MY GEAR

One of the frequent questions that I am asked is “what cameras and lenses do I use?” So…I’ve included an extensive list gear. I’m a Nikon guy! When I got my first film camera in 1967, I got a Minolta SRT-101. A friend of mine was a Nikon guy and really good photographer. He produced better images than I did. So, after a 25+ year hiatus, when I went digital in 2006, I bought a Nikon D200 and haven’t looked back. It was about 2008 as a professional portrait photographer, that I discovered that education and vision are much more important to creating great images. Equipment helps, but it is only one factor.

I normally upgrade cameras every other new model unless a significant new camera is introduced, e.g. the Nikon D800. I skipped the D810 and upgraded to the D850. Another question is “when will I move to mirrorless?” Mirrorless is the future, you just have to decide when you are going there. My current answer is when it offers something that I need and can’t do with my current cameras. As I get older, the smaller lighter weight mirrorless systems are more appealing. I’ll probably move to Nikon mirrorless when their next versions are introduced, at least for a general purpose travel/walkaround camera. Bird photography requires the best AF functionality available and in my opinion, mirrorless isn’t there yet.

I am trying to produce the highest quality images to print large. That translates to upgrading cameras and lenses to get improvements in image quality. In 2019, I purchased three Zeiss Milvus lenses to get better image quality for landscape photography. These are manual focus lenses and they slow me down a little allowing me to think more about what I am doing. The same is true of using a tripod.

Wildlife photography requires super telephoto lenses. To produce the best images, I have been really happy with my Nikon 180-400mm f/4 with the 1.4 tele-extender built in. The 500mm PF at 3.3 lbs gives me a “carry around” lens that has reach. It can be used handheld. My new “used” 800mm f/5.6E will arrive shortly. It weighs 10 lbs vs the 600mm f/4G lens I sold that weighed 11 lbs.

Unfortunately, nobody pays me to use their gear. I use equipment that gives me advantages to make exceptional images. Thus, I normally migrate to higher-end glass and higher end cameras. My Nikon D5, D850 and D500 cameras also have the better build quality for challenging weather.

As you will see, I am a Nikon, Zeiss, Lee, B+W, Really Right Stuff, ThinkTank/Mindshift, Windows, Adobe, and NIK guy! I normally buy my cameras and lenses from Hunt’s Photo & Video. They work with several nature photography associations and you normally get new camera models and lenses very quickly.

CAMERAS

  • Nikon Z9 - Two of them

  • I use Really Right Stuff (RRS) L-Brackets on my cameras

Lenses

  • Nikon 14-30mm

  • Nikon 24-120mm

  • NIkon 105mm Macro

  • Nikon 100-400mm

  • Nikon 800mm f/6.3

  • Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF ED VR

CAMERAS For Sale

  • Nikon D5 Body - my primary DSLR wildlife camera with 12 fps, low noise at high ISO and a seemingly limitless buffer. Fabulous build quality.

  • Nikon D500 Body with MB-D17 Battery Grip

LENSES For Sale

  • Nikon 800mm f/5.6E ED VR - purchased “used” lens so it was more affordable. When I need reach, this is it. Great for bird photography. It comes with a 1.25 tele-extender that can take to to 1000mm on a full frame camera.

  • Nikon AF-S 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR - flexibility and really good optics. The 1.4 internal tele-extender works great and still produces good image quality.

  • Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Zoom-Nikkor - I upgraded from the G version to the E version for use with the D850 camera.

  • Nikon 105mm f/2.8 G Macro

  • Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III - I haven’t used this much recently since I got the D500 camera

  • Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II - I haven’t used this much recently since I got the D500 camera

  • Zeiss Milvus 2.8/15 ZF.2

  • Zeiss Milvus 1.4/25 ZF.2

  • Zeiss Milvus 2/50M ZF.2