This page is quite outdated. My gear is no longer what is listed here. Watch out for new content!

Let me start by sharing a little secret - I didn’t know what an SLR was until 2005. And in fact, photography is a hobby I took up seriously only in 2002/3, when an uncle presented me with a film point and shoot. But since that camera used film, I had to be very frugal with my exposures. Digital photography has changed all this, helping me easily scale the learning curve. But ever since I stepped into the world of SLRs, my spending on photography has hit the roof and I find myself precariously balancing on the edge many times.

Let me rewind to late 2004 when I picked up my first digital camera - the Canon A95. A lot of research and thinking had gone into this purchase, but even at that time I didn’t know what an SLR was. I exhausted all the possibilities with the A95 in around a year and was a regular on Dpreview.com. Thats when I began reading about SLRs. By then they seemed affordable too. So I bought my first SLR in late 2005 - the Canon 350D. I now own an assortment of lenses and accessories, and its been a great journey so far. I currently shoot with:

1. Canon 350D (aka Rebel XT) - This is actually my second Rebel XT, after a misadventure of selling my first one.
2. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM - My first L lens (yea baby!). Totally love it. But I am gunning for the recently released IS version.
3. Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) - quite a mouthful, but a very good lens. If you are looking for a good third party lens, consider this or the recently introduced Tamron 17-50mm I sold this lens in October, 07. Now I use the Canon 35mm f/2.
4. Canon Speedlite 580EX Flash - This is a joy to use although it doesn’t come out of my bag often. But there’s lots to experiment with Flash photography, especially when shooting glamour/fashion (read: pretty women).
5. Feisol CT-3401N Carbon Fibre Tripod - This is one piece of equipment I cannot do without. Since it is lightweight I have no problems taking it out on hikes and treks. It made a journey from Taiwan to the US before reaching me (just to avoid the Indian Customs). If you are looking for a sturdy CF tripod, consider this. VFM.
6. Manfrotto 488 w/ RC0 ball head - I purchased this locally. Nice semi-pro ball head.
7. Lowepro Orion AW All Weather Convertible Beltpack/Backpack - Any piece of equipment should withstand the strain of real world use, and that is exactly how I have concluded this bag to be very good. I used this backpack to carry my equipment when I trekked in Himachal and it has saved my gear from the forces of nature - rain, shine and even snow! I have made modifications to it, but I have to admit that it is still not the perfect camera bag (and I believe there is none). This was designed for the photographer to be able to quickly access his gear, but it fallls short of expectations. The ThinkTank, a similar concept, seems to do a better job of quick accessibility.
8. Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM - A recent addition to my bag, I am yet to fully explore this lens.

I owned the Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM Aspherical Ultra Wide Angle for a while and it was good while it lasted (my copy wasn’t stellar in performance, but I’ve heard this lens can do better). I have my eyes set on the Canon 10-22mm or Tokina 12-24mm now.

Apart from this, I own a bunch of accessories like the Upstrap (good stuff), Lenspen, Graycard, Op/Tech USA Tripod Strap, Gorillapod, OC-E3 Off camera shoe chord etc. I use the Zen Vision W as my backup device. It also serves me well as a portable media player.

So what do I like to shoot? Landscapes and street. I am really not an avian/wildlife shooter, although I wouldn’t mind doing portraits. But frankly, these genres don’t mean much to me. Good photographs mean more. And I always dream of getting a chance to work at exotic locations or with great photographers, observing and learning their techniques.

And if you noticed, I am wholly into digital photography. Film photography is something I wish to explore. Especially black and white film photography. Another area I have not ventured into is Macro photography. So much to do, so little time!

If you are the generous sorts and want to help me build my gear, check out my Amazon wishlist.

(You should be seeing reviews of my gear on this site soon)