“G.A.S.”… or Gear Acquisition Syndrome ! Every photographer is guilty of it to varying degrees and I’m no different !

The big news for me though is that finally (early 2024) I have gone mirrorless. My last two Nikons were the D4s (owned since 2012) and the D810 (2014) and both were brilliant in their own way and for the jobs I needed them for and that is the point. Cameras are just tools and the secret is to take your time and think about what genre is your thing and plan and buy accordingly. Fo example my D810 was more for landscapes, the D4s for wildlife due to the specifications of each camera being suited that way.My best advice if starting out is ALWAYS buy secondhand. Camera bodies lose value as tech improves, lenses hold their value better but a a 2-5 year old camera will save you thousands and take amazing images.

So why the change? Nikon’s previous mirrorless cameras (until 2022/23) did not in my humble opinion match their DSLR’s for wildlife. Focusing and high ISO specs (vital for wildlife photographers) simply didn’t work well enough. The introduction of the Z9 then the smaller version Z8 changed all that. .

So I sold my D4, D810, 300mm f4, 24-70mm f2.8, and some other stuff and bought the Z8, 24-120mm and the 100-400mm zoom. I kept my 500mm F4, 105mm macro and the 16-35mm F4 as they all work with the Z series adapter well.

There are loads of great reviews on Z8 on YouTube but suffice to say it is, for me, an amazing advance in tech but key benefits for me are….focusing system as good/better than DSLRs, silent shutter, 20 frames a second, way better video recording. new Z series lenses are smaller/a tad better/lighter/reasonable value (relatively !!)

NOTE: My tuition clients often ask re “should i change camera?” and they always get the same response ! . Nikon/Canon/Fuji/Sony etc are all brilliant in different ways and all take amazing images. I went Zenith/Olympus/Nikon in my camera history but have a Canon compact, a GoPro and an iPhone all of which are also brilliant !!

Other brands I love and trust ?. Two Gitzo tripods (expensive but last a lifetime, one for landscapes (taller) one for wildlife (lighter until Wimberley gimble head goes on it). I had some lengthy gear blog posts on my old website and I will transfer them over if technically possible.