Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Boston Skyline from Blue Hills

Chikatawbut View Driving home on Chickatawbut Road, I stopped at this scenic lookout. The sun setting to my left created the interesting shadow along the treeline. Taken with Nikon D50 DSLR using Nikon 55-200VR zoom lens.

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

"Papa's got a brand new bag!"... or two

Well, I've never been known to be an extravagant person. When it comes to photo equipment, I've spent what I could justify and, for the most part, made purchases I've not regretted. My selection of camera bags have followed the same philosophy, except maybe, I've been a bit cheaper. Sure, you need to protect your equipment, but that doesn't mean you can't be creative about it!

Bags for me have included a free bag I received about 10 years ago with a paid subscription to Popular Photography (complete with Pop Photo logo prominently displayed), which I still have, and I once adopted a zippered, insulated (read: padded) soft-sided cooler bag. Hey, it protected the gear from bumps, bruises and temperature extremes, and nicely accommodated a sandwich and a canned beverage.

But I decided recently it was time to buy a real camera bag, so I set out to research what was available as well as what I was in need of. There are all kinds of options out there, from bags that will carry every piece of equipment you own, and some people own a lot, to those which will handle just what you'll need for a day trip, to the bare minimum that basically covers the camera and gives you a smidge more room for a some small accessories.

I just needed to carry a few pieces of equipment, (my DSLR with a lens attached, perhaps an additional lens, an external flash and extra batteries or a charger), which meant I needed a "day bag". After much research, I decided upon the Lowepro Nova 3 AW.

Lowepro Nova 3 AW

The Nova 3 AW is one in a series of various size Nova bags made by Lowepro. Here are the features of the 3 AW (source: eBags.com):

Material: Water-resistant 600D TXP and 600D TXP ripstop

Size: 9" x 6" x 7.5"

Warranty: Lifetime

  • Movable interior dividers
  • Inner and outer mesh pockets for film and accessories, plus security pocket
  • Front NoDrop Pocket to simplify film and filter changes
  • OverLap Zipper™ for added protection
  • Rugged metal hardware
  • Curved, padded shoulder strap
  • Padded handle
  • This is a well-made bag with a great deal of flexibility thanks to the movable dividers. I brought the gear I wanted to be able to fit into a day bag with me to Hunt's Photo and Video so I could "try on" each bag I considered. I strongly recommend that you do this too. You can buy a bag online based on the specifications as long as you are confident of the ease of the seller's return policy. You don't want to purchase a bag only to find out it's not up to your expectations and you can't return it. The good people at Hunt's were kind enough to let me fit and refit my gear into a number of bags, and although I wasn't exactly set on how I would configure the bag for my purposes, I was confident that I had several options.

    Nova 3 AW interior

    Here's the interior of the 3AW with my gear: a Nikon D50 DSLR, Nikon SB 600 flash, Nikon 50mm lens, battery charger and cable and hidden beneath the D50 are spare batteries for the SB 600.

    The front pocket of the bag will hold spare memory cards, cleaning cloths, batteries, etc. I keep a filter wallet (which holds six filters) in there comfortably. One neat feature of the AW series is the rain cover that is stored under the front pocket and can be pulled out and stretched to cover the bag, protecting it from wet weather. The AW stands for All Weather. I'm not sure how often I'll use this but it's an insurance policy of sorts.

    Lowepro TLZ 1 So that took care of my day bag needs. But I also wanted a "grab and go" bag so I could carry the bare minimum, such as my camera with a only lens on it and little else, so I opted for a fitted bag that I could easily sling over my shoulder or slide onto my belt. These holster bags are very popular since they are light and not very expensive. Again I chose a Lowepro, this time it was the Topload Zoom 1.

    This bag accommodates my D50 DSLR with an 18-200mm lens attached, with the hood attached in reverse. There's a front pocket that will carry the camera's charger and cable, or a filter or two. It's not large enough for the SB 600 flash, and the pocket is not padded so whatever you place in there needs to be able to handle a bump or two.

    Inside there are adjustable dividers which I was able to set to support the D50 nicely. By the way, both the Nova 3 AW and the TLZ 1 have loops to allow carrying on your belt. The Nova 3 seems too boxy to carry comfortably that way, but for the TLZ1, it's a viable alternative to the shoulder strap.

    If you are looking for a camera bag (or two!), first think about what you need in terms of carrying capacity, what features are important to you and of course, how much you want to spend. Then do your research. There are loads of pictures and specifications online to give you some ideas, but then you should visit your neighborhood camera store. Bring your gear and start packing! And if your local retailer is kind enough to help you with your selection, please make your purchase from them as well.

    Well, I'm very happy with my two bags, and I should be good to go for quite some time to come. But I do wish I had somewhere to put a sandwich and a cold drink. :-)

    Friday, May 16, 2008

    Scenes from Rockport, Ma

    Rockport's Motif #1

    This seaside village on the northeastern coast of Massachusetts is best known for it's famous Motif #1 (left), but there are many other interesting and colorful scenes for the visiting photographer.





    Gussy's Girls

    Rockport and it's surrounding area was once a source of granite and timber and the fishing grounds off the coast were amongst the best.

    Musician, Rockport, Ma
    Today, Rockport is an artist's colony and draws visitors from around the US and beyond.

    Bearskin Neck, Rockport, MA
    Bearskin Neck juts into the Atlantic and is lined with shops carrying everything from jewelry and crafts to ice cream and T-shirts.
    Docked boats, Rockport, Ma
    All photos taken with a Nikon D50 DSLR and either a Nikon 18-55 or Nikon 55-200VR zoom lens.