Most of us have a number of different cameras, lenses, filters and other accessories. How we arrived at the choices we’ve made often raises valuable points to be considered by others. So:
- What is your favourite combination of camera, lenses, and other accessories?
- What type of photographs do you mostly take with your choice?
- What led you to the combination above?
If you were to change one of your pieces of equipment, what would it be? And what would you like the replacement to be?
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Here’s what Larry Citra had to say:
First of all I have to admit that I really like camera equipment and I guess I am a bit of a “Gear Head”. There is so much stuff out there and it all looks so cool! Over the years (and there have been a lot of them) I have collected quite a bit of stuff to say the least. Some of this equipment I use all the time and some of it falls into the category of “It sounded like a good idea at the time” and rarely use. You can only comfortably carry so much and this ‘so much’ get a bit less every year.
Speaking of carrying …………….. I have found that a good camera vest is by far the best, most convenient and most comfortable way of carrying my camera gear. I’ve used my vest in hot places and cold places with equal comfort. A good vest needs to be well ventilated for hot weather and easily adjustable to fit over winter clothing for cold weather. I used a good LowePro camera backpack for years and I still use it to safely transport my gear on trips where you need to go through airports etc., but when you are actually photographing I find the vest to be best. It evens out the weight and you don’t have to keep taking it off everytime you need something or to change a lens. Some stuff you will have to carry in the rear pockets but I only put things in there I don’t need often. Also my tripods have a hook for hanging things, so if I need to take the vest off I can hang it on my tripod for easy access.
The best camera vests, in my opinion (and I’ve tried many) are made by John Storrie of the Storrie Parachute Company. There are several models and they are fully customizable to your needs.
Anyway back to EQUIPMENT!!! ………… I am a Nikon user because I like the equipment. I find Nikon equipment easy to use, for me anyway, and it’s extremely tough and durable. I’m sure the image quality is no better or worse than any other make, it’s just what I use and it works for me!
Here’s some of the stuff I use regularly:
- Nikon D2x, D3 & D4
various lenses including:
- 10-24 mm (Nikon)
- 15 mm(Nikon)
- 28-300 mm(Nikon)
- 300 mm 2.8(Nikon)
- 80-400 mm(Nikon)
- 500 mm (Nikon)
- 150 mm 2.8 Macro (Sigma)
- 200-500 mm (Tamron)
- 1.5 & 2.0 tele-converters, extension tubes, Nikon & Canon close-up diopters and various other pieces of macro equipment including Nikon Macro Flash kit, SB 800 & 900 Nikon Flashes, Better Beamer flash extenders.
- Manfrotto tripods (055 & 190 Carbon, 055 aluminum), tripod snowshoes (so your tripod legs don’t sink in the snow), Really Right Stuff quick release heads and right angle brackets, Nodel Ninja Panorama head.
- Molar Bean Bag.
The only filters I regularly use are Polarizers and the Variable Neutral Density filter by Singh-Ray
My absolutely, hands down favorite and most used lens is my Nikon 28-300 mm. On trips to other countries where weight and bulk are a concern, this is sometimes the only lens I take. On a full frame camera 28 mm is wide enough for a decent landscape and 300 mm is usually long enough to crop in closer. This lens focuses very close even at 300 mm, so it’s great for most close-up work. If you need to get closer you can attach a tele-converter, extension tubes or a close-up filter (Canon makes the best close-up filter, the 500D, which is available in various filter thread sizes).
My other favorite, and I consider most useful piece of equipment is the Really Right Stuff right angle bracket. I was recently on a workshop with Tony Sweet and he recommended this piece of equipment to me. I don’t know how I got along with out it all these years. All my gear is configured to the Manfrotto quick release system but I was able to easily modify the Really Right Stuff quick release system to the Manfrotto quick release system and it’s easy to switch back and forth. If you’re interested you can email me at montanalake16@hotmail.com .
Cheers and happy shooting, Larry Citra
So what do you use?
Bridge Lake Photo Group 