Cameras:
Our workhorse is the Sony Alpha 900. this is a full-frame DSLR, delivering a whopping 24 megapixels, good dynamic range and very natural colors. We used to shoot with APS-C cameras from the Sony Alpha range and also formerly some Minolta film SLRs. However, the results from this camera are breathtaking. If you want the best in image quality then such a full-frame camera seems the only way to go...
Whenever portability is important (and the Sony A900 with attached lens is certainly no leightweight...), we sometimes also use a Canon Powershot S90. This camera is ultra-portable, fits into every pocket, and produces very respectable image quality for its size. At low ISO its 10 megapixel images come pretty close to the quality of an APS-C DSLR.
Lenses:
On the wide end we use the Sigma 12-24. Considering its extreme specifications it produces surprisingly good images. Sharpness is still very acceptable and distortions are well controlled.
For the shorter telephoto range we use the Sony 2.8/70-200 G SSM. Again, a lens that we are very happy with. It's great for portraits, larger animals or whenever you need to zoom in just a little further...
The far telephoto range get's covered by the Minolta 4.5/400 HS APO. While an old Minolta design and a little difficult to find these days, this lens produces amazingly sharp photos... Hard to beat.
The Minolta 4.5/400 HS APO also matches well with teleconverters like the Sony
SAL-14TC.
For close-ups we use the trusted Minolta 2.8/100 Macro. However, the newer Sony version of this lens should be just as good...
And finally, for portraits at open aperture and some of our landscape work, the Sony 1.4/50.
Flash equipment:
If I had to buy again, I would now probably opt for the Sony HVL-F58AM. It simply provides a superior design.
In addition to the main flash we actually use a whole lot of other lighting equipment, too: A couple of manual flashes, light shaping tools, light stands, flash gels, etc.
A lot of this stuff was bought on advice by another excellent blog: strobist.com. Proper artificial lighting is an art by itself and this blog is very much worth checking out.
Tripods:
All our tripods and tripod heads come from Manfrotto. I mostly like the 190 XPro, but we also have a heavier 055 and a monopod. Manfrotto tripods are very reliable and never let me down on location. Highly recommended.
Software:
We organize and process all our photos with Adobe Lightroom. It's an awesome piece of software and especially the new version 3 provides great RAW conversion results. For any more serious retouching of photos Adobe Photoshop CS5 gives a good addition.
other bits and pieces:
If you have any questions or comments about our equipment or need any advice, please feel free to contact us through the link at the very top of this page.
