Kit coming together

My 'new' DSLR kit is coming together nicely. In fact, I think I'm done! (Yeah, right. Are we ever fully finished with GAS: 'Gear Acquisition Syndrome')?

The Canon 20D arrived today, and I had also purchased a vertical grip for it (from Progear in Auckland). The grip for the 5D arrived last week too - all the way from Adorama in the USA. Took about a week to get here - not too bad. And it's in exceptional, 'as new' condition - as is the one for the 20D. So I'm very happy with the two bodies.

Emily calling for the pass
Canon 5D with 28-135mm @f5.6

Talked last post about getting the 28-135mm IS lens, which has also now arrived. I tried it out this weekend at one of Emily's netball games, and it performed OK - but I could have done with a little more 'reach'. And f5.6 at the telephoto end is a little closed down to produce a blurred out background. It's not so bad if you can manage some subject isolation, but as seen here, the background is still a bit too detailed.

I didn't, however, buy it as a sports lens - I got it primarily for weddings - to shoot the service, group formals etc, and for that purpose I see it as being ideally suited for the job. As well as being a great walk-around lens for the 5D.

I will probably shoot a bit of netball this season, and may even get into doing some Speedway photography (it's almost a stone's throw from my back door), so to that end I've gone and got another lens - a Canon 70-200mm f4L.

I've owned this before, and it's a great lens. My friend Nicky has the f2.8 version, which I can probably borrow for weddings etc., so I 'ummed and ahhed' over getting this for myself. But in the end the price was right and I figured that I'm not always going to be able to use other people's lenses, so I've gone for this one for myself. Yes, the f2.8 version would have been nice - but it also would have been 6 times more expensive. And I'm not too concerned about the IS version either. I've got it for an outdoor sports lens, to be used in good light, so the IS isn't that important to me. It's a light enough lens to hand-hold at the 200mm end comfortably as well, although I have also purchased a third-party tripod ring for it since it doesn't come with one as standard.

And finally, to round off my kit, I've got a 580EX flash coming via Trademe this week as well :-)

I've got a buyer lined up for my Nikon SB900, so with the money I'm getting from the sale of one, I'm using to purchase the other! The 420EX I have already is a pretty basic - all automatic - flash, although it does a great job. But the 580EX will just give me so many more options - especially when used as a Master in conjunction with the 420EX (which can be used as a 'slave').

Opens up good possibilities for experimentation with multiple strobes. Could be a long and productive winter getting used to all this gear :-)

Great fun.