Intro to my gear
Over the years I have collected quite a bit of photography related equipment. As time went by, and my interests and/or technology changed, a lot of it has been sold, discarded or just sits in my photography museum (the closet), unused. To prevent some of that, I have tried to avoid the mistake of buying the cheapest stuff available. Most of what I did buy was certainly not the best or most expensive, but it was the best that I could afford at the time. As such, I am still using some pretty old things, like a tripod I bought over 40 years ago. So keep that in mind when making purchase decisions. Do your research, check all the reviews, and then buy the best things that still fit your budget.
I’ve added the manufacturers names to the items on my list, but I am resisting adding links to the actual sales websites. First, it makes it look like I am making money for referring these items, which I am not. Second, the links change pretty often, and it’s a pain to keep up with them. Third, I’m not saying that these are the best things out there. They are just what I found was best for me at the time I bought them. And finally, the link I give you may not be the cheapest or best place to find these items at any particular moment. I did buy most things at Amazon, but you may be surprised that you can often get better deals for some big ticket items direct from the manufacturer, or from local retailers. For example I bought my cameras from a local camera store, and the Lenovo laptop directly from Lenovo. So, do your research.
Photo Gear
Here is a list of most of what I use on a fairly regular basis.
Cameras
Nikon Z 7 – 45.7 MP FX Format – full frame mirrorless DSLR
Nikon Z 50 – 20.9MP DX Format – crop sensor mirrorless DSLR
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 – 18.1MP , 24-720mm zoom – 1/2.3″ sensor
DJI Spark Mini Quadcopter Drone
Lenses
Z 7 Lenses
NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S
AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR
AF Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8D
Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2
Z 50 Lenses
NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR
NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR
Tokina 11-20mm f2.8 AT-X Pro DX for Nikon
Filters
Thousand Oaks Optical Threaded Black Polymer Solar Filter
Hoya NXT Plus UV HMC Multi-Coated Slim Frame Glass Filters (multiple)
ICE 77mm Slim ND Filter Set ND1000 ND64 ND8 Neutral Density Filter set
Accessories
USA Gear TrueSHOT Camera Strap with Black Neoprene Pattern, Accessory Pockets and Quick Release Buckles
HiiGuy Camera Strap, Adjustable Padded Sling with storage pouch
JJC DSLR Camera Wrist Hand Strap Grip w/Quick Release Plate
Upgraded USB Lens Warmer, Lens Defogging Heater
GEEKOTO L-Shaped Quick Release Plate Aluminum Bracket
Bestshoot Phone Tripod Mount Adapter & Smartphone Remote Controller
VILTROX L116T RA CRI95 Super Slim LED Light Panel & Wasabi batteries
DJI Osmo Mobile 3 – 3-Axis Smartphone Gimbal
Endurax Video Camera Backpack-B0734QPGSK great for cameras & laptop
Lowepro LP36899PWW Slingshot Edge 250 AW sling pack-B013MC8H2A
Neewer Carbon Fiber 63″ Tripod/Monopod with Ball Head-B01I1C8VGI
SLIK Tripods 504 QF II Video Tripod
Vanguard Alta Pro 264AT Aluminum Alloy Tripod
JOBY GorillaPod 5K Kit
Pixel 6 Channels UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphone (for videos)
Pixel TW-283 Wireless Remote Shutter Release and Timer (get right cable)
Other Gear
Some other things you might need.
Vekkia Ultra Bright CREE LED Headlamp with white and red lights
Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro Pack (Star Tracker)
TrailBuddy Lightweight Trekking Poles
Merrill Moab 2 waterproof hiking boots
Computer Equipment (for photo processing)
Lenovo Legion Y740-15irhg laptop
(I have a MacBook Pro as well but I much prefer my Windows machines)
Logitech G602 Lag-Free Wireless Gaming Mouse
seenda Backlit Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard
Datacolor Spyder 4Elite color calibrator
Wacom drawing tablet
Seagate STHN2000400 Backup Plus Slim 2TB External Drive-B07MY44GDG
Software (for photo processing)
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Adobe Photoshop
Topaz DeNoise AI
Acronis 2021 Backup software
More Gear/Software I Think I Would Like
Here are some more gear I think would be useful. What do you think?
Gear I used to have
Just because it was an interesting challenge, I tried to remember all of the photo related things I used to have. Here is a list, but I am sure I have forgotten some.
Cameras
Minolta SRT-101 35mm SLR
Pentax ES 35mm SLR
Canon EOS Rebel T4i DSLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 18.2 MP