I’ve just upgraded my camera gear in preparation for “the next big chapter in life” I’ve been rabbiting-on about.
As I mentioned earlier, I sold my house this month and, while I expect to buy another in Australia closer to the beach, I plan to live overseas for three to six months a year to write a new series of travel books of photographs and short stories on the countries I visit.
So, gone is the medium format camera and the range of lenses I previously used with my 35mm Nikon. My priority now is to travel light (at least lighter) and limit myself to just one camera and three lenses.
Of course, quality remains important (which is why I’ve stuck with the heavy glass) but, given what the new cameras are producing today, I just don’t see the need for my medium format camera any more – particularly as so few people are likely to pick the difference in quality in a book. But it’s mainly because I want to move away from ‘typical tourism photos’ and spend more time getting creative and interpreting my subjects, not just recording them. Beyond the convenience of having less to carry, I’m also keen to cut out the distraction of having another camera tapping me on the shoulder while I’m shooting.
I considered getting out of Nikon altogether and switching to the much-lauded Leica gear but, again, I just couldn’t see the gain in quality (say 5%) being worth the expense and hassle for what I’m planning and where I’m going. And, while I’ve long believed Sony is the future in all things photography, I’m using Nikon’s Z7, so upgrading the three lenses just seemed to be a lesser leap of faith (this assumes the latest firmware upgrade improves the auto-focus on the Z7😉).
So, I’m down to the Nikon Z7 and three, new Z series lenses – the 50mm f1.8, the 14-24mm f.2.8, and the 70-210mm f2.8 (I considered something in-between 24mm and 70mm but I had it in my previous kit and I rarely used it). Added to that, I’ll have a back-up body and my Mavic 2 Pro (drone) – all of which now fits neatly into my carry-on camera bag.
My tripod (Manfrotto’s new carbon 190), and my underwater kit (Sony RX100, with housing n lights ) if I decide to take it, can sit in cargo.
So, that’s me kitted-up and ready to head out on my new adventure in 2022 – camera in hand.
Post script: Àrggghhhh!! A week after I posted this, Nikon launched its Z9 so it looks like my Z7 is about to become my backup camera. Ah, the joys of keeping up-to-date with changes in technology).
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