I haven't really set up this site to talk about gear, but as I don't really have a photography specific blog and in case it's of interest to you, I've added a few comments and links to some of the gear I use here as well as a few BTS pics.
I started my photography journey many many years ago using 35mm and medium format film cameras including cameras and lenses from Pentax, Minolta, Olympus and Bronica. I've since used various digital compacts over the years but my first DSLR was a Canon and so I've typically stuck with Canon and added various Canon and 3rd party Canon Fit lenses to my kit, as well as mostly switching to Mirrorless like the Canon M6 shown opposite and more recently the fantastic EOS R5. The pictures also show the following:
Peak design anchors
The little red clips that allow easy attachment and removal of a Peak Design Slide Lite camera strap which I know are very popular because the last thing you want is a camera strap blowing in the wind when using your camera on a tripod, especially during long exposures. I also use the Peak Design Capture Clip attached to my rucksack for quick and easy camera access when walking around.
The little red clips that allow easy attachment and removal of a Peak Design Slide Lite camera strap which I know are very popular because the last thing you want is a camera strap blowing in the wind when using your camera on a tripod, especially during long exposures. I also use the Peak Design Capture Clip attached to my rucksack for quick and easy camera access when walking around.
Small fluid head and separate levelling head
I do have and use various ball heads but after adding an Acratech Levelling base to my kit a few years ago I much prefer to use that together with a fluid head. I recently upgraded to a Leofoto fluid head (not shown). Using a levelling head + fluid head is much more reliable and accurate for composition, as well as panos, because once the levelling base is levelled you then only really need vertical and horizontal panning. For wildlife the fluid head also works a bit like a gimbal head.
I do have and use various ball heads but after adding an Acratech Levelling base to my kit a few years ago I much prefer to use that together with a fluid head. I recently upgraded to a Leofoto fluid head (not shown). Using a levelling head + fluid head is much more reliable and accurate for composition, as well as panos, because once the levelling base is levelled you then only really need vertical and horizontal panning. For wildlife the fluid head also works a bit like a gimbal head.
L-bracket
As you might notice I use an L-bracket attached to my cameras and in this photo a bracket specifically for the M6. I don't think I'd ever go back to not using an L-bracket especially as I'm often taking panoramas too!
As you might notice I use an L-bracket attached to my cameras and in this photo a bracket specifically for the M6. I don't think I'd ever go back to not using an L-bracket especially as I'm often taking panoramas too!
Tripods
Like many photographers I've made the "buy cheap = buy many times" mistake with tripods. So although I still have and use some of my earlier tripods, in most cases now I use either a 3 Legged Thing Brian where weight and travel is the priority or a Benro Mach3 38CL for it's reliability and stability whenever I don't need the compactness or weight reduction of the Brian.
Like many photographers I've made the "buy cheap = buy many times" mistake with tripods. So although I still have and use some of my earlier tripods, in most cases now I use either a 3 Legged Thing Brian where weight and travel is the priority or a Benro Mach3 38CL for it's reliability and stability whenever I don't need the compactness or weight reduction of the Brian.
Atlas Athlete Rucksack
Determined not to make quite the same mistake with rucksacks as I did with tripods I jumped straight from a small and cheap Manfrotto rucksack to the Atlas Athlete Rucksack. With the lack of availability in the UK and relatively high total cost with import duties etc, you don't see too many photographers using or talking about these, perhaps with one or two exceptions. However it's a fantastic rucksack and offers so much flexibility that I regard it as money very well spent and certainly don't regret my choice! Of course things change and although I sometimes still use the Atlas Athlete Rucksack I now more often use a Shimoda Action X50 v2.
Determined not to make quite the same mistake with rucksacks as I did with tripods I jumped straight from a small and cheap Manfrotto rucksack to the Atlas Athlete Rucksack. With the lack of availability in the UK and relatively high total cost with import duties etc, you don't see too many photographers using or talking about these, perhaps with one or two exceptions. However it's a fantastic rucksack and offers so much flexibility that I regard it as money very well spent and certainly don't regret my choice! Of course things change and although I sometimes still use the Atlas Athlete Rucksack I now more often use a Shimoda Action X50 v2.
Lenses
At the moment you'll see from the rucksack shot opposite that I use a range of Canon and Sigma lenses as well as Samyang and TTArtisan Fish Eye lenses that I use for 360 panoramas. I also use the Sigma 150mm - 600mm contemporary for wildlife photography but that's not shown here. The lenses in the bag for that trip where I took the shot were:
At the moment you'll see from the rucksack shot opposite that I use a range of Canon and Sigma lenses as well as Samyang and TTArtisan Fish Eye lenses that I use for 360 panoramas. I also use the Sigma 150mm - 600mm contemporary for wildlife photography but that's not shown here. The lenses in the bag for that trip where I took the shot were:
Canon 10-18mm
Sigma 17-70mm
Sigma 18-35mm
Canon 70-300mm
Samyang 8mm Fisheye
In that particular compartment you might also spot a Viltrox focal reducer, a cheap lens blower, an intervalometer and an X-Rite ColorChecker Passport.
Filters
I still have and occasionally use a Filter holder and filters from Formatt Hitech but now almost exclusively use the highly praised pro magnetic filter kit from Kase.
I still have and occasionally use a Filter holder and filters from Formatt Hitech but now almost exclusively use the highly praised pro magnetic filter kit from Kase.
Obviously I own and use lots of other bits of gear and may add to this page over time but for now I’ll leave it at this short summary.
