Another New Guy Intro

[Loren E.]

Hi all, just wanted to introduce myself…hoping to become an active member, this board looks like a great place to learn and share info. Anyways my name is Loren Elliott; I’m a college student up in WA but work in a fly shop in CA where I live during the summers. I recently was published for the first time in Fly Fishing in Saltwaters mag for Nov/Dec issue with an article on my favorite fishery in Cali: stripers in the surf. That opportunity and selling photos from my pentax optio W30 motivated me to make the leap to DSLR. I am tackling the steep DSLR learning curve right now with a pentax K-7 and a DA 18-250 F3.5-6.3 (though not super fast, supposed to be phenomenal image quality despite the ambitious focal range, don’t worry I know super zooms can be trouble!). I finally amassed all the fly gear I could ever need from surf perch to tarpon and could save every last penny for trips…and now comes along this new facet of my love of fishing that I am quickly becoming just as obsessive about! So much for penny saving on my college student budget.

Anyways someone from a pentax forum referred me here. Seems like a great spot because with my inexperience I have a lot of questions but most of the photogs on the forum there have a very different perspective, as they take photos to take photos, while I take photos as an aside to my fishing, which means we have differences like I can’t feasibly carry 6 lenses and use them all in a day like those guys. So expect plenty of advice-seeking soon! Would love to hear the advice of fellow fly fishermen on photog queries.

Here’s one to start: I got this 18-250 that should be super versatile and offer good IQ and be my go-to lens to start for a good deal second-hand. Instead of spending the money on a fast lens I think I might rather save my money to later upgrade from the K-7 body to the K-5 at some point, since it has ridiculous high ISO capabilities and apparently makes slow lenses shine in tough light. BUT, Pentax makes a well regarded 10-17mm fisheye lens that is a classic circular fisheye at 10mm but at 17mm it is easy to hide the distortion and it often just looks like a rectilinear UWA, making it a very versatile lens. I could get a used one for $350. Do you guys utilize a fisheye very often? I won’t be getting an underwater housing with a globe anytime soon, but I was thinking for extreme holdup shots and close ups of fish it could be neat…..any thoughts?

Ok plenty for now, cheers -Loren Elliott

attached is a photo of my mug in the cali surf

[Steve K.]

Welcome Loren. Zach and Lauren run a top-notch place here and like you’ve mentioned…there is a wealth of information specific to photography and fishing. This is argueably the most informative site on the ‘net that covers this niche.

I’d encourage you to peruse the “search” function here at IA. A lot of very important topics have been covered such as tripods, waterproof cases and backpacks, U/W photography, grip and grins, post-processing….etc.

Regards….Steve

[John Bennett]

while I take photos as an aside to my fishing, which means we have differences like I can’t feasibly carry 6 lenses and use them all in a day like those guys. So expect plenty of advice-seeking soon! Would love to hear the advice of fellow fly fishermen on photog queries.

Um, just wait. 🙂

Re your question.
To each his own, ultimately how you go about acquiring your “kit” is up to you. Its a long path getting there.

Bodies and lenses each represent roughly 50% of the photographic equation. That is, you cant take *any* picture without one or the other.

Put an average lens on a great body. You get average IQ
Put a great lens on an average body. You get great IQ

No matter what, it’s a hard certaintity. You will replace your body at some point. Your lenses if you buy smart and take care of them can/will last your life.

Bodies come and go/ Glass is your investment.

[kurt budliger]

I would echo John’s advice.

[Loren E.]

Hey Kurt, you’d be surprised but a lot of the photo enthusiasts on the photo dedicated boards like dpreview carry 6 lenses for an outing (granted mostly smaller prime lenses, where as a fisherman would cover the same range with two zooms).

Anyways, I picked up a 55mm F1.4 lens today, of Pentax’s DA* series. I’m excited to learn this lens, should be great for low-light work. 55 might make hold-up shots a challenge, I guess I’ll just have to backup a ways.

Thanks for the welcome all, tight lines -LE

[John Bennett]

Loren.

Re “kits”.
I usually bring 3 lenses plus a bunch of accessories with me to the river.Id say on average my typical day on the water, the load out pushes 30 to 40 pounds.

If on assignment, where I’m less sure what I’ll need and don’t want to take any chances. I load for bear and may have 5 or 6 lenses, plus a PnS for underwater and accessories.

This was my “kit” last April for the 3 weeks leading up to trout openers

It’s not always just about focal range coverage. Zooms are great and there is definately something to be said for their convenience. As you get more and more into it though and assuming you really get into it, you will discover a desire to acquire lenses that produce certain and specific types of images…Theres a lens for every job…

Thats why imo, it’s important to take your time acquiring lenses that first year or two while your learn. Then and only then, will you have a better understanding of what you want to shoot, and what lenses allow you to.

My kit today
16-35 f2.8
24-70 f2.8
85 f1.2
180 f3.5 macro
400 f5.6
500 f4.0

plus bodies and more accessories than I care to think about. Be that as it may, a quick look at the focal ranges I have covered should tell you where 95% of my shooting is done….At the very short end, and at the very long end..I have little interest or need for stuff in the middle. If I shot more sports or similiar (even say kids on the field etc) it would be very different. Figure out what you enjoy shooting, identify the lenses for those applications, map it out, and invest in your lenses from the get go. Its takes longer but will serve you in the end.

ps the 50mm f1.4 was an excellent choice

[Loren E.]

That’s a serious kit John! I’m curious….what are the the filters? Besides standard (UV and Circ-pol) are you carrying lots of ND filters as well?

What are in those sandisk cases? Lots of backup SD cards?

And a couple of flashes? For fill-flash for hold-up shots?

I will definitely start slow with lenses, though LBA kicks in fast. I am pretty covered between the 55 1.4 for low light and the 18-250 for versatility. The only other lens I really want is the pentax 10-17 that is super versatile because it is an obvious fisheye at 10mm but looks more like a super wide corrected rectilinear at 17, so you can get two lenses in one kind of. $350 used isn’t too steep but I am trying not to get carried away! I love the weather-sealed aspect of the Pentax system with the 55 and my K-7 body, but the other two aren’t sealed unfortunately.

30-40 pounds…wow! I guess you’re not scared away from the big telephoto lenses.

cheers -LE

[Chad Simcox]

Holy $h!† that’s a big butt from the surf! Been trying to get after one on here in LA, just landed perch and SNGF though. I’ve broken off a few beans and leos too.

http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox Instagram

[Loren E.]

Chad, socal is the place for flatties! I haven’t fished the surf down there, but that’s the high percentage part of the state. The fish above is from Monterey. Short window in the summer when they will come shallow enough.

[Maarten Bruinenberg]

Hi Loren,

Cool fish! Whish we had surf fishing over here in the Netherlands!
A pretty cool thing to have besides lenses camera’s flashes etc. is a small reflector! Works great! and is very affordable. You can get a decent sized one with a gold and silver side for around $25. Or buy a
Lastolite 8 in 1 witch is awsome but expensive If you have any other questions please let me know and I’ll try to help as mutch as I can!

Grtz Maarten

[John Bennett]

Loren.
1)Filters are Singh Rays. CPs and NDs. Always have them with me.
2)Sandisk are spare cards. Rarely need them but wouldnt go without atleast 4 gig in back up.
3) Just carry one flash and 8 batteries

re Weight.It doesn’t take long.
The pack itself (lowepro vertex 300) is heavy, a few pounds atleast. However thus far I find its the most practical to protect my gear and flexible enough that I can pack it a wide variety of stuff depending on whats on the agenda.

Spare batteries, filters, odds and ends, they all add up. If I bring my macro and I often do when fly fishing, I add my flash bracket ( RRS), plates and tubes. <

Re long lenses.
No I dont mind them. I’ve kept the 400m because its “light” and packs well in the back pack. Its sort of my “travel” long lens. That said I’ve brought it with me when out fishing as well. Sometimes a little reach helps

The 1st shot of my friend casting and standing in his toon (photo call thread) was taken with the 400mm from my kayak. That load out (kayak fishing) is usually body, 24-70, 400 + accessories……..

In March and April, on any given weekend I often spend the first hour lor two looking for Wild Turkey, then I hit a trib..So sometimes I leave the house with the usual basics (fileters, batteries etc)
and

24-70mm
85mm
500mm and TC

All taken in late March, on a typical (for me, Sat morning)

taken with the 24-70

taken with the 85mm

taken with the 500

You’ll “likely” get to a point where you’ve acquired a few lenses (or more) plus standard accessories, and some accessories for some specific types of shots.

[Author]

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