We asked some Nikon pro-photographers what they would buy if they had a £1000 to spend on Nikon gear right now. Check out are their answers.
Dixie Dixon, professional photographer/director, www.dixiedixon.com
My next purchase will be a 24mm f/1.4 lens for situations when I need to create a more wide-angle perspective. When I have money to spend, I always buy lenses. My dad had a set of Nikon cameras and lenses growing up. He passed down a few lenses, which I currently carry in my kit bag. Even though they are older than me, they still work with my Nikon digital cameras – if that’s not a sign of quality, I don’t know what is!
Jeremy Walker, professional photographer, www.jeremywalker.co.uk
I wouldn’t purchase any new kit. I would go and bribe someone at Nikon to develop a rangefinder/mirrorless camera based on the original Nikon 1, S2 and S3. It would be so cool!
Mark Pain, professional sports photographer, www.sportsphotographyschool.co.uk
I’d like to try the new Nikon 8-15mm zoom. Optically, these ultra wide zooms rarely match other prime lens counterparts, but they get pretty close once they are stopped down. It seems to me that it’s one of those lenses that I’d never take out of my camera bag, always giving me another creative option.
Mark Seymour, documentary wedding photographer, www.markseymourphotography.co.uk and www.shootthestreet.co.uk
I have no plans to upgrade my camera bodies, so I would probably invest in the AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED lens. I have the old version, which is a classic, but the new version has been designed with modern sensors in mind. It’s sharp from edge-to-edge at f/1.4 and has three aspherical lens elements, with the option of nano-crystal or fluorine coatings.
Moose Peterson, professional photographer, www.moosepeterson.com
I would love to add a PC NIKKOR 19mm f/4 Tilt/Shift lens to my kit bag. This lens is not really intended for mainstream photographers, as it has a very specific application. I often use it to shoot inside aircraft hangers, and it’s wickedly sharp. I don’t use this lens enough to justify buying it, but I do rent one occasionally. I’m sure if I owned one I would find more applications for it, and would thoroughly enjoy exploring its unique qualities.
Richard Peters, professional wildlife photographer, www.richardpeters.co.uk
Small and light but with incredibly sharp optics, the NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8 would be an easy choice and serve the perfect lens for those times when I need maximum sharpness and to go wide, without the optical or weight compromises of various wide zooms.
Ross Hoddinott, professional outdoor photographer, www.rosshoddinott.co.uk
I have read great things about the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 AF-S ED VR. Although I don’t really need a new telephoto lens, it appears to be a fabulous lens – powerful, versatile, sharp and relatively lightweight. As it slightly exceeds the £1,000 budget, I’d look for a good, used version.
