Official Gear List Page

[Janke]

Since everybody else is listing their gear, here's some (most?) of mine:

HV30
Bolex 16mm bellows sunshade (adapted by myself)
Home-made mini-steadicam
2x batteries
Velbon 686+368 fluid head (cheap, light, but enough for my purposes)

Audio
T.Bone 9900 shotgun mic + homemade dead cat
Homemade 12 volt phantom power source for above
Sennheiser ME80 shotgun (probably too old or damaged; lots of hiss, good only for loud sound sources)
6x AT-3350 lav mics
Tascam DR-07 recorder
Zoom H1 recorder
2x mic stands with shockmounts, can be used as boompoles if feet removed

T2i/550D
Kit lens 18-55
Tamron 10-24
Tamron 17-50/2.8
Tamron 18-270
Fujinon 50/1.4
Tamron 90/2.5 Macro
Tamron 135/2.8
2.8x magnifying loupe
Bellows sunshade also fits T2i
4x batteries
Battery grip
Extra charger
18 pcs Transcend Class 6 cards, mostly 16 GB
Mains power supply for camera (for animation shooting, camera won't switch off or need battery changes)
"Planet" tripod, very sturdy, bought in the 1970s

Timelapse Intervalometer 1 sec - 100 hours

75-LED light
50W halogen battery spotlight

Gray card + color balancing card (3 patches each of orange and blue)

Filters, close-up lenses

7" battery powered 16:9 mini monitor

4 aluminum carrying cases

Editing: iMac i3 + Final Cut Express
Additional Acer monitor, 1920x1200 pixels
10 TB of external storage as 1 or 2 TB FireWire Hard drives
4x 250 GB mini-external USB-powered Hard drives

Coming next week: Samyang 500 or 800 mm catadioptric telephoto lens for T2i

[Janke]

OK, carried the Samyang 800mm/f:8 home from the store today. At 209 euros (approx $300), not a bad piece of glass... but you need to know how to use it!

Steady tripod, very accurate focusing, self-timer or cable release, live view mode to avoid mirror shake.

Anybody care to guess what this is (a 100% crop from a 18 Mpixel still, 1/100 sec at f:8, 200 ISO):

800mm.jpg

BTW, this is what I got with my 50mm/f:1.4, of the same object, exposure a few seconds at f:2.8:

50mm.jpg

Another fuzzy shot with the 50mm:

M31.jpg

- I'll have to do that one again when I get to Hanko, where the skies are darker...

All images are 100% crops, in the last shot, the camera was on a Meade alt/az motor driven mount, exposure time 30 sec at f:2.8, 400 ISO.

- admittedly, my equipment can't do quite as well as Hubble

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...h-alpha%29.jpg

[Janke]

If you want to know how close you can get with an 800 mm lens on a T2i/550D, here's an example - a full-frame shot, reduced in size (right-click "View image" to see in 1200x800 pixel size):

moon.jpg

[drapeama]

35mm DOF Adapter:
Twoneil static adapter [Nikon mount]
Sound:
Azden SGM-1x

I've sold them recently. Mainly because I wasn't using both anymore. The Twoneil was more because I own a spinning adapter and the SGM-1x mainly because I don't have anyone to boom the sound, so I rely on camera-mounted mic like my MB4k, which is omni, picks-up and gives good audio. I hope the users that bought my items will be happy with the quality they'll get!

[drapeama]

Just added a RØDE NTG-2 to my gear, courtesy of LA Color Online! I know I won't have anyone to boom the audio, but I can't wait for it to arrive!

[homestar_kevin]

This past year has been crazy for me acquiring gear, but I worked 30 hours a week in College, and could afford to put that money into a hobby that is also what I was going to school for.

Since getting fulltime work, with no real bills, I've been putting too much money in

No regrets at all though, it's been a great learning experience and helped me through school and make some money freelancing


Camera:

Canon t2i with Battery grip and viewfinder loupe
Canon hv20 w/jagspin adapter

Sound
Rode NTG-2
Sennhieser me80
Zoom h2
Juiced Link CX 231 Preamp/adapter
MXL 990

Lenses: I have more than I've listed, but here are my favorites
Nikon:

Series E 28mm f/2.8
Seres E 35mm f/2.5
Series E 50mm f/1.8
Series E 36-72mm f/3.5
Series E 75-150mm f/3.5
Series E 70-210mm f/4

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 UD
Nikkor 85mm f/1.8

Other Favorites from an ever growing lens collection...

Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.7
Helios 44m-4 58mm f/2
Mamiya Sekor 50mm f/1.4
Super Albinar 400mm f/5.6
Sigma Super-Wide II 24mm f/2.8

Lights:
Lowel pro light
Lowel V light
500 watt halogen work lamp
China Balls

Computer:
Imac 2.8 i7, 16 gigs ram

Misc:
DIY Igus/zaza slider
Slik 504qf Tripod

Was thinking of selling the hv20 lately, but 2 friends just bought a package of 2 of them locally for really cheap, and we might have some fun with 3 of them, so I may keep it for a bit.

The mounting ring on my Jag adapter broke last year and I never got around to sending it back.

I need to get it to Jehu and see what can be done

over the summer I mainly did music videos/paid freelance work over narrative shorts, but I've really been wanting to make a few shorts and Think I will soon.

[drapeama]

Just replacing my Zoom H2 for a Tascam DR-05.
Just gave Timbit a nice deal on it for 80$ shipped.

From what I've tested (quickly) with my new NTG-2:
1) It sounds cleaner than the SGM-1x, but nothing that couldn't be fixed in post using some EQs.
2) Both mic seems to output an equally "hot" signal. I haven't tested it without my JuicedLink, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too quiet.
3) There's as much handling noise than the SGM-1x, from what I've hear while manipulating it.
4) The off-axis rejection is definitively better on the NTG-2 than it was with the SGM-1x.

[Jim E]

Anybody care to guess what this is (a 100% crop from a 18 Mpixel still, 1/100 sec at f:8, 200 ISO):

800mm.jpg

- admittedly, my equipment can't do quite as well as Hubble

Just found this post, Janke - two months after the fact...

That would have to be Venus?

I envy you the beautiful night skies you'd get at your latitude! Here, we have to travel up to a thousand miles to the inland to get such clarity, and then only in winter. The only reason for me to have an 800mm lens would be to spy on the neighbours...

Still, I want one anyway.

.

[Janke]

That would have to be Venus?

Nope. It's Jupiter.

You can't see the cloud bands on Venus except from spacecraft, in ultra-violet light, which is blocked by our atmosphere...

Also, in the 50mm shot, you can see two of Jupiter's Gallilean moons. (The two others were either behind or in front of the planet, thus not visible in this shot.)

Here are two more astro-shots, also using the tracking motor mount for the 30 second exposures:

m31small.jpg

- this is of the same object as one of the above, I'm sure you can guess this one! Shot with an East German, 60-year old Meyer Orestor 135/2.8 lens!

Finally, a holiday "electrocard":

starcrdsmall.jpg

[Jim E]

Nope. It's Jupiter.

JUPITER?!! Good lord!!! With an 800mm lens?!! That's astonishing! Actually, at first sight, I thought Jupiter because of the bands, (and despite the bluish tint), but instantly discarded the idea because of the distance... but the size would make up for that.

That's amazing.

.

[Daniel Rutter]

Just replacing my Zoom H2 for a Tascam DR-05.

Thats downgrading, isn't it?

Seems very much like the Zoom H1... I might pick up one of these in the future just for fun.

[Janke]

With an 800mm lens?!! That's astonishing!

Well, considering the 1.6x crop factor, it amounts to a 1280 mm lens on a full-frame SLR!

The blue tinge is my fault, I had the wrong color balance set on the camera...

You know, most of the time Jupiter has a larger angular apparent diameter than Venus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_diameter

I've also made a short video test with the 800 mm lens - here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWDkrXhReS8

- be sure to watch in HD!

Not bad for a lens costing 209 euros (approx US$ 280) !

[Dr. Benway]

If you want to know how close you can get with an 800 mm lens on a T2i/550D, here's an example - a full-frame shot, reduced in size (right-click "View image" to see in 1200x800 pixel size):

Lovely. The moon is great.

[Janke]

Your picture shows a close-up configuration with an extension tube, right?

My lens fits snugly in front of the camera, just a T2-EOS mount adapter inbetween...

[Jim E]

Well, considering the 1.6x crop factor, it amounts to a 1280 mm lens on a full-frame SLR!

The blue tinge is my fault, I had the wrong color balance set on the camera...

Ah! That explains it then.

You know, most of the time Jupiter has a larger angular apparent diameter than Venus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_diameter

Yes, that would have to be right for the respective orbits of earth -Venus/Jupiter. But still, it's hard to credit getting such a good-sized disc in the frame with just a zoom camera lens! It just seems like it should require at least a Palomar!

I've also made a short video test with the 800 mm lens - here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWDkrXhReS8

Lovely work, Mister J. As usual.

Did you mean to post another pic in post #84?

.

[Janke]

Did you mean to post another pic in post #84?

No, not really, there were two astro shots - I should have omitted that "Finally"...

You know, it's really amazing what you nowadays can produce with a less-than-$1000 SLR, the following is a combination of 60 exposures of 60 second each, shot with a T2i/550D at 3200 ISO and a 300 mm f:4 lens (not mine, just so you know...):

M31 60x60.jpg

[drapeama]

Thats downgrading, isn't it?
Seems very much like the Zoom H1... I might pick up one of these in the future just for fun.

1) Specs are very similar. But one thing I might like more is the "hold" feature on the side as well as the main controls on it. That, and the facts that it boots quicker.
2) It's a bit bigger than the H1 (see first video) but it looks even simpler. To be honest, I just don't need more than what that recorder has to offers. And to be honest again, I really wanted to help Tim, so when I saw the DR-05 for sale, and that Tim was looking for a portable recorder, I could have refered him to that model, but I thought a little change would be nice.


That video shows how simple this device can be. I'll post some review of it when I'll get it:

[Jim E]

No, not really, there were two astro shots - I should have omitted that "Finally"...

Yeah, I thought the caption was for a shot after the Andromeda shot. That Meyer Orestor is your own lens, I presume?

You know, it's really amazing what you nowadays can produce with a less-than-$1000 SLR, the following is a combination of 60 exposures of 60 second each, shot with a T2i/550D at 3200 ISO and a 300 mm f:4 lens (not mine, just so you know...):

M31 60x60.jpg

Makes you wonder why NASA bothered to spend so much on building Hubble!

That's absolutely amazing. It's definitely a great time to be a photographer.

.

[Janke]

That Meyer Orestor is your own lens, I presume?

Yes, it once belonged to my late uncle. I modified its Exakta mount for my EOS (needed some lathe work + parts from a T2/EOS adapter), and even added a $5 focus-confirm chip...

It's a great lens, some call it "The Bokeh Monster" - it has 15 aperture blades!

[vadis]

It's a great lens, some call it "The Bokeh Monster" - it has 15 aperture blades!

Reminds me of my Tair 11 133mm f2.8, 20 blades. Fantastic lens, which I rarely use as I hardly ever use a tripod...

[Janke]

20 blades

I wonder why they didn't choose 19 or 21 - AFAIK, an odd number gives a better, smoother result, at least when it comes to point highlights.

A 30-blader would give virtually the same look as a 15-blader - both would give "stars" with 30 spikes.

[Jim E]

Yes, it once belonged to my late uncle. I modified its Exakta mount for my EOS (needed some lathe work + parts from a T2/EOS adapter), and even added a $5 focus-confirm chip...

Never cease to amaze.....

It's a great lens, some call it "The Bokeh Monster" - it has 15 aperture blades!

Good grief, imagine the precision involved! That's how German lenses/cameras got their rep, I guess.

.

[Janke]

See above, the Russian Tair has 20 blades : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tair_11

BTW, here's the Orestor on my 550D - doesn't look that out-of-place, really:

attachment-1.jpg

[Jim E]

Nope, looks good.

[drapeama]

1) Specs are very similar. But one thing I might like more is the "hold" feature on the side as well as the main controls on it. That, and the facts that it boots quicker.
2) It's a bit bigger than the H1 (see first video) but it looks even simpler. [...] I'll post some review of it when I'll get it:

So far I really like it! It's simpler than the H2, a bit bigger than the H1 and the functions on it are "limited" to what you need. Nothing complicated, so far excellent quality and it doesn't feel like a toy.

I like it on my sound setup, more than my H2: