200th post - what's in the bag

As the years and months have gone by and suddently post #200 has come up, I thought to put down a few words on what is in my photobag for a big shoot to mark the occasion:

The UK Indoor Athletics Championships and Birmingham Athletics Grand Prix are coming up in February so I'll be packing something like the following:

Three bodies: 2xNikon D700 plus a Nikon D800
Four lenses: Nikon 300mm f/2.8; Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8; Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8; Sigma 15mm f/2.8 fisheye

This combo lets me typically cover the end of the 60m straight  head-on with a D700/300mm and have the D800 close by with the Sigma 15mm fisheye close to hand for arty-shots of athletes running along a track that looks curvy and with a fair chunk of the stadium also in view.  The other D700 can be set as a remote in-field at times to cover another event such as the long jump - tucked away safely under the legs of a TV camera or measuring device at the end of the pit and triggered when needed.

The other mainstay of the bag is a pen and paper to note down the content of any important shots against  the shot number (while athletes tend to have their name pinned on to their top, they don't always present a face-on shot) as it is needed to be done at the time rather than trying to match names and faces and photos up later in the day.

As I get older, the weight of lugging this around all day, especially over a two-day event, makes the knees creak the next day!

Harrison Cameras of Sheffield

...were one of the headline sponsors for the Sheffield Grand Prix cycling on 24th July and had a few gazebos to promote Canon and Sony on the night (sadly not Nikon).

Nice pic of Helen Wyman passing their stands on her way to victory in the Women's race at: http://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/blog/post/Sheffield-Grand-Prix.aspx

Protective Lens Cap

If you bought a car and the manufacturer didn't think to give you a windscreen, just a bit of sheeting to cover you while driving, you would think yourself pretty short-changed.

Well, for some reason, camera lens manufacturers seem to think that when you spend a heck of a lot of money on a BIG lens, they can do away with giving you a lens cap.  Never mind that gorgeous front element, all you get is something like a neoprene/polypropolene(?) 'sock' to cover it with.

Well, thank goodness for Don Zeck.  He manufactures lens caps for high-end Canon and Nikon lens which can be used with out without the lens hood.

I recently got one for my 300mm f/2.8 lens and it is so good to know that there is a bit of extra protection on a piece of glass that I plan on having for the next 10 years or so.

See more at: http://www.donzecklenscap.com/