Travel log: camera gear I lugged

Shanghai, China (#0745), copyright 2007 Douglas Stockdale – 

Well, I have been doing some blog reads, non-stop, since returning from this recent assignment in China.  I gotta admit, I missed them! Not great internet reception in China, especially for any kinds of social media. LoL

Seems that Paul Butzi just got back from China as I was leaving for my next assignment back in China.  As he was doing the tourist route, his choice of equipment (just a Canon G9) was different than mine.  Butzi said he went ‘wid’e and turns out, I went ‘deep’.  As a result of this being my second part of my assignment in China this year, I had an idea for my base camp (Marriott hotel in Shanghai, not really roughing it, eh?)  and that I was going to be hunkered down with one vendor in a city (JiaXing) about an hour and half car ride SouthEast of Shanghai for two weeks. I knew that I had mornings before 8am to photograph (sunrise about 6ish), so I had some time to roam around. On my first trip I did not have my tripod with me and I REALLY regretting it.

So here is my camera kit: (Update: this was 2007)

Canon EOS XTi (10.1 Mp)

17 – 40 mm f/4 L lens (primary), the 70 – 200 mm f/4 L lens, stuffed in my Tenba camera bag, with 2 each 2 Gig CF cards and 2 camera batteries and the battery charger. A CF card reader to download my files to my slug (5 year old) Dell portable (30 Gig which I filled by the last day). The Dell is loaded with Photoshop CS3 (PCS3) to do my black and white mojo for posting. I also needed the Dell for the client work, so I could justify lugging that brick along with me. Finally the Gitzo carbon fiber tripod with the RSS 40 ball head, in another Tenba carrying case (fits in my big suit case for luggage check) which I wrote about recently.

Back up batteries and extra CF card a must. I toted the extra battery and CF card with me all of the time and glad I did on a couple of occasions.

The tripod is a now a MUST, can’t really do the night, early morning or evening pictures without it.  So I purchased one that is small enough to fit in my bag, but substantial enough to make it to do the job.

Only issue was the L bracket from RRS keep kinking the Canon electonic release cable while the Canon was in the Horizontal position. I think that there is not enough clearance to keep it clear all of the time, I just have to make sure it does not get pinched.  I think I need a new cable now.  So the last couple of days, I was using the shutter release button on the camera for some long exposures.  In retrospect, I was jet lagged and tired, and could have had used the mirror up function with the timer.  I read some where about the grips with the Canon and their funky mirror up function on the menu, and I will second that their mirror-up process sucks. Okay, maybe I’m a little cranky, but the other camera manufacturers have figured this out, duh.

Okay, so that’s what I brought, what worked (just about all) and what was a pain.  I would probably do it all again and probably will if I need to head back there again shortly ;- )

Best regards,

Doug

BTW, this image, above, is from the 39th floor of the JW Marriott (restaurant) in downtown Shanghai. And I did use the tripod, but I had to squish the camera lens up to the window to try to kill any window glare and had to crop slightly to eliminate what I could not compensate for during the composition.  I used the PSC3 on my portable and not sure that I have the foreground right, I need to look at this again on my calibrated monitor when I get home (yep, still in Tokyo), nevertheless, I think this photograph still needs some tweaking.  As part of going deep, I have stayed at this same hotel a couple of times before and I really like this particular composition, so I was prepared.  When these clouds started to break up, I had to run from the lunch group and capture this image!  I can be a little anti-social on occasion!

(Update: revised photo above adjusted the original file using DxO to sharpen and subsequent black and white layer plus a curves adjustment)

Original version of photograph that was published…