Still one generation behind...

I finally got my Canon 20D after waiting 2 years after it came out, which has now been replaced with the 30D. And soon after I picked up the battery grip to make the camera feel whole...and it looks a lot cooler! :)

My last 35mm film camera was a Canon EOS A2 with a vertical grip. The vertical grip didn't store an extra power source, but only duplicated the shutter release, AE lock, and focus point selection buttons when shooting vertically. I didn't matter. The camera felt so much more solid and beefier than without it.

The BG-E2 grip actually lets you use 2 normal batteries (Canon BP-511A) in the grip, or 6 AA batteries that drop the performance of the camera and are to be used in "emergency situations".

I *TOTALLY* love this camera now. The only thing I wish it could do is duplicate the multi-directional control (kinda like a stubby joystick) on the camera as well.

The one thing I'm not terribly fond of is the pop-up flash. I'm not sure why, but the quality of the built-in flashes have gone down. The built-in flash on my A2 was actually zoom flash and was pretty good! But the light fall-off on the built-in flash on the 20D is very noticeable. At around 10 feet or so, I have to increase the flash power compensation by about a full stop to get a decent exposure.

The quality of the photos is so much better than the 10D. I don't know if it's the extra pixels (2 MP to be exact) or the newer DIGIC chip, but I feel more confident of the results shooting at a higher ISO now.

I was tempted to get the 30D but I'd have to pay twice as much for only a few improvements - larger LCD mainly. I've also heard that the 20D shoots better at higher ISOs. The big downside is that the 20D is noisier in actual decibels. The mirror slap of the 20D is noticeably louder than the 10D and 30D.

Anyway, I'm happy with the camera and the price I paid for it...plus I got $50 back from the sale of the kit lens on eBay that came with it. :)

Extreme Makeover: Camera Edition

I just went through and am about to go through a massive camera switch.

My previous camera line-up:

• Canon EOS 10D


• Hasselblad 500CM


• Pentax 6x7

My camera line-up as soon as I receive my newest acquisition and sell one of my current cameras:

• Canon EOS 20D


• Mamiya RB67

I'm dire need of a DSLR which is lighter. The difference in weight between the 10D and 20D is HUGE! The boost in resolution is huge. I was tempted to go with the 30D but one of my colleagues indicated that the high ISO images from the 30D were noisier than in the 20D. I don't know if I would take advantage of Picture Styles in the 30D, but the larger LCD panel on the camera back would be a big help, but I'm comfortable with the LCD panel in the 10D which is the same as the 20D.

I went the eBay route for this camera purchase since I had sold a lot of stuff on eBay and had enough in my PayPal war chest to pay for a 20D.

I got rid of the Hasselblad because I've had the camera for over 2 years and hadn't used it because I couldn't afford a lens for it. I bought the Mamiya RB67 because I got a good deal on it, but it's a HEAVY beast of a camera. It's going to be tough to hand-hold.

The 20D, as mentioned, will be SO much lighter than the 10D so I'll be happy about that.

In the meantime, I've been getting acquainted with the ins and outs of selling stuff on eBay...it's been quite the interesting experience and I've been learning a lot about some of the best practices when it comes to selling on eBay. The tough part has been figuring out how to charge for shipping, guess the weight of the item (I don't have a scale), and the dimensions of the box that will be holding the item during shipping -- all important things that get factored into how much shipping will cost.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited about getting the 20D, but I'm also hoping to get a good deal selling my 10D.

Does that manual come with a manual?

I've rounded out my medium format collection after acquiring a Mamiya RB67 Pro S through eBay. It was a pretty good steal for a total of under $300. I had to win 2 auctions - one auction was for the entire kit consisting of body, 90mm lens and film magazine, and the other auction was for the waist level finder.

In case anyone cares, it's a completely manual camera. No batteries required. So why the heck would you want a completely manual and mechanical camera? No batteries required, fewer electrical components...BUT, more mechanical parts that will eventually wear down.

I've also got a Hasselblad 500CM that's also completely manual but it's sans lens...plus I need to get a decent film magazine because the one I originally bought is a pain in da butt to wind with.

But back to the RB67...it's a frickin' beast...like big and heavy. I think the box it was delivered in said it was about 8 lbs...but that also means it's built like a rock. There's a lot to be said about all manual cameras. They never require batteries, which these days are pretty expensive. Back in the day, they weren't cheap, but they didn't cost $40+ but nor were they rechargeable like they are now. Those familiar with SLRs will remember the Nikon FM2 which was probably the most resilient all-manual camera that could shoot at 1/250th of a second, or even the venerable Pentax K1000 which was the students' choice for a beginner-level SLR.

I just love reminiscing. Of course my daughter will grow not knowing what the heck 35mm film is.