Some more questions about my Canon system purchase

[GardenersHelper]

I'm primarily interested in closeups/macros, with a bit of landscape (mainly estuarine sunsets/cloudscapes, with and without ships and boats).

I intend to use my current tripod (big, heavy, very adjustable lateral arm hinged on a reversible central column), focus rail and ball head. My current camera and flash unit is 1440 grams. The new setup would be, with the heaviest of the lenses, around 2150 grams. I'm hopeful that the tripod will cope with this extra weight ok. I hope so, because it isn't available any more if I need a replacement and I haven't found anything else quite like it.

Here is what my thinking is thus far for the purchase.

Canon EOS 70D with 18-55 IS STM. I don't think the 18-55 will get much use, but I'd rather have that range filled anyway for the odd occasions when it would be useful. No point spending lots on this area though.
3 x Spare batteries (Dot.Foto-PowerPlanet)
Canon Remote Switch RS-60E3
Canon Remote Control RC-06 (Not sure about having to have line of sight from the front while doing macros, hence also the wired remote)

100mm L Macro
Tripod Mount Ring (JJC – PowerPlanet) - Not sure whether to mount the lens or the camera on the focus rail. If I attached the camera to the focus rail would any of the lenses require the use of a riser so as to give clearance above the focus rail? (This is the case with my G3, and it isn't very satisfactory as the riser is even more prone to rotate when the camera is at odd angles than when a camera is directly attached to the focus rail.)
Macro Lite Adaptor 67C (to fit the MT-24EX on to the 100mm macro)

MPE-65 - I haven't found anything about adaptors for the MT-24EX. Does it fit directly on to the MPE-65?

MT-24EX - Can you use rechargeable batteries with this? I have loads of AA eneloops.

10-22 USM, for landscapes.
EW-83E compatible lens hood, JJC. I haven't ever used lens hoods, and I don't imagine I'll be using one for close-ups/macros. But presumably it would be a good idea for landscape work. I'm assuming a compatible will be "good enough". I don't do much landscape work.

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II Lens. I know it isn't great quality, but will probably get very little use - the occasional butterfly and ship. I'm at the edge of my budget, so this seems a reasonable one to be economical with, as with the 18-55.
ET-60 Lens hood for the 55-250.


I haven't decided yet about how to carry stuff around in the field. I keep the camera on the tripod at the moment, including when travelling to and from sites. I expect I'll do the same here, with the 100L attached as this is likely to be the lens I use most of the time for closeups/macros (or the 10-22 when going out for sunsets etc).
I'm thinking I might get an aluminium case, but I do have a collection of bits and pieces in my backpack that might not go well (or at all some of them) in a case, and so if I can safely carry the flash unit and lenses in the backpack that is what I may well do. Don't know what I'd pack them in inside the backpack though.


Any thoughts, advice, warnings, things I've forgotten etc would be very welcome.

 

[DaveKing]

Is this your first DSLR purchase? If so I'd suggest getting one lens. Learning how to use an SLR when having multiple lens is likely to confuse you.

It sounds like you have primarily an interest in macro, so maybe just the macro lens?

 

[Alastair]

I haven't decided yet about how to carry stuff around in the field.

It's unlikely you'd want to carry everything at once, so I'd suggest breaking up your proposed kit into load-outs for different purposes. This will also help you decide which kit you should buy first. Remember, there is no perfect camera bag - you'll probably need three!

Just a suggestion..

Base kit
- body
- walkabout/everyday lens
- spare batteries
- memory cards

Landscape
- base kit
- wide lens (although I'm as likely to shoot a landscape with a long-lens as with a wide lens, personally)
- tripod
- remote shutter

Etc..

I'd consider macro-in-the-field separate from macro-in-the-garden or table-top macro.

 

[Canon Bob]

100mm L Macro
Tripod Mount Ring (JJC – PowerPlanet) - Not sure whether to mount the lens or the camera on the focus rail.

Stability is far better with the lens secured to the focus rail and a non-gripped body will clear the rail.

Note....you already know about the Macrolite 67mm but it's also worth grabbing a 58mm lens cap as this fits onto the MT-24 when the MT-24 is attached to the 100L....the 67mm cap will be too big unless you remove the adapter and flash each time.

MPE-65 - I haven't found anything about adaptors for the MT-24EX. Does it fit directly on to the MPE-65?

The MT-24 fits directly to the MP-E

MT-24EX - Can you use rechargeable batteries with this? I have loads of AA eneloops.

Yes

Bob

 

[GardenersHelper]

Is this your first DSLR purchase? If so I'd suggest getting one lens. Learning how to use an SLR when having multiple lens is likely to confuse you.

It sounds like you have primarily an interest in macro, so maybe just the macro lens?

Yes, my first dSLR, so a good point about possible confusion. I have used an interchangeable lens camera (micro four thirds) for two years, but I know that's not the same as a dSLR (although I envisage using the 70D more like a mirrorless camera than most people would).

I have thought about just setting up for closeups/macro and doing the rest later. However, I want to be able to cover the full range of closeup/macro subjects I currently deal with and for that I will need the 100 macro, the MPE-65 and the 55-250 (at the long end, for butterflies and other large invertebrates in difficult to get at positions); three rather different lenses. The 18-55 will come with the camera, and that only really leaves the 10-22.

The risk I'm taking of course is that I simply don't get on with a dSLR. I suppose the sensible option, so as to limit my losses if it doesn't work out, would be to start with the kit lens and the 100L, and use the 430exii flash that I already have, with home made diffusion. Hmmm...... I'll have to ponder this. Thanks.

 

[GardenersHelper]

It's unlikely you'd want to carry everything at once, so I'd suggest breaking up your proposed kit into load-outs for different purposes. This will also help you decide which kit you should buy first. Remember, there is no perfect camera bag - you'll probably need three!

Just a suggestion..

Base kit
- body
- walkabout/everyday lens
- spare batteries
- memory cards

Landscape
- base kit
- wide lens (although I'm as likely to shoot a landscape with a long-lens as with a wide lens, personally)
- tripod
- remote shutter

Etc..

I'd consider macro-in-the-field separate from macro-in-the-garden or table-top macro.

Good thinking. Thanks. I think it would probably resolve to two; closeup/macro and landscape. I don't do table-top macro and I treat macro in the garden the same way as macro in the field. I don't really do walkabout/everyday stuff.

I almost always use a tripod (albeit often in a somewhat peculiar way) and always have the remote with me. It would probably be a good idea to have the wide lens with me in the field for wide location/environment shots. On the other hand, I certainly don't want any of the macro stuff when I clamber about on the rocks lining up sunset/cloudscape shots. So yes, there would definitely be two kits, with the landscape one much more lightweight (it would need to include the long zoom, as there are ships going up and down the estuary where I capture sunsets/cloudscapes and getting closer in on them is a definite plus sometimes).

I currently use a backpack with various stuff in it. These photos are several years old now, but they'll give the general impression. In fact I have more bits and pieces now, such as a fold-out circular reflector diffuser and now two plamps, with which I secure the reflector/diffuser to the tripod sometimes.


IMG_0042 PS1 Df7x30Cu900hSS67x0.3 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


IMG_0089 PS1 CrExCu900hSS96x0.3 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

Using a backpack, how (in what) do you (does one) pack individual lenses and delicate stuff like the MTE-24EX? When I was using micro four thirds I had a second lens in a soft case that came with the lens (and along with virtually everything else that soft case was inside its own plastic bag because, especially but not only early in the morning, the sites I work on are often rather damp - over the course of a 4-6 hour session the bag can get quite wet). I'm thinking that as now I'll keep the camera on the tripod with one of the lenses attached, including during transport. The other lenses might (might they?) be ok in soft cases, but what to do with the MT-24EX? Use the box it came in? I wonder how big that is.

Do Canon lenses come with soft cases btw?

 

[GardenersHelper]

Stability is far better with the lens secured to the focus rail and a non-gripped body will clear the rail.

OK. Thanks.

Note....you already know about the Macrolite 67mm but it's also worth grabbing a 58mm lens cap as this fits onto the MT-24 when the MT-24 is attached to the 100L....the 67mm cap will be too big unless you remove the adapter and flash each time.

Ah, hadn't thought of that. Thanks. Presumably this isn't an issue with the MP-E as it has a 58mm lens cap anyway so you can use that on the MT-24 when the MT-24 is attached to the MP-E?

The MT-24 fits directly to the MP-E

Thanks. All very helpful Bob.

 

[Canon Bob]

..... Presumably this isn't an issue with the MP-E as it has a 58mm lens cap anyway so you can use that on the MT-24 when the MT-24 is attached to the MP-E?

That's correct.

 

[StewartR]

... but what to do with the MT-24EX? Use the box it came in? I wonder how big that is.

The MT-24EX comes in a soft zip case:

Do Canon lenses come with soft cases btw?

Some do, some don't. The 100mm L IS Macro definitely does; I'm pretty sure the MP-E 65 does; the 10-22 usually doesn't, but at least a couple of the 15 or so I've bought did, and I don't know why; I don't have any first-hand knowledge of the 18-55 and 55-200, but I'd be very surprised indeed if they did.

 

[GardenersHelper]

The MT-24EX comes in a soft zip case:

That is very helpful. Thanks.

Some do, some don't. The 100mm L IS Macro definitely does; I'm pretty sure the MP-E 65 does; the 10-22 usually doesn't, but at least a couple of the 15 or so I've bought did, and I don't know why; I don't have any first-hand knowledge of the 18-55 and 55-200, but I'd be very surprised indeed if they did.

OK. Thanks. I'll have to wait and see if any of the cases I have will fit any of the un-cased ones.