For those of you who like the more technical side of things, here are some details about the gear that I use when I go out shooting...
Landcapes
Cameras
Nikon D810 full frame camera
Nikon D3 full frame camera (backup)
Nikon D100 – Infrared converted
Mamiya RB67 Pro S medium format film camera
Pentax 645N-II medium format fim camera
Nikon D3 full frame camera (backup)
Nikon D100 – Infrared converted
Mamiya RB67 Pro S medium format film camera
Pentax 645N-II medium format fim camera
I will often take my D3 as a backup in the event that I have a failure with my D810 (as happened during a trip out west when I dropped my D810 to the concrete). If there will be opportunities for IR photography, I’ll take the D100, but that is not that common anymore.
Lenses
Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8
Samyang 14mm f/2.8
Nikon 35-70 f/2.8
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8
Samyang 14mm f/2.8
Nikon 35-70 f/2.8
I have lots of lenses to choose from but these are my favorites. The Tamron 15-30 and Nikon 24-70 are my go to’s. I use the Samyang for astrophotography (when I can keep my lazy a** out of bed to actually photograph the night sky). The 35-70 is a backup just in case.
Wildlife
Cameras
Nikon D500 APSC camera
Nikon D3 full frame camera (backup)
Nikon D3 full frame camera (backup)
Similar to shooting landscapes, I will often take my D3 as a backup in the event that I have a failure with my D500… fortunately, I have not yet dropped that one 😊.
Lenses
Sigma 150-600mm f/4.5 Contemporary with 1.4x TC
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8
99.9% of the time, the D500 and the Sigma are mated. What a great combination. However, I find that the TC often causes focus hunting, so I use it sparingly.
Film
Occasionally I will just go out with a film camera and one or two lenses…. For this I generally use a canvas “range bag” used for a shooting range…. They have a bunch of pockets, are comfortable to carry and don’r scream “camera bag”.
Here’s my “collection” of classic film cameras…
35MM:
Nikon F with the FTn Photomic Rangefinder paired with a 50mm f/2.0 lens
Nikon EM that I use for infrared film
Nikkormat FT2
Nikon N2020
Nikon N80
Nikon N8008
Nikon N90s
Nikon F4
Nikon F5
Pentax K1000
Pentax Super Program
Pentax KX-50
Nikon EM that I use for infrared film
Nikkormat FT2
Nikon N2020
Nikon N80
Nikon N8008
Nikon N90s
Nikon F4
Nikon F5
Pentax K1000
Pentax Super Program
Pentax KX-50
Medium Format:
Pentax 645N-II
Mamiya RB67 Pro S
Holga 120S
Mamiya RB67 Pro S
Holga 120S
To really let me have some fun with them, I have a collection of classic lenses as well. My go to film is generally one of the Ilford black and white products, but I do use some Kodak and Fuji products as well.
General
Bags
I am a backpack and bag hoarder 😊. I have far too many to list, but here are the common ones that I use.
LowePro BP250 AW II (for those “trips” where I only need a limited amount of gear). It holds two bodies and two lenses, along with my essential accessories (like memory cards, cleaning supplies, snacks, and water).
LowePro BP AW 600 for the big hikes where I need to bring my entire kit with me. When filled it is almost 60 lbs. Yikes!
My new favorite is the LowePro Powder 500 AW. It works as either a day pack or a trip pack if I am mindful of what I bring. It is exceptionally lightweight, and my gear is easily accessible… a great combination. It has room for ample photo gear as well as camping / trip essentials.
Amazon Basics roller bag… for when a backpack just won’t cut it 😊. I use this for multi-day (non-backpacking) mixed-shooting trips where I will shoot all different things with both digital and film.
I carry lots of photo accessories as well as camping gear when appropriate, but I’ll go into camping gear elsewhere on the site eventually… here is the list of my most common photography accessories.
Tripod
Heads
Remote controls
Filters
Memory Cards
Batteries
Cleanins
Heads
Remote controls
Filters
Memory Cards
Batteries
Cleanins
I always carry a first aid kit as well.