Gear List

Here is a list of photography equipment that we use! I’m a bit of a shopaholic / gear geek… so if you are thinking about adding a new piece to your set of gear, hopefully these quick reviews will sway you one way or another. My rule of thumb has always been to get good quality gear upfront so you won’t have to waste money “upgrading” that same gear later on. I generally buy my gear online since it’s the least expensive (no tax in most stores yay!)… but be warned, only buy from trusted online companies… these are the ones I buy my stuff from when I buy online: B&H Store, Adorama.

Camera Bodies:

• Nikon D90: In Nikon terms, this is an APS-C crop-sensor (DX format) camera. It is a very nice camera, produces excellent high quality pictures even in dim light. I still find this camera more user friendly out of the box than the D700. If you just want a very good quality camera for family photos I would recommend the very capable and cheaper Nikon D3100. But if you consider yourself more of a hobbyist and plan to do “more” with your photography later on.. the D90 is the great middle ground camera between consumer and pro grade gear.
  Update: The D90 has since been replaced by the D7000, which boasts even better high ISO performance, stronger build quality, improved focusing and better video quality. If you are in the market for a D90 but are on a budget, find a nice used one. If you want a brand new one… then by all means get the D7000.
• Nikon D700: This professional grade camera is amazing, it is built like a tank and takes amazing pictures in low light. Nikon took some of the best features of it’s premium line D3s ($5000+) and brought it down to this camera. When you snap pictures with this camera you can hear the build quality difference of its shutter opening and closing… it’s akin to comparing a Honda to a Mercedes Benz. Close the side door on a Honda and it makes a clang… close the door of a Benz and you hear the build difference. I am falling more in love with this camera the more I use it. It hasn’t failed me yet, I’ve used it in freezing snow and hot Southern California summers… and I’ve dropped it a few times too! (sorry lil buddy). This camera is a photographer’s dream, because it offers some of the best features at “reachable” price point.

  What’s my favorite feature of this camera? It isn’t so much of a feature, it’s more of what the camera really is. It is a full-frame sensor camera… in Nikon terms: FX format. Among other things, the larger full-frame sensor allows you to capture the depth in your frames that a crop-sensor camera (D5000, D90, D7000, D300) cannot. In the context of portraiture, it really makes your subjects “pop”… giving it a 3D feel.

Lenses:

Buying a good lens is the best way to invest in your gear… even though it can also be the most expensive, the lenses you buy will still be just as good 10yrs from now, while your camera body will have already been “replaced” multiple times. Generally, I try to find “affordable” lenses that give you the most punch for the money. Those that will produce good quality without breaking the piggy bank open. I also prefer to keep my gear unobtrusive and lightweight… which is why my setup is primarily made of single focal length (prime) lenses.

• Nikon 35mm/f2.0: the perfect walk around lens for the general (cropped-framed / Nikon DX sensor) cameras. Nikon just released a new 35mm/f1.8G DX version of this lens, but it’s strictly a DX lens. That is why I have this old guy instead (I want to build a collection of lenses that work perfectly fine on both my crop-frame DX and full-frame FX sensor cameras).
  Update: The “pros” are getting all excited about the recently released 35 f/1.4G lens which I would love, but currently out of my budget. I might rent it just to try it out one of these days.
  Quick Tip: As the aperture of a lens gets larger (from f/2 to f/1.4)… you are able to take in more light (better dim light performance) and can get more subject to background separation. General rule: the larger the aperture (lower f-stop number) the more expensive the lens will be =).
• Update: Nikon has released a new 50mm f/1.8G AF-S lens. This is my recommended 50mm lens from now on. It has all the nice features (bokeh, auto-focus) of the 1.4 at half the cost.

  Nikon 50mm/f1.8D: the very first prime lens in our bag.. but still one of my favorite lens. This “nifty-fifty” is the perfect walk-around lens for me on the Full-Frame D700. I love prime lens because they are so lightweight and unobtrusive. If you don’t have a nice neck strap, your neck will be raw after a whole day of lugging your huge camera + huge zoom lens around (more on camera straps below). You can put this tiny lens on your huge camera and still feel like you’re not invading people’s space.. compared to a huge (heavy) poindexter zoom lens poking at them. You’ll find photos taken with this lens all over this blog.
  
  Please note: this is an older lens (released in 2002, but still in production today) that will not auto-focus on “consumer level” DSLR models like the D40, D60, D3000, or D5000. Those DSLR bodies do not have a built in lens auto-focus motor that the higher end DSLRs have; they must rely on newer, more expensive “AF-S” lenses which have their own motors to perform auto-focusing. Even so, I still highly recommend the 50mm 1.8D lens. You will be hard pressed to find a better lens for its price (~$120). If you have one of the consumer DSLRs mentioned above, aside from having to manually adjust the focus ring, all other electronic behavior will work just like any other auto-focusing lens. It will still show you the “you are now in focus” dot in the viewfinder. Honestly, I defer to manual focusing many times.. especially in dim light environments… but if you must have one of the newer AF-S lenses, you can get the newer AF-S 50mm 1.4G lens.

• Nikon AF-S 50mm 1.4G lens: With Kay often visiting her family in the midwest (and taking the trusty 50 f1.8) I needed to get a 50mm focal length lens for myself. What’s the difference between this 1.4G and the 1.8D? The 1.4G will give you near silent auto focusing and more accurate focusing in tougher lighting conditions. Have you taken photos in a quiet place and noticed the loudness of your lens hunting for focus? These silent wave AF-S lenses is the cure for that. Additionally, being an big aperture f/1.4 lens, this will also give you nicer background blur rendition (bokeh) than the 1.8D.
• Tamron 28-75mm/f2.8: this is a great general zoom lens, at 1/4 the price of the Nikon variant. The auto focus on this will be a little bit slower in low-light conditions… but hey you’re paying 1/4 the cost of the counterpart “pro” lens. Another added bonus to this lens is that it doubles as a Macro lens: it allows you get get super close to a subject and still acquire focus. Most normal (non-macro) lenses require you to be at least 1.5 ft away from your subject. We use this lens for up-close detail shots.
• Nikon 18-105mm/f3.5-5.6 VR: This was the kit lens that came along with our D90. We have since sold it because we found ourselves using our other lenses more often. It is a good overall kit lens though, covering both wide and narrow focal lengths…. practical, but not magical. These consumer grade lenses with variable apertures are great outdoors where there is plenty of light; where they lack is usually indoor dim-lit environments.
• Nikon 85mm/f1.4D: This lens is a dream. Wow, what an awesome portrait lens this is. Pictures taken with this lens will just “pop”. How? This lens is called the “cream machine” for a reason… everything in the background just turns to soft non-distracting cream. It’s a “pro-grade” lens (translation: it’s expensive), but well worth it… truly a legendary piece of Nikon glass… especially for portraiture. I fell in love with this lens as soon as I slid it onto the body.
  Update: They’ve since updated this lens to the new 85mm 1.4G. Added new lens coatings and improved auto focusing performance. I might rent it, just to see how it compares to its near perfect older model.

Lighting:

Flashes:

• Nikon SB-400 speedlight: good light to have when you’re on the go and don’t want to lug around a big external flash. It’s for practical use only tho, the biggest downside to this speedlight is that the head doesn’t rotate. This means you will not get optimal lighting when used in portrait (vertical) angle.
• Nikon SB-600 speedlight x3: nice lightweight portable flash units. Trigger these remotely and it opens up a whole new level of creativity. These lights are awesome, they have more than enough power for me. The only reason to get the more expensive units is if you need to get the most light out of a speedlight and to use battery packs for faster recycle times. The SB-600 does not have a PC connector and does not take a battery pack. I fire these babies wireless and don’t need the ultra recycle time a machine gunning photographer may need =p Besides, if you fire off full power pops too quickly, your flash will overheat and burn out. So for multiple reasons, these are great for me (at half the cost of the larger SB-900 units).
  
  Update: The SB-600 has been discontinued and replaced by the new SB-700. The SB-700 has pretty much the same power, but adds these nice features: commander mode (can now control two groups of flashes: A/B from the flash when it is on the hotshoe), can change the flash head pattern, comes with gels, updated easier menu system).

• PCB Einstein 640 x 3: These are the new digital studio lights I use. Their ability to adjust power to very low amounts and still maintain color consistency is a godsend. Typical studio lights will not let you accurately dial down the power… and still maintain color consistency. The Paul C Buff (Alienbees) company is known for high quality gear without the insane prices. They have top notch customer service too.

Triggers:

• Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit: When firing Speedlights remotely… this guy will save you from deleting so many “they blinked” shots. Without this commander, you will have to use your built-in camera flash to control remote speedlights wirelessly (if your camera has this feature). The problem with using your on-camera flash is that it fires off an initial pre-flash (even if that flash doesnt affect the exposure at all). This makes your subjects more prone to blink. However, the biggest benefit of using this commander (vs your in-camera commander) is that you can control all your speedlight settings without having to jump through a bunch of in-camera menus. This infra-red remote trigger works great in typical indoor settings, but will be limited outdoors to “line of sight”.
• Radio Popper PX system: This is a radio trigger. It allows me to remotely trigger my speedlights without having to worry about line of sight limitations. Why do I like the Radio Popper PX system? They aren’t just “dumb” triggers, they allow me to use the High Speed Sync (Nikon term: FP mode) abilities of my Nikon flashes. They allow me to use the smart TTL mode (let the flash control the amount of light needed) of my Nikon flashes. And they do all this transparently in the background… because I can still use it alongside my Nikon SU-800 remote commander. The same easy interface that I’ve gotten used to, the same interface that allows me to control all power settings from my commander. Change speedlights from TTL to manual mode? no problem. Change power settings of individual speedlights separately? No problem. No more having to walk over to the speedlight, everything is changed on my commander. Yays!

Light Modifiers:

• Impact Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit : In combination with the external flashes, this will probably give you the most “wow” I can take the same photos as studios do feeling. Definitely something every newbie photographer should think about. In order of progression, I would start first with umbrellas (to give you an idea of “studio” lighting)… then work your way to softboxes (once you’ve fully realized the usefulness and limitations of umbrellas).
• Westcott Photo Basics 304 5-in-1 Reflector Kit: A good reflector to use indoors, but I find it difficult to hold outdoors when windy. Generally, I think reflectors are great tools when used with flash strobes… but when reflecting natural sunlight it really bothers the subject. The sunlight shines right in their eyes, they will be squinting quite a bit.
• TriGrip Diffuser, One Stop – 30″ (75cm): This reflector is better than the 5-in-1 for outdoor portraits. At a still very affordable price, it is smaller and much easier to handle in the wind. You need to buy the gold/silver/white/black panels separately though (TriFlip Reflector Fabric Set for LR3607)
• California Sunbounce Micro Mini 2′x3′ reflector: This is the reflector I primarily use now. It is more pricey than the others but allows me these extra benefits: 1) The collapsible lightweight rigid frame makes handling it outdoors super easy. Even in super windy conditions. 3) the fabric is very taught and firm for an ideal bounce surface 3) With an adapter, I can mount my speedlights to this for added “punch” (look at this outdoor shoot for example photos).
• Photoflex Lightdome Q39 medium softbox: This is the box we take for remote shoots. Sets up in just a few minutes and breaks down into a small bag. The internal baffle helps spread the light evenly… even our speedlight SB600s work well in this softbox. What’s the benefit of a softbox over an umbrella? 1) Softboxes are more resistant to wind… as you may know, umbrellas act as a huge sail in the wind ;p. 2) Softboxes give a more directional beam of light. 3) Softboxes allow you to use additional modifiers to give you even more control over the beam of light. Note: you will need a softbox mount and speedring to use something like this on a lightstand.
• Alien Bees Parabolic Umbrellas: For the price, these are the best “umbrellas” I’ve used. They have more ribs than traditional umbrellas giving your more light output than the usual. Their build quality is top-notched too. I use the 64″ umbrella along with the optional diffuser screen for my indoor portrait shoots.
• 22″ Beauty Dish: Beauty dishes are typically very heavy and expensive. The Paul C Buff company has made a lightweight and very affordable dish. Why are they called beauty dishes? They’re often used in beauty/fashion shoots for their durability and quality of light. Beauty dishes are actually reflectors. The light from the strobe shoots into a reflector inside the dish, which then bounces the light back onto the dish surface, which in turns reflects the light back onto the subject. This multiple bouncing of light results in a more even beam of light with fewer hotspots than a direct strobe would provide.

Lighting Stands & Accessories:

• Manfrotto Quick Stack System Lightstand: A good balance between heavy and super light stands. Not too flimsy and not too heavy duty. I like how they click and stack nicely together, makes them more portable than typical light stands.
• Avenger Century Stand Grip/Boom Arm kit: This is the heavy duty stand I use when I want to boom a softbox directly overhead of the subject. The last thing you want is your flimsy stand to fall and smack your subject. Ouch! Avenger stands are top notch and heavy duty. Century stands (C-stands) generally are much stronger and more stable than typical “pyramid-leg” type light stands. Having done a bit of research before I purchased these, I’ve been very satisfied with the build quality of this stand / boom kit. The price is fair too.
• Giottos Mini Ball head: This is the perfect little attachment for a speedlight. We have a few of these in our gear bag. We use this to mount our speedlights directly to a light stand. Why does this one work so well? It is pretty sturdy and because it is an actual ball-head design, it lets you swivel your speedlight in all directions.

Camera Bags:

• Tamrac 3537 Express 7 Camera Bag: If you like shoulder bags, this is a good lightweight bag to think about. It has enough space to hold your camera and 2 additional lenses. However, if you are hiking around all day with your gear, I would advise a backpack instead; it will more evenly distribute the weight of your gear.
• Lowepro Flipside 400AW Backpack: The comfy backpack we put most our gear in when we go on-location. Sometimes though, I’ll pack everything into here and leave it in the car… then use the smaller shoulder bag to roam around in. On trips that require flying, I’ll pack all the essentials in here and use it as a carry-on. No way am tossing my gear as checked-baggage. Cool feature of this bag? It is All-Weather proof… it comes with a pull-out rain coat that wraps snugly around the entire bag when needed.
• Lowepro Flipside 200 Backpack: A smaller version of the Flipside 400. This is the perfect size for 1 camera + 2 lenses. This is the bag we use when we need to be lightweight and portable.

Accessories:

Camera Support:

• Induro CT214 Carbon Fiber Tripod: Super tough and not as heavy as aluminum ones. If you plan to do a lot of night time portraits, a tripod is a must. I prefer the twist locks instead of the flip locks because they are more streamlined and less prone to accidental unlocks (yes, I’m paranoid when the tripod is supporting over $4000 in the equipment). Which brings me to a rhetorical question: Why would you trust your expensive gear on a cheap $50 tripod?
• Induro CM34 Carbon Fiber 4-Section Monopod: When I need stabilization but don’t want to bring a full-on tripod, I will use a monopod. With monopods the rule of thumb is: smaller portability = more leg sections. more stability = fewer leg sections. I went with the middle-road 4 section monopod.
• Arca-Swiss Monoball PO ball-head: With any good tripod / monopod… you will need a good ball-head system. Basically the ball-head is what your camera attaches itself to, allowing you the full range swivel motion you need. How else will you tilt and swivel your camera on that tripod? One criteria for a good ball-head is its ability to hold the tilt position. Let’s say you need to tilt your camera downwards and have framed it perfectly… the last thing you want is your cheap ball-head to creep and ruin your framing and focus you spent 5mins perfecting. Arca-Swiss is a tried and true trusted brand when it comes to ball heads. This particular model allows me to adjust tension with a quick turn of just one ring knob. Twist.. swivel… twist. Easy.

Camera Accessories:

• Really Right Stuff L-bracket: When you quickly want to switch from Landscape to portrait mode on your tripod, an L bracket is your best solution. The L bracket will also ensure your panning and center of gravity is immediately over your ball-head for more stability and precision.
• Zeikos Battery Grip for D700 / D300: This Zeikos knock-off grip is near identical to the Nikon MB-D10 (except $200 less). What doesn’t it have? It lacks the magnesium alloy construction, that’s about it. I haven’t had trouble at all with this grip. No worries too about the strength. It is still made of metal where it needs it (the critical attachment parts). This attaches to the bottom of your camera allowing you to more comfortably switch from landscape to portrait mode without having to turn and wrap your arms around your head. If you find yourself constantly shooting in Portrait (vertical) mode.. this is a must for you. Best feature? This grip will increase your burst frame rate to 8 fps. You thought your shutter speed was fast? You haven’t seen fast until you get to the 8+ fps speed. High burst rates are perfect for stopping motion (sports, jumps, falling leaves.. etc).
  Note: Because every camera body is different in size, make sure you order the correct grip for your camera (if there’s one made for your camera at all). Grips are usually available for the mid to higher end cameras (D90, D300, D7000, D700).
• Hoodman Loupe 3: Tired of not being able to see your camera LCD screen when shooting outdoors? This will solve all your problems. See every picture as though you were in a dark room. You’ll wonder how you ever lived w/o it =) … or you can just string a black towel around your neck to every shoot ;p
• Hoodman Eye Cup for D700: replace your stock eye cup with these to block stray light coming in from the side as you look through your viewfinder. These will help you with your framing too, as everything is blacked out except for your frame. Make sure you buy the ones designed for your particular model. Most Nikon cameras with a square viewfinder will fit this one.
• Black Rapid RS-5 Camera Strap: This is the camera strap that your neck is begging you for. Lug around your hefty DSLR camera all day and your neck will be raw at the end of the day. This is a shoulder camera strap that will evenly distribute the weight of your camera across your body. The difference in comfort is night and day. Get one if you are tired of your neck getting beat up all day. This RS-5 strap has additional pockets to hold memory cards and even a cell phone. They also make one fit the special curves of women too: RS-W1

Computer Accessories:

• Sanho 160GB HyperDrive COLORSPACE UDMA Multimedia Storage: This portable drive is a lifesaver, especially during long events like weddings. Ever worried about running out of card space? The last place you ever want to be stuck in is midway through your event only to run out of memory cards. Or worst yet, you come home from the event and one of your cards is missing or corrupt! That’s why you always need an on-site backup. When your card is full, take it out of your camera, plug it into this little guy, plug your back-up card into your camera and keep shooting. This device will automatically backup your memory card… it’s fast too! You dont have to babysit it like a laptop… besides, who has the time to babysit when you’re supposed to be shooting! For any of you covering an event, this is a MUST-HAVE device.
• Spyder3Elite Display Calibration System: Have you wondered why your prints never match up to how it looks on your monitor? Monitor calibration is an art in itself… but this tool will get you off in the right direction. A must for anyone who are tired of crossing their fingers and want color accurate prints. Load up the software, put the spectrometer over your LCD screen and follow the easy steps.
• Wacom Intuos 4 Digital tablet: Draw, paint and post process your photos with a pen and tablet. Pressure sensitive pen makes airbrushing feel more natural. It takes time to get used to the pen, but after you do… it’s tough to want to go back to editing with a mouse. I chose the “small” tablet because it was the most comfortable. I returned the “medium” tablet because it felt too spacious.. too much panning with my hands from side to side of the large tablet space. Sometimes bigger just isn’t better ;p

Other Accessories:

• Sanyo Eneloop AA rechargeable batteries: These are the only rechargeable batteries to get, hands down. Have you ever charged your batteries… then pick them up a month later only to have them dead? NiMH rechargeable batteries by nature slowly discharge as they are stored. These Sanyo ones will not discharge on you after a month, they retain their charge up to 80% after half a year of not using them. I use these batteries for all my speedlights. I can’t recommend them enough. They make them in AAA size too.
• MAHA 8-cell AA-AAA battery charger: A professional battery charger with an LCD display and different charging modes to prolong the life of your rechargeable batteries. Each of the 8-bays is a discrete charger, which means you can charge just one.. or all eight.

Recommended Reading:

• Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3

  I highly recommend buying these books if you are a noob in the world of photography and have no idea where to start, like me (but I suck a little less now after reading and trying out his techniques, yay!). The books are great because they provide clear and concise instructions and tips on utilizing your camera and creativity as means for producing better results/images. The books have been very helpful to me. Just keep in mind they are more how to improve my photography and not dissect my camera features kind of books.

• The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2
  Just get the second volume if you are fairly comfortable with using your camera but want to expand your knowledge and try out different techniques for yourself.

Wish List

• Fuji Finepix X100 *drool*
• nice f2.8 tele zoom lens
• 24mm prime lens
• medium sized strip light softbox

Sponsors & Affiliates

• B&H Photo: This is where I buy the bulk of my gear. Very trusted company that has both an online store and a HUGE retail store in NYC (hope to visit it one day). They usually have the lowest prices online and have a stellar return policy.
  
  
  
• Borrow Lenses: Worried about whether or not you will like an expensive lens? Have a big photoshoot over the weekend and want to use “pro” grade lenses? Why not rent it? The cost will vary depending on the item, but prices are very fair. Take a look at them if you are thinking about it, they’ll send it right to your door.
  
  
• Lunarpages Website Hosting: Have you ever thought about starting your very own personalized photography blog? Surprisingly it is not very expensive at all. Prices start at $5/month! Lunarpages is the host that we’ve been using for years. We’ve never had problems at all.