Lots bought lately in anticipation of a busy and productive year ahead.
Big winners;
Neewer Pro Backpack. The hope was to get a bag that could take a fully assembled sports rig into the field, with extra bits, including flash etc. This had not been possible with any bag I owned, but was not an issue until two new, large cameras and lenses came into the fold. After looking at the usual culprits in Lowe Pro etc, I stumbled over the Neewer Pro backpack for $80au. This bag is also found in other branding, often for much more, so getting the cheapest option feels good. Little extras like are the built in lock and light weight are also useful. It’s arrival has made the Pro Tactic 350 redundant except for travel maybe.
Result; Awesome. Had it configured how I wanted within minutes with room to spare.
EM1x + Capture 1. These two are for me, one in the same. Finding C1, thanks to an older computer not updating to EM1x RAW handling in Lightroom, both fixed that problem and re-opened my eyes to better processing paths. I had tried C1 in the past, but found the interface frustrating. This time it feels like a tailor made glove (even if I don’t understand some of it’s fingers yet).
Result; A new beginning and fresh perspective on processing with very much more power.
Lighting. Generally speaking I have gone from a solid lighting theorist, a pretty out of date one as it turns out, to a bit of a lighting junkie. Light is the core of any photo or video work and the amateur’s luxury of waiting for it to come to you is not reliable enough for pro work.
LED, speedlite, reflector, diffuser, TTL, HSS, CRI, RGB, temperature, butterfly, diffused, reflected, catch, rim, fill, key, bounce, cone, Rembrandt, short side/long side, feathered, flagged and more are all terms I live and breathe now. Oh what fun will be had.
Result; A total change in both my work processes, results and expectations.
Eneloop Pro Batteries. It may seem simple, but good batteries maketh the strobist. I have felt that because of battery concerns, the potential of my lighting kit and it’s reality were a fair way apart. The thought of chewing though dozens also did not appeal financially or environmentally. Now I have 30+ Eneloop Pro’s, which give me 5 fully charged unit’s with spares. The theory is, I can function perfectly well with 3 unit’s, so two extras either reduces the strain on all of them or gives me instant change-over options (3 units running through my 72” brolly at 1/64 will go all night). I handled my biggest job so far with 2 units and a pair of basic brollies (and little idea), so I feel relatively monstrous now.
Result; Confidence in my lighting rig and myself as an artificial light user.
EM10’s. These little “shutter savers”, both bought on clearance for silly money, have done really well. One had a slight sync issue with flash the other day, but that may have been me. Otherwise, they have already paid for themselves several times. One of them did the big strobe job mentioned above running hot to the touch by the end, but did not miss once.
Result; Every frame they give me, saves one from a bigger camera. All part of the five year plan.
Pana/Leica 8-18. Breaking the Olympus habit after a single minded approach, the 8-18 just made too much sense. The 8-25 f4 Oly would have been good to, but is not yet available and lacks f2.8 at the wider end. A practical filter option, good range (reinforcing my core lens range), great overall size and shape and performance that is very near the Olympus 7-14 pro (slightly weaker at one end, but slightly better at the other), combined to make an ideal lens in a range I have traditionally had little use for. Surprisingly, it is more friendly to use than I thought it would be. Like the Fuji 21mm which spoiled me for wide angles, the Leica does not feel crazy wide in use. I think it will get a lot more use than I assumed and seems razor sharp. A little bonus is the Panasonic colour palette, which is not nothing.
Result; A wider focal range for client requirements, some core lens cover and a new way of seeing for me.
Re-purchasing my 40-150 Pro from the friend who looked after it for me for a year or so. What was I thinking!
Big year coming, but I feel prepared and excited.