Here's a list of all the gear I have bought since getting into photography again in 2018.
Camera
- Canon EOS 200d / Canon EOS Digital Rebel SL2
Lens
- Canon EF-S 18-55mm F/4-5.6 iS STM COMPACT (with lens hood)
- Canon EF-S 10-18mm F/4.5-5.6 iS STM (with lens hood)
- Canon EF-S 55-250mm F/4.0-5.6 iS STM (with lens hood)
- Yongnuo AF 50mm F/1.8 II for Canon
Tripod
- Some generic Chinese brand tripod I bought in a camera shop in Las Vegas. It works fine but is nothing special. Looking to upgrade!
- Monopod
Filters
- Cokin Gradual ND Kit H3HO-25 (121L, 121M and 121S filter)
- Andoer ND1000 67mm
Strap
- I ditched the standard strap that comes with the camera as soon as possible: it's not comfortable at all and the plastic edges bite into your neck after a while. So I use a strap made from neoprene which is a 100 times more comfortable. I also use a sling strap for certain occasions like photographing birds in the field.
Bag
As I've mentioned in my previous post, I had the opportunity to either buy a new mountain bike or restart my photography hobby with some modern gear. I chose the latter. So I read up on the latest info and tests and in the end decided to buy the Canon EOS 200d in 2018 (also known as the EOS Digital Rebel SL2).
The numbers: a 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, DIGIC 7 image processor, ISO 100-25600 range, optical viewfinder with a 9-point AF system, 3.0-inch 1040k dot articulated touchscreen, 1080p60 video with microphone input, and built-in Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth. This was something else from what I had always used! I finally had the feeling I had some serious gear which I could use to create better images. Yes, I'm well aware that it is an entry-level DSLR and that isn't full frame but it is my camera, my budget and I'm very pleased with it. I think it's a great camera to learn how to be better photographer.
I'll list my full gear on a separate page.
So here it is: my first post on this new blog I created. The reason for this blog is personal: I want to become a better photographer and document my journey on the way. So I guess the best place to start, is at the beginning.
My first camera was a disposable analog Kodak made from carton. When you had taken the 27 available shots, you would give the entire camera to the camera shop and receive your photos a few days later.
Thinks got a little more serious with my first analog SLR from some Japanese brand I can't remember anymore. Still with only 36 analog photos per roll but it was the first camera where you had to take aperture and shutter speed into account.
I sold that camera to buy my first digital camera which we're all the new hype: a Sony DSC-P50. A whopping 2.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and up to 2 hrs battery life! Wow... Yeah... I loved the fact I could look at my images right away but I was just as frustrated with the poor battery life. And back then the battery's and memory sticks from Sony were very expensive. And AliExpress hadn't been invented yet...
In the end, it just wasn't enough. So around 2004 I bought my first serious DSLR: the Canon EOS 300D or EOS Digital Rebel as it was called in the USA. I loved that camera and it taught me a lot about photography and about me as a photographer. For instance: that I can get really pissed off when I can't make the desired shot because I don't have enough focal length. Don't get me wrong: I loved my visit to the Grand Canyon and I got some really decent images back then. But when you need binoculars to confirm that those pixels are actually birds in the image, you'll need some better glass and a better camera.
Fast forward a few years and I'm mainly shooting images with my iPhones (4s, 6s, 7plus) but I still feel like I'm missing something. Like the ability to shoot the image I want instead of what the camera in my phone thinks looks best. So when I had the opportunity to sell my old iPhone 6s for a very good price, I had to choose: will I buy a new mountain bike or will I reboot my love for photography with a new camera? I chose wisely I think.
