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Bodies

Nikon D100.  This is currently my main camera.  It has all the features I could want and more. The best thing about it is that it handles exactly like a film camera. Nikon did an excellent job of making the fact that the camera is digital transparent to the user. You can literally leave the D100 on for weeks, and then pick it up one day and start shooting without having to wait for it to power up. And, of course, the battery life on this camera is unparalleled. I can take over 800 shots before having to recharge, and that’s with the LCD review on after every shot. I can also get great images all the way up to ISO 1600. The noise at high ISO is more film-like than the noise in any other D-SLR I’ve seen photos from. Images do not have the plastic look that images from cameras with aggressive noise reduction algorithms have. These characterisics make the D100 a great all-around performer.

Like all cameras, however, the D100 also has its weaknesses. I have found its fill-flash performance limiting because of the low 1/180 flash sync. The problem isn’t that I can’t stop action, rather, it is that I can’t use fill-flash in bright conditions unless I fuss around with a neutral density filter. Another shortcoming in the D100 is its limited buffer. When shooting action photos of surfers, I can take the first 6 or so shots at a relatively fast 3 fps, however, once the buffer fills, the frame rate slows considerably.  As for image quality, NEF RAW images are razor sharp, especially when you’ve got sharp lenses and a sturdy tripod, which I do. Unfortunately, the same thing cannot necessarily be said about JPEG images. The JPEG algorithm slightly softens details and the in-camera sharpening settings are either too aggressive or not aggressive enough. Also, the lowest JPEG compression setting is not low enough. This is a problem because if sharpening is needed prior to printing, which it almost always is due to the poor JPEG algorithm, compression artifacts become exaggerated, ruining critical edge detail. I consider compression artifacts a greater evil than even sensor noise. I avoid the above problems by using NEF RAW for most of my photos. One final problem is that the tonality of JPEG images is consistently darker than it should be using the default tone settings, masking the color that is hidden beneath. However, this is easily corrected by using custom tone curves.

With these flaws, you may think that I am disappointed with this camera but I am certainly not! If anything, I am disappointed with the camera's default settings. Rest assured that with the proper settings, the D100 holds its own as a top-notch 6 megapixel D-SLR, both in handling and out-of-camera image quality.

Lenses

AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm f/4.  I just purchased this lens and am still learning how to use it properly. At 12mm, it's sharper than I expected wide open and very sharp by f/8. At 24mm, it's not quite as sharp as my 24mm f/2.8, but pretty close. I was surprised at how well this lens handles flare, even without the lens hood attached. It is starting to become my most often used lens, however, I do not expect it will ever replace my 24mm lens because of its size.

AF Nikkor 24mm f/2.8.  This is a lens I will probably never sell, even if I get a zoom lens covering its focal length. It is sharp from corner to corner on my D100. I use this lens for a wide variety of situations, mostly landscapes and environmental portraits. Because of its low distortion, it can also be used to shoot architecture. I even use this little gem for street photography. It doesn't draw attention and it allows me to become part of the action.

AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 D.  This is one of the sharpest lenses I've ever used. I use it for everything I don't use my 24mm for, mainly head and shoulder portraits and event photography. The wide f/1.8 aperture is especially handy in indoor lighting, which makes this lens perfect for weddings. Although the bokeh is not as good as the 85mm f/1.4, you can work around this by watching your background. Eventually, I would like to upgrade to the 85mm f/1.4. It may seem strange that I don't have a lens covering the normal range, but after owning several normal zooms, I found that I only used them at the extreme ends. To me, the normal perspective is boring.

AF Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 ED-IF.  I purchased this lens because I needed a fast telephoto that I could couple with a 2x teleconvertor for my surfing photography. I didn't (and still don't) have the funds to purchase an AF-S lens, and since I only occassionally use long telephotos, this lens was the logical choice. It is ultra sharp, even wide open. The only problem I have with this lens is its weight. For my purposes, the next logical upgrade would be the AF-S 400mm f/2.8.

Flash

Nikon SB-28DX Speedlight.  For flash photography, which I used to not do much of, I originally bought a Nikon SB-28 (non-DX) Speedlight for my Nikon FA. When I bought my D100, I was disappointed to find that my SB-28 did not support TTL flash metering with it, so eventually, I upgraded to a new SB-28DX for only $50 more than I sold my used SB-28 for! One thing about Nikon equipment is that they really hold their value if you take care of them. I have gotten nothing but perfect exposures with this flash. If I ever upgrade, I'd have to get an SB-800. The SB-80DX is not enough of an improvement over my SB-28DX.

LumiQuest Promax Attachments.  After getting my SB-28, I bought a LumiQuest Promax softbox and an 80-20 (reflects 80% of the flash to the ceiling and 20% forward) for my SB-28. Of the two, the 80-20 was the most useful, but I ended up selling it before realizing this. The softbox has too small of a surface area to make a difference. I seem to get better results bouncing my flash off ceilings or walls.

Support

Slik Pro 700DX.  I purchased this tripod to replace my aging Tiltall. It is made of Tri-Titanium™, an alloy made of aluminum, magnesium and titanium. Supposedly, it has a strength-to-weight ratio 40% greater than comparable tripods in its class.  The things I don't like about it are the long center post, the lack of spiked feet and, ironically, its weight. It is about as stable as my Tiltall and weighs about the same.

Bogen Manfrotto 486RC2.  Eventually, I'll get a real tripod head like an Arca Swiss or a Markins with a Wimberley Sidekick. For now, this suits my purposes.

Filters

B+W and HiTech Filters.  I use a B+W 62mm Circular Polarizer and several B+W ND filters for daylight fill-flash. I have nothing but praise for these filters. I also use the Cokin P system with a couple of HiTech filters. I have an ND Grad Soft 0.6 and an ND 1.2. I used to use Cokin ND filters, however, I noticed they weren't exactly neutral in color--they introduced a slight sepia cast to my images. The Cokin system is very convenient for ND Grad filters, but for plain ND filters, it is cumbersome to use. Altogether, these filters are the only ones I carry because the effects of almost every other type of filter can be recreated in Photoshop without any loss of light.