Contact Northern Lights Guide

🌈 My Current Setup

I’ve refined my kit to a hybrid Canon and Nikon setup. The Canon R5 serves as my flagship for stills and video, while the Nikon Z6III delivers stellar low-light performance with internal RAW video. Together, these two bodies offer complete flexibility across genres, light conditions, and shooting environments.

📸 Camera Bodies

• Canon R5 – 738g
• Nikon Z6III – 760g

📷 Master Lens Table

Key:
Focal: Focal length or range
DxO: DxOMark sharpness score (— if not available)
T: T-stop (actual light transmission)
WS: Weather-sealed (✅ yes / ❌ no / ⚠️ partial)
Wt.: Weight in grams

🧩 Adapters

• Canon EF–RF Adapter – 110g
• Fringer EF–NZ II Adapter – 150g
• Nikon FTZ Adapter – 135g
• K&F Nikon F – EOS R Adapter – 150g
• Novoflex EOS/NIK-NT Adapter – 180g
• Viltrox NF-Z Adapter – 140g

💽 Media & Accessories

• 2 × ProGrade CFexpress Type B 256GB ✅
• 2 × 64GB PNY EliteX-Pro 90 SD Cards ✅
• 4 × Canon LP-E6NH Batteries ✅
• 4 × Nikon EN-EL15c Batteries ✅
• Power banks with solar charging ✅
• Lens heater bands ✅
• Marumi Super DHG Circular PL 95mm ✅
• Lightning Trigger Version 5 ✅

🎤 Audio Recording

• DJI Mic 2 Dual Transmitter Combo Kit – 329g

📺 Monitoring

• Feelworld FW568 Field Monitor – 175g
• 2 × NP-F550 Batteries – approx. 300g total

🚁 Aerial Imaging

DJI Mini Drone – 249g
For scouting, wide aerials, and terrain mapping.

🌌 Tracking & Long Exposure

• MSM Nomad Star Tracker – 430g
  Ultra-portable star tracker for long exposures of the Milky Way, tracked star fields, and blended foreground/nightscape composites. Perfect for lightweight travel and quick polar alignment in the field.

🔭 Portable Deep Sky & Eclipse Rig

• ZWO Smart Telescope AP 50/250 Seestar S50
  All-in-one smart telescope with a 50mm f/5 triplet APO lens and Sony IMX462 sensor for deep sky targets, lunar eclipses, and safe solar eclipse imaging.
• Astro Essentials Precision Tripod Level Adjuster
  Helps ensure accurate levelling when mounting the S50 for tracking and imaging.
• Hercules Metal Dew Shield (37mm M62 Thread)
  Custom-fit lens hood to reduce dew and improve image contrast for the S50.
• Astroprints Focusing Mask (Bahtinov for Seestar S50)
  Precision mask to help achieve pinpoint focus during astrophotography sessions.
• Omegon Adapter M62 to M48
  Enables mounting of standard 2″ filters to the Seestar S50 front element.
• Astroprints Solar Filter for Seestar S50
  Certified solar imaging filter for capturing solar eclipses and sunspots safely.
• Artesky Dust Covers (Protection Caps)
  Front and rear caps to protect the Seestar S50 during storage and transport.
• Omegon 55mm Prism Rail with Screw
  Mounting rail for attaching the S50 to a tripod or EQ mount via dovetail clamp.

🧱 Tripods & Support

• Gitzo G138 Mk II Tripod – 3100g
• Kirk BH-3 Ball Head – 350g
• ARTCISE EB36R Panoramic Ball Head – 365g
• Manfrotto 685B NeoTec Monopod – 1110g

📖 Reflections

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.”
— Ansel Adams

It’s not the gear that makes the moment — it’s instinct, vision, and timing. I’ve refined this setup to support creativity in the field, whether chasing storms or capturing celestial events in remote silence.

“We can get distracted by the logo on the front of the camera — the brands, the specs, the upgrades — but good photography is about far more than that. It’s about creating opportunities, reading the light, and knowing when to look up from the viewfinder. Some of the most extraordinary moments are also the most fleeting — and if we’re not fully present, we miss them.”
— Andy Keen

⚖️ Estimated Pack Weight

Approximate full load incl. batteries & accessories: ~17.61 kg