Photo mission
Quality gear will get you far
Pilots are mission-minded, and they are also mindful of weight and balance. Through trial and error, they'll assemble and make room in the confines of a cockpit for the equipment that will work best. Check out what you need for a photo shoot.
My philosophy for photo equipment mirrors my requirements for aviation products such as headsets, avionics, and even engine oil—buy the best gear you can afford and it will likely serve you well for a long time.
For my money, I prefer Nikon's D850 because it produces a whopping 127-megabyte file per picture, and the color reproduction is stunning. The camera has a professional feel and handles photos and videos with equal ease. Nikon also has its act together with the strikingly accurate focusing system and longtime Nikon users will find camera controls like aperture, shutter, ISO, and exposure metering in familiar places. The accessory battery pack lengthens shooting time, allows for a vertical grip when you need it, and the camera remembers focus preferences for both horizontal and vertical operation. That's pretty cool when you're in a hurry documenting an airshow, capturing the daughter's latest escapades, or making vacation memories.
So, what's the best camera these days? The one that's in your hands. As my Associated Press photographer friend Dave “Mullet” Martin used to say, “Now go out and make some frames!”
Check out more in the 2018 AOPA Gear Guide.
Gear for Photo Mission
David Tulis
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