I often have people ask me what camera I have or what lens I use, or if I use a flash, or what accessories I have. So, here’s what’s in my camera bag! (Sorry I don’t have time to include various pictures with this post; if I could buy TIME, that would be the most valuable thing in my bag!)
Cameras
Nikon D300. I purchased this camera when it was first released, and I really love it!
Nikon D40. I bought this camera used, for infrared photography. I used it a few times – until the novelty of infrared wore off – and now I keep it as a back-up. (Note: I don’t shoot weddings or other important “live” events, so having a “good” back-up camera isn’t as critically important for me)
I plan to upgrade my camera soon (I’m checking out the Nikon D800. And the D4, in case I win the lottery ;)), so my D300 will soon become my back-up camera.
Lenses
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f.2.8G ED. I’m thrilled to have recently added this to my bag (though my bank account looks pretty sad with the big whole where the 2K used to be, lol)! I’ve only been shooting with this for a short time, but it’s already clear that this lens rocks!
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR. This was the lens I purchased when I bought my D300, and I’ve used it about 80% of the time since then. I love the range it covers (perfect for a convenient walk-around and travel lens). Though I will be shooting with my new 24-70mm most of the time from this point forward, I will still be keeping this worthy lens for travelling because it’s lighter and less valuable than the 24-70mm.
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D. Open wide, baby! I love that this lens can open to an aperture of 1.4! But, my lens seems to have a problem and is being serviced by Nikon at the moment 🙁 . Looks like I may be upgrading to the newer AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G pretty soon.
Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8G ED-IF VR. Looking at things through a macro lens is like getting a glimpse at a whole other world. The amount of detail that can be captured of such small things is truly amazing! While macro photography is one of the most challenging types of photography I’ve tried, I truly enjoy the photographs I can get with this lens.
Nikon AF DX Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 ED Fisheye. This is my “play” lens, and I adore it! It is extraordinarily sharp, and it produces super fun and interesting photos. It’s tied with my macro lens for my “coolest” lenses 😀
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX. I have to admit, I haven’t used this lens much. Note to self: get this awesome lens on my camera and put it to work!
Lensbaby Composer. Another “play” lens. I purchased it used, just to see what it’s all about. It’s pretty cool, but it’s another lens that I could have done without but don’t want to part with now that I have it.
Flashes
Nikon Speedlight SB900. I have two of these. They are wicked! I use them in studio (occasionally), outside (often) and for personal snapshots in the house (all the time…unless there’s quite a bit of light coming in from the windows).
Accessories
Sekonic L-358 Flashmeter. I bought this when I was beginning to learn studio lighting. I used it initially, but to be honest, I rarely use it anymore. I tried to turn it on last month while I was waiting for a client to arrive, and the battery was dead.
Two PocketWizard Plus II Remote Triggers. I use these outside for off-camera flash, and I also use them in studio. It took me a while to upgrade from the cheap ebay triggers, but now I can’t imagine using anything else.
Various filters – UV, polarizer, ND, IR, and maybe others that I’ve forgotten about.
SanDisk Extreme CF cards – two 4GB and one 8GB.
Other miscellaneous things – lens cloth, stepping ring, sync cords, rain sleeve, etc. Some filters are Hoya and others are B+W.
Manfrotto tripod. Not sure of the model number, but it’s a heavy-duty tripod.
You may ask: “Is all this stuff actually in one bag?”. And my answer is YES (or, at least it all could be – except the tripod)! I can get it all in my Tamrac Expedition 7x kick a** camera bag. But it is HUGE! I use it to store my gear that I’m not actively using, and I have taken it when I travel so that I can fit everything in one safe bag en route (though it barely fits as carry-on luggage). BUT, I also have two smaller camera bags – one that can fit my camera, a couple lenses and a flash, which I take with me for location shoots; and one cross-body bag that just fits my camera with attached lens, which I would use if I’m going on a personal outing to the park, for example (and that I would take when I travel as well).
So, that’s my gear…well, my gear that fits in my bag; I haven’t even touched on what’s in my studio!
(note: this is a good supplement to my post titled “The Cost…Explained” HERE)