Gear

My Camera Bag

So many changes!

Recently, do to an epiphany I have made a great change in how and what I photograph. Basically I have downsized.

I am not sure why people want to know what I shoot with. To me it is like asking a chef what kind of pots he uses. Far be from me to be a wet blanket and squash people’s curiosity, so here goes. Now remember, I am in no way endorsing any of this equipment; it is just that it works for me.

Camera Bag: Because I am carrying less I have switched to a Domke messenger type bag it is small and rugged and it is oil treated to be virtually impervious to water. I generally carry the bag off my shoulder and it sits in the small of my back, the strap is very comfortable and I can carry this bag all day long without even breaking a sweet. My whole system is now under five pounds.

Film Cameras: I am afraid I don’t do much film anymore. In my mind, digital has almost equal quality to film and has surpassed film’s ease of use. I still have a Pentax Spotmatic, a Nikon F5 and a Mamiya C330 Professional. Yup, I hang on to my equipment.

I have three fixed lenses for each of my film camera: 35mm f/2.0, 50 mm f/1.4, 85 mm f/1.8. For the Medium format an 80 f/2.8.

Digital Cameras: What I look for in a camera is an easy to use and a sensor/lens combination that will allow me to abstract an image.

I have moved from dSLR to a mirrorless system. My working cameras are now a Fujifilm XT-1 and a Fujifilm X-Pro 1. I have fallen in love with these cameras as they brings back the simplicity of my first film camera while retaining peerless images quality. With the XT-1 I do have a vertical battery grip, but I seldom use it. The high demand of electronics in this camera does requires an extra batteries. If you haven’t tried any of Fuji X series of camera do yourself a favour and try one .

I have decided to put zooms behind me and I now shoot strictly with primes. Presently I have an 23 mm f/1.4, 35 mm f/1.4, and a 56 mm f/1.2, all are very fast and extremely crisp lenses with super Bokeh. I guarantee the quality of these lenses are the match of the best glass on the market. While not used all that often I also have a 18 mm f/2.0, and a 60 mm f/2.4 macro.

By now you should be seeing a trend. I prefer fast primes. I mostly shoot with the standard lens. The mild telephoto is almost exclusively for portraits. The mild wild angle is used in tight quarters and if can’t use a tripod and need a bit of extra dark work use. The wides angle is used for landscape photography and the macro is a specialty lens.

Lighting: Three strobes and two reflectors.

Support: A Manfrotto 455 tripod with a 460 MG head and a 488RC2 head, and a Manfrotto 681B monopod with a 486RC2 head. Along with this I also have a home-made string pod that I always keep in my pocket.

Filters and gadgets: I have a collection of UV filters, three ND filters and a polarizing filter, and one IR filter; all else I can do in post. I shoot frugally so don’t need more than two memory cards. At times I use a Sekonic L-358 light meter.

Computers: Macs of course! 2 LaCie for back up drives.

Software: Capture one to take care of all my cataloguing and day to day editing, Affinity photo for those special editing jobs. Fotomagico and Keynotes handle all my AV work. I control my Fuji using and app on both my iPad and iPhone called FujiFilm Cam remote, it is a free down load.

Printing: I send out all my work.