Peter Read Miller Sports Workshop: Gear Part 2
All the grip stuff is fun but without cameras and lenses you can’t really take any photos. Here’s what’s coming to Atlanta to actually take pictures.
The bodies are easy: three Canon 5D Mk IIIs. Two have vertical grips (one from Canon, the other some generic knock-off brand). Both vertical grips have the all-important AF point 9-way controller so I can quickly change AF points when holding the cameras vertically.
The third body has earrings. They’re split-rings mounted to the camera strap connections so I have somewhere to attach a safety cable.
Why three bodies? For basketball I’ll typically run two with me physically, one with a long lens and one with a wide lens, and then the third as a remote camera somewhere. I’ve never shot football before but from what I’ve read I’ll have all three on my person for that. Yikes!
I’m honestly not sure how much I’ll use the vertical grips. I just started using them for this Storm season and am still figuring out if they’re worth lugging around.
Here’s the lens lineup:
From left to right:
- Canon EF 1.4x extender
- Rokinon 14mm
- Canon 17-40 f/4.0L
- Canon 24-70 f/2.8L
- Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS II
- Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS
I’m also bringing lens hoods for all the Canon lenses.
My workhorse lenses for shooting basketball are the three on the right. The 17-40 is what I typically use behind the glass on a remote camera. The 14mm is coming along for fun. The 1.4x is along for football to give me some extra reach on the 300mm.
All of the bodies and every lens (with hood!) except the 300mm fit in my Think Tank Airport Navigator. It’s a crazy, crazy, bag!