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Archive 2013 · A minimalist kit...

  
 
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · A minimalist kit...


For me, it's my 1D Mark II N + 24-85/3.5-4.5 USM + the newly acquired Tokina 17/3.5
A lightweight tele lens, like a Tamron 70-300/4-5.6 VC USD, would've been nice.



Mar 31, 2013 at 04:02 AM
justruss
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · A minimalist kit...


My primary kit is a 5d2 + 35L.

In recent years I've used it on assignment:

- Shooting backcountry skiing in Kashmir.
- Shooting the Northern Lights, reindeer, dog-sledding above the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland.
- Shooting a post-war environment, people, buildings, landscapes in Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Shooting a novel form of rail transportation in Cambodia.
And many other varied things on a lot of jobs.

My kit has grown to include a Fuji X-E1+ 35 f/1.4 (~53mm equiv), which I've just had the first assignment pics published from alongside my normal 5d2 kit:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/03/10/travel/10KASHMIR-3.html
http://photos.russjuskalian.com/2013/01/27/8.JPG



Mar 31, 2013 at 05:08 AM
Monito
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · A minimalist kit...


anthonygh wrote:
So...for something different...how about a minimalist thread...what is the least amount of kit needed to create decent images? And be happy?


Least? A good Canon compact point & shoot. I helped someone choose a $120 Canon closeout p&s (ELPH 100 HS) and it makes mighty fine photographs (4x zoom, 12 Mpx). I had to do minimal tweaking to make great prints for her when she came back from a recent overseas trip.

Minimalist? Canon SL1 and 40 mm lens.

My minimalist walkaround kit these days? 5D2, 100 macro mounted, 28 f/2.8, 50 f/1.8 all stuffed into a LowePro Toploader Zoom bag threaded onto a belt. Because it is on a belt I hardly know it is there (no constant juggling with a shoulder strap).



Mar 31, 2013 at 06:02 AM
jcolwell
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · A minimalist kit...










Mar 31, 2013 at 06:02 AM
Bijltje
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · A minimalist kit...




http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8198/8170153844_168826acde_b.jpg

I gave up on the really small kit. I tried it by only using a 35mm lens, and it worked great. But I found the other focal lengths to be a great addition with their own use, look and feel.

So now I have a 18mm, 28mm, 35mm and 50mm. And I like using them all and could not dismiss one FL't.

And in addition to that, some equipment just aren't right for the job so extra kit is needed. I'm now looking for 17 TSE and a matching canon body for a architecture job.


The idea of a small kit is great, but only if ur down to one type of photography/ way of working. I really enjoy the use of different types of focal lengths.



Mar 31, 2013 at 06:39 AM
GC5
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · A minimalist kit...



My minimalist kit:
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-GVJ5CTK/0/M/i-GVJ5CTK-M.jpg

Of course, that's only a small part of my larger collection. If I had to justify the dollar cost of every lens or camera body I owned, I'd have a far different set.



Mar 31, 2013 at 06:52 AM
mspencer1
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · A minimalist kit...


My minimalist kit- 5D III with either 50 1.2 or 24-105


Mar 31, 2013 at 09:43 AM
Jeff Nolten
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · A minimalist kit...


G1X with polarizer and 250D close-up filters.

I just worked up the images from last weeks camping trip in the Anza Borrego desert. I am continually astonished at how good the images from the G1X are. This was not a good year for wildflowers but a number of the cacti were blooming. Comparing the 5D3 + 100L images with the G1X + 250D images it is very difficult to tell them apart. The G1X lens is amazing and I swear its sensor is cleaner than my 7D's. IMHO

Still, I agree with those who say it depends on the job at hand. I just read SneakyRacer's post on the lenses he uses for architecture work. I'm of the mind that I wouldn't want my surgeon to come to work with a minimalist kit. When I'm out I like to be able to capture anything I see and the normal zoom range is often limiting. My minimal travel kit when I can afford the weight is 5D# + 24-105 + 100-400 and, if I can, 35f2, 100L, 1.4x, 20 mm extension, 270EX, and a level 0 Gitzo tripod. A second body is always good - a G1X with underwater housing or a 7D. You know, minimalist.

The 100-400 is a beast to carry all day and I'm intrigued by the specs of the 100D. If its sensor is as good as the G1X' I wonder how bad the images would be with it and a 55-250 or 70-300 IS. So G1X + 100D + 70-300? And then maybe Canon will produce an EFs 15 f4 IS and EFs 22 f2 IS to go with their excellent 60 f2.8 macro. Would I then be able to meet Druk Air's 10 lb. carry-on limit? But I digress.



Mar 31, 2013 at 10:43 AM
dhphoto
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · A minimalist kit...


Jeff Nolten wrote:
G1X with polarizer and 250D close-up filters.

I just worked up the images from last weeks camping trip in the Anza Borrego desert. I am continually astonished at how good the images from the G1X are. This was not a good year for wildflowers but a number of the cacti were blooming. Comparing the 5D3 + 100L images with the G1X + 250D images it is very difficult to tell them apart. The G1X lens is amazing and I swear its sensor is cleaner than my 7D's. IMHO


+1

I completely agree, it's a quirky beast but the G1X is atonishing for it's size for anything that doesn't move, better than my 550D I think (in RAW anyway). You soon get used to having to drop into macro mode all the time and the add-on auto lens cap is great

My holiday kit is usually an old 5D a VERY old 28-70mm f3.5-4.5 or a Tam 28-75 and a 70-300IS, plus a nifty fifity and the G1X. If it gets stolen it's not the end of the world and the images can make perfect 16x12's at least.



Mar 31, 2013 at 10:51 AM
kezeka
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · A minimalist kit...


James Taylor wrote:
5DMkIII + 35L + 85L = Just about the perfect portraite kit.


5d2 + 35L + 85L works great for portraits, events, and street photography. I don't know much outside of sports and BIF that this combo can't handle superbly. I am tempted to try switching to 5d + 50L for a minimalist 1 lens 1 body kit rather than carting around the 35 and 85 to events.



Mar 31, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Jeff Nolten
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · A minimalist kit...


dhphoto wrote:
... it's a quirky beast but the G1X is atonishing for it's size ...


Compared to the 5D + 100L the G1X' articulated LCD was really convenient for getting different flower perspectives. Still, nothing compares to looking through a FF SLR viewfinder. You need one of each - at a minimum.



Mar 31, 2013 at 11:09 AM
Yakim Peled
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · A minimalist kit...


In Canon it's 5D3 + 35L + 135L but for real minimalism I'd go MILC with OM-D + 17/1.8 and 45/1.8.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.



Mar 31, 2013 at 11:21 AM
dhphoto
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · A minimalist kit...


Jeff Nolten wrote:
Compared to the 5D + 100L the G1X' articulated LCD was really convenient for getting different flower perspectives. Still, nothing compares to looking through a FF SLR viewfinder. You need one of each - at a minimum.


Even with closeup lenses I've not been able to get a proper macro with the G1X, how close can you get?



Mar 31, 2013 at 11:34 AM
Sneakyracer
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · A minimalist kit...


anthonygh wrote:
I have been on this site for a few years now and I am continually astonished at the amount of kit some people have...some put my local camera shop s/h dept to shame.

Some posters, in my opinion, are clearly boasting about what they can afford...others seem to 'need' some genuine exotica.

So...for something different...how about a minimalist thread...what is the least amount of kit needed to create decent images? And be happy?

As it happens..I am just charging up the batteries on the grip for my EOS 3 and I will probably be using it with a 5D and 50mm 1.4 plus
...Show more

Honestly if did not make a living as a professional photographer I would absolutely not have nearly as much stuff as I have now. Not even close. I would probably at most have one of the mirrorless cameras and 2-3 lenses if that.



Mar 31, 2013 at 11:39 AM
irish-george
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · A minimalist kit...


I know I've crashed a Canon group, but I could do quite well with my D800, 105DC, and 28/1.8. Both lenses are fast and with 36Mp, I can do OK without really long lenses. I used the 105 to photograph a NASA launch from 5 miles away (got tired of carrying around ny 70-200/2.8) and the results were surprisingly good. BTW, the launch was a bit of a surprise on vacation...for paid work, I'd have toughed it out with a longer lens.


Mar 31, 2013 at 12:48 PM
gocolts
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · A minimalist kit...


I do photography related to 3 things- indoor/outdoor shots of my daughter, traveling on vacation, and racetracks. With that in mind- I have no doubt I could get by using my 7D and...

Sigma 30mm 1.4 (daughter)
Canon 15-85mm (vacations)
Canon 70-200 2.8 II with TC's (racetracks)

At the end of the day that's really all I probably need for 90% of the shots I take.

Edited on Mar 31, 2013 at 01:06 PM · View previous versions



Mar 31, 2013 at 01:02 PM
Jeff Nolten
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · A minimalist kit...


dhphoto wrote:
Even with closeup lenses I've not been able to get a proper macro with the G1X, how close can you get?


I think you had a G10 previously, so using that comparison, with the 250D (4 diopter) you can get "closer", more magnification, than the G10 with its native macro mode. Not true macro but great for flowers, beach pebbles and slow bugs. At minimum focal length a little over 2" from the front of the lens and at maximum focal length a little over 6". With the 500D (2 diopter) your minimums would be about twice as far, but its also a useful filter. I also really like the lens mount filter adaptor compared to the G10's body adapter. I have a neoprene sunglasses case to hold both the polarizer and the diopter each with its own adapter. Very fast and convenient.

As you said, its a quirky beast and you have to practice a bit. Its large sensor is a blessing and a curse, the DOF can get really thin and you often have to stop down to control it. With my G10, I took close-ups of peach tree blossoms and can still, unfortunately, make out a trash can sitting 20 feet behind the tree. Focus can be a bit dodgy with the 250D so make sure the focus area is of high contrast and it helps to physically move the camera to get the focus close before engaging AF. It often takes me several tries to get it to lock. The IS works well and you have clean higher ISOs (compared to G10) to stop down and keep shutter speed up, so with the articulated LCD you can easily hand hold down and under to see things you couldn't with a real macro lens on a DSLR.

I've always viewed the G series cameras as supplements or alternates to my DSLR kit. They can do things that are awkward or expensive to do with a DSLR and at just over a pound their great for backpacking. The IQ of the G1X is so good that I now have no qualms about using it as a second body to my 5D when it has telephoto, 17-40, or macro attached. Remember the Luminous-Landscape "I'm not kidding" article about the G10? I think it was a bit premature, but applies completely to the G1X.



Mar 31, 2013 at 01:03 PM
dhphoto
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · A minimalist kit...


Jeff Nolten wrote:
I think you had a G10 previously, so using that comparison, with the 250D (4 diopter) you can get "closer", more magnification, than the G10 with its native macro mode. Not true macro but great for flowers, beach pebbles and slow bugs. At minimum focal length a little over 2" from the front of the lens and at maximum focal length a little over 6". With the 500D (2 diopter) your minimums would be about twice as far, but its also a useful filter. I also really like the lens mount filter adaptor compared to the G10's body adapter.
...Show more

I'm honoured you remember I had a G10 , I liked it a lot for low ISO, it had a real quality feel about it that has only been equalled or exceeded in a compact by the G1X for me, which I can safely take up to 1600 ISO, which was miles beyond what the G10 could do (200 ISO max realistically).

If Canon could come up with a G2X with some sort of usable viewfinder, either electronic or properly coupled it would be a world beater IMO



Mar 31, 2013 at 01:37 PM
Tim Knutson
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · A minimalist kit...


Any 16 year kid with their cell phone.

How about the dedicated large format shooters. One wooden camera, a couple of lenses and some film.



Mar 31, 2013 at 02:34 PM
Deanh
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · A minimalist kit...


Minimalist for who?

Portrait photographer, field sports, indoor sports, BIF, landscape, documentary, street?

Each has what I think would be different 'basic' needs, some overlap. When you try getting gear to cover many possibilities your gear often grows too.



Mar 31, 2013 at 03:28 PM
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