Hi
I covered a lot of this ground during my presentation on Chairman's evening about my recent Dartmoor trip, so I'll repeat here the relevant parts of what I said then and expand on Paul's response.
Firstly, the lens you have should cover just about any situation we are likely to encounter. There will have been a number of compromises made in its design to cover the extreme range of focal lengths. I have not checked the reviews, but I would expect pincushion distortion at the wide end and barrelling at the other, which is typical of this type of lens. If you shoot in Raw and process the results in an application such as Lightroom which allows correction of distortions, you can overcome some of the issues. Landscape photography usually involves shooting stopped down, so you do not need to worry about purchasing something better optimised for use at wider apertures.
TripodThe Manfrotto 190 series is popular and usually receives good reviews. The head is sold separately, with ball heads being the cheapest. Much will depend on how much weight you want to carry around, but more pounds will mean less pounds.
Graduated ND, ND and polarising filtersThe best ones are made by Lee, but are expensive and require a holder and filter ring to attach them to the lens.
Graduated filters reduce the difference between the brightest and darkest areas of a scene, which can be the cause of blown highlights or underexposed shadows. If you want to keep costs to a minimum, I would recommend 0.9 hard and 0.6 soft graduated filters as being the most useful. An alternative approach is to make two or more exposures, each one biased towards just a part of the light levels in the scene, and combine them in post capture. This can be done manually using layers in Photoshop, but HDR software would also work.
There is more here about the most common brands.
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/ ... and-rated/Neutral density filters are used to slow exposures and will be useful if we end up shooting moving water or you want to blur the movement of clouds in the sky for a dramatic effect. The more extreme ones, such as the Lee Big Stopper, introduce colour casts which might need correction in post processing.
A polarising filter can reduce reflections and glare, and enrich colours in foliage. They come in two types, but you will need a circularising one for compatibility with your camera's AF. Unfortunately they are not cheap and if you buy one to go with a filter system you will need it be be 105 mm diameter. These days, Photoshop has eliminated the need for most kinds of filters, but a polarising filter is the only one where the effect cannot be reproduced digitally.
Remote ReleaseUseful for triggering the shutter when the camera is on a tripod without introducing movement. As an alternative you can also use the two second delay, which is what I was doing most of the time on Dartmoor when I could not be bothered to get my release out of the bag and attach it to the camera. Nikon's own release will be expensive, but cheaper third party options work just as well. Don't forget to enable mirror up to eliminate a source of vibration and turn off IS on the lens as older IS systems cannot detect when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
BackpackBetter than a shoulder bag as it leaves your hands free when walking around the countryside. Some form of weather proofing is advisable.
Plastic BagsUseful for putting wet gear in and placing over the camera if it rains while shooting.
Sturdy, waterproof bootsLong walking trousers and long socksTicks infected with Lyme disease might be present on foliage, although they are not prevalent in the Brecons. A couple of layers will help prevent them getting a hold.
Walking polesOptional. A tripod can also be used when traversing rough ground. I am not anticipating that we will be undertaking any major hikes to get to locations, but you never know.
Torch or headlampUseful if we stay out for a sunset and need to return to the cars in the dark. A headlamp is the better option as it will leave your hands free.
Water bottleWalking can be thirsty work. Ideally your backpack will have an external pocket in which a bottle can be placed.
As Paul says, shopping for gear is best done in person and both Park Cameras stores should have all the photographic accessories you need. Blacks and Milletts are good places for outdoor clothing. Rohan is good quality and there is a selection of discounted items in the "Souk" section of its site if you are familiar with their sizing and are prepared to use mail order.
http://rohan.co.uk/mens-bargain-travel- ... n-the-soukWe will be car sharing to get to Wales, but the final details have not yet been sorted out.
As Paul says, let us know if you have any other questions. Any info posted here will be useful for others who are going to Wales.
) but it has the benefit of slowing down your photography and thinking more about the scene in front of you and what to include/exclude. A set of netral-density graduated filters would help with landscape photography. These are placed over the lens (via a special holder) and reduce the brightness of the sky, which in turn manages to retain more detail in the sky. As far as the trip to Wales these would be the main accessories to take along. I bought my tripod from