New Camera!

Yes yes I know it's verging on down right stupid now, but here is camera number 5!

Gitzo Head

To get tack sharp photos you need a to make sure your camera doesn't move when the shutter is open, and when doing a landscape with a few second shutter speed a tripod is a necessity, and when you're using thousands of pounds of gear you need faith in that tripod.

I've been using a Redsnapper RSH-12 head for a while now and have to admit I haven't been too impressed; the RS-284 legs are fantastic for the price and sturdy as a rock so maybe my expectations were too high, but the head just didn't do it for me. Heavy, too much movement and a cheap feel to it just made me nervous any time I put my D3 and a big lens on.

I've been an advocate of Gitzo for a while now and have figured if you can afford it and use a tripod enough, Gitzo is the way forward, so I took the plunge and bought a Gitzo head to replace my current Redsnapper.

Enter the GH2780QR:

New kit pt3

More new kit before I could even post anything else interesting.

I had decided to spend no more money for a little while. Working in a camera shop and not spending money is hard work though... sooo many temptations!

New kit pt2

...and the second part of my new line up!

Nikon's legendary 105mm micro (macro).

New kit pt1

2 new pieces of equipment for my bag.

First off a mid range lens, the legendary Tokina 28-70 f2.6 lens!

Nikon 85mm f1.8

My newest lens, one that an awful lot of people rave about, is the 85 1.8. It also, ironically, is the oldest lens in my bag!

New addition

Today I've received the latest addition to my arsenal, a D3!

And better yet, it's had the buffer upgrade too!

On Sunday I'll be taking my bi-annual trip to Bruntingthorpe where this will be put through it's paces; paired with the Nikon 70 200 2.8 and the D300 with the 120 300 2.8 this should be a formidable setup for any airshow!

New lens!

Well I've been wanting one for years now and I've finally done it... I've gone and bought a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR!

That officially brings me 1 step closer to my dream team and replaces the Nikon 80-200 f2.8 that was stolen in March; if that lens is anything to go by not only will this be an absolutely cracking piece of kit, but probably my most used lens too.

I also purchased a new Tamrac Pro 12 bag for big jobs, a great bag that should hold everything and the kitchen sink!

Dream team

So I've spoken about my dream team kit a couple of times but the real question is what does that kit actually comprise? I think it's fair to say it's obvious that I'm looking at high end kit but Nikon seems to have made 4 lenses that just 'fit'.

So first off we'll talk lenses. The obvious lens is the 24-70mm f2.8 which covers the most common focal lengths on full frame and acts as a mid telephoto on crop models. The next lens is the 70-200mm f2.8 which picks up from the top end of the mid range lens, these two alone should be more than enough for most jobs. The next lens is the 14-24mm f2.8 which picks up from the lower end of the mid range lens (see I told you these lenses fit together), this is ideal not for landscapes but for photos where a dramatic, imposing photo is required... it also happens to be excellent for real estate (which is where this lens will be earning money). Next up is the 200-400mm f4 which will be the lens I buy if I make money in sports or birding, otherwise it's likely to remain just a dream!

So there are the 4 main lenses right there, there is also a 50mm f1.8 (or f1.4 if I get around to buying one) purely for when the lighting gets tough (ahem, weddings). The 105mm macro lens for product shots wraps up the lens section!

So what about bodies? 2 full frame bodies and 1 high speed crop body, right now that converts into a D800, a D3 and a D300, but will obviously change as new bodies come out.

New bit of kit!

So my new lens arrived today; a 120-300mm f2.8 Sigma.

This thing is a beast!

Unfortunately because of the appalling weather I'm not going to get chance to test it for a while (boo), all I can say is it weighs an absolute tun and is built like a tank, the real test comes when I can finally get the sigma 1.4x and 2x converter and use it at an air show.

The kit so far...

So you may be wondering what kit I have right now? Well not as much as I once had, and certainly not the dream team I'm working towards, but it's a good starting place.

I'm shooting a Nikon D300, with it a third party grip. My lenses include a Nikkor 50mm f1.8 and a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8. I use a Redsnapper tripod and ball head and some Yongnuo wireless triggers (RF 603s). I have an ND8, ND graduated and a circular polariser all 77mm thread, I also have a piece of welding glass, rated at 13 (about 16 stops of light reduction).

So that's it for now, I'll be adding to this soon with any luck as I work towards the dream team (but that's for another post)!