Blogging Equipment

Some people have asked about what equipment we use so we decided to post some links for our equipment. By no means do you have to have the same equipment as us. Blogging started out as something fun to do to fill the time and help with getting to know the area and people here; over time it became an addiction. Now we really enjoy taking some great pictures and video; once OS Lion comes on the Mac we are going to upgrade to an iMac and Final Cut Studio. We hope these links help you decide what you might like to have for your blog or for photography in general.

This is our Main camera the Canon 7D with a kit lens 28-135mm. We liked it so much we bought a second one. This camera is amazing and WELL worth the money. We highly recommend the Canon but if you are a Nikon fan than their version of a Digital SLR will work just as fine. We just happened to like everything we were reading about the HD video quality of the Canon 7D.

The Kodak playsport is our favorite camera to use when we don’t feel like carrying 10 pounds of equipment around OR if you are trying to be low key when recording or snapping pictures. It’s greatest feature is its ability to go underwater, which will prove useful as we like to white water rafting.

We haven’t made this purchase yet but since we are getting ready to do some diving we need a DIVE PROOF camera case for our camera…unfortunately these cases are just as much as the body itself, so this might be a little while before we get it.

It should go without saying that you need good quality media to save your pictures and video on. We have really begun to trust SanDisk and love their data transfer rates. A must for HD video.

Ok at first I thought this was just a gimmick and didn’t believe in “protecting” the LCD screen; then I saw what happened to some other people’s cameras that didn’t do it. Especially after lugging your camera in backpacks and in and out of public transportation this is a definite MUST!

Originally we tried to go the cheap route and get local (Korean & China generic manufactured) Compact Flash Cards. THIS WAS A HUGE MISTAKE!! After shooting pictures all day of several temples only 10 our 200+ pictures weren’t corrupted. This was a MAJOR disappointment. Once this happened we decided to throw out all of our old CF Cards and go with SanDisk’s High data transfer rate cards that all the professional photographer’s and videographer’s were reviewing. This was one purchase that we couldn’t go without, in fact we ended up buying 2 of these CF cards after the Lantern Festival when we filled our one 32GB card in 2 days.

One battery didn’t seem to be enough and at the recommendation of a friend we decided to purchase the 2 battery grip for our camera. This grip allows you to add a second battery AND it comes with an adapter to use AA batteries as well. The grip simultaneously uses both batteries instead of switching between the two; this makes this a thoughtless process when using. The only problem is that instead of using one battery at a time and only having to charge the drained battery when back at home you now have to charge both to get a FULL charge. The grip and batteries don’t care if they are charged to the same level so it is not a big concern, just a mild pain. Canon’s grip also allows for you to control the shutter and autofocus in portrait mode with a button on the lower right of the grip. This can be turned on or off with a simple switch. Downside is the added weight of the grip and extra battery however the added advantage is the ability to use your camera ALL day shooting pictures AND HD video without worrying about running out of batteries. If we didn’t have this grip during the lantern festival we would have run out of battery life at about the beginning of the parade.

Second battery for the 2 Battery grip…enuf said.

This brings us to our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE lens; the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens. This lens lets us get right up to (sometimes too close) food, buildings, crowds and just about everything and take that amazing shot that captures everything. When we were looking for a second lens we wanted to get something that would enable us to get shots that we weren’t able to get before; this lens did it perfectly. Aside from wildlife or pictures of the North Korean flag (about 2 kilometers away) we use this lens for all of our shots. It simply showcases food the best and lets us take pictures up close and personal. We looked at MANY lens before deciding on this one; this lens was used by more pro photographers and had better ratings than any other lens so we took a gamble and went with it. The speed of the lens and it autofocusing is well worth the money, plus this lens is an “L” series professional lens which will hold its value much better than a non “L” series lens.

Our newest lens; the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM lens. This is an amazing and affordable (compared to our dream lens the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens with a price tag of $2500.00) Even though the speed of our lens is only f/4 the quality, even at 200mm, is very good. we purchased this lens specifically for our trip to the DMZ and to get some great images of the North Korean Flag (about 2 kilometers away). Pictures from this lens can be seen in our DMZ photo album and post.

This Manfroto tripod is a GREAT tripod and every review of this product was spot on. The tripod can go from above 6′ tall to flush with the floor for tight macros. Superb!

This head for the tripod is every bit amazing as the tripod itself. The quick release allows for single-handed operation, just put the camera down into the mount and it snaps closed automatically and firmly. The release requires 2 hands for so that the camera won’t come accidentally unseated.

The timer worked really well, allowing us to take some great time lapse photos of the clouds moving along Soyosan and it also allowed us to set a custom timer for photos before we had our wireless remote.

1.4x Photo extender (magnifies your telephoto 1.4x) – images still have GREAT quality and the extender offers great flexibilty.

Neutral density filter for those ultra bright shots!

Neutral density filter for those ultra bright shots!

The Aputure remote is key to have for those pictures where you want to be in the image WITHOUT having to set a timer and run to your place OR have the normal infrared (line of sight needed) remote in your shot as well. This remote allows for hidden use; it uses radio frequencies (it’s multi channel too).

More SanDisk 16GB memory cards. Each of us now have a 32GB main card and a 16GB backup card. Since Sarah got her own camera (she got an identical Canon 7D to allow for lens sharing and so we didn’t each have to relearn a camera).

B & W 82mm UVA Filter

B & W 72mm UVA Filter

B & W 67mm UVA Filter

72mm Tiffen UV Filter

Best Air Blower and cleaning kit combo

2nd camera needs a dual battery grip as well, this kit has it all; rapid charger, 2 batteries and more.

Gotta protect the screens and it’s good to save some cash too!

LowePro Pro Trekker 400, you need a bag to carry everything with you (AND to make sure it meets airline carry-on specifications so that you don’t have to check your bag of goodies). This big fits EVERYTHING we have, 2 DSLR’s and all equipment to include camelbak bladder and all.