my gear

I guess I’m like many who take up photography after deciding that their point and shoot camera should be handed down to a family member or resigned to the bits and bobs drawer. But where do you start, with a Bridge, a Mirrorless, a DLSR, a Full frame or even a medium format camera, the choice is mind boggling.

I also guess that many buy a camera and then upgrade or change maker a number of times before settling on a particular manufacturer and model. It’s a major investment, the cost of the body, the glass and the time in getting used to the menu system, the buttons and how to get the best out of it. Once you commit to a system it’s very difficult and expensive to migrate over to another.

And which system is best, and what compromise will you have to make. DSLR’s have been around for years and there’s plenty to pick from. They have a plethora of lenses to call upon, primes, zooms and third party, all claiming to be brilliant. But they’re heavy to carry and take up a lot of room. FF mirrorless are relatively new and there doesn’t seem to be as many lenses available without adapting lenses from another system. Some say Mirrorless maybe the way to go in years to come but they all seem to have some limitations at the moment, I'm not so sure!

So which way to go. I decided to go with the Panasonic Lumix systems, both Micro Four Thirds and their Full Frame S series. You may ask why when there are so many other manufactures out there that make brilliant cameras, and that are very well established. Well I guess it comes down to the fact that when I had my own telecoms business we sold and installed Panasonic telephone systems. They were excellent value for money, very reliable, easy to use. And what’s more, they were easy to setup via the menu systems. I found that this translated over in to their cameras. The menu system is the just the best, logically laid out, easy to understand, very customisable. If the Lumix cameras are anything like their phone systems the only way to stop them working will be to blow them up. I have seen some of their phone system still working away brilliantly after 30 years and showing very signs of use.

I love my G9 and I can carry it with my Leica 100 to 400, 12 to 35 and 35 to 100, a couple of small fast prime lenses, easily in my backpack. This still leaves spare room for sandwiches, a pack-a-mac, water proof leggings, spare batteries, filters, woolly hat, snacks, bird seed and sometimes a tripod. Am I happy with my compromise of the small sensor, well yes. Every now and then I get the thrill of one of those images which makes you say “holy shit that’s brilliant” and I guess that’s what photography is all about.

I also now own a Lumix S1R. I only have a couple of lenses for it at present, the 24 -105 F4 and the 70-200 F4. BUT, wow, does this camera produce some fabulous images or what. I have been absolutely blown away with it. The detail in the images is just extraordinary. The menu system is very similar the G9 which made it doddle to get used to. It feels great in the hand, solid, yes albeit heavier than the G9 but I tend to use it for different genera of photography in which I don’t care about the extra weight. I’m looking forward the next lenses from the L MOUNT ALLIANCE, Well done Panasonic.