Random Review: Canon 35mm 1.4L - a nice piece of glass

This lens was my first prime L series lens.  I had fallen for all the hype over the crazy quality found in primes that zooms seemed to lack.

Once I got the lens, I put it to the test.

Holy shitballs Batman!

Basically, the color saturation and sharpness is amazing.  Test pics of my cat showed microscope-like detail on each whisker and piece of kitty fur.  The low dispersion ULD glass has a hand in this performance as well as the typical quality of Canon's L optics.

Photographers need to pay attention to the crazy focal plane this lens works with, especially when wide open at 1.4.  Be very careful!  Objects that seem to be crisp in the 5D2's 3" monitor are far from it on the big screen back at the studio.  Not good for the spray and pray shooters of our time.

Also, my biggest complaint for this lens is the seeking.  It seems to be a very slow focusing lens in lower light.  Now, I know this is the case with a lot of lenses, but I did not expect this for such a fast piece of glass.  Also, when the light is lower (i.e. a reception hall), I always mount this bad boy to the cam and rely on it for low light performance.

The lens also seems to be a bit loose on the 5D2's ring mount but I am not sure if that is a fault of the body or the lens.

Bottom line:  This is a welcome addition to my camera bag.  But, like most gifted kids, this one needs to be watched very closely.  If not watched properly you will end up missing shots due to seeking, or the focal plane will be way off.  Worst case, it will wander from you at the mall and come back crying when you don't buy it any candy.  Which of course is just plain annoying.

I bought it from B&H in good ol' NY for the MSRP.  $1,400.

Random Review: LowePro Pro Roller X Series

As a destination wedding photographer, I often need to heft all kinds of expensive, delicate equipment through rough airports and other locations.  I had not found a camera bag that gave me a strong sense of security to protect all my expensive goodies that myself and my clients rely on.

I was considering plunking down a sizable amount of cash to get one of the Think Tank Airport series roller bags.  I swung into my local gear shop - Southern Photo - and they don't cary Think Tank.  However, to my chagrin they had "this one new bag you may want to look at."

It was love at first sight.

Enter the LowePro Pro Roller X Series bags.  I purchased the mid sized Pro Roller x200 and it may just be the PERFECT bag.  It is certainly the best $300 this shooter has ever spent on gear.

First things first, this bag is just solid and very well made.  Let's talk about the exterior first:

Primarily, it is the perfect balance of an attractive, modern piece of luggage but it is very humble and doesn't scream PHOTOGRAPHER!!!  The only giveaway is the tiny LowePro badge on the top.  Other photographers will notice but that's probably about it.  The material is a very high grade and is very durable.  It resists all kinds of abuse I have handed it over the past few months - from Florida to Hawaii, and from Florida to New England as well as on some urban shoots.

The extendable handle (pretty standard for these types of bags) doubles as a tripod mount, but don't expect to use it too much.  I tried it on a trash the dress session in Waikiki and it was very flimsy and resulted in image blur.  I think it is mostly a gimmicky idea that needs some refinement.  The wheels are solid and angled outwards to prevent the bag from tipping over.  They roll over everything and anything. The large front pocket easily holds my 15" Mac Book Pro and also holds a medium size reflector with no issues.  The fold out support is also handy if you want to open the luggage on a shoot but don't want to lay it flat on the back.  

The top and side handles have just the right amount of padding and a plastic handle on the bottom (between the wheels) makes grabbing the bag super easy.  Perhaps one of the nicest exterior features is the built in retractable combo cable lock.  This lock gives you enough cable to run it through all the zipper loops and also a metal pole or other device if you need to catch some Z's at the airport.  I have also used it to lock the bag at the hotel when I run out for a short trip.  I am not sure how well it would hold up to an actual theft attempt, but it seems very robust and built very well.  It is also TSA accessible but I am not sure I would ever check this bag, so it would be a non-issue for me anyway.

Let's talk about the inside.  Once you open the bag for the first time, you can just tell how awesome it is.  The padding compartments are perfectly designed and are logical.  I did not make one single change to the bag layout.  There are ample pockets and stash spots for any gear.  The inside of the lid contains clever CF card holders, a flap out pocket (I put a LensPen in here) and some other gear pockets that are see-through.  The bag comes with a small pouch for cables or small items but due to the ample storage pockets, I have not used this yet.

I am writing this review from the JFK Airport and the bag is being used as my personal footrest.  Another great use for this bag!

So...even though this bag is almost perfect, there are some small details that LowePro should consider for the next release:

- The top and side handles should be able to lay flat.  They do not slide into place and are always "puffed" up (See image).  They get caught often on other luggage in the overheads and seem to get abused more.  This also prevents you from using the bag as an impromptu computer stand (I just had to do this as the MacBook Microwave is too hot for my lap).

- A little more cable length on the lock would be helpful.  Sometimes when locking the bag in a hotel, there is not enough cable and I find myself struggling to secure the bag.

- Include two thicker pads.  My 5D2 with the 70-200 lens mounted "tilts" as the battery grip is higher in the back and the lens is not as high.  It would be very cool to have some thicker pads (removable) to help prop up lenses that have this issue.  Even the tripod collar does not help.

These are very minor issues with what seems to be the perfect photographer's assistant!  

What I can fit in my bag:

Two Canon 5D Mark IIs w/ battery grips

Two chargers

Canon 70-200 2.8L

Canon 35 1.4L (w/hood)

Canon 24-70 2.8L

Canon 35-70 4.5

Sigma 12-24 4.5

Canon 580 EXII flash

Flash Extension cable

Gary Fong Lightsphere

Lenspen

Business cards

15" MacBook Pro

Medium diameter reflector

Filter holder (P Series)

Filter wallet

6 CF cards

Various small items (tripod mounts, cables, etc)

And there is still a ton of room!

Specs (From LowePro's website)

Pro Roller x200*


INTERIOR:
12.2W x 6.6D x 19.8H in.
31 x 16.8 x 50.5 cm


EXTERIOR:
15.7W x 11.2D x 24.2H in.
40 x 28.5 x 61.5 cm


NOTEBOOK:
12.7W x 1.1D x 18.1H in.
32.5 x 3 x 46 cm


FITS:
1-2 pro DSLRs with grip plus 6-8 lenses (up to 300mm f/2.8); accessories; up to a 17" notebook