3 Pieces of Photography Gear I Dream of Owning Right Now!
As someone who travels a lot, it’s important I’m as light as possible when moving from one destination to another. Over the years, I’ve aimed to get my gear down to a minimum, and right now, I have one camera body and one prime lens. But being a person who loves photography and the gear used to make it, I find myself craving more. With that, below is the current gear I find myself lusting after and wanting to buy.
Quick Disclaimer About Photography Gear
Avid readers of the site will know I’m a Fujifilm shooter. As is our EIC Chris Gampat, and our reviews team, Hillary Grigonis and Brittnay Smith. Some readers think we’re a constant advertisement for Fujifilm. We’re not. We just love their cameras, and there’s a good reason for that. However, this piece won’t just cover Fujifilm products. Naturally, some Fujifilm kit will be included, but I also lust after others brands, depending on what type of mood I’m in. Also, there will be links to each product below, if you fancy purchasing something. Full transparency, The Phoblographer does receive a small portion of any sales made via the site, and it helps us keep our lights on and bring you the content you like to read. So, sit back, enjoy the show, and see what photography gear I currently love.
Photography Gear: Nikon Zfc
As someone who started out shooting Nikon, I have a huge soft spot for the brand. I used the Nikon D610, but I would often lust after the Nikon DF; it was an old-school vibe with modern-day functionality. I missed that boat and switched to a Fujifilm X-T10 instead. However, since Nikon has played catch up with modern society and entered the mirrorless market, I was waiting for the company to deliver a system that piques my interest. It finally has. The Nikon Zfc may not be the highest spec camera on the market, and it may not deliver the best quality, but it’s a good system and beautifully built. Carrying that around all day would be a breeze.
Photography Gear: Fujifilm 16-80mm f4
I was always of the mantra that candid photographers, whether they be travel or street, should use prime lenses. I still sway towards that ethos. But while my Fujifilm XF 35mm f2 works great (read our full review), there are certain situations I was I had more reach, like if I wanted to capture wildlife, for example. And while I appreciate the Fujifilm 16-80mm f4 (read our full review) isn’t a telephoto lens, its size and weight on a crop sensor body give me enough to create images I can’t with my prime. It’s a well-made lens and has weather sealing, so it ticks many boxes.
Photography Gear: Sony a7 IV
I’ve never really warmed to Sony’s cameras. There’s no denying they offer innovation and have fantastic performance and image quality, but something about them never clicked with me. And it’s important to have some form of a physical and emotional connection to a camera. It’s something we spoke about on Inside The Photographer’s Mind. However, with the Sony a7 IV (read our full review), something clicked. I’m unsure if it was the new grip or OLED screen, but whatever it was, I wanted it. It’s also raising the bar for face and animal detection, something, in my opinion, other brands have been able to rival. There’s also the in-camera skin smoothing which is perfect for me as I shoot street portraits (and I also dislike spending too much time editing in post.)
Honorable Mentions
The reality is, there are countless pieces of gear I would purchase if I had a bottomless barrel of benjamins. But I don’t, so I have to reduce my wants down to size. The Nikon Z 50mm f2.8 (read our full review) is a piece of photography gear I’d go after if I shot Nikon. Having used the Nikkor 50mm 1.8g in the past, it would be interesting to see how the lens treats me for day-to-day use. And if one day I had the confidence to shoot film, I’d turn to the Leica M6 TTL (read our full review). It’s a beautiful camera and functions extremely well.
Final Thought
Look, the photos make the photographer, not the gear. But with so many options in today’s market, it’s difficult not to get lured in by what manufacturers have to offer. And while we’re still looking for something truly innovative (could that be the Nikon Z9?), what’s available is still exceptional. How about you? What gear do you currently dream of owning? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading.