Miscellaneous equipment and supplies
A personal computer is Not Required but strongly recommended
Items with an * are required on the 1st day of class.
2nd Year Equipment Requirements
Below is more detailed information about the equipment specified above.
We REQUIRE either the Nikon and Canon digital SLR cameras and a camera with at least 6 mega pixels. Nikon and Canon have been producing professional quality film and digital cameras and are the most established in the profession. Another advantage of concentrating on these two brands is that other students are likely to have lenses and accessories they may share with their friends.
Six mega pixel cameras break a barrier in digital imaging where digital capture compares with film capture. If you have a DSLR camera other than these specified you must get approval before starting the program. Generally camera bodies with the last three generation models from these manufacturers are acceptable.
Acceptable |
Better These are cameras we recommend at the present. |
Exceptional Cameras but not recommended because of their complexity |
|
Canon |
|||
|
20D, 30D |
40D 5D
|
1Ds Mark II 1Ds Mark III 1D Mark II 1D Mark III |
Nikon |
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D70, D70s, D200 |
D300 D700 |
D2X D3 |
|
Digital Photography Review is a good site to compare different brands and models
What the Faculty Have...
Currently
Buck Mills has the Nikon D2X
Derek Johnston (Canon 20D)
Klaus Kocher (actually doesn't shoot digital (YET))
Scot Gerdes (Canon 20D)
This recommendation has become more difficult in digital SLR's because of the different sensor sizes. What defines the desirable focal length is the angle of view. I would highly recommend you get the best quality lens you can afford. The quality of the lens/glass has become exceedingly important with the high resolving power of the newer DSLR cameras.
A high quality fast zoom lens
with an angle of view range that includes the normal 47 degrees
but is also wider and narrower than the normal.
Camera manufactured
lenses recommended. (i.e. Nikon, Canon.)
Lens speed of f/2.8
to f/4 preferable.
A high quality, fast wide angle zoom
lens with an angle of view range of approximately 85-72 degrees
A high quality, fast middle zoom
lens with an angle of view range of approximately 75-28 degrees
A high quality, fast telephoto zoom
lens with an angle of view range of approximately 28-8 degrees
| Canon Fit (Smaller Sensor) | Acceptable | Better | Best |
Normal Focal Range |
Canon EFS 18-55 IS | Canon EFS 17-85 IS | EFS 17-55 2.8 IS |
Wide angle Range |
Canon EFS 10-22 Sigma 10-20 |
EF 16-35 L | Canon 17-40L |
Telephoto Long Range |
EFS 55-250 IS | EF 70-200F4L IS | EF 70-200 2.8L IS |
| Nikon Fit | |||
Normal Focal Range |
Nikon 18-55VR DX
|
Nikon 18-70 DX Nikon 16-85 VR DX |
Nikon 17-55 2.8 AFS |
|
Sigma 10-20 | Nikon 12-24 3.5 Nikon 14-24 2.8 |
Nikon 17-35 2.8 |
|
Nikon 55-200 VR DX | Nikon 70-300 VR | Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR Nikon 80-400 VR |
Sites that have lens quality ratings for many of the better lenses.
Digital Photography Review has also begun a lens testing section but it is currently somewhat limited.
We are recommending students have (3) smaller storage cards to begin the program. These cards should probably be 1 gig cards minimum. In the beginning the actual cards may be submitted with assignments and returned when graded. One card should be capable of storing the images exposed for that assignment. Images will be transferred to CD, DVD and portable hard drives clearing the cards for reuse. (Lexar and Sandisk cards recommended)
Portable FireWire Powered Hard Drive
A FireWire Powered Hard Drive is required for students to store their images while working on them for current assignments. This drive will be required after the third or forth week. When these drives are plugged into the FireWire ports on the computers, the need for AC power is eliminated. We require this specfic type of drive to avoid the excessive wiring needed for non-friewire powered drives. It is simply impossible to provide the number of AC outlets for all the computers, monitors, printers and scanners and still have AC for each students hard drive. It would simply be a wiring nightmare. FireWire is also the fastest method of saving files. If a student owns their on computer with a FireWire port (preferably FireWire 800), it is also the easiest method of transferring files from computer to computer.
The Smartdisk Firelite Firewire, Lacie Mobile Firewire and OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro are some acceptable drives for this requirement.
After assignments are finished, students can back them up on DVDs or additional hard drives and recover space on their Portable Hard Drives for future assignment work.
-Not Acceptable-
The Epson P2000/4000, Smartdisk Flashtrax or other compact flash direct to hard-drive are currently NOT acceptable for your main image storage device. These are nice as a second device but do not perform as well as a day to day storage device in our labs since they are not BUS powered.
In addition a larger plug in style hard drive would be recommended for student who have their own personal computer. This is used as a back up for the files on the portable drive.
For 1st year a 'Ball' head would be fine and may be desirable, for 2nd year a Pan/Tilt head is 'Required', the Pan/Tilt head would be acceptable for both 1st and 2nd years. Tripods seem to be an under estimated piece of equipment. A bad tripod is probably more of a hindrance than a help. A good tripod should be sturdy, tall enough to be used without crouching and convenient to use. A bad tripod can too often lead to a false sense of security. Unfortunately a good tripod frequently means a tripod that is larger and heavier than you would really love.
Suggested brands:
Heavy duty (First and second year)
Manfrotto/Bogen
055XPro B Tripod and 808 RC4 head
INDURO
Carbox 8x C Series C 313
Alloy 6M A-Series A313
A Pan/Tilt head is required regardless of which tripod is purchased. The Manfrotto 808 RC4 head is required for 2nd year and can be mounted on any tripod.
There are substantial student discounts available once student's are enrolled in a photography program through Bogan and The MAC (Mamiya America Corporation) Group. Proof of registration in a program is required.
Camera Filters
A skylight, 1A, 1B or UV filter should be purchased for each camera lens. Filter quality is important since it is a part of the optical system. I recommend either B&W or Heliopan as 1st choice; Hoya 2nd and Tiffen as 3rd. The filter primarily acts to protect the front element of the lens but a poor quality filter will degrade image quality.
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED SECOND YEAR:
In the second year of the program extensive work is done with a large format (4x5 inch) view camera. We recommend that student lease the equipment from us rather than purchasing their own.CMC has (20) 4x5 view camera available for lease to students. These cameras are equipped with 210mm lenses. This equipment may need to be shared with others as student numbers dictate. Students who choose the lease option still need to purchase Polaroid film and a good quality focusing Loupe We have additional lenses and accessories for those people leasing the cameras from us. Second year students enrolled in the Photography curriculum will be required to have the following camera beginning with the first day of classes of any semester. This information will be covered in more detail in the Spring Semester before second year.
In addition to the same equipment & supplies as required for the first year students.
A
tripod suitable for Large Format (4x5) Camera (See Recommendations)
A focusing cloth. A homemade one 4'x5' or 5' x6' of white cotton
material on one side and black cotton fabric on the other side
is ideal.
A small retractable tape measure.
A self-locking cable release. (Buy two and use one for a spare)
A reliable and multipurpose flash/ambient light meter (See Recommendations)
An
AC to PC sync cord
A reliable multipurpose flash/ambient light meter. Invest in a quality one. A good ambient flash meter will serve the student for both first year, second year, and after graduation
Sekonic L-358 or Sekonic L-758DR Digital Master
The MAC (Mamiya America Corporation) Group provides substantial discounts on these meters to students. Proof of registration in a program is required.
Computers (Not a requirement but highly recommended)
Many times we are asked to recommend a computer for use in the program. The Macintosh is the platform used by all photography and graphic design courses in the Professional Photography Program. My personal recommendation would be a Mac because it is most compatible with the work done in the most advance classes, but it is possible to use either platform provided you own the appropriate software.
The Monitor is another important consideration. Laptop screens are not acceptable for most digital imaging work. I work on a laptop 90% of the time but when working on photo images I usually connect the laptop to an external monitor. So if purchasing a laptop be certain you can connect an external monitor. As much RAM as you can get, 2 gigs of ram minimum.
Whatever computer you choose, the computer doesn't help if you don't have the software. Microsoft Office (primarily Word) and Adobe Photoshop CS3 are crucial (It is important to have the same version as we are using in the program) an additional program Microsoft Expressions Media is used beginning in the 2nd semester. Apple iLife 08 which includes iPhoto, iMovie HD and iDVD is used in the 1st semester.
The portable firewire drive listed earlier allows easy transfer of files from your personal computer to our lab.
A good Mac combination would the Macbook Pro 15" with a 20" Mac Cinema Display, 4 gig of RAM
While all the needed items of equipment seem to make the cost
of the program expensive, this cost should be considered in
its proper perspective. The student who graduates from this
program and elects to operate a private business will have a
good deal of the equipment to start such a business upon graduating.
The student who does not elect to be self-employed after graduating
may no longer need some of the equipment because the employer
will furnish what is needed on the job. This student can sell
the equipment and regain a sizable portion of the total investment,
thereby reducing the program cost considerably. It is common
practice for a number of our graduating students to sell equipment
to freshmen at the year's end.
Students having difficulties securing items of making decisions on various products can obtain advice by writing or calling a member of the photographic faculty or lab technician.
Note: Information contained herein is subject to change without notice.
Prices for equipment and supplies are not given in this list because they vary considerably from location to location, dealer to dealer, and whether they are new or used. In general, students spend in excess of $3000 for new camera hardware over the two-year period. Consumable supplies (film, paper, etc.) expenses also vary with each individual and are dependent upon how conservative each student is and how much photographic work is produced.
Several Manufacturers provide special pricing
for students enrolled in a photography program. These include
Gitzo, Bogen, Sekonic, Gossen, Mamiya, Tenba and Toyo-view.
Unfortunately neither of the recommended DSLR manufacturers
offer any special pricing but some dealers will give an extra
10% or so off their normal price. It never hurts to ask.
(Gitzo & Bogen make tripods, Sekonic & Gossen light meters,
Tenba makes camera bags)
Bensenville, Illinois 60106
1-800-992-9626
1-800-Calumet
Global Imaging
Louisville, CO 800-787-9801
B & H Photo
www.bhphoto.com