CAMERA BODIES

From 1996 to 2001, I relied primarily on a Nikon N70, the company’s top of the line “amateur” camera when it was introduced.  When asked, I advise ambitious beginners to buy into Nikon or Canon over any other brand.  These systems offer the widest variety of bodies, lenses, and accessories, besides leading the pack in technological innovations.   Minolta is not too far behind, and Pentax is a bit behind that, but unless you've inherited a dusty Spotmatic, why buy into a product line that might overlook exactly what you need?

I chose Nikon because I personally find Canon less intuitive and overly technological: too much eye-controlled focus and image-stabilization and not enough compatibility with its own older products.  Nikon may be a step behind in innovation, but it's kept the same lens mount since cars had fins, allowing its latest wonder-cameras to accept ancient manual lenses and vice-versa.  This trade-off was solely a personal reaction, as was my other deciding factor: I think Canon's recent equipment is ugly.

I got the N70 because it was the best I could afford at the time.  Since then, I’ve found it to fit my needs so perfectly that upon its demise I'm planning to find an identical used replacement rather than switch to its successor, the N80.  Though I've supplemented my full outfit with Nikon’s F100, a “professional” camera with more features and even sturdier construction, I’ll always need something like the N70 for the lightweight hikes and runs that make up half my photography.

The smallish, 20-ounce body holds more features than I usually need for general landscapes and action shots: manual, shutter-priority, aperture-priority, and program exposure modes; shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4000 second; centerweighted, spot, and matrix metering; built-in motordrive; and autofocus -- all standard equipment for most electronic SLRs.  For many outdoor applications, the camera trumps more expensive "pro" models not only by being lighter and less bulky, but by incorporating a built-in flash -- perfect for filling in close shadows or providing subtle warm light in blue shade.  I don't do this enough to carry my more powerful SB-28 flash on most trips, so the tiny built-in version improves pictures I might otherwise skip completely.

Added bonuses are the N70's exposure compensation and autobracketing functions, all linked so that making, say, three exposures from -0.5 to +0.5 stops, with a -1.3-stop flash burst on each, comes faster and more intuitively than would ever be possible manually (or with less smart technology).

You don't have to read too many opinions to see that some people hate this camera.  Most complaints focus on the weird fan-shaped LCD panel that replaces the separate buttons and dials on most automated SLRs.  Rather than turning a dial to choose center-weighted metering, for example, you use a Windows-style display to push a button and turn a dial that selects "metering."  Then you push another button and turn the dial to choose "centerweighted."  All this is done with handy symbols and quickly becomes second-nature, but it does take longer than the old approach.

What many critics fail to point out is that the format redeems itself by having three recall functions, where different configurations of settings can be programmed to reappear whenever an assigned number is selected.  In other words, I can push one button and turn one dial to bring up my personal setting #1.  Instantly I know I am in spot-metered manual mode, with any exposure compensations zeroed out and my film advance set to single-frame.  This is my preferred mode for complex lighting situations that require separate exposure readings and split neutral-density filters.  Going on to #2 gives me matrix-metered aperture-priority with the option of slow-synch flash, which I prefer for scenes I think the camera can expose on its own.  Number 3 is set up for action sequences, with shutter-priority, matrix-metering, and high-speed film advance, and #0 is the factory-default program mode that I never use. (The camera also has a "vari-program" option, where it chooses settings based on given situations -- silhouette, portrait, landscape, motion, and so on.  I never use it, either.)

The ability to recall favorite settings vastly speeds up the N70's interface and helps reduce the number of times you shoot a great sunset, only to realize later that (oops!) you forgot to reset that 2.5-stop underexposure you were using earlier in the day.  By quickly clearing functions to a known starting point, I can either start shooting instantly or fine-tune individual settings beyond the basic setup.

For me, the camera's only real shortcoming is its lack of a depth-of-field preview, which I find indispensable for positioning graduated neutral-density filters, estimating contrast, and occasionally checking depth-of-field.  The solution?  Plenty of photographers already know the trick of pressing the lens-release button, then rotating the lens slightly until the aperture closes down to provide instant DOF preview.  This is more cumbersome than a real preview button, but the N70's positives beat out the inconvenience.

Nikon did solve the problem with the N80, which has a preview button plus a more traditional interface, a five-point autofocus system, an illuminated LCD panel, and an electronic grid for positioning straight lines in the viewfinder.  It also weighs 2 ounces less.  Though its motor is not as fast and its flash is not quite as powerful, I'd buy this camera tomorrow if it weren't for what I consider a major design flaw: its meter won't work with old manual lenses.  They can be mounted, but any lens without a CPU must be set with a hand-held meter.

I currently own only one such lens (an old 100mm f2.8 Series E, ), but at 7.6 ounces it's perfect for light trips.  I also like the option of picking up cheap, used manual lenses without worrying about compatibility.  I'm not yet willing to trade these advantages for the lesser perks of an N80, and hopefully Nikon is not about to change its long record of planned non-obsolescence.  [Unfortunately, as of 2005, Nikon seems to be making just that change, releasing more lenses and bodies that aren't completely compatible with the old stuff.  Thankfully there is a flourishing used market (especially KEH.com) with plenty of options.]

The F100 I'm now using for not-so-lightweight outdoor work has most of the N70's appeal, minus built-in flash and instant-recall functions.  It does give me depth-of-field preview, much faster autofocus, 4 peripheral autofocus/spotmetering points, a self-timer that can be customized up to a 20-second delay (allowing plenty of time for me to put myself in compositions), a 1/8000-second top shutter speed (admittedly useless for most of my work), customizable auto-film advance and rewind, more flexible exposure compensation, and, most importantly, much more solid construction.  It also accepts rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, eliminating the N70's expensive and environmentally unfriendly appetite for CR-123A lithiums.

So much for the electronic marvels.  I personally suggest that raw beginners buy a basic, manual camera with 1970s technology to learn the fundamentals of photography.  I started with the classic Pentax K1000 and a handful of third-party lenses.  Had money been no object, my only change would be to start off with a Nikon body and Nikon lenses.  (As it is, none of my old stuff works with my current outfit.)  Learning how film, aperture, and shutter interact on a sophisticated electronic body is like learning to drive in a feature-laden SUV – possible, but you’ll never get that important cause-effect feedback with antilock brakes, automatic transmission, auto 4-wheel drive, and traction control trying to fix all your mistakes.

In the Nikon system, you can still get a truly old-style workhorse like the FM2, which is fully manual, built like a tank, and works with the latest lenses.  For my own manual back-up camera, I'm using a newer FM10, which has about the same setup but weighs less (14 ounces versus 20).  It's not as robust, but I only bring it out for long night exposures (it can work without batteries), very lightweight trips, or if my automatic cameras konk out.  It can also serve as a second body if I want to shoot two different films, such as ISO 50 Velvia for landscapes and Velvia 100F pushed to ISO 200 for wildlife.  The all-manual design is frustrating in tight situations, but the N70/FM10 combo is 13 ounces lighter and considerably less bulky than the F100/N70 pairing I use when weight is not a factor..

LENSES

Picking a body is the easy part.  Lens selection requires walking a tightrope of focal lengths, filter sizes, lens sizes, lens weights, sharpness factors, internal focusing, maximum and minimum apertures, and whether to go zoom or fixed. 

My own current outfit includes:

This outfit is almost as ideal for me as current economic conditions allow.  I’d love Nikon’s new 300mm f2.8 AF-S with matched 1.4x and 2x teleconverters (faster and sharper than my equivalents), but I don’t have four grand to spend on it – particularly since I’d drag it out just a few times each year.  As it is, the above covers most of my present needs, though I’d be surprised if the exact combination suited other photographers.

All of my AF fixed lenses could be replaced by combining Nikon’s top-quality 17-35mm (or 20-35mm) and 28-70mm (or 35-70mm) f2.8 zooms.  The old manual 100mm could be replaced with a sleek 80-200mm f2.8.  All those lenses have a constant aperture and image quality close enough to the fixed versions.  They would come into their own whenever I need a 31mm or a 98mm lens. Common wisdom holds that zooms save weight and space, so why not switch?

Fixed lenses may be bulkier than equivalent zooms as a set, but not individually.  If I want to run a trail, I can carry just the 24mm and 100mm – a total of 17 ounces for wide-angle and telephoto coverage instead of the 77-ounce total of, say, the f2.8 28-70mm and 80-200mm, which would never fit in my hip pouch or endure a hard run up steep trail. Weight isn’t quite as vital when I’m backpacking, until I put my camera on my lightweight tripod.  Then a compact fixed lens is far easier to secure than a long, heavy zoom.  I’ll often carry the 24mm and 100mm with the camera in a hip pouch, and the 20mm and 50mm rolled up in socks in a fanny pack that also carries filters, batteries, and film.  The fanny pack goes in my frame pack, while my 2-pound tripod straps to the outside.  

Even more important in fast-changing light is the ability to quickly set hyperfocal distance with the engraved scale on a fixed lens, rather than fooling with the separate charts needed for two-ring zooms.  This is one reason I prefer fixed versions for wide-angle work even when weight is not an issue; thus, my typical outfit for working near the car consists of the 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 100mm, and 80-400mm.  I also pack a Nikon 6T close-up lens to make the 50mm or 100mm a pseudo-macro lens.

The weight of costly f2.8 zooms could be reduced with cheaper zooms, if you'll settle for smaller maximum apertures, stronger wide-angle distortion, and less critical sharpness at certain apertures.  I use my relatively light 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 on some runs, stopping it down to f8 or more, or for action-oriented events when quickly moving between focal lengths is more important than hair-splitting sharpness.  I use the 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 when I know I’ll be doing really long telephotos or wildlife work; by including a tripod mount and internal focusing, this lens is easier to handle than the mount-less 70-300mm, besides providing an extra 100mm of magnification.

TRIPODS

If I’m only walking a mile or two and putting a priority on pictures, I’ll carry my Gitzo 224 Industrial Performance with a Kirk BH-1 ballhead (~6 pounds total).  It extends high enough and stays sturdy enough to fit my purposes, and extra support, if needed, comes from hanging an equipment bag from the head or lens and poking the tripod legs into the ground.   

For longer trips I stick to a Gitzo 01 Weekender tripod, which weighs 2 pounds and easily crams into a daypack, or straps outside my equipment bag or frame pack.  By poking its legs into soft ground and weighting with a pack, it’s plenty sturdy up to about 200mm.  If I need to extend the shaky center column, I’ll try for the longest exposure possible. Shutter and mirror vibrations that would ruin an entire ½-second exposure would blur only 6% of an 8-second exposure – not enough to show in the final slide.  This 30-second exposure was made with the 01 fully extended, with its legs stuck in a rotting log and my heavy bag draped over the camera.  The final slide proved sharp enough to survive a double-page spread in the short-lived Mountain Air magazine.

When light permits, I’ll shoot without a tripod, but I generally need some kind of support for long exposures in Appalachian forests or in morning and evening light.  If I have to go super-light, I substitute a Hakuba DTP-3 Table Pod, which collapses to 4" and extends to 11".  Though it proves flimsy and frustrating if you want solid support for long lenses, it can produce tack-sharp exposures with a light SLR/lens combo on rocks or trees when extensive photography is not the primary goal. 

FILTERS

Simply put, graduated neutral-density filters make half my pictures possible. Part clear, part neutral, my particular set can be combined to balance up to anything from a two- to an eight-stop brightness difference between the two halves of a picture.  A 3-stop, soft-edged filter was used here to keep my exposure for the shadowed field from overexposing the mountain and sky, and a 2-stop, soft-edged here kept an exposure for the dune from blowing out the sky colors.  Plenty of books and websites give excruciating detail on using these things; as far as brands go, Singh-Ray's "Galen Rowell" Series has worked well for me.  (Rowell pioneered their full potential and has instructions posted at the Singh-Ray site.)

I'll also use a polarizer occasionally to cut reflections, and an 81A to warm up blue shadows.  An 80B sometimes helps cut the yellow of incandescent light.  My only other filters are the clear UVs that protect the front element of each lens. 

POINTING AND SHOOTING

Anyone who gets photographically obsessed will start seeing pictures everywhere, and will lust for a camera to capture them.  The "if I only had a camera" frustration is strong and common enough that I've kept a 4.7-ounce Olympus Stylus Epic nearby since 1998, documenting family activities, landscapes at work or on runs, and anything else for which I may want a visual record twenty years from now.  This particular gallery was shot entirely with the Epic and explains some of the uses and capabilities I've found.

Other P&S cameras could work equally well, but I chose the Epic for its tiny size (sort of like a squat cell phone) and fast 35mm f2.8 lens.  A zoom would do better if you're never going to use slow slide film and you aren't going for the least bulk possible. 

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