Occasionally, I get questions about my camera equipment. It started with a single camera body and one all-purpose telephoto lens. But I love tools - and toys - and I'm finding that there's no better hobby for a "gadget freak" to spend lots of money than photography. I'll use this post as a perpetual home for my equipment list and a couple thoughts about each tool. (UPDATED: January 2011)
Camera Body
Nikon D300s with a multi-power battery pack. I upgraded from my starter D200 camera body in the spring of 2010, and I've never looked back! 95% of my shoot time is dedicated to stills; the other 5% I dabble with the HD video features to capture my stepdaughter's drill team routines at football games with my trusty telephoto lens. I love, love, LOVE this camera.
I've also hung onto my Nikon D200 with its multi-power battery pack. It's a solid camera, and having a backup is important for several reasons:
- I've started taking on paid jobs, and having a second camera body is vital insurance, especially if it's an event like a party or a wedding.
- Sometimes I just want to be able to shoot with two lenses without having to swap between the two.
- My stepdaughter, Veronica, is showing an interest in photography, and I'd like to have the option of handing her a second camera for the two of us to go play.
Lenses
NEW 12/10! Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S ED Lens. For the first time ever, I've got a professional-quality piece of glass, and one that is more expensive than my camera body itself! I put this baby on my wish-list a year ago, and saved profits from photo shoots in a jar along with various B&H gift cards to earn enough that, along with a generous Christmas gift from my husband, I was finally able to order it. With this lens, my photography has leapt to a whole new level. The images are crystal sharp in a way they've not been before. It's heavy, though, so I expect that once the novelty wears off, it will go back into my camera kit and only get pulled out for important shoots, rather than remaining a "run-around lens".
NEW 3/10! Nikon 18-200 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Lens. When you're ready to upgrade your kit glass to a good walk-around lens, this is the one to buy. From a wide-angle 18mm to a 200mm telephoto, this lens does it all, and the 2nd generation Vibration Reduction feature reduces camera shake. Nikon says it's like shooting a full 4 exposure stops lower. So although I have to bump up the ISO to shoot in lower light with this lens, the results are usually pretty good. But I definitely wouldn't use it for portraiture ... go with the fixed 50mm or my new glass for that.
Normal AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D Autofocus Lens.
- BEFORE MY $$$ LENS, I WROTE: Hands down, the best piece of glass I own. It took me a while to learn how to "zoom with my feet", so to speak, but this is now what I use for all my portraiture work. And when I want some yummy bokeh, I pop on this lens.
- AFTER MY $$$ LENS: I still love my "nifty 50" lens. It's small, lightweight, and fast. I can't get over how inexpensive it is for the quality of pics it produces! For anyone starting out, looking to upgrade to their first good piece of glass, this is the one to buy. It'll open up a whole new realm of photography to you in the low-aperture and low-light stuff ... this will always have a home in my camera kit.
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom. This was another "save up for 6 months to buy it" piece of glass ... I bought it in the fall of 2009 because I wanted access to the 200-300mm range, primarily for shots of Veronica's drill team shows or volleyball games. The Vibration Reduction is phenomenal when it comes to those. And the SWF motor is fast, quiet, and smooth - so I can keep up with the most rambunctious toddler on the playground. I'm still frustrated that I have to bump my ISO to 3200 to shoot in a school gymnasium, but to get high-speed telephoto, you step up into the multi-thousand-dollar lens range ... and I'm just not that committed.
Lighting
Nikon Speedlight SB800. I use this on-camera most of the time, but I'm starting to delve into strobist techniques. This communicates wirelessly with my D200 with just a few quick menu settings.
Gary Fong LightSphere II Inverted Dome Flash Diffusion Cloud System. It looks strange, it's a little bulky, but it's super-inexpensive and both spreads and diffuses your flash like nobody's business.
32" 5-in-1 Reflector with Lightstand. The reflector is super-handy and versatile. It's a must-have on bright, sunny days. I've used the stand just a couple times for posed shots, and I liked the results ... but quite frankly, it's a pain to set up and carry.
Bogen/Manfrotto Justin Spring Clamp. I bought this because Scott Kelby said I needed one. Turns out, he was right. (He usually is, I'm told.) When shooting with my flash off-camera, this is an absolute must-have. I love how I can turn anything into a light stand: a chair, a fence, a tree limb ... anything.
Bogen/Manfrotto Stacker Light Stand. An all-purpose stand I bought to use with my Justin clamp. Works well ... when I use it. Just like the reflector stand, it's a pain to lug around and set up. I've come to discover I'm more of a "mobile, on-the-go" photographer.
Straps & Bags
RS-5 R-Strap. The best camera strap EVER. Why I waited so long to buy it, I'll never know. Instead of hanging the camera around your neck, this strap runs across your body, and allows you to swing the camera from hip to face. Plus, with all the storage in the pockets at the shoulder, I can keep extra memory cards + batteries right with me.
RS DR-1 Double Strap. They took the best camera strap and made it twice as good - literally! This lets me put one camera on each hip and sling-shoot. I love it! I've shot a wedding this way, I've shot a couple family portrait sessions this way, and I've shot corporate events using this strap. Not only does it keep everything right where I need it, but I'm perfectly balanced, and there's almost no back strain. AWESOME.
NEW 1/10! Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Case. It's a roll-aboard! It's a backpack! It's an emergency tripod! It's a freaking mobile studio! It's the best damn $300 I've ever spent. This is the camera case I've been looking for all my life. (Yes, that's purposeful hyperbole.) It holds all my camera equipment - two bodies, plus lenses, plus speedlight and cloud - along with my laptop and external drives. Then, it's designed to first, foremost, and primarily be a roll-aboard suitcase. Sleek, easy-to-use telescoping handle ... smooth wheels ... and no problems swinging that puppy into the overhead bin. (Yeah, it's still heavy, but it's not as bad as my old Vertex 300 AW Backpack was.) The added features of a built-in combination lock, threaded tripod mount in the handle, and prop foot for easy open access turn this bag into a mobile studio. I have yet to find one thing lacking in this bag. I love it.
Tenba Shootout Sling Bag. Hands down, my absolute favorite camera bag ever. Quality construction, comfortable to carry, and easy to arrange the padded inserts to hold all my gear. Although, I'm finding I leave it in the car - if I'm shooting with just one lens - in favor of carrying just my camera on the R-Strap.
Computer Tools
Adobe Lightroom 3. I shoot almost everything in Nikon RAW format, and Lightroom handles it like a champ. I'd be lost without this tool for processing shoots: photo triage, metadata management, cropping, web gallery creation, and more.
Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended. I've been using Photoshop since 1998, and I've come a long way. (Come to think of it, so has Photoshop!) My post-processing work is done here to "polish" my favorite images.
Wacom Intuos 3 Graphics Tablet. I am nowhere near fully proficient with my graphics tablet, but quite simply, I need to use it more. (Practice is key with these things.) I've found it invaluable for more detailed touch-up work in Photoshop.
Epson Stylus Photo R2880.How do I love my printer? Let me count the ways... It prints on fine art media. It prints up to 13" wide. It uses Epson's UltraChrome K3 inks - which means 8 cartridges to replace, sure, but the color prints are stunning, and my black-and-white prints have phenomenal depth - I've made the move to entirely digital scrapbooking, and being able to print my own 12x12 pages at home is a huge luxury.
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