Firstly, let me wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year!
For me, 2023 was a busy and eventful year, in a good way but like most we had a few bumps along the way. I want to thank my wife Irene for always being there for me and the support and encouragement she gives me. I also want to thank Vicki Procter for being the great addition to ‘our’ team. Not only a very good ‘TOG’ in her own right but a lovely person and a fond, firm favourite in our home. My grandson Oscar adores her!
I hope that 2023 didn’t throw too many bumps infront of you and that you look forward to moving ahead in whatever way during the coming year.
Mine starts with talks across the UK and then a mixture of them, along with commissioned articles and workshops.
Did ‘Santa’ bring you anything photographically or were you thinking of hitting the sales?
Big purchase or a small piece of kit?
I am sure that many reading this will have acquired or are thinking of adding ‘some’ to their ‘arsenal’?
Personally, I still work with my trusted Fujifilm X pro 2 and the only change I made to my equipment during ‘23 was to remove the heavier XF55-140 f2.8 lens from my bag and replace it with the lighter XF70-300.
I don’t need the f2.8 anymore as I find I can work well without it and have lightened my bag in the process.
For me, it is a win, win situation!
There was a time when I did need the faster lens but I found it was being used less and less so I made the decision to change.
What people buy and carry out to take images with says a lot about them and how they will approach what they are doing. I find it very insightful.
Before I meet someone who is attending a workshop with me, I always ask them for a run down on the equipment they use and to send me twelve of their best landscapes. That gives me a great base and overall view of them, so that I can plan how best to work with them.
I am not one who carries a bulging bag of lenses with me when I go out onto the landscape and there are various reasons for that not least of which is that I don’t own many lenses and never have done!
As I have gotten older though, it is so noticeable that the weight of some glass (no matter how minimal) bears heavier on me, hence the previously mentioned change.
There is no getting away from the fact that time does have this effect and affect on us.
When I first started out in photography, I was lucky enough to work with my dads Twin Lens Reflex camera, (yes I am that old and had hair) and as I moved forward, I used the ‘normal’ day to day cameras, namely the trusty, film SLR’s.
They were not light at all (I was also young!) but I valued their weight as a reassurance that I was holding something of value and merit.
They felt like they were fit for purpose.
I still have several dotted about my office and as soon as you hold one you notice how well built and how heavy they were (are.) As for medium format, the Bronica I have here still feels like you are picking up a couple of bricks!
They served me well for many, many years and then eventually I moved onto digital.
I loved the era of DSLR’s. Do not discount their value. I know they are still around in abundance and I regularly teach people who own them. It brought a whole new way for people to explore with their skills and introduce millions more to this great way to record what we see.
People have attended my workshops and courses and remarked, “after the workshop with you, I have decided that I am going to change my kit and buy a new mirrorless.”
My usual answer is, “well, if it was me I would wait till after we have completed the workshop before making that decision. You will have spent a few days really getting to know your camera and you can look at the photographs you have produced as a testimony to your development? Whilst the mirrorless will be lighter (in the main) your photography will not need you to outlay on a new system just yet. I would look at other ways to move forward before investing in a complete change.”
Their answer is usually the same, “yes I fully understand and agree but I want lighter kit.”
They will attain that to a degree BUT………..it is ironic that the advent of mirrorless cameras has lulled people into thinking that they will substantially reduce the weight of their bag. Whilst the camera body will be smaller and definitely lighter, it is the glass that we use that adds the weight and there remains the ‘problem.’
The lenses
It is a nice problem though!
Of course, most manufacturers do produce lenses of ‘almost’ the same values but with much less weight. There is always a trade off though.
For example: I used a Fujifilm XF 16-55 f2.8 for many years and it is a beautiful lens. No question.
It is fast but the downside, for me ? It is heavy.
That is my only negative as the image quality is superb and I know there will be those reading this who will love to have that lens and use it. I did and would never discourage, just advise. I am sure that this conversation will apply to all the people who own the different brands out there.
Ultimately, the change was my choice.
I sympathise and empathise with them because I used Canon kit for many many years (it was fabulous and still is) and my reason for changing was purely based upon kit weight and health, namely my back.
When I moved to Fujifilm kit sometime around 2012, I bought an XPro1 and the lens I chose as my kit lens was the XF 18-55, f2.8-4 lens that is much, much lighter than its bigger brother. Built to (almost the same) standards it sacrifices speed. That is the only compromise.
If you don’t need it….
Personally, I find that I do not need an f2.8 lens for landscapes.
Even when I shoot intimate landscapes I find that f3.5 does a great job for me.
In my commercial capacity as a photographer, I initially used the f2.8 for specialist work, functions and weddings but found that as the ISO was so good, I hardly ever used it wide open. I then started using my much smaller lens, allowing me to still produce quality images. If the speed isn’t vital to you then you will substantially lighten the load.
Of course all of that is my choice and like anything we learn and adapt.
I find that nearly all the people I meet and work with mention the weight of their bag as an issue to them and they find that trolling up and down dale takes its toll. If you are out for a full day, your spine could be screaming by the end of it.
I know mine does….Bags are another great way to upgrade but their choice is so personal that you really need to have one on your back with a normal load of your kit before taking the plunge.
Bags are so personal, I could never advise. What I would do though is wait a while and go to the Photography Show which is in Birmingham each year and spend time evaluating what is best for you.
I have a few bags for different uses and they all get an airing on the mountain. It depends what I am going to do that day and how much I need, then you add in what I can comfortably carry etc…...
What about tripods?
It is a horse for a course.
Again, like bags they need to be seen and ‘fiddled’ with before you purchase and do take your camera with you to try it. I like the ball head configuration but I see a lot who use the geared heads and they work just as effectively with them.
Try before you buy!
I use a Gitzo Carbon Mountaineer with an Acratech ball head and it is simply the best I have ever used.
Downside? It is costly but very well made and robust doing the job for me day in day out but it is my living and I need something substantial. By the way, don’t let the word ‘carbon’ fool you as it can still weigh heavily.
Look after that spine of yours! I plan my days every carefully now and know my limitations with distance.
You need a good balance between the camera and the tripod and even good makes are just as likely to be susceptible to problems, especially in the wind. I have witnessed good tripods blow over easily in the stiff breeze and drop the camera straight into the ‘wet stuff’ or crashing down onto the rocks causing heartache and time with insurance companies. I am not preaching but that you should seriously consider ensuring that your kit is either covered by industry specific insurance or on your house insurance.
You have invested a lot of money into it, so protect it.
I am not immune to accidents and I have had to claim over the years. It happens and keeping receipts etc has proved beneficial!
My usual advice regarding a kit upgrade is to add to what you already have rather than a whole sale replacement. That is very rarely needed, a very big decision and at a cost that would be considerable!
As you can now see, it isn’t just a case of ‘what to buy’ as there are many factors that will influence your choice. If you are young, fit and healthy you would more than likely happily carry the weight of a fridge around and not bat an eye lid and I understand that.
Eventually though…..
The weight issue is a factor but what about your actual need and objective with your photography? What do you want to achieve?
I normally only use two lenses most of the time, so why burden myself with the added ballast? The question you have to ask and satisfy yourself with is, “what range do I need to cover and what is my objective?”
Sounds an easy decision to make but the reality will be that when you get out there, a scene will present itself where you think, ”I should have brought….” Happens to us all.
The possibilities and opportunities that will present to you are endless, so you will naturally want to be able to cover them adequately.
With that in mind, I have a 10-24 and 18-55 and find that those normally serve all my needs. The recently purchased 70-300 lens is light, not as fast as ‘the beast’ as I called it but fantastic for those shots down the valleys.
It is vital that I can carry all three comfortably and I am now surprised at how often the larger lens comes out of the bag.
So, when and what lens?
If I could simply print a list or a handout of, ‘this is what you use,’ then photography would be ‘by numbers.’ It isn’t, (well it is actually) but you get my drift!
Me? I find that I use my standard XF18-55 and XF10-24 lenses the most.
My ‘bigger’ lens is for ‘cherry picking’ distant crags etc that present themselves to me or using the compression factor of the lens.
Don’t take these as gospel but thats the rule of thumb I use.
Then we factor in the weather and conditions etc…..
Whilst ‘all of the above’ referred to purchasing equipment as an upgrade, I would firstly tell anyone who is looking to upgrade their skills with a camera to understand the basis of the photography they want to do before anything and move on from there. The choices will become a lot clearer as ‘need’ will dictate and you may even save yourself a lot of money in the process
Enjoy your photography and have a cracking 2024!
Regards
Mark