Points in Focus Photography

Camera Accessories

Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip

Battery grip for the Canon EOS 5D mark III. Provides vertical shooting controls, the ability use 1 or 2 LP-E6 batteries, or 6 AA batteries to power the camera.

Canon Ec-S Focusing Screen

The Ec-S Super Precision Matte focus screen is designed to allow better visualization of focus with fast lenses used on Canon’s EOS-1 series SLRs.

Canon Remote Switch RS-80N3

Canon’s basic electronic cable/remote release for their higher end EOS cameras (N-style connector). Provides the ability to actuate the shutter release (half and full press), as well as lock the shutter release down for bulb exposures, without touching the camera.

Op/Tech USA’s Adapt Its

An interesting, but in my testing problematic, solution for making camera straps quicker release on cameras that use simple strap loops.

Op/Tech USA’s Mini QD Loops

Mini QD Loops are tiny “side release” buckles for your camera straps. Small, light weight, and reasonably strong, they’re best used with light cameras.

Peak Design Anchor Links

Quite possibly the best quick release system for camera straps. Anchor Links provide a solid retention mechanism without having massive on camera tails that constantly get in the way.

ThinkTank Hydrophobia 70-200

ThinkTank Photo’s small Hydrophobia camera rain coat provides as solid waterproof barrier lenses up to a 100-400 when you need to work in the pouring rain and don’t want your gear to get soaked.

X-Rite ColorChecker Passport Photo

X-Rite’s color check cards are the industry standard. This is a pocket sized version, that can be used to generate custom camera profiles, as well as make creative adjustments to white balances.

Camera Bags

F-Stop Gear’s Ajna Backpack

F-Stop Gear’s Ajna backpack is modular hiking style pack for photographers. It’s easy to configure to your needs, but its not without flaws.

Lowepro Flipside 200 Backpack

Lowepro’s compact FlipSide 200 backpack aims to pack a small amount of gear in a bag that is virtually impossible for someone to pickpocket while you’re wearing it.

ThinkTank Photo Artificial Intelligence 15 v3 Laptop Case

As laptops have become thinner, so should their bags. Big enough for 15″ MacBook Pro (or similar), a 9.7″ tablet, and some paperwork, this is my laptop bag of choice. As a plus its designed to fit in the laptop pocket of ThinkTank’s Airport series bags.

ThinkTank Photo Belt System

ThinkTank Photo’s belt system is designed to provide photographers with fast access to the gear they need right now. Ideal for event photographers or those who need to keep a small amount of kit easily accessible.

ThinkTank Photo Pro Speed Belt

ThinkTank Photo’s mid range belt system belt that can also be used with many of their backpacks. Provides a lot of cushion when carrying heavy loads.

ThinkTank Photo Skin 75 Pop Down

ThinkTank Photo’s Skin 75 belt pack, for lenses up to a 70-200mm f/2.8. Skin series belt packs provide minimal padding, but pack and store flatter.

ThinkTank Photo Skin Strobe

ThinkTank Photo’s Skin Strobe belt pack for professional speedlights. Skin series belt packs provide minimal padding, but pack and store flatter.

Filters, Holders, and Lens Accessories

Breakthough Photography X4 Circular Polarizer

Breakthrough Photography’s highest end entry in to the circular polarizer market, it delivers on the promised neutral color and minimal darkening, and does with a design that’s easy to feel and use even with gloves on.

Cokin Z-Pro Filter Holder

Cokin’s Z-Pro holder for 4″ rectangular filters. Holds filters, but the mounting system is flawed and it’s not really suitable for 10-stop ND filters. Newer designs (e.g. Lee, HiTech, or Breakthrough Photography) work better.

Hitech/Formatt Pro Stop 10 Stop ND Filter

Original version of HiTech’s 10-stop neutral density filter to extend an exposure significantly. My testing showed a strong, often uncorrectable, color cast that rendered this useless for anything but black and white photography.

Printers and Paper

Canon Photo Paper Pro Luster

Luster papers provide most of the advantages of gloss paper in terms of resolution without as harsh of a reflection when under lights.

Canon Photo Paper Pro Platinum

Canon’s Pro Platinum paper is a gallery quality high gloss paper that delivers solid image quality for a wide verity of prints. However, as a gloss paper it does have limitations that may not be ideal in every situation.

Canon Photo Paper Pro Premium Matte

My go to paper for printing. There may be “better” matte papers out there, but this one has given me a great balance between cost, image quality, durability, and feel.

Tripods, Tripod Heads, and Tripod Accessories

Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 Ballhead

The Monoball Z1 is the latest in Arca-Swiss’s line of ballheads. It pairs a high load capacity (150lbs) with low weight (1.5lbs), and a novel solution to having to constantly adjust the tension on the ball as the camera is shifted.

Benro Travel Angel FTA28CC

Benro’s Travel Angel FTA28CC is a light weight carbon fiber travel tripod that collapses to a compact 17″ not including a head, and still stands an impressive 61″ when fully extended.

Gitzo GS3512S Center Column

Quick to adjust, and solid when tightened down, the GS3512S center column makes it easy to make vertical adjustments to camera positions without worrying too much about vibrations.

Manfrotto Micro Fluid Video Head

One of Manfrotto’s smallest, lightest, least expensive, and lowest weight fluid heads provides smooth pan and tilt movements when shooting video. Best used with light cameras.

Oben CTM-2500 Monopod

The Oben CTM-2500 is a rare breed in mono-pods as it’s able to extend to 65″ (165 cm) and still collapse to a mere 17″ (43 cm), of course it’s carbon fiber so it’s light and it uses twist locks similar to Gitzo tripods too.

Misc. Accessories

Black Rapid Backpack Strap

Black Rapid’s regular sling straps work great, until you try to use them with a backup. Their solution is a “half strap” that attaches to your backpack harness and provides the same front side functionality.

Black Rapid Sport Strap

It provides all the same speed as the original Black Rapid strap, but has a larger contoured shoulder pad to increase comfort.

Really Right Stuff MTX Tool

The MTX Tool is my go to tool in the field. The smaller than normal bits allow me to can carry every size of Phillips/cross point, hex, and torx bits that I need to fix or adjust any part of my kit without having a huge tool.

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