While last year I spent a good portion of the year worrying about purchasing new equipment, this year I have vowed to instead concentrate on improving my skills as a photographer. To that end I have changed around my master plan significantly from last year. In particular I have started this blog, last week I purchased a photography notebook, and I have vowed not to specifically take pictures for stock. In other words, though I will still submit pictures to the stock web sites, I will no longer do isolation pictures of mundane things in my light tent, with the hopes that the microstock sites will accept them and I will make money.
However, while I do think I am gradually improving, I have recently been debating on which direction I will take in my equipment purchases. The reason is, my next purchase will have a significant impact on which types of photographs I take in the future. The question has become less, “what lens should I buy” and more “what types of pictures do I want to take in the nearer future”.
I would appreciate any opinions on the possible choices before me.
Option 1 – My original plan was to buy the Canon 180mm 3.5L to increase my range in macro photography. I have often longed to photograph bees and dragonflies, but the truth is they are just too difficult to get with the MP-E 65. A longer lens such as the 180L would make this much easier. I currently have more than the savings necessary to do this, so it’s the easiest choice to act on now. After the 180L though, I have several choices and I am currently undecided.
a) Go the strobists route and purchase some flashes and remote triggers. Most likely I would go the pocket wizards route as I have seen the ST-E2 in use and was not very impressed by its reliability. To be honest I am not very big into the type of portrait photography that this approach helps most with. Still, as Nelya gets more real estate listings this will probably help out greatly. Currently I use a tripod and hold the shutter for my real estate photos – but I am not very impressed of the results when there are lights I cannot dim or windows. However, I do have a feeling I would use the approach with Eitan and Nathan.
b) Strengthen my lens “collection” more. The main lens, other than the 180L, that I have my eyes on now is the TS-E 90. I would use this chiefly for macro shots and it would fully complete my macro arsenal. Other lenses I have an interest in are the 85mm 1.2 and the 14mm 2.8 (for real estate).
c) Improve my filters and accessories. The chief filters I would look at are the Singh-Ray neutral density and blue/gold polarizers. I may also look at a RRS panorama bracket kit.
Option 2 – Take the plunge into bird photography and buy the 600mm F4L. I have long been interested in birds, just like I am interested in insects, but I was quite disappointed in the performance of my Sigma 80-400 OS here. There were multiple issues with this lens – I found the sharpness lacking, autofocus was extremely slow, and 400mm was often not enough. The Canon 600mm F4L, combined with a 1.4x extender would surely answer these questions. I have already spent a great deal of time comparing this lens with the Canon 500mm F4L and the Sigma 300-800 and have chosen the 600mm F4L as the best choice.
The obvious disadvantage with this route is the fact that this lens is extremely expensive. I will need to save my microstock funds for the entire year to be able to afford it. Another disadvantage is the fact that I cannot really use this lens from the house. I need to drive somewhere where I can find birds for it to be effective. Actually, this isn’t exactly the truth. I’m sure that I can put some bird feeders up and bird friendly bushes and then photograph from an opening in a window.
The main advantage of this lens is the new types of photographs and knowledge that it would open up. The main difficulty with insect photography is it is extremely difficult to find someone with intimate knowledge of insects who is willing to walk around with me in the forest and teach me things. This is not the case with bird photography – where there are numerous Audobon groups who would be more than happy to help me learn the basics. It also helps that I have a cousin who pretty much knows everything there is to know about them.
Currently this is a gut wrenching decision for me. Do I save for the entire year and enter the world of bird photography, or do I strengthen my equipment in macro and landscape photography? One choice that I have already eliminated is upgrading my Canon 5D. Almost assuredly Canon will release an update for it this year, but given the frequency with which Canon replaces cameras and new technologies come out, it is a far better choice right now to invest in lenses, which have much longer life times.
Each path enables new types of photography for me. My immediate path lies in improving my skills with the equipment I already have, but I can’t resist looking towards the future and what types of photography I would like to add.
6 Comments
February 27, 2008 at 9:41 am
What is great about birds is that there are always things to learn and many of the Western Birds would be even new to myself! I personally think you should get telephoto for other critters besides just the birds. Although, my suggestion would be more the 400mm even though the 600 would bring the birds in closer. The reason for the 400 is weight and you can just pass with a 400 being hand held where anything more than that will require a tripod for everything! Can’t wait to see what you end up getting!
February 27, 2008 at 10:59 am
Keep in mind how many people are doing bird photography versus general nature photography. If your intention is to sell stock to support your hobby, my impression is that you should stay away from birds since so many people are doing it and it is a crowded field. There are more frontiers with insect and other macro photography. I think dragonfly photography is on the upswing now and will be more and more popular. Check out the new Dragonflies of Georgia book – all photos by the author, and it is a wonderful field guide. Surely many folks will be writing dragonfly articles and such and will need good photos. Plus your success rate with getting close enough to photograph dragonflies and other invertebrates would be much higher than with most birds.
Thanks for such a great blog – I just purchased a 100mm macro after getting inspired by yours and others blogs, and I can’t wait for spring to arrive so I can pursue these great invertebrates!
February 27, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I know you’ve probably become pretty good at holding the camera steady for your macro shots, but personally I can’t imaging trying to track a bird with a 600mm… tripod or not. Atleast with a 400mm you can always crop a little closer, but with a 600mm it’s kinda all or nothing.
February 27, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Ah, the photographers dilemma!
Interesting that you and monarch are related! For some great images of birds taken with the 600, check out http://www.roysephotos.com/
Rob Royse has the best bird photographs of Birds that I have ever seen for an amateur/semi pro, and he uses the 600 f4.
Before you invest in the lens, I’d invest in a good set on binocs and learn birds, hang out with birders, and go on birding trips to see if it is your thing.
Best of luck
Tom
February 28, 2008 at 6:52 am
I’ve come across your blog almost from the beginning and I’ve bookmarked it. It’s a very good balance between information, art and craft. My opinion is you should stick, as a main interest, with the macro photography. You’re very good at it.
February 28, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Buy em all !!!
Just kidding, you definitely have some tough choices to make about your direction, I try to keep things as simple as possible for myself that way I spend more time shooting and less over analyzing.
Birds are way out of my league so I stick to the world closest to me and thats the Midwest and macro