Do you carry a spare camera body ?

I noticed several people using the Canon 28-300L. That would suit a spotter quite well from ramp-access wide-angle shots to final approach zoom shots.

Just bought one of those, so far very happy with it. Hasn’t been from my 5D2 since I got it around 6 weeks ago.

BW Roger

Thanks. I can’t wait. Looking at the airport arrivals boards and some of the stuff is amazing.

Hi all,

Even in analogue times I always had a spare body with me, that usually was my old body. It is very useful. But one thing I like to add to the discussion in these digital times, add extra batteries or battery packs.
I have been to Japan earlier this year and apart from nice spotting there will be a time that you don’t have the time to recharge

Gary your trip sounds good by the way, so happy spotting

Pieter

I disagree with agreeing with you! 😀

This is exactly what I do. You have a spare body in case one dies but it’s also much more convenient having two different lenses available to use at the same time. Not changing lenses all the time helps minimise the amount of dust getting in your mirror box too!

Paul

Indeed. Having just come back from a holiday in Russia I can confirm that very much. I only have one camera (that pesky budget). I was constantly changing between my wide-angle, my medium zoom and my big zoom. The camera will need a good cleaning now.

Another option would be a single lense that covers the whole spectrum. I noticed several people using the Canon 28-300L. That would suit a spotter quite well from ramp-access wide-angle shots to final approach zoom shots.

It comes in handy to have a wide lens on one body and a long lens on the other. This saves time doing lens changes in a hurry.

I disagree with agreeing with you! 😀

This is exactly what I do. You have a spare body in case one dies but it’s also much more convenient having two different lenses available to use at the same time. Not changing lenses all the time helps minimise the amount of dust getting in your mirror box too!

Paul

The D5000 does have a sensor cleaner. The camera is superb. I used it at Manchester yesterday and the quality is up from the D40 (although that is also a great camera). Focussing is better and the shutter sounds “more solid”.

30000???

That’s not even a quarter about what can achived… 120.000 is a standard

Really? Where is that from? I thought 30000 to 50000 was the norm.

Yeah i use a 40D with my 100-400 and my 350d with my 18-200, useful for statics and taxiing aircraft.

Having the second body helped me last year at Dunsfold when my 40D failed on me, luckily i had the 350d to fall back on.

It comes in handy to have a wide lens on one body and a long lens on the other. This saves time doing lens changes in a hurry.

but much more important minimises dust contamination on sensors , especialy at dry dusty airfields , i have just cleaned my sensor after just such an event ( i use my airbrush compressor ) i wouldn’t reccomend unless confident
but used carefully it is a usefull cleaner

not checked but the d5000 may have auto sensor clean , wereas the d40 has no sensor cleaning function

Surely it all depends on how important it is to you to get the pictures.
Last year at the Moscow airshow there was a chap with a camera that whilst everything else was working perfectly it would not record the pictures. Imagine going all that way and having your one camera go down!
John

I recently bought a second-hand Nikon D50 as a back-up to my D80. It takes the same type of Nikon lenses, uses SD cards and uses the same battery charger albeit different batteries. My D80 has done nearly 30000 shutter actuations and may peg out at any time.

30000???

That’s not even a quarter about what can achived… 120.000 is a standard

It comes in handy to have a wide lens on one body and a long lens on the other. This saves time doing lens changes in a hurry.

That is a great call. Never thought of that. Only on Sunday I missed the close taxi shot of the Emirates A380 whilst trying to change my zoom for my wide angle zoom. Now I can put the 18-55mm on my D40 and use the D5000 for my bigger zoom lens.

I recently bought a second-hand Nikon D50 as a back-up to my D80. It takes the same type of Nikon lenses, uses SD cards and uses the same battery charger albeit different batteries. My D80 has done nearly 30000 shutter actuations and may peg out at any time.