Tim Monzon

I’ve received a few inquiries into the type of camera gear I use, and I suppose it’d be easier to simply put it out all one page for you than to list it all out each time someone asks. Now, if someone wants to know, I can simply say, “check the page titled ‘My Gear’”.

Anyways, I figure it’d be better to get this out of the way first: I shoot with Nikon gear. Do I have anything against Canon? Absolutely not. Do I think Nikon is better? In some respects, but not enough to make me a dogged fanboy for them. So please, no emails or messages telling me I’m an idiot for not choosing the other side, or support emails urging me to raise the Nikon banner high aloft. I just grew up using Nikon, and it’s what I know. That’s all it is. Had I grown up around Canon, then it’d be the other way around today.

Phew, okay, lets move on

Bodies:

d70s – This was my first DSLR, and I still love and cherish it. Sure, it’s a 2nd generation DSLR, and Nikon’s going into its 4th generation, but this camera’s still going strong. In fact, I still use it for lots of street photography, and its smaller size is definitely preferable when you don’t want to lug around a large camera all day. It’s only drawback nowadays is that it’s only 6.1 megapixels, which even then isn’t a big deal. It only becomes a problem when I feel like cropping a photo, and there’s not enough detail in the crop. But that’s a rare situation in and of itself.

d200 – This is my current workhorse. Although I’d love the high ISO capabilities of the D3 or D700, or the all around better functions of the D300, I just can’t justify spending the money on those cameras. The d200 is perfect camera for me at the moment. I love the fact that unlike the d70s, I can save presets of different settings so I can switch to them on the fly. For instance, if I’m switching from event photography to a portrait session, I’m not going to be using the same settings. On my d70s, I’d have to go back, and change each setting manually. On the d200, it saves groups of settings, to make it easier to switch between jobs. A huge timesaver for me. Also helpful is its inclusion of a PC sync, which is invaluable if you’re into off camera lighting.

Lenses:

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 – This is my current workhorse lens. This lens is on my camera about 85 percent of the time. Its zoom range makes it perfect for photojournalistic work and events where you might have to switch focal lengths on the fly, and its large constant aperture means you can work well in low light situations without having to resort to flash or raising your ISO. That 2.8 aperture also allows for a shallow depth of field, which is perfect for isolating your subject for portraits and such. A great lens all around.

I’ve received a few emails asking why I went with the Sigma lens instead of the legendary Nikon version. Well, although the Nikon lens is definitely legendary, and one of the most highly regarded lenses ever, its also upwards of $1500. The Sigma is less than a third of that. Is the Sigma as good? Probably not as good, but that doesn’t mean it automatically sucks.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 – This is probably the one lens you’ll find in almost every pro photographer’s lens collection. Also known as “The Nifty Fifty”, or “The Thrifty Fifty”. Back in the film days, no one liked this lens. Now that digital is upfront, this is an amazing go-to lens. In truth, 50mm is a very boring focal length. It’s basically the equivalent of the focal length of the average human eye. Then digital came, and thanks to the 1.5x crop of digital cameras, suddenly this became a 75mm lens, a useful lens for portraits, and even just being a little more zoomed in than usual. It’s f/1.8 aperture allows for lots of low light situation photography, and even stopped down to just f/2.8, it becomes absolutely tack sharp. The best part of all? You can pick this lens up for about 90 bucks. Compared to the rest of the lens market where you’re expected to spend around 700-2000 dollars just to get a good lens, this one is an absolute steal. If you’re just starting out with an SLR and want to expand beyond your kit lens, this is the first one you should pick up.

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 – Here’s another third party lens I picked up, and absolutely love. This is a great lens for capturing architecture, landscapes, or even for an unusual field of view when photographing people. I picked this up over the Nikon 12-24mm f/4 for two reasons: first, I wanted to go as wide as I could possibly go. The Tokina has 1mm more on the wide end than Nikon. “But Tim, didn’t you know Sigma made a 10-20mm lens? That’s 1mm more than the Tokina!”. You’re right, but that brings me to my second point: the Tokina has a f/2.8 constant aperture. When shooting events, I’m usually shooting in fairly low light. I need that maximum aperture to get the most out of my shots. The Sigma has a variable aperture from f/4-f/5. I would have been disappointed with that lens. Of course, it all depends on your application. If you’re going to be shooting outside in the sun or wherever you know you’ll be in a lot of light, the Sigma will be fine for you. I’ve tried it out, and it is a good lens, its just not useful for my own personal applications.

Nikon 105mm Micro-NIkoor f/2.8 – Mmm, although this is more of an special application lens, I love this thing. This is my macro lens, so when I need those real sharp closeups of rings or flowers, or I really want to look into the detail of things like the fabric of a wedding dress, this is my lens. Also, it works great as a portrait lens. The lens has a wonderful bokeh to it, so it really makes for great seperation between the subject and background. The only drawback to using this as a portrait lens is the working distance you have to maintain, especially when using it on a 1.5x crop lens like I do. For full body shots, I’d probably have to stand at least 15 feet away. So I tend to use this lens more for headshots or 1/4th shots.

Lights:

Nikon SB-800 – This is my workhorse flash right here. Lots of power, lots of versatility. If I wanted to, I could nuke a small room with light from this thing, or even just push out enough to create a twinkle in my subject’s eyes. Great for fill flash, or creating your own light. Of course, this flash is only great if you can direct the light the way you want it, so I’ve got plenty of modifiers for this light right here. I’ve got my Gary Fong Lightsphere for lighting up and diffusing rooms, my Lumiquest 80/20 for portraits in rooms with low ceilings, I’ve got my own homemade snoots and grids to shape the light, etc. There’s lots you can do with just one light.

Nikon SB-24 – Ahh, the Strobist favorite. This is an older flash, which I use in the studio or for location shoots if I’m trying to be really portable. This light is great too. Lots of power, as long as you can modify it the way you want it. This used to be a cheap flash to pick up, but when David Hobby mentioned it as the flash to pick up, suddenly it saw itself going from 60-70 bucks on eBay to up to 120 in some cases. That’s a lot of money for a flash that’s been discontinued since the late 90’s. But there’s a good reason for it. You don’t even have to be a Nikon shooter to be able to use this flash. The PC sync on the side is the ticket for getting great flash from other cameras.

Alienbees AB800 – For the majority of my location shoots, I now use this sucker. Coupled with a medium foldable Softbox also purchased from the Alienbees website, this monolight does what the SB-800 can’t do: give great soft light while killing off the ambient if needed. Great stuff if you can get it. I also purchased the Vagabond powerpack to go with it, so I’m not just restricted to using this in the studio. This sucker is awesome. I do plan on purchasing 2 more AB800’s to complete my studio setup, but for now, even 1 is awesome.