Cameras | |
 | Nikon Df – despite receiving a lot of negative feedback from the photography world after it was released, the Nikon Df remains an amazing tool for both everyday and professional needs. Sporting a similar 16.2 MP sensor as the top-of-the-line Nikon D4, the Df can deliver clean images at very high ISOs and can push its sensitivity all the way to ISO 204,800! Although it is not a resolution monster like the D800/D800E/D810 cameras, its ability to retain colors, shadow details and dynamic range beyond ISO 3200 is remarkable. Despite its limitations such as 1/4000 max shutter speed, lower-end 39-point autofocus system and a single memory card slot, the Nikon Df is a very capable camera that is both compact and lightweight, making it an ideal candidate for Lola for shooting those long, all-day weddings. After shooting a single event with the Nikon Df, Lola no longer wanted to shoot with her heavy Nikon D3s, which we ended up selling afterwards. Our biggest gripe with the Df is the single memory card slot, but we have been only using 8 GB memory cards to reduce chances of losing too many images in case of memory card failure. We found SanDisk 16 GB SDXC Extreme Pro cards to be very reliable when compared to other types of cards, so those are the cards we stocked up on for the Nikon Df. If you are interested in finding out more about the Nikon Df, check out our detailed review with lots of information and image samples. |
 | Nikon D810 – with a whopping 36.3 megapixel sensor, this is the camera we primarily use for landscape and studio photography. Its stunning dynamic range can recover a lot of information when photographing in various lighting situations and the D810 has no anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor, giving maximum amount of details in images. You can read about the D810 in our extensive Nikon D810 review. |
 | Nikon D800E – after the D810 came out, we converted it to an infrared camera for photographing landscapes (see some examples of IR photography from Death Valley). The Nikon D800E is still an amazing camera and we intend to keep using it for many years to come. You can read a detailed review of the Nikon D800 to get more information about this amazing DSLR. |
 | Nikon D750 – after Nikon beefed up the Nikon D610 with a high-end AF system and released the D750, we had no reason to keep the D610 anymore, so we upgraded it. As of today, we consider the D750 to be Nikon’s best all-around camera, thanks to its solid build, great ergonomics and superb overall performance. The 24 MP sensor on these cameras is outstanding, producing excellent dynamic range, very little noise and beautiful colors for a range of different photography needs. For more details about the D750, see our detailed Nikon D750 Review. |
Camera Accessories | |
 | Op/Tech USA Pro Strap – I have tried many different straps and the Op/Tech Pro Strap is by far the most comfortable strap out there. Because it stretches, the strap won’t put too much pressure on your neck when you move around and use heavy gear. I have been buying these for every camera I own. If you are still using a stock strap, you should check these out. |
Lenses | |
 | Nikon 24mm f/1.4G – the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G is the sharpest wide-angle lens produced by Nikon. Whether you are into wedding, portrait, landscape, architecture, street or other photography, the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G will not disappoint with its clarity, colors, sharpness and background blur (bokeh). It is specifically designed for full-frame cameras like Nikon D700 and D3/D3s/D3x, but will also work on any DX camera like Nikon D5100. If you have not seen my Nikon 24mm f/1.4G Review, check it out for additional information on this gem. |
 | Nikon 50mm f/1.4G – a compact, lightweight, inexpensive and a very handy portrait lens that Lola and I use more than any other for weddings and portraiture. It works perfectly well on both DX and FX cameras and it yields beautiful bokeh at large apertures. If I were to take only one lens to a wedding, this would be it. See my Nikon 50mm f/1.4G Review for more information on this lens. |
 | Nikon 50mm f/1.8G – being cheaper and lighter than the f/1.4 version, you might think that this lens is inferior optically. That’s certainly not the case! After Nikon released the updated version of the 50mm f/1.8 lens, the older 50mm f/1.4 is now sitting in our shelf, mostly collecting dust. As I previously revealed in this article, the 50mm f/1.8G is an amazing lens, especially for its very low price. Wide open at f/1.8, it is sharper than the f/1.4 version stopped down! We have covered this lens extensively at Photography Life – see my detailed review, then check out some sample images from Lola’s weddings. |
 | Nikon 85mm f/1.4G – if you love to be able to isolate your subjects and have the smoothest bokeh, this is the portrait lens you want to own. It is regularly dubbed as the “bokeh king” by many photographers. It is unbelievably sharp from center to corner and yields amazing clarity, colors and contrast. Check out my full Nikon 85mm f/1.4G Review for more information on this lens. |
 | Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR – without a doubt, the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR is Nikon’s finest modern macro lens. Optically it is so good that many photographers employ the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR for portraiture. It is sharp wide open and has a beautiful, creamy bokeh. In addition, it comes with a Vibration Reduction/Image Stabilization mechanism, which works its magic in challenging light conditions. A full review of this lens will be posted soon. |
 | Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G – the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G is one of the best lenses ever produced. The lens is so good, that some photographers use it with an adapter on their Canon DSLR cameras. It is sharper than many prime lenses that fall in the 14mm to 24mm range and yields amazing clarity and contrast in images. I would have called this lens perfect, except it has one major pitfall for landscape photographers – you cannot use it with normal circular filters. Check out my full Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G Review for more information on this lens. |
 | Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G – every time when I review the list of lenses I used the most at the end of each year in Lightroom, I find that the Nikon 24-70mm is usually the second most used lens after the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. While it is not as optically good as the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G and has some weaknesses (like sharpness issues in the corners at large apertures, distortion and vignetting), it is a very practical lens for landscape photography on full-frame cameras. The 24-70mm range is perfect for most landscape photography needs and the lens is very sharp when stopped down beyond f/5.6. Check out my full Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G Review for more information on this lens. |
 | Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II – if I need the flexibility of a zoom lens when photographing people, wildlife or landscapes, the Nikon 70-200mm is the answer. It truly is a versatile lens with a very useful zoom range and unbeatable performance throughout the focal range, from center to corner. The colors, clarity, sharpness and contrast are all amazing and the lens performs flawlessly on both FX and DX cameras. Furthermore, it magically works very well with all Nikon teleconverters, including the Nikon TC-20E III. Check out my full Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II Review for more information on this lens. |
 | Nikon 200-400mm f/4G VR – many of the wildlife images I have on this site are taken with the Nikon 200-400mm f/4G VR lens. It has a very useful focal length for situations when you need to zoom in tight or zoom out when the subject is too close or too large. It works very well with the Nikon TC-14E II throughout the 280-560mm range, but unfortunately does not like any other Nikon teleconverters (mostly due to AF performance issues). Sharpness-wise, it is very comparable to the expensive Nikon prime lenses and the bokeh it yields is very soft and smooth. A full review of this lens will be published soon. |
 | Nikon 300mm f/4.0D AF-S – Every time I want to travel lightweight on an airplane and whenever I do not feel like hiking with the bazooka Nikon 200-400m f/4, I take the Nikon 300mm f/4 AF-S with me. The Nikon TC-14E II is almost permanently mounted on this lens, because it performs very well with it, even in low-light. The AF performance is very fast, almost as fast as on expensive 300mm+ prime lenses and its optics are exceptionally good when compared to other lenses. Unfortunately, it has no Vibration Reduction, so you have to be a little more careful when hand-holding it in low-light conditions. Check out my Nikon 300mm f/4 AF-S Review for more information on this lens. |
Teleconverters | |
 | Nikon TC-14E II – if you need to extend the focal length of your professional Nikon telephoto lens, the Nikon TC-14E II is a no-brainer. It works with every pro lens, including the slower f/4 lenses like Nikon 300mm f/4 AF-S mentioned above. Unfortunately, the Nikon TC-14E II, along with other Nikon teleconverters will not work with zoom consumer lenses like Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G VR. A full review of this teleconverter will be published soon. |
 | Nikon TC-17E II – the Nikon TC-17E II performs very well only on fast Nikon f/2.8 telephoto prime lenses and the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II lens. While it certainly does work with most f/4 lenses, it is known to impact AF performance, which may result in blurry images due to focus errors. If you shoot in bright conditions, you might like the results when coupling it with such lenses as Nikon 500mm f/4 VR and Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. However, lenses will start focus hunting in low-light conditions very often, unless you are manually pre-focusing your lens and your subject is somewhat stationary. A full review of this teleconverter will be published soon. |
 | Nikon TC-20E III – the new Nikon TC-20E III is a surprisingly good teleconverter that works very well with all Nikon prime f/2.8 telephoto lenses and the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II zoom lens. It doubles the focal length of the lens it is attached to and while it certainly does effect the image quality, stopping down the lens to f/8 produces very good results. Check out my full Nikon TC-20E III Review for more information on this teleconverter. |
Lens Accessories | |
| B+W 77mm Kaesemann Polarizing Filter | |
| B+W 77mm Neutral Density 1.8 Filter | |
| B+W 77mm UV Haze MRC Filter | |
| Kirk NC-300 Replacement Lens Collar for Nikon 300mm f/4.0D AF-S | |
Memory Cards | |
| SanDisk 8 GB Extreme Pro SDHC Card | |
| SanDisk 16 GB Extreme Pro CompactFlash Card | |
| SanDisk 32 GB Extreme Pro CompactFlash Card | |
Camera/Lens Support | |
| Gitzo Systematic Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs | |
| Really Right Stuff BH-55 Full Size Ballhead with PC-PRO Clamp | |
Studio Equipment, Flashes and Triggers | |
| Elinchrom Ranger RX Speed AS 1100 Watt/Second Kit | |
| Impact Air-Cushioned Heavy Duty Light Stand | |
| Elinchrom Ranger Free Lite A – 2400 Watt/Second Fast Duration Flash Head | |
| Nikon SB-910 Speedlight | |
| PocketWizard Plus III Flash Trigger | |
Light Modifiers and Reflectors | |
| Elinchrom 53″ Midi Octa Light Bank for Flash | |
| Elinchrom Rotalux Softbox 39 x 39″ | |
| Westcott 60″ Umbrella | |
| Westcott 43″ White Umbrella | |
| Westcott 43″ Silver Umbrella | |
| Westcott Apollo Mono 28″ Softbox | |
| Lastolite TriGrip Diffuser, One Stop – 30″ | |
| Lastolite TriFlip 8 in 1 Grip Reflector Kit – 30″ | |
Bags | |
| Think Tank Airport Security v2.0 | |
| Hakuba PSTC 100 Medium Pro Series Bag | |
| Hakuba PSTC 300 Extra Large Pro Series Bag | |
Storage | |
| Synology DS1813+ | |
Computer Hardware and Software | |
| Adobe Creative Cloud | |
| Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 | |