| Re: Macro gear?
Does 'Field Work' mean that you will be photographing captive of dead specimens? If so that will enable you to use a shorter lens, like Mike advised, which will reduce your lens cost considerably compared with a live 'in the brambles' shoot which would need something like a 150 mm lens.
If you require a proper specimen photo stand instead of a tripod, it will be a specialised unit and offhand I don't have much idea about suppliers or price, although I have seen them advertised somewhere.
The flash unit will also present problems to obtain something with good power at a minimum price. For live shooting I can get away with the camera in built flash (if I remove the lens hood) but you will need a proper ring flash on a stand.
I would suggest looking for a secondhand Canon 20D which would suffice and shouldn't be too expensive. A Canon 350D would be an alternative. Or one of the similar Nikon models. They aren't that different from current models except for a few pixels and a slower image burst rate; both of which won't matter to you.
One of the other camera brands like Olympus for example might be a cheaper alternative but I'm not sure about the availability of suitable lenses or a flash so that would need checking before purchase.
Once you get the camera you will know what you have left for the accessories but don't purchase a doubtful lens or flash as these will be vital for success.  |