Below is the equipment I use and love. I can't promise it will suit your needs or shooting style, but I list the reasons it works for me.
VIDEO STREAMING
We got a lot of questions lately about the gear used for our LIVE Videos. Here is a list:
And we route it through OBS Studio software
CAMERAS
Nikon D850 - Everything the D810 was, and more. Much etter AF, better video options and IMO better handling. The best high res 35mm DSLR on the market IMO. B&H Photo | Amazon Worldwide Worldwide
Sony A7R4 - My favourite high resolution mirrorless currently available. A great improvement over the R3. B&H Photo | Amazon Worldwide
Leica M10P - My favourite camera to take out for a day of personal shooting. B&H Photo | Amazon Worldwide
Hasselblad 503CW - I bought my hassy in Japan, I have long lusted after one. It is a full manual design - not even a battery in the body. I can't explain the tactile joy I feel using this camera with the waist level viewfinder. I could shoot it all day even without film in it - the mechanical process is just so pleasing. I team it up with a contingent of Zeiss glass. Whilst I picked this up at Katsumido in Tokyo, you can often find them used at KEH Camera HERE or Amazon Worldwide
Leica Monochrom - I bought the CCD model used for a song, and I LOVE the files that old black and white sensor creates. KEH Camera | Amazon Worldwide
Nikon FE - everyone has their favourite - and the FE is mine. Such a joy to use - all manual controls - with the addition of an aperture priority mode... it is just gorgeous. And you can pick up a fabulous quality used unit for a bargain. Check out the range at KEH Camera USA - Amazon Worldwide
LENSES
Nikon 24-70 f2.8. My most used lens. The focal length is great - on FX and DX, it is sharp, fast, accurate, well built and 100% reliable. Others may be slightly sharper, slightly faster, slightly more contrasty. But this is always top 3, and it is that versatility and reliably great performance in every way that makes it a must have for me. If any other lens broke, I would take time considering whether to replace it. I would replace the 24-70 the same day - it is that good. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VRII So fast and razor sharp - and at the long end the bokeh is just dreamy. This is an expensive lens - but worth every penny to me. The Canon equivalent is great too (and perhaps even more solidly build) - but you just can't compare the speed and accuracy of focus. The VRI is also fabulous, and a new E version is now out - but this is the one I choose to use. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Nikon 85mm 1.4G. This is one of my favourite Nikkor lenses. I enjoy using it so much that I manufacture opportunities to get it out. That said, it is quite specialist, and I use it a lot less than say the 70-200mm. The bokeh is just so buttery soft! Optically I think it is one of the best Nikon have ever made. Way better detail and contrast than the Canon 1.2L, but still behind the Otus. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Nikon 105mm 1.4E. Read the above description of the 85mm - This lens is even better and more enjoyable to use. The 105 is new for 2016 and on paper it didn't make sense to me. It is so much bigger, heavier and more expensive than the 85mm - for 20mm extra reach?? But in practice - it is just gorgeous. Optically superior to just about every Nikkor lens listed here, the bokeh is as good as it gets, and it actually performs great. After testing it thoroughly for 2 weeks, it was an easy decision to buy this one. I have the feeling this is going to get a lot of use and become my top portrait lens, & second favourite lens overall. USA - Adorama /B&H Photo / Amazon
Nikon 200mm f2.0. My favourite lens. The way it seperates your subject from the background is unmatched IMO. It is so accurate, sharp & contrasty where it should be, and BUTTER everywhere else. And I don't know what magic dust they sprinkled on the AF unit - but this is also the fastest focussing Nikkor lens I have used - a phenomenal lens. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VC - Great lens. More versatile as the Nikon and Canon options with the added VC, and pretty close optically, this is a great deal at around half the price. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Tamron 15-30mm f2.8. Here is a surprise - a great quality lens that keeps up with the market leader, but costs way less. I was a fan of the new Tamron 24-70 and 70-200VC lenses, but was still amazed by the performance of this one. The new coatings work a treat, the VC is incredible, and the build is great. USA - Adorama / Amazon / B&H Photo UK - Amazon
Zeiss Otus 55mm f1.4 T*. This lens rewrote the book on what is possible in terms of lens design. At the time released it was easily the highest resolving, sharpest, contrastiest lens ever. At f1.4 it outperforms what other 'excellent' lenses can achieve stopped down a few steps - something previously unthinkable. This smokes the competition - and yes that includes the best Leica have to offer. USA - Adorama / Amazon / B&H Photo UK - Amazon
Zeiss Otus 85mm f1.4 T*. Read above on the 55 first. Now hear this - the 85mm far exceeds the 55mm. I have never used a lens that performs like this. Nothing is as sharp. Nothing resolves so much detail. Nothing is as contrasty wide open, and the bokeh is lovely. It is however huge, heavy, expensive and fully manual. This is a lens for those after the absolute best image quality Period. USA - Adorama / Amazon / B&H Photo UK - Amazon
Zeiss 135mm f2 APO Sonnar T*. The Otus lenses are peerless in terms of their performance - but there are 2 great reasons to consider the 135mm APO. Firstly, it is extremely high quality - very close to the Otus range, and secondly - it is half the price! If 135mm is the range you need, and manual focus works for your style of shooting - check this bad boy out. USA - Adorama / Amazon / B&H Photo UK - Amazon
Canon 85mm f1.2L. Beautiful lens - the silkiest bokeh on any canon lens I have owned. This is the first lens I bought for Canon - and it makes me weak at the knees. Yes the F1.8 is a LOT cheaper and arguably sharper. And optically this is nowhere near the 85mm from Nikon or Zeiss, but the Bokeh is something special. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Nikon 50mm 1.2 manual focus. Drop dead gorgeous. Manual focus isn't for everyone, but I absolutely love this. Also helps that it is sharper and more contrasty than any of the modern AF-S 50mm lenses. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Nikon 50mm 1.8G. I own the 1.4G, but if I was making the choice again I would go for the 1.8G. The build quality is great (a tad below the 1.4G), it is super fast (slightly slower than 1.4G) but it is as sharp or sharper. And it is WAY cheaper. Get one - you won't regret it. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Nikon 105mm F2 DC. Love this lens. A lens with unique and beautiful bokeh. The DC function is fun to use too. On FX this is a great length for outdoor portraits. Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
AUDIO EQUIPMENT
Audio is critical to making good quality video content.
Rode Lavalier Mic. I tried 3 different brands of mics before finding the Rode Lav - it is incredible - it is just as tiny as any other lav mic, but it creates such great results. Get it nice and close to your mouth and you can't go too wrong. The cable is great too - reinforced with kevlar and I have never gotten crackling sounds from movement or twisting. It comes in a carry case with loads of accessories and wind muffler. Check it out. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Rode smartLav. This is a much cheaper lav mic that will plug straight into your DSLR or even your iphone etc and capture great audio. It is not as rich sounding as the original Lav mic, but it is much more affordable and versatile. USA - Adorama / B&H Photo / Amazon UK - Amazon
Rode Videomic Pro. This is a great little shotgun mic that gets MUCH better audio than the built in mic. It isolates the audio straight in front and eliminates the side areas. It is powered by a 9v battery. The most common question I get about this is about the cables as they are skinnier than the old version - yes, in my experience they are very strong - I haven't broken one! USA - B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama. UK - Amazon
Rode STEREO Videomic Pro. This mic is great for getting environmental audio. It does not isolate like the VMP above, it will get all the action in the area - in nice nuanced detail. USA - B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama. UK - Amazon
Rode Broadcaster. This mic is extremely high quality - of the mics I own it is the highest qaulity audio. It is my go to mic when in studio - it is XLR connection, and I run it through my Allen&Heath mix desk. USA - B&H Photo / Amazon/ Adorama. UK - Amazon
Rode Podcaster. This mic has a high quality capture unit and connects directly to your computer via USB. Great for voice over. USA - B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama. UK - Amazon
Rode Procaster. This mic has the same capture unit as the Podcaster, but it is an XLR connector. Great for voice over. USA -B&H Photo / Amazon/ Adorama. UK - Amazon
Sennheiser EW G3 wireless mic system. These transmitters have been an industry standard for decades. They take AA batteries, have an easy interface and are generally very well built. I personally swapped the mic from this to the Rode Lavalier Mic, but the transmitters work brilliantly - see the range test here. Make sure you get the right frequency for your country. USA - B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama. UK - Amazon
OTHER BITS AND PIECES
BlackRapid Straps. Do yourself a BIG favour and get a BlackRapid strap. Every single person I know that has tried one, now swears by them. Ingenious, well built, and a bargain – works out to about one massage after a long day of shooting! I prefer the Sport model, or the double when shooting with two bodies. USA - B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama. UK - Amazon
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