$ cat /dev/brain > /dev/blog

Grand Canyon panoramic view

Just. So. Impressive.

(Click on the image to go to the full-size version [4.5 megabytes])

More Canon camera pr0n

No, I did not win the German lottery, but I found a very good deal that I couldn’t resist.

I got the Canon 24–105 f/4 L IS USM lens from my favorite German Canon shop (Martin Achatzi). That means I’m not only upgrading the Canon EOS body but also the lens… I don’t intend on going to a full-frame Canon DSLR but If I wanted to I’d be prepared now.

I think I stimulated the German economy good enough for this year. If anyone sees me within the next 12 months anywhere near a camera store with that special sparkle in my eyes please make sure to stop me.

I am pretty sure that Fred will find some time to play with my old Canon 17–85 lens before I plan to sell it.

Another new toy at JP’s Magic Tech Playground

The newest member of the tech stuff family in our household is this shiny Canon EOS 40D.

Because the 40D is not a very significant upgrade from the Canon EOS 400D/Rebel XTi, most of my photography-savvy friends recommended going all the way to a [used] Canon EOS 5D. I’m really OK with the 40D so far.

Next items on my shopping list: lenses, lenses, lenses. (Update: Got one. )

Hacking the Canon BG-E3 battery grip

When purchasing my Canon Rebel XTI (a.k.a. “Canon EOS 400D” in Europe or “Canon EOS Kiss Digital X” in Asia), I also ordered the Canon battery grip BG-E3. When I was playing with the camera for the first time in a shop I found that (compared to the EOS 20D/30D/40D), the body of the XTi is too small for my hands. Not that I have huge paws, but it just felt too unhandy, especially using some of the heavier lenses, e.g., the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM.

So, when buying the BG-E3, I also got a better grip for the camera — it’s a great enhancement for the handling, not to mention the vertical shutter button and of course (the main reason for a battery grip) extended battery life when using two Canon NB-2LH batteries inside the grip instead of only one in the camera.

There is just one problem with that setup: Canon decided to design the battery grip in such a way that it drains bower from both batteries at a time while you’re shooting. On the one hand this means that you can take pictures for a longer period of time but on the other hands you’re still bummed when you run out of battery juice and have to dig through your backpack (you didn’t leave it at home or in the car, did you?) to load a fully charged battery.

My hack to resolve that problem is pretty simple — and I’m sure that I’m not the first one who came up with this idea. I used some masking tape to cover the contacts inside the battery compartment. Masking tape is easier to remove than regular sticky tape, so using it makes this hack easily reversible. On top of the masking tape I placed some regular nonconducting tape.

After you’re done you can load two batteries in the grip and only one of them is drained during shooting. When you run out of power just open the grip and simply switch both batteries. Continue shooting. Remember to charge the empty battery at the end of your shooting day. This small hack saved my life more than once during our vacation on the island of Sardegna/Italy this summer.

Another tip: when you’re using the battery grip but only have one battery loaded, place it in the middle slot (as seen on the previous picture), because the camera handling is more well-balanced then. Happy shooting!

New toy in the house

I plan to take more pictures while travelling. The new lens will be put into use in a few weeks. It might be accompanied by another lens (either a telezoom or a super wide-angle) soon. In addition, I also got more memory on CF cards as I’d like to experiment a little bit with RAW and HDR. And I’m still waiting for the delivery of an iPod Camera Connector I shoot on eBay (just to have a backup solution while on the road).

If you’re looking for the most awesome store specializing in Canon equipment in Germany, head over to Achatzi.de — the owner (Martin Achatzi) is very friendly, the prices are right and from what I’ve been told, the after-sales service is amazing. Communication (by e-mail), order management and shipping were awesome when I ordered. He replied by mail just shortly after I placed my order and I had the lens on my desk within 48 hours. Achatzi truly deserves an A+. I’m looking forward to buy additional equipment there.