Tools of the Trade | Taiwan Travel Photographers

From time to time I get people asking me what I use to make the images I do. So here is all the gear I’m currently using.

Camera Bodies

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 40D

Lenses

Canon EF 17-40mm f4L
Canon EF 70-200mm f4L
Canon EF 50mm f1.8
Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro

Camera Accessories

Canon TC-80 N3 timer remote
Gadget Infinity wireless shutter remote
Sandisk Extreme III and IV CF cards
Giotto Rocket Air Blower
Eclipse E2 Sensor Cleaning Fluid and Sensor Swab cleaning wands

Flashes

Canon 550ex speedlight
Canon 540ez speedlight
Panasonic PE-28s optic flash

Flash Accessories

Elinchrom Skyport Universal Flash Trigger Set
Canon ST-E2 speedlight transmitter
Canon Off camera shoe cord
Eneloop NiMh batteries
Coroplast grid spot
8″ snoot
Lee Designers Edition color gel swatch book
Full Plus Green correction gel
1/4 Plus Green correction gel
Full CTO correction gel
1/4 CTO correction gel
Hotshoe optic slave
Falcon Eyes FB-3010 flash bracket

Lighting Accessories

Mettle 50 x 70 (metric) softbox
Shoot-through umbrella
Reflecting umbrella
5-in-1 reflector
Light Eyes LS8 4-section 2.4m lightstand
Light Eyes LS1020 3-section mini lightstand
Bungee cords
Clamps

Camera Bags

Lowe Pro Computrekker AW
Lowe Pro Nova 5 AW
Mettle G006

Tripods

Manfrotto 190Pro tripod
Slik Pro 330DX tripod
Manfrotto 486RC2 ball head
Manfrotto 679B monopod

Computer and Accessories

Compaq V3018 notebook with 4GB Ram, 320GB harddrive
Intel dual-core desktop with 4GB RAM, 1TB harddrives in RAID
2TB assorted external harddrives
Dual 19″ flatscreen monitors
Spyder 2 Pro color calibration
Wacom pen tablet
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.2
Adobe Photoshop CS3
Photomatix Pro 3
Noiseware Pro
160GB Ipod Classic

The images were shot with a Canon EOS 20D and EF 28-135mm lens.

http://thedailybubbletea.com/ Todd

Nice collection… I'm salivating!
http://thedailybubbletea.com Todd

Nice collection… I'm salivating!
http://intensedebate.com/people/InvestorBlogger InvestorBlogger

Craig, do you insure your equipment? If so, how?

http://intensedebate.com/people/cfimages cfimages

Insurance in Taiwan is a tricky thing but if you're persistent and the things have a high enough value it's possible.

http://intensedebate.com/people/InvestorBlogger InvestorBlogger

Craig, do you insure your equipment? If so, how?

http://intensedebate.com/people/cfimages cfimages

Thanks Todd. If you saw my bank balance you wouldn't be salivating.
http://intensedebate.com/people/cfimages cfimages

Thanks Todd. If you saw my bank balance you wouldn't be salivating.
http://www.myseveralworlds.com/ Carrie

I agree with Todd. I'm positively drooling right now. Sadly, my gear is nowhere near to being a collection. However, I am in the market for a new lens this year and an external flash. Thanks. Now I've got something to start with!

http://intensedebate.com/people/cfimages cfimages

Thanks for the comment Carrie. If you need help or advice with lenses, flashes etc, let me know.

http://www.myseveralworlds.com Carrie

I agree with Todd. I'm positively drooling right now. Sadly, my gear is nowhere near to being a collection. However, I am in the market for a new lens this year and an external flash. Thanks. Now I've got something to start with!

http://www.asianramblings.com/ Stevo

Great stuff, Craig. You got the new 5D MkII? You like? The 50D came out two weeks after I bought my 40D. I wasn't impressed.

I would like the 17-40 f/4L but was thinking the aperture could be too restrictive. My 24-105 f/4L is okay but I wish it was f/2.8 sometimes. I think Canon has a 16-35 in 2.8.

I really want one of the Spyder calibrators. That may be my only big photographic purchase this year. I just drop a ton on a new computer.
http://www.asianramblings.com Stevo

Great stuff, Craig. You got the new 5D MkII? You like? The 50D came out two weeks after I bought my 40D. I wasn't impressed.

I would like the 17-40 f/4L but was thinking the aperture could be too restrictive. My 24-105 f/4L is okay but I wish it was f/2.8 sometimes. I think Canon has a 16-35 in 2.8.

I really want one of the Spyder calibrators. That may be my only big photographic purchase this year. I just drop a ton on a new computer.
http://intensedebate.com/people/cfimages cfimages

Thanks Stevo. The 5D MkII seems quite good so far – I mainly bought it for some commercial work I'm doing that could benefit from the full-frame and high-MP count.

I have a 40D as well and if I were in the market for a APS-C body, would probably choose the 40D over the 50D.

Canon does have a 16-35mm f2.8. I'm happy with the f4, as I shoot stopped down most of the time so don't really need f2.8 for my wide angle. I have a 50mm and 100mm that'll allow me to shoot at 2.8, so that's all I really need. If I shot sports more often I'd probably look at getting the 70-200mm in f2.8, but it's not really worth it for the minimal amount of sport shooting I do.

A Spyder or other type of hardware calibrator is essential in my opinion. It is impossible to properly calibrate by eye only, and IMO, a color managed workflow is more important than pro-level glass or new bodies.
http://intensedebate.com/people/cfimages cfimages

Thanks Stevo. The 5D MkII seems quite good so far – I mainly bought it for some commercial work I'm doing that could benefit from the full-frame and high-MP count.

I have a 40D as well and if I were in the market for a APS-C body, would probably choose the 40D over the 50D.

Canon does have a 16-35mm f2.8. I'm happy with the f4, as I shoot stopped down most of the time so don't really need f2.8 for my wide angle. I have a 50mm and 100mm that'll allow me to shoot at 2.8, so that's all I really need. If I shot sports more often I'd probably look at getting the 70-200mm in f2.8, but it's not really worth it for the minimal amount of sport shooting I do.

A Spyder or other type of hardware calibrator is essential in my opinion. It is impossible to properly calibrate by eye only, and IMO, a color managed workflow is more important than pro-level glass or new bodies.