Photography Gear

March 22, 2021

Old Time Analog Gear

Mechanical workhorses.

I have experimented with and used many different cameras and formats, primarily 35mm, 2¼” square, and 5” x 4” large format. My mainstay cameras were the 35mm Pentax MX and Pentax ME Super, and a 2¼” square Zenza Bronica SQ-A (a huge brick of a camera that I carried around South East Asia for close to 3 months).

Of the two 35mm cameras I preferred the Pentax MX, a compact fully mechanical workhorse (i.e. no batteries needed but optional for suggesting exposure). Everything manual, focus, aperture and shutter speed

The fully mechanical Pentax MX above, and the Bronica SQ-A below. Very different form factors and ergonomics but both were excellent reliable analog cameras.

Digital Gear

The age of pixels and computers

My first serious foray into digital cameras was with the Canon ecosystem, starting with a Canon Powershot G1, followed by a Canon 40D, Canon 50D, Canon 5DMkII, and finally a Canon 5DMkIII (the latter two with a range of L glass). I got some great photos with my Canon equipment, but was always conscious of the hefty nature of DSLRs (particularly whist travelling) and was quite often disappointed with the speed and accuracy of Canon’s focussing system. In 2015 I held and used a Sony Mirrorless (A7II) for the first time and instantly fell in love. It just felt right in my hands, I loved the ergonomics, the weight, and most of all it nailed focus every time. Within a few of weeks I had sold all my Canon gear and became a Sony user which I am until this day.

My Sony A7II became an A7RII, and eventually I upgraded to an A7RIV (the 62Mp mega-beast). I also have the A6600

fotasm March 22, 2021

Photography Gear