This is About Me and my Gear

About Me

I am a wildlife & nature photographer from Hamburg, Germany. Always learning and discovering.

I do like to take photos of whatever appeals to me. This might also include street or portrait photography, sometimes even product or sports.

On this website I sort my photos into categories - This might not always be possible but I will try :)

You may have a glimpse at my latest projects and if you have any questions, are interested in a print or just want to tell me something:

Contact me here

My Gear

So, I always want to know what other photographers’ gear is. Here’s mine:

I take my photos on a Nikon ℤ8 DSLM Body and I almost always have the 180 - 600 attached.

Click on the drop-down menues to see more.

  • ℤ-Mount:

    NIKKOR ℤ 180 - 600 mm f/5.6-6.3 VR

    NIKKOR Z 24 - 70 mm f/4 S

    Nikon FTZ II

    • to adapt my F-Mount Lenses to the ℤ-Mount of my ℤ8

    F-Mount:

    NIKKOR AF-S 50 mm f/1,8G

    NIKKOR 70 - 300 mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

  • Camera Hand Strap:

    peakdesign CLUTCH

    Camera Strap:

    peakdesign SLIDE

    Backpack Clip:

    peakdesign CAPTURE Clip

  • Shimoda Action X40 V2

  • Tripod:

    Gitzo GT3543LS

    Tripod Head:

    Benro GH2

    Lens Bracket:

    Sirui KY-70 (for 70 mm lens collar)

    Benro 100

  • VND/CPL Filter:

    Freewell 82mm V2 Magnetic Hybrid VND/CPL 3-7 Stops

    • Step up rings needed for smaller lenses

All of the accessories shown above match my camera setup. Note, that they might not match with yours. Always check the compatibility.

I love the peakdesign accessories. The CAPTURE Clip makes walking around with your camera and small lenses (!!) so much easier and you’re ready to shoot in just the matter of seconds. The CLUTCH Hand Strap is also very well made. The way that you can tighten it up for carrying and then open it up to still have grip but being ready to shoot - well done! I recently also bought the SLIDE camera strap. Haven’t used it that much yet but it comes in very handy if you just need to carry your camera around safely. It’s easy to attach and detach via the peakdesign anchor system.

The Freewell CPL/VND Filter Set, covering 3-7 stops is fine for my needs - I love that you’re also able to adjust the CPL - Will use this in the future more frequently.

I would always recommend using tripod heads and cameraplates that are compatible with Arca Swiss - This just means that the the quick release plates on the camera/lens have the same universal standard, so you can put any camera/lens with an Arca Swiss Plate on the tripod head. Otherwise you’d have to always use the Plate that came with the tripod and if you want to switch cameras or lenses you always need to unscrew the plates and put them onto the other type of gear. Arca Swiss Plates make upgrading in the future a lot easier and also help you with your setup right now.

The Gitzo GT3543 LS is a brilliant systematic tripod because of its sturdiness and build quality. I have the Benro GH2 Gimbal Head adapted, which is a genius option for longer lenses with a lens collar. I’m very happy to have these two available in this combination. Although the Gitzo tripod is quite heavy, when it comes to long stakeouts with birds or any other animal, I’m so happy to have it. The Benro GH2 enables movement of the camera and lens in any direction which results in the same freedom of movement as if there was no tripod at all, but without having to hold the heavy lens and camera by hand. When tightening the screws, it makes for a stable build, too.

@jvkobphoto

@jvkobphoto