Photography

Canon PowerShot A550/560 in 2007 > Canon Rebel T1i in 2009 > Canon 70D in 2014.

Next I really want to try mirrorless!

Gear, gear, gear. Why is this such a common focus of discussion? Just consider that no piece of gear you own is ever as important as the subject at which your lens is pointing.

Inherited Canon EOS Rebel Xti with the 18-55mm kit lens (gifted to a friend)

Inherited Sony a6000 with 16-50mm kit lens and 55-200mm lens

Upgraded Sony to 18-135 lens

Inherited Canon A-1 with 50mm kit lens, Tamron 28mm f/2.5 lens, Tamron 70-210mm

Next up is some 35mm rangefinder

Started out with just a 35 GMaster lens and not that I've seen the quality I don't want anything less.

Nikon D70 > Canon 600D (for work) > canon Powershot G15 > Nikon D7000 > Fujifilm XT20 > Sold everything, didn’t shoot for 6yrs > Canon M100 > Sony A7 > Fujifilm X-E3

I currently only have the Sony A7 and Fujifilm X-E3 with a bunch of lenses. Too much to be honest.

Nikon d5200 + kit + 50mm 1.8 (manual focus) + Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro (awful docrap lens btw)

2 years later -> sony a6400 + kit + 50mm 1.2 (full manual) + sony 55-210.

another 2 years later ->sony a7riii + sigma 28-70 2.8 + sony 70-200 f/4 + sony 50mm 1.8

A year later I sold the 50mm 1.8 and got a sony 85mm 1.8 + TTartisan 50mm 1.4 full manual tilt + samyang/rokinon 14mm 2.8.

Next step will be my largest one, selling the 70-200 f/4 for a 70-200 f/2.8 gm2

​

beside I got a canon 350d with sensor fungus + a faulty kit lens (can't close the aperture) and an amazing pentax 50mm 1.7 converted to canon. Now looking to get rid of the camera and get a IR converted one.

Drugstore 110 film camera, Pentax MX, several digital point and shoots, pentax *ist DL, Pentax K-x, Pentax K-01, Pentax K-3, Pentax K-1ii.

I'm happy with the K-1ii for now, but I imagine that eventually I'll either brand hop for something with better third party lens support or double down and buy a 645Z.

Canon 4000D > Canon 2000D > Canon M50 > Fujifilm X-H2S :')

D60 - Ricoh GR - SONY A7ii - Sony A7RIV

Nikon D70 -> Nikon D90 -> Nikon D750 -> Nikon Z6II / Nikon Z50 / iPhone 15 Pro

Sigma 35mm, 14mm, 70-200mm, 85mm

Nikkor 24-70, 70-200, 35mm, 50mm

I used to carry my full frame SLR with f2.8 lens everywhere but now when I'm traveling I just go with the lighter Z50/24-70 combo.

Canon 350D > Canon 7D > Canon 5D > Canon 5D mk II > Fuji X100F > Fuji X-Pro 3 > Fuji GFX 50S II

Trying to remember how it all began, but here goes...

Maybe the little spark that ignited all this was an old Sony DSC P100. At that time, it was neat, nothing fancy. But a friend from university had that camera for a while but as he told me, it started to "be a little smallish". It was good but not enough. So he was trying to sell it and asked me if I wanted it, for a nice price, 2nd hand, good condition, as a friend, so it was a bargain. Can't remember how much, it was around 2003 or something.

After the P100, I also had his problem. I started to like photography and got my hands on a new Sony DSC H20. Better, bigger. Still no interchangeable lenses, but I ordered the official ring adapter to use a lens converter on top as well as 58 mm filters.

Meanwhile I went through some finantial issues and had to sell this H20. I think the P100 was also sold with it.

In 2010 I bought the Sony A500, new. Now with this camera, I started to shoot weddings. No joke. I've shot a few weddings with this old crop camera. People liked the photos. Period. Moving on to the next. Need to say I also bought a few lenses after this camera: it included the stock 18-55 and I also got the 75-300, then the 50 mm 1.8 prime, all brand new.

Later, I found the cheapest Sigma 10-20 lens for sale. For the minolta mount. My cameras' mount. I just had to buy it for 150€. It's in great condition, auto-focus works (not 100%, but still ok).

A few years after, in 2017, I bought the Sony A77II. Yes, you get the point. I love Sonys. This was one of my biggest upgrades, altough it was also crop size, I knew I could use the same batteries and lenses I already had, so it was an excelent deal. I bought the body only at a huge special campaign and I paid around 800€ for it. New.

Recently I have been shooting and working on a bit on video too, so I looked around in the used market for a small camera that allowed me to expand somehow. I came across a used Sony RX100 IV, and this little toy packs a lot of power. Yes, it is not a video camera, but I figured it was a good opportunity to have a nice little camera, since my other 2 cameras are bulky, both with grips. I bought the RX100 with 3 batteries and good it was this way, the lightweight little batteries last almost nothing. And the charger has slot for 1 only. Still, it gives great selfies with the 180º tilting screen, goes by as a "point and shoot" so I don't get bothered in places where I am not supposed to have a photoshoot or something, and it creates raw files, allows for absolute creative control like the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, you name it. As a true DSLR. Just pocket-size. And it records 4K video. It had a small price tag, but I guess it was due to the unawareness of the previous owner...

After a few years of using, my A77II started to wear off. A LOT. Rubbers falling apart, the lcd screen stopped working, and today it counts around 170.000 clicks. Its my war-camera. So I wanted to treat it nicely with a new lcd. I bought a new one, but it didn't solve the problem. I bought a new flat cable. Nothing. I was about to buy the motherboard and install it myself, when I see some guy selling an almost new Sony A7. First generation. Cheap due to having a small scratch on the bottom, near the tripod thread, but nothing else that could affect the quality overall. So I bought it and in the following weeks, I got lenses for it, the 28-70 and the 50 mm 1.8. Again, another big upgrade, this time to the full frame thing.

Now back to my main objective of shooting and......... and......... Guess what I find again in the markeplace? A Sony MC50. It was such a perfect camera for my needs: working 100% without issues, with cables, microphone and cheap. I got another member for my family.

Now I don't have any more camera or lens to add. I'm done.

Jokes aside, I'm looking for a telephoto lens now for the A7. My problem is their price. Everything I find has an insane price, and I don't earn enough to buy gear every month. Thats why I bought so much used cameras, altough I prefer to buy them new due to warranty issues.

Other parts I've got meanwhile:

An LCD screen to attach to the MC50 when recording. My tripod reaches 2 m in height, so I need an extra screen to double check the footage and make sure everything is in focus.

A 500 mm Vivitar lens with Pentax mount. Lucky I already had a converter because I bought it a few years back when my uncle gave me his old Pentax with 2 lenses.

Trigger / timer and remote for the A7. All in one.

The K&F Tripod.

Also looking for a huge bag I can use to fit a bit of almost everything and have in my car's trunk. 3 bags / backpacks are starting to get smaller for all this...

• My dad's Pentax MZ-7
• His Canon 400D with kit lenses
• Canon 1100D + nifty fifty
• Canon 60D + Sigma 30mm F/1.4 + EF 85 mm F/1.8
• 100mm f2.8 L + Yonguo macro flash
• Canon 6D + Sigma 50mm F/1.4 L
• 70-200mm F/4 L IS
• Canon R6
• EF 16-35mm F/4 IS

A range of flashes and a tripod or two since the beginning. This has been my path since 2011.

D200, D300S, D3400, D7200, D700, D810

Still have the D7200 and D810. Really want another D700 and maybe a D610

Film SLR over 30 years ago with 3 prime lens to cover wide, normal and tele views.. Zoom lenses really weren't a thing.

Multiple point and shoots over next 30 years so Mrs could use.

Nikon D3200 about 7 years ago, then D5500 2 years later and finally Z6 two years ago. DX 80-300mm f5.6-6.3, 35mm f1.8 and 24-120mm f/4 lenses.

Kodak Box Brownie, shall I go on? It's a long story. 👴 I actually still have it and it's loaded and ready to go. It doesn't come out often, but still works fine.

Drugstore 110 Fujifilm 35mm point and click Minolta Maxxum 5 with kit lenses Iphone 3gS Iphone 4s Sony α6000 adapting manual Minolta lenses -acquired Minolta MC 100-500/8 for birds Minolta Sr-T bodies and more Minolta collecting Sony α6000 adapting Minolta AF lenses -Minolta 100-400 APO -Tamron SP 150-600 for more bird reach Sony α7Rii with Minolta AF lenses -got the Minolta 600/4 HS Minolta Maxxum 9 35mm Minolta Maxxum 7 35mm

These days I primarily use those last 3 bodies with the Minolta 600/4, Tamron 150-600, and Minolta 80-200/2.8, all for birds.

I pull out an old manual Minolta 35mm with shorter focal length lenses from time to time for different occasions.

Panasonic GM1 , 15mm f1.7 , 20mm f1.7ii , GX7 , 25mm f1.4 , 42.5mm f1.7 , GX9 , 35-100mm f2.8

Also got a Sony RX100iv for pocket sized travel stuff

Sony a330 -> Sony a6000 -> Fuji X-T4

I've got a lot of cameras not listed below, but this represents what my general path of progression has been.

• Nikon F
• Nikon FM2
• Hasselblad 500 c/m
• Lumix TS1
• Cell phone
• Nikon D3100
• Nikon D7200
• Nikon D850

At this point, I'd felt like I'd reached the pinnacle of whatever I'd need from a dedicated camera with the D850. Everything purchased after this point was for fun/hobby photography.

• Sony RX100 VII (wanted to try out a compact daily carry)
• Sony a6000 (wanted to try a mirrorles interchangeable)
• Sold Sony RX100 VII and a6000
• Fujifilm X-T4 (teplaced the 2 Sonys)
• Leica Q
• Leica M240

Canon Rebel T7 w/ 18-55 & 75-300 kit lenses. Had that for about a year.

Canon M50 MkII, w/ the kit lens … 15-45 I think. Replaced the kit lens with an EOS M to EF adapter, and an EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, almost immediately. This was my “daily carry” for about a year or more.

And finally; in July, I came by the means to acquire my holy grail rig:

Canon R5, and RF 85mm f/1.2L.

Now I’m working on my portrait studios “gear path”. Lol

Pentax. Various Pentax crop bodies. > pentax full frame > micro 4/3 e-pl7 sold all Pentax > E-M1 mark II > III > OM system OM-1 & OM-5.

Fuji 50mp GFX of some sort of model with a focal length closest to a 50-60mm on a 35mm sensor. Adapt it for either a Sony G Master lens or a 85mm 1.4 Zeiss Otus. Also, currently upgrading my 8x10 camera with a 12" (307mm) f/4 lens for daguerrotype photography. Wish me luck.

Pentax Spotmatic in ~1968, Yashika Mat 124, an autofocus Pentax 35mm SLR, Nikon D70, D200, D700, D800, Z7.

When I had the Nikon D70, I started playing with film again on the side. An uncle had given me a 1947 Crown Graphic 4x5 press camera in the 1960's and I played around with it a bit but could only do contact prints. Once I had a scanner, I could then scan the negatives and continue in Photoshop. I then got a Mamiya RZ67 Pro 2 with 3 lenses and eventually got a Shen Hao 4 x 5

Nikon D50

Nikon D300 x 2

Nikon D800 x 2

Nikon D750 x 2

Sony a7III

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T3

Fujifilm X-T5

Sony a7IV x 2

These are all instances of trading one body/pair of bodies for the next. I did also get a Ricoh GR IIIx in 2021 that I’ve kept since. I also don’t know how many film cameras I’ve had along the way, but it was a bunch (Nikkormat, Nikon F4, Nikon F5, Olympus XA, Leica M2, Nikon 28Ti, Olympus PEN EE half-frame, a bunch of lesser-known 35mm SLRs, Rolleiflex 3.5 and Yashica 120/medium-format, etc.) I’ve since sold them all.

1. Zenit TTL + Helios 44M
2. Zenit 122 + 44M-7
3. Canon EOS 3000N with kit zoom
4. Pentax K-x with kit zoom
5. Pentax K-30
6. Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8
7. Zorki 3M + Jupiter-8
8. Canon 7 + 50mm f/1.4
9. Leica M4-2 + Ultron 35mm f/2
10. Sony a7C + Sigma 35mm f/2
11. Leica MP + Summicron 50mm V4

There were and are others along the way, but less significant.

I’ll just do my digital path.

Bodies: Original Digital Rebel. 10D, 20D, T2i, 7D, Original M, 7D2, 1Dx, 5D4, 1Dx2, 1Dx3, R6 (1 for video, 1 for regular shooting), R3. Just added an R7 for surf school. Currently still have all my 1Dx version as well as my 7D2, and R bodies. Use all the R bodies nearly daily. Use the 1D models for remotes. The 7D2 I lend out to those wanting to learn, usually students.

In all of that I tried M43 in the Olympus OMD system but didnt stick with it. Had a Nikon or 2 in there as well. Also have a Fuji floating around.

Olympus EM10 II > Olympus EM1 > Olympus EM1 II > Olympus Pen F > Fujifilm X100V > Fujifilm GFX50R > Ricoh GR III/IIIX

Leica Q Typ 116

Leica Q-P
Leica M10P

Now just have the Leica Q-P and M10P, and the Ricoh cameras.

And the EM1 and EM1 II is in the clinic as a work camera.

somy rx100 some nikon dslr kit that didn't preview exposure canon 760d, ended up with 10-18, 16-55 f2.8, and digma 18-35 f.8 beast of a kit. xt1 with kit lens, 35m f2, 27mm f2, xt2, xt30, 56mm f1.2, 35mm f1.4, 23mm f2, 50mm f2, xt4, sold 2 weeks later, was massive and found out xt5 coming. xt5, 23mm f1.2, sigma 18-50 wanted the x100v but couldn't, so got x100s, x20, all sold

current: a7iii, 50mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8 tamron 70-180 xpro2, 27mm wr, 18mm f1.8 < most used, still have 23mm f2, 50mm f2, 56mm f1.2, sigma 18-50

ordered a7cii last night and looking to buy tamron 28-75mm mk1

Canon 500d, Panasonic GH4, Panasonic S5iix. I won’t go into the rest of my gear but basically half my flat is taken up with equipment now. Luckily work pay for it all BUT I’d be left with nothing if I left my job. I have very little of my own gear.

Nikon D60 -> Nikon D90 -> Samsung GX10 -> Pentax K70 -> Sony A7R4

​

I had kit lenses up until the Pentax K70 where i branched out abit and with the Sony A7R4 I decided to invest in some nice glass.

Sony 16-35GM
Sony 24-70GM
Sony 70-200GM
Sony 200-600G
Sigma 50mm

I started with a nikon F3, can't remember the lens.

A whole bunch of things in happened in between

Today I own probably 20 top quality lenses for F mount and 3-4 bodies. like 4-5 of strobes, about 5 speedlights, like 20 light modifiers, a bunch of lighstands & tripods, accesories, backgrounds, knick knacks, props, model clothing & lingerie, bags, led panels, a big neon sign, a smoke machine, two large boxes of homemade light fixtures, a large box of makeup, jewelry and hair styling accesories (i'm a bald guy).

So, think carefully if this is the path you really wanna go down. Drugs may be cheaper.