It’s not about the gear…

You can take a good photo with any decent camera and we know that the best camera is the one you have with you. Having said that we should also admit that most of us love our gadgets, so here is a quick update of what I currently use.

Over the years I have used many systems, starting around 40 years ago with a Zenith film camera and quickly moving to the Nikon system. I went digital with the Olympus Micro 4/3rds system and then moved to a full Canon system with L series lenses. However about 3 years ago I bought a Fuji X-Pro1 with 35 and 18mm lenses and absolutely fell in love with the system. I used it alongside my Canon bodies and lenses for about 2 years but found myself using it more and more; and eventually adding an X100s alongside it. My Canons and L series glass has now gone and I have moved completely to the Fuji X Series. I now use two X Series bodies: The Fuji XT1 and Fuji X-Pro1 with 18mm F2, 35mm F1.4, 10-24mm F4, 18-55mm F2.8/4 and  55-200 F3.5/4.8. I still use the fixed lens Fuji X100s and often just walk about with this camera and a polarising filter. I use just three Lee filters; the 3 stop ND, the 10 stop Big Stopper ND and the Landscape Circular Polariser.

My weakness is camera bags. My main bag is the Domke F2, which can carry my complete outfit. I also use a small Crumpler shoulder bag for occasions where I don’t want to carry the full outfit; and for longer walks I use a Lowepro rucksack. For those days when I want to carry just the Fuji X100s or one camera and lens I also have a Millican “Rob The Traveller”. Finally my everyday work bag is “Keith the Writer’s Bag”, also by Millican. While not strictly a camera bag this is the bag I carry to work every day with my 15″ MacBook Pro, X100s and all the bits and pieces.

Of course the digital darkroom is just as important in producing the final image, whether for screen or print. In post processing I use a 27″ iMac Retina and a Mac Book Pro Retina with Capture One. RAW files and processed work are all archived to an Synology NAS which is RAID 1 (Mirrored) storage. When I print I use a Canon Pro 100 printer, which can produce A3+ prints.

All images ©2020 The Edge Photography