Field Gear: Nikon. Gitzo. Wimberley. Lowepro. Swarovski. Mountain Hardwear.
Part 3: Everything else I take into the field!
If you're looking for information about the cameras I use, you're on the wrong page - go to Page 1 for that information!
And, if you're looking for info on lenses I use - go to Page 2 for that information!
THIS page contains:
1. Support Systems for Cameras and Lenses
3. Additional Accessories and Gadgets
Support Systems for Cameras and Lenses
If the rule of retail sales is "location, location, location", the rule of quality photography is "tripod, tripod, tripod". If you're serious about your photography make sure you get serious in choosing a quality support system for your camera and lens. Besides holding your camera steady, a tripod allows you the luxury of studying your entire frame/composition before tripping the shutter. When hand-holding a camera you tend to think ONLY about the main subject and your ability to spend time composing your image is often compromised. Use a tripod.
Pods
I own and use 4 pods (excluding the "i" variety) - three tripods and one monopod.
Gitzo 1348 Carbon Fibre Tripod. This is my largest and most stable tripod and is my "bread-and-butter" tripod. It also extends up to at least 6.5 feet high - which allows me to stand up fully upright behind it while shooting (invaluable if you're going to be behind it for several hours). I use it without a centre column (with the head mounted directly on the base plate) to maximize its stability. I almost always use it with a Wimberley head (more on this head below). Positives of this tripod? Very stable for its overall weight. Very durable. Downsides to this tripod? Relatively bulky. Relatively pricey. And still relatively heavy (if you're backpacking it) - 4.8 lbs. Carbon fibre legs can get "sticky" and difficult to extend if you don't keep them clean. When not on a beanbag my 200-400 mm zoom lives on this tripod.
Gitzo G2220 Explorer Tripod. This is a specialty tripod where the centre column is on a pivot and allows you to position your camera at "odd" angles relative to the base of the tripod (the centre column can be at almost any angle relative to the 3 main support legs). This is a great tripod for doing macro work! It's not nearly as stable as the Gitzo 1348 so is poorly suited to supporting heavy super-telephoto lenses, but if you limit it's use to moderately-sized lenses (up to about 200 mm) it's stability is more than adequate. I match this tripod with either a Really Right Stuff BH-55 or an Acratech Ultimate ballhead. The 2220 Explorer is my tripod of choice if I'm going to do serious macro work. By the way, many tripods feature centre columns that can be reversed (pointing down between the tripod legs) and sales staff in camera stores often claim this is "great for macro photography". In reality, it's a complete pain in the ass for macro photography and I only recommend it for masochists or contortionists.
Gitzo G1228 Mk2 Mountaineer Carbon Fibre Tripod. This is my "keep it light as possible" tripod which I primarily use on long hikes or backpack trips. I bought it with a carbon fibre centre column that was about 14" long but replaced it with a super short centre column - partly for weight reasons and partly to keep the column out of the way when I have the legs fully spread for low-level photography. I invariably pair this tripod with my lightweight Acratech Ultimate ballhead and end up with a very light yet very usable package. I also use it to hold flash units when I'm working in situations where multiple flashes are involved. This support system is great if you use it for what it is intended for - cameras with wide-angle or lightweight short telephoto lenses. Will this system work with a heavy body with a 600 mm f4 telephoto attached? Not a hope - but this is NOT what it is designed for!
Manfrotto 680B Compact Monopod. I occasionally use a monopod - like about 1% of the time. I grab it in situations where I need quick mobility and only minimal support (for instance, when shooting this running Gray Wolf). I normally pair this pod with the Acratech Ultimate ballhead and end up with a very light - and very compact - package. I have, on occasion, used this setup for shooting wildflowers with my 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens with some success.
Pod Heads
For years I used a leading manufacturer's tripod heads that featured a quick release mounting system. This system featured squarish mounting plates that attached to your camera body or lens and then snapped into place on the tripod head. They made short work of getting your camera onto your tripod, but I continually ran into a number of other problems, most notably I could never keep the plates from twisting when used on heavier lenses or camera bodies. About two years ago I decided to try the Arca-Swiss standard mounting system with quality mounting plates from companies like Wimberley and Really Right Stuff. I've now converted all my tripods and cameras to the Arca-Swiss standard and have been totally happy. Here's the tripod heads I'm now using - in order of most to least valuable to me:
Wimberley Gimbal Head. This bulky and odd-looking head is specialized for use with medium to long (and heavy) telephoto lenses (so don't try to use it in macro work). This amazing head allows you to support the heaviest of lens solidly while allowing silky smooth adjustments with the lightest of touches (a friend of mine calls his "eye-controlled"). While this unique head takes a little getting used to, once you're familiar with it you have so much control that you can follow rapidly flying birds in flight without problem. If you don't want to buy one of these, don't try one. For more info go to Wimberley's website.
Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. This is a very cleverly engineered product whose function exceeds logical expectations. This ballhead is very light yet offers amazingly firm support - with virtually no sagging or creeping when you take your hands off your lens. I grab this tripod head first if I'm doing ANY macro work or if I'm using any lens up to my 300 VR in size (sorry Acratech, I love your product but it doesn't work as well as a Wimberley for those huge lenses). If you don't use super-telephotos then this ballhead is all you need. It's just a great product. For more info go to Acratech's website.
Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ballhead. Really Right Stuff makes some REALLY NICE stuff - you know...bling for gadget geeks. And many wildlife photographers swear by this ballhead. The BH-55 is beautifully machined with a low profile, super smooth and quick locking - just as Really Right Stuff claims. But...I definitely prefer the Acratech Ultimate head. Why? It's much smaller, much lighter, less expensive, and no matter how much I tighten my BH-55 I can't totally prevent sagging/creeping when I take my hands off of my camera.
Other Support Systems
While in the field the serious nature photographer faces a plethora of problems to solve on a minute-by-minute basis. "How can I effectively support this monster lens without my tripod?" is one such problem. Here's two solutions that have worked well for me:
Bean bags. I've probably used a bean bag under my 200-400 mm VR almost as much as I've used a tripod. I try to always keep one handy in my car or in my house. They're cheap and with a little practice you can hold a really large lens satisfactorily still, especially if it's a VR lens. Bean bags are readily available in most hunting shops (but rarely in camera shops).
Foam Pad. My oldest piece of camera gear is a high-density foam pad that is about 16" long, 14" wide, and 1/4" thick. Over the last twenty years or so I've used this same pad to support my camera in hundreds of different ways - folded up and against a tree (or stump), on the pontoon of a zodiac boat, on the railing of my deck, etc. The pad is amazingly light, fits in any pack, and can double as a knee or butt protector if you have to get down on wet or hard ground and need a little padding for either protection or comfort.
Camera Bags and Backpacks
This category is really easy: I use Lowepro camera bags and backpacks - period. I primarily use backpacks in their "All-Weather" category (I currently have a Super Trekker AW II, a Photo Trekker AW II, and a CompuTrekker Plus AW) but I have some packs from their other categories as well, including one from the Waterproof series (a DryZone 100). Why do I use Lowepro bags (and why so many of them)? Simple. They're well-built, very durable and well-priced. They offer innovative designs. They have a satisfactory selection of products to meet my needs. They stand behind their products (I have toasted a zipper or two, but they've replaced them without question). And, I personally know the company founder and have a good idea of how much direct support he and his company have given to conservation causes over the years. These guys are the good guys. Why do I own so many of their bags? Hey - there's no single bag made that can do everything well - so to meet the demands of differing shooting conditions I need an assortment of bags.
Additional Accessories and Gadgets
I've tried or used a million other accessories and gadgets. Here are the ones I still turn to in the field:
Flash Systems
At the risk of having this sound like an ad, Nikon's Creative Lighting System (CLS) simply works great. I use two SB-800 Speedlight units plus the R1C1 Speedlight Kit (mainly for macro work). Combined these two systems provide extremely easy-to-use wireless options. Nikon's i-TTL Balanced Fill system (WAY too many acronyms Nikon!) provides fill-flash that looks very natural. I commonly use flash-fill when photographing birds (and small mammals) and these systems take all the guess-work out of it.
Flash Accessories.
I have two key flash accessories I couldn't live without - a Better Beamer Flash Extender and a Really Right Stuff Flash Bracket. The Flash Extender is little more than a flexible plastic lens that focuses the flash of any TTL flash system. Depending on the level of ambient light it can double or even triple the range of your flash - which can make the critical difference when photographing wary birds. The Really Right Stuff flash bracket does two things - it moves the flash higher above the lens and tends to diminish the "red eye" effect plus it allows you to keep your flash on TOP of your camera (where it normally should be), regardless of whether you're shooting with your camera body held horizontally or vertically.
Lens Filters.
When I was primarily shooting film I used the "normal" number of lens filters. Polarizers to add contrast in skies and reduce reflections. Neutral density filters to reduce light. Graduated neutral density filters to selectively reduce light. Warming or cooling filters to emphasize selective hues or to counteract a colour cast of a specific film. Et cetera.
But since switching to digital I use lens filters significantly less often. Now I only use polarizers to kill excessive glare - normally in scenes that include wet vegetation. I never bother using polarizers to "correct" the look of a sky (there are better ways to do this using Photoshop). Occasionally I use a neutral density filter to reduce light and allow longer shutter speeds. I never use graduated ND's anymore (another example of where there are superior digital solutions to extend your image's dynamic range). I never use warming or cooling filters anymore (I shoot RAW and can tweak the white balance when converting the RAW images). And, of course, I use protective filters (those old "UV-haze" and "Skylight" filters) to protect the front lens elements of my lenses. And that's it...
Rain Shields.
Every outdoor enthusiast owns a GoreTex coat or two for rainy days - right? But what do you do with your camera on a rainy day? I cover mine with AquaTech SportShields - which are more-or-less GoreTex coats for your cameras and lenses - and continue to shoot in the rain. These shields are imported from Australia and come in a number of sizes (in order to accommodate various len sizes). These rain shields are extremely well-built and allow easy access (with a little practise) to all your camera's functions. I needed to purchase 3 different shields to cover all my lens/camera combinations but they work great. Given that I live in a relatively arid area I only use these shields occasionally, but they've allowed me to capture images that I could not have obtained without them (unless I was willing to sacrifice a camera body and a lens or two). When I shot this image of grizzlies swimming in the Great Bear Rainforest I was in a Zodiac boat with a number of other photographers. It had just quit raining and the other photographers' cameras were safely packed away in waterproof cases. I was the only with my camera out (in its rainshield) and was the only one to get the shot. The downside to these rain shields? Each costs about the same as a high-end GoreTex coat. Ouch! For more info about these quality rainshields go to AquaTech's website.
Field-friendly Hand-held Photo Viewers/Backup Devices.
I have a very limited number of requirements for a hand-held photo viewer/backup device. Here's all I really need - a weather-resistant and rugged device with: fast transfer rates (from CompactFlash Card to the hand-held); decent battery life; a display capable of rendering RAW format images with sufficient quality to allow initial culling; and, a minimum of 60 GB of storage. I don't need a million other features (which are normally the work of overly zealous marketing departments anyway), but I would like to remove the necessity of hauling my laptop into remote locations on multi-day field shoots. The first products I tried fell dismally short on ALL of my criteria (except possibly hard-disk space). I acquired a 120 GB version of JOBO's GIGA Vu PRO evolution in late April of 2007 and although I've had only limited experience with it, I think it will fill the bill for me. A good, sturdy feel; a bright 640x480 pixel display; a processing engine that renders Nikon RAW files very well (and when combined with the display the result is previews of high enough quality to permit initial culling and editing!); and the battery life seems good. For more info on the GIGA Vu PRO evolution check out JOBO's website.
Binoculars and Spotting Scopes.
Buying the right binoculars (and spotting scope) is a lot like buying a camera body. If you are going to put the product under only light to moderate use (and in fairly benign conditions) you can get by with moderate expenditures. But, if you want a product that will reliably give high performance over years of use under demanding field conditions, you have no choice but to fork out the big bucks! I use binoculars at least 20 times as much as a spotting scope, so I have put my major investment into binoculars. I currently use Swarovski EL 8.5x42 binoculars - they're a great product. Prior to getting these I used and was very happy with Nikon's Venturer 8x42 for almost 10 years. Variables to consider when choosing binoculars include: optical quality; magnification (more isn't necessarily better); light gathering ability and image brightness (especially performance in fading light); durability and weather-resistance; and - last but not least - ergonomics.
Spotting Scopes? I use a Nikon Field Scope ED 82. It's worked well for me for a lot of years. I purchased mine with an ocular lens with a zoom feature and I like the convenience it offers.
One irony of nature photography is that you can spend hundreds or even thousands of hours in the field just to capture an instant in time that measures only a fraction of a second. I like to be as comfortable as possible during all those hours when I'm waiting for that "just right" instant in time. If I'm not at least reasonably comfortable I sure wouldn't want to get up at 4 AM the next morning and do it again (and again, and again...). For me there are three realities that factor into what I wear in the outdoors:
1. I'm a sweathog. Especially when I'm carrying 40 lbs of gear up a mountain slope. And, to make matters worse, moments after climbing that slope I often have to stand still for up to several hours at. Hmmm...sounds like the perfect recipe for hypothermia. So, for me, cotton clothing is evil. I absolutely need clothing that wicks moisture away from my skin and dries quickly. Cotton doesn't do this - modern synthetics do.
2. I've never found good quality generic outdoor clothing that is inexpensive and performs well under reasonable abuse. Invariably, the products that end up working best for me come from one of two manufacturers: Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear.
3. I'm a firm believer in the "layering" approach to outdoor wear.
So, without going into ridiculous detail about specific products (most of which will have different product names by next year anyway!) here's some general trends about what works for me:
Base (or inner) Layer (the stuff that goes next to my skin). No question here - hands down Patagonia's Capilene products work best for me here (I can't wear any wool due to allergies). Just pick the amount of insulation you need from their various lines and you're set to go. And 1% of Patagonia's annual net revenue goes to environmental organizations through the "1% For The Planet" program. Good stuff.
Mid Layers (things like shirts, jerseys, fleece, pants, etc.). A quick survey of my closet would show about equal quantities of Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear products, with a smattering of selected North Face pieces.
Outer Layers. (jackets, parkas, rainwear, gaiters, etc.). For the last 5 years these purchases have been dominated by products by Mountain Hardwear. They feature good technical design and quality workmanship - many of their pieces are pretty much "bombproof". Great Gore Windstopper Fleece products. I've been finding a few unique and useful Patagonia's line over the last year or so as well.
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