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New Photography Equipment - 02 April 2004
Atlast, I was able to afford a decent camera that I can take around with me and shoot birds and animals.
I don't know much about photography, but the thought of making good pictures of birds and animals has
always fascinated me. I've always admired wildlife photographs by others, and dreamt of being able to
bring out such photographs by myself. A few months earlier, when I had some money, I bought a Samsung Vega
140s camera with 140mm zoom, thinking that I can use that to shoot birds and animals. I knew nothing much
about cameras and zoom lenses. But I later realised that it is just a point and shoot camera which cannot be
used to make good wildlife pictures, where extra zoom and high quality SLR camera is required. Admittedly, I
did not do the homework correct.
Now, when again I was able to afford, I did the homework. I read about photography, film cameras and
digital cameras, zoom lenses, top brands and models, market scenario, et cetera. After a month, I decided
upon the Canon EOS series, and the EOS 300V film camera seemed to suit my needs very well. And the Canon
EF 75-300mm lens will help me to shoot wildlife. The lens came in a 'USM' version(Ultrasonic Motor) that was
lighter and silent than the non USM ones, and so I decided on that. Of course, as always, there were better,
costlier lenses and cameras, but I had to consider my budget too.
Having decided on the EOS 300V, I was looking for the best deal to buy, when I talked to some photographers
at a couple of mailing lists(India-Nature-Pixs mostly) and I was rather strongly advised to consider digital
SLRs also, viewing the current trend in the photography scene. Digital SLRs were very costly, and I didn't
think much about them initially. Then I again thought over this, and realised that by making some
other sacrifices, I can afford to invest in a digital SLR after all. I again read about digital SLRs, and zeroed
in on the Canon EOS 300D.
The Canon EOS 300D is also known as the Digital Rebel, in America. Having decided
on the brand and model, I watched out for the best deal, and found a good one at a local photography shop in
Liverpool - Samson Cameras, Bold Street, Liverpool. One fine Friday evening, I walked out of Samson Cameras
with the following:
Canon EOS 300D + 18-55mm EF-S lens
Canon EF 75-300mm USM III lens
Sandisk Compact Flash 256MB
Sandisk SDDR-91 Compact Flash Card Reader
Small Lowepro Camera Bag
The camera came with a Adobe Photoshop Elements software, but unfortunately it is only for Windows Operating
System, so it is not of much use to me. I would be using GIMP at home on my FreeBSD machine. I do not have
Windows. Needless to say, I will have to put some effort to get the card reader to be
recognised by FreeBSD, and get more familiar with GIMP.
Though the camera can be directly connected to the computer to transfer the images to the computer, it will
be slower, and hence I opted for the card reader, which costs very less. The card reader supports USB 2.0,
and will be capable of transferring the images much faster, and will save the camera from wear and tear if
connected directly to the computer often.
Now that I've made this investment, I have another reason to go into jungles and roam around. There is an
idea of creating an album section in this site, where I can display the photographs I take of the natural world.
In God's good time, I hope to accomplish these aims.
Written: April 09, 2004
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