Some folks are interested in the technical side of image creation, so I have include a summary of the gear that was used to create the images on this website. The opinions on this page are wholly based on my personal experiences with this equipment.

Canon Elan 7

The Canon Elan 7 is no longer in production, it has been replaced with the Canon 7N (see here ). This is currently my only camera, the majority of photographs on this website were shot with this camera.

This camera offers a great introduction to the SLR arena and is very simple to use. From offering a fully automatic mode through to a manual mode that allows complete control over both aperture and shutter speeds. The camera also offers some useful custom functions like mirror lock-up to minimize camera shake on long exposures.

The camera has a solid feel and is well balanced when attached to the lenses below. For those moving up from a point-and-shoot camera and want to shoot print or slide film then this is an ideal camera to use.

Canon EOS-1D

I've recently made the switch to digital, after researching the array of digital options available I decided build quality, reliability and the flexibility of the camera were more important to me than how many mega pixels the thing had.

Given I only had a limited budget a new digital camera that would meet my specifications was out of the question. I therefore selected a used copy of the Canon EOS-1D. They can be picked up from $1000-$1300 (used) depending on their condition, I was lucky enough to acquire a model in pristine condition.

Having moved up from the Canon Elan 7 to a Canon EOS-1D this was quite a big step up in functionality and build quality. I'm simple amazed at what this camera can do and it's 6 years old !

I'm still on a learning curve with this device, my first all digital gallery is available here. The camera's lightning fast (reliable) auto focus and response was a fantastic combination for capturing these images of wildlife within the Florida Everglades.

For those who care less about the number of mega pixels their camera has this is truly an incredible machine.

Canon EF 300mm F/4.0L IS USM

I bought this lens 2nd hand, the following two galleries were shot exclusively with this lens (some shots were a combination of the 300L + 1.4x), Florida Everglades and Biggen Hill (all Biggen Hill shots were in combination with the 1.4x)

This lens is superb, the only comment I would make is that I generally find the longer the lens the less I use it. However, when you're in an environment that requires that extra reach then this lens is great, without breaking the bank balance (especially if you pickup a well conditioned used model).

The IS works well, and does what you would expect, even if it does make a bit of 'clonking sound'. One thing I've noticed is that when IS is on the batteries on my 1D get sucked down pretty quickly.

Canon EF 70-200mm F/4.0L

The first L lens (Canon speak for their pro-sumer line of lenses) I purchased. This is my most frequently used lens, I do not have an ideal walk-around lens (something in the 20-100mm range) so this is my lens of choice.

Before buying this lens I considered purchasing the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Autofocus Lens. The extra 100mm reach of the 70-300 was very tempting, however I was persuaded to go with the 70-200L instead due to it's superior build quality, constant F/4.0 aperture and it's outstanding optical brilliance.

I have no regrets purchasing this lenses, it is superb, and at almost a half of the cost of the F/2.8 version it's probably the bargain lens our of the L series.

Canon EF 17-40mm F/4.0L

I increasingly found myself needing a wide angle lens. The lens that was supplied with my camera EF 28-90mm f/4.0-5.6 wasn't wide enough for my needs and also suffered from barrel distortion. So I upgraded to the 17-40mm F/4.0L, this lens does well to correct the barrel distortion but is still apparent it's widest 17mm range. This lens is built solidly and with a UV filter attached is weather sealed, I have used this lens in snow, rain and the desert and it has lived up to its billing.

My only qualm with this lens is its occasional inability to focus in low-light, this might be due to the maximum f/4.0 aperture but the 70-200 f/4.0L doesn't have the same issue.

Click here to see a sample of images that were captured using this lens

Canon EF 1.4x L Extender

The EF 1.4x L Extender is a useful accessory to the 70-200 f/4.0L lens, increasing its optical zoom to 280mm, though the maximum aperture is decreased to f/5.6.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

The EF 50mm f/1.8 II is another bargain lens, however there are some points worth mentioning. First, the build quality of this lens is pretty bad, the lens feels like it's made from a flimsily plastic that may break if you drop it into you bag from 6 inches or higher. Second, the focus of this lens does not use USM (Ultra Sonic Motors) to focus, instead the lens makes quite a loud noise while it "slowly hunts" for focus.

With that said for $80 this is still a great lens, it's very sharp and has a f/1.8 maximum aperture. I've frequently shot this lens wide open with very good results. Since it only cost $80 my advice is simple buy two of these lenses, for when the first one breaks.

Canon EF 28-90mm f/4.0-5.6

The EF 28-90mm f/4.0-5.6 was included with my Elan 7. Quite honestly this lens has terrible build quality, is soft at the 90mm end, and suffers terrible barrel distortion at the 28mm end. That said I have found a sweet spot at 40-50mm and stopped down to f/22 the results can be very sharp, virtually all the waterfall pictures on this website were captured with this lens. Therefore until I can justify the EF 24-70 f/2.8 to my wife this lens will continue to have a place in my camera bag.

Dimage Scan Dual IV

Since I shoot almost exclusively with slide and print film this scanner is a great way to digitize my pictures for presentation on this website. This scanner isn't for someone who wants to produce a digital image that will be used to print a picture larger than 5*7 - it simply doesn't have the resolution.

Tripods

I would estimate that 75% of the images created on this website were taken with the aid of a tri-pod. Unfortunately I've not had much luck with my tri-pods; the first one I bought a Bogen/Manfrotto Compact Digi Tripod was quickly outweighed by the 70-200 f/4.0L lens.

So I upgraded to a Slik Pro 330DX but my bad luck continued, I managed to over-tighten the panhead controls and snapped the plastic coating on one handle that was used to create the tension to hold the head in place. I was lucky enough to track down some spare parts and resume use of this tri-pod, however my luck didn't last long. While extending the legs for a sunrise shoot in Maine one of the legs snapped out completely, and the mechanism used to retain the leg spread over a wide area.

I was reduced to a hand-me-down tri-pod that the friendly doorman at my apartment complex rescued from the recycle bin when another tenant departed. My advice is spend at least double what you first estimate you need for a tri-pod - hopefully this way the trip-pod will last twice as long :)

Since then I'm now the proud owner of a Manfrotto 055MF4. This tri-pod has excellent build quality, is sturdy and is light.