I am in Tokyo again this week, and when I am here I always make sure to have a camera with me as I make my way around the city. With all the walking and hopping on/off trains in crowded environments, smaller is better when it comes to cameras and this is why I am reluctant to carry around my full-size 5D bodies. In previous trips my “walk-around” camera has been either the Canon G11 or my FUJI X-100 and they have served me well.

For this trip I have opted to go with Canon’s new “world’s smallest” DSLR, the EOS 100D Kiss X7 (identical to the soon-to-be-released EOS 100D Rebel SL1 in the states). I’ve paired the body with my 40mm f/2.8 “pancake” lens for an ultra portable setup. After spending 3 days with the setup hanging on my shoulder, I am in love with it. The compact size (compare it to my iPhone 4s in the photo above), light weight and snappy SLR performance is great. I love my FUJI X100, but using this camera I have to say I haven’t missed the quirkiness of the X100 one bit. Even though it only has a limited amount of focus points, especially compared to my 5D Mark III, it does its job well.

The huge selling point for me is that the camera disappears when I sling it over my shoulder. The light weight and the narrow profile (especially with the pancake lens) combine for a very unobtrusive package. And with the camera looking like nothing to be taken serious, people hardly pay attention to me snapping pics. When I have pulled out a 5D III with a battery grip and 24-105 in similar environments, it is very evident that people take notice.

I’m not going to dig into image quality (check out the sample pic gallery on DPReview.com for that), but I will say that I am pleased with what is coming out of the camera. They do lack quite a bit behind my 5D III with L glass, but of course this little setup can be had for about 1/5 of the cost.

The only shortcoming that I feel with it so far is the limiting focal length of the 40mm (64mm equivalent) pancake lens. I could pair it with an 18-55 kit lens, but the size of that would hamper the compactness. I would really like to see Canon add another pancake form factor in a wide angle focal length to their lineup.  An 18mm pancake would be awesome.

At around $650 in the US for the body, I feel that the camera is a bargain. It will take its place as my everyday carry-around camera for the foreseeable future.

Today we split the studio rental website away from its old home at richlegg.com.  I made the decision last year to rebrand the studio to STUDIO o2o to allow the renting photographers to maintain their own identity and not have a big RICH.LEGG.PHOTOGRAPHER sign on the door greeting their clients.  Moving the studio rental information onto a dedicated website is a natural step as the business continues to grow.  Check it out at http://studioo2o.com.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 70-100 f4/L lens – 1/125 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/8, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/4, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/80 second, f/8, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/8, ISO 100

I’m pleased to formally announce the completion of the expansion of my studio home, STUDIO o2o. The studio has nearly doubled in size and added quite a few amenities to help in the creation of great images by the photographers that use it.

Some Background

When I re-entered the photography industry as a profession in 2007, I soon realized that I needed a dedicated space for the business. I know many great photographers creating fantastic content that do not have a dedicated shooting location, but for me personally I felt I did. To achieve this I began converting my office space to a studio. This small space served me well for nearly 3 years and I created some very successful stock images in this studio.

In 2010 I had the opportunity to move into a larger space in the building I was in. With this move, I was able to create a “more real” (in my mind) studio. It was around this time that I began renting the studio to other photographers as they needed it. The rental business, while not being a huge money-maker, served its role well in offsetting expenses. Over the nearly 3 years in the new space, the rental business has continued to expand.

Last year I was approached by my landlord about taking over the space directly next-door to my studio. At first I felt that it was not justified, but after serious thought and analysis I realized that it could work if I were to have other photographers use the space on a regular basis.

STUDIO oh-two-oh?

While planning for the expansion, I realized that having my name all over the studio was actually a detriment to the growing number of photographers shooting in the space on a monthly basis. I felt that if I were renting a studio space, I would not want my clients asking “who’s the dude with his name is on the door?”  With this in mind, I decided to rename the studio to a more generic name. The name was derived from the zipcode of Draper, Utah – 84020. The locals pronounce it eight-four-oh-two-oh, hence STUDIO o2o.

Membership

The major part of the expansion was the creation of a second camera room. This growth allowed two separate photographers to work simultaneously in the studio. With this I decided to offer “memberships” to a limited number of photographers willing to make a commitment to the studio. The new member photographers have 24/7 shared use of the new “East Room” in the studio. With a little marketing, we have filled half of the spots already. I look forward to having these new photographers close by.  (Note:  as of right now, there are still a few member spaces available. contact me at rich@leggnet.com for details)

The Studio

With the expansion, the studio now has two separate camera rooms (800 sq. ft. & 600 sq. ft.), a separate entry area, private changing room, 16′ wide cyclorama, makeup/stylist areas, and more. The biggest impact on my existing studio is the creation of an entryway separate from the studio. This, along with the on-site changing room, has greatly improved the function in the existing room.  Instead of describing the studio, let’s look at some photos.

Going forward, I’m excited for the studio growth and the increased opportunities the space gives me for shooting, teaching, and learning.

For information on renting the photography studio on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis – please contact Rich Legg at rich@leggnet.com or visit studioo2o.com

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/100 second, f/4.5, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/8, ISO 100