photography, which is why that Canon SD400 didn't cut it. That thing would shoot blurry if I was standing in the shade on a sunny summer day at noon. But the Fuji is another story. Such a good little camera. It was my main squeeze, until the little Rebel arrived. Kyle got me the Rebel with the kit lens and a 2 GB Compact Flash card to start out. Of course, much more is needed to have a proper camera kit. First off, I needed a bag or at least a semi-hard case. That's where I started my research. I went to B&H more in the last month that I had in the last fifteen years. Camera cases on the whole are a sad, ugly lot. I love bags, I have a zillion of them, but camera bags are just so unappealing. Either they're boxy canvas things like my old Nikon bag (which practically screams "Steal me -- there's an expensive camera hiding inside!!") or black technoid bags that look like glorified computer-nerd briefcases. I didn't like any of them until I saw the Domke bags on the B&H website. They mostly make the canvas, I'm-an-old-style-photojournalist-in-the-time-of-Ghandi bags, but they also have a small bag that resembles a mini messenger bag. And it comes in four colors, tan, navy, black and olive. I got the olive. It looks like a purse. I put pins over the label, in case any muggers know the word "Domke" is English for "Expensive Camera in Here". My only complaint is that the bag is a little small. Once I put in my camera, wallet and tiny makeup bag (full of ever-so important things like a tin of Advil and a giant cocoa butter lip blam) I can't really fit anything else in there. They make a larger bag, which I originally thought was too big, but it might turn out to be just the right size. Maybe I will upgrade to that one for traveling once I get my second lens. Ah! I'm already up to my second lens. It took me several birthdays to get a zoom lens for my Minolta, but only one month to get my new Canon prime lens, the "Nifty Fifty", so-called because it's a 50mm lens that retails for $70 and takes awfully good pictures. It's the cheapest lens Canon makes, but from what I've seen, it's worth it. This is what I got with the change haul I dragged to the Coinstar machine. I also ordered two digital photography books and a less-expensive CF card than the one Kyle got me. It will be my back up card, once we go on vacation again, whenever that may be. The other essentials I've gotten thus far are a uv filter for the kit lens (I'd rather clean fingerprints and dust off a $7 filter than the actual lens glass) and a remote control shutter release. My how times have changed! Now I can sit more than a couple of feet away from the camera to trip the shutter instead of being tethered to it like in the good old days. Now if only I was as young and cute as I was back then. I'd be cranking out sultry self-portraits by the dozens. Instead, I just take lots of pictures of my dog. She's very photogenic, if you hadn't noticed. So this is basically all I need. For now. I'm debating whether I want a Lensbaby. Maybe, maybe not, but certianly not right now. However, my birthday is in April, so you never know. posted at 1:55 AM . link to this post .   .
(5) comments
5 Comments:
ohhhhhhhhhh Angela. We're going to buy a new camera in a month or so, and you need to let me know more of what you thihk about this new one.
By It's a really great camera, if you want an SLR. The Fuji is a great camera if you want something light to carry around to take pictures with. Most of the pictures on my flickr are with the Fuji F10. I think they're up to F31 now or something, but it's a great point and shoot with a little zoom. Great for no-flash pics.
By
I agree with not using the flash whenever possible. When I got my digital camera a couple years back I spent quite some time messing with the different settings so I could use the existing light. Whenever faced with the need for using a flash I messed with the flash settings to try and reduce the extra and added "fake" light appearance. Anyway, my camera is a Canon Powershot, and I've been pretty darn happy with it seeing as I don't take pictures too much anymore, but when I go on a creative binge it delivers well.
By Yes, lensbaby. Lensbaby, yes. I have so much fun with mine. They're especially great in the rain, or at night, or both. I have the lensbaby 2 - I've heard that the lensbaby 3 is a serious step up, but also more expensive. I like the 2 well enough.
By Yes, I was thinking about the Lensbaby 2. Three seems to expensive, One looks too toy-like. Gotta wait until I save up some more change, though. :^)
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