“Dear Santa,
“Thanks for the
update on the ‘World Peace’ wish from last year. I figured it would take a bit
of time, so I can be patient.
“This year, because I
actually have been a good boy for
once, I would like...”
That’s right, with Christmas
just around the corner it’s time to get those letters to Santa finished,
complete with the list of improbably expensive goodies you want Ol’ Kris
Kringle to tuck under the tree. With that in mind, I’ve put together three
photography-related Christmas wish lists for you to peruse. I gave myself a US
$10,000 limit for each of these lists, because Santa ain’t made of money!
We’ll start with...
Bob’s Christmas List
·
Rode Video Mic Pro+
o I want to start
vlogging in the New Year and I’m going to need a good microphone. I chose the Rode
Video Mic Pro+ because of the excellent quality of Rode microphones and the way
the mic’s power intergrates with the camera’s (i.e. turn off the camera and the
mic turns off, too). A simple idea that’s going to save me a whole lot of
trouble.
·
Panasonic Lumix G7 + 14-42mm + 45-150mm Kit
o Remember the
vlogging thing I mentioned a paragraph ago? Well, the team at TCSTV recommended
this camera as the best vlogging camera (they really do answer questions on
Twitter – follow them, it’s worth it!)
·
Feiyu A2000 3-Axis Gimbal
o As I plan on
vlogging the time I spend out looking for great landscapes, including camping,
hiking, etc, I’m going to want as much stabilisation as I can get. Feiyu has a
good reputation in this area.
·
DJI Osmo with Built-in 4K Zoom camera
o Another camera on a
gimbal? Yep! The Osmo will give me a 4k vlogging option for bad weather, because
as good as the G7 may be it isn’t weather sealed. I went for the 4K zoom option
is that it has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm (about the length of my arm)
meaning I can be in focus... which is nice.
·
DJI Spark
o If I’m going to
spend two days hiking to the middle of nowhere with a pack full of camping and
photography gear, I don’t want to be hauling something like an Inspire 1, but I
do want a drone with me so I can make the most of my trip. Given its
comparative weight, the Spark even beats out the Mavic Pro as top choice for my
needs.
·
Nikon D7200
o The D7200, with its
7 FPS frame rate being only slightly slower the D7500’s 8 FPS, its dual card
slots and its markedly lower price, is the better choice of these two cameras,
in my honest personal opinion. And as much as I might want a D500, the D7200 meets my needs,
both in terms of price and functionality.
·
Tokina Lens AT-X 16-28mm f2.8 PRO FX
o I like to shoot
landscapes, so I’m going to want some good wide glass. Why Tokina? Because third
party glass today is damn-near as good as Nikon or Canon glass and, in this
case, nearly three times cheaper.
·
Sigma Lens 70-200 f2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
o 70-200mm is a great
range for things like long landscapes, portraits and action shots. I’m going
Sigma for the same reason I went Tokina - way better quality-for-price ratio.
·
Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens – Contemporary
o 150-600mm on the
D7200 is giving me 225-900mm – a perfect combination for wildlife. Do I need to
say Nikon glass costs too much again?
·
Nikon D850
o Do I need to
explain? Honestly? I think the D850 is the best DSLR on offer at the moment.
Wanna, Wanna, Wanna D850!
The next list is a
great videography kit oriented mostly towards vlogging, but with the variety
and flexibility to produce some quality videos.
Beginner Vlogging/Videography List
·
Rode Video Mic Pro+
o My reasons haven’t
changed.
·
Manfrotto Windsor Messenger Camera Bag
o This is a good size
bag that would be able to carry just about everything on this list, and those
things that won’t fit would go in the next item on the list
·
Pelican 1500 Case with Foam
o Pelican is pretty
much the acme of ‘keep-my-gear-safe’ technology and the 1500 offers just the
right amount of space, I think...
·
Feiyu A2000 Focus Bundle with SmallHD Monitor
o This bundle is
basically a run-and-gun starter kit for the beginning videographer. As well as
the Feiyu A2000, it has extra batteries, a dual handle for the gimbal, a 5 inch
HD monitor and all the other bits you need to make it work right.
·
Go Pro Hero 6 Black
o The Hero 6 is simply
the latest in a long line of proven action camera technology. The reason it’s
on the list is because of the next item.
·
Wiral Lite Bundle
o The Wiral Lite is a
fantastic new device on Kickstarter that I really, really want. This is a
portable, remote control cable cam system that can be rigged just about
anywhere, is easy to set up and designed to work with action cameras, hence the
Go Pro. This is ideal for tracking shots of talent presenting a vlog or any
number of sports/adventure scenes.
·
DJI Spark Fly More Combo
o I like the Spark for
its small form factor, and with the fly more combo you get all the extras you
need, like spare rotor blades, a remote and extra batteries. And who doesn’t
need drone shots in their movies?
·
Panasonic GH5 + 12-35mm f/2.8 II Lens
o Panasonic’s GH line
of cameras have become the go-to for videography around the world, and the GH5
is the latest. Admittedly, this kit is more suited to vlogging than larger
productions, but it makes for a great starting point for a beginner videographer.
·
DJI Osmo Pro Kit
o This is the Osmo all
grown up. It comes with the Zenmuse X5 camera that mounts micro 4/3 lenses,
spare batteries, phone mounts, chargers, the Osmo handle (obviously) and
everything else you need to get top quality video.
·
RODE Link
Wireless Filmmaker Kit
o Basically a wireless
Lavalier microphone system, it lets you get away from the camera and achieve
more professional results.
·
2x Aputure Amaran AL-M9 LED Video Light
o Nice, portable LED lighting
that’s ideal for run-and-gun videography, on-location shoots and anytime you
need a bit more light.
·
Hypop Complete Videography Lighting Kit
o A lighting kit
assembled by the Australian store, Hypop, this is another fantastic starter kit
for videography. It comes with two lights on stands, two softboxes, a backdrop
stand and 3 muslin backdrops, including one Chroma Key Green muslin for a bit
of green screen action.
·
In Motion Slider
o Another brilliant-looking piece of kit from Kickstarter, the In Motion
slider is a small, portable slider ideal for adding a little bit of movement to
an otherwise static scene. Think of it as a pocket-able dolly.
And to finish I
decided to go with something a little different, slightly out of left field, so
let’s finish with the...
Photography Wish List:
·
Hasselblad 500c
o Funky old school
medium format film camera from one of the pre-eminent camera manufacturers. I
love the look of the thing and the idea of using old film technology.
·
Hasselblad 120mm f4 CF
o The 500c would be a
bit useless without glass, right?
·
Nikon S3 Rangefinder
o Fantastic looking
old rangefinder camera from Nikon. I like the idea of shooting a rangefinder
that is not a Leica.
·
Nikkor-S 50mm 1.4, Nikkor P C 8.5cm F2, Jupiter-12
2.8/35 and Voigtlander S Nokton 50mm f1.5 and W-Nikkor 35mm f1.8
o If you’re going to
get a Nikon Rangefinder, you gots ta get glass!
·
Rolleiflex 3.5f
o I’ve always wanted a
twin lens reflex camera!
·
A butt-load of 35mm and 120 Kodak Ektar and Tri-X film
I’m sure someone’s
asking why I’m only saying good things; why I’m not trashing any of the stuff I’ve
chosen. Well, that’s easy. First, I haven’t used any of the gear I’ve mentioned
here so I can’t give you a balanced assessment. And why would I pick stuff that
wasn’t any good?
This was just a bit
of fun. What I really want for Christmas is a couple of bowls of Chrissy
pudding and my family around me. Maybe a bit of A Muppet Christmas Carol. What about you? If Santa said ‘You can
pick US$10,000 worth of photography gear for Christmas’ what would you pick? And
what’s most important to you this Christmas? Put your answers in the comments
below!
I hope you enjoyed
the read!
Please check out my
portfolio at:
You can also
find me at:
And I am
@BobCartPhoto on Twitter
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