29th June 2026

It is ‘seeing’ a picture that really counts, not the type of equipment you choose to accomplish its capture.

My late friend, colleague and former business partner Robin Adshead (below left) was frequently asked by aspiring defence photographers, “What is the best camera to use to get great military photographs?”

“f/8 and be there!” was his acerbic response. You’re always going to miss that great image if you haven’t got a camera, but even with a humble Box Brownie, or its digital equivalent, you are streets ahead of the man (or woman) with nothing.

Whilst owning and using a wide range of equipment over the years, my constant companions had always been Nikon cameras. Why? Well, they have always been built to very high standards and just went on working, whatever was thrown at them. I’ve only broken two, but then no camera can survive being shot or dropped from a helicopter on to a tank like my Nikon F2 Photomic with MD-1 Motor Drive, below.

Starting with a Nikon F, followed by a Nikon F Photomic FTn with the ubiquitous F-36 Motor Drive (above), through the F2, F4 and F5 range of film cameras (bypassing the F3 which I never really liked) to my first digital Nikon, a fantastically expensive 1.2 mega-pixel E2, I’ve used or owned a large part of the range of Nikon equipment. Lately I've been tempted by the nostalgia groups to dip my toes back into the film market. I briefly found a degree of solace there before all the memories of why I hated film so much came flooding back. You can see what I thought of it here and here.

Up until two weeks ago I owned two Nikon Z 9 camera bodies, with an old Nikon Z 6 body as back-up, and a range of Z mount lenses; NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S-Line, NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ (fitted with a Kirk Arca-Swiss lens foot), NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4, NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8, NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S-Line, NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S-Line (fitted with a Kirk Arca-Swiss lens foot), NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S-Line and a NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR - all sold!

I had a Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x, and, quite out of character, two superb Viltrox Z-mount lenses; the 16mm f/1.8 and the 28mm f/1.8 which filled the gap in the Nikon Z range. I fleshed out the line-up with a Nikon FTZ Adapter and a Nikon MC-N10 Remote Grip - all sold!

I had the outstanding Nikon LS8000 Super Coolscan (now sadly long out of production, but regularly serviced) for scanning 35mm and roll film, hooked up to an Apple PowerMac G5/1.6 which allowed me to run the legacy software essential for this scanner - all sold!

For tripods I used a 3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy heavy duty carbon fibre tripod with a 3 Legged Thing 75mm Half Bowl and a Manfrotto MVH502AH Video Tripod Head topped with a Kirk Quick Release Bridge System MVH502-BQR, as well as a 3 Legged Thing Punks Billy 2 tripod with a 3 Legged Thing LevelHed Levelling Base - all sold!

Accessories included Pixel T6 wireless remote triggers, Nikon Speedlights and Nikon Remote Control units, a DJI Ronin RS3 Pro gimbal with all the bells and whistles, an ancient but highly prized Mazof VISII Camera Trigger and various other bits and bobs that were packed into Shimoda Action X40, Think Tank Airport Acceleration V2.0, Lowepro Pro Trekker 400 AW or Peli cases, which were all outstanding items of kit. All sold!

I still feel that where I got my kit from was also important. There are any number of impersonal on-line stores, which are great for everyday basic items, but nothing beats personal service in my book, even if you pay a little extra for it.

Grays of Westminster provide exclusively Nikon with expert guidance from Gray Levett and his brilliant, some might say eccentric, staff and have been my choice for new and used Nikons and associated items almost since they first began.

Wex Photo-Video in Bristol looked after my everyday non-Nikon photographic requirements, whilst Mifsuds Photographic in the delightful harbour town of Brixham in Devon are my undisputed 'go to' for selling used equipment, allied to the wonderful experience in an Aladdin's Cave of jaw-dropping equipment, all masterminded by Matthew Mifsud.

But remember, that was purely my personal preference. All the major manufacturers offer superb equipment; the skill is in knowing how to use it to achieve your goals.

Nikon