My Five Essentials

I included this photo for no other reason than that it's fall here in Pennsylvania and I like this photo. If you're wondering which of my essentials I used, it was the 85mm f/1.8, shot at f/2.8. Can you say "creamy bokeh?" Yum, yum.

There are many things photographic I can do without--digital compact cameras being one of them--but there are certain pieces of "kit" that I consider essential, in the sense that although I could live without them, I wouldn't be very happy about it.

Before I tell you what they are, keep in mind that I'm a street, travel, and event photographer at heart. I try to choose equipment that can perform double-duty for other tasks, but street, travel and events come first. If you photograph birds, sports, or architecture, your essentials will be completely different. That said, I'd love to know what they are.

As for why I'm listing five essentials rather than three or six, there's no reason other than that I like the number five. It matches the number of fingers I have on each hand and I wish for neither more nor less. So now, for better or worse, here are my five essentials and the reasons I need them.

1. Digital single-lens reflex camera body. Although I love film, I've grown addicted to the ability to shoot a single photograph and have it printed or posted on my blog in a matter of minutes.
2. 28mm f/2.8 wide angle. It's wide, but not too wide, fast enough for low-light photography, and small enough to carry all day long. When shooting with 1.6X DSLR, this translates to a zoom with 17mm its widest focal length.
3. 50mm f/1.4 normal. Compact, lightweight, fast, low flare, and razor-sharp from center to edge--what more could a low-light shooter want? With my EOS 30D I substitute a Sigma 30mm f/1.4.
4. 85mm f/1.8 short telephoto. Refer to what I said about the 50mm f/1.4. An added benefit in low light is that I can add flash, "drag" the shutter to boost the background exposure, and still get an acceptably sharp image overall. My 50mm f/1.4 takes the place of the 85mm on my EOS 30D.
5. Portable TTL flash unit. It was a tough decision between this and my Gitzo tripod. Either one can allow me to defeat the forces of darkness. On the whole, I use portable flash more often, but if my tripod were lost or stolen, I'd have no choice but to buy another one.

This is my list. What's yours?

Comments

[Rob...]

A 28mm translates to a 45mm prime, not a 17mm zoom on a 1.6x DSLR. I wouldn't call that a wide angle, personally. For a APS-C DSLR, a 20mm would be wide...

Regards,

Rob...

[Gordon Lewis]

Sorry for the confusion. What I meant was that if you're using a 1.6X DSLR you need a 17mm lens to do the same job as a 28mm lens on a full-frame DSLR. There are very few good fixed-focal length wide-angle lenses to choose from in the 1.6X APS format, which is why so many photographers use zooms instead.

Although Canon's 17-55mm f/2.8 IS zoom is a viable substitute for my three essential lenses, I find that in practice it's too big, heavy, and delicate for my tastes.

[Maciek Miechonski]

Gordon, you were describing the Sigma 30/1.4 in another post. I had the feeling that you were satisfied with its results. But there is no Sigma here. Do you prefer 28mm FL or that lens is just better than Sigma?

Best regards
Maciek (Poland)

[Gordon Lewis]

I use the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 to replace the 50mm f/1.4 on my EOS 30D. It fulfills all the same functions and performs just as well. I only wish it were smaller, lighter, and a bit smoother in operation.

I now realize my post would have been more clear if I been less specific about the focal length and had used more general terms, such as fast wide-angle, fast normal, and fast telephoto.

[Andreas]

Funny, the small 50 1.4 is replaced by the big 30 1.4 on aps-c, and the 28 2.8 by a huge 2.8 zoom just for using it at the widest setting. Meanwhile I wonder if there was any reason to stay with aps-c. Yeah, switching is expensive, but if i would build a new kit....

However, I can't list 5 items at the moment. All that comes to my mind is a Canonet QL17. Done.

[Gordon Lewis]

I see you've been "reading between the lines" Andreas. It is ironic that the DSLRs with the smaller sensors often require larger, heavier lenses. That's one of the reasons I shoot with my Canon EOS 1n film camera: I can use smaller, lighter lenses. Maybe I should buy a Canonet QL17 so I can have a smaller, lighter camera too.

[Gizmo]

Remember the most important piece of equipment - you, and your ability to see things. Without that, all the equipment in the world is worthless.

[Gordon Lewis]

I agree.

[Pedja]

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS on Canon 400D

[Gordon Lewis]

I once owned an EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. Unfortunately, the optical quality was so horrible I sent it to Canon for warranty repair. It was fabulously sharp when they returned it. The one thing they could do nothing about was its propensity for inhaling dust particles every time I zoomed it. Since there's no convenient way to get rid of dust inside the lens, I sold it. A lens selling for close to $1000 should be better sealed. Still, I sometimes miss it.