Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Triggers

The SpiderPro Single Camera System

Today is Friday, at least somewhere in the world and we promised to pick a winner of the Phottix  Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Triggers and the The SpiderPro Single Camera System. Yesterday we added two more great prizes into the mix. But it really isn’t fair to just throw them in and give people only a day to enter. So we will let them ride, as they say in Las Vegas.  But don’t fret, everyone who entered this week is eligible, with the exception of today’s winners.

To recap, we asked readers to simply post the following link (tinyurl.com/digitaltrekker) on their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other favourite social networks. Then return here (or Gavins Blog) and post a comment stating how many different Social Media networks they posted to. Then we tallied up the entries and put them all into a random equation in a spreadsheet and voila! Congratulations to Jeremyv10 who made three entries and wins the Phottix Strato II and to PicDavid who also made three entries wins the SpiderPro Single Camera System.

Ok, enough with blog reading! Now get back to tweeting and posting your fresh new links. Remember there is still an X-Rite ColorMunki calibration device and ColorChecker Passport to win!

Gavin and I are excited to announce we have a new sponsor joining the Thaipusam Workshop and more product to give away! We are proud to welcome X-Rite the makers of the ColorMunki calibration device and ColorChecker Passport. These two little gems keep you color honest. No more guessing what that color was when you took that picture.  ColorChecker Passport allows users to record on-location White Balance accurately, giving you a customised colour profile for every camera in every light condition. ColorMunki calibration device calibrates you monitor to insure you are seeing the real colors you shot.

So, Gavin and I are now giving away FOUR quality prizes to four fortunate photographers. This is not some cheesy cheap-o-gear, this is the real deal. So run, don’t walk, to your Social Networks and tell the world! Here’s a reminder of our competition:

To enter, simply post the following link (tinyurl.com/digitaltrekker) on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and your other favourite social networks. Then return here and post a comment stating how many different Social Media networks you posted to. So, for example, if you post our link on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn then let us know that you posted to THREE networks and you’ll have THREE chances to win. If you’re posting to Twitter, please include the hashtag #thaipusam.

Thaipusam Feb 4th - 11th, 2012

As you no doubt have heard by now, Gavin Gough and I are leading an amazing workshop in Penang, Malaysia, February 4th – 11th, 2012. We are fortunate to have two very generous sponsors for this event, Phottix professional photo accessories and Spider Camera Holster. As such, we want to share the love with… well…  everyone we can.

Let me first explain why this workshop is unique and a great value. We will be hosting the workshop participants at the historical Campbell House boutique-hotel. This Heritage hotel has 11 individually decorated suites and we have secured them all. Yep, we have booked the whole hotel for this workshop. During the day we will be out and about either in pairs or as a group photographing the diverse culture of Penang, Malaysia. Few other places on earth will you find Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian cultures flourishing side-by-side in such a small community. But, the bulk of our time will be spent photographing the exciting festival of Thaipusam. Penang is one of the few places where you can get actually in and among the participant of this festival. Thaipusam commemorates both the birthday of the Hindu god Murugan son of Shiva and Parvati, and the day when Parvati gave Murugan a lance so he could kill the evil demon Soorapadman. The festival runs for three days and starts with a chariot procession from downtown Georgetown. Thousands line the streets of Georgetown to see a silver plated chariot containing a statue of Murugan making its way to the Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple its temporary home. Many devotees carry pots of milk on their heads as a show of devotion and love to the god. Others carry elaborate frameworks on their shoulders called “kavadis”, which have long chains hanging down with hooks at the end which are pushed into their backs. Many of these pilgrims are pierced with two skewers (symbolic spears); one through the tongue, and one through the cheeks. For the devotees there is a sense of joy and celebration.

But it is not just the festival that make this a special workshop, we will have arranged families and individuals for our workshop participants to interact with and tell their stories.  Our goal is to help you understand how to discover and tell a story visually. What better opportunity than Thaipusam to learn this.

To top things off, we have even arranged a private photo session with a Malaysian and Chinese model, all for you!

Contest:

Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Triggers

Phottix professional photo accessories has generously given us a set of Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Triggers (whether you use a Canon, Nikon or Sony we have you covered) to give to some lucky person. But don’t fret with you are not interested in off camera lighting because Spider Camera Holster has also given us a The SpiderPro Single Camera System.

The SpiderPro Single Camera System

We believe in the power of social media. We know how powerful things like Twitter, Facebook and blogs are and quite frankly we want to take advantage of it. So we will be giving away the Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Triggers or the The SpiderPro Single Camera System to two of our Twitter, Blogger or Facebook friends. To enter, simply post the following link (tinyurl.com/digitaltrekker) on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and your other favourite social networks. Then return here and post a comment stating how many different Social Media networks you posted to. So, for example, if you post our link on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn then let us know that you posted to THREE networks and you’ll have THREE chances to win. If you’re posting to Twitter, please include the hashtag #thaipusam. And, yes, we will check. The contest runs from today till Friday Nov 18th. So start being social!

Special thanks to the Thaipusam workshop sponsor Phottix and Spider Camera Holster for providing the prizes.

photo by Nathan Watkins

I never thought I would write a blog post on the use of two cameras. To me it is a no brainer, two are better than one. For many of you , it is the same. Some of you will not have thought about it, as I found out this past workshop. On the Tibet workshop two people said they were actually surprised to see me shooting two cameras at a time, meaning carrying two cameras through out the day. When they looked at my packing list, they assumed I listed the “extra” camera body as a backup. So to see me carrying and shooting both cameras was new to them. I guess I made the assumption that everybody knew why I take two bodies on a trip. Well, you know what they say about assuming?

I know for many of you shooting two camera bodies is a dream. You are doing well just to have the one DSLR camera, let alone a second body. I know this because I used to be in the same place. The first time I had two camera bodies was after I inherited my father’s old EOS SLR (film). I used to take it on trips as a standby in case my first camera failed. This certainly is one of the reasons to have two bodies. It was only a year or two back when David duChemin and I were leading a Lumen Dei in Ladakh when one of his 5Ds quit working. It just bricked up and became a paper weight. Fortunately for him he had a second body he was shooting with. This happens more often than one would imagine. And given Murphy’s timing, it always happens at the worst possible opportunity, like on a workshop or an assignment. However, by having a second body on-hand I am assured of being able to keep shooting without a hic-up.

There are a myriad of other reasons to shoot two bodies, not the least of which is dust. In the days when we shot film, there was less of a problem with dust entering the camera when we switched out lenses. It happened, but generally it was not the issue that it is today. Today, when we take a lens off the body it exposes the sensor to the elements. Sensors get a slight electrostatic build up on them so that if dust comes anywhere near it, it seems to be sucked in and glued to it, making it almost impossible to blow off. When I find myself shooting in deserts like Ladakh or the Tibetan plateau dust is always an issue. By shooting two bodies with a varied lens option makes changing lenses less needed and minimizes the chance of dust on the sensors. This is not to say that you won’t change a lens, and when you do, that it won’t be in the dusty desert. It is just that you will do it less often. Making less opportunities for dust to come into contact with your sensors.

Dust can make the best photographer look sloppy and unprofessional. Rollover the dusty image below. Fortunately Lightroom’s clone tool can be a huge help.

Two cameras don’t only help with dust. There are countless stories by countless photographers of shots that they have lost while switching lenses. When I carry two bodies throughout the day my general setup is to have on my right side my camera with my 16-35 mm 2.8 attached and on the left side a lens that will be a little longer. Usually it is either my 85 mm 1.2 or my 70–200 mm 2.8. This set up allows me to have quite a variety of focal length to choose from. If you are an avid reader of this blog you might think the 85 mm is my go to lens. In fact it is not, the 16–35 2.8 is that lens. By having a wide and a mid-range telephoto on each camera I’m ready for just about anything that I run across.

Ruggedly handsome but reassuringly self-deprecating international travel photographer Gavin Gough covered in coloured powder during Holi Festival Celebrations, India.
Copyright © Lesley Fisher

So how the heck do you shoot with two cameras…realistically? Don’t they crash into each other? Some folks use a traditional strap and put one camera around their neck and the other on their left or right shoulder. This has worked for years and many people are quite comfortable with it. My good friend, Gavin Gough for one. Gavin has shot like this for years. Above you see him shooting with a camera on each shoulder. You need strong broad manly shoulders like Gavin’s to pull this off or they will keep falling off. I guess I have too bad of a posture for this set up. So I have gone with the easy route. I use the Blackrapid R-Strap Double.

Me, my R-Strap Double and my Think Tank Photo MM Wired Up 20.
photo by Marco Ryan, Cairo Photo School

This setup insures the cameras stay put, right where they belong, on my shoulders. They are a little shorter than arms length to keep them from touching the ground when I squat or kneel down to shoot. They only real downsides I have found to this system are two things. One is the strap connector screws into the tripod socket on the camera. Thus making uses of the tripod socket useless for what it was intended for. This is a pain when you want to use both the strap and later shoot on a tripod. So I have gone back, yet again, to using a small piece of sheathed climbing rope to connect the straps to the locking clip on the strap (unlike in the photo above, where I am using the connector in the socket). The other is they are a pain to put on and take off at times. Like going to lunch or getting in and out of a car or taxi. But, outside of those small things, I find the R-Strap Double to be a huge asset when shooting two cameras. I can’t recommend them enough.

So when it come to shooting one camera body or two, I say, two is always better than one!

Just before Christmas I posted my Christmas wish list. On it I listed the Tissot T-Touch and commented that I felt this watch would make a perfect timepiece for a traveling photographer like myself. I mentioned how it could be incredibly helpful for trips like I do, where I find myself at high altitudes or in environments where there are quick weather changes. It goes without saying that every photographer finds themselves in places wondering which way is east or west so we can prepare for the next sunrise or sunset shoot. Well, apparently I was not the only one who felt that this watch was a perfect fit. So did Tissot. Tissot feels that the T-Touch is a watch that photographers will benefit from and believe that I can help them communicate this to you. This is why they have agreed to join the growing list of sponsors of my work. I am pleased, proud and excited to announce Tissot as the newest partner in my work.

From its beginning in 1853 to present Tissot watches have continuously generated fresh and innovative timepieces. They were the first to produce the plastic watch (1971)  as well as the first anti-magnetic watch (1929). Tissot is an official timekeeper for the world championships in cycling, motorcycling, fencing and ice hockey. Tissot was also a key Sponsor for the Formula one teams Lotus, Renault and Sauber. So as you can see they know a little about keeping time!

You will be hearing more about this watch in the future right here. Until then, join with me in welcoming Tissot to The Digital Trekker family.

Visit them at Tissot.ch.

Think Tank Photo has announced several new product lately. One of which rates a 12 on scale of 1-to-10 for it’s cool factor. I am speaking about the new Retrospective series camera bags. As the name implies, it sports a very retro look and feel. I have only seen the press release photo, but from what I can tell it looks very cool. It comes in a Black Poly Spun Canvas or a stonewashed Pinestone Cotton Canvas. I personally really like the look of the Pinestone from the photo and I have always loved the feel of the old cotton canvas bags. I can’t say anything about its functionality, as I’ve never actually touched one or looked inside of one. But, given it is made by Think Tank, my bet is it will not suffer in that area. Hardly anyone has outside of Think Tank has set eyes on this set of bags, as the bags have not been released yet. But they should be released soon.

There are two types of bags in this series. The Retrospective camera shoulder bags, designed for a camera and lens. This bag is capable of carting around a pro size DSLR and can accommodates up to a 70-200 f2.8 lens (lens hood reversed). It has a front pocket capable of carrying a body without the lens attached. There are three sizes in this bag: Retrospective 10, Retrospective 20 and the Retrospective 30 selling selling for $149, $159 and $179 respectively.¹ Then there is the Retrospective lens changer shoulder bags, and this model comes in two sizes. The Retrospective Lens Changer 2 will carry two lenses and will sell for around US$99 and the Retrospective Lens Changer 3, as the name implies, will carry three lenses and will be US$119.

This series is designed to pay homage to the days when bags where visually simple but highly functional. Here is what Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo’s president and lead designer had to say about the bags:

“As camera bag designers and frontline photojournalists, we honor the role of reportage and its influence on photojournalism. We understand that photography is more than an assignment or a paycheck, but a way of life and an art form. To quote Cartier-Bresson: ‘To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.’”

One of the goodies I received early this January along with my 5D, was the new hot-off-the-line Think Tank Shape Shifter. This bag is a whole new design for Think Tank and I gotta tell you, I like it. The bag is different than any other bag I have ever seen or used in the past. Its design is unique in that it does not use the typical foam and Velcro divider concept in the main compartment, but uses neoprene pouch like pockets. The reason being, they collapse easier and more flat. The whole concept of the Shape Shifter was to make a bag that could easily transport gear to the site and then collapse and save space. I have used the bag twice now, once to Cambodia and then to Bangkok for my meeting with David and Gavin. The bag worked as expected and beyond.

First let me describe the bag. It is made of high quality ballistic cloth and is, thus, pretty much indestructible. This is good and bad. It lasts forever; good, but then you never get to buy a new bag because your old one has never worn out; bad. Well, not really. I guess, overall, this is a good thing. The Shape Shifter is a backpack or rucksack style bag with contoured shoulder straps and a padded airflow system that vents the space between your back and the bag. The Shape Shifter comes with a simple nylon waist belt. The first thing I did was to disconnect it, replace the nylon belt with my Steroid Speed Belt. The design allows the user to open up the Velcroed lumbar support and place any one of Think Tank’s belts from their Modular systems under it and use them as a waist belt. I prefer the Steroid Speed Belt as it is wider and gives better support with the bag fully loaded. I also saved space by not having to pack my Steroid Speed Belt. Once I got to my location, I tore the belt off, loaded the skins on it and off I went shooting. The bag is made with two large compartments, one to hold a laptop, and the other camera lenses and bodies. The laptop compartment is big enough for my 17 inch MacBook Pro. Heck, it is big enough for my 17 inch MacBook Pro in the Think Tank Artificial Intelligence case. This is good, and I will tell you why. Too many times I get to a hotel and there is no WiFi in the rooms only in the lobby. If I don’t have a case like the Artificial Intelligence, then I have to carry the computer and cords down to the lobby in my hands; not good on so many levels. So this way you can pack the laptop in it’s case while in the camera bag and once you arrive at your hotel you have the Artificial Intelligence Laptop case ready to use around the hotel. When I travel I leave the Artificial Intelligence unzipped so I can easily extract the computer at security checks.

The camera compartment is the guts of this bag and what makes it special. The inside of the camera compartment is lined with five neoprene pockets – two pockets to hold two pro DSLR bodies without the lens attached. Then three other pockets for lenses. One is large enough for a 70-200 f/2.8 with lens hood reversed, another fits the 24-70 f/2.8 with lens hood reversed, and the remaining pocket can hold a 17-40 f/4 without the lens shade. Think Tank says it can hold 16-35 2.8 or similar hood reversed but I found it was too tight. The lens hood for the 17-40 really sticks out wide and it might fit, but I was afraid it might get smashed and it was simpler just to remove it and put it into one of the mesh pockets in the same compartment. I found the pockets easy to get gear in and out of. The only catch is that you need to empty the top pockets first before you can empty the lower ones. This is a minor inconvenience, but not a deal killer at all. Remember, this is a bag not meant to shoot out of. The design of this bag is for transporting the gear, then empty the gear out into your modular system whilst minimizing the bag down to 3 to 4  inches in width.

On the outside of the bag, you will find three additional pockets. The top one is a small organizer and has two expandable pockets inside that are big enough for my OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro™ drives in each compartment. It may seem like a minor thing, but the pen slots in this bag are larger than many other bags. In so many bag organizers the slot for your pens seem to be made for a #2 pencil or a Bic pen. In this bag I can slide a large fat pen or, (and this is not a minor issue) a large Cohiba Siglo III cigar tube. The next pocket down is gusseted and is big enough for my Sony Noise Canceling Headphones that I keep in my Think Tank Bum Bag as well as a book and a magazine or two. Then the last pocket on the outside is a pretty straight forward pocket near the bottom that I use to store the rain cover of the bag. This pocket is also meant to secure the base of your tripod, if you choose to use the optional tripod lashing straps that come with the bag.

The whole bag is made extremely well and, as with all Think Tank products, is thought through. I am 6 feet and have the belt line of a 50 year old man (I am working on it, ok?!). But I found the pack fit me well and very comfortably. When fully loaded it was heavy, but that is not the bag’s fault, that is the glass I am carrying in it. Yet, the bag did not wear me down or hurt my shoulders in any way. Fully loaded it fit easily into the overhead or under the seat in front of me on all my Air Asia flights. Once I made it to my hotel I was pleased to find that the bag fit easy into my PacSafe 55 wire mesh and I was able to secure the bag and the contents to a metal desk in my room so I could breathe easy.

One  of my pet peeves with bag manufactures is that they put corded zipper pulls on compartments that carry valuable items. Think Tank did not do this with this bag. The two main compartments, the one for the gear and the one for the computer, both have corded pulls but they have interlocking eyes that you pass a lock of some sort through. Finally someone is thinking! Now can I suggest a metal cable on the top handle. The North Face trolley bag I have have has this, and if I need to take a nap at an airport, I know I can lash a cable through the “cabled” handle and with the zippers really secure I can sleep well, knowing my bag is not going to walk off.

Now, what would I do different with this bag had I designed it? Not much, in fact I found no real flaws with this bag and what it was designed to do. Here are a few suggestions that might give the bag some added value. I already suggest the cabled handle at the top of the bag. It would have been nice to have the option to slide the handle of my Think Tank Airport Security between the bag and the lumbar and back support. At one point in one of these trips I took the bag off my back and was only going a short way to the taxi. The bag was so heavy that it would have been nice to just slide the bag down the handle and forgo putting it on my back. I found I could put most of my valuable gear in the Shape Shifter and the less costly gear and more compact gear in my Airport Security. This option did two things, it gave me a peace of mind that if I had to check the Airport Security for some reason, I knew I had my MK II safely on my back, and the second was it made my  Airport Security much lighter and easier to stow in the overhead.

In conclusion; I think I will be adding this bag to my travels. The ease of use and convenience is what I had hoped for. I had been traveling with the Think Tank Urban Disguise 60. It is great, but limiting on the gear it can carry. This bag allows me to load up and the fact it looks nothing like a camera bag is also a nice security factor. Over all I give this bag high ratings for design and functionality. Fully loaded it is heavy and can be a strain on your back, but again, this is your issue not the bag’s. You just need to join me for more sit-ups.