I have been using a Canon EOS Series Digital  for the last four years. I started with the Canon Rebel XT (350D) and quickly moved up to the Canon Rebel XTI (450D). It is my hope that the next camera I purchase will be the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III.  Having purchased 2 cameras in the last 4 years I’m figuring that it makes more sense to invest in a higher tier camera instead of taking advantages in the innovation that happens year over year.  I’m currently looking into the purchase of the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

The EOS-1Ds Mark III is the cadillac of cameras. I am mostly interested in the full frame feature.    1.42 x 0.94 in./36.0 x 24.0mm (full-frame sensor)   The Rebel XTi shoots frames at 0.87 x 0.58 in./22.2 x 14.8mm (APS-C size sensor)  this means that magnification and cropping occurs in the entry level prosumer cameras like the XTi. Another feature I’m interested in is the  Live View Function.  The consumer cameras has almost made this feature a requirement.  While there is a wealth of data that you don’t get from the live view option there are occasions that i wished that feature was available on the XTi.  One occasion in particular is when you ask some one to take your photo. Tthe combination of looking through the view finder, manually zooming in or out, and pressing the shutter tends to be too much. The live view option would reduce the complexity and allow for the user to more easily take the shot.

I have 4 lenses that I take with me.

The first is the Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM

It’s heavy and bulky but I enjoy shooting with it.  The lens has an excellent range and i don’t have to constantly change lenses. I purchased this lens for my trip to the UK(England, Ireland). Both the size and color of the lens gets instant reactions from people as you walk by. The push pull option is great for speed but is less functional then the more traditional zooming method.  Other issues with the lens is related the the tight smooth option which allows you to control the tension for the push pull lens. The problem is that its right next to the focus ring and the two tend to stick together.  If this issue was fixed I think that the lens would work much better.

The next lens in by bag is the Canon  EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

The lens is great the only draw back is that its an EF-S which means it will only work on the lower end Canon cameras.  I purchased this lens for my trip to the Grand Canyon.  I really enjoyed being able to take incredible shots both in portrait and landscape. I believe this lens may be the widest lens on the market with the exception of a fisheye lens.

The third lens in my camera bag is the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

This lens is my favorite I enjoy taking macro photograph with the lens.  I primarily use it for Flowers and Nature shots.  The great thing about this lens being both an macro and 100 mm lens means that you can get as close as you want to your subject and still use it like a traditional 100 mm lens  I would add that this lens is not complete without the  Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX

Combine both Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro with Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14 EX  and you can get great shots.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

The lens takes great portraits but I would recommend going with the above 100 mm lens or a traditional 50 mm lens for portraits.

In addition to the fore mentioned  Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX I also own the Canon Speedlite 580EX II

The flash is great in conditions where the subject needs to be brightened due to a bright background. I have not found the range of this light to be much better the the 430.

Building a website

While the blog area is mainly for and about photography I felt it fitting that the first blog be about the site Visual Diversion.  Having been schooled in Business Administration and Information Systems and having worked in IT industry for over 10 years you might expect me to have my own website. I considered it several times but decided that it was too much work.  Finding the time to put a proper website with e-commerce takes time.  My wife and I finally decided July 2008 to put a site together that combines our passion for travel and photography with my IT knowledge. We decided on a hosting company and package, domain name and SSL cert.  For this project we used Adobe Creative Suite 3, e-commerce software from x-cart, Google web tools and analytics and of course WordPress for our blog. We’re finding the project to be time consuming but also a great learning experience. We are continuing to add content and product to the website and will start to focus on the all consuming topic of SEO next.  Although I have worked in IT for one of the most trafficked sites on the internet I did not realize the amount of time and effort it takes to launch a site when you include e-com and marketing. We will share our experience as we create the site and struggle to make the site into a business and fuse our passion into a working e-commerce site.