When asked about what gear I own I will usually, somewhat evasively, suggest that I have a couple of cameras and some lenses. The truth, inevitably, is slightly more complicated. In this post I’ll run through what I use - the second part of this article goes into a little more detail about why I’ve made the choices I have.

Cameras

*They all do pretty much the same thing once you press the button… Detail of the Fujifilm X-Pro2*

A couple of cameras is sensible. There are a whole host of reasons why having two camera bodies makes sense. You’ll often see professionals and keen amateurs at events with a couple of cameras - one will typically have a longer lens attached while the second has a wider angle lens. This makes sense as it’s quicker to change camera than lens, especially when you’re at an event where the scenes change quickly and it’s important to get the shot. Weddings are the prime example, but the same applies to concerts, festivals and sports.

There are also some environments where even if you wanted to change lens, it’s not advisable. For example, I’d never willingly remove the lens from my camera at the speedway (dust), while landscape photography in Scotland can present similar challenges (water and midges)!

There’s also the need for a backup. If you’ve spent a chunk of money on the trip of lifetime to, say, Iceland and it’s your only opportunity to photograph that location, then a camera malfunction on day one will pretty much ruin the trip. Unless you have a backup… So, plenty of reasons to own a couple of camera bodies.

If you include my phone, I own seven. Which I’m reliably informed is too many. I would, however, beg to differ, so let me attempt to justify myself. There are a few that don’t count…

Phone Camera. I do take pictures on my phone; picture of books I’d like to read, pictures of parcels for return, pictures of meter readings to enter online at a later date and pictures of where I’ve parked the car. In the decade and a half I’ve owned a smart phone I’ve taken a grand total of two photographs I’ve wanted to keep for their photographic value. There are folk that do some great work on smartphones - I’m not one of them. Six to go…
Canon A1. This is a 1985 film camera that I inherited from my father along with a couple of lenses. It has huge sentimental value and, more out of nostalgia than any photographic purpose, I occasionally run a roll of film through the camera. However, there’s no great photographic intent, it cost me nothing and not owning it would make not an iota of difference to my photography. Five…
Fujifilm X-Pro2. I bought this in 2016 and for many years it was a mainstay in my camera bag. It’s never been a primary camera, but rather an excellent ‘walk around’ camera, a backup or a compact option on business trips. It has however been superseded, is not longer used and, in honesty, I should probably sell it. Except that it’s a lovely piece of kit, beautifully made, immensely tactile and very pretty. It’s in my collection now for ornament rather than function. Four…

The Fujifilm X-Pro2 has been a fantastic camera on trips and when keeping the weight down has mattered.
Last light, Boston Harbour.

So, that leaves a much more reasonable four bodies that I use regularly. Still twice the recommended amount, but a much more sensible number. I would break these down into two that I use for the bulk of my photography and two that serve a more specialist function. Let’s start with the core system.

*It’s early days, but the X-H2S is proving a very capable camera for a number of genres. Excellent autofocus and impressive detail both help make this shot. Blue Damselfly.*

My main workhorse is now the Fujifilm X-H2S, a recent addition which replaces the X-T3. The X-H2S is a professional specification APS-C camera which will handle pretty much anything that you can frame in your viewfinder. It has enough image quality for me, is weather-sealed and is both fast and responsive. There’s not really much else to say - it works and it works well. I’ll cover a little more about the rationale for buying into the Fujifilm system in the second article.

The backup is the Fujifilm X-S10. This is the same lens mount as the X-H2S, but has the previous generation sensor and processor. It’s more of a prosumer orientated camera and, as such, lacks some of the features of its professional sibling. It’s not weather sealed, only has a single card slot but does share many of the other features. It’s also smaller, lighter and is generally the camera that would be packed for a short break or a hike.

And then there were two… Just after lockdown started I bought a second-hand Fujifilm X-E1 that had been converted to infrared use. I’ve been pleased with the results and to that end, when I bought the X-H2S I sold the X-E1 and sent my Fujifilm X-T3 to be converted to infrared use. It’s a more modern camera, a much better sensor and has superior ergonomics. There’s a distinctive look to infrared images that can be very striking, but the conversion does mean that the camera is no longer suitable for more general photography. It’s a specialist tool that does a single job very well.

Which brings me to the last of the camera bodies and, unarguably, the one that was a luxury purchase. When I switch from Canon to focus on Fujifilm there were two types of photography where I was sure how the Fujifilm system would perform. One was macro - it turns out that Fujifilm performs tremendously - and the other was action / wildlife (which have similar demands). The results here (certainly before the introduction of the X_H2S) were more mixed.

There are folk that can use the system for sports and wildlife, but their technique is superb. Mine isn’t and I need all the help I can get. In particular, I definitely benefit from a top-class autofocus system. So, after a fair amount of research, I bought the Sony A9ii. The tracking autofocus on this camera is like a Labrador - once it has a target it’s relentless at following it; it won’t let go and it will follow the target around the screen all day. In contrast, Fujifilm’s X-Trans 4 autofocus is like a kitten. After showing some initial interest it gets bored, wanders off and eventually goes to sleep in a corner.

*The Sony A9ii - autofocus fast enough to catch an energetic red squirrel!*

Before I retired sports and wildlife photography weren’t a big part of what I did, but with more time it’s now making up an increasing amount of my output. I enjoy it, but that enjoyment is somewhat tempered if the kit isn’t up to the job. Reinvesting some of the cash raised from the sale of my Canon kit into the Sony has improved my hit-rate tremendously and increased my enjoyment hugely. Yes, it’s a luxury but it’s a rewarding one.

So, seven cameras, but only four that count and each has a place and a purpose. Rather than having too many cameras, I may just have convinced myself I’m getting by with the bare minimum!

Lenses

Arguably, the bigger determinant of image quality is the quality of the glass you put on the front of the camera. However, I note elsewhere that all photography involves some level of compromise so there are trade-offs to be made. High quality, wide aperture, prime lenses may yield the ultimate in image quality, but they cost (at the long end they can cost the same as a small car) and getting a body, a selection of high quality prime lenses into hand luggage or a rucksack for a long hike isn’t always sensible, desirable or even possible.

Zoom Lenses. For the Fujifilm system I have zoom lenses that, in full frame equivalence terms, cover the range from 15mm to 600mm (or 840mm with a 1.4x teleconverter). The workhorses are the XF 1-24mm, the XF 16-55mm, the XF 50-140mm and the XF 100-400mm. With the arrival of the Sony, the latter one is under review but the rest are very versatile and cover a range of use cases. I also have the XF 70-300mm which is more lightweight and has excellent close focus, as well as the XF 18-135mm. This last lens is hugely versatile and, if I’m hiking or flying hand luggage only, will be the main lens taken for the trip.

In the Sony system I have a 24-105mm (bought used), a 70-200mm and the 200-600mm. The shorter of these three doesn’t see much use, but can be useful to have in the bag. The other two are my main lenses for sports and wildlife.

(Eigg) - Zooms can take in whole islands...

... or focus on one person in a scene. (Troon)

Primes. These days I take the view that primes really need to earn their place in the camera bag. Given the developments in optics and the emergence of in-camera optical corrections the difference in sharpness between primes and zooms has closed. Given the way that many of us display images, any differences tend to be overstated. If sharpness isn’t a justification for carrying primes, and the focal range is covered, then these lenses need to offer something additional.

For my XF35mm F1.4 and the XF56mm F1.2 the key differentiator is aperture, which gives both a shallower depth of field to isolate the subject and better light gathering capabilities for low light scenarios. The XF 80mm macro allows the photographer to get close to the details (and bugs and plants) as well as doubling as a short telephoto with a nice focal length for portraits. I also have a Laowa 9mm lens which serves a slightly different function - it’s a physically small lens that, together with the XF35mm and XF18-135mm, gives me a great kit covering most bases for travel.

*Wide aperture primes a brilliant at isolating the subject and gathering light in lower light conditions. Kookaburra.*

Bags, Tripods and Filters

Nothing too insightful to add here. Like many photographers I’ve owned a few bags and currently use bags from Lowepro, Think Tank, Shimoda and Peak Design. I have a solid Benro tripod and a Peak Design travel tripod and I use Kase filters.

*Filters can help with long exposures, blurring water and movement. A tripod is essential. Afterwards you probably want to put all that stuff in a bag. Portencross Pier*

Image Processing

I currently use an iMac as my main processing machine, although it is starting to get a little long in the tooth. I’ve also completely wiped the Apple MacOS operating system and replaced it with Windows 10. Some may regard this as sacrilege, but so long as Apple produce software that resolutely refuses to play with others, I don’t care!

In terms of software my workflow is based around Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, but I also use a couple of Topaz plug-ins and an action panel called Lumenzia. That said, Adobe isn’t the best RAW converter on the market and it does a poor job with Fujifilm X-Trans files in particular. For these files one of the best all-rounders is Capture One, and I have a copy of this program on hand for files that need a lighter touch.

I don’t have the patience to carry out extensive editing or endless retouching; rather I’m generally trying to bring out the best in each file. Occasionally though…

The Kit List: Part One - What

Cameras

Lenses

Bags, Tripods and Filters

Image Processing

The Kit List: Part Two - Why

July: month in review