regarding equipment

i know i'm rough on my gear. everyone knows it, and some like to think i'm a fool for it. that sometimes i'm downright reckless.

well, i agree.

to me, my gear is my best friend. i name my cameras. yes, every single one of them. i know their serial numbers and how they meter and what they're going to do on continuous autofocus in low light while i'm running diagonal to my subject. i expect my cameras to be both a tool and an extension of my body and eyes and because of this i don't expect my gear to work any less hard than i do myself.

if my camera gets submerged, then i've probably fallen into an open gutter while shooting in the rain (true story with my D70) or if i'm shooting a large protest that gets a little hairy and i drop it i need it to be able to be pick it up and keep clicking away (true story again).

this isn't a catch-all excuse for me treating my gear like crap because frankly, i do my best to keep my (often times) very expensive gear from getting messed up and wouldn't push it beyond anything that i didn't know or think that it could handle without coming out alive, just like i do with myself.

for these reasons, i'm happy with my decision to move up to the D2x and 17-55 f/2.8. yes, they are big and heavy, but they can put up with a greater variety of situations than my D70 could ever dream of walking out of alive. the major low light quality hit that i'm taking with this move is a very real limitation and it will cause me to change how and what i shoot for the time being, but the overall improvements in image quality and build were too good to pass up.

my D2x is a he, a first for my gear, and his name is Machi, pronounced "Maki." he is my new best friend and partner in crime and i couldn't be happier.

So for now, this will be my last major gear related post for a while.

i'm back on my feet shooting and will be for the time being.

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the family and i went to Busch Gardens today, lots of good shots to come.