Michael Chang

In the past few years, keeping track of Gitzo tripods is much like sorting out the iPod product variations– there have been a few lineup changes in just a few years, and the naming convention went through some confusing changes, as well.  So, reading forums and reviews about popular past models and trying to map them to current products (like the classic 1325) can be head-spinning.

The most popular carbon-fiber Gitzo tripods:

Gitzo 3531 (3-section classic landscape carbon-fiber tripod, series 3):   1325 ==> 3530LSV ==> 3531

Gitzo 2531 (3-section carbon fiber, series 2):  1227 ==> 1257 ==> 2530 ==> 2531

Gitzo 2541 (4-section carbon fiber, series 2):  1228 ==> 1258 ==> 2540 ==> 2541

Gitzo 1541T (4-section carbon fiber, compact travel):  1540T ==> 1541T

Confusing enough?  Go with the 3530LSV for heavy-duty support.  The 3-section 1531 is great for a slightly more portable solution.  Add a good Arca-plate ball head and a replacement base plate, and you have a tripod that will last.  Don’t pass up a deal on the classic 1325 and 1227 tripods.  They are by no means obsolete!

The Panasonic LX3 (and the similar Leica D-LUX4) is a bit of a clunky “compact” camera in terms of its form factor.  The protruding lens barrel gives the camera an slightly odd, “non-box” shape, and finding a good carrying solution is a challenge.  Personally, I don’t want to carry the camera around in the $90 Panasonic DMW-CLX3 case.   The case is a classic, retro look, but the LX3 is a lot more useful if you can carry it and maneuver it like any other standard compact camera.  Also, the suggested OEM case is not very discreet for street photography.

The best solution, I’ve found, is an $8 Lowepro case.  The Lowepro D-RES 8 is the perfect size for the LX3.  There’s an inner pocket just enough room for an extra SD card and battery.  The D-RES 8 fits the LX3 almost perfectly, and there’s plenty of padding for bump protection.  This case is discontinued, so look for new old-stock on e-Bay and your favorite camera stores.

The best strap for the LX-3 is a hand-carry strap if you want to carry the camera in-hand.  Carrying the LX-3 around the neck seems unnecessary for such a light and small item, and everyone has his/her shooting preferences.  The Olympus adjustable wrist strap (part# OLWASB, $4 at BH Photo) is a great solution for hand carrying.  It’s soft and strong, and it has a an adjustable eyelet that keeps the loop around your wrist when you are swinging the camera everywhere.  Everything feels lot more secure with an adjustable wrist strap!  Let this wrist loop hang out of your Lowepro D-RES 8 case, and you have a really compact carrying solution for $12!

Put the rest of the money you save on batteries for the LX3 since this little camera does eat batteries.  You can purchase an extra lens cap for $8 directly from Panasonic.  Search for part VYF3198 at

http://www.pstc.panasonic.com/EpartR/PartsListChoice.asp

Finding a decent, pinch-style cap for the Sekonic 758 light meter was more of a challenge than I had anticipated!  Major online photos stores (like BH and Adorama) only carried slip-on caps, and finding the right slip-on size can be tricky (need to add 1 to 1.5mm for these small sizes).  Besdies, if you’ve ever had to deal with the slip-on cap for a B&W slim filter, you know that these slip-on caps tend to slip off all the time!  Pinch caps, on the other hand, stay in place nicely.

Much to my surprise, I found a nice pinch-style cap for the 30.5mm thread (on the Sekonic 758) at the local Best Buy.  Sunpak makes a $5 blister pack with two pinch-caps that fit 28mm, 30mm. and 30.5mm threads.  One is a 28mm cap, and the other fits both 30mm and 30.5mm.  The catalog number is LC-2830-BB, and the product line is called “PlatinumPlus.”

Pair this lens cap with a Sigma cap keeper (basically an adhesive cap holder on a string), and you have a great, tethered cap for the 758 light meter or other 30.5mm filter!  Hurray!

Tip: Use the cap included in the Sekonic 758 for the eyepiece/viewfinder side, instead.  Now, both the viewfinder and lens are protected.

This is what I typically carry around in most outdoor, walk-around shooting situations:

Lowepro 75 AW top-loading holster bag
(great for dusty and damp situations)

Really Right Stuff Arca-Swiss L-bracket
(for tripod shooting)

Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer (slim)
(for landscapes)

Hoya Pro-1 S-HMC UV filter
(B+W MRC filters work great, too)

Lens hood

Extra compact flash cards

Extra batteries

WhiBal gray-card reference
(for white balance; “studio” size works well)

Allen wrench for RRS bracket

Gallon- and quart-sized Ziplock bags
(for cold-weather and wet shoots)

My favorite walk-around lens at the moment is the 17-55 f/2.8 DX lens. The eventual prosumer full-frame Nikon DSLR with the new 24-70mm f/2.8 lens would be a dream combination, but the 17-55 DX is no slouch!

In ultra-light situations, I just take the 18-200 VR on a D40/D40x/D60 with a few SD cards and an extra battery. All of this fits compactly in the Lowepro Rezo TLZ 20 toploading holster bag. These consumer DSLRs have such great battery life that I could ditch the bag and just put an 8GB or 16GB SD card and go!

In the no-DSLR, ultra-ultra-light situation, I carry the Fujifilm F31FD point-and-shoot gem. One battery and a 2GB XD (yes, XD, blah) card last for a whole day’s worth of shooting. Stop down a little to avoid the dreaded purple fringing.

The list of items explodes for wedding and event shooting. Flash photography equipment sure takes up a lot of bag space! More on that later…

P.S.  Some online stores say that the D60 + 18-55 VR kit lens will fit in a Lowepro TLZ 10.  Unfortunately, this combo won’t fit.  The D40 + non-VR kit lens will probably fit, but the newer kit lens is just a little to long!  Use the TLZ 20 instead.

Yes, the Nikon 18-200 VR lens is a real, compact gem, and yes, it suffers from zoom creep after some use. (In other words, if you point the lens straight up or down while at ~135mm, the lens will zoom in or out because of gravity. The best solution that I’ve found (and there are many out there) is a simple silicone wristband (black). These are the same wristbands that have been popularized by Lance Armstrong’s “Live Strong” campaigns.

Don’t stick tape on the lens barrel as tape can come loose or leave nasty adhesive inside your lens barrel. Thin rubber bands don’t seem to stay put very well. The silicone wristbands are prefect except that they end up covering all the focal-length markings. Using a “clear” wristband solves this issue, but the band looks more like a white band, which isn’t as elegant as black. I use a black wristband and mark off key focal lengths with a permanent market somewhere else on the lens barrel.

A silicone wristband costs about $1. It’s a cheap and elegant solution to a problem that probably should have been corrected in Nikon’s original design.

Starting on January 1, 2008, the TSA is enforcing new restrictions on the lithium batteries that are allowed in checked luggage and carry-on bags (both rechargeable and non-rechargable).

Here’s the official TSA posting:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/batteries.shtm

This is an official DoT page referenced by the TSA, detailing battery classes:

http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html 

 (Yes, it’s an official page, believe it or not…)

Now, let the confusion begin…

• According to this site, the equivalent lithium content (in grams) is roughly 0.3 times the battery’s rating in A-h (amp-hours).
• A lithium-ion cell has a native voltage of roughly 3.7 V.

So, take the Nikon EN-EL4a (for the pro-series cameras) as an example.  It provies 11.1 V, which is three lithium ion cells (each 2500 mAh) stacked in series.  The gram-equivalent lithium content is thus

3 cells x 2.5 Ah x 0.3 = 2.25 grams of lithium in each EN-EL4a

The Nikon EN-EL3e is 7.4 V (two 3.7V lithium cells in series) with a 1500 mAh rating, so it’s lithium-gram-equivalent is

2 cells x 1.5 Ah x 0.3 = 0.9 grams of lithium in EL-EL3e

Points of clarification: Lithium Metal vs. Lithium Ion

• Lithium metal (non-rechargeable) isn’t the same thing as lithium ion (rechargeable), so the 2 gram limit for lithium metal batteries doesn’t apply for the rechargeable camera batteries.  It’s difficult to find a lithium metal battery that’s over 2 grams of lithium.  The CR123A’s and other small lithium metal (i.e. non-rechargeable) batteries are nearly all under 2 grams of lithium.

What does all this mean for our rechargeable camera batteries???…

• You cannot check any loose lithium batteries into your check-in luggage (rechargeable lithium ion or non-rechargeable lithium metal)
• If your lithium ion battery is installed in your DSLR, you can check it into the luggage (only if the battery is installed).  The same goes for your lithium metal battery in your Pocketwizard: you can put it in your luggage if it’s installed in the device.
• You can bring as many rechargeable DSLR camera batteries in your carry-on luggage as you like, as long as the contacts are covered or as long as the batteries as kept in sealed ZipLock bags.

Now, whether TSA scanners will know which batteries are lithium metal (non-rechargeable) vs. lithium ion (rechargeable) and which are under 8 grams of lithium (basically all DSLR lithium ion batteries) is going to be interesting.

Happy travels…

My most widely-used lenses on the DX-sensor format body (a.k.a. Nikon, DSLRs before the D3) are

17-55 mm f/2.8

85mm f/1.4

30mm f/1.4 (Sigma)

The 17-55mm range is a favorite on the 1.5x sensor crop format. I think the new 24-70mm f/2.8 on the D3 is going to be an outstanding combination. 85mm f/1.4 is great for portraits, although a little long on a DX body. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is an oustanding, fast lens IF you can find a decent copy. It took me 5 tries to get one that didn’t have issues like HSM motor squeaking, infinity-focus issues, close-in focus miscalibration, aperature deformation (non-symmetric aperture), etc.

Yes, there are other nice lenses out there which I also use, but the three above sastify 70% of the shooting. The 70-200mm f/2.8 and 12-24mm f/4 come into play for most of the other times. The new 14-24mm f/2.8 is looking really nice for FX, full-frame shooting on the D3. I can’t believe Nikon didn’t leave the option for a polarizing filter on this great piece of glass. Maybe the 17-35mm f/2.8 will make its comeback now.

What’s missing from the Nikon lineup?…

Updated primes with AF-S (internal focusing motors) and VR

300mm f/4 VR, an updated wide-angle tilt-shift lens

If there’s time, an updated 28mm f/1.4 would be great

The D3 and the 24-70 + 14-24 combo is a great start, though! Now’s a great time to get a used D2Hs, D2X, or D200.  The best bargain out there is the D40, in my opinon, or the D40x if you want to splurge…

After five copies over 12 months, I finally got a working Sigma 30mm f/1.4 for my Nikon mount. It is a real gem, if you can find one that actually works. Sigma’s got some quality control issues on this lens. I’m now hesitant to look for any more Sigma products!

Lens #1: Massive focusing issues near infinity, but close-up focusing was fine

Lens #2: More focusing issues at infinity

Lens #3: Misaligned aperature blades– blades came together to form a lopsided, irregular-shaped aperture

Lens #4: Very squeaky HSM (AF-S) motor

Lens #5: Finally, a good copy!

Is it better than the Nikon 35mm f/2? Yes!

Is it worth getting if you have the Nikkor already? No.

Would I recommend buying the Sigma? Maybe… Pick one up in-store, and try out the lens at the store. Make sure

1. Focusing motor doesn’t squeak

2. Aperture blades make a “regular” shape when the lens stopped down

3. Near focus as well as far (infinity) focus is calibrated correctly.

Don’t be willing to settle for “just buy it and send it in to Sigma for adjustment.” The lens should be perfect out of the box! This is an outstanding low-light lens that has developed a horrendous quality-control reputation. Shame on Sigma!

Now, someone please make a wide-angle prime optimized for APC-C/DX sensors! I’ll take a 12mm or 14mm f/2.8 one, please…

Why the gaudy logo, Nikon, why, oh why?… Yes, it’s a marketing opportunity, but do Nikon users really want to flaunt the make and model of our camera in yellow-on-black fashion? Nikon straps can either say, “Steal my D2x!” or perhaps, “Do you really feel like stealing my D40?” The older forrest green and brown straps were a nicer color scheme, in my opinon.

So why not use the old Nikon straps? The issue with the older Nikon straps is that they contain metal clasps/parts that can scratch LCD screens. All newer Nikon straps have wider loop threads and plastic parts, making them better for carrying heavier DSLRs with scratchable LCD screens. So, our choices are to use the gaudy straps or buy some new ones. Domke makes some really nice, black straps (“Gripper” series), and Op/Tech always has a nice series of padded neoprene ones. I just end up using Nikon’s OEM strap by taping up the huge Nikon logos and makes with some heavy-duty gaffer tape…  A $0.10 solution!

It’s official! Gitzo has finally come out with the GT3530LSV to replace the all-popular 1325 carbon-fiber model. The GT3530LSV is only a little lighter than the 1325 (only a few ounces different), but the 3530 has the anti-leg-rotation (ALR) system. ALR is a must-have for those who need to constantly put up and take down a tripod setup. You can release all the locking sections on each leg by turning all two (3-section tripod) or three (4-section tripod) locks at the same time.

Currently, I’m using a 3-section 1257, the 1227 replacement with ALR and new 6x carbon fiber technology. I can’t tell the difference in weight (1257 vs. 1227), but setup is so much easier with ALR! For this reason, the 1325 gets little use except for some serious pano shots.

Gitzo GT3530LSV webpage (Gitzo’s webpage is pretty difficult to navigate. They need to get their act together and hiring some web marketing experts!)

Gitzo GT3530LSV at NatureScapes.net (This is a much more readable page. NatureScapes.net is a great place to get Gitzo parts, too, if you like to abuse your tripod in bad weather or wet and dirty shooting conditions.)

The age-old question: 3 sections or 4 sections? I personally recommend a 3-section tripod. It is a little larger when folded up, so it’s not as convenient for carry-on airline travel, but the way security goes these days, more and more things have to be checked in anyways. The 3-section tripod is a lot more rigid; the thin and tiny last section of the 4-section tripod is just not as rigid as the thicker 3-section tripod.

Also, if you’re going to bother with spending good money on a tripod, you might as well replace the center column while you’re at it. The center column, when extended, just makes your setup more unstable. The center column is convenient if you’re setting up for a quick family self-photo, but if you need the stability for landscapes, macros, and other critical shots, a replacement base is a must. Kirk makes a really nice base. I prefer it over the Markins ones:

Kirk Enterprises Replacement Bases (Kirk makes all sorts of machined parts for photography, including L-brackets, lens plates, and ballheads. Look around their website for some great gear.)

Interestingly, I inquired about an ALR, 6x carbon-fiber replacement for the 1325 in the late summer.  The Gitzo sales people claimed that the 6x carbon-fiber weave technology was not suitable for heavier tripods, but that some research had been done.   I wonder if there are still some “beta” issues with these first batches.  We’ll find out…