by Nate Kennedy

There is an infinite combination of equipment you could put together and be successful with on an expedition. From bodies to lenses to tripods and other accessories, the list could go on and be disputed until the end of days.

There are some basics that come in to play, and below I give my ideas based simply on what has worked for me.

** Measurebating Disclaimer: I don’t go in to extreme technical depth in my assessments. I believe that all of the cameras that would fit the bill as a decent dSLR, by all of the manufacturers, have the basics covered. If a rating isn’t mentioned below, it’s because I don’t think it matters in most expedition photography situations. Frames per second, for example. 3fps is more than enough to capture a truck driving under 5mph or a fellow making chili around the campfire.

You want a good quality digital SLR body (unless you shoot film), and there are many to choose from. I use Nikon equipment, but that is not a blind endorsement. Other manufacturers make excellent gear, as well. The most important factors are:

• Quality of Picture
  • Not just megapixels!
  • How deep is your tonal range?
  • You have a huge 12mp file – can you process 4,000 of those quickly?
  • Maybe a link to Ken Rockwell’s image quality page?
• Durability of Camera
  • Can it take a little rain? A little dust?
  • Will it be toast if you drop it once or twice on the trail?
• Camera Weight
  • If it’s too heavy, you won’t use it
  • Consider the weight of your lens, too – it adds up
• Cost
  • Don’t overspend thinking a more expensive camera takes better pictures! It can quickly make you a poorer photographer.

I stick with the Nikons because I like the way they feel in my hand, both when I am shooting and when I’m hiking a trail, camera at my side. I can cup my fingers and hold the grip, and the camera will balance itself without falling. I keep the strap wrapped around my arm just in case, but (cross my fingers), to date it’s never been an issue.

If you’re going to capture your entire expedition, you’re going to need to keep the camera close by at all times. Weight is such a big issue, I can’t stress it enough. In situations like this I don’t use the battery/vertical grip, as it just wears my arm out too fast.

I Recommend: Nikon D80, Nikon D200/D300

Everyone will have a different idea of a good, practical lens. As with bodies, there are several correct answers. Specifically for expedition photography, you are looking for:

• Quality of Glass
  • Better glass yields better photos. But it also means you have to get back to basics and re-learn proper technique. Cheaper glass allows you to get away with stuff that better glass just doesn’t
• Speed – both Light and Focus
  • Light: Get as low of an f-stop as you can, and try to have it maintain throughout the zoom range. F 2.8, for example, works far better at dusk than f 5.6.
  • Focus: How fast does it focus? Try a few lenses at your local retailer and notice the difference in focus speed. A slow-focusing lens can be very frustrating.
• Durability
  • Can it take the punishment of an expedition? Higher quality lenses are also built to be work-horses, and can handle certain amounts of moisture and dust that would destroy less expensive lenses.
• Weight
  • Remember that your nice, heavy glass adds to the weight of the body
• Telephoto Range
  • You will want to be able to capture some fairly wide-angle action
  • You will also want to zoom quite a bit, but this isn’t nature photography – you will be somewhat close to most of the action as its happening
  • I use two lenses exclusively because of the range they provide, and the fairly convenient transport. I can keep them both with me at all times:
    • Nikon 17-55 f2.8
    • Nikon 70-200 f2.8
• Cost
  • A $100 lens will not perform as well as a $1200 lens, but weigh the cost: that $1,100 difference could be used to go on a couple of pretty cool trips, could it not?

The accessories make the photographer, right? They can certainly drain the wallet of a photographer. Therefore it is essential to choose accessories that are practical for the type of stuff you shoot (not for the type of stuff you want to shoot, but for the stuff you actually do shoot regularly – that’s what you’re best at!).

• Tripods
  • • You want something strong, you want something light, you want something easy to carry. If it won’t hold your camera and your lens, or if it’s too heavy and clunky, you aren’t going to use it. Convenience, as always, come with a price. I use an old Belkin that is just barely strong enough to do what I need it to do in the field, and with years of use, has become like second nature to me. Also, traveling by vehicle most of the time, it’s not too much of a hassle carrying the extra weight. But there are stronger, lighter alternatives out there. Check out some of the carbon fiber models!
• Bags:
  • Bags that Get You There
    • These bags tend to be larger and bulkier, with good reason. They are meant to protect your gear on airplanes, in the back of your expedition truck, etc. The goal is to transport all of your stuff, stowed away and not easily accessible, to your base camp or starting point. When choosing a bag, weight and functionality are the deal. If you demand the ultimate, go with a product like Pelican Cases. They’re virtually indestructible. I use a LowePro CompuRover II, because it carries my laptop, my lenses, my bodies, all my accessories, and has room for a couple of snacks, a light jacket, headlamp, small firstaid kit, etc. It doubles as my Get You There and my In The field bag in most situations. I keep the camera in my hand, of course, with one lens on it.
  • In The Field Bag
    • This bag should be an easily accessible, utilitarian bag that can hold a bottle of water, a snack, and you camera while you are on the trail. A boxy shape seems to work best, particularly if you can get the weight of the camera towards the bottom. When alone, I drive with this bag sitting in my passenger seat. I can flip the top and grab the camera quickly when needed.
      
      
    • General Accessories to Keep In Field Bag
      • Headlamp
        • Invaluable! You never know when you’ll use it, day or night. There are a lot of shadowy spots out there that you may just want to look in to. Best to keep it close.
      • Basic First Aid Kit
        • Things happen, and if you’re like me, it’s usually not when you are at camp or near your truck. I keep a basic kit in my Field bag just in case.
      • Basic Survival Kit
        • Sounds far-fetched, but that’s when it happens. You wander from camp to get a couple of photos of the creek before sunset. Then the sun sets, and a storm rolls in. In the dark, you are lost and alone. With the basics of a kit like (THIS) or (THIS), you can keep yourself afloat until someone finds you, or you find your way back.
      • Hand Warmers
        • Not just in winter! They come in very handy in all seasons. A cool, summer morning after an overnight rain can bring temperatures down in to the sixties, and these little babies can be just the trick.
      • In winter, they work great when taped to your camera body. One outside your battery and one as close to the shutter mechanism as possible, and you’ll be shooting through the severe cold. I strongly recommend using hockey tape, as it is strong enough to handle the elements, but will release with little residue if it’s not left on for too long.
  • Basic Filters:
    • Polarizing Filter
      • I use the Polarizing filter in just about every situation. When light is low, I will take it off. Otherwise, I love the look it can give to a blue sky, and I definitely appreciate being able to turn down the glare on a windshield as a truck drives through an obstacle. Polarizers also make a noticeable difference in the glare coming from leaves, and they can enhance the color depth on an overcast day. (VERIFY). My philosophy is to keep the filter on at all times.
    • UV Filter
      • I keep the UV filter on, as well. (WHY???)
      
      Keep in mind that these two filters to a great job of protecting your expensive glass out there in the field. It’s much better to scratch a $200 filter than to scratch an $1,800 lens. Remember to buy your filters with a quality that matches your lens – lest you degrade the quality of your photo.
      
      
      
      
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