While I would enjoy seeing a brand new DSLR in the hands of every prophotolife reader this season that seems pretty unlikely. Just for the sake of discussion, I set a photo gift target of $50 or less and thought about what I would value most at that price point. Here’s what I came up with:

Sensor Swab Digital Survival Kit ($18).  I’ve tried the blowers and brushes but nothing has worked as well as a wet cleaning method like this. I carry extra swabs and always take the sensor cleaning kit on location with me. Don’t get me wrong, I check the sensor before every important shoot and make sure it looks good before ever leaving the studio. But if something turns up on location, we’re ready.

A Tiffen Circular Polarizer Filter ($20-50). The Tiffen filters don’t have the multi-coatings of the more expensive B+W and Hoya filters but they’re still quality products at a bargain price that meet the needs of most photographers.

A lot of photographers know the value of a polarizer, especially for darkening blue skies and saturating colors. Ahhh, you say, that can all be done in Photoshop now. Yes, this is true…to some extent. One thing the polarizer does that’s special is it can eliminate glare and reflections on surfaces like glass, water and metal. That’s something that can only be done at the time of exposure and only with the help of a polarizer.

Holga 120N Medium Format Camera ($33). Yes, it’s a sentimental favorite. It does take 120 film that requires processing, which adds to the cost. But the experience and the look of the images is worth it for multitudes of art photographers and photo students worldwide. A simple plastic camera, film and no LCD screen: it’s a different way of thinking.

Set of 3 QP Cards for white / black / grey balance ($13). If you want accurate color balance in your images it helps to have a quality gray card to balance to. These QP cards are small, durable and come as a set that will last long time with just a little bit of care. Shoot one frame with the card in the shot, balance the gray to neutral in your processing software and then apply that to all similar exposures for more accurate white balance.

Shoe Mount Multiclamp ($17) and Westcott 750 Photo Basics 7.5-Foot Light Stand ($30). Want to get your speedlight off of the camera? This combination of clamp and stand totals less than $50 and opens up a world of new possiblilities. Adding an umbrella doesn’t push us over the target price by very much, either.

Let me know if you have any other “under $50″ ideas you’d recommend. Hey wait a minute! I just remembered a couple of budget items that should have made the list. Don’t forget the clamp light and the stick in a can.

And if you do have the budget for a new DSLR or that dream lens, congratulations, it’s always fun to add a new addition. I’m sure site sponsor Calumet Photo would appreciate your consideration when you’re looking for a place to buy, so check out the Huge Holiday Sale at Calumet Photographic! 11.26.08 thru 12.01.08. They offer discount prices and professional service, a rarity these days.

I like to keep prophotolife relatively on point, targeted on the positive benefits of photography as a hobby and the realities of photography as a profession. Every once in awhile we’ve taken a little trip outside of our favorite topic to look at just how photography fits into the world at large. Right now the world is focused on economics. Tightening dollars are inevitable, given the turmoil in world financial markets. How will this affect photography?

A few weeks ago I published a post titled starting a photo business on a budget of $2000. A follow up is almost done on how the next $1000 could be spent. For me, this was a fun exercise and it seems it was for many of you, also, since it received great response. Right now I’m not spending much money, to be honest, and many people are understandably hesitant to spend. Writing a follow up to the original post seems a fun and valuable exercise, even if it is only play money we‘re using, so expect to see that soon.

*And speaking of soon, it was a beautiful weekend so I got out and shot the follow up to film vs. digital (2 DSLRs and 4 different films compared). Film goes out for processing today and then I’ll start scanning and compiling the comparison.

camera store photo by tracer.ca under creative commons

Photography as a hobby is booming, and rightly so. I don’t have to tell you all of the reasons photography is a great hobby, just fill that blank in with whatever it is that brought you to the party. How might this economic downturn affect photography as a hobby?

Well, it will certainly affect consumerism. Cameras have been flying off of dealers shelves and new models are appearing all the time. As spending slows, the hype over new camera models should slow. Increasing numbers of photographers will more likely “make do” with what they already have.

From strictly an enjoyment standpoint that’s not a bad thing at all. Your response to “how many mega pixels are enough” shows that readers of prophotolife don’t feel that the camera makes the photographer, it’s how the photographer uses the camera that matters. Right on.

Will cameras, software and computers come down in price? We’ve already seen such dramatic drops it’s hard to imagine prices falling further. But it seems like prices could very well fall further, especially if the holiday buying season is as bleak as predicted. Old stock sitting on shelves has to be moved so I’d anticipate some aggressive pricing.

A sad note is that this may prove the death knell for some of the few small, independent camera stores left standing. I’ve worked in camera stores and this is where you’ll find dedicated, knowledgeable, enthusiastic sales people that love photography. “Back in the day” consumers flocked to camera stores for brochures and information. All of that information is now easily accessible on the internet, as are “buy it now” buttons and numerous price comparisons.

But, regardless of where we buy, the U.S. economy depends on us buying new cameras, software and computers with regularity.  The digital design chains are heavily invested in planned obsolescence, where things are designed (improved) either without backward compatibility or to have a limited life span in some other way. At certain points in the cycle, if we want to move forward with a new camera we must buy new software, whose performance may be enhanced by the latest operating system, which may only function fully on the latest computer system. Sometimes buying a new camera involves more than just buying a new camera.

But I’m not a slave to fashion, I just like to use what works. The benefits of a slowdown in buying might spur even more appreciation for cool DIY ideas on sites like DIYPhotography.net. I’m a backyard mechanic at heart and enjoy building my own photo equipment. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of using something I‘ve made myself.

This past summer Epic Edits Weblog hosted a poll in which respondents stated they felt Photoshop was overpriced. Perhaps more talented people will contribute to open source software projects like the free, multi-platform, open source alternative to Photoshop: GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). John B. informed me recently that engineers have paved the way for GIMP to process 16-bit color and to implement non-destructive editing. That’s pretty cool.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Photoshop is a truly amazing product and, like Apple Computers, I believe they are superior to the alternatives. But will the average hobbyist think so if times get really tight?

I guess my final thoughts are that while the economy does count on the dollars spent on photography, enjoying photography as a hobby doesn’t have to be dependent on the economy (unless we let it be). And maybe, just maybe, if we’re spending less time spending money on other things, we may spend more of our time taking photographs. That’s not a bad thing, now, is it?

Next up:  part 2, the economy and photography as a business

click image to enlarge

That said, I envy photographers who can operate a business with a handful of small speedlights (SB-800, etc.). That’s a whole ‘nother approach and the world has gotten quite sophisticated in the past few years with portable Strobist-type flash setups. I’m sure many of you have more advanced small strobe setups than this. While this setup is a bit dated (no stack of SB-800s and Pocket Wizards) it’s more than adequate for our infrequent use and it’s pretty darn “budget” while providing power and flexibility. I like it.

The heart of the matter is the Sunpak 120J TTL flash unit. It’s a shoe-mount strobe that is no longer manufactured but has wonderful features. The shoe is interchangeable for various camera models but we use a plain ol’ single contact no-frills hot shoe and strictly manual power settings. It has a replaceable, exposed flash tube (just like a studio unit) that can be used as a bare bulb head or with the included adjustable dish reflector or softbox adapter. You’ll note we also have a spare flash tube on hand (always carry a backup). A Quantum Battery 1+ provides power to the unit.

Spotted for just $16.99 at Calumet Umbrella Adapter with Hot Shoe

Next up is the Sunpak auto 555 Thyristor “potato masher” flash. This wasn’t a particularly spectacular flash even in it’s day, outshadowed by the more expensive, better built Metz handle-mount flash units. It gets the job done, though, and we carry a diffuser, light stand mount and battery cluster backup for it. The main juice for the strobe is provided by a Quantum Battery 2 unit.

Our main concerns with any flash unit are repeatable power settings that are easy to use, fast recycling and long battery life. At the risk of showing my age, I’m perfectly content with having one simple mechanical slider to set power output in lieu of multiple choices via LCD. It really is whatever you’re most comfortable with (and can afford).

Toss in a handful of sync cords for each unit (they have different connectors – more backup) and a bunch of optical slaves (4 peanut, 2 standard and one shoe mount with a pc connection) and that rounds it out.

Ooops, I forgot to include an Umbrella Adapter with Hot Shoe for adapting the 120J to a lightstand. A couple are always floating around here but I left them out of the group pic (photo added at left)!

One other thing you may be expecting to see are wireless remote triggers (we use the Quantum Radio Slave 4i system). Observant readers will  remember seeing them listed in last week’s installment on the camera bag, since that’s where they get carried.

Next week: we’ll pull the contents out of another bag and take a look.

You won’t find the latest, trendiest equipment necessarily. This is what we’ve amassed over years in the business and what has produced a good return on investment for our commercial studio. We generally make equipment purchases at year end based on profitability and the guidance of our accountant.

Let’s take a look inside:

In the main compartment:

Cameras:
Canon 5D
Canon 20D (backup – it has little resale value but still does a nice job)
*The cameras are marked “A” and “C” so we can distinguish them from other cameras.

Lenses:
Canon 17-40mm f4 L
Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 (a favorite)
Canon 70-200mm f4 L (non-IS since we’re usually on a tripod)
Canon 50mm f1.8
Canon 100mm f2.8 macro (nice for portraits and closeup details of product)
Canon 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 (for backup over the normal range, not a great lens but works well at f8-11)

Strobe:
Canon 430EX (we rarely use camera mounted strobes for our business – it’s been used more to trigger slaves than light images!)

Cords:
2 x 4 ft. USB cords for camera / computer tethering
2 x 10 ft. USB 2.0 extension
1 x 16 ft. USB 2.0 repeater extension

Wireless Remotes:
3 x Quantum Radio Slave 4i Receivers
2 x Quantum Radio Slave 4i Transmitters

Light Meter:
Minolta Flash Meter IV

Misc:
Waterproof Card Holder with CF cards
2 x Bogen Tripod Adapters

In the front and back compartments:

Camera Manuals for 5D, 20D (yes, we refer to them on occasion)

Sensor Swab cleaning kit with paddles for both 5D and 20D

Yet another tripod adapter

Black tape, pens, utility knife, Leatherman multi-purpose tool

Color correction gels for small strobe

Polarizer lenses

Model and property releases

The right pocket contains computer stuff:

Firewire 120GB Pocket Drive for immediate file backup at job site

Apple Computer AC Adapter

Firewire Sandisk CF Card Reader (in case internal PCMCIA computer card reader fails)

The left pocket contains:

Handful of AA and 9 volt batteries (there are more batteries in grip kit and strobe case)

2 x camera batteries * the 5D and 20D take the same battery. Fully charged batteries have the cover on them, spent batteries are stored with no cover. If we’re shooting at a location with AC power we instinctively keep a battery charger and camera battery plugged in during the shoot – “DPB” (double paranoia backup)

That’s it for the camera bag, let me know if you have any questions on what you see! And, as always, if you’re looking to round out your own camera bag it does help prophotolife if you choose to Shop Calumet Photographic – It’s Where the Pros Go.

Starting tomorrow we’ll be looking inside various bags in the Daylight Photo commercial photography location kit. Everything in those bags serves a purpose and is necessary for the work we do. But what if I were just starting out today? What if I only had $2000 and wanted to start out doing light editorial or portrait photography on the side? Could a half decent kit be put together for that $2000? Sounds like a challenge. The equipment would have to be somewhat low budget but must provide high quality images. I was intrigued by the thought and wondered if you might be, also.

The necessities: camera, lenses, cards, speedlight, computer, software, bag and tripod. What would I personally be looking for? I think of buying photo equipment as a sports draft, recruiting players for my photo “team”. It’s obvious that I can’t afford star players on this budget since we’re starting from complete scratch. What I’ll look for are really solid backup players, planning for the time when I’ll be able to add top-of-the-line equipment. When I do, these backup choices should still serve a role in the plan.

Since buying absolutely stellar performance is probably not possible I’ll instead concentrate on eliminating weaknesses. Yes, it might be nice to have a super-wide zoom range but if a lens is no good zooming beyond 200mm then I’d rather not take it along. The temptation to use it will be there, as will the frustration of a poor photo after having used it.

I need to be honest about my immediate needs while realizing the equipment must serve a purpose in the future. Even if it’s just a backup someday you don’t want an inferior backup just because it was inexpensive.

That said, here are my thoughts (I’ll be interested to hear what decisions you might make):

Camera and lenses should take up about half of the budget ($1000). Most of the manufacturers include really nice software for RAW processing (which is important to me) except for Nikon, their included RAW software is somewhat limited. So my initial thoughts put Nikon toward the back of the pack.

But sticking with this budget probably means buying a bundled kit of camera and lens(es). I then concerned myself with finding a decent body with a better than average kit lens. The lens(es) would have to cover a decent range, also. I surprised myself when all was said and done by choosing a Nikon D80 Body with 18-135mm Lens, Battery, and 2GB SD Card for $829.99. Add another 4GB SD card for $20 on sale.

Yes, the D80 is getting a little outdated and doesn’t have auto sensor cleaning (something I really wanted). But what it does have is a good sensor and lens. The camera feels good in my hands (not too small) and the viewfinder is larger than most at this price point. Some of the competition have really small, tunnel-like viewfinders that I don’t see through so well. Still being a bit old school, I do like to manual focus on occasion and the larger viewfinder helps. All of the specs in the world don’t matter if you don’t find the camera a joy to use, I say.

There are a number of cameras packaged with two lenses at this price point (a wide-normal zoom and normal-tele zoom) but, by and large, usually one lens or the other reportedly falls short on performance according to the review sites. The exception to this rule seems to be Olympus, which has two higher quality kit lenses. They still seem to be struggling with highlight clipping (compared to the non-4/3 sensor competition), according to most reports. My good experience in the past with a Nikkor 18-70 kit lens and the feel of the D80 swayed me in this direction.

I might be interested in a Sony SLR with something other than the kit 18-70. Nobody seems particularly excited about the Canon kit lenses (though I think the camera bodies and software are great) and I didn’t find a wider range kit lens choice with the Pentax. I really like that Pentax uses DNG for RAW files, though. Lots of personal preference choices here.

It makes me a little nervous heading out with just one lens, though, so we gotta have a backup, just in case. Let’s fill the need for speed by opting for an $89 Nikkor 50mm f1.8 lens.

Since the kit lens is a bit slow we’ll need a tripod for those editorial food shots. For $99.99 the Calumet 7300 Tripod with Three-way Quick-Release Head looks pretty darned good. It should take care of the lighter duties for years to come and a bigger tripod can be added down the road.

Speedlight? I like to stick with the camera manufacturers brand when possible. The Nikon SB-600 runs $199.99 and is the middle-of-the-line unit. When I’m on a budget I tend to turn to the “middle of the road” options. Lots of features and power to get by on in the beginning and it will still be useful as a slave after an SB-900 is added to the kit.

Camera bag duties go to the 5606 System 6 Camera Bag, Black, at $76.99. It’s quality and compact yet expandable. Even if I buy a larger bag someday this one can be used for smaller jobs.

Computer time…there are tons of options on the market and prices are lowering daily in this competitive computer market. Given our modest budget I’ll go for the best features available on a $600 PC somewhere (that’s what I’m typing this blog on).

Software: Photoshop Elements for basic browsing and photo editing. Plus it has a powerful RAW converter which makes up for Nikon failing to package a good converter with the camera. $89.99.

Did we meet the goal of $2000? I felt confident…but ended up slightly over at $2006. If $6 had to be knocked off then the bag cost could be trimmed down that amount without too much sweat.

Is this the perfect setup? Heck, no, but for around $2000 I think it could produce professional results for a large number of the editorial style assignments that I’ve done. It also leaves room for system expansion. Sometimes you have to make choices based on what you might add next so this setup feels pretty solid to me. I’m sure you might make different choices and be as equally content as I am with this setup. Competition may continue to bring prices down, providing even more “bang for the buck” as we head closer to the holidays.

If your photography allows it this is a great way to view a large histogram and to check critical sharpness of the photos enlarged to 100%. The files can be easily managed and the good ones immediately tagged as you shoot. Small, hidden details become visible. For our commercial photo studio this is definitely the hot setup. And here’s a little bonus: the Canon software allows automatic captures at predetermined intervals for time lapse photography!

Shooting tethered can be both simple and complicated. The process (once you have it setup) is quite simple both in principle and execution. The complicated part can be figuring out what “capture” software will work with your particular SLR. If you have the latest, greatest camera model there may not be anything on the market that will work with it quite yet. The software developers can be a few steps behind the hardware developers at times so definitely check to make that your particular model is supported, regardless of what software you‘re interested in.

Subscribers view video here:

I’ve used Canon, Nikon and Fuji cameras tethered with great results. I’m honestly not current on how the other manufacturers handle tethered capture but I believe Sony, Pentax, Fuji and Olympus package some sort of capture software with their cameras (as does Canon). Nikon asks that you buy their software in order to shoot tethered (Amazon stocks the Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 Software Full Version for Nikon DSLR Cameras). If you’re currently shooting tethered it would be great to hear how you handle the connection, what camera brand and model you’re using and what software.

Because I own Canon cameras and they include capture software with the new cameras that’s what I’ve used in the video (it was easy and accessible). It was necessary, though, to update my software to the latest versions after loading (by searching the Canon USA consumer support site). You can use both the Canon’s software and Nikon Capture for Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X.

Think of tethered capture as two different jobs being accomplished:

1. The tethered capture of images to a folder on your hard drive
2. The viewing of those captures in a viewing and processing software that reads that folder. It can be either part of, or independent from, the capture software.

I’ve mentioned the camera manufacturer’s softwares. There are some popular, full-featured third-party softwares that do both of the above jobs, they both capture and allow image processing:

• Phase One’s Capture One Pro V3.7 PC/Mac Software (our favorite at Daylight Photo)
• For Mac users, Apple’s Aperture 2
• Bibble Labs Bibble Pro Workflow Software Version 4.9

If one of these softwares supports your camera (here’s the big disclaimer: ALWAYS check to make sure your camera is supported) then you should be good to go.

Some photographers really like to use the capture software from their camera manufacturer and then read the folder and manage the files as they shoot with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom! This “hybrid” method is very popular and gives great control (it is especially popular with local Nikon users, I‘ve noticed).

Most cameras shoot tethered using USB 2.0 cables, check to make sure you’re not using Firewire. If so, you’ll want to use complimentary Firewire extension cables. The USB cables mentioned in the video (in addition to the one supplied with your camera) are a 10-foot USB 2.0 Extension Cable and a USB Repeater Cable LSZH – 16ft/5m.

Okay, that’s as much as I can cover on the topic in one Monday, if you have anything to share or contribute please let us know and thanks in advance!

As we were packing for location photography this week I thought it might be interesting to show an overall of just what we take along on the average location photo shoot. This is our “medium” location kit, sometimes we pack less, sometimes we take the whole studio. Most of our location jobs (probably 75%) fall around this “medium” category.

It’s important to have everything we may need and then a backup for each item in case something goes down. It’s also nice to have the extra equipment in case we decide to get two shots going at once. If one set of lights is tied up on a set waiting for approval then we can leap ahead and begin setting up the next shot. Most often we’re in constant motion. Working with a good team means someone is always working ahead, problem solving the next shot and getting things set up and ready.

I do think a good photographer can make excellent photographs without having the latest, greatest photo equipment. But after doing this for 20+ years I’ve developed opinions on what I like to have on location and admittedly have personal preferences for everything from batteries to power cords to light stands (most professional photographers do).

Readers often ask about photo gear and what we’ve found that works well. Rather than write a complete book on what’s in this photo I thought it would be interesting to show the overall shot and then week by week dive into some of the different bags. Every Thursday for the next few weeks I’ll touch upon how certain items help us do what we do at Daylight Photo. Even if you’re not a professional location photographer you may find an interesting tip or two.

Today, let’s look at the overall location kit, just to get a feel for what we have on hand in the field. In future installments we’ll get into specifics / brands of the items:

**For your convenience, here’s a downloadable pdf page of the above photo with this list**

A. Camera bag, 2 DSLR bodies, lenses, radio remotes, camera batteries, memory cards, filters, usb cords for tethering

B. 2 small portable strobes for hard to reach placements, batteries, slaves, cords

C. various size light stands, tripods, various softboxes

D. laptop stand platform

E. 2 laptop computers

F. 3 folding reflectors

G. 2 Calumet Travelite strobes with Travel Pak battery pack

H. rolling case with power cords, adapters and various clamps

I. folding aluminum frames with various fabric / reflector covers

J. rolling case / grip kit with tools, tape rolls and cleaning supplies

K. padded, rolling strobe case with 4 strobes (Calumet Travelite, Calumet Genesis or White Lightning), reflectors, grids, cords, umbrellas

L. Four wheeled dolly (invaluable!)

M. Bag of large white and black fabrics

With this equipment we can create light, block light and tackle most anything we encounter on the average location job. Next week: a closer look at some items of interest…