My Gear

I have always been a Canon shooter - since my first SLR in 1980. I bought a Canon A1 and a couple third-party zoom lenses; the rest, as they say, is history.

Cameras

DSLRs

Canon

My main camera is a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. I started my digital age with the Canon PowerShot S3 IS and that was good for a few years but I really missed the flexibility of a good SLR.

Nikon

I was given a Nikon D60 by a co-worker to use as a backup and second camera. I only have one lens, 18mm-55mm. This camera, too, is discontinued. As far as I can tell, the Nikon D3300 is the closest camera. I have had some experience with the D3300, my godfather recently purchased one and I got to play around with it one night. It is a great introductory DSLR. You can get the camera, along with an 18mm-55mm for under $450.

Video

I was using a Sony HDR-XR160 video camera for all of my video work, including my YouTube channel - Joe Valencia Photography. I bought it in June 2011 and really have no complaints right up to the day it just died. I have no idea what happened - it worked and then it didn't. The only thing is that it is so small and light that I have trouble keeping it steady at times. It also doesn't have an eyepiece - I really like holding cameras to my eye....

Lenses

Canon

Zoom lenses

I have two Canon EF-S zoom lenses, the 18mm-135mm and the 55mm-250mm, and a 75-300mm EF. Since the T3i is an ASP-C with a factor of .6, these lenses give me a range of about 28mm to 400mm and have served me rather well. They both feature image stabilization - one of the greatest inventions ever. I carry the 75-300mm with me but have the 55-250mm available if I need the IS.

I also have my old Canon 80mm-200mm f/4L with macro. The macro is 1:4, not true macro but good enough for most of my work. The "L"-series lenses are incredible and I will continue to use this lens for certain jobs.

Prime lenses

My prime lenses are old Canon FD lenses from my film days. I purchased an adapter that allows me to use these lenses on my T3i and it works great. The downside is that everything is manual - focus, exposure, etc.... - so you lose a bit of the metadata and it can be difficult focusing without the old split-screen. I have two Canon prime lenses - a 50mm f/1.8 and an 85mm f/1.2L. I absolutely love the 85mm lens. If I were only allowed to have one lens, it would be the 85mm f/1.2L. I am hoping to someday get the newest model but....

Nikon

As mentioned above, I have a Nikon 18mm-55mm zoom for the D60. This is the only Nikon lens I have. It works quite well and has done a good job for me when I needed it.

Third-party lenses

I used to have quite a selection of third-party lenses in my film days but sold most of them years ago. I kept two - a Kiron 28mm f/2 and a Sigma 400mm f/5.6. I have never used the 28mm in my digital work but have often used the 400mm. I bought the lens back around 1985 and will continue to use it for as long as I can carry it (or can buy a new 400+ telephoto.)

Tripods/Monopods/Ballheads

I just got a MeFOTO RoadTrip in green. What a wonderful tripod! It comes equipped with a ballhead and comes with a carry case. One of the best features is that you can easily convert one of the legs into a monopod!

I have a Cullman Travel Kit that I bought back in the 80's but much of it just sits in a bag anymore. I have the ballhead sitting on my Bogen monopod - another relic from the 80's. This set-up is somewhat permanently attached to my Sigma 400mm but that may change now that I have the MeFOTO tripod.

Bags/Backpacks

Until recently my go-to travel bag was a Tamrac 3537 shoulder bag that I have had for about six years. It is a nice bag, holds my T3i, a couple lenses, video camera and binoculars in the main compartment. There is a zipper compartment in the cover and then a zipper pocket in front. You can hold quite a bit of stuff in the zipper pockets. This bag has been replaced by Tamrac 3535 Express 5 Camera Bag.

I now own a Tamrac Hoodoo 20 Camera Backpack that holds everything the 3537 did and then some.

I also have a Billingham 555 shoulder bag that I use to store much of my gear. It is quite large, and heavy, so I don't often use it in the field.

Filters & Accessories

Filters

I have a Bower circular polarizer for my wide-angle zoom but will probably be replacing that sometime later this year with a Formatt-Hitech for the 85mm system I have.

Accessories

The Canon RS-60 E3 Remote Switch is great for working with the camera on the tripod, especially when the camera is down low. You can also use it to keep the shutter open for very long exposures using "bulb". It is a great tool.

I have an orange 3 Legged Thing L-bracket that is all but permanently attached to my T3i. What a great addition to my kit - switching from portrait to landscape and back has never been easier!

For macro work I have a Vello Macrofier (see my review here). It works as either a set of extension tubes or you can reverse-mount your lens; either way you use it, you maintain full auto-focus and auto-exposure. It's a great addition to my bag.