- Cameras
- Other
- Lenses
These are my recommendations for DSLR bodies:
I prefer Nikon so for a cheap but more than adequate DSLR go for a D60 (since the D40/x would be the other choice). This camera is available with a superb kit lens - the 18-55Mk11 (with or without VR) for around £350 - see 'Does size' to see what I mean... that's what my daughter is using on her camera:
If you are very keen and not a pro go for the D700. This is simply fantastic at around £1,700 and does all that most will ever need:
If you are going Pro, got a lot of cash, want the ultimate or just love these things (like me), it's the D3. This is the current pinnacle of the DSLR world because it rewrites the book - use ASA numbers that you normally only dream of to freeze action, not use a flash, stop camera shake etc. - 'you people know who you are' - here with a 14-24 f2.8 which I've tried (at 9fps!):
If you prefer Canon, then the newly released 5D Mk11 is likely to be superb at £2,200 body only from November! |
These are my recommendations for other kit:
Filters You may not use any, but the three I recommend are: Hoya in UV for all lenses as protection, and circular polarizers and ND neutral density grads 0.6 for darkening skies in size 77mm (use step up rings - the best are B&W - brass, but only use 77mm - less vignetting and they are good for when you buy pro lenses as you will...!). Polarizers give odd banding on wide angle lenses, so watch this. These choices cannot be replicated in photoshop! I use a Nikon polariser which was bought when I had too much money...! There are two lenses which don't use 77mm - the Nikon 50mm and the Sigma 170-500, one's too small the other too big. Tripods/Monopods Pros use monopods for sports, leave VR on, on a monopod - off generally for tripods. I use a Manfrotto 681 which is 'thick' and strong and a Benro MC66 (chinese import) which is carbon, light, compact and great value. Tripod: Manfrotto 055 and 20 years old! Heads Simple: Manfrotto 234RC - does straight and 90 - quick release and cheap. Serious: 468RC4. Latest and good: another chinese job - the Benro KS1. I own these and don't tend to use them much, well maybe just the mono/234. What I would buy now if I were into tripods is Gitzo 2530 Really Right Stuff BH55 head and so on, but since I'm not...
Bags Don't follow me here, I use Lowepro, at least I've stuck with one make (!): Specialist 85 AW, which holds a lot but is big round your waist... and also Toploader Zoom AW, which is cheap and smaller, fine for one extra lens, I've recently added a Magnum AW which holds almost everything... but you need to be strong! These are all shoulder/waist bags, top-loading with AW all weather covers - they work for me... I also use Storm hard cases for travel (not Peli). I think Storm are better in terms of construction and looks. I have two, a briefcase style IM2200 (Peli 1450) and a airline carry-on with wheels IM2500 - that's Peli equivalent 1510. Batteries For flash etc. Hybrio as they hold charge for months not minutes...! Film FP4, TriX400 and Velvia 50. Film Cameras I have two bodies, both Nikon F80 - one silver, one black, bought mint on eBay for about £50 - these will give me after scanning - full frame stunning images when I finally get around to it! I also keep buying and selling Mamiya RZ67's too! Compact Cameras I would usually say Canon, but I like this right now: ... a few reasons, anti-shake, larger sensor, just 8 MP - don't go larger with small sensors, very sharp, good ISO control, black, small, 100 quid! Software I use DXO and Genuine Fractals but again, these are handy and not essential. I use Aperture 2 but Lightroom 2 is good if you use Windows.
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These are my recommendations for lenses to fit Nikon bodies:
Let's start with DX - i.e. those for use on everything, including the D3 (full size - FX - sensor, but in cropped mode, which really wastes about £2k!): Macro: Sigma 70mm f2.8 - not actually just DX, but effectively an ideal 'portrait' 105mm on a DX camera. I have to say, that reading reports, Sigma sometimes gets a bad press for iffy quality control - that has not been my experience. The 70mm is bittingly sharp and it features elsewhere on this site 'Zoomify' for instance. Downsides, a 180-200mm is recommended by some as being better for macro as depth of field is less (is that good?), you are further from bigger things - snakes for example (that is good!) and a few other reasons. What's wrong with this lens? Slow focusing (hunts)...
Wide Angle Zoom: Tokina 11-16 f2.8 - I use one... apparently it's usable on full frame but not for the full range...
Standard to tele zoom: Nikon 18-70 - I tried the popular 18-200, but for me I'm back to this - it's cheap and very good:
Now for the FX - but also for the DX too (just multiply focal lengths by 1.5x) Wide zoom: Nikon 14-24 f2.8 - stunning, that's it:
Standard zoom: Nikon 24-70mm - another wonderful optic:
Pro Tele Zoom: Nikon 80-200 f2.8 or 70-200 VR - brilliant lenses in every respect, it's just that the VR costs you £500 plus extra, guess which I use... wrong! Do my hands shake? No! But this the £1,200 VR is the popular choice:
Long zoom: I hesitate, either Nikon 200-400 VR or... um... Sigma 150-500 OS or Sigma 170-500 - well it's thousands or hundreds, 'you know who you are'! The new trio from Nikon: 300mm f2.8, 500mm f4 and the 600mm f4 all VR and all fantastic - I've tried the 500mm and it's easy to get sharp low light shots without flash (well on a D3 anyway)!
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