For the equipment minded amongst us here is my current line-up. For the record I do not believe Canon is better than Nikon or Pentax better than Leica for example. I shoot Canon equipment because my very first film based SLR was Canon and because they were the first to offer a full frame 35mm DSLR in a body that fitted my requirements. Subsequently I have a substantial investment in Canon glass that makes switching camps anything but trivial or necessary.
Cameras
Currently I am primarily shooting with a pair of Canon EOS1DX Mark II cameras and an EOS50DSR camera with a range of different lens’s depending on the requirements of the location and subject. The 1DX MKII (and the previous 1DX and 1DSMK3 – now discontinued) are Canon’s flagship professional cameras. Although Canon do offer similar resolution in a chaeaper body (the 5D MKIII) I prefer the solidity, ergonomics and weather sealing of the 1 series cameras for working in the field. For all intents and purposes the 1-series cameras are impervious to water and dust (and maybe bullets). They are built like bricks – but they are also a reliable workhorses. You can see a complete list of cameras and accessories I use and recommend HERE.
I also have quite a few point and shoot cameras in my cupboard; although with the advent of the iPhone and Snapseed these rarely get any use these days.
Lenses and Acccessories
Currently my lens kit includes:
- Canon 17mm F4L TSE
- Canon 24mm F3.5L TSE
- Canon 24mm F1.4L
- Canon 35mm F1.4L
- Canon 50mm F1.2L
- Canon 85mm F1.2L
- Canon 70-200mm F2.8L IS
- Canon 300mm F2.8L IS MKII
- Canon 200-400mm F4L IS Lens with inbuilt 1.4 Teleconverter
- Canon 600mm F4L IS MKII
- Canon 1.4x TC MKIII
- Canon 2x TC MKIII
- Canon Extension Tube
You can click HERE for a complete list of lenses I recommend.
Support
I use a three section Gitzo 6x Carbon Fibre Tripod with a Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head and ‘L’ mounting bracket for the camera. After a fair bit of experimentation and expense in trying different products I found this combination offers truly excellent stability, ease of use and weight compromise. It also offers the capability of switching from horizontal to vertical without changing the position of the sensor. The lack of a centre column greatly increases the tripod’s rigidity and ensures a stable shooting platform.
Camera Bags
In 2010 I discovered the Gura Gear range of camera bags and now use the Kiboko, Bataflae and Chobe for 100% of my photographic needs. I also use several of the Etcetera cases and accessories.
Filters
One of the most indispensable pieces of equipment for any landscape photographer is graduated neutral density filters to help tame the extreme dynamic range of light that is often found in Nature. I use the Lee system and my kit comprises of a range of both soft and hard graduated ND filters of various ‘stops’. You can click HERE for a complete list of filters I use and recommend.
Computer Hardware
My current workhorse for image editing is a Mac Pro Dual Quad Core 2.8 Ghz (8 cores in Total) Xeon behemoth with 32 gigabytes of RAM – known simply and affectionately as ‘MacZilla’. It runs RAID 10 with an Apple Pro Raid Card and 4 1 Terrabyte Western Digital Black Caviar Hard Drives. Hooked up via Firewire 800 is a Drobo Pro 8 drive ‘Beyond RAID’ chassis with another 4 1 Terrabyte Western Digital Black Caviar Hard Drives; which is an exact clone of the Mac Pro’s hard drives. Another 1TB G-Force External hard drive is connected via USB2 for Time Machine back-ups. Also connected is a SATAII External Drive slot for rotating off sight back-ups. Phew!
My monitor is a BenQ SW2700PT Wide Gamut Adobe RGB Display. This is a wonderful display for photographic work offering a far greater colour gamut than most monitors.
When travelling I use a Mac Book Pro 17″ laptop and an iPhone (they are taking over the world.. didn’t you get the memo?)
Computer Software
I primarily use Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop for all my image processing. I really like the workflow, intuitive layout and database capabilities of Adobe’s Lightroom. I really only use Photoshop for multiple image compositing, stitching and for solving those retouching issues which are outside the capabilities of Lightroom. You can purchase Lightroom and Photoshop through B&H Photo.
Printers
My current photographic printer is the Canon IPF6350 Large Format Pigment Ink Printer with Canon’s LUCIA EX long life pigment inks. This is Canon’s second generation IPFX000 series printer and it produces stunningly beautiful archival prints. I also use a Canon IPF8300 and IPF9400.
My current favourite papers are Moab Somerset Museum Rag, and Moab Entrada Rag Natural. The Moab is a 100% cotton rag paper that is simply gorgeous and supple to hand hold.
You can click HERE for a complete list of printers and paper I use and recommend.
Cold Weather Gear
When shooting in cold or inclement weather I use and recommend Free-hands gloves and Vortex Storm Jackets. Both can be purchased online from B&H Photo.
The Photographer
Equipment is only a small part of the process of making images just like a piano is only a small component of a wonderful piano solo. It is a necessary tool, but it is not the difference between a good or bad photograph. Just like giving a Stradivari violin to someone who cannot read music and expecting them to play beautifully; purchasing an expensive camera wont make you beautiful photographs. You make the photograph – The camera merely records your composition and exposure settings.
Buying from B&H Photo
I greatly appreciate any purchase you make of equipment through B&H via a link on this website. Your purchase helps with the bandwidth and running costs of this website and helps me keep it operational. If you do not see a direct link to a product you would like to purchase you can still help by clicking the B&H banner on the left hand side to do your shopping. Thank you.