My photography gear

April 16, 2015

The second most popular question following the “Why you shoot film?” is “What gear you own and use?”

So this is the list of all the gear I own and use!

Bronica GS-1

with Zenzanon PG 100mm f/3.5 and Zenzanon PG 65mm f/4
Bronica GS-1 - Zenzanon PG 100mm f:3.5 and Zenzanon PG 65mm f:4

this is my main camera, the one that I carry with me when I go out to photograph, from landscapes to portraits.

I am very happy with the camera as it produces very good results, it has good metering with the AE prism and sharp lenses.

Tip: Focusing improved dramatically when I changed the regular focusing screen with a split-screen. I recommend this upgrade to anyone with a GS-1.

The built quality is also very good, solid with good ergonomics which makes the use of the camera pretty easy.

The Zenzanon PG series of lenses are excellent, sharp across the field even when wide open and can be found in very reasonable prices.

Due to my work style (urban landscapes) I mostly use the PG 65mm and whenever I shoot portraits I use the 100mm one.

The only weakness of the lenses is that they are a bit slow (3.5) and they don’t have “character” in their bokeh.

Many people say that the GS1 is light and compact for a 6x7 SLR but I can’t even imagine how other 6x7 SLRs are, because for me this one feels monstrous

I use mine with AE prism and the speedgrip which clearly adds extra weight and size but improves dramatically the handling and use of the camera.

Conclusion: Bronica GS-1 is the best 6x7 SLR you can get in this price range (600$ with 2 lenses in 2015) You get amazing results if you know how to use it, large negatives, awesome lenses, many accessories and the ability to select between different formats (6X6, 645).

Contax G1

with Contax G Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 Biogon Contax G1 - Contax G Zeiss 28mm f:2.8 Biogon

This is a new arrival to fill the gap of a small, quality 35mm camera that I will carry with me as a backup to the medium format.

I used to have an Olumpus XA2 for this job but its constraints led me to search for a better one.

I found the Contax G1 in a bargain and bought it, I don’t need to say much about the Contax G system, it is one of the best 35mm systems you can find out there. Ken Rockwell Review

The only “problem” is that eventually it is not going to be a replacement of the Olympus XA2. Its bigger, heavier and feels more fragile. I carry the XA2 everywhere inside my everyday backpack, something you can’t do with the precious Contax.

Where I use the Contax:

Backup to the Bronica GS-1 in my photography roadtrips
Main camera in my urban wanderings
Loaded with black and white film for my black and white projects :)

Olympus OM2n

with Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/3.5 Olympus OM2n - Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f:3.5

This is a very good camera but I have never used it. Bought it around the same time I bought the Olympus XA2 and maybe thats a good excuse for not using it.

The camera is very small, has a solid build and a fantastic viewfinder. I can not say much about it because I have shot only 3 or 4 films with this one.

Someone could say that with the entry of the Contax G1 this camera became obsolete, but I don’t think so, the Contax is an AF rangefinder with expensive lenses and accessories when the OM2n is a classic manual focus SLR with a huge selection of good and affordable lenses.

I don’t know if I will ever shoot actively with it but I will not sell it for the following 3 reasons:

It is my only 35mm SLR camera
It is not worth a lot of money
It is one of the best looking SLRs

Olympus XA2

This is one of my favorites cameras. Why? Because I have it with me all the time!

XA2 comes in a tiny clamshell body with an awesome, sharp, contrasty little Zuiko 35mm 1:3.5 4-element lens.

It offers automatic exposure and zone focusing. This means that the only thing you can control is the focus zones which are splited in three groups: close (1.2m-1.8m), near (1.2-6.3m) and far (6.3m-infinity).

This focusing system is one of the biggest disadvantages in my opinion, I have many out of focus images and with their mediocre quality these images are unusable.

Overall this is my favorite take-everywhere film camera and responsible for this great set: Roadtrip Snapshots

Olympus OMD EM-5

with M.Zuiko 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 ED and Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Olympus OMD EM-5 - LUMIX G 20mm f:1.7 and M.Zuiko 12-50mm

It’s 2015, you can’t live in this year and not have a good digital camera. There are moments where the advantages of a digital camera make it indispensable.

The right tool for the right job.

Trips with friends, events and concerts are some occasions where I bring the OMD with me. This amazingly build little camera produces very good images and has these 4 fantastic features that I love:

Small size (with the 20mm Panasonic fits in your jacket pocket)
Weather sealing (many new opportunities emerge)
5-axis image stabilization
- Helps shoot in low light (1/4 sec its an easy shoot)
- You can easily mount and play with older lenses
Fast autofocus with most Micro Four Thirds lenses

Bonus point: It’s beautiful! :)

I will upgrade this camera when I found the same package with better ISO performance and maybe a full frame sensor.