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What would you like to add to your kit? A new lens? A new body? Accessories?

What's on your wish list?

I'm thinking of getting either a 1.4x or 2.0x extender for my camera. 30x isn't enough to capture the traffic approaching 8 when posted at the South Viewing Area at ABQ.

Options I'm currently looking at (no timeframe for purchases yet):

For more reach (likely my next big purchase):
Canon 300mm F4L IS
Canon 70-300L IS
Canon 100-400L IS (I don't think I want this, though)

I'm currently leaning toward the prime. I'm hoping it will work better with my 1.4 extender than my 70-200 does.

Other random lenses I'm thinking about:
Fisheye...haven't researched that yet
Macro...haven't researched that either

I just (finally) bought a Speedlite a few weeks ago. I do need a backup CF card or two.

A decent body somewhere between my knackered D50 and too precious to ever take out D3.

A lense with a good enough focal range to not need changing on a typical trip to the airport.

I'm considering e-baying the D3 body to fund something like a D700 and a couple of decent lenses (one of which will be the AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR) The D50 will join my old D80 in being sold for parts I'm afraid.

Given that it's gonna be pretty much dark here for the next six months, a faster lens would be nice.

I borrowed an 85mm for these two shots, IIRC the first one's barely cropped at all:



Didn't notice much about it at the time beyond the fact that it was huge and that pretty much everything inside the attachment collar was glass.

I don't really need more range at OUL, but more light would be nice. Not least because my panning sucks.

Oh, and I'd like some magical gizmo that'll spark off auroras so I don't have to freeze my ass off for two hours and not see any.

miamiair wrote:What's on your wish list?

Well, let me put it that way... You'd better keep an eye on that lens of yours when I'm in MIA in January...

Seriously, I'm happy with my 7D, but I need better glass. The 28-300 would suit my needs rather well.

ShanwickOceanic wrote:
Oh, and I'd like some magical gizmo that'll spark off auroras so I don't have to freeze my ass off for two hours and not see any.

Kind of OT, but here in MT, we have a detector that will notify your phone if an aurora is detected.

http://newstalkkgvo.com/how-to-see-the-aurora-borealis-in-montana/

MSU Electrical Engineering professor Joe Shaw has designed a device called an optical aurora detector that works by finding a particular spectrum of green light that is found in the aurora borealis, but rarely anywhere else. When an aurora is confirmed, the detector will send out text messages to anyone signed up to take advantage of the service.

Professor Joe Shaw explains the optical aurora detector:

The aurora detector is still in development, but is working well. So far, the service only works in Montana with one detector at Salish-Kootnei college in Pablo and one detector in Bozeman. To sign up for the notification service, go to aurora.montana.edu.

Maybe you guys have something like that through uni services up there?


Wish list...a 7D. After I get a new car.

Grip/Battery for the 5D

miamiair wrote:What would you like to add to your kit? A new lens? A new body? Accessories?

Yes.

Plus something interesting to photograph more than once in a great while.

ShanwickOceanic wrote:

We must have been standing in nearly the same place.

There's the difference in a decent camera and a Point-And-Shoot, though. Yours is much more crisp and clear.

A decent tripod.

A 30-500mm EF f/4L IS II USM

miamiair wrote:A 30-500mm EF f/4L IS II USM

I'd rather have a 30-500mm EF F2.8 IS II USM

On my wish list, a return to the Canon 100-400mm (although I'd like them to update it first with new IS), A Canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS II and a Canon 5D Mk III.

Despite having a Sigma 120-300mm F2.8, I really miss the 100-400mm a lot!

Zak wrote:Seriously, I'm happy with my 7D, but I need better glass.

I'm very happy with my 7D as well, and I also enjoy my Sigma 120-400 OS. what I really need now is some better photography skills

Queso wrote:There's the difference in a decent camera and a Point-And-Shoot, though. Yours is much more crisp and clear.

Believe me, I'm more than capable of getting P&S quality out of this camera

Queso wrote:Plus something interesting to photograph more than once in a great while.

Yeah, this. Looks like we'll be seeing fewer Blue1 717s here from now on.

Talent. Nothing else.

Anyone had any experience with the Canon EF-S 10-22mm Ultra-Wide? The reviews I've read are quite positive, especially for an EF-S lens.

I've been really wanting something wider than 17mm. I have moments all the time where I'm like, "Oooo, great ultra-wide-angle opportunity....let me grab my ultra-wide-.....oh, I forgot I don't have one."

Considering fisheye too, but not really sure I want to go that route.

Saw a 10-22 used on Craigslist for $525 or so with UV filter. May try and rent one tonight if the local camera shop has it. Also attractive because the filter size (77mm) is the same as my 17-40.

vikkyvik wrote:Anyone had any experience with the Canon EF-S 10-22mm Ultra-Wide? The reviews I've read are quite positive, especially for an EF-S lens.

Yes, I have that lens. I do like the results, although I'm not a good enough photographer to be as critical as I maybe should be. Stefan's hotel lobby shot (scroll down the post) was taken with it, if you're looking for examples.

However: The focus motor issues Nosedive linked to here are real; sometimes it just gets it hopelessly wrong. That can be infuriating. Mine is still under warranty (just), but I can't be arsed sending it all the way from here only to have it develop the same problem again later, so I just live with it. Mostly I'm not shooting fast-moving aircraft with it, and I have time to do over when it screws up. But considering I paid €850 for the thing, that's not really acceptable.

Thanks for the info Ed (I almost wrote Stefan....).

The focus issue may not be a huge deal for me. I'd almost never be shooting moving subjects with it (well, at least, not tracking the moving subject with it). For a lot of shots I take with my 17-40 (and that I would be taking with the 10-22), I follow the method Graphic posted in that thread - focus on something, switch to manual focus, recompose. Point being, for what I'd use it for, I'd always be taking my time, so a focus hitch here and there probably wouldn't be a big deal.

The local camera shop didn't have the 10-22 unfortunately, but they did have a Tamron 10-24, so I rented that just to get an idea if an ultra-wide-angle is what I'm looking for (versus fisheye). Took it up to LAX this evening...will post a few photos when I finish editing them.

Taken with the Tamron 10-24:





Ultra-wide-angle is....interesting, to say the least.

vikkyvik wrote:Options I'm currently looking at (no timeframe for purchases yet):

For more reach (likely my next big purchase):
Canon 300mm F4L IS
Canon 70-300L IS
Canon 100-400L IS (I don't think I want this, though)

I'm currently leaning toward the prime. I'm hoping it will work better with my 1.4 extender than my 70-200 does.

Other random lenses I'm thinking about:
Fisheye...haven't researched that yet
Macro...haven't researched that either

I just (finally) bought a Speedlite a few weeks ago. I do need a backup CF card or two.

Ordered the 300 F4L IS today. Christmas gift to myself.

So, no other lenses for awhile. Some other upgrades are necessary though, like a better tripod, so that's where I'll focus my energy (money) in the near future.

My 350D just to focus properly. Still searches like crazy with any moving subject.

Cadet57 wrote:My 350D just to focus properly. Still searches like crazy with any moving subject.

You talk to Canon about it at all?

Cadet57 wrote:My 350D just to focus properly. Still searches like crazy with any moving subject.

With one lens or all lenses?

vikkyvik wrote:

Cadet57 wrote:My 350D just to focus properly. Still searches like crazy with any moving subject.

You talk to Canon about it at all?

Not Canon directly. Just the shop I got it from. Before I go to FL in March I'm going to take it to another place and see what they think.

graphic wrote:

Cadet57 wrote:My 350D just to focus properly. Still searches like crazy with any moving subject.

With one lens or all lenses?

All lenses. My 70-200L especially.

Very excited to try it out:

Sort of off topic, but... No longer have to hope for a working camera. The 350D lives to shoot again! Took it to another photo shop. He first suggested a factory reset, to no success. Then he checked for a firmware update. Needless to day I missed a couple between when I bought the cam in '06 and today. Installed the new software and we're shooting again!