My Camera Bag

Dedicated cameras and high-quality lenses provide immense flexibility, manual control, and quality benefits that modern smartphones don’t (yet) provide. I’ve always had an appreciation for good tools, even ones I’m not particularly adept at using. Although photography is mainly a hobby and creative outlet for me, I enjoy the technical aspects as much as the creativity. So here’s what I currently use.

Camera & Lenses

Nikon Z 14-24/2.8 S

My current collection consists of the following camera and lenses:

  • Nikon Z7 (45.7 MP)

  • Nikkor Z 14-24 f/2.8 S

  • Nikkor Z 24-120 f/4 S

  • Nikkor Z MC 105 f/2.8 S

  • Nikkor Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

I only carry all these lenses when I’m hiking or traveling specifically for photos, however. For general travel, backpacking, or other activities in which photography is secondary, I typically only carry one or two lenses at a time. Some common kits:

  • Travel: 14-24/2.8 + 24-120/4

  • Backpacking: 24-120/4 (+14-24/2.8 occasionally)

  • Wildflowers: 24-120/4 or MC 105/2.8

  • Wildlife: 600/6.3 or MC 105/2.8 (most animals are small!)

Of course, camera and lens collections are never truly static due to evolving technology and interests. Others I hope to pick up over time:

  • Nikkor Z 85 f/1.2 S (outdoor portrait lens)

  • Nikkor Z 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 VR S (for medium-tele wildlife and landscapes)

Tripods

I have accumulated many accessories over the years, but arguably the most important are my tripods:

  • Induro GIT304L tripod with FLM CB-48F ballhead (for frontcountry use and maximum stability)

  • Gitzo GIGT1545T tripod with Sunwayfoto FB-36DDHi ballhead (for traveling light)

  • Manfrotto Pixi Evo II (for traveling very light)

The Gitzo tripod and FLM ballhead are fantastic, and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy either of them again if needed. They are both very well engineered and entirely dependable. I have mixed feelings about the Induro tripod: it is solid and reasonably light for a full-size modular/systematic tripod, but the plastic shims in the legs (to prevent sections from sliding out) are poorly engineered and difficult to keep seated. I saved a few hundred dollars at the time, but I should’ve just purchased a Gitzo 3 Series or RRS (and I rarely need a tripod that sturdy anymore). The Sunwayfoto ballhead is small and lightweight for travel, but it tends to settle a bit under load. It’s also too wide to allow the Gitzo legs to fold (reversed) all the way together, so I have to store it separately when packing tight. I’d like to replace it with an Arca-Swiss P0 or similar head at some point. The Manfrotto Pixi Evo is for backpacking when even the Gitzo is too heavy.

Other Accessories

Flash & Studio

  • Godox XProN TTL wireless flash trigger

  • Godox MS200 and MS300 studio monolights

  • Godox AD400Pro outdoor monolight

  • Godox AD-S85 softbox, 43” bounce umbrella softbox, and Glow EZ Lock 12x36 stripboxes

Filters

  • NiSi 100mm filter holder (for Nikon Z 14-24/2.8 S)

  • Kase K9 100mm filter holder (for all other lenses)

  • NiSi 100mm Nano IRND 1.8 filter (6-stop)

  • NiSi 100mm Nano IRND 3.0 filter (10-stop)

  • Haida 100mm NanoPro CP filter

  • B+W Kaesemann CP MRC

Cards & Software

  • SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B cards

  • Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop CC