I forget how many excellent photographers read this humble blog, but I have been reminded of this fact by of all their comments on recent photography-related posts. That being the case, I thought perhaps some of them might want to weigh in on a few equipment issues I’m mulling over.
First, I love my Lightsphere II flash diffuser. But I think I should get an AmberDome for it, to better match the indoor incandescent lighting I frequently use it in. It might also be handy for matching the ambient light in sunset situations as well. (Observe the mismatched light situation here. People say “it looks like they’ve been cut and pasted in from another shot!” Of course it’s because they’re lit with a different color light than the background.) Thoughts on gelling or otherwise color-shifting your flash/diffuser?
Also, my umbrella stands are really cheap. They haven’t broken yet, but I do feel the need to get sturdier ones. And since decent ones are not that expensive, I was considering this lightweight Manfrotto model. I use these to mount an SB-600 flash and a shoot-through umbrella. I have two such rigs and I trigger them remotely from my Nikon D300 camera through Nikon’s “Creative Lighting System” (CLS). Often I use just one stand and not both, so I thought maybe I’d buy one of these and see how I liked it before getting a second one. I’m toying with the notion of getting some sandbags to weigh them down outdoors in breezy weather, too.
And I need a proper case for them. Having them stick out the end of a gym bag is getting pretty old.
Now that I think about it, my shoe-mount clamps are kind of ghetto, too. Recommendations?
I only own one camera body these days and I borrow/rent one when I need a backup. But that should change at some point. Thinking about buying a used, lower-end Nikon body so I can stop wasting money on rentals.
Finally, as I mentioned in the comments of a previous post, I’m trying to sell the Sigma 50-150 f/2.8. I got it primarily to shoot distant indoor ceremonies. But I find that even at 2.8 I sometimes can’t get the shutter speed I need when racked out to the full 150mm. Lately I’ve been using the shorter, but much brighter, 85mm f/1.8. In fact, I don’t think I’ve shot the 50-150 this calendar year.
I’d like to replace it with a 35mm f/1.8. Something I could put on my second camera and have an assistant shoot a b-roll of the reception. Plus, I think it would just be a fun lens to have, given how much I love the 85.