BUKU is right around the corner and by that I mean that it is only a few hours away! This will be the first time that I will get special privileges when it comes to photographing something and I am so excited! I have thought a lot about how I am going to photograph this event and I just want to share with you my BUKU kit and why I chose what I chose.
Camera: Canon t6s
I am going to be painfully honest. I did not expect the weather to be what it is (death), therefore none of my gear is weather-proof. The Canon t6s is more resilient to the weather than the Fujifilm X-Pro1, so I am going to use this camera body instead.
Some of the characteristics I like about this camera over the XP1 is the optical viewfinder. Sure, the XP1 has one, but it’s a rangefinder-style viewfinder. Also, I expect for all of the stages to not have the greatest of lighting (especially at night) and I believe that this is where the classic viewfinder found on DSLRs are superior to the EVFs (electronic viewfinders) found on mirrorless cameras like the Sony a6000, Olympus OM-D EM5, and the Fujifilm X-Pro1. This is because these viewfinders are susceptible to lag due to the low refresh rates achieved in low light. The classic viewfinder has no lag at all and will never have lag because it is a real image that you are looking at.
I also like the top-plate LCD that the Canon t6s has. On multiple occasions, I found myself struggling to see any of my exposure setting on the XP1’s top plate in low light settings. The t6s’ can be illuminated to help me see.
One really big thing that the Canon offers me over the XP1 is focusing speed. It is blazing fast compared to the XP1. Even when I used the XP1 to shoot the photos of my equipment found in this post, the camera hunted and often did not even focus (damn that red box). The Canon t6s is fast, reliable, and accurate.
The last thing, and it may not be a big thing for some, is the tilting LCD screen. This will help me get the high-angle shots where I may put the camera over my head and get them accurately.
You can check it out here at B&H.
Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM
This lens is without a doubt one of the best lenses I have ever had the pleasure of using. The range is equivalent to about 36-155mm on the t6s. This range is going to be my walk-around lens. It’s perfect for walking around in the crowd and getting quick pictures of observers, venues, or even wide shots of the stage. When I am not trying to get close-ups on the performers in the photo pit, this lens will be on my camera.
A few bonuses the lens offers is: weather sealing, image stabilization and near-instantaneous autofocus. The big thing is the image stabilization. With this, I can shoot at relatively low shutter speeds and get creative with my shots. For example, I can shoot at a slow shutter speed to get the people in a scene blurry while maintaining a sharp setting (stage, buildings, etc.).
You can check it out here at B&H.
Canon 70-200 f4 USM
This is my telephoto lens for extra reach. I will be shooting from a photo pit for a small amount of time at the beginning of each performance and this will be the lens I use to really get in their face (without getting in their face of course). This also rounds out my range well and with a matching constant aperture of f4, I can keep a consistent exposure even when swapping lenses.
A couple downsides to this lens is the lack of image stabilization and weather sealing. I’ll have to make sure I have high shutter speeds to get a sharp image (which shouldn’t be a problem with the amazing high ISO performance of Canon’s sensor inside of the t6s). However, the lack of weather sealing scares me. For this lens, a plastic ziplock bag will be my best friend.
You can check it out here at B&H.
Other things
Along with the main pieces of gear I already mentioned, I am bringing a few nicknacks with me to make sure I can do what I want.
A notebook (with pen)
Invaluable. When you’re running around a music festival (or any event really) you need a place to write down things. Whether you need to write down what stages are hosting which artists, or if you simply need to get the contact information of a person you took a picture off because they want a copy, you’ve got a place to put it down!
Extra Batteries
Even though I said “batteries,” I really only have one extra battery. In retrospect, I would have loved to order some third party batteries (like Wasabis), but I didn’t have the time to wait, so I just had to man up and pay full price for an OEM Canon battery. Ugh. Never again, but I know that I will need it; the t6s has a very short battery life and I am up for a very long assignment.
I also bring my charger because it weighs next to nothing and you never know when you might need it!
Extra Memory Cards
This should go without saying. If you run out of space, then where are you going to put your pictures? Nowhere. You are going to put them nowhere, so get extra memory cards. I found that 32 gigs is ample space and if I shoot over that then I am doing something wrong. Shoot less frames, but more meaningful frames.
Extra Notes
As you can tell in my first picture, my kit has very little in it (compared to some people). This is because I had weight in mind. I knew that I might be wet and have to be out there for a long time. Everything in my kit is built to be light and I was willing to make the sacrifices I did to maintain a lightweight kit.
“Why are you lenses ONLY f4? Why don’t you have faster glass since you spoke a lot about shooting in low light?” Wow. Great question.
I chose f4 glass for one reason: it’s light. If you compare the weight between lenses, you will see that faster glass really comes with a weight penalty.
(The following weights were taken from B&H’s listings.)
Canon 24-70 f2.8L II USM Canon 24-105 f4L IS USM
Weight: 805g 670g
Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM Canon 70-200 f4L USM
1490g 705g
Total Weight: 2295g 1375g
This is insane! Almost an entire kg in weight difference. Imagine carrying that for 4-8 hours.
Also, f4 is fast enough. ISO perfomance is insane these days and you can get away with shooting at 4000 or 5000 ISO. So, don’t even worry about losing that STOP of light (ONE STOP).
The Ether Place 