What's In My Bag...
Below is a look at my kit and some alternative options to new and expensive equipment....
When I started out I bought a second hand body and two lenses from work for £280. I now know that I actually did very well with the lenses being worth much more than the purchase price on their own! Due to my initial good fortune I have continued buying good quality second hand gear that allows me much better quality glass for my money. If you are on a budget then the second hand market is an option well worth considering. I have included most of my kit on this page, however due to the type of work that I do, I generally travel as light as possible. Hopefully this list will demonstrate the choices that I have and what is necessary to consider on every trip...
Please do click through the safe link to 'Ken Rockwell' site to find out more about each piece of kit that I use.
Please do click through the safe link to 'Ken Rockwell' site to find out more about each piece of kit that I use.
This is my main body, which is proving a very capable wildlife camera. I now have a pair of these that replace my old D7000 and D90. The extra mega pixels (24.1mp) over the Nikon D90 (12mp) and D700 at (16mp) give a slightly better crop value. The DX sensor gives greater focal range when using my old AF lenses, meaning small distant objects such as birds become easier to reach.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens - (Review)
My main birding lens that combined with the D7100 gets me close to the action. Having owned the Tamron 150-600 lens that I really enjoyed using, this lens just offers that better quality and usability especially in duller light conditions.
NIKON NIKKOR AF 300mm f4ED - (Review)
This used to be my main everyday lens for birding until I bought a longer lens and eventually progressed to the 200-500mm above. This is a reasonably fast lens and treally is top quality glass at an affordable price. A bit heavy but still very good for handheld work and gives you over 400mm on a DX body! Also compatible with my teleconverters so a good wildlife all-rounder! The solid metal body is great if going somewhere where it might be given some rough treatment and a lens I probably don't use enough now!
Claimed to be one of the sharpest lenses ever made by Nikon! A versitile macro lens that will close focus down to 12 inches! I picked this one up with a £200 discount on a popular auction site as it's box was slightly damaged!...
NIKON NIKKOR AF 70-180mm f4.5-5.6 MACRO - (Review)
Like the above 200mm f4 this lens is rated as one of the best macro lenses in the Nikon camp. Where as the 200 is a fixed length this lens actually allows mr to make small adjustments with the lens to get spot on focus which can sometimes be difficult with fixed length lenses. This is the lens that gets the most work by far and I actually often find myself carrying this as an 'every day' lens.
SIGMA 50mm f2.8 DG MACRO D - (No Review)
A short lens that only really gets used for photographing moths close up during my mothing sessions.
TOKINA AT-X PRO f2.8 100mm MACRO - (Review)
Again rated highly by professional photographers as a highly capable macro lens and generally more affordable than the Nikon lenses. If new to macro photography and on a budget then this is the lens to search out secondhand to get a quality lens and a bargain in the process.
TOKINA AT-X PRO 11-16mm f2.8D WIDE ANGLE - (Review)
Sticking with Tokina this is another really well made lens of metal construction. This is a wide angle lens on my DX bodies that I mainly use for landscape photography on the rare occasion that I'm out after landscapes.
Again another quality lens from Tokina that can be picked up for a keen price on the secondhand market and well worth searching out.
NIKON NIKKOR AF 50mm f1.8D - (Review)
Super fast 50mm lens for low light conditions
SIGMA APO 1.4x & 2x TELECONVERTERS - (User Guides)
KENKO PRO 1.4x & 2x TELECONVERTERS - (User Guides)
These teleconverters work on both my 80-200mm & 300mm lenses offering pocket size extra focal length when required.
FILTERS - (How to use Filters)
A good range of filters can make a big difference for the right shot.
SPARE BATTERIES
Although Nikon batteries seem to last forever I always carry two extra rechargables and some normal batteries with adaptor just in case!
MISC ITEMS
All those things that need to be in your bag, shutter remote controls, cleaning kit, spirit level etc...
SPARE MEMORY CARDS - (Card Guide)
I favour using a few smaller cards over one large card and generally shoot on 16GB and prefer Sandisk Extreme as my go to card. I carry a range of spare cards in a plastic box to keep them dry and dust free.
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HAWKE FRONTIER 8x42 BINOCULARS
A cracking pair of binoculars with great close focus so ideal for spotting dragonflies and bugs as well as birds and bigger stuff!
BAGS - (Reviews)
I have a variety of different size bags all in drab colours or camouflage. The different sizes give options depending on where I'm going and what I need to carry. I find the bum bag, which fits around my waist really good as it will carry a good number of items. It also takes pressure off my back which makes for a comfortable day.
HOT DRINKS FLASK
It is important to keep hydrated and warm so I never leave without my flask of builders strength tea! An energy snack is also carried in case I'm out longer than expected or the weather turns nasty.
LENS HOODS & LENS CAPS
Dust is our worst enemy so I always keep a selection of lens caps in case I lose one.
GERBER MULTI TOOL
Ever been in that situation when a screw comes lose or something breaks....
TORCH
Going after a SEO last summer I was out later than expected and found myself with a long, dark walk back. On rougher terrain I could have found myself in trouble and therefore I always carry a torch now!
CAMOUFLAGED CLOTHING & COVERINGS
Some situations call for a stealthy approach so I always carry at least a camouflaged hat and face veil. My general jacket is camouflaged so I can quickly blend into my surroundings if required.
CAMOUFLAGED HIDE NETTING
Folded up in the bottom of my bag this 3mx3m camo netting makes a quick temporary hide or a good cover whilst lying on the ground.
This page was last updated on 11/01/2020