I bought some new camera gear recently and I have been told I need to blog about my acquired items. I got a new lens, which I am very excited about. It’s an 18 - 200, 3.5 - 5.6. Not the fastest, but it has quite a range and is designed for my digital camera, unlike my 35 - 80, which is for my N90, which kept getting stuck out of contact and not registering its f-stops with my camera. I kept having to wiggle and jiggle it to get the contacts to connect properly. I like my new lens. It takes really nice pictures and lets me take a range of pictures — I can take a wide shot and then immediately zoom without having to stop and change lenses, which is cumbersome, especially during moments when lots of things are happening at once.
I have missed the wide angle — that’s the problem with digital, it narrows everything. I have had many instances where I have had to step REALLY far back to get what I needed in the frame, and I am loving my 18. I would love a 14, and have one in mind, but that costs way more money than I will have in the near future.
My other purchase was new gear bag. I’ve had a fanny bag, which is great for hands-free work and keeps all my gear attached to my body, but it’s old and falling apart and needs to be retired. I bought a backpack, which at first I didn’t want, I wanted another belt pack, but I really like this bag. Instead of being a regular bag, it’s more of a messener-style bag with the bulk of the backpack — one cross-should strap, with an additional buckle to connect for more support. Since it goes across me, I can swing it down in front of me and have immediate access to my gear. the main pocket zips from the side, so it’s designed to give you two-handed access. That was the selling point. There’s also plenty of space for lenses, strobes, and misc. gear, as well as mini pockets designed to hold memory cards, biz cards and small personal items. A bigger space near the top perfectly fits my wallet, keys, video camera and a couple of diapers. Perfect for the photographer mom. And it fits comfortably, too, so I can carry it and shoot at the same time.