Journal archives for December 2023

December 28, 2023

What's In My Bag?

I'm always curious what photography gear other iNat contributors use in the field. Perhaps others might be curious about 'what's in my bag'. I have two basic photography gear 'kits'…

  1. The minimalist kit typically stays with me in my car and is almost always ready for spontaneous observations most anywhere I go.
  2. A larger, more complete kit is best suited for longer, planned outings.

Minimalist Kit

  1. Nikon Z50 Camera Body: This crop sensor (DX) mirrorless camera is small and light enough to be a very good go-anywhere camera that takes terrific photos and has enough resolution for iNat observations. It usually travels with two excellent kit lenses which are small, light and together provide a wide range of focal lengths…
    • Nikkor (Nikon) 16mm-50mm Z mount DX f3.5-6.3 zoom lens
    • Nikkor (Nikon) 50mm-250mm Z mount DX f4.5-6.3 zoom lens
  2. Olympus TG-4 (Tough) Camera: Currently on loan from a friend, this point-and-shoot camera does a good enough job with some macro and occasional wide angle situations. Its built-in GPS is a nice feature and though it won't ever replace the more versatile Nikon ILCs, it has earned a place in my small kit. The add-on flash diffuser (LD-1) is a worthwhile accessory for adding light to macro shots.
  3. Galaxy S9+ Phone: Only used when the other dedicated cameras are not available, it gets very infrequent use, but is almost always with me (sometimes the other two are not). 'The best camera is the one you have with you!'

Complete Kit

In addition to the above, my complete camera bag also includes…

  1. Nikon Z6 Camera Body: This is my 'workhorse' camera that is usually paired with either…
    • Nikkor (Nikon) MC 105mm Macro f2.8 prime lens
    • Nikkor 24mm-70mm f2.8 zoom lens
  2. Nikon D500 Camera Body: This is also a DX (crop sensor) DSLR body with the extra battery pack and grip attached. It is usually paired with either…
    • Nikkor 200mm-500mm f5.6 zoom lens
    • Nikkor 300mm PF f5.4 prime lens
  3. Peak Design Carbon Fiber Tripod: While this will never replace my full size tripod, this has the advantage of extreme portability as it easily travels attached to my camera bag as carry-on luggage.
  4. Garmin eTrex 10 GPS: Though my phone provides some GPS data for my connected Z50, this invaluable device makes it easier to geotag images from my D500 and Z6. It's also more accurate than the phone's GPS data and includes altitude readings as well.

Not listed are the usual accessories like filters, straps, clips, cables, spare batteries chargers.

Posted on December 28, 2023 08:40 PM by presto84 presto84 | 0 comments | Leave a comment