Revising the kit bag...opinions welcome.

Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia

Suspended / Banned
Messages
3,238
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi,

Interested in peoples thoughts on changing how they shoot/kit out the bag to keep on evolving as a photographer and stay fresh.

I currently use Nikon D3's with 300mm 2.8, 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, 85mm and 50mm with multiple flash guns. However, over the last few weeks, I have become a little jaded by long lens sport such as Rugby and football. Whilst this may seem ungrateful, I have covered it in all sorts of weather and had multiple images in print and done what I wanted to do really. I get lots of PM's here asking for advice and thats nice as people are finding sports to shoot, but being honest after a while it all gets quite samey and I don't want to stop enjoying it. If that makes sense.

However, I 'think' I want a Nikon 14-24 2.8 as I want to start shooting urban landscape, I am getting lots of wedding bookings and I want to try new things with my camera but I cant afford the £1k for the lens.

I do see selling the 300 and 70-200 as a means to fund my new lens and perhaps a holiday to give it a whirl but I am not sure if it is the wisest of things to do given that I 'may' need the 300 in the future but I cant live life thinking I 'may' need it.

Also, as some may be aware I do go through spells of depression and at the moment I feel pretty down and I am aware that it could be the black dog making me think irrationally but I dont want to stick a £2.3k lens under the bed.

On a more upbeat note, starting this week, I am covering boxing for 1 year with the goal being a book/exhibition for local boxing clubs and myself which again the 14-24 could be great for and a kit bag tailored to suit how and what I shoot could be ideal...?

Any thoughts ?
 
That's a tough decision to make!!

I think for the wedding work, 14-200mm will be useful, so I'd considering selling the 300 2.8 to fund the 14-24 (whats the difference in cost here??)

Should you need extra reach in the future...a TC isn't all that expensive, and would work nicely with the 70-200.
 
keep what you have you will use it again ime sure

buy a secound hand 35mm f2 or a 24mm f2.8 forget the pricey zooms

and get in close and enjoy the interaction
 
purpleclouds said:
That's a tough decision to make!!

I think for the wedding work, 14-200mm will be useful, so I'd considering selling the 300 2.8 to fund the 14-24 (whats the difference in cost here??)

Should you need extra reach in the future...a TC isn't all that expensive, and would work nicely with the 70-200.
Click to expand...

Valid point, but I need the speed of 2.8 as I do a lot of work under lights at night....
 
You have to keep the 70-200, the 300 is a bit more specific, if you have to sell one of those lenses, its got to be the 300.

I think its great you're willing to shoot off in another direction, shooting the same stuff day in day out can get tiresome, but you can get kinda tied to it because of the money invested in kit and the need to earn a crust.
I always say, you should try to be as good as you can be at one thing, but sometimes, if you're not enjoying it or there's nothing else in it for you to aspire to, a change can really make it new again.

:thumbs:


you're gonna need that 70-200 and 24-70 for the boxing anyway
 
Take a deep breath, walk away for a couple of days, clear your head and then think again.

If you then decide you are doing the right thing then go for it.

Hope it works out right for you whatever your choice. :)
 
Hi Pete,

not easy decision to make, but my thoughts would be to ditch the 300mm ( most probably only a temporary move anyway )and get the wide-angle you mentioned with perhaps the option to buy another 300mm later on if a used one could be found.

I have lost count of the number of lens' I have bought and sold over the last couple of years and have funnily enough just bought a 17-40L to add to my kit as I feel like trying some landscape shooting too. At the moment I feel like I have my kit pretty much how I would like it, see siggy for the line-up, but I know exactly what you mean as far as sports shooting is concerned, it can get a bit samey, I have tried Superbikes, American Football,Cars and Aircraft and enjoyed it at the time but never felt like I wanted to do it every week.

I think the key thing in your advice request isn't so much the question about the lens' but rather the mention of a holiday, sounds to me like you need one as you have no doubt worked hard over the last couple of years and are probably long overdue one, a 300m lens won't be much good chillin' on the beach or wandering the streets of some cosy island village ;)

So sell the 300, get a wide angle book a holiday and shoot to your hearts content with whilst out there, you could even just use a decent compact and leave the DSLR bodies behind ( although I don't honestly believe you would be able to do that I know I couldn't :D ), 2 weeks away from them and you will be champin' at the bit to get your hands on them when you come back,you can always buy another 300mm lens but you certainly can't buy the memories or the fun you had whilst on your holiday, enjoy life while you can and get away and recharge those batteries.

As far as the bouts of feeling down, I know exactly where you are coming from with this as you know my youngest daughter suffers badly at times too, this time of year doesn't help with the weather and darkness coming in so early at nights, a bout of some winter sun somewhere sounds just about perfect right now ( says he that hasn't had a holiday this year :shake: ). If you need to chat and get a few things aff yer kist, then PM me and I can give you my messenger details and phone number in case you want a blether or even want to bounce some ideas around.

Mike.
 
Pick up a siggy 10-20 f4, if you want to do wide landscapes you do not need a fast lens as it will usually be stopped down and on tripod.
 
will69 said:
Pick up a siggy 10-20 f4, if you want to do wide landscapes you do not need a fast lens as it will usually be stopped down and on tripod.
Click to expand...

Good point! Although will it work on a full frame camera?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top