In My Bag…

While I do have a great collection, it’s important to know that I have accumulated these babies over the last decade. I use each and everyone of these regularly.

(learn more about common lens purchase mistakes here)

{I also have 10 SD cards, 3 batteries, a wireless shutter release and tripod- not shown}

Let me introduce you to the crew…

Lenses

 

1.”the beast” Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8.

95mm   1/200   f/3.2     ISO 200

170mm      1/400   f/2.8   ISO 250

 95mm   1/200   f/3.2   ISO 200

200mm   1/1000   f/2.8   ISO 320  

 

Upside- Gorgeous bokeh, nice and creamy. Ah-Mazing zoom! Tack sharp beauty. 2.8 all the way through.

Downfall- Price tag. Also, it’s mega heavy.  Not really practical to take everywhere. Only comes out during a shoot. You need distance between you and your subject, not ideal in small rooms or tight spaces. Great one arm workout, if you’re into working out only one arm that is!

 

2. “the mighty mouse” Nikkor 35mm 1.8.

35mm  1/500  f/2.8   ISO  320

Upside- This little gem has been with me a long time. It’s great in tight spaces when you need to get more details into the frame and offers a pretty good wide angle.  Very lightweight and easy to tuck into almost any bag or purse. Reasonably priced.

Downfall- Not super sharp. I don’t love this one for portraits. It really causes distortion of the face. Probably not super flattering if you plan on doing portraits. Check our Number 4.!

 

 

3. “the drama queen” Nikkor 10-24mm {wide angle} 3.5-4.5

10mm     1/125     f/10   ISO 200

Upside- Starting out as a landscape/cityscape photographer, this lens took it ALL IN! I remember the first time I brought it on a trip to Mexico… whoa!  To see the cinematic range that I was able to capture, it really was dramatic! I was instantly in love. No more stitching multiple photos in post. I could grab a whole scene in one click!

Downfall- Not overly versatile. Because we do a lot of travel, it always comes along for the ride, but if I didn’t do landscapes/cityscapes, I could live without it. Minimal distortion at edges. NOT idea for portraits (close-ups specifically).

 

 

4. “McDreamy” Nikkor 85mm 1.8

85mm   1/500  f/3.5  ISO 640  

85mm  1/250   f/5   ISO  640

85mm  1/125  f/9  ISO 2000

Upside- Probably my favourite lens ever. Practical. Easy to tote around. I use this for most of my ‘still life’ images. It is also GORGEOUS for portraits, super flattering lens. At 1.8 the bokeh is dreamy {hence the nickname}. I’ve shot many products/still life with this as the Depth of Field is stunning. Better price than the 85mm 1.4. For the sake of the extra stop in aperture, 1.8 is just as stunning in my opinion.

Downfall- The 85mm means you need room between you and your subject. Not ideal in tight spaces if you wish to have more than just a head and shoulders in the frame.

 

 

5. “the close-up” Nikkor Micro 60mm 2.8-4.8

60mm   1/400   f/4   ISO 640

60mm 1/400 f/4 ISO 640

Upside- Macro is purely fun. Making the ordinary details extraordinary. Bonus feature- for me, it doubles as an alternative to a portrait lens. I love this one because it is great for detail shots. I’ve taken some beautiful close-ups where the details in the eyes are mind-blowing. Facial distortion at 60mm minimal.

60mm   1/3200     f/4   ISO 250

60mm 1/200  f/10   ISO 800

Downfall- Probably a lens if you’re more interested in Macro photography, or if you want to have some fun creatively. Not a must-have. Though I admit, I’ve used it a lot over the years. I’m sure if you’re looking into Macro, there might be other lenses on the market today that might be better. If you’ve never shot macro before, there is a science to it, and being patient is a huge part of the equation. If you have, you know exactly what I mean!

 

 

 

6. “the veteran”- Nikkor 18-200mm 3.5-5.6  RETIRED  (not shown)

95mm  1/1000 f/7.1  ISO 640

Upside- Very versatile! This was my first lens. Now retired after 10+ years of hard work. Great for everyday use. I traveled with it everywhere!! I miss that guy…

Downfall- Not overly sharp. With such a huge range, I’ve noticed that these mega zoom lenses just don’t always deliver the sharpness department. But hey, it’s been a decade, maybe a new one might offer what was lacking all those years ago!

Camera bodies

60mm 1/100 f/5.6 ISO 400

NIKON D750

Nikon D750  1/125   f/1.8  ISO 12,800

Upside- This full frame is a creation of beauty. The low light ability is amazingly incredible with it’s ISO capability reaching new heights. Love making videos and time-lapses on this baby too! This is my everyday body.

Downside- It’s got a heavy price tag.

 

NIKON D7100- The Understudy (not shown)

Upside- This has a crop sensor, which works great with some of my lenses. (my first Nikon D300 was a crop, so I still have lenses that are compatible with the DX). It’s been just a amazing as the D750 with the exception of the crop. Worth every penny so far.

I have it as a ‘back-up’ during portrait sessions, or while filming behind-the-scenes of our session. I’ve had camera failure in the past, thankfully it was not during a paid shoot!

Downside- while there is an interval timer, there is no time-lapse feature. No biggie.

So, there’s a little glimpse of what’s inside my bag… now, I just need to find the perfect tote and I’ll be all set!

D xo