I have always been susceptible to GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), meaning that I’m easily seduced by the latest developments in camera technology. It’s been an expensive, ultimately wasteful pursuit- constantly blowing more and more cash to gain incremental or just plain imagined improvements. I have shot with Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax, Ricoh and Panasonic Lumix. The reality is they all have their strengths, and they all suffer various foibles. There is NO such thing as a perfect camera. So, with that said- here’s what I presently own-
My beloved Fujifilm XT-1
My pocket rocket, the Ricoh GRIII
The large and in-charge Panasonic Lumix S1.
Note that none of these cameras are particularly nimble sports and wildlife cameras- the autofocus on all of them is pretty sluggish compared to say, Canons and Sonys. There’s a range of weights and sizes here. Camera geeks will also notice that none of my cameras has a high-resolution sensor. Here’s why: only very few people need all the pixels they are buying anyways. I still think that 16mp is optimal for an APS-C sensor, and 24-27mp is plenty for a full-frame camera. I can blow these up to decent sized prints without any issues. The added advantage of a smaller pixel count is better low light performance. I do a lot of night street stuff, and having the ability, especially on the Lumix S1, to get usable images at ISO6400 is fantastic. Finally, two practical considerations- high pixel counts means massive files, which means I would need to buy extra storage, and the actual cost of high resolution versions of cameras is generally 30% or more greater. I’m presently very happy with what I’m using.
The Ricoh is my go-to street shooter- excellent image quality from a 24mp APS-C sensor- it’s really not much bigger than a cigarette packet, and it doesn’t draw attention from people in the street.
The Fuji only has a 16mp sensor, but the files that come out of that camera are just so nice to work with- my retoucher friend, Jose says he thinks there’s something special about working at the pixel level with files from that camera. It has some kind of secret sauce.
The S1 is a heavy full-frame beast, and it is as strong as an ox. I can’t confidently take it out in all weather, which is good as I live in Saigon where it rains for 7-8 months/year. I especially like the evolution of the L-mount Alliance for lenses (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma), which has produced some of the best glass ever made. I have the Sigma 24-70 f2.8, which is an excellent allrounder, and the exceptional 85mm/f1.4, my go-to portrait lens. Its close to optical perfection, and for the money, kills all competitors from first-party brands. Sigma have been kicking goals with its Art series lenses, and the 85mm is no exception.
So, that’s about it. I have a range of cameras, each of which serves a particular purpose, and none of which I’m in any hurry to replace… well, not until the next case of GAS takes hold ;)