Whenever I give a lecture or show my photos to anyone I am nearly always asked about the cameras I use. I don't mind answering this but the one thing guaranteed to cheese me off (and probably all other photographers in the world!) is when people say to me "That's great! You must have a really good camera." Well, I do use good cameras and maybe they give me an edge, but they have never yet gone out and taken those really great images of their own accord. Maybe in the future they will, but at the moment its me that's doing the work behind the camera!

So what camera do I use? The answer's not so simple as I seem to use a great variety depending on the job in hand. However, I started out with Olympus cameras many years ago when I originally chose a system. I was taken with the tiny size of the OM2 and the range of lenses that were available. Over the years lens lust got the better of me and I acquired many different Olympus cameras and Zuiko lenses until I suddenly became aware that I wanted to use the cameras for recording the wildlife I'd seen rather than just collecting them like jewels.

The big turning point came when I spent a lot of money on the legendary Zuiko 350mm f/2.8 and matching 1.4 converter (believe me, the results from this are so sharp you could cut yourself!). My photography standards rose threefold almost overnight. This coupled with the staggeringly accurate and flexible metering of the OM4Ti set me on the path to my present status of semi-pro. I continued to use, until very recently, the superb Olympus system; the remarkably sharp lenses, outstanding macro photography accessories and OTF TTL flash capabilities still continue to delight me and yield the quality I require. However, the very fact that I began shooting with a view to marketing my images forced me down a different route. I needed bigger telephotos with faster apertures and internal focusing, so a chance of picking up a bargain Nikon 600mm f/5.6 was too good to miss and that took me down the road to Nikondom.

I still use the Olympus for all my macro work, there is currently nothing out there to match it, but I have recently rationalised my gear and settled on Nikon. I have and love the Nikon F5 and the big telephoto lenses are just so sharp it defies belief. Having said all that there are some huge drawbacks to using Nikon compared to other brands available, so I'm not advocating you go out and reproduce what I use. Find the system that suits your needs and budget (a big factor) and go with that.

A need to go the autofocus route meant upgrading my kit with the Nikon F5. Until I owned one of these I had thought the F4 was as ergonomically well designed as you could get but the F5 is something else. If you've got big fat hands (like me) this thing fits like a glove. Superfast focusing, spot-on exposure, a blistering motordrive and the build quality of a Chieftain tank are all plus points for me. Negative points scored on battery usage, cost and, annoyingly, a different remote release connector to the F4 (5 pins instead of 2). Despite looking after my gear as much as possible, it does take some heavy punishment. Just the other day I dropped a cup of coffee into my Nikon F5 (don't ask!) as it lay in my camera bag without a body cap on. Despite coffee pouring out of every orifice (the camera's, not mine) it survived the ordeal with only the need of a minor clean and service. This is the measure of robustness of this camera. However, at £150 for the service, that was the most expensive cup of coffee I've ever had (until I go to Paris no doubt!).

Ain't no doubt that my 365 day-a-year workhorse lens is my 500mm f/4 AF-S. I recently swapped my old manual focus 600mm f/5.6 for this - a big decision as the 600mm was so sharp it was unbelievable. I was also worried about losing the extra 100mm reach of the 600mm and to be honest I still feel I was right to be worried. However, whilst there are advantages with the 600mm, there are also some great benefits with the 500mm; its easier to use for flight photography as the field of view is greater than the 600mm and its lighter for carrying greater distances. I find it is excellent when used from a hide and focuses down fairly well and allows great composition when used with the 1.4x converter. One complaint? Well yes. The 500mm f/4 has the most ridiculously long lens hood you've ever seen. Its like a huge piece of black drain pipe sticking out and is almost as long as the lens itself. I find it can be unwieldy in certain situations, particularly if you are in cramped hides. I'd saw it in half if it weren't so dammed pricey to replace. Buyer beware - Nikon plastic has a higher market value than pure gold!

I have just bought a used 20-35mm f/2.8 and I am still learning what the lens is capable of. So far it seems sharp enough but does suffer flare if pointed directly at a light source. I have yet to get a polarising filter for this but I suspect I will have to be careful due to the very significant chance of vignetting at the 20mm end. The appeal of this lens for me was the compactness and speed and the very useful range of the zoom.

Another recent acquisition for me was the 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom. This focal length is ideal for larger mammals, landscapes and, with the 1.4x converter, flight photography. I am finding that I use this lens more and more particularly for landscape work. Its big and heavy so not for the feint-hearted and requires a tripod or beanbag to be really sure of stopping any shake (unless you're built like Arnie Schwartzenegger).