Digital Camera World - UK (2022-02)

12 FEBRUARY 2022

Ben’s essential camera kit

His tried-and-tested gear for shooting urban architecture

1 Nikon Z 7

“It’s light, the EVF and

rear screen are great, and it

feels so good in the hand.

The images you get from this

camera are high-quality and

super-sharp. You can push

the raw files really hard in

Lightroom and get what you

want out of the camera.”

2 Nikon Z 6

“This camera is good

for the film side of my work

• it’s like my camera for
  YouTube videos – and it’s
  my second body if I’m dual-
  shooting at a wedding.”

3 Nikkor^

Z 14-24mm

f/2.8 S

“This is my go-to lens, and

usually sits on my camera

for 90% of the time.”

4 Nikkor^

Z 24-70mm

f/2.8 S

“Individually, the Nikkor Z

S-line lenses are all really

fantastic. Nikon is not

holding back – they’ve really

gone to town with these

lenses, and they’re using the

huge flange of the Z-mount

to its maximum potential.”

5 Nikkor^

Z 70-200mm

f/2.8 S

“I use this lens to home in on

details when I can, and it is

amazing. For depth of field,

the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S

rivals the Nikkor AF-S 85mm

f/1.4G, and is sharp even

in the corners. The focus

breathing is limited, too.”

6 DJI^

Mavic Pro 1

“I’m on my third version of

this drone – one of them flew

away, one of them crashed

in Hong Kong, and this is

the replacement. I haven’t

really flown it much so far,

as I’m not pushing my drone

photography much now.”

6

5

1

2

4

but adds that they are generally fine when they

know why he’s taking photos. Ben is concerned

that more and more buildings are becoming

off-limits to people, and that access to some

of London’s more recent architectural gems is

restricted. But his days of taking risks are over.

“I did a lot of things back in the day which I’m

not proud of now – risking my life by going on

top of buildings and cranes to get super-unique

photos. I wanted it so bad, it just happened!”

We pick up the pace again with a walk to

Shad Thames via the Tower of London. Visual

shorthand for Victorian London in film and TV,

the converted warehouses and iron walkways

are a delight for the patient photographer;

we wait 20 minutes for the driver of an idling

Maserati to take his pesky hazard lights away.

Ben’s next location is Leake Street, under

Waterloo railway station and better known as

the Graffiti Tunnel. We set off at a brisk clip,

during which Ben extols the virtues of

one

to

one

3

1.51pm