Cameras and Lenses

Unfortunately, I am not some rich dude with a shedload of fancy, expensive cameras, however I will talk a little bit about some of the equipment that I use. I will talk a bit about my lenses and show you what they can do. My main camera which has taken most of the photos on this site is the humble Nikon D5200.

Nikon D5200.

I did a fair bit of research before buying the D5200. There were several contenders but the D5200 won in the end...and I am glad that it did because I love this camera more and more every time I use it.

Lenses :

Nikkor 18-55mm

This is the basic kit lens that came with the D5200. So yeah, its is a pretty standard kit lens which was pretty much free so that's good right? Well what is even better is the fact that this lens is bloody fantastic.

Nikkor 50mm

I was after a decent 50mm prime lens and found this on special so I grabbed it. I haven't really had the opportunity to use it that much, just for a few flower shots in the backyard. Images seem nice and sharp and as one would expect this lens gets some really nice bokeh at larger apertures.

Nikkor 100-200mm

I only picked this up recently and have only taken it out a few times but this seems like a very nice lens indeed. One thing that stands out is the clarity and sharpness of images even at full zoom - 200mm. I have used other similar lenses and found the picture quality to be very disappointing over 100mm and downright crap over 200mm, but this thing is the complete opposite. I am really looking forward to taking it out again.

Tokina 11-16mm f2.8

Seriously, I don't really know how to put into words just how awesome this lens is. If it was allowed by law I would marry this lens, I love it and I could not live without it. I really dont know what to say...just get one.

 

Tokina 100mm macro

This is another absolute cracker of a lens. The picture quality and sharpness are amazing, particularly considering the relatively cheap price.

Fujifilm X-30

I picked up this awesome 'compact' camera on a recent trip to Spain. I got a bit tired of carrying my D5200 and a bunch of lenses around every night and day, especially on the Metro so I decided to get something a bit smaller that would still produce kick ass photos. I say compact camera although it is on the larger side for a compact. The X-30 is marketed as an advanced compact aimed at photography enthusiasts and while it is at the more expensive end of the scale for compact cameras, there are more than a few good reasons for that. The X-30 packs a lot of the features, modes and controls usually found on a DSLR.This thing rocks.

Nikon Coolpix

I was after an inexpensive waterproof camera with decent picture quality to take swimming and the coolpix fitted the bill nicely. It is an excellent little camera that you can take just about anywhere due to its rugged construction. Both waterproof and shockproof, this camera likes it rough. Perfect for taking on a bushwalk, rock climbing, running around in torrential rain at a music festival and of course at the beach.

Aiptek ahd t7 pro

Although this little beast has been retired, I simply cannot leave it off this list. This was the little camera that got me started. At the time it was a pretty random christmas present, I had never really been interested in photography but this camera was so simple and fun to use. This camera is marketed mainly as a video camera for making cheap youtube videos but to my surprise and delight it was also capable of producing some great still photos. The fact that the images are only 8MP and that this thing sells for less than $50 didnt stop me from getting some really nice shots. I still have some prints up around the house that I shot with this little beauty and you really would be surprised to know that they were taken with such a cheap camera.