Some thoughts on a system for field work…….

I’ve spent the last 42 years trying to figure out what to carry and even more importantly, why?!
I’ve always thought that before you can solve a problem you need to define it. So here goes, when you go into the field to make photographs you need to have everything you might need to make said photographs, that you are capable of carrying. If you work for National Geographic
you can take 800 pounds of gear and hire three people the shlep it. I don’t work for National Geographic, though I once had a subscription to National Geographic…….

I soon learned that my limit of weight to carry without hurting myself was around 20 pounds. I also knew that I needed lenses that covered everything from pretty wide, around out to 18 mm, and long glass that went out to around 400 mm. Since Wide Angle zooms and telephoto zooms would cover that range, I knew something would have to cover the middle range. Over the years I owned and used a lot of lenses in each of those categories. As of July of 2011, I have found the two wide angle zooms that work best for me. Why two? I use both DX and FX bodies and in the area of wide angles, they require different lenses to get the widest focal lengths. DX 12-24 AFs f4
and FX 16-35 AFs VR f4. The mid range zoom was not as easy, I’ve used the 28-70 f 2.8, the older 35-70 AF f2.8 and the newest 24-70 AFs f 2.8. The only problem for the way I shoot is all of them often had to be removed from the camera to get something longer. When Nikon released the 24-120 AFs VR f4, I got one in my consignment, I decided to give it a try. I fell immediately in love with this lens, it covers a great range on either FX or DX and is tack sharp, maybe a hair less so than the 24-70, but with the addition of VR it is more useful. It also focuses very close and with a diopter, can almost serve as a Micro lens.

On the long end there are many choices and all of them have great merits. Since I don’t shoot a great deal of available light, the 70-300 AFs VR f4.5-5.6 is very, very sharp, and on the DX is the equivalent to 105-450. Since I don’t have a fast lens for those low light moments, I picked up the 85mm f 1.8. It is very sharp, compact, and less than one fourth the cost of the fabulous but very
bulky 85 f 1.4. For most close-up work I use any of the longer lenses with a diopter and or, automatic extension tubes.

I use polarizers a great deal, and always carry a good tripod, head, and cable release.

Is this all I own? Nope, I have a number of other lenses, mostly collectables and back-ups,
and just for fun. One lens that I do use a lot for serious, dedicated close-up work is the 200 mm Micro Nikkor. The point is to make virtually every image I want to make with a minimum of gear.
By simplifying my gear, I don’t think about gear, I think about images. Photography is to important to waste on thinking about anything but the image…….

I could have been any of a number of things, but God allowed me to be a photographer. I will never stop thanking Him for the sheer pleasure of doing what I get to do. God is truly good.

Blessings,

the pilgrim

It’s all about the image……..

Photo Note: All images made with the equipment listed in the post.