I thought it may be beneficial to discuss the gear I choose to use. I do not profess to be an expert in photographic technology, but I do know what works for me. As an outdoor photographer who shoots mostly landscapes and wildlife I need the sturdiest gear that stands up to a beating. I am one who respects and protects my gear, but believes that it should stand up to almost anything nature throws at me. So here is my list, which hopefully will grow in due time.
Camera: I shoot Canon gear. (Nothing against Nikon, just the way I chose.) Until recently, all my photographs have been captured with the 8 megapixel 30D. As of January, I upgraded to the Canon 5D. (Not the 5d MK II) The 5D has been many professional photographers workhorse camera for numerous years now. It has 12 megapixels and sports a full frame sensor. This is the biggest dfference and most important upgrade from the 30D. The full frame sensor size is equivalent to a piece of 35mm film. As seen in the diagram, the full frame sensor is considerably larger than the APS-C sensor(what the 30D is). Bottomline this means better image quality, especially when using higher ISO’s.
Lens: Seen above is my camera and 17-40mm f/4L wide angle lens. This lens was purchased at the same time as my 5D. I have shot a couple thousand images with the combo and couldn’t be happier. This lens really is tack sharp! The contrast and color is exceptional and the auto focus is spot on. Canon’s L-series lenses are very pricey, but built excellently. This lens is one of the cheaper L-series you can buy. From the research I have done, this lens holds its own against all similar lenses made. I really enjoy the 17mm focal length with this lens. You can get within a foot of your subject, yet it looks as if you are much further away. It is important to remember that with a super wide angle like this, you must pick your subjects carefully so that the scene isn’t bare and boring.
My second lens is Canon’s 70-200mm f/4L telephoto. It is the white lens. This is very solid lens that I use almost daily. The constant f/4 aperture is suitable for almost any use. If I were a sports photographer, I would recommend the f/2.8. I like this lens for times when I cant get close enough with the 17-40. The 200mm focal length will get you close enough to many birds and deer. I would recommend a 300 or 400mm if the majority of your photographs will be of animals. My lens is not image stabilized, but they do make a model that is. Image stablization is great to have and I recommend buying a lens with it, but you will pay for it in price and in weight. A note should be made about L-series lenses. They are built with heavier weather-proofing, on average better optics, and always have a red stripe around the barrel of the lens. There are many other things that set them apart, but I won’t bore you with that.
(I hope to have a 300mm f/4L IS within a year.)
Tripod and Head: Possibly my best investment was my tripod and ball head. Many pro photographers will tell beginning photographers that, “The next lens you should buy is a tripod”. If you don’t have a tripod, you will miss out or ruin half your images. You might have a 5,000 dollar camera, but if you don’t have a steady rest you will still have a blurry image. Yes, there are times when tripods are not needed. Just remember, I have learned from experience about missing a shot because I didn’t bring my tripod. I have an aluminum Manfrotto 3021 Pro tripod, with a Manfrotto 488RCO Ball head. This ball head will hold over 20 pounds!!! I will need a bigger lens before I outgrow this one. I do hope to upgrade to carbon fiber legs as soon as possible. As a nature photographer you find out very quickly that the lighter your gear is, the more fun you have. I strongly recommend testing out tripods and heads before buying one. It must fit you like your favorite pants.
Camera Bag: Picture having 5000 dollars in camera gear….Now picture having a 50 dollar backpack for it all. Not going to happen. The last thing you want is to wish you had a better backpack after its too late. I figure a $200 investment is quite worth protecting your thousands in lenses and camera. I have used a Tamrac backpack which I was pleased with, but not content with. Now, I have chosen a Tenba Shootout Backpack. I do not even know where to start about how amazing this bag is. So click on the green Tenba link back there and see for yourself. Real quick I will say; this bag is very rugged, weatherproof, and comfortable. It also has the best device I have seen so far for carrying your tripod.
Compact Flash cards: I use Lexar and Kingston right now and both are doing flawlessly. With memory cards, you want to get the fastest write speed possible. The Kingston I use is 266x which seems adequate for my needs. Especially with sports or wildlife photography, the faster the card the better off you will be. A few hints about cards. Do not erase the images!!! When you have saved the images to your computer and saved them somewhere else as well, then you can worry about getting them off your card. To delete the images, go to Menu and then to Format. (Formatting the camera, DELETES all the images.) This will lengthen the life of the card, as well as reduce the risk of corrupting files. Finally, it seems to me that it is safer to have numerous 2 GB cards instead of one or two 8GB cards. Remember, losing a memory card can be like losing 25 rolls worth of film.
Well I hope this helped someone out there, or helped someone with insomnia fall asleep. Oh wait!!! The insomniac is me. 
MT
[...] My Equipment [...]