Equipment

  I don't know if I will use this page to simply list the equipment we use. Updating it over time as we upgrade parts and pieces over time. Or maybe I should post an occasional review, test or opinion of a product that we use or purchase.
 I do know that I will never have the best equipment available. I say that because if I spent $30,000 today on the latest DSLR, say a Canon 1Ds MKIII or a Nikon D3s. Along with bag full of fast glass to go along with it. A decent set of professional studio lights and modifiers. It would all be replaced in stores by a new model with better specs and features in a year. Both the 1Ds MKIII and the D3 have replacement models due out in a few months. The battle between the top camera and lighting manufacturers will never end. We will never own the best. When we make a purchase, something better is already on the drawing board or in test lab.
 What does it take to get the job done. What camera does one need for his or her skill level as a photographer. I am a firm believer that most people buy more camera than they will ever need or require. They want the highest megapixel count, highest ISO sensitivity. We always sway towards the one with the most accessories. Which brand is better? Is it Nikon or Canon? Olympus? How about a Sony. A Leica maybe. This becomes a never ending circle of "who's the best" or "which one is better.
  You can put a 7 year old 8 megapixel camera in the hands of a skilled professional, and he will run circles around someone who bases being a Pro on the fact that a salesman said that the 20+ megapixel camera they bought was the best. Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in the saying " you get what you pay for". I also believe you can buy way more than you will ever need or use. That money wasted on features and functions that you don't need or use can be applied to other tools and accessories that will serve your photographic needs.
 When it comes to buy equipment that my wife and I use, I try to buy good quality but I also try to be practical. I take into consideration how and where it will used. What kind of hazards and environment will it be exposed to. For example the off camera strobes I use. When I first started shooting sports, I went out on the sidelines at night football game with a Canon TTL flash mounted on the lower half of my monopod with a Super Clamp.
  After only the second game with it mounted that way it
was bumped by a player as he went out of bounds. At
well over $400 you don't want throw away too many of those.
This made me take a look how it's replacement would be
used and how much I wanted to spend on it. When shooting
a game or event with strobes I always have them in manual
mode, and triggered by radio transmitters, so I saw no
reason to spend the extra money getting Speedlights that
would communicate with the camera. So I went with a couple
of Yongnuo YN 560s. I wasn't to sure about them at first, and
was concerned about how long they would last with so much
continuous heavy use. They're not built as well as the Canon
units, but they put of roughly the same amount of light and only cost $70.
  I've used these now for over two years. Indoor and outdoor events, most of the time with external battery packs connected to them. I've used them at basketball tournaments. Through back-to-back games @ 1/4 or 1/2 power with no problems at all. I'm not saying these are great because I use them, but they are simply meeting my needs for event and sports. Taking into consideration the many different mounting configurations I use these in or how far I'm away from them in a crowded gym or night club, they become less of a concern.