I'm asked ALL THE TIME what I shoot with and about gear. Shooting out on the flight line and in hangers is extremely difficult light to work with so here is a run down on my favorite gear! I promise you it's taken me over a decade to find what works for me. I hope it works for you too!

Favorite Full Frame Professional base Nikon D850 

This base is built to work. I'm really hard on bases. I overshoot, drag them through dusty flight lines and extreme heat. At 45.7 mexapixels and up to 9 frames per second with the batter pack, It can catch an f-35 flyover with ease.

Now I know everyone is going to ask why not the Nikon Z8 or Z9 mirrorless?

Ok, let's be realistic! The Nikon D850 has extremely similar specs to the Z8 with a battery pack but is less expensive. The Z8 is still new so of course it's going to be more expensive and the lenses. Here is what is holding me back. I shoot on average for an event 3000 pictures. The Z8 just can't keep up with my workload seamlessly like Nikon D850. If I was a different type of professional photographer maybe it would work but I would still need an adaptor for all of my existing lenses. As for the Z9. The cost at $5,500 is not for me. While it's impressive with 30 fps, I'm a private professional photographer that occasionally publishes. I have no need for the fps or the the video. 

Favorite Hobbyist Base Nikon D7500 

This base can basically shoot in the dark without damaging the quality. It is amazing and by far still the best hobbyist base I've ever found. 

Favorite Flash Godox V860ii 

I have bought much more expensive flashes and this is my favorite! Recharging battery, works seamless with Nikon (possibly better than a Nikon flash) and a fraction of the price. There is a reason this sells out. 

Favorite Diffuser MagMod Starter Flash Kit 2 (this sells out often)

Ok, I have tried every diffuser possible over the last 12 years and this is the best I've ever used. It took me a while to buy it because of the price but it allows to focus where the light goes without blowing out the background which is magic inside a hanger when your subject is in front of your light source. 

Favorite Go-To Event Lens For Full Frame FX Nikkor 24-70 f2.8 with VR

It's the wedding lens. Everyone knows it. You have to have it to shoot events. It never goes down in price and don't buy used. 

Favorite Go-To Zoom For Hobbyist DX (Excellent for aviation photography) Nikkor 55-300 f4.5 VR 

Awesome lens for flyovers for hobbyists or new professional photographers. Gets the job done beautifully. 

Favorite Go-To Prime Lens For Hobbyist DX (small price, fantastic sharp pictures) Nikkor 35 f1.8 

This is in everyone's bag or was at one time in their career! If you are just starting out, this should be your first lens. It will take great super sharp pictures. It's a prime though. You move, it doesn't. This is fabulous for family and individual shots. Not what you need for events and definitely won't catch a flyover. However, if the aircraft is on the ground and near you like at an airshow, then this could produce some sweet shots for a lens that costs less that 2 stops to fill up your truck with fuel.

While I am part of the Amazon Associates Program, all of this gear can be found in my camera bags. If you have any questions regarding gear, reach out. I always like to see what works for others and what they enjoy shooting with. 

Toni