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Pentax MZ-50 35mm SLR
The more motorsport events I went to, the more it became obvious that a point and shoot 35mm
camera just wasn't going to cut it. So I invested in my first SLR camera, the Pentax MZ-50.
Pitched at beginners, it offered good value for money as a starter camera with enough features
to make it useable while not being intimidatingly complicated. I used this camera from March
1999 to November 2006. The only fault I had with the camera was the pop-up flash which
failed after about 6 years of ownership. This is a weak point on the camera since I've
noticed a few for sale on ebay that have listed this as one of the faults of the camera.
Nikon D80 D-SLR
In November 2006, I invested in the newly released Nikon D80 with the 18-135mm Nikkor lens.
This is essentially an enthusiast SLR camera but came with a few more bells and whistles than the MZ-50.
It feels chunkier, heavier and better built than the MZ-50 also. The longer kit lens is hugely versatile
and has a great range for the motorsport photography.
Sigma 100-300 AF
Motorsport photography, and indeed most sports photography demands telephoto zoom lenses. Ideally, such lenses should be 'fast', i.e. have a large aperture right throughout the zoom range thus enabling a fast shutter speed to capture the action without having to push up the ISO. Unfortunately, such lenses are expensive. So the first additional lens I bought for the D80 is a telephoto zoom but not a fast one.
Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW
In 2007, I purchased this bag to keep all the gear together while out at rallies and bike racing. This really is an excellent product, offering good protection from both impacts via the foam padding and the elements via the rain cover. It takes the body, two lenses, cards and my charger and leads. The latter two items will be the first to go if I need more room due to a flash or another lens. I highly recommend this bag for the field.
Hama tripod
The tripod arrived in January 2008 as an engagement present (thanks Mary!). It has pan and tilt with spirit levels and is extremely versatile.
Nikon MB-D80 Battery Pack
The increased battery demands of digital photography allied to the remote nature of taking pictures
at rallies meant that I invested in a battery pack with some spare batteries for the D80.
The AA converter inside also gives me the option of using AA batteries, which is a great advantage
since filling stations are much more likely to stock AA batteries than spare camcorder batteries.
The MB-D80 also has the side-effect of making the camera heavier and ergonomically better in the hand.
Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash
Apparently, one of the first accessories an enthusiast should consider after buying an SLR is a dedicated flash unit. I was torn between the SB-600 and SB-800 when deciding to buy mine. I eventually went with the SB-600 since I couldn't justify the extra expenditure on the higher spec model - this is only a hobby after all. The SB-600 should be more than enough for my needs. Initial impressions are good, it is easy to use in i-TTL mode - I messed around a bit with Manual mode but that will take a bit of getting used to. The bounce head on the flash is the biggest noticeable advantage over the built in unit as displayed in the following photos:
This is the built in flash at F5, 1/60s:
Note the fairly harsh exposure, cold colours of the furniture in the background and high contrast between different areas of the koala's face
Using the SB-600 flat to the subject instead of the built in flash gives the following:
The i-TTL has offered a slightly better exposure, background detail is improved at the expense of underexposing the face.
Now, bouncing the flash at 45 degrees gives:
This warms up all of the tones in the picture, contrast is less harsh and detail on the koala's face is improved. All round a more even and less harsh lighting setup and corresponding exposure.
With these encouraging early results, I can't wait to get using it properly once I get some practice in with it.
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