Camera Gear – what I use and why

Inside my bag these days (updated August of 2026)

I’m lucky enough to have a fairly large assortment of gear to choose from, so I pack according to what I’m going to do. For family trips and general running around, I use my Nikon Z50II and the two kit lenses: the 16-50 f/3.5-4.5 and 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3. With a DX sensor and a smaller battery, the body can be a smaller than my other Z cameras. I’ve added a couple of lenses to let me do a bit more with that kit. First I got the Z 24mm f/1.7. With an equivalent focal length of 36mm, it’s a great “people” lens, and let’s me take advantage of shallow depth of field. I’m also a fan of the super-wide look, so added a Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 lens, which I’ve been really happy with.

If it’s a serious photo trip, I’ll take a larger kit. For landscape or travel trips, that means the Nikon Z8 as my primary camera and a second body that uses the same batteries and charger. That second body is often the Nikon Z6III, which has amazing high ISO capability. If I’m not taking the Z6III, then that second body will by my Nikon Z6 that’s been modified for infrared. For lenses, I usually carry a super-wide Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4, a Z 40mm f/2 (if expecting to photograph people), and either a Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 or Z 28-400mm f/4-8 lens (quickly becoming a favorite!). If I’m planning to do any night shoots, then I’ll want a fast, wide lens. The Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 is an easy choice, but I might opt for a bit more speed with the Z 20mm f/1.8, or the Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 lens. If close-up photos might be an important part of the trip, then my 105mm f/2.8 Micro, or simply some extension tubes will be in the backpack.

For the professional assignments I do, I’m using either my Z8 or Z9 (or both) cameras. And that’s when I bring out the heavier, fast aperture lenses. If I’m not covering sports, then the two primary lenses are the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 and the Z 24-70mm f/2.8. For wider, then the Z 14-24mm f/2.8 comes along. For sports, I’ll likely be shooting my Z 400mm f/4.5 (perhaps with the 1.4X teleconverter) or the Z 400mm f/2.8 TC lens (with its built-in 1.4X teleconverter. That lens also pairs well with the Z 2X teleconverter, giving me a sharp, 800mm f/5.6 lens.

The bag I choose is always based on what I’m doing. I love the Think Tank Photo Speed Demon waistbelt with a couple of accessory pouches for general shooting. Sadly, Think Tank no longer makes that, so if I were replacing it I’d get one of their belts and add a couple of pouched to it. The Think Tank Airport series backpacks are great for travel, fitting even in the tiny overhead spaces I often find in commuter planes (the Airport Essentials is my go-to for small planes).

Lenses

I shoot everything from landscapes to portraits, sports to news. And high quality is always a must. This section lists many of the lenses I use, in different situations, and why I like them.

As a Nikon shooter, I’m going to talk about Nikon lenses here because that’s mostly what I use. I think other companies also make good lenses, but one reason I’ve stayed with Nikon is because of their optics. Of course, not all Nikon lenses have the same level of quality. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Higher-end lenses (okay, more expensive) tend to have better optics, better lens coatings, better edge-to-edge sharpness, better contrast and color and hold up better over many years of use.  Nikon’s “kit” lenses, while good, make sacrifices to be lightweight and inexpensive. However, you don’t always have to spend a lot of money to get a good lens. Fixed focal-length lenses (non-zoom) are usually very sharp and not as expensive. And there are some very good zoom lenses in the under $1000 category too.

(Note – “DX” lenses are those made primarily for Nikon’s DX cameras, which for me means my Z50II. While they can be used on Nikon’s FX cameras, they do so at a reduced resolution, so are people mainly use them on DX cameras)

Consumer Zooms

By “consumer zooms” I’m talking about those that generally cost less than $1500 but still have very good image quality. There are several that I’m very fond of and regularly use if I’m trying to carry less weight and don’t need fast apertures (f/4.0 or less for telephotos, f/2.8 or less for 200mm and shorter).

Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 – This is my favorite super-wide all-purpose zoom. It’s small and compact, and an excellent value.

Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 – This has been one of my favorite “go-to” lenses for personal work, although I sometimes take it on assignments as well. The first Z lens that made me realize that the new Z design (larger mount, new optical formulas) meant that Nikon could give us excellent performance throughout a pretty wide zoom range.

Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 – When this lens was announced, I thought, “too much range, definitely going to have issues.” I was very wrong. It’s quickly replacing the 24-200 (above) that I loved because, well, 200mm more! I also took it on a family vacation to Yellowstone to use on my Z50II, giving me an equivalent reach of up to 600mm. It was great!

Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 – Yes, it’s more than $1500 (a little over $2000 as of this writing), but for any Nikon Z shooter who wants to photograph birds or other wildlife, this is a must-have lens. Great performance overall, and it also works really well with the Z 1.4X teleconverter, taking you out to a whopping 840mm! Yes, you’ll also end up with a maximum aperture of f/9, but as well as today’s Nikon cameras handle high ISOs, that’s not the problem it used to be.

Pro Zooms

I break lenses down into “consumer” and “pro,” based mainly on price. I recommend the “pro” lenses to anyone who can afford them. You get what you pay for, and lenses play an incredibly important role in image quality. “Pro” lenses, in addition to the quality benefits, will stand up to harder use longer.

Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 – Described by some as perhaps the sharpest fast wide zoom ever made. An amazing lens, I use this when I absolutely need that f/2.8 aperture, and that includes a lot of the night photography I do.

Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 – Most pros consider a 24-70mm 2.8 zoom one of two “bread-and-butter” lenses in their bag (the other, the 70-200mm 2.8 is mentioned next). Great standard zoom range in a fast, very sharp lens. Enough said.

Nikkor Z 24-120mm – This lens falls in the price range of consumer zooms, but it’s fixed f/4 aperture, sharpness and rugged build put it in the “professional” group for me. If I have an assignment where I don’t need f/2.8, this lens is first into my bag.

Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 – The other “bread-and-butter” pro lens, this might be the single most popular lens among serious photographers today. No question about its sharpness, and a fast f/2.8 aperture all the way from 70 to 200 millimeters has made this a standard for many years. It also pairs very well with both of my Z teleconverters, the 1.4X and the 2X.

Fixed Focal Length (“Prime”) lenses

Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8 – I bought this lens to almost exclusively use for night photography. But it’s so sharp and fast that I really need to carry it for other types of shoots too.

Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 – This replaced my old F-mount Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 as a compact, inexpensive lens that’s easy to slip in the bag. That fast aperture is great to have in low light, and the shallow depth of field makes it a great “people” lens. I’ll have it with me on almost any international trip because of those two things.

Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 – Larger (and heavier and more expensive) than it’s F-mount predecessor, I prefer the little 40mm (above) for trips, but use this when I need faster AF and critically sharp images.

Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF-S (no longer produced) – One of the few F-mount lenses I’ve hung on to. I use it with the FTZ adapter on my Z bodies for the occasional portrait I shoot. That focal length with the aperture is a great combination.

Nikkor 105mm F/2.8 AF-S VR Micro (no longer produced) – The other F-Mount lens I’ve kept. I don’t do much close-up photography, so haven’t upgraded to the Z version. Again, I use it with the FTZ adapter on my Z bodies.

Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 – While I don’t use this lens a lot, whenever I do I always say to myself, “why don’t I use this more!” Very lightweight, I grab it when I’m going to need some reach, but don’t want to bring along the heavier long lenses. It also pairs amazingly well with Nikon’s Z 1.4 and 2X teleconverters, giving you 560mm f/6.3 or 800mm f/9 lens. I used it those together on an African safari, and was blown away by what a great combination they made.

Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC – When this lens came out people asked if I was going to buy one. “No way,” I told them. Well, that changed. “Incredible” is a word you can use about this lens in many ways. It’s incredibly expensive, but its performance is incredible too. Oh, and the built-in 1.4X teleconverter means you can go from 400mm at f/2.8 to 560mm at f/4 in about a second, which is pretty incredible. So it’s an incredible lens for both sports and wildlife photography. I used it to cover the World Cup in 2026, and it helped me make some incredible photos.

Nikkor Z TC-1.4X – Often times teleconverters come not just with a loss of light (one stop with a 1.4X converter), but a loss of sharpness as well. That hasn’t been my experience with Nikon teleconverters, and I feel they’ve gotten even better in the new Z mount. It’s always with me if I’m shooting the 70-200 mentioned above (making it a 105-280mm f/4 lens), or one of my longer telephotos. Remember, though, that Nikon’s teleconverters can only be used on specific Nikon telephoto lenses.

Nikkor Z TC-2.0X – I bought this specifically to use with Nikon’s Z 400mm f/2.8 TC lens, and it’s been great. I end up with an 800mm f/5.6 lens that’s sharp, and can even flip in the lens’s built-in 1.4X teleconverter to then be shooting 1120mm at f/8. Incredible combination!

Specialty lenses

I have a few third-party lenses, types that Nikon doesn’t yet offer, for specific uses:

Viltrox Z 16mm f/1.8 – Super-wide and very fast, I bought this lens just for night photography.

7Artisans Z 10mm f/2.8 fisheye – There are times when even a super-wide lens isn’t enough, or I want to simple create a different look. That’s why I got this manual focus, manual exposure lens.

Laowa Z 17mm f/4 tilt-shift – Also all manual, I bought this lens for a few reasons. First, I wanted to learn to use this lens to correct for distortion created when photographing tall buildings (shift). Then to use it to give me better sharpness across deep scenes (tilt). And finally to have a little fun, using those tilt and shift controls to create some unique images. I also thought using this lens would force myself to slow down and work in a more disciplined way – and between manual focus, manual exposure and the tilt and shift controls, this sure does that!

Cameras

As mentioned above, the Nikon Z8 is the camera I tend to use the most, as it’s lighter than my Z9’s but has most of the features. Those Z9’s are primarily used for sports (despite the weight, the grip is more comfortable for me). My Z6III is great for high ISO and as a backup camera, and the Z50II is my personal camera (vacations and such). I also have an old Z6 which I’ve had converted to infrared.

Exposure

For the past two decades I’ve shot mostly in Aperture Priority. Aperture, Shutter Priority and Program are all automatic exposure modes, and all of them can get you to the same place. It’s only how you interact with the camera that changes. I’m a big fan of limited depth of field, so Aperture is a great place for me. The downside to Shutter Priority is that you can choose a shutter speed that’s too fast or slow for the light. In that case, the camera can’t adjust the aperture for a good exposure and you end up with overexposed or underexposed pictures. With Aperture Priority, if I need the fastest shutter speed, I simply dial my aperture to its widest setting. In the past I’ve used Manual as well, when the light is unchanging (indoor sports) or when I’m lighting a shot with flash. By staying in Manual when using strobe, I can set the aperture for the flash exposure, and use the shutter speed to control the ambient (available) light.

However, for the last couple of years I’ve been using Manual exposure more and more, particular when shooting action. The reason is that all of my cameras are now mirrorless, so WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Pairing Manual with Auto ISO means I can change shutter speed or aperture on the fly, and the ISO will float to try to give me a good exposure. And, most importantly, I can use exposure compensation (EV) to shift my exposure to be darker or lighter, all while seeing those exposure changes in the viewfinder, before ever pressing the shutter button.

While there are a number of different metering options, I find Matrix (some manufacturers call it “Evaluative”) usually gets me close, and then I use EV (exposure compensation) to adjust the exposure to where I want it. Since I tend to like scenes where the subject is the brightest part of the photo, with darker areas around it, I’m quite often shooting with EV at -.3 to 1.0.

Processing Settings

One of the great features of digital cameras is their ability to let you customize how they work. From menus and white balance to image processing, you can now set them up to create the “look” of photos the way you want.

I’ve been shooting Nikon for over 40 years now, so obviously the settings I talk about here are for my Nikon cameras. However, you’ll find that many of these can be applied to Canon, Sony, Olympus, Fuji, Panasonic, Minolta, etc. The different companies may call them by different names, but most processing settings I talk about can be used on other cameras too.

In the days of film, you bought film based on the “look” it gave you. That could be saturated, cool, warm contrasty – there were lots of choices. Since you’re not buying film anymore, who decides how your images will look? Turns out you do, if you choose to. When you shoot JPEGs, the camera’s processing the RAW data from the sensor for color, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction and other variables to give you a finished image (and compressed too, with JPEG). You can change those settings in most cameras. For instance, Nikon’s current cameras have a “Picture Control” setting that does that, and other manufacturers have similar options. If you look inside that menu, you’ll find by default it’s set to “Standard.” But you could also choose Neutral, Flat, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape. Each one so those will make your photos look a little – or a lot – different. After choosing one of those, you can go even further and tweak the individual settings within them for more or less contrast, saturation, sharpening, etc. If you shoot JPEG, these settings are more important because they determine how that JPEG will look coming out of your camera. If you shoot RAW (NEF for Nikon, different for others), then the choices you make in image processing in-camera are simply a starting point. You can always change them later in RAW processing software.

However, remember, you’ll only see the exact results of those processing settings from the camera if you shoot JPEG (since every image is processed that way), or if you use the manufacturer’s processing software. Third-party programs by companies like Adobe or Apple do their own processing of the data, by default ignoring what you set in camera and giving the images their own look. However, you can tell Adobe to use your camera’s “Profiles,” and it will then try to mimic the results you’d get from your manufacturer’s software.

You may also want to create your own “recipes” for different situations. For instance, I keep my Nikons on “Standard” most of the time, but up the sharpening a couple of notches. For landscape shots, I’ll often use the “Vivid” setting and even bump up the contrast and saturation an additional notch. And if I’m in a contrasty situation where I’m worried about overexposing highlights, I’ll choose the “Neutral” setting. Since I want those “looks” when I get to the computer, I use Photo Mechanic as my browser (looks at the embedded JPEG in a RAW file for the preview – Nikon NX Studio would also give a “true” rendering of the NEF data). My editor of choice at this time is Adobe Camera Raw, which uses the same edit engine (tools) as Lightroom, without needing to use Lightroom’s catalog structure. I use Lightroom occasionally too, but mostly for work that requires a lot of photos processed quickly, where I don’t need to do careful selective work on the images.

Menus

Rather than try to go through my favorite, or most commonly used menu settings for different cameras, I’ll list the ones I use most frequently across different cameras. Not all Nikon cameras (or other manufacturers) have these settings, but many are common.

File Format – Most of the time I shoot my cameras in RAW (NEF) format. If I want the absolutely best quality, then I can choose lossless compression. That will mean the largest files, but it’s like when you’re making a cake: Lossless means you have a few more ingredients to start with. Most of the time, though, I shoot “High efficiency (star)” format. That results in a significantly smaller file, and while I know there’s some loss of data, I haven’t seen any issues. I do shoot JPEG sometimes, when getting an image out (delivered fast) is most important or when I need to save space, and am careful with my exposure and white balance. JPEG files at highest quality (least compression, “Fine” in Nikon menus) have a lot of information and you can still make big changes to things like tone and color.

PLAYBACK MENU

Playback display options

On every camera I use, one of the first things I turn on is found here in the Playback Menu, under “Playback display options,” is “Highlights.” Often called “highlight alert,” or “flashing highlights,” or even “blinkies,” this will make the LCD flash black-and-white in any area that’s overexposed. It’s a great feature to warn you of an overexposure problem. If an area’s flashing and it’s large or important, then you need to decide how to correct that. Most of the time that involves reducing the exposure, until the area’s no longer blinking. This menu also lets you choose to see an RGB histogram (in addition to the black-and-while luminance histogram already shown), see what focus point was used, or see more shooting data than is normally displayed.

Image Review – for most shooting I keep this turned off, for two reasons. One, I don’t like the display turning on after every press of the shutter, as I find that distracting. And two, when an image is being displayed on the rear LCD, that changes how the dials function. That means I can be trying to make a change in exposure and instead am changing the display. That’s frustrating. The only time I turn Image Review “On” is when I’m shooting something like portraits or a product in the studio and want instant feedback on each photo.

Rotate Tall – I like to leave this “Off,” and here’s why. The LCD on the back of the camera is horizontal, so if you choose to have your vertical rotated, they’ll be turned to fit into the smaller vertical dimension of the LCD. So I turn off “Rotate Tall” and instead rotate my wrist to see a larger image displayed full-size on the LCD screen.

SHOOTING MENU

Shooting Menu Bank – I don’t particularly like this, since you can’t “lock” those settings after you make them. In other words, you can create a specific set to use, perhaps for landscape photography, but as soon as you change anything while using it, that’s now part of that setting. I much prefer the U1/2/3 options that are on the mode dial on cameras like the Z6 and Z7 series.

File naming – This allows you to change the default prefix of “DSC” for file names to any three-letter combination you prefer, such as your initials. This is useful in situations where you might be sharing images straight off the card, before you rename them with something more meaningful. But if you always download and rename first (and I highly recommend this), then there’s no real reason to change the prefix of the file in-camera.

Image quality – I tend to set my cameras to RAW only, unless I’m on a tight deadline and need JPEGs ASAP. In that case I might actually shoot RAW + JPEG, so I have the RAW file in case I make a big mistake on exposure or white balance (or any other image processing variable). And sometimes, if I want JPEGs fast for web, email or screen use, I’ll choose RAW + JPEG, and set the JPEG for a smaller resolution and higher compression. That way the camera’s creating those JPEGs for me, and I can always go back to the RAW for all the data and resolution.

JPEG compression – I choose “”Fine (star),” when shooting JPEGs, which is best quality.

NEF (RAW) recording – Covered above.

White Balance – I always say, “if you know what your light source is, tell the camera.” So in daylight conditions I choose “Direct sunlight,” in fluorescent I choose “Fluorescent,” and so on. I only use “Cloudy” or “Shady” if I want to add more warmth to the scene. And I use a Preset, or Custom white balance whenever possible under artificial lights or mixed lighting conditions. However, the “Auto” white balance options on my Nikon cameras have gotten so good that I rarely need to do that any more.

Set Picture Control – “Standard” is my preference, with Sharpening increased a notch or two. If I want to pump up the contrast and color (like the old Kodachrome and Velvia films), I’ll choose Vivid and add some Contrast and Saturation. And in a high-contrast situation, I’ll often choose Neutral to help protect the highlights in the photo.

Color space – Adobe RGB is what I choose, because I run color management on my computers and monitors, and that gives me a slightly larger color gamut to work with than sRGB. However, that also means I regularly need to convert my files from Adobe RGB to sRGB because most of the world (web, browsers, printers, etc.) expect sRGB. There are many photographers (including some very famous pros) who choose to shoot sRGB for a simpler workflow.

Active D-Lighting – If you know how to manage contrast through exposure, graduated filters and post processing, then you probably want to leave this turned Off. If that doesn’t make sense to you, then I recommend leaving it on “Auto.” That way if you’re shooting a high-contrast scene, the camera will automatically underexpose a bit, then add extra processing to the shadow areas. This is an attempt to extend the camera’s dynamic range and can be helpful to some people.

Long exposure NR – Once you start shooting time exposures, you risk a different type of noise caused by those long exposures. This setting was introduced over twenty years ago to mitigate that in exposures over one second by making a second “black frame” of the same length of time and processing the two files to help remove that noise. So it means each exposure will take longer (a five-second exposure becomes ten seconds with the two exposures). This also means more quickly draining the battery. After testing, I’ve found it makes no difference in my photos anymore, so I keep it turned out.

High ISO NR – We all know that with digital cameras, the higher you raise the ISO the more likely noise will be visible. I normally choose to process that kind of noise after the fact, on the computer, but you may want to try this to have it done in-camera. In that case I’d recommend trying “Low” or “Normal.” Higher settings can create a “smeared” look to the detail.

ISO sensitivity settings – This is where you can turn on “Auto ISO,” and I love this menu choice. In Aperture Priority it lets me set the ISO I prefer to shoot at, but then also allows the camera to raise that ISO to a higher level I select if the shutter speed drops below a certain speed, that I also choose. Newer cameras also allow you to have the camera choose that shutter speed based on focal length, which can get you in trouble with wide angle lenses. And I’m using Auto ISO more and more with Manual Exposure, as I can combine it with exposure compensation and see, through the viewfinder, exactly what’s happening. This is a very nice feature to let ISO float in a smart way.

Multiple exposure – This lets you shoot from 2-10 exposures (the maximum number determined by the camera you have), after which the camera will merge them together in-camera. It’s a fun effect to try, both to create more blur (with action, like running water) or a more classic multiple exposure photo.

Interval timer shooting – Many Nikon cameras have had this feature for a long time, and is an intervalometer built into the camera. This is normally used to create time-lapse movies, and you can set the interval between photos (every two seconds, or two-minutes, or whatever) and for how long and how many frames. If you are using it to create a movie, then you probably don’t need RAW or even full resolution. I normally set for a smaller, more compressed JPEG since the images will be used on-screen. Don’t use auto white balance, and turn “Exposure smoothing” on.

Time-lapse photography – Some Nikon cameras now have this feature, which combines the intervalometer function mentioned above with the camera creating the finished movie file immediately afterwards, in-camera.

Movie Settings – Here is where you choose the resolution you want (4K, 1080, etc.), the compression level (High quality or Normal), Microphone level and other options

CUSTOM SETTING MENU

Autofocus

AF-C and AF-S priority – You choose what the camera’s priority should be with autofocus, in either C or S (Continuous or Single AF) modes. Release (camera shoots when you push the button, regardless of whether in focus or not), Focus (camera won’t shoot unless it confirms focus) or a combination of the two.

AF activation – This sets whether the autofocus starts when the shutter button is pressed, or only when the “AF-ON” button on the back is pressed. Using the AF-ON button is often referred to as “back-button autofocus,” and many photographers, myself included, work this way. Doing this allows me to choose when the camera focuses (or more important, when it doesn’t), and separates the action of shooting pictures from the action of focusing. I usually use this with the camera set to Continuous AF. That way if the subject’s not moving, I press the AF button, let the camera find focus, release the button and then shoot pictures. If the subject’s moving, I hold down the AF button and let the camera track the subject while I shoot.

Number of focus points – This lets you set how many focus points you want to be able to control when choosing them manually, with the rear thumb pad. I like all of them being active, but that takes longer to cycle through all of them.

Built-in AF-assist illuminator – This is a pet peeve of mine, and one I turn off on every camera I touch. That AF assist lamp in the front of the camera only helps if the subject is very close to you, the rest of the time it’s just annoying and lets everyone know when you’re trying to shoot pictures.

Metering/exposure

Easy exposure compensation – I’m a big fan of exposure compensation (EV) because I sometimes shoot in Aperture Priority (an automatic exposure mode) and am regularly overriding the exposure to capture scenes lighter or darker. With this turned on, I no longer have to hold the +/- button down to dial in compensation. Simply by turning the main command dial I’m adjusting EV, while in Aperture or Shutter Priority.

Auto meter-off delay – This is another pet peeve of mine. In the early days of digital cameras (over 20 years ago now), having the meter on was a big drain on the battery. That’s no longer the case. However, this carryover from then has the camera meter go to sleep after a few seconds. As soon as that happens, moving a dial no longer changes your exposure. You’re constantly tapping the shutter button to “wake” the meter. So please, please, please, set that delay for one-minute. You can thank me later.

Monitor off delay – I also extend the default times on most of these so the camera’s LCD isn’t constantly turning off while I’m working with it. When I’m done with the LCD, I can tap the shutter button to turn it off, or press the “Playback” button on the back to accomplish the same thing.

Shooting/display

Exposure delay mode – Not all Nikon cameras have this one, but it’s a favorite of mine. Turning it “On” means that when you press the shutter the mirror first flips up, then after a slight pause, the shutter fires. This lets you shoot slow exposures on a tripod with less chance of adding motion blur by pushing the shutter button, and can lessen the chance that the mirror’s movement creates blur. With today’s mirrorless cameras, shutter vibration can be less of an issue, but the delay is still a nice way to avoid needing a cable release.

File number sequence – I like this turned “On” so that when I pull one card from the camera and replace it with another, the camera continues numbering the files from where it stopped with the last card. If you don’t rename when downloading to your computer, this can save you from accidentally overwriting files with the same name (number).

Viewfinder grid display – I’ve always struggled with keeping my horizons horizontal and straight lines vertical. Turning this on helps me, and of course, the lines don’t show up in the photos.

Bracketing/flash

Flash sync speed – All cameras have a maximum shutter speed where the entire sensor is completely uncovered by the shutter. Any speed above that, the second curtain of the shutter is starting to cover the sensor before the first has cleared the top. That speed is usually between 1/160 to 1/250. With many Nikon cameras, you can set that shutter speed higher, when used with appropriate Speedlights. That’s called “Auto FP,” and lets you shoot up to the camera’s maximum shutter speed (1/4000 or 1/8000) in the right circumstances. The camera’s able to do this by “pulsing” the flash so it’s in essence painting the subject with light during the exposure. The downside is since it’s firing multiple bursts of light, they can’t be as powerful as one single burst. That means less reach for your strobe. However, when you choose “1/250 s (Auto FP),” the camera automatically has the flash fire one pulse once you lower your shutter speed to 1/250 or below. And some cameras even support “1/320 s (Auto FP), which means that full pulse flash will happen at 1/320 second or slower. This is a great feature, as it lets you shoot in bright sunlight at fairly wide apertures because you can use higher shutter speeds. We weren’t able to do this before. Other camera makers sometimes offer a feature like this, usually called “Hi-Speed Sync,” and that’s also how speedlights are listed if they can do this.

Flash shutter speed – The default here is usually 1/60 second, which means that if you’re in an auto exposure mode (Program, Aperture or Shutter) and you have the flash turned on, the camera won’t let the shutter speed drop below 1/60. That can make it hard to get a good exposure for the background in low available light. I usually set this to 1/15, knowing that I need to be steady if shooting that slow. Otherwise I’ll add blur to the photo. The advantage is I can get a better exposure of the background area.

Controls – these let you customize how your camera’s buttons work, and are well worth looking into.

Multi selector center button – Most of Nikon’s cameras let you use this button, when previewing photos just shot, to instantly zoom to 100%. This is a fantastic feature, and if your camera supports it, I strongly advise you using it.

Custom controls (shooting) – Most Nikon cameras today let you program a number of buttons on the body, and this menu lets you choose what they do.

Assign Ae-L/AF-L button – If not using the rear AF button to control focus, I set this to “AF lock only,” so I can press it to lock my AF at the current distance.

SETUP MENU

Format memory card – Formatting cards on a regular basis is an important part of a good workflow. It helps prevent the card’s directory structure from getting corrupted through overuse. I prefer to format my cards after I’ve finished downloading and backing up the images on them. Newer Nikons offer a couple of different options for formatting. “Quick” is what you should normally use. “Full” format is for when you want to sell or give away a card, to make sure that no pictures you’ve shot in the past could be recovered from it.

Clean image sensor – This feature, available on some cameras, has the camera “shake” the sensor. I turn on the “Clean at startup/shutdown,” which makes it do that every time you turn the camera on and off.

Auto rotate pictures– If this is turned “ON,” smart software will see that the image was shot vertically and rotate it for you automatically on your computer.

Save/load settings – This lets you save the settings you’ve created, to be loaded back into that camera or another one (same model with the same firmware version).

Non-CPU lens data – If you have old lenses (or third-party) that don’t have CPU contacts, this will bring back Aperture Priority automatic exposure to them. You tell the camera the focal length and maximum (widest) aperture, it does the rest.

Firmware version – Occasionally manufacturers release new firmware for a camera. This is the software the controls the camera, and either fixes a problem, adds new features, or both. It can also let older cameras take advantage of newer-model memory cards (size and speed). You can check your camera company’s website for the current version, read what it does, and if you want that, follow the instructions to download and install it.

MY MENU or RECENT SETTINGS

This is a great addition to Nikon’s cameras. It lets you either create a select set of menu items you regularly use, or have it always show you the most recent settings you’ve changed. I set my cameras to “My Menu,” and normally have some or all of these settings there:

• ISO sensitivity settings
• Format
• Battery info
• Time zone and date
• Flash cntrl for built-in flash
• Exposure delay mode
• AF activation
• Movie settings
• Multiple exposure
• Interval Timer
• And more…

Tripods

A tripod (or two) should be an investment you make for the long-term. A good one will be a pleasure to use and should last many, many years. Here are my experiences and recommendations:

Photographers want three things when buying a tripod – lightweight, sturdy, and inexpensive. But you can’t get all three together so you have to pick two. If you want sturdy and inexpensive, you’re going to get an aluminum model which will be fairly heavy. If you want sturdy and lightweight, then you’re going to get carbon fiber (or other new-age material), which is expensive. My suggestion, whichever route you go, is to spend real money. A good tripod, properly cared for, should last you 15-20 years. If you spend $1000 on a tripod, head and plates (not unreasonable, and you can spend less), that ends up costing you $50 a year for 20 years.

I probably bought six or seven cheap tripods over thirty years before finally buying a good carbon fiber one. I now have a few (from big and heavy to small and light), a few different heads and a collection of plates. And I have no plans on buying any more. Here’s what I’ve got and why:

Peak Designs Travel Tripod – More expensive than I’d like, but incredibly well made, with a great set of features and super compact. It’s what goes in my checked bag on trips where weight can be an issue.

Slik Pro 734 CF 4 sections, 3.1 lbs without head, I had the earlier model of this for 20 years and took it all over the world. A really good “budget” carbon fiber tripod.Gitzo Studex model G1327 (replaced by the GT3530S) – 3 sections, 5.1 lbs, 60-inches w/o center column, 70 with. This is my BIG tripod, which I use in the studio or if I need support for a really big lens and won’t have to carry the tripod too far. And while I normally avoid using a center poste (makes the tripod less stable), on this big, heavy-duty tripod, I feel confident raising that post.

Light Modifiers

If you take light seriously, then you realize there’s more to it than just looking for nice light. Part of that is taking control of light, and there are tools that can help you do that. The most common are umbrellas, soft boxes, reflectors and diffusers.

Umbrellas – The point of an umbrella is to make a small light source large. You can bounce the light out of an umbrella, or shoot through it (it the material is translucent). The closer you get the umbrella to your subject, the softer the light will be. That’s because the closer you get the light, the larger it is in relation to the subject. Larger umbrellas are thus softer light sources, but you have to balance size against how much space they’ll take up when opened. Mine range in size from 32-inches to 51-inches in diameter. The downside to umbrellas is that it’s hard to control the light – it just spreads out in all directions in front of the umbrella. Don’t forget you’ll need light stand(s) and a bracket to attach the umbrella to the stand and hold the strobe.

Soft Boxes – A soft box also makes a small light source larger, and thus softer. But its advantage over an umbrella is that you have more control over where the light goes. You can aim the front of the soft box to direct the light, and turn it to feather it off your subject. Again, larger soft boxes give you a larger soft light source, but can become unwieldy. My small soft box is 24” X 16” and made by Photoflex. My portable medium one is a 30” X 30” Foursquare by Lightware, and my large is again by Photoflex and about 48” X 36.”

Reflectors – These are one of my favorite tools because they’re inexpensive, easy to use, and a constant light source (as opposed to a strobe). It’s easy to show someone how to hold a reflector for you, because they can see when the light’s being reflected onto your subject. If your subject’s in shade or backlit on a sunny day, a reflector can add a beautiful “kiss” of light. In my opinion, the best reflectors are those that have removable covers, so you can change them from soft white to silver to gold or a combination thereof. Again, large are better, but they still need to be manageable. Something around 36-inches in size is good.

Diffusers block light from your subject, and my favorites are simply reflectors that have removable covers (see above). With the covers removed they’re normally just translucent white fabric, and can be held between your subject and the sun to turn the light from hard to soft.

For more on how to work with flash, read this.

That’s about all I have to say about gear. I update this occasionally, and you’ll also find more specific stories on photography gear and how I use it on my blog.