Photography
Camera body
When we made a trip to Australia in April 2006, I planned to buy a digital SLR (tax free of course). I had been wanting one for almost a year and finally decided to retire my 5 year old Sony Cybershot point-and-shoot. After careful deliberation over which camera to buy, I decided on the Canon 30D. I chose it due to it's price, build quality, feature set, high ISO low noise performance, and the huge suite of lens and accessories available for it. |
Canon EOS 30D Semi-professional digital SLR.
8.2 Megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor |
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CompactFlash memory cards Sandisk Ultra II 2GB and Sandisk Extreme III 2Gb. Each holds about 220 photos in RAW format. Extreme III card can handle temperatures of -25º C to 85º C and has a minimum transfer speed of 20 MBytes/second. |
Lenses & filters
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Canon 24-105mm F/4 L IS USM Zoom Lens Professional "L" series lens that is solid, smooth and sealed against the elements.
Focal length: 24 - 105 mm |
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Canon 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM Wide-angle Lens Quality EF-S lens giving ultra wide-angle coverage.
Focal length: 10 - 22 mm |
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Canon 50mm F/1.8 Prime Lens Cheap plastic prime lens for portraits. F/1.8 aperture makes it useable in low light without need for flash.
Focal Length: 50mm |
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Hoya 77mm Super HMC Multicoated UV Filter Absorbs the ultraviolet rays which often makes outdoor photographs hazy and indistinct. It serves as a multi-purpose fine-weather filter and also as a permanent lens protector. |
Lighting
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Canon 430EX Flash External flash that provides more power and flexibility than the built-in flash. |
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Lightsphere II Flash light diffuser to reduce harsh shadows |
Tripod
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Benro C-228 Carbon Fibre Tripod Professional photographer tripod. Tubes constructed from 8 layers of weaved Carbon Fibre that is stronger, more stable and over 30% lighter than traditional aluminum tripods.
Leg sections: 4 |
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Benro KS-1 Monoball Head Anodic oxidized aluminium featuring high load capacity, low weight and real time friction adjustment.
Ball diameter: 44mm |
Accessories
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Lowepro Rover AW II Camera Backpack All weather backpack that holds a pro SLR with lens attached, 2-4 additional lenses up to 70–200mm and accessories in the bottom compartment, and leaves room for lunch/jacket/whatever in the top compartment. |
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Crumpler Camera Bag Model "Stunner". Holds camera with lens attached and external flash. |
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Canon EW-83H Lens Hood Shields camera lenses from extraneous light and helps prevent lens flare, ghost images, loss of contrast, and unwanted discoloration or hazing of the image. Included with 24-105mm lens. |
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Canon LP1219 Soft Lens Pouch Protects precision Canon lens from dust and the elements. Tough leather bottom and soft gray exterior fabric. Included with 24-105mm lens. |
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GretagMacbeth Eye-One Display 2 A device that lets me accurately calibrate and profile my monitor. Profiling your monitor gives you assurance that what you see on the screen is what you'll actually get when printed. Is your monitor calibrated? |
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Giottos Rocket Air Blaster Air blaster to clean lens and camera sensor without the use of a cloth (which could scratch). |
Books
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EF Lens Work III: The Eyes of EOS Canon |  |
Understanding Exposure Bryan Peterson |
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The Creative Photography Handbook Lee Frost |  |
Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers Martin Evening |