Gear
“When people ask what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes”
That’s perhaps a rather flippant way to start a page about the equipment I use, but I stand by it. I strongly recommend trying different camera brands out to work out what works for you. Once you have, however, stick with it and invest in your skills, be that the art of seeing, composition or simply knowing intimately how the equipment you have works.
There are great places you can hire equipment from, such as Try The Kit or Lens Pimp. These services allow you to try out different brands of cameras and lenses to see what you want. A while ago I was tempted to switch brands, and was able to hire a camera and two lenses for a weekend to experiment for no cost other than a deposit on a credit card. Thankfully it saved me an expensive swap as it made me realise I was happy enough with my current equipment.
Since getting serious about photography I’ve been using Fujifilm cameras and lenses. I find them inspiring to use, tactile, and the colour science in them is amazing. Additionally they really suit my approach of creating ‘in camera’ thanks to the ability to create ‘recipes’ that either represent old film stocks or enable creative control over images prior to shooting them.
In started with the Fujifilm X-T1, then graduated to the X-T3, and most recently to the X-T5. All of them have been secondhand and all serve me well to this day.
In addition to the X-T series cameras I have an X100V premium compact which comes with me when I want a smaller or lighter weight approach.
I’m gradually rationalising my collection of lenses to leave me with the ones I truly enjoy using 99% of the time, and those I need to give me a simple setup for commissioned work. At present I have:
In addition to the cameras and lenses there are a few other key pieces of equipment that I use on a regular basis.
Nisi M75 filters allow me to work without post processing to control the relationship between highlights and shadows in my images.
To keep my camera nice and steady, but also remaining light enough to lug out onto the moors or up a mountain is my trusty 3 Legged Thing Billy 2.0 tripod, fitted with some Clawz feet to stick like glue to a rock face or river bed.
All of this is carted around in a Peak Design 45 litre outdoor backpack. This is by far the comfiest pack i’ve ever had for my camera gear, and has plenty of space for wild camping or hiking equipment in inclement weather. I shared my thoughts on this bag here on my blog.
If my load is lighter i’ve just started using a PGY Tech 10 litre One Go Solo sling.
Much of my equipment is secondhand, and its stood up well to the test of time. This is an important factor for me, not only is it cheaper, but its also better for the environment - rather than consuming new gadgets, purchasing perfectly good equipment that already exists is kinder on the planet. You can get a lot from a secondhand set of gear and i’d encourage you to look at places like Wex for great deals on used equipment.
