My favourite kit
The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR has quickly become the perfect travel companion for Stephen’s photography
AP: Tell us about your photography background
SP: My journey began at the end of 2019, so I’d still consider myself new to photography. It all started simply – Iwanted a beautiful shot of a kingfisher, a bird I’d only ever managed fleeting glimpses of. I decided to go all in and bought a Nikon D500 with Nikon’s 200- 500mm f/5.6 telephoto lens. Two months later I managed to capture the photo I’d dreamed of and cherish above all others.
The adrenaline rush continued for a few more months just before the pandemic hit. Lockdown 1.0 forced me to re-evaluate a few things and I decided to focus on macro photography in my back garden after purchasing the Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 G VR lens. When freedom was granted again, I explored landscape photography and acquired a Nikon D810 with Nikon’s 16-35mm f/4 lens. I found that unlike bird photography, I would always come away with a photo but not necessarily the postcard version I’d imagined. Following various YouTube vloggers has been invaluable for learning techniques as has my friendship with various photographers online.
AP: What do you carry in your camera bag?
SP: My bag has become extremely light recently; a Nikon Z 7, the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3, spare battery, a Black Diamond headtorch, a stash of Zeiss lens wipes, Patagonia woolly hat, Rohan winter gloves, Hoya circular screw-in filters, a blower, Benro Mach3 carbon-fibre tripod and Benro G3 ball head. If I have time, I’ll also carry a flask of coffee and a selection of snacks and pastries.
AP: If you could pick one item of kit you couldn’t live without, what would it be?
SP: Without question, my Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 – an absolute game-changer of a lens for many different reasons.
AP: What was it that made you want to purchase it?
SP: I wasn’t enjoying all the faffing about changing lenses so I decided to buy an excellent-condition used lens from WEX in early 2022. I’d spent a couple of months researching it on YouTube. After hearing mixed reviews, I got a message from photographer Stuart McGlennon and he was positively glowing about his. I thought if it’s good enough for him then it would certainly be adequate for me.
AP: How do you find the product perf
