Not a pro and just lack talent I guess, so I had to substitute equipment for skill.

Bill

I have used Cokin, Lee and Breakthrough. It has been my experience that the Cokin has unacceptable color cast. Lee, which I current have and use is a better choice for a more natural look, but when compared to the new Breakthrough filters, I feel that they are also lacking a bit.

The graduated Lee's that I have are resin, while the little stopper is glass. All Breakthrough filters appear to be glass, but there is not as large a selection with Breakthrough.

If you are looking for a full ND filter rather than graduated, then I would suggest a screw in. They are easier to use and produce the same results.

Bill

I tried shooting indoor sports with a T5i and 18-135 f 3.5-5.6. The T5i has similar specs to the T6. Found that there was just not enough light without ISO's so high that I had junk. Also the T5i at 5 FPS(T6 is 3) does not have fast enough burst speeds to lend itself to sports, and these cameras do not have low light capabilities to handle ISO's much above 3200 and give good results.

I upgraded to the 70D and 18-135 and found it lacking although better than the T5i. Finally got frustrated and bit the bullet for a high ISO FF and some fast zooms. I have 5 grand kids that are currently heavily involved in sports and I was just missing too much.

Bill

Bill

I sold a very clean A-1 with a couple of lenses and flash for 100.00.

Sigma makes a nice 150-600 that you might also consider.

I often hang a camera backpack or other weight to the hook on the Benro to give it more stability. The TA28 is rated for 27#.

Bill

As many know, my 4 Runner was stolen in Aurora, Co. on Nov.25. It was recovered about a week later in Englewood with 15,000 worth of damage. At the time of the recovery it contained a bunch of stuff that indicated various other thefts including other auto thefts.

On Dec. 10 I was notified that an item of my property that was in the 4 Runner at the time of theft had been recovered by Aurora Police in the possession of a convicted felon that was out on bond for various other felonies and was in possession of a 9mm and an AR15.

Fast forward to Dec 15. I was notified that more of my property had been recovered in the possession of 3 felons. This recovery was by the Douglas County SO and happened on Nov. 27, 2 days after my vehicle was taken.

The 3 that had possession of my stuff were in an Infiniti that had been stolen on Nov. 18th which leads me to believe that they were not the ones that actually took my car, but were connected with the people that did. Seems like there is a whole gang of people that are proficient at stealing cars working in the Denver area.

During the encounter with Douglas County deputies, the suspects fired at officers and were also throwing property out of the vehicle during a high speed chase. Deputies finally rammed the vehicle and stopped it at which time a gunfight ensued and 1 suspect was killed, one wounded and one arrested.

The suspect that was killed was out on bond for several other felonies including Aggravated Auto Theft.

Maybe there is at least a little justice in the world.

Here is a thought. Why not get a Paul Buff mini powerpak for 349.00. I have used one extensively for remote power to 2 and sometimes 3 Alien Bee 800 and 1600 lights.

These are made for photography strobes. Use the right tool for the job and eliminate the need for converters, generators and other inconvenient pieces of equipment that are not necessarily designed for your purposes. And you don't have to listen to a generator run while you are trying to concentrate on creating images.

Just a thought, your mileage may vary.

Bill

I have a Benro TravelAngel 28 in carbon fiber. It is light enough to travel with, but still sturdy enough for all but the most demanding applications. Mine came with a very good ball head from Adorama for 399.00. You can get the lighter version, 18 I think, for about 349.00 from the same source or an aluminum model for 100 or so less.

Mine has fallen off the top of a jeep at 50 MPH and skidded down the pavement with no ill effects other than cosmetic.

Bill

My "always have" camera is a Sony a6000 with an 18-135 lens.

True, and I will have 2. I had already replaced it and my ins co. has paid for it. When I told them it had been recovered they told me that when it is released it is mine. They do not do salvage firearms and they don't want it.

Bill

There is a guy in custody now in connection with my vehicle. He is not necessarily the person that stole it, but he was found in possession of the gun that I had in the car. He was out on bond for 4 other seperate felony charges in Colorado, and one in Calif. He says he got the gun from someone else, but won't say who. He had 2 other guns in his possession, but they have not been reported stolen to date.

I just don't see how this can happen. If you are out on bond for a felony and commit another felony, why would the court let you out on bond again. I suspect that these lenient policies are part of the reason for the exploding crime rates. I would also suspect that Colorado's recent drug legalization might account for the increase in scumbags.

Bill

Depending on your planned usage I would absolutely recommend Buff lights. They are relatively inexpensive, they work well, are reliable and easy to use, and Buff's customer service is second to none. I went with a different brand because my type of photography benefits from features that the Buff lights don't have, like High Speed Sync. and the ability to control the settings on several lights with the trigger mounted to the hot shoe. I also like that the new lights do not require an external battery pack and the accompanying cables. If most of my shooting was in a studio I would not have went a different direction, but I do a lot of outdoor flash and the new lights lend themselves well to that environment.

Bill

It's on Adorama right now for 818 as a kit. I called and because I was ordering some other stuff Sy gave me a discount from 818 to 799.https://www.adorama.com/fplfx600ptbk.html

Bill

I got the Pro for 799 as a kit with a C stand and 38" Glow pop out umbrella from Adorama.

As far as fanboy goes, I am definitely a fanboy of the Paul Buff. They are great lights and customer service is second to none. Buff lights just don't have all the features that the FlashPoints do, and some of those features, particularly HSS and wireless power were important to me as I do a lot of senior pics and portraits outside and need the flexibility of higher shutter speed sync. and I like not having to have a detached battery pack and cords running everywhere I also like the fact that I can individually adjust multiple lights from the trigger on the hot shoe which I couldn't do with the Buff lights.

If Buff had lights with the same features as the FlashPoint I would certainly use them.

Bill