I go through many a season with my gear. Sometimes it's Nikon season; other times, it's Panasonic or Fuji season. But no matter how many times I try to downsize, I always end up back where I started: with too many cameras.
Apparently UK-based street photographer and YouTuber George Holden goes through the same thing. In his latest video, he talks about how, in paring down some of his camera gear, he's ended up with more small cameras than before, resulting in the dilemma of choice.
It got him thinking about how his personal favorite photos aren't his personal favorites because of the camera he shot them with; rather, they are his favorites because of the moments he captured. While his thinking during his purchases was that the new camera would make him a better photographer, that often turned out not to be the case.
I've often struggled with the same thoughts. Yes, there have been some things that have been game-changers: eye-detection autofocus, for instance, or the massive leap in ISO performance modern cameras have taken.
But these days, I'm finding that I'm just as comfortable taking out a low-end Canon EOS R50 for a day of shooting as I am with my EOS R5. They all work and perform pretty much the same. Sometimes, I'll even take out some weird oldie, but goodie cameras like the Panasonic FZ50 or Canon PowerShot G1 just for the nostalgia factor.
I went out the other day with a kit lens, the Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM Lens, and shot this photo, which was more about technique than gear:
I used a B+W MRC Nano Master #810 ND Filter to get the rushing water to look like glass even in the daytime with just a long exposure.
There was something freeing about being able to take a hike without carrying a huge amount of gear and one set of filters for just one lens. I only had the most fleeting of thoughts about my higher-end gear (mainly wishing for a slightly wider lens).
As I look through my Instagram page, I often can't remember what camera or lens took each photo unless I remembered to tag such things in the post.
In any case, Holden's video is a reminder that it's all about the actual act of getting out and shooting rather than sitting behind the computer and hunting for the next sale on photography gear. Take a look at the video above for some of his photos from his small-camera excursions, and if you have your own favorite piece of gear for street photography, share it in the comments below.
Great photography, in my opinion, isn't about the gear but the eye of the person behind the camera. You can take a Kodak Brownie and create great images. Previsualization is seeing the finished work when you push the button. The gear makes it easier and enhances what you see.
My camera setup, today, consist of multiple camerabags, each with one camera and one or sometimes two lenses. Some are a simpel shoulder bag whilst others are backpacks, maybe equipped with a small tripod.
Depended on what I feel like, I grab one bag on the way out the door, and that is my photography equipment for the day. Sometimes I take a single prime with me - sometimes a zoom.
If I have a specific task at hand, I take a bag with more lenses, but I still KISS.
Having multiply brands is nothing but GAS and insecurity in my eyes. It also seems like a hassle.
NB: Having too many cameras is not GAS. It's called options.
I currently have one camera and lens and do need a second camera so I have a backup. I want to experiment with 1:1 square format which my A7III doesn't offer and cropping degrades the quality for printing. I also want at least another lens to give me a second option. I often find my 40mm lens can feel too wide or too narrow, depending on the photo I want to take. As I use a Sony camera, I think the sensible option would be to stick with Sony and share the batteries and lens(es) instead of going with a totally new system, despite wanting to try a Nikon with exposure dials. Personally I don't like having too many options. I feel a simplified, minimal setup works best for me so I don't have to think too much about which camera and lens to use.
I don't think gear is everything at all and I'm probably going to sound unfair in some ways because I do own two Fuji GFX cameras which are absolutely amazing. Now I've worked really hard in my photography journey to buy those cameras and I make the most of them but I have two crop sensor cameras that I still take out and they do produce great images but if I take a great image with my GFX camera it is on another level in terms of detail and dynamic range so it's yes and no, but I don't want to sound like a medium format snob because the ability to create comes to the photographer not the gear, but if you have nice gear that's great too.