Fujifilm GFX 100s

So it's still early days, but so far I'm really enjoying the Fuji.. it's a solid piece of kit and whilst it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of some other full frame bodies, the medium format sensor is simply stunning and the way it renders the breadth of tonality is just epic.

Fujinon GF 32-64mm f4,0

My landscape lens solution.. yes a zoom for landscapes, but honestly its more like a collection of primes in terms of image quality. so instead of taking three lenses with me on a trip and constantly swiping between them, I can just have the one lens on the camera for the trip.

image quality is exceptional.. I keep a formatt polariser on the front. distortion is negligible, saturation is great and sharpness edge to edge is exceptional.

Whilst not considered an APO lens, there really isn't any aberrations even when pushed to quite stressing scenes.

In term so handling, the lens is good, but I do find the lens extends out rather easily and even on a tripod the focal length can vary if you aren't careful.

works really well with the 18mm extension tube also for quite a light macro capability.


to give you an idea this lens is sharper than my sony 24mm 1.4 GM, 35mm 1,4GM and 50mm 1.2 GM lenses and covers the same range (plus all points between) in a single package... yes its not fast but really its rare I want less than f8 for landscapes.

Fujinon GF 50mm f3.5

Love it! its such a neat little lens with awesome image quality. yes f3,5 is a bit slow, but on the medium format body the bokeh is still very usable and well rendered.

unlike almost everyone else I actually really like it, it's neat and small and stops the front getting dirty or damaged.

The only downside really is the minimum focussing distance which isn't great.,, I was quite tempted to opt for the 45mm f2.8 instead partly for the extra 2.8 aperture, but also the slightly better minimum focus distance.

It does work well with the extension tubes, so perhaps FUJI has decided not to compromise the optics for the close MFD and instead give people the option to add the extension tube instead.

Will I keep it forever.. probably not as I guess I'll perhaps upgrade to the 55mm 1.7 when its released in 2023..

Fujinon GF 110mm f2.0

A stunning lens, basically the equivalent of an 85mm f1.4 but with incredible sharpness and no aberrations..

Shame it can't be used with the 1.4 TC as that would still be a good combination and make for a lightweight longer tele.

but it does work well with the extension tubes for macro work.

The handling is simply perfect IMO.. feels amazing to use on the 100S.. but i do find the hood to be needlessly large so I tend to use the hood from the 32-64 instead.

is it better than my old Sony 85mm 1.4 GM?? yes without question the image quality has a gorgeous rendering.

Fujinon GF 250mm f4.0 and 1.4 teleconverter

So this lens was a real question for me... it's a huge chunk of money for only f4.0 and when you consider the focal length reduction due to the semsor this is really a 198mm equivalent, so I bought a fringer EF to GF adaptor (worked perfectly) and looked at some adapted lenses instead.

Canon 300mm f2.8L ISmk3 when compared back to back even my mum picked the fuji image every time. the fuji IS also made handholding much more manageable. in fact the 250mm with the 1,4TC was still easier to get sharp images despite the f5.6 vs 2.8 aperture.

The main thing between them other than resolving power and sharpness was the colour neutrality of the GF lens.. the canon was much warmer. but the main aspect was the ability of the fuji to simply cut through the UV at a distance.. there was simply no comparison between the lenses the FUJI was just super saturated with micro contrast but the canon looked like it has a veiling flare over the image.

I considered the 200mm f2.0 (I miss my 1.8 should never have sold it) and let's be honest the F2.0 on the medium format is going to be exceptional.

yes I'll probably convert a 500mm f4 at some point for wildlife,.. but the 250mm really is optically exceptional.

the fuji is super light also for its size,, unlike the teleconverter which is a complete brick and must be made from depleted uranium. but the 1,4TC is by far the best TC I've ever tried (and I've tried lots including the canon mk3s) basically no reduction of sharpness or resolution when using the TC.,... I thought its was crazy expensive but if/when they release a 2.0xTC I'll be ordering straight away.

Fujinon GF macro extension tubes 18mm & 45mm

damn expensive, but super well built and work well enough. if you consider that you are addressing one of the main limitations of GF lenses then it's not bad value.

as for each lens... I'd probably opt for the 18mm with the 32-64mm. 18mm with the 50mm, 45mm with the 110mm and the 45mm with the 250mm

Travel tripod (Peak Designs, Arca Swiss and RRS)

My lovely Frankenstein tripod!! so it's clearly a Peak Design carbon travel tripod... but I never liked the included bullhead and column, i would always move the framing as I tightened the ball lock.

so I got the peak design universal head adaptor... used my Area Swiss P0 ball head... but didn't really like the 2 step lever release than needed the plate to be slid into place rather than simply dropped into place. so onto this went my Really Right Stuff RRS Lever release clamp.

I've also installed a peak designs capture clip plate so I can hang the tripod from one of my peak design clips.


how stable is this and how workable? well I've sold my gitzo 1325 systema tropic with RRS BH55 ballhead.. I simply dont need any more than this for the GFX 100s setup.

The levers for leg release are great and reliable.

the pan on the PO head is also very handy.. used it both for horizontal and vertical panos.

Sony A7r3

My new body to replace the 5DsR..

A slight reduction in absolute resolution but so much of an improvement in so many other ways.

Size, this is much more discreet for a walk around a town. Shown here with my walk around general purpose lens.. 35mm 1.8.

Also shown here with the Sony battery grip and a RRS L-Plate although I usually drop these off for a lightweight walk around.. then reinstall for a tripod based shoot.

in body image stablisation. This is really the main reason for the purchase, handholding a 50mp camera even with steady hands introducing some softening of the image, I was finding that even with good lighting the 5DsR was giving slightly soft images handheld.. this gives razor sharp images!

Electronic View Finder . I wasn't originally that keen on an EVF vs a true optical viewfinder.. but its REALLY good! sharp and clear with an exaggeration of the focus or even 1:1 zoom in the EVF for precise focusing.

improved dynamic range. whilst not a massive issue with the 5DsR especially for landscapes where I will usually be using a tripod and ND filters, for walk around and portraits into the sun this is a real plus for me.

Cleaner high ISO image quality. this is really quite a difference, I hadn't been keen on anything above iso400 with the Canon, but the Sony seems very usable at iso1000.

Other positives.
Build quality feels really good, perhaps not better than the canon but certainly equal.
Quick settings on the dial.. this is great for me as I have '1' set for landscapes off a tripod. '2' configured for general walkaround and '3' for portraits. Obviously some tweaking is required each time, but its much quicker than adjusting every setting.
Configurability of the camera and buttons... simply you can adjust everything!
I have opted for :
C3 - Iso setting.
AF on - 100% focus zoom
AEL - Eye autofocus
C2 - focus mode
C1 - Focus point move

Minor negatives.
none that I've found yet !!

Sony 24mm f1.4 G-Master

My wide angle landscape lens.. even when I've had wider zoom lenses I've never actually had a keeper photo at a focal length wider than 24mm so why not have a prime that is awesome at that focal length and save weight at the same time!

This lens is sharp with almost no distortion.. it doesn't 'feel' quality like a Canon L Lens does but it's optically better and weighs virtually nothing.

As always, fitted with B+W UV Nano filter.

Sony 35mm f1.8

My walk around lens... this is tiny and super lightweight whilst still having awesome image quality.
The f1.8 is plenty of subject isolation at this 35mm focal length and the close focussing is really useable for details or food photography.

As always, fitted with a B+W filter but this time a Kaessman circa polariser lives on there. I selected the 35mm for the polariser as I do use it quite a bit for landscapes and 35mm isn't too wide that the polariser creates banding in a sky.

Sony 85mm 1.4 G-Master

My portrait lens.. such a gorgeous focal length for portraits, much better than my previous 50mm.
Whilst the lens doesn't have the creamy dreamlike feel of a Canon 85 f1.2 its MUCH sharper and the bokeh that is there is perfect in terms of circular highlights.

I guess ideally you might have both lenses, but given the choice of just one it would be this one every time!

Sony 90mm f2.8 Macro G

The weird old school looking sony macro lens. but what can I say, its awesome... with OSS on lens and IBS in the camera you are able to handhold at 1:1 at reasonable ISO's and get SHARP images.

This makes it soooooo useable. also a great portrait lens if you are after absolute detail.

Sony 200-600 f5.6/6.3 G

My wildlife lens.

It's not f4 at the long end and its certainly not 1.8 at the short end like my old Canon :(

but what it is is so completely useable! it's sharp throughout and it't lightweight and compact size mean its something I'll take out with me quite happily on the off chance I want to shoot wildlife.

in good light the lens is epic! with the image stabilisation allowing pin sharp handheld at 600mm minimum focusing distance.

in moderate light the iso needs to drive a bit higher, but the Electronic viewfinder makes the system usable because you still get a bright image to help focus.

does the background fall away in the same way at the f4 would.. not really, but with a little more care in subject from background distance its not bad at all..

LensBaby Composer Pro with Sweet 35 optic.

A strange little lens... like a circular tilt shift is how I'd describe it.

Never really enjoyed using a lens baby on my canon... but with the focus peaking on the Sony body this is so usable! also having the option for 100% viewfinder zoom allows for precise focusing each time.

definately a keeper.

Lensbaby Macro extensions

Unfortunately regular extension tubes won't work with the lens baby as the contacts need to think there is either no lens at all, or an extension tube and lens. they are pretty simple bits of kit though and really make a difference to the edge 80 optic. A really good bit of kit.

the only downside is the smaller 8mm unit is so shallow its quite difficult to remove from the lens. not impossible though and its never done in a rush anyway.

Filters (Formatt and B&W)

My filters... at least the ones i can find.. filters are like lens caps they just seem to disappear!

I have a selection of Formatt filters all 77mm in varying ND grads, ranging from 0.3 to 1.2 stops and soft edge, hard edge, 30% 50% etc.
I also have a couple of the solid ND filters in 10 stop and even a 40 stop version.
I do use circular polarisers sometimes, but not so often.

I have just ordered a sensei brass 72-77mm step up ring so i can use these on the 50mm and 135mm lenses also.

all my lenses have B&W UV MRC nano filters on them to protect them and have a bit more resilience to moisture.

Apple Macbook Pro

2.5 GHz i7 with 16Gb 1600Mz DDR3 Ram
NVidia GeForce GT750M 2GB Graphics Card
1Tb SSD storage

Ancillaries
- 1TB Sandisk Extreme SSD in a USB 3 remote case.

Software. in order of typical workflow.

Import from camera to folder 'Lightroom Images in an appropriate sub folder'

Adobe DNG converter. an annoyance but a necessary evil to avoid having to pay a monthly adobe fee.. simply converts the Canon raw files into a DNG format, I then delete the original Raw files immediately to prevent duplication.

Adobe Lightroom 5
My main photo sorting and processing software..
I don't take a huge quantity of images so I use lightroom to review the images and 'delete from disk' those which I'm not going to take forward for processing, The compare feature is really good when you are checking the focus or sharpness between two similar images, like a portrait checking the eyes.
It's quick and great for the bulk of processing and retouching.
The selective zone for light balancing is really quick and intuitive, the spot healing tool also works well.
The lens / perspective correction works well but its always wroth trying the different options as auto can be a little too aggressive at times.
The only issue I have with it is the inability to import 5DSr Raw files, you ned to run the files through Adobe DNG converter first.
If I'm going to do more detailed colour correction work then I tend to drop into one of the Nik plug-ins

Color Efex Pro 4
This is a great tool, allows quite subtle colour adjustments either selectively or globally.

Silver Efex Pro 2
A great tool for black and white conversions. Most of the presets are too aggressive for my liking but it's possible to tailor and save your own more subtle presets.

Once processed I save into a 'processed not tailored' folder as a 16bit ProPhoto Tiff file. (huge files unfortunately around 300Mb)

From this point i decide whether the image will be for print or for the website.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 13
Is used for the website processing by adding a border and copyright watermark before export as a sRGB JPEG with low sharpening.

for prints I use the Nik Sharpener Pro 3 plug in and add a little more sharpening before exporting as Adobe RGB (1998) JPEG.

Helicon Focus Pro.
This is an awesome little bit of software... it enables the stitching of multiple images with different focus points to increase the depth of field achievable (as used for many of the equipment review images).

Gitzo 1325 carbon tripod

Possibly a little bit of overkill of many of the shots I take, but I wouldn't consider using anything else.
It's not that heavy, I can certainly live with the weight for the ease of use and the stability it offers.

I have been looking at 'travel tripods' but for the weight saving of 1-1.5kg I would rather have the ease and confidence this brings me.
It's a tank of a tripod.

the only downside is the leg locks rotate so you can sometimes undo a leg section when you want to tighten another. Shame Gitzo don't offer an upgrade for old tripods.

Really Right Stuff BH55 ballhead

The beast of a ballhead... this is just right!
it requires no maintenance other than a rinse under the tap when its really grubby. the huge knob enables easy use in the cold wearing gloves etc.
the lens/body mounting is quick release and whilst I was initially nervous about it becoming undone, its been faultless and I actually have more confidence in the lever than I would in a screw clamp solution.

Gitzo 5541 monopod

My 'little' monopod ! haha this thing is a monster. but actually not that heavy (all things are relative I guess).

the top section with the foam padding is almost too big for my hands to take a comfortable grip, but if you are after a solid and tall monopod this should be top of your list.

After trying the big foot and various monopod feet with folding legs I have decided to try and fit my little manfroto to the bottom of this. It will require a longer thread on the manfrotto but I'm getting that machined up and I should then have a pretty stable lightweight solution. I'm also thinking I will affix guy lines to the top of the monopod under the mouting plate so I can guy the pod out like a mast or a ultra light tripod in an emergency.

Lightweight support kit

well I now have the modified mini tripod that fits the monopod (and still fits the other heads direct).
Its actually a really stable little setup.
fully retracted it takes minimal thought or time to stabilise, with the first extension it becomes a nice low chest height requiring a little while to stabilise and remote shutter or 10sec delay. At higher extensions it needs additional support from either a person, or maybe guying on softer ground.

tripodadaptor0003

Really Right Stuff MH02 monopod head & Manfroto 209 table tripod

My monopod head, again RRS with a lever release. they just make such nice kit! insanely expensive but well thought out and engineered.

this is shown sitting on my manfroto table top tripod. This was I admit a surprise. I bought it in an emergency as I needed a tripod in NYC and didn't want to spend a lot. but this is absolutely rock solid! there are no clips or catches simply three metal legs that hinge against a solid metal plate. Great stuff and with this little MH02 its almost pocket size.

Peak designs camera strap

Hmmm.. when will I find a strap i really like.

not quite yet. this is perhaps the closest I've come, but there are a few oddities.
Its would be logical that the buckles would be on the outside of the strap, but that puts the grippy side of the strap also on the outside so the strap slides off your shoulder. I have bodged it by twisting the strap over, but that prevents the quick changing of length.
the flip over silver pieces on the buckles also don't actually do anything.. I had assumed they were some kind of grip or cam release that would lock the strap in place at set length.. but they don't they are simple for show which is a shame.

but i do like the attachment mechanism to the camera. you get little discs on loops that fit to the camera or lens and these discs are slotted into the sprung catches on the strap.
I tend to have the strap attached to the two side points on the camera so I can have the camera in my hand by my side.

Gura Gear shoulder bag

A good bag... but not great.

My hopes were high after owning the Kiboko from the same company, but this really doesn't have the same level of thought or detail in it.
features on the Kiboko like the tubular handles or the loop zip pulls are missing from this bag..

The material and build quality remains top notch though. and the layout works well for my kit with the rear taking a 15" macbook pro. whilst the central compartment will take any of my lenses including the 200 f1.8L !
typically though it will have the 24 TSE, 50 1.2L, lens baby with 80mm, 135mm attached to the body.. then there is space left for the extension tube and 1.4x TC.
In the front pocket I will have a set of filters in the smaller pocket and my amazing Bose noise cancelling headphones in the main compartment.

Gura Gear Kiboko Rucksac

A GREAT bag! an absolute monster as I always fill it, but it can either take all my camera gear, with tripod on the outside or...
half fill with camera gear and then use the other half for camping gear and a few clothes for a nights wild camping,
the harness is pretty good considering its got no framing.
this really is an exceptionally well designed bag and tough as nails too!

Think Tank Retrospective 10

My newest camera bag. Whilst I have stopped utilising camera bags for the most part choosing instead a simple pouch on my belt for an additional lens, there are times when I want to carry maybe a few lenses and also have the ability to hide the camera away during a meal for example. So this bag is my hope for that purpose..
Thus far it seems excellent.. Its wonderfully subtle and casual looking, its large enough to take decent lenses whilst stopping me from ever making it to heavy to carry. the strap is supper comfortable and grippy on your shoulder. In terms of what it will take... thus far I have been having the main compartment split into three.. 80mm lens baby edge in the one side with macro adaptors, the camera body with 50mm attached in the centre and the 135mm in the third section. Any of these lenses could be on the camera but the 50mm is the most frequently used for myself.
The central section incorporates nice supporting pads to keep the body at the top of the bag for easy access and quick use.
There is then a wide front pocket big enough for an iPad.
there are a few other pockets and zipped areas, but other than keeping a spare lens cap and cleaning cloth I try to travel pretty light with this.

Arcteryx Altra 62

A great backpack... big enough for a weeks expedition or wild camping for a couple of nights with a load of camera gear inside.
The major selling point of this pack is the opening, there is a u shaped zip that runs all the way around the front of the pack so you can open it up and access any of the interior items without having to unpack the bag from the top. this allows much more efficient packing for mass balance rather than access.
the harness system is excellent also with a rotating hip belt and adjustable shoulder straps for not only height but width too. After a few days carrying the pack its nice to just move the pressure to a new spot and give your shoulders a rest.

Previously owned equipment

Canon 30D
Canon 1Dmk3
Canon 50 1.4
Canon 24-105 f4.0L IS
Canon 85mm 1.2L (not shown)
Canon 180 f3.5L Macro
Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS
Canon 600 f4.0L IS (almost makes the 200 1.8 look small !!)
Canon WFT-E7B version 2 (not shown)

Canon 5DS-R
Canon 16-35 f4.0L IS
Canon 50 f1.2L
Lensbaby Composer Pro with Edge 80 optic
Canon 135 f2.0L
Canon 200 f1.8L
Canon TC 1.4
Canon TC 2.0
Canon EF 25 extension tube
Really Right Stuff BH55 ballhead
Gitzo 1325 tripod
Really right stuff MH02 monopod head
Gitzo 5541 monopod
Manfroto 209 mini table tripod

Sony A7Riii

Final comments on the Sigma MC11 adaptor.
This allows me to use all my existing glass with the new sony.. I was pretty wary of this and spent quite a while in store trying the Sigma and metabones mkV out.
The sigma simply performed better for still images, the metabones would hunt back and forth the sigma simply locks on. Eye AF also works absolutely fine with all my lenses.

Canon 5DS-R

After shooting with a 1Dk3 for quite some time, I found I never use burst mode even for birds in flight as I prefer to simply time a single shot and see what is going on.
So given the burst rate was of no interest my major priority was improved image quality and resolution. I had previously been unable to print some images as large as I would have desired due to the lower resolution.
50mp full frame no longer has that issue!!
The camera has been great, a lovely bright viewfinder, a great menu system feels robust without being too heavy. The ability to limit shutter speed and iso range for auto iso is great (I'll take credit I suggested it to Canon a few years ago!)
Its fitted with a battery grip and RRS L Plate that is really solid and clamps both battery grip and body together into a single unit.

things that aren't so great..
- the resolution is so high it makes shooting handheld a challenge in all but the best light.
- the battery life is terrible.. the 1Dmk3 could live on a single battery for a few days of shooting at least, but now I always charge both batteries every evening if away and shooting.
- the focus screen cannot be changed. I would have like to put in a precision focussing screen to aid in getting focus but I guess with the move to live view Canon don't feel focus screens are so necessary.

Canon 16-35 F4.0L IS

This is an odd lens for me... it was purchased as a flexible and lightweight lens for landscapes. The IS is nice as I may not always have the most solid tripod or support and the 77mm front thread was very appealing as all my filters are 77mm and I have a large selection of ND's and ND grads etc.

Images are sharp and well saturated, but i find I never shoot wider than 24mm and 90% of the time will be at the 35mm limit.

I also find that for landscapes I sometimes want greater control over the focal plane thru a tilt lens.

Canon 24 TS-E f3.5L

Ahh the beast! this really is a gorgeous lens.
Ultra sharp and delivers shots that no amount of post processing will ever achieve.
Its perhaps a little wide for me much of the time, but it accepts the 1.4x TC with no discernible reduction in IQ so its actually a pretty flexible lens.
I don't often use the shift feature to be honest, maybe a little here or there, but it's easily done in post processing instead.

I may drop the 16-35 and just use this for landscapes instead, but i would need to purchase a whole new set of 82mm grad filters!!

Canon 50 f1.2L

The lens that lives on the camera 80% of the time. Such a versatile lens, not ultra sharp but certainly not what you would call soft.
but that versatile focal length combined with delicious bokeh is really what makes this a lens to keep returning to.
It also takes an extension tube with great effect to become a pretty usable pseudo macro lens.

you will note all my lenses have UV or clear filters on the front. This is partially to protect the front element, but more because I use screw in filters a lot so the thread being used is a filter not the lens itself. I'm in the process of upgrading all my filters to the B&W UV MRC Nano as they are simply the easiest to clean and seem resistant to dust.

Lensbaby Composer Pro with Edge 80 Optic

One of my favourite lenses! this edge 80 optic is a simple pure flat plane optic so if the lens baby is centred you will be able to shoot like its a normal lens, no soft edges etc. but if you tilt the body then the focal plane flips like a tilt shift lens.
The image quality is pretty good but it does need a UV filter on it.
it also has an in built macro mode which works really well. Unfortunately whilst the lens rear element is deep enough to take teleconverters or the extension tube, because there is no electrical interface the camera won't take the shot. I guess i could tape over the TC contacts, but there must be a better way!

Hopefully Lensbaby will release a 24 or 35mm version of the edge optic as this would allow me to replace my heavy but gorgeous 24 TSE with something far more convenient.

Canon 135 f2.0L

My newest addition! The fabled 135 f2.0L has been on my wish list for quite some time.
I actually sold my 180 f3.5L Macro to fund this lens. My logic is that if I'm travelling light I can simply take the 50mm and this 135mm to cover most things. both have amazing IQ and fast maximum apertures for isolating subjects. the 135 has the other benefit of accepting TC's and extension tubes so for just a small increase in carried equipment I would have..

50mm f1.2
50mm f1.2 macro
135mm f2.0
135mm f2.0 macro
190mm f2.8 with 1.4x TC
270mm f3.5 with 2.0x TC although that would be a rare occurrence.

both the 50 1.2L and this 135 f2.0L take a 72mm filter and the same hood can be used on both (though its not quite perfect on the 50mm) this means I can simply swap lens caps and filters across when I want to change focal length.

did I mention... this is sharp!!!!! noticeably sharp. I would put it up with the 24 TSE and the 200 f1.8 from my collection.

Canon 200 f1.8L

My little cannon! such a versatile lens (even if it is huge and weighs a ton!).

A beautiful portrait lens and has been my go to for this purpose until purchasing the 135mm. I suspect the 200 will still get plenty of use though when I'm feeling like a workout!
Its so fast, and so sharp it takes TC's without hesitation.

280mm f2.5 with a 1.4x TC
400mm f3.5 with a 2.0x TC
560mm f4.5 with stacked 1.4x and 2.0x TC's

i must admit autofocus hunts a little with the stacked TC's but IQ is still pretty useable and it's such a flexible spread of focal range I sold the 600mm f4.0

Its fitted with a Really Right Stuff footplate so that the hood can be inverted and left on the lens for storage.

only downside I have found is the minimum focussing distance is rubbish at 2.5m.

Canon 400mm f2.8L mkii

A beast of a lens... incredibly sharp wide open and takes a 1.4tc really well with a little micro adjustment.
It's REALLY heavy but let's be honest this isn't a lens to be handholding anyway... balances pretty well on my monopod, but I'm tempted to get a kirk or RRS foot for it I can find one as it will be that bit more secure.

Canon 1.4x Teleconverter mk2

A really great little addition to the bag/pocket.

works with four of my lenses (shame it won't work with the 50mm f1.2!!)

no discernible reduction in IQ and so small and light its easy to justify taking with you.

The only issue I have had with these is the front cap interface doesn't seem great, its not often you put a cap on the camera body so its not something you notice, but with all the TC's and extension tubes the front cap is always loose. Note canon supply 2 different depths of front cap for the TC's so i bought a second deep one to use on both. otherwise you always have the wrong one!

Canon 2.0x Teleconverter mk2

A useful addition but one that I use with caution. really this only sees service on the 200 f1.8L which has a surplus of aperture and IQ to tolerate the degradation this brings.
I've actually got a pretty sharp copy but its definitely not in the same league as the 1.4x TC.

Canon EF25 Extension Tube

A great addition to my little collection of lenses and gear. Bought to compliment the 135mm f2.0L but also works with great effect on the 50mm f1.2L also! A simple bit of kit, but really worth having in the bag.

I will probably purchase a cheap dumb non canon extension tube to use with the lensbaby and 80mm edge optic. the combination of small size, macro and tilt would make for a very useable bit of kit.

Lowe Pro Filter case

A really useful case. holds six 77mm filters in a padded case. I have two which covers all my filter needs.

Canon WFT-E7 B (Version 2)

A wifi transmitter/receiver for the 5DSr. I purchased this with two intentions, one was to enable use of the Helicon Remote software for automated focus bracketing and the other would be to setup the camera at a distance for wildlife shooting then do remote triggering and focusing.

After much frustration with IP syncing I finally got the unit working with the camera and my iPhone/iPad/Macbook Pro.
Unfortunately the wifi kept dropping out after each few shutter releases or every 5 mins.
even when it was working the helicon remote software didn't work as cleanly as hoped either.. so I've returned it for a refund. Note : i only paid 200 for this and it still wasn't worth keeping.

Canon 580 EXii & TTL Pocket Wizards

A nice powerful flash unit.. I don't often use active lighting but on a few occasions a little extra kick is needed and this does the job..

Either connected through the cable or the pocket wizards..

It's a shame the flash unit doesn't use a rechargeable battery like that from a camera.

Think Tank belt pouches

part of a set with a harness, but since the increase of terror attacks in cities around the world I no longer feel brave enough to walk around with a harness and bunch of bulging pouches around my waist. shame really as they were great and comfortable.
but i still use one on my regular belt if I'm travelling light. 1.4x TC or 25mm extension tube in the bottom then either 135mm or 50mm with the other on the camera.

National Geographic Medium shoulder bag

A good lightweight shoulder bag... it was ideal for my early and lighter equipment and would easily and comfortably carry my 30D with a 24-105 and maybe a 70-200 also with room left over for other assorted bits and bobs.. but with the lightweight came the compromise, there is virtually no padding in this bag and the bag flops around and falls onto its back and front when placed on the ground. I used to keep a kneeling pad in the rear pocket to stop my hip from getting bruised as I walked along.
I like the bag, but the design is a bit too fussy with too many buckles and features for my liking.

The main compartment is accessed via a zip, and because of the floppy nature of the bag, the zip often proved to be a two handed affair as the material would bunch rather than the zip move.

Lowe Pro Magnum AW

A lump of a camera bag.. hefty thick cordura material and padded everywhere. This bag offers great protection for your kit, but then it does weigh quite a bit even empty.
Space wise it offers two pockets, a large central area big enough for a pro body with 70-200 attached or a 200 1.8 plus a couple of other smaller lenses. the front pocket is also pretty big for filters and cable release triggers etc.

The major issue is that it just looks so much 'camera bag' it attracts attention and invites thieving fingers..

Pelicases (1510 & 1150)

Solid transit for expensive gear... but they are heavy and really eat into your weight allowance so I tend not to travel with these much on airlines.