Kathryn’s (Jeff’s) Gear
The challenge of having a shared photography hobby is that it is not possible to shoot at the same time with the same gear. Since Jeff and I are competitive, we are often trying to one up the other with the same shot. This necessitates a duplication of almost every piece of equipment (and why I copied Jeff’s Gear page). Yes, this makes our hobby even more expensive.
While Jeff likes to experience the latest and greatest, I take a more conservative approach. I had believe that you don’t need new gear until you realize the limitations of what you have. So I upgrade my equipment when I realize it is holding me back (or when Jeff decides to upgrade and I get his hand me downs). Also, being of smaller stature and due to recent health issues, I need to think about what I can realistically carry and use.
Below is a list of what I currently use:
- Camera Bag (Main): LowePro AW350 (no longer available). This bag is the closest to perfection for transporting all my gear (including my 15″ laptop). It has the perfect set of pockets for me to organize: chips, batteries, remotes, hoody, allan wrenches, lens clothes, etc.. I can easily accommodate my three main lenses: Nikon 14-24mm/f2.8, Nikon24-70mm f2.8, and Nikon 80-400mm (f4.5-5.6). I can also attach my huge RRS tripod/ball head to the back. An integrated rain cover keeps everything dry. The two things it lacks is a way to carry all my filters and a larger water bottle.
- Camera Bag (Street): Think Tank Photo Lily Deanne Mezzo (no longer available) for walking around or street photography. This looks like a classy woman’s bag versus a camera bag, and carries all I need for day out including an extra lens.
- Camera: Nikon D850 DSLR Camera. I have made the natural progression through DSLR cameras, starting with the Nikon D90, then D600, then the D800. The D800 frustrated me with the way it handled low-light situations, so when the D850 became available I opted to upgrade.
- Lenses:
- Wide Angle Zoom: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED.
- Mid-Range Zoom: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED. There is a newer version of this lens that now has VR. This is my all purpose, walk around lens.
- Telephoto Zoom: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens.
- All Purpose Zoom: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. Nice travel photography lens. Good walk around lens.
- Macro: Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED. and the Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 105mm f2.8. Great for the wildflowers and cacti blooms in Arizona.
- Filter System. Because the 14-24mm lens does not support any threaded filters, I needed to choose a bulky filter system. Although the filters work well, I have found that the Lee filters give an color cast to my photos. Depending where I am shooting (e.g., high altitude or high latitude) is it more challenging to match the correct color in post processing.
- Lee Filters SW150 Mark II Filter System Holder for Wide-Angle Lenses
- Lee Filters SW150 Mark II Lens Adapter for Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G
- Lee Filters SW150 Mark II Lens Adapter for Lenses with 77mm Filter Threads
- Lee Filters 150x150mm SW150 Little Stopper Neutral Density 1.8 Filter (6 Stop)
- Lee Filters 150x150mm SW150 Circular Polarizer Filter
- Lee Filters 150x150mm Soft Graduated Neutral Density 0.9 Filter
- Threaded Filters. Although not needed, these are sometimes easier to use in the field:
- Circular Polarizer: B+W 77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Hight Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC-Nano Filter
- Neutral Density 6-Stop: B+W 77mm 1.8-64X Multi-Resistant Coating Nano Lens Filter
- Hard Drives.
- Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 1TB – USB 3.1 External SSD. I use this drive as my travel backup drive. It is light and durable. And, 1 TB is the perfect amount for traveling, especially for wildlife. I have a second one of these drives for all my current year’s images, those images I am still doing post-processing. The drive is super fast.
- WD 4TB My Passport Ultra USB 3.0 External Hard Drive. I use this drive as part of my image backup strategy. Every few months I place a copy of my images onto the drive and put in my safety deposit box.
- Synology DiskStation DS1515+. Primary backup system for all my images. This system is RAID based providing peace of mind for local backups.
- Mono/Tripods
- RRS Carbon Fiber Versa Series (TVC-33) with the RRS BH-55 Ball head – This is my main setup, a workhorse, and I love it.
- Gitzo GIGT1545T Traveler Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod with the RRS BH-30 Ballhead – My new “Travel Tripod” setup
- RRS Monopod Carbon Fiber
- PlatyPod Pro – This small plate provides and an excellent stable and portable platform to which to mount the camera. It works fabulously for interior architecture shots where tripods are not permitted.
We purchase my gear from:
- B&H. We buy most of our gear from B&H, especially if it is camera body or lens.
- Amazon. Great place to purchase accessories such as: batteries, memory chips, hard drives, etc.
- Really Right Stuff. Excellent but expensive tripods.