My Gear and Why I Chose It 

Cameras/Lenses 

To begin, I'm a Nikon man. When I first decided to make the plunge and purchase my first camera amid the madness of the covid pandemic, I just happened to see a second hand Nikon for sale online, a Nikon D7100 to be exact. Little did I know at the time that the purchase would lead me on this wild journey of photography, travel, exploration and expense! Since purchasing my first Nikon, I have stayed true to the brand, I naturally progressed from the D7100 to the D750 which I adore and still have, and on again to the D850, my current main body. Sure, the options were out there for all sorts of makes and models of camera, but I had invested a lot in the Nikon ecosystem, and I had always loved their performance, especially their colour rendition. Anyways, all modern cameras are great, if you know how to use it right. in saying that, even though i've invested in the Nikon F system, and I love the DSLR bodies, I'm sure it won't be too long before I move to mirrorless, the technology in mirrorless cameras is just evolving at a crazy rate, and I don't want to be left in the camera manufacturing race dust. So, mirrorless jargon aside, what do I love about the D850? Well, to name but a few of the features that drew me to it. Firstly, the detail of the files are incredible, the 46mp sensor coupled with no low pass filter makes for amazing images, the detail is superb and I can crop quite a bit which is especially handy for wildlife. Speaking of cropping, the inbuilt crop variations are super handy for creating the right composition. As well as this, the camera is as robust as they come, its very ergonomic in my hand and the layout and programability of it is very intuitive, I can switch between specific shooting modes with one hand, meaning I can react fast to whatever is happening in front of me. The dynamic range on it is insanely good, along with the iso performance, which is important to me for wildlife and also for just getting super clean images at base iso. All in all, it's an amazing camera, that is truly standing the test of time, and even holding its own with some of the ultra modern powerhouses of today. It will be a tough day whenever I have I part with it, that's if I can ever bring myself to!

Tripods

Tripods, the unsung heroes, while cameras get ball the credit. right, I won't harp on about my tripods in as much detail, BUT, don't overlook a good tripod. As good tripod should be right at the top of any aspiring photographers list of needs. After all what's the point of putting a 3000 Euro camera on a 50 Euro tripod? It doesn't make sense, you wouldn't put an expensive vase on a flimsy, cheap, table (poor analogy) but you get the picture. Anyways, to get to the important part of the section. Personally I use a Benro Rhino and a Rollei Rock Solid Gamma tripod. They're both carbon fibre and I can't fault either of them. They're light, sturdy and well built. The Rollei is slightly lighter which I favour a lot of the time for longer walks and hikes etc, where as the Benro is slightly bigger and sturdier, which I favour for windier conditions shooting landscapes, or for mounting my gimbal head on when shooting wildlife. The moral of the story is don't cheap out one a tripod, and if you look after it well and regularly clean it, especially after shooting by the seaside or in salty water, it should last you a long wile. I have mine both 4 and 3 years respectively and they're still going perfectly strong. 

Backpack

What's the point having all this cool and expensive gear if I dont have somewhere safe to house and transport it when I'm on the go, right? I considered many different packs when I was initially trying to decide on one. When I started out, I had a smaller pack (which I actually still have) that was fine for lighter travel, but, it just wasn't cutting it. Enter F-Stop Gear, and the Tilopa Duradiamond backpack to be precise. A simply amazing camera pack that was suggested to me by a good friend and very talented photographer, Sean O' Riordan. So, when I was trying to decide, I knew I could take Seans word that it would suit both me and my needs. Anyway enough about how I ended up with the pack and more about the pack itself and why it appeals to me so much. Well firstly the size, its 50L, it can hold my camera and 3-4 lenses, or a camera and 3 lenses and a drone, depending on what way you configure the icu storage unit, you'll find a way to fit most all your gear. Of course, bear in mind that I use a bulky DSLR with big bulky lenses and I can still fit everything. As well as my camera gear, I can fit my wet gear, filters, binoculars, rain cover, hat, gloves, lens cloths, etc, etc, etc. The Duradiamond design means it's incredibly robust and weather proof, and has passed all and any tests I have put it through while also keeping the gear dry in adverse weather conditions. The Cyprus green colour is super slick but also allows me to blend into my surroundings better when shooting wildlife, it seems like a small thing, but it can make all the difference when stalking skittish subjects. However the most important thing for me about a pack is comfort. The Tilopa is extremely comfortable, especially when carrying my full gear setup. When strapped on using the chest and waist straps the weight just seems to dissipate and is spread out more evenly through the hips, leading to a more comfortable excursion all around. All in all its just an epic well designed pack, I would definitely recommend to a friend or anyone who finds themselves reading this blog.