Nigel Danson's Camera Gear & Studio Setup
Nigel Danson films with a Nikon Z 8. Below is Nigel Danson's full camera, lens, microphone and lighting setup — each item cited to a public source video or interview, with a budget-friendly alternative for every pick.
◆ Gear below reflects what Nigel Danson has publicly disclosed (see sources). Lensbook is not affiliated with Nigel Danson. Video embedded from YouTube — views and ad revenue remain with the creator.
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Style analysis
Nigel shoots the classic hike-and-shoot style — a large-format feel compressed into a mirrorless kit he can carry on multi-day treks to remote British moorland, Scottish highlands, and Icelandic terrain. He is a committed Nikon Z system user and openly documents his camera upgrades over time, making his gear history unusually transparent. The Kase magnetic filter system is central to his long-exposure landscape work, and his secondary Nikon Z6 II doubles as a dedicated video body for his behind-the-scenes walk-and-talk footage.
His current primary landscape stills camera. He upgraded from the Z7 II to the Z 8 in 2023, citing the sum of incremental improvements rather than any single headline feature.
Source: Setting up a new Camera — Nigel Danson (2023-12-28)
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Budget pick: Nikon Z7 II ($2,497) — The Z7 II is the camera Nigel himself shot on for years before upgrading. It delivers the same 45.7MP resolution for landscape detail at a meaningfully lower price — a logical starting point for anyone drawn to Nigel's high-resolution, print-focused style. View →
His dedicated on-location video camera, kept as a second body alongside the Z 8 for behind-the-scenes and walk-and-talk vlogging footage.
Source: Nigel Danson — Camera Gear (2023-01-01)
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Budget pick: Nikon Z5 II ($1,397) — Full-frame Z-mount video body at a lower price — covers the same walk-and-talk vlogging role without the higher resolution overhead of the Z6 II. View →
Listed as his current favorite lens — an all-in-one zoom that covers wide through short telephoto at a constant f/4, well suited to unpredictable landscape conditions where swapping lenses is impractical.
Source: Nigel Danson — Camera Gear (2023-01-01)
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Budget pick: Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 ($699) — A fast third-party standard zoom at a fraction of the price — covers the most-used portion of the 24-120mm range with a faster f/2.8 aperture. Available in Z-mount via Nikon Z adapter or natively in Sony E. View →
His ultra-wide zoom for sweeping foreground compositions. The 14-24mm range is a landscape staple, and the Z version accepts Kase's 112mm magnetic filter system directly at the front element.
Source: Nigel Danson — Camera Gear (2023-01-01)
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Budget pick: Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S ($847) — Nigel himself lists this as his lighter hiking alternative to the 14-24mm f/2.8. It takes standard 82mm screw-in filters, weighs about half as much, and costs roughly a third of the price. View →
His landscape detail and wildlife lens — he lists it as his go-to for picking out distant features such as ridgelines, waterfalls, and wildlife in open terrain.
Source: Nigel Danson — Camera Gear (2023-01-01)
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Budget pick: Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8 ($1,097) — A lighter, cheaper telephoto zoom that covers the more usable 70-180mm range at a faster f/2.8 — good for landscape detail and wildlife in moderate lighting at a much lower price. View →
His full-size field tripod for long-exposure landscape work — carbon fiber construction for minimal weight penalty on hikes, with payload capacity suited to a full-frame body and telephoto combo.
Source: Nigel Danson — Camera Gear (2023-01-01)
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Budget pick: K&F Concept TM2515M1 Travel Tripod ($110) — Entry-level carbon-fiber tripod at roughly a quarter of the Benro Mach3's price. Supports mirrorless bodies with standard prime or zoom lenses — a sensible starting tripod before committing to a premium brand. View →
His aerial camera for landscape overview shots. The Mavic 3's 4/3-inch Hasselblad sensor is notably larger than competing consumer drones, which shows in its dynamic range and highlight retention in bright outdoor scenes.
Source: Nigel Danson — Camera Gear (2023-01-01)
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Budget pick: DJI Mini 4 Pro ($759) — Sub-250g drone that avoids many registration requirements, shoots 4K HDR video, and costs roughly half of the Mavic 3. The step down in sensor size is real but the Mini 4 Pro is the most capable beginners' drone DJI makes. View →
He uses Kase's magnetic filter lineup (ND, GND, CPL) for his long-exposure and polarisation work. Nigel is a Kase ambassador and consistently recommends them in his landscape tutorials — he lists a discount code on his gear page.
Source: Nigel Danson — Camera Gear (2023-01-01)
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Budget pick: K&F Concept Nano-X Magnetic ND Filter Kit ($60) — Magnetic ND filter system at a fraction of the Kase price. Glass quality is lower, but for a beginner experimenting with long exposures before committing to a premium filter brand, it covers the essentials. View →