04/11/07

As a landscape photographer, my equipment must be able to withstand harsh conditions.  From snowstorms in the Sierra in winter, to the heat of the Colorado Plateau in summer.  Therefore, I choose and use what I consider to be the best equipment available, Nikon.  Various assemblies of the following are what will be found in my bag at any given time:

Camera bodies:

• 2-D2x/D2xs Bodies *(one is equipped with the Katz-Eye focusing screen.)

• F6

• F3HP

Tripods:

• Gitzo 1348 CF with RRS BH-55

I primarily use a Lowepro Pro Trekker AW backpack.

I wouldn't be so presumptuous to assume I know anything about your shooting style, so it would be hard for me to make any hard and fast recommendations.  But it would be safe to say that a wide angle zoom like the 12-24mm F4, a medium zoom like the 28-70mm F2.8, and a telephoto zoom like the 70-200mm F2.8 VR in your bag would fit the majority of situations you would be likely to encounter as a landscape photographer.  For even more versatility, a TC 17EII would be an excellent addition.

I can't stress enough, the importance of a good tripod and head.  For landscapes, depth of field is usually of paramount importance, and this usually dictates slow shutter speeds. 

Don't let equipment rule your photography!  Remember, it is the person behind the camera that is the most important link in the chain to great images.

*The Katz-Eye focusing screen has a split prism, much the same as the Nikon F3HP had back in the film days.  The split prism assists in getting sharp focus when utilizing manual focus lenses on the D2x.  Note, it doesn't affect focusing with Auto-focus lenses in any way, nor have I experienced any exposure deviations.  If you are like me and still have some "favorite" manual focus glass, I highly recommend this excellent focusing screen.

To find out more about Nikon's excellent line of equipment, please click on the link below...