I received an email message about another photographer’s impression of the Canon Wide Angle Adapter for the Canon Powershot G9. It differs greatly with my own experience.

“I think your Canon WC-DC58B lens for the G9 must have been a bad sample. I’ve had reasonably good results from the little work I’ve done with mine. The corners are definitely soft, and there’s a lot of CA and barrel distortion. The latter can be corrected in SilkyPix and the former can *mostly* be eliminated in the same software. Here’s an sample taken using my G9 and WC-DC58B (on a Lensmate), developed using SilkPix:

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajcarr/2341545476/>

In ‘All Sizes’ you can see the full-resolution image to pixel-peep the corners, but I certainly don’t have any objections to the centre or even edge resolution (just the corners). It must be said that the Canon TC-DC58C for long focal lengths is a much better piece of glass (probably far easier to design, as well). Looking at the samples on the Lensmate site, the Raynox lenses are substantially worse than the Canon lenses (although the Raynox macro adaptor DCR-250 seems to work extremely well).

Anyhow, many thanks for your very informative and interesting blog.

Best regards,

Alun”

I respect the opinion of others who have tried the same gear as I have. And frankly, Alun’s shots are excellent.

Just goes to show you, opinions vary. Always consult more than one person when making a decision about gear!

I received an email from a reader this morning inquiring about the use of a supplemental wide angle lenses with the Canon Powershot G9.

The inquiry reads:

“Really enjoyed your article and amazing photos. In fact, it provides inspiration to pick up the camera and go out and shoot some photos.

“Any suggestions on lenses for the G9?”

And here is my response:

About a week ago I ordered the Canon wide-angle lens for my G9. I had previously bought the G9/G7 Lensmate adapter, which is necessary to mount supplementary lenses. The Lensmate adapter is of very high quality, made of aluminum instead of the plastic model sold by Canon. I am pleased with the adapter. I also bought a circular polarizer and a UV filter for use with the adapter.

I went out shooting with the Canon wide angle lens, excited that I had a relatively small unit that got me to about 21mm, but I was soon disappointed with the quality of the shots. The images were soft, showed a great deal of chromatic aberrations and were all unacceptable to me. So, I returned the lens to B&H Photo Video for a refund.

In sum, you likely will be disappointed with a wide angle lens mounted on the G9. I do not recommend buying one.

Instead, you may wish to purchase just the Lensmate adapter for use with filters and not mount any supplementary lenses.

I know it is disappointing not to have that extra width for doing travel photography, especially landscapes. But one alternative that works very well is simply to take two shots, set at manual exposure, and then stitch them using Photoshop. Canon offers you the ability to make panoramic images, unfortunately in JPEG only! But, frankly, I did some shots while in the Galapagos and again in Alaska using the G9 in that mode and I was very pleased with the images once stitched together.

Then, you have to ask yourself how small you want to keep the unit, that is for travel. With the Lensmate adapter attached, it is no longer possible to put the camera in a coat pocket, which sometimes is a tad inconvenient. I often take the adapter off simply because I want to keep the camera handy and as unobtrusive as possible. Then, when I am serious about doing a landscape I can always mount the adapter and add filters as necessary.

Another big disadvantage to the Lensmate adapter is that you can no longer use the viewfinder to take shots. That’s because the adapter hides the scene in front of you! Course, the viewfinder is a bit difficult to use anyway because it is not exactly “what you see is what you get” implementation. But I was trained to use a viewfinder and I work best in that mode.

In sum,

1. I do not recommend using supplemental lenses with the Canon G9, serious image degradation will occur.
2. I recommend the Lensmate adapter for mounting filters, it is much better quality than the Canon offering.
3. In most circumstances working with the G9 in the real world is best done without the Lensmate adapter attached as it gives you the ability to use the viewfinder for composition, although WYSINWYG!

By the way, I have been forced to turn off comments for my blog due to the hundreds of spam comments I receive each day, all of them totally disgusting! Sorry, a blog should be a two-way dialog but the world is filled with people who take advantage of guys like me who do not know how to implement good spam blocking software. I apologize for that.

If you want to contact me simply go to my website and click on the “About” selection, my email address is there. I welcome your email and will respond to each message.

Sometimes we think the light is bad; yet there may be enough light to find something interesting to capture. We often think that photographs must be sharp, have wondrous details, and be perfectly exposed. In reality, we have the choice to find just an impression. As in this shot.

We should remember to capture what we can, when we can. After all, life is nothing more than an impression anyway.

I think it might be good to talk about what was going through my mind while taking a specific photograph. From time to time I will do this, to share with you my thoughts and feelings as they occurred when the shot was taken.

Camera: Canon 1D Mark II N
Lens: Sigma 50-500mm
Exposure: 1/1000, f/8, ISO 400 at 500mm
Support: Manfrotto Monopod

The experience of walking on foot while photographing brown bears is different, one might say the experience is spiritual. And this photograph has a permanent place in my memory for it is special. Special, because all of the elements that make a good photograph an outstanding photograph, came together in a short space of time.

It was early in the morning and my field guide, Drew, said it was low tide and that we should explore the beach near Silver Salmon Creek Lodge to see if any of the bears were there digging clams. It was very misty that morning, but we could make out a large bear on the beach about 200 meters from where we stood on the shore. So we started walking toward the bear at a slow and steady pace, sometimes wading through small puddles of salt water and little streams that were still moving toward the sea as the tide was still receding.

The bear was lying down on it’s stomach, relaxing. And I was concerned that I would not be able to get a good shot because of it’s posture. But, as we approached the bear stood up and turned facing us as if to say, “good morning.” And, just then the bear turned slightly and the light changed dramatically, providing a perfect window of time to shoot. I was totally excited and filled with joy as I shot frame after frame.

But this frame was special. In fact, it has won several awards: Wildlife Photo of the Week at Nature Scapes Net, featured photo of the day, featured photo of the week, and finalist as the people’s choice award at Photopoints, and it won photo of the week at Inspiring Photography!

But for me, recognition for the photograph is not important, what is truly important to me is the memory of how the bear, the mist, the light, and the opportunity all came together at that second in time.

Many who know me would describe my personality as obsessive compulsive. I am always considering options, always looking at new stuff, and the reason is that I want to do better photography. So, I read extensively about new products, and each day I read lots of reviews about equipment for doing digital photography. Lately it has been overly obsessive.

Seems I am obsessed about a small camera that produces very high quality photographs. So far, despite all my trials, I have failed to find it.

I love the Canon Powershot G9. A very small camera that does produce some outstanding images. But, frankly, it still is not what I am looking for. I read and read and read about the Leica M8. I did so because I know wonderful the lenses are that Leica makes. But, bottom line is that the Leica M8 is a major disappointment for many, including lots of photographers who have used Leica cameras for years.

After all the reviews, I even looked at the idea of putting a Leica lens on a Canon DSLR. But then, you must have special adapters, and you have to go through complex tables to figure out which lens will work or not work. It seemed overly zealous to me. Despite the fact that I have seen some very excellent images produced using this combination.

And, I considered upgrading my Canon gear to the 1Ds Mark III. This is an expensive consideration. What would I gain? Well, more megapixels, newer technology, etc. etc. But after looking at shots done with the III and knew that the 1Ds Mark II produced images just as good.

Then, I remembered. It’s not the camera dumb dumb, it’s the glass. Yep, the glass.

And frankly I own some dern good glass. The 24-105, the 16-35, and the 300mm f/4. And then there is my old reliable, the 100-400mm. And I own a “good” one, the images I get with it are sharp as it gets.

Sure, I would love to owe a 300mm f/2.8 and a 500mm f/4. But WOW they are expensive.

So, I am back to my kit: the 1D Mark IIn, and the 1Ds Mark II, and some good glass.

Yep, I still have the Powershot G9.

Bottom line is that I am keeping what I have. And I am through with looking more. I spend entirely too much time worrying about what is next, what great technology I am missing, which camera to buy, what lens is just perfect, and all that kind of stuff.

Sure Canon and Nikon and other manufacturers will produce some nice gear in the next two years. Yep, some nice gear. But this photog is gonna start using what I have and spend my time doing photography.

Sometime ago I signed up for Truphone. It’s a service that works with specific cellular telephones that have wifi capability. What Truphone does is link your cellular telephone to the Internet and then allows you to make telephone calls for free, or for substantially less than you would pay your cellular service. In other words, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol).

How does it work?

If you happen to be near a hotspot, such as a hotel, or even at home, you simply link your wifi-enabled phone to a wirless router and then place a telephone call to a regular telephone somewhere else in the world. In most instances such calls are free. Yep, free. You can also place calls to cellular telephones in other countries as well, but the charge for that is a tad higher, around $.10 per minute, but heck that’s really cheap.

But things just got better. Now you can place a VOIP call from anywhere your cellular telephone has a cellular signal. Yep, anywhere. There is a charge for this service, again around $.10 per minute.

I own the Nokia E61 phone, it is wifi-enabled. So, when traveling internationally, in the past I have called my family for free, mostly when I was in a hotel with a wireless Internet service available. As well, many Internet cafes offer the same service for free, if you buy a cup of coffee.

Recently I was in Scotland, staying at a hotel, I called my family using my E61, talked for 47 minutes. What did it cost me? Nothing, zero, zit. The call was totally free. Now, let me compare what the call would have cost if I had used T-mobile, my cellular carrier. It would have been $1.85 per minute or $86.95!

I hope you get the idea here, if you travel internationally, the Truphone service can save you a bundle.

But, now things are even better. I can make such a call from anywhere my cell phone has a cellular connection. So, let’s say I am at a friend’s house and he wants to call his sister who is in the United Kingdom. Not a problem. I just dial the International telephone number with a + sign and use the country code for that country, it is really quite simple to do, and walla, my cell phone connects to a router somewhere in the United States using my T-mobile service, the router then places the call through the Internet to my friend’s sister in the United Kingdom. It will cost me about $.10 a minute for the call, but heck it’s worth a buck or two to see my friend happy. BTW, I can also call a cellular telephone number in most countries of the world the same way. As long as you have the correct phone number it works seamlessly.

So how’s the quality? Just as good as any other call. Yep, just as good.

Currently, Truphone only works with selected Nokia phones, you can see a list here.

And, for those of you who have iPhones, the Truphone folks are currently at work developing software that will do the same thing on the iPhone.

I like technology and I really like it when it saves me money. You might go have a look at the Truphone service, especially if you travel Internationally or you have friends or family who live in other countries, it’s a great way to stay in touch, sometimes for free.

In 2006, I traveled to Alaska seeking the opportunity to photograph Bald Eagles. During that trip I had the opportunity to photograph Brown Bears at Hallo Bay. The experiences of 2006 were heavy on my mind in planning my most recent trip to Alaska, this time I wanted to have a longer opportunity to photograph Brown Bears and to explore more areas of the Kenai Peninsula in search of Bald Eagles. The two goals came together in my planning.

Now that I have returned, I want to provide a very detailed and long post about the trip, including some recommendations about where to go, where to stay, and what equipment I found useful during my journey. This post will also be published at Photo Travel Review. And soon I will announce a Photo Travel Review Seminar next year at this same place and in late May and early June. The seminar will be made available to six photographers. Details and costs for the trip will be posted when completed.

This article will take a long time to write, because the experiences were so vast, and the images I have captured both as still photographs and real-world videos will require hundreds of hours to process over the weeks ahead. Thus, this article will be continued from time to time as I process what I captured and my thoughts about the journey spring forth in words.

One of my goals in doing photography has always been to capture the soul of the land and the animals I find in my journeys. This trip brought that goal to me in a dynamic and wonderful way, as is shown in this photograph of a Brown Bear which I have titled “Contact.”

It was Chris Day who taught me how to approach Brown Bears and to have no fear of them. My guide Drew, on this trip, taught me even more about their behaviors, their dependence and interaction with the environment, and yes, the dangers of interacting with them. Despite the concerns of my family and friends about approaching Brown Bears, and the admonitions of my guide Drew about the dangers of such experiences, at no time during this journey did I experience fear. And, frankly, I think the bears I met could sense that from me.

Philosophically, this journey confirmed my belief that all that exists is one living soul; interdependent and interactive, with unique and individual perceptions of the life experience. Yes, indeed, Brown Bears are individuals, with unique personalities, just like the human species. And yes, their life experience is unique to them, and their need to survive is not unlike what we consider each day. And how one interacts with them must be based on mutual respect, for like us, they too fear what their experiences have taught them is dangerous to themselves.

But I digress.

Let me start again and talk about how I got to within 15 feet of Brown Bears in Alaska.

Time of the year is important if one wants to photograph both Bald Eagles and Brown Bears. Late May and early June are ideal for lots of reasons. First is the opening of fishing season in Alaska. That is important because fishermen/women often clean their fish on Alaska’s beaches and leave the remains there. And Bald Eagles flock to the beaches to enjoy the fresh carcasses. And this time of year is when Brown Bears leave their dens in the mountains to find food along the coastal regions of Alaska’s magnificent bays. Early June is just prior to tourist season, so there are fewer people around, and accommodations are generally less expensive than one will experience in July or August. It is also the perfect time to visit Alaska because the winter is ending and temperatures are generally milder with splendid days of sunshine (not always true, it rains constantly in Alaska). So, the time was set for late May and early June.

My experience in 2006 took me back to the Kenai Peninsula and the Homer, Alaska, area. I again booked a cottage with my friends Marti and Rick at Raspbeary Hill. And, after considerable research, I booked a week at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, which many photographers had suggested was an ideal place to photograph Brown Bears. I flew into Anchorage, rented a four-wheel drive vehicle, drove to Homer, then spent a week exploring the beaches just north of that area using the vehicle to traverse the rugged coastline. I flew from Homer to Silver Salmon Creek Lodge via a small aircraft operated by Homer Air and landed on the beach near the lodge. That experience was special, and later in this blog post I will post a video of that flight both in and out of the area.

The general area is seen in this Google Map. I have place-marked four areas mentioned in this post.

One of the delights was my first day at Anchor Point Beach. Fantastic light greeted me as did two very cooperative Bald Eagles. The shot below was done with the Canon 1Ds II and the fabulous Canon 200mm f/2,.8L lens.

This next shot was done with the Canon G9. That’s right, the Canon G9! Who says you can’t do good photography with a point and shoot camera.

Then the weather got wet. Really wet and cloudy. And it affected my photography both good and bad. Good because the light was diffused and bad because I was constantly having to wipe rain off my lens. And, combined with wet, it was cold, in the 40s most of the time along with a hefty wind. Thus the wind-chill affected my movements along the coastline. Here is a shot done with the Canon 1DIIn and the Sigma 50-500mm lens.

I did find some excellent results, as is shown in this photo of a juvenile Bald Eagle, which reminds me of a portrait of an old man.

One of my major goals was to photograph Brown Bears on this journey. For those of you unfamiliar with how to do this, I have prepared this short video, which you can view below. BTW, this is a tongue in cheek video, so don’t forget to laugh a little.

In fact, I got so wrapped up in doing bear photography that I thought it would be a good idea to put together a seminar next year and invite some other photographers to join me. Besides, it’s a good way to pay my expenses for the trip. If interested, you can find out all about the seminar at Photo Travel Review by clicking on this link.

Yes, I know, it’s expensive, but one must remember that everything is expensive in Alaska, and especially travel to a remote lodge where everything must be brought in by airplane or boat. But, despite the expense, the trip will be something you will remember for the rest of your life. If you like adventure, I promise you this trip will be one unlike any other you have experienced.

One example happened to me one morning at low tide. My guide, Drew, took me out to the beach during the early morning fog and we found this bear that was digging clams just at daylight. The diffused light made this photograph something special. Some have described it as both surreal and ethereal.

I know that the shot is one I will always treasure for no other reason than simply to make me recall that magical scene. Such is the stuff one finds in places less traveled.

Course, there is Bald Eagle photography too, something I keep forgetting. Although I did make a short video about doing that kind of photography too.

(To Be Continued)

Google never ceases to amaze me, the company is innovative and constantly doing stuff that is both useful and interesting.

I knew about “My Maps” in Google Maps, but I had never thought about the idea of using the interface for websites. Then a friend who works on the Photo Travel Review team, showed me how Google Maps can be of great use on a website. Go have at look here. WOW, a way to show others places along with photos, thus making the website far more interesting than was possible in the past. And, it’s easy to do.

So, I tried creating a map myself, one that just showed a few places I had been on the earth, along with links to larger photographs taken at the spots, and links to articles I had written about the places. Really cool stuff. Go have a look here.

The use of this capability is simply endless. Others have done some innovative things. My friend, Phil Colla, is now using both Google Maps and Google Earth in a really neat way on his website. Others have done some impressive things as well, like folks at Fotonatura.

I have used links to Google Earth to display some of my treks. One trek involved my trip from a boat to the top of Bartolme in the Galapagos Islands. You can view that trek here, (you need Google Earth installed on your PC or Mac to view this link).

At Photo Travel Review we hope to make use of this technology more often with our articles and reviews, giving our visitors a new experience in going to places and actually seeing quality images taken at the same spots. That, is innovative I think and it’s the sort of idea that makes good websites better. Here is another example of using this technology in an article.

Now, I need to call my stock broker and buy some Google stock, should have done that a long time ago.

I’m clumsy, it’s because I’m tall, and sometimes getting to that perfect location to take a photograph is a real chore for me. Recently, while in England, a friend made me trek up Twistelton Scar to photograph an area that is simply amazing. Before we started the climb, she loaned me one of her walking sticks, cause I was whining. I whine alot when I’m about to start a long hike. Well, gosh, the walking stick really helped me get up the hill (I would describe it as a mountain, but that’s because I live in Florida). And after our six-hour trek, I returned the walking stick to my friend with my thanks.

When I returned from England to Florida I thought about how useful the walking stick was for me. It helped me get across streams filled with slippery rocks, it helped me climb rocky areas, and it kept me from falling down on icy rocks at the top of the scar. So, I thought, well, I need to buy one to take with me on my next photo travel adventure. Then, I got to looking at my monopod, duh, I usually pack one on a trip. Why not turn the monopod into a walking stick? Course, it is a walking stick as it is and needs no modifications. That is, except for the screw head at the top, the one you mount into your camera or lens. It protrudes out. And it does not have the refined look I wanted. So, I got to thinking about something that I could screw on top of the monopod that would make it look cool. So, I went into my garage and started looking around. I found an old cabinet knob that had the right screw diameter. I just screwed it onto the monopod, and walla, I now have a cool looking walking stick that serves two purposes, one for walking in tough terrain, and one for use with my camera.

Cabinet knobs come in an incredible array of styles and sizes. Some of them have really cool metal designs. Like this one made of pewter and has a raised sea turtle. I like turtles. A trip to a local building supply store might be a good idea. There are so many styles available it is likely that you will have a tough time deciding which one looks best on your monopod. The key is to find a cabinet knob that has the right screw size. Most monopods that screw into a camera or lens directly are 1/4″ in size. Just look around for a cabinet knob that has that diameter and your’re in business.

And now, when I’m in Scotland, I can walk into a pub and not be concerned about what others might think about me using a monopod as a walking stick, cause it really looks cool. And to think, I almost bought an unnecessary walking stick for lots of bucks when I already owned the perfect solution. And, BTW, sometimes when I’m roaming around the swamps of Florida, I run across a rattle snake. The monopod is really handy to move it out of my way.

BTW, stop by Photo Travel Review, an exciting new website that myself and two other photographers have created, and check out our Gear Tab for more suggestions on useful stuff.

Two other photographers have joined me in the creation of a new Internet site devoted to photography and travel.

Photo Travel Review will present articles about photography and travel, list photographic seminars, tours, and workshops, review seminars, review equipment associated with photography and travel, evaluate tour companies, and provide others the opportunity to write articles as guests.

The idea for the Internet website grew out of our frustration about finding one place where one could go to explore opportunities for doing photography and improving our skills. There was no Internet website that gathered this information into one place. So, Photo Travel Review was created.

I hope you take the time to visit the website and provide me with feedback regarding content you would like to see posted there. As well, if you would like to write a photo travel article, let me know, we are looking for articles about remote locations throughout the world.