Equipment
Camera(s):
I'm not one for the latest gadgets so use what is considered these days (a mark of the throw away society we live in) to use an out of date camera - Canon 10D, though to be honest it has never gone wrong, does the job well and already has far to many unnecessary functions. Well this has now been updated to a 40D, which seems quite nice - though it does even more things which I don't think I'll ever use, but seems worse in a few crucial areas; the sound the shutter/mirror mechanism makes, seem horrendously loud compared to the trusty old 10D and it feels far less 'comfortable' but I guess I'll get used to it.
Just added the Fujifilm X10 compact as a carry about camera. When I first tried it in the local shop I wasn't to impressed - felt too small in the hand with to many buttons and far to many options, but after a couple of months of ownership I really rather like it and have to say that I'm loath to take out my DSLR as this little compact provides excellent picture quality for such a small package.
As a further update to the X10, I found that I was using this little gem for everything and the Canon sitting unused, so the DSLR kit and lenses were all put up for sale and everything has now gone. Yes, even started using the Fuji for studio work, but found the small eyepiece a bit annoying (cropped view) and didn't like relying on the screen, so I've now added an X30 with all the benefits of the X10, plus a through the lens viewfinder and a tilt rear screen for those low shots!
Lenses:
Initially with my Canon set-up - though these have now all long gone!
Not a great selection and nothing super new either, my standard 'walk about' lens is a Sigma 18-125mm F3.5-5.6, I also have a Canon EF 35-70mm F3.5-4.5 & a Canon EF 100-300mm F4.5-5.6. These seem to cover most of my needs at the moment. I do have a few lenses on my wish list though - a Sigma 8-16mm or 10-20mm and wouldn't mind trying a few faster primes (35, 50 & 85mm) remembering the 40D is a crop sensor camera so all the focal lengths are times 1.6.
Now added to these are a Samyang 8mm full frame fisheye, which I'll be exploring over the next few months. Now this is a totally manual lens, which actually isn't a problem at all as the depth-of-field is vast even wide open, so focusing at about 0.75 to 1 meter and everything is in focus from just in front of the camera to infinity! Stick the camera in AV mode and you have essentially a point and shoot SLR. Also A Canon 85mm f1.8 as I've been thinking about a nice portrait lens for awhile now and in the 'old film' days a 135mm lens was the one I'd usually reach for.
Flash:
Apart from the on camera flash I have a selection of 'studio' flash heads. For the last 30+ years I've been using Multiblitz lighting and it has proved absolutely reliable. However, as my current heads were very old, I decided to upgrade to their latest mid-pro Profilux Plus range and also purchased one of their smallest Compact Plus units, which due to its light weight (under a kilo) is great for use on a boom. I've put together a small section to look at the various Multiblitz Heads I've had (& currently have) over the years here.
Camera(s):
I'm not one for the latest gadgets so use what is considered these days (a mark of the throw away society we live in) to use an out of date camera - Canon 10D, though to be honest it has never gone wrong, does the job well and already has far to many unnecessary functions. Well this has now been updated to a 40D, which seems quite nice - though it does even more things which I don't think I'll ever use, but seems worse in a few crucial areas; the sound the shutter/mirror mechanism makes, seem horrendously loud compared to the trusty old 10D and it feels far less 'comfortable' but I guess I'll get used to it.
Just added the Fujifilm X10 compact as a carry about camera. When I first tried it in the local shop I wasn't to impressed - felt too small in the hand with to many buttons and far to many options, but after a couple of months of ownership I really rather like it and have to say that I'm loath to take out my DSLR as this little compact provides excellent picture quality for such a small package.
As a further update to the X10, I found that I was using this little gem for everything and the Canon sitting unused, so the DSLR kit and lenses were all put up for sale and everything has now gone. Yes, even started using the Fuji for studio work, but found the small eyepiece a bit annoying (cropped view) and didn't like relying on the screen, so I've now added an X30 with all the benefits of the X10, plus a through the lens viewfinder and a tilt rear screen for those low shots!
Lenses:
Initially with my Canon set-up - though these have now all long gone!
Not a great selection and nothing super new either, my standard 'walk about' lens is a Sigma 18-125mm F3.5-5.6, I also have a Canon EF 35-70mm F3.5-4.5 & a Canon EF 100-300mm F4.5-5.6. These seem to cover most of my needs at the moment. I do have a few lenses on my wish list though - a Sigma 8-16mm or 10-20mm and wouldn't mind trying a few faster primes (35, 50 & 85mm) remembering the 40D is a crop sensor camera so all the focal lengths are times 1.6.
Now added to these are a Samyang 8mm full frame fisheye, which I'll be exploring over the next few months. Now this is a totally manual lens, which actually isn't a problem at all as the depth-of-field is vast even wide open, so focusing at about 0.75 to 1 meter and everything is in focus from just in front of the camera to infinity! Stick the camera in AV mode and you have essentially a point and shoot SLR. Also A Canon 85mm f1.8 as I've been thinking about a nice portrait lens for awhile now and in the 'old film' days a 135mm lens was the one I'd usually reach for.
Flash:
Apart from the on camera flash I have a selection of 'studio' flash heads. For the last 30+ years I've been using Multiblitz lighting and it has proved absolutely reliable. However, as my current heads were very old, I decided to upgrade to their latest mid-pro Profilux Plus range and also purchased one of their smallest Compact Plus units, which due to its light weight (under a kilo) is great for use on a boom. I've put together a small section to look at the various Multiblitz Heads I've had (& currently have) over the years here.
Olympus Micro Four Thirds
2018 - I recently decided it was time to get back to an interchangeable lens camera again, but didn't want DSLR, so decided to try one of the Mirrorless offerings. After trying a few brands I really quite like most things about the Olympus range, so bought a secondhand E-M5 fitted with a 12-50mm lens & Battery Grip.
After a few months, I have to say that one of my main complaints with modern cameras - the loads of onbourd options that I'm never going to use is amplified with this camera with the totally cumbersome menu system, it's awful. The other aspect I find a bit trying is the central viewfinder, I still much prefer to have the viewfinder on the left hand side, so my nose isn't jammed against the back of the camera! However the important thing is I really like the MFT format, so will be investing in some nice glassware and maybe either a Pen-F or one of the Panasonic camera options a little later.
Current Lens Line-up as at 13/06/2018
Above from left to right:
The 100-400 is my 'wild life' lens and when combined with the Lumix GX8 benefits from Dual Stabilisation and can be handheld at 400mm - equivalent to an 800mm lens on a 35mm film camera! The 40-150 is my 'go to' indoor /studio lens, fast and very, very sharp. The 14-140 is my day to day lens - the one that's always fitted to the GX8, it's just a great one solution lens for everyday use. Lastly the 7-14, super wide angle lens, a bit of a specialist one really but great for those creative shots where you just need to get everything in the picture.
- 1: Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4.0-6.3 ASPH
- 2: Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro M.Zuiko Digital ED with Olympus 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14
- 3: Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6
The 100-400 is my 'wild life' lens and when combined with the Lumix GX8 benefits from Dual Stabilisation and can be handheld at 400mm - equivalent to an 800mm lens on a 35mm film camera! The 40-150 is my 'go to' indoor /studio lens, fast and very, very sharp. The 14-140 is my day to day lens - the one that's always fitted to the GX8, it's just a great one solution lens for everyday use. Lastly the 7-14, super wide angle lens, a bit of a specialist one really but great for those creative shots where you just need to get everything in the picture.
