Since the recent question from Chris about whether a new Masterclass series would be interesting to the photographers here was exclusively answered with a big 'YES', why not just start one!  

I figured it would be a good idea to start with what every photographer starts with before shooting his/her first photo, namely Hardware and Software.
What do you use to take your photos and to post-process them afterwards and what are your experiences, good or bad ones?

I'll start:

Hardware wise I'm mainly using 3 combinations at the moment:
- Nikon D200 with a Nikkor 18-200mm
- Nikon D700 with a Sigma 50-500mm
- Nikon D700 with a Nikkkor 16-35mm

From the software side I'm working with:
- Corel Paint Shop Pro
- Adobe Photoshop Elements

The D200/18-200mm combo is very nice for light traveling; the D200 has a bit come of age and 'only' offers a DX sensor but it still perfoms very well in almost any condition while the lens isn't quite tack sharp but also gives very nice results if you respect its limitations.
The D700/50-500mm combo has been the one I've been using mostly for the last 4 years. The D700 is a brilliant full frame camera with very little noise even in high ISO ranges. The Sigma is the best lens you can get for that zoom range at that price. It performs very nicely in almost any situation, except for low light (night shots are fine again) conditions when it has troubles focusing.
The D700/16-35mm is a perfect combination for close-up shots, cockpits and other interiors or museum shots.

Paint Shop Pro has been my main post processing software for almost a decade now and though I'm currently not using the most recent version I still have no troubles getting everything done to get photos to A.net quality. And for the given price, it is really a bargain compared to the full version of Photoshop.
Photoshop Elements is better suited for some special post processing work. Sometimes I find it easier to get the contrast/brightness or noise reduction correct in Elements which is the reason I use it as backup to Paint Shop Pro.

Hope we'll have nice discussions!

Thierry

My current setup for aviation is...

Hardware:

Canon 5D Mark II with Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS
Canon 5D Mark II with Canon 24-105 f/4L IS for wide ramp shots.
Canon 7D with Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS for situations where I need more reach or speed.
Canon 7D with Sigma 10-20 for ultra-wide angle needs.

Software:

Photoshop CS6, including Adobe Camera Raw for my RAW processing.
Nik Color Effex Pro 4 - I rarely use this for aviation, but sometimes the filters come in handy if used properly.

99% of my aviation photography right now is done at work during my breaks so I have good access which lets me get away with 200mm being my longest reach. The 5D Mark II suffers from few focus points and sluggish, inaccurate continuous focusing but the superior image quality means its my go-to camera for most situations.

[Edited 2013-04-02 10:55:44]

Nikon D90 with a battery grip, D40x body with grip as backup
Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 used for cockpit shots and exterior statics
Nikkor 55-200mmVR, used at f/8 for large aircraft
Nikkor 70-300mmVR, used at f/8 for medium/large aircraft and/or when distance to subjects is within a mile or so
Sigma 150-500mmOS, used at f/9 for airshows, small aircraft, large distances(like my back porch)

DxO v8 for raw conversion(the new smart lighting tool is awesome)
Paint Shop Pro X2 for edits

I have a D700 but don't use it for aviation, I use it for studio shoots. I know many here shoot FX format especially for the noise control, but as I rarely shoot in low light conditions I'll always shoot planes in DX. The crop factor alone is indispensible, especially given that I have no access to airfields like some do. Which is why when I hear 'DX is dead/dying', it worries me- I would never shoot aviation with a m4/3 or mirrorless camera. If Nikon ever abandons DX and Canon continues to make their 1.6x sensors, I would switch.

And I thought I was the only one using Paint Shop Pro! Great program

I use a Nikon S6000 and Photoshop Elements 7, a total setup that costs less than $250. I'd love to have a DSLR that would allow me to produce more photos with the quality needed for uploading here, but for the time being I'm happy with a point and shoot and the challenges that come with it. Just goes to show that you don't need to spend big bucks to enjoy aviation photography (even if your definition of "enjoy" is having photos in the a.net database).  

Since buying my new camera, I now have the following kit:

Canon 5D Mark III with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM for closer external shots
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM for ultra wide angle shots

Software:
Lightroom 4 for RAW processing and then transferring image to Photoshop CS6 to finish the editing (remove dust spots, sharpen etc).

I'm not worried about the fact that I lost the crop factor of 1.6x. My previous body (40D) was only 10.1 megapixels so I have the ability to crop the picture and more than make up for it. I'm also used to carrying these lenses around with me so for now, it poses no problem. Let's see what the 100-400 II is like before I start thinking about my replacement for the great 100-400 - I also love the 70-200 2.8 II. I've got some saving to do! But the 100-400 is an essential lens (to me anyway) for A2As.

Quoting megatop412 (Reply 2): Which is why when I hear 'DX is dead/dying', it worries me- I would never shoot aviation with a m4/3 or mirrorless camera. If Nikon ever abandons DX and Canon continues to make their 1.6x sensors, I would switch.

IMO I don't see either Canon, Nikon or Sony ditching their crop body cameras. They still make money and they're cheaper to make. Not everyone out there is after huge cameras; but at the same time, not everyone wanting smaller cameras want M4/3, bridge or compact cameras. They want DSLRs to start off with and then if they get more into it, they can expand. Having (relatively) cheap lenses under the DX/EF-S range also helps their cause. Cheap to make, easier to sell. Getting rid of the crop lenses would be a mistake as it would price amateurs out of the camera market. Something I'm sure they don't particularly want to do. Get someone hooked and they will just go from there!

I think Canon has taken the right step - they introduced the 100D last week. It will be the smallest APS-C DSLR on the market. A camera that shouldn't be too expensive or big, yet is still a DSLR.

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 4): Lightroom 4 for RAW processing and then transferring image to Photoshop CS6 to finish the editing (remove dust spots, sharpen etc).

Why not just use ACR in CS6? Isn't it basically the same RAW editor in LR4? That's why LR has never caught on for me. I don't use the organization capabilities and I always imported into PS anyway. Just curious because that just seems like an extra step.

Current setup:
Canon 50D
Canon 17-40 F4L
Canon 70-200 F4L
Canon 300 F4L IS
Canon 1.4x Extender (only used with the 300)

Lenses I still have, but don't use much or at all anymore:
Canon 18-55 IS (I do still use this for pseudo-macro stuff occasionally)
Canon 55-250 IS
Canon 70-300 IS USM

Absolutely LOVE the 300. Best lens I own. Still experimenting with it plus the 1.4 extender.

Software I use:
For low-ISO RAW editing: Canon Digital Photo Professional
For high-ISO RAW editing: Adobe Photoshop CS5 with Adobe Camera Raw
For JPEG editing: usually Adobe Photoshop CS3, sometimes CS5

Yes, I know it's odd that I have CS5 and use it for RAW editing, then switch to CS3 for JPEG editing. But CS3 runs faster on my computer, and there are little things about it that I like better. I'm very....VERY....resistant to software changes unless I have a damn good reason.

Additionally, the reason I use two different RAW editors is that I find DPP gives much better and more realistic color, contrast, etc. than CS5/ACR, but ACR has much better noise reduction capabilities than DPP. ACR tends to make images look slightly cartoony, in my opinion. So it's a tradeoff, depending on my needs for a particular shot.

Quoting vikkyvik (Reply 6): Additionally, the reason I use two different RAW editors is that I find DPP gives much better and more realistic color, contrast, etc. than CS5/ACR, but ACR has much better noise reduction capabilities than DPP. ACR tends to make images look slightly cartoony, in my opinion. So it's a tradeoff, depending on my needs for a particular shot.

My issue is that DPP displays the photo exactly as the camera does on the LCD but ACR changes everything to a default preset, or to a preset you have saved.

Im pretty sure you can make tweaks to get the colors and contrast to match DPP, but it's tricky. Even though I often prefer the colors and contrast in DPP as a base, I still use ACR for all my raw editing because I prefer the way it renders the images, which relates to the noise handling.

Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 5): Why not just use ACR in CS6? Isn't it basically the same RAW editor in LR4? That's why LR has never caught on for me. I don't use the organization capabilities and I always imported into PS anyway. Just curious because that just seems like an extra step.

After being introduced to LR by Ron, I've grown used to it and now I'd rather use that than ACR. The functions are much easier to use on LR - cropping, resizing, leveling, the sliders for white/highlights/shadows/black (you can click and drag on the histogram) etc. It also has preset functions so one click can do a whole lot of stuff like basic sharpening, NR, vibrance/saturation etc. I haven't found an equivalent of that on ACR. White balance can be done straight from the eye dropper provided. It'd work far better if I had a faster computer. I've set up an automatic export so when I'm done in LR, it saves as TIFF and then automatically opens up in PS. In essence, I believe it's about the same as having to use ACR, a necessary step to converting RAW files. But it just feels as though it's a bit more refined and user friendly. I think batching is also easier from LR but to be honest, I haven't looked into trying to batch process; especially with my computer fan blowing the hardest I've ever heard it when editing a photo from my new camera..

Panasonic G1
Panasonic 14-45mm for wide shots, museum close-ups and window views
Panasonic 45-200mm for most everyday shooting

Panasonic FZ8

GIMP for editing
Neat Image for NR when needed

I started with the FZ but I have not used it much since I got the G1. I did use it for a few window shots on my last trip but that's about it. The improvement in performance with the G1 is so great that it's very hard to go back.

I started with GIMP since I didn't happen to own anything else when I started editing for A.net and so far it has done everything I need.

Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 7): My issue is that DPP displays the photo exactly as the camera does on the LCD but ACR changes everything to a default preset, or to a preset you have saved.

That's exactly my issue. Even setting ACR to "camera preset" or whatever is still a far cry from what I saw when I took the photo.

Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 7): Im pretty sure you can make tweaks to get the colors and contrast to match DPP, but it's tricky.

I've tried many a time. Especially colors - I can NEVER get colors in ACR to exactly match what I see in DPP.

I also don't like ACR's "blacks" slider - doesn't work as well as the same slider in DPP's levels graph.

For what it's worth I currently use a Nikon D7000 but have used a D80, D50 and D70 in the past. I normally use it with a Sigma 120-400mm or Nikkor 70-300mm ED lens or the older 75-300mm. For static shots I've used a variety of lenses including Tamron 18-250mm, Sigma 18-125mm, Nikon 18-55mm
I used to process them in in Rawshooter until that disappeared and I now use Capture One version 6.4
I have always used Paint Shop Pro and I use X4 at the moment. I tried Adobe Photoshop Elements but didn't get on with the interface.
Most of this largely irrelevant as part of a masterclass as I have an acceptance rate for modern photos in single figures.  

It also flags up the other problem with the forum. The lack of being able to have "stickies". This thread will disappear from the page as time goes on and thus its usefulness will go with it.

( A modern forum interface would be great)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 80-400 (first generation).

Photoshop CS3.

That's it for aviation photography.

For everything else, Fuji X Pro 1 with 14mm, 18mm, 35mm and 18-55mm Fujinon lenses

For travel, the X Pro 1 plus the 18-55 zoom and the 14mm.

Currently 5DIII (with lenses ranging from 17-40 up to 500mm) and OM-D with some lovely fast primes.

Software - Photoshop CS6 (or whatever the last but one version is)

But really I'm not sure a listing of hardware/software used contributes to a "master class". In my mind, a master class should be equipment agnostic - its how you use what you've got that matters. I'm still working with (and selling) images taken with a D60.

Sure the latest camera is fun to own, and may make some things easier, but it won't do anything for your skill as a photographer.

Same can be said for software to a large extent.

Cheers,

Colin

1D MK III
- 400mm F2.8L
- 70-300 IS USM
- 17-40L
- 14L MK II

Photoshop CS5.

Thinking of either changing to lightroom, or upgrading to CS6. I have new PC I am building this week, going away from using a 42" plasma as my monitor (which is shocking to edit on) to 2 x 24" Dell U2412M monitors.

Quoting ckw (Reply 13): But really I'm not sure a listing of hardware/software used contributes to a "master class". In my mind, a master class should be equipment agnostic - its how you use what you've got that matters

Colin, I agree wholeheartedly, this was not what I had in mind when I raised the idea of a revived Masterclass

Quoting ckw (Reply 13): I'm still working with (and selling) images taken with a D60.

Canon or Nikon??
Having just reviewed much of my "back" catalog with the view to printing I found some really nice images made with the Canon D30.

Currently using 60D
Canon 10D as back up(30D died at a race meeting couple of months back)
Sigma 50-500
Canon 28-135is

Canon G12 (daily carry)

Next purchase 6D or 5DIII

Software- PSE 9, just upgraded to PSE 11 but don't like it, seems dumbed down and Organiser doesn't seem to work how I like it(might play with it on 2nd PC for a bit)
Have Alien Skin Exposure 4 plug in because I like to add "film" look to images but that will obviosly not be part of any Anet Masterclass

Quoting Stealthz (Reply 15): Canon or Nikon?? Having just reviewed much of my "back" catalog with the view to printing I found some really nice images made with the Canon D30.

Sorry should have said - Canon. I've used Canon since a 1978 AT-1 - and I suppose there is a master class tip in there ...
it really helps to get to know a camera and system thoroughly. Modern cameras are complex beasts and I doubt that anyone can extract all their goodness with a casual acquaintance. Some people seem to chop and change makes with alarming regularity. Don't chase rainbows - all cameras have strengths and weaknesses, and manufacturers regularly leapfrog in the "we are the best" stakes.

Part of successful photography is understanding your equipment's strengths and weaknesses and working with or around these as necessary.

BTW - I too had a D30 for a short while - image quality is still outstanding even by modern standards. If you want to see a truly noise free image, a well exposed D30 frame at 100 ISO takes some beating!

Cheers,

Colin

Currently, I'm using a Nikon D5000, with:
1. Nikkor 18-55 kit lens VR, for nearby planes. Espcially, for spotting locations in Jakarta-CGK
2. Nikkor 70-300VR, for normal spotting in my home airport, Surabaya (SUB)

Software:
As I don't have Photoshop or the likes in my laptop, I'm using the Microsoft Office Picture Manager and the Windows Live Photo gallery for my editing

Quoting ckw (Reply 16): I too had a D30 for a short while - image quality is still outstanding even by modern standards.

Still have mine.. might dust it off and see what I can do with it!!

Currently in use a 50D with:
1 EF 70-200 f4 IS usm
2 EF 17-40 f4 usm

others:
colorchecker passport

Software:
Photoshop CS6 (+ Nik plugins) and Lightroom 4

[Edited 2013-04-04 05:03:46]

Quoting Stealthz (Reply 18): Still have mine.. might dust it off and see what I can do with it!!

Sadly I don't   I bought mine about 1 month before the D60 was announced and the nice man in the camera shop let me exchange the D30 at full value for the D60.

I must say that though the image quality was great it was a pretty crap camera ... my previous camera had been an EOS-3 which was streets ahead. In fact I would say it wasn't until I got a 1Dii some years later that I felt I had a DSLR as good as my film camera.

Cheers,

Colin

Quoting Stealthz (Reply 15): Colin, I agree wholeheartedly, this was not what I had in mind when I raised the idea of a revived Masterclass

Feel free to get us started then.  

Quoting ckw (Reply 13): But really I'm not sure a listing of hardware/software used contributes to a "master class".

True, Colin, a simple listing will do no good and doesn't contribute to any learning effect but that is not the thread's intention. That's why, in the initial post, I asked about the photographers' experiences with the given equipment and what they use it for.

Quoting Stealthz (Reply 15): Colin, I agree wholeheartedly, this was not what I had in mind when I raised the idea of a revived Masterclass

Chris, I figured it wasn't but we gotta start somewhere, right?   I hope more Masterclass threads with different subjects will follow soon.

Quoting ckw (Reply 16): Part of successful photography is understanding your equipment's strengths and weaknesses and working with or around these as necessary.

Exactly! Now that would make for an interesting discussion, wouldn't it.
For instance as much as I love the Sigma 50-500mm, I can barely use it in low light conditions (as mentioned above); on top of that it is a heavy lens and in combination with the D700 I've to be very careful about vignetting when working in the long zoom ranges.

Thierry

I use Canon all the way out in my fingertips!  

Hardware:
Canon EOS 400D (this is/was my first dslr, as I've only been a photographer for 1-2 years)
Canon EOS 60D (on it's way from Hong Kong)
Canon 70-300mm 1:4-5:6 IS USM
Canon 18-55mm
Canon 28-90mm

Software:
Most often Photoshop CS6.

I don't have that much to say of either the software or hardware, but Ill put in a small comment about the 70-300 by Canon. It works well under 200mm, above it's a shame. Really soft. Next time Ill get a L lens for sure.

Eskil

Hi all,

My current equipment:

Canon 7D
EF 100-400
EF 24-105
Sigma 10-20

I'm quite happy with it right now although the high iso performance of the 7D could be better. Also, after it got wet in Tokyo last year the time/date is not saved with the EXIFs anymore which makes it quite hard to organize the pictures after long trips when multiple cards were in use.

Today's DSLRs are a bit like cars. They will all do the basic job and only special conditions require special equipment. For most of the pictures we get to see here a simple 1100D would be enough.

One feature I would love to have would be something like "auto-level". Some new Canons have a built-in artificial horizon that can be used when photographing non-moving objects. However, for moving objects it would be useful if the camera saved the information of its orientation within the EXIF files which then can be used by a software to automatically level the picture.

Stefan

Quoting whisperjet (Reply 24): One feature I would love to have would be something like "auto-level". Some new Canons have a built-in artificial horizon that can be used when photographing non-moving objects. However, for moving objects it would be useful if the camera saved the information of its orientation within the EXIF files which then can be used by a software to automatically level the picture.

The only problem about this is the fact that the gyroscope used for this purpose in smartphones (at present; and one which would be most likely to pop up in cameras) moves when you move. It seems to be more like a ball in a labyrinth so the actual vertical may not come up as vertical when you were panning. It just seems like something which wouldn't be so easy to resolve. Good idea though - one which could make it easier for both photographers and screeners!

Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 21): Feel free to get us started then.

Quoting thierryd (Reply 22): Chris, I figured it wasn't but we gotta start somewhere, right?

Ok Guys,
Have been toying with a tutorial .. ok.. "Masterclass"... not sure I am a master though!!

Panning .. slow shutter speed, working on documenting what I do..

Stay tuned but other ideas are welcome as well.

For those with skills and expertise .. propose a 'Class

For those with a desire to learn.. let us know what you want to learn.

For the hobby, to get nice professional results, two medium end DSLRs is normal. Somewhere in the range of 8-12 MPX. You do not need more. I use two Canon 10Ds that are 6.2 MPX in RAW and I have made posters of 24x36 inches without pixels showing so those would be nice

For lenses, I would choose something like this:

A wide angle of 14-20mm
A normal wide zoom 20-35mm
A good one that covers from 28-135mm
and a good level telephoto zoom like the Canon 28-300, or 100-400 with good glass.
For Nikon, the 80-400mm VR is a perfect lens.
For others, the Sigma 50-500mm or 150-500mm is also a nice lens.

Some use the top telephoto lenses like 400mm 2.8 or higher but those are very expensive, they have limited uses,
and you do not need 2.8 or wide apertures for aviation shooting unless you are doing night action.

Keep in mind that most tele zooms of high quality have the same low dispersion pro glass and you do not shoot planes at f2.8 for the most part. Most apertures run from f5.6 to f11.0 so there is no reason for a 2.8 lens when you don't need it. It also saves you money to buy additional camera body and perhaps a set of remote flashes to do some nice ground setups.

To be a professional level photographer you do not need 600mm or 800mm or none of those. What I mentioned is more than enough and saves you money in the long run.

My current equipment is:

7D
15 - 85 mm
24 - 105 mm L series
70 - 200 mm L series f4

I am still very much an amateur in photography. What i have learned through trial and error and reading what people say on here and other photography sites has helped me hugely! I have leaned from here that the best aperture values are between 5 and 11, then for someone like me who does not have the steadiest hand I may have to sacrifice some aperture for more shutter speed so I don't get the blurry photos!

I also tend to use centre spot focusing. Before I did this I found that was getting a number of out of focus photos as it was not focusing where I wanted it to.

Cheers

William