Well, finally, it’s the last day, number 12. In the song, twelve drummers drumming. See Day 11 for how I would also feel about this gift. To close this chapter, I wanted to touch on some other popular items I particularly liked this year.
For me, since I’m in Asia, it’s already Christmas, and my messaging inboxes are filled with Christmas wishes, so a little early for some of you this year – Merry Christmas and I hope your photography dreams come true.
If you notice anything about the way Craig and I talk about gear, it’s that I usually focus on the middle to the low end of the gear. Craig usually focuses on the higher end and telephoto (don’t get us started on the zoom/telephoto debate and the cropping debate). However, we agreed with the first selection and were puzzled by the initial reaction of this lens. I think this is a lens that, as 2024 turns into 2025 and beyond, will become one of those gear favourites of the RF mount.
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM
Canon has never made a prosumer-standard fast f/2.8 zoom, and no one makes one as small as this one. Measuring just 3 x 3.6″ / 76.5 x 92.2 mm and weighing in at 495g (1.09 lbs), it’s a compact, fast, normal zoom that is perfect for the smaller full-frame mirrorless cameras. I appreciated Canon coming out with the fantastic f1.4L this year and the R5 Mark II and R1 camera bodies, but for me, this was one of the best things that Canon introduced this year.
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM
- Full-Frame | f/2.8 to f/22
- Compact & Fast Standard Zoom
- Stepper Motor (STM) Autofocus
- Optical Image Stabilizer
- Collapsible Design
- Customizable Control Ring
- Two UD and Two Aspherical Elements
- Super Spectra Coating (SSC)
- Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
Kolari Pocket Full Spectrum Camera
The next one is one of the pet photography projects I enjoy: infrared photography. But it’s not for everyone – and finding out if it’s for you can be a very costly adventure, and this is where this camera becomes important. Usually, for infrared cameras, you need to convert a secondary or older camera’s sensor to photograph the full light spectrum as efficiently as possible and then purchase filters. The camera conversion alone is usually $300-$400, depending on the camera and then the filters on top of that.
Kolari has you covered for a pre-converted compact camera that allows you to experiment with infrared photography and determine if it’s a thing for you.
While most compact cameras have lost out to smartphone cameras in terms of quality over the last half a decade or more, this is one area in which smartphones cannot compete. I have this camera, and I highly recommend it as an infrared starter camera.
I recommend the three filter + IR Chrome filter set.
Kolari Pocket Full Spectrum Camera
- Canon ELPH 180 Digital Camera (converted to full-spectrum)
- Rechargeable battery
- Charger
- Wriststrap
- Camera Starting Guide
That is it for this series, and I wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe Christmas!
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