Camera Gear

When I came to Thailand, I really wanted to use some of the free time that I have here to develop my photography skills. I find it amazing that after I year, I fell like I'm just starting to scratch the surface.

When it comes to photography, there are really two large categories to chose from; point and shoot and slr. Most casual users have a point and shoot camera where the user composes the picture and the camera does the rest. With a point and shoot camera, the image in the view finder may not be exactly the image that is displayed in the view finder or LCD, it is close. The other category of cameras is an SLR (single lens reflex). The SLR cameras are used by professionals and more advanced amateurs. The primary features of an SLR are that the image in the view finder is the same as that captured by the film (if you your name is Fred Flinstone) or the digital imaging system. An SLR camera also provides the ability to change lenses and provides more control over the photography taken.

Its certainly the case that I tend to learn in gulps. What I mean is that I tend to throw myself into something for a while, and then sometimes let it sit for a while untouched. The more I learn though, the more I realize that there is so much that I don't know. That really shouldn't be a big surprise, and in some ways it isn't. Still, I didn't realize how much there is to it.

So after a year, I think my pictures are more than a little amateurish. They are full blown amateurish. I've actually read a lot of books on the subject, but often when I go to take the shot, I tend to forget what I read. I still hold hope that its just a matter of practice, and not that my memory has permanently deteriorated at my advanced age.

Perhaps the biggest surprise when it comes to photography is the cost. There are so many things that you can buy that improve the technical aspect of your shooting. In a lot of cases, the camera is not even the most expensive part of the package. You can easily spend more on a lens than the camera, and in most cases you'll actually have multiple lenses. In fact, you can spend hundreds of dollars on a tripod just to keep your camera still.

So, if you are still reading at this point, I'll share with you my camera equipment. Its certainly not cheap, but not the most expensive by any means.

Camera
Canon 40D, ~$939 from Amazon (with rebate)

Lenses
Canon 24-105 4.0 USM L IS ~$1,000
Canon 70-200 USM 2.8 IS (~$1,500)
Canon 50 1.8 ($100)

Accessories
Giotos MHJ 7001 Tripod (~$100)
Monopod (~$50)
Canon 430 Flash (~$250)
iPod connector (~$40) (lets me transfer pictures from my camera to ipod)