WHEN
Sunday Afternoon - Sunny
WHERE
Warwick town centre, UK
HOW
Panasonic GH3 7-14 Wide-angle zoom
Somewhat different to my previous days excursions with the speed booster and Nikon lenses. Is it me or is this one brand photography a recent phenomenon? At least with film, unless I was using a Fuji or Kodak camera at least I had something different. Plus of course I do have other cameras and lenses sitting on the shelf.
Reading some forums, I do think that there are a lot of photographers out there who are locked into one brand, and may always remain so. Somebody commented on Google+ that this may be because beginners look around for what they perceive to be the best and then go with the brand they think will serve them well and then stick with it through thick and thin. Plus pick Canon or Nikon and you have a lot of like minded support.
However am I alone in thinking that this is intrinsically boring and not very stimulating? There wasn't anything wrong with the gear I used yesterday. The wild and whacky world of the Panasonic 7-14mm is something I enjoy from time to time. Particularly when I forget about getting things straight and just let it 'do its thing.' I did think however when I was out that I wished I'd brought the speed booster and my Nikons so I could 'fiddle about' with manual focus. For some reason I like the idea of Nikon lenses on a Panasonic camera. I also like the idea of using them via a strange but wonderful contraption that alters their focal length and lets me shoot with crazy small depth-of-field. Not that I do that much, but I could if I wanted to.
I like to experiment, I like using different combinations and I seem to have a real problem using the same camera / lens combination all the time (or indeed on more than one occasion!!.) Photographers seem to split between those who like the familiarity of what they have always used and those who like to challenge themselves by constantly using different gear. It seems I fall into the latter catergory. I wrote before that how much I like a photographer has nothing to do with whether they use one outfit repeatedly or are constantly chopping and changing. I see no particular virtue in either. I do sometimes think about where I'm going and what would be the best to use, but often, because of the weather I end up somewhere different anyway. Certainly yesterdays outfit would cover most locations I visit. Focal lengths from 7-140mm on m4/3 is a pretty wide set of choices. I did however end up using the 7-14mm most of the time and only used the 14-140mm because I thought I should since I had carried it around all afternoon.
Sometimes all this constantly changing ends up being very financially inefficient. I've just sold my Nikon 85mm f/1.8G lens, exactly for what reason I can't quite remember, but I did have a plan at the time. However I now realise that its exactly what I want for my speed booster adventures with my Panasonics and if and when I get hold of a Nikon > Fuji X booster, for my X-E1. I have of course had to order another one. And so it goes. The GH3 I have is my second and the 7-14mm is I'm sure my fourth. And astonishingly enough I'm far from alone in this. I remember Mike Kobal on his blog, writing about selling his X-Pro 1 for something he didn't like about it and then buying another one the next day. I recently sold huge chunks of my Nikon 1 outfit on ebay to someone who had lots of that gear, sold it, missed it and then rebought it via my outfit.
It would be great if I could afford (or had the space) to keep everything I've ever bought, but I can't, so I guess this is the way its going to be. So it seems I'm pretty much commited to be uncommited.
And today is definitely going to be a Speed Booster day!!
Sunday Afternoon - Sunny
WHERE
Warwick town centre, UK
HOW
Panasonic GH3 7-14 Wide-angle zoom
Yesterday I was a fully paid up member of the Panasonic fanboy supporters club, using the above outfit. I even discovered when I got home that I had a Panasonic SD card in the camera!!
Reading some forums, I do think that there are a lot of photographers out there who are locked into one brand, and may always remain so. Somebody commented on Google+ that this may be because beginners look around for what they perceive to be the best and then go with the brand they think will serve them well and then stick with it through thick and thin. Plus pick Canon or Nikon and you have a lot of like minded support.
However am I alone in thinking that this is intrinsically boring and not very stimulating? There wasn't anything wrong with the gear I used yesterday. The wild and whacky world of the Panasonic 7-14mm is something I enjoy from time to time. Particularly when I forget about getting things straight and just let it 'do its thing.' I did think however when I was out that I wished I'd brought the speed booster and my Nikons so I could 'fiddle about' with manual focus. For some reason I like the idea of Nikon lenses on a Panasonic camera. I also like the idea of using them via a strange but wonderful contraption that alters their focal length and lets me shoot with crazy small depth-of-field. Not that I do that much, but I could if I wanted to.
I like to experiment, I like using different combinations and I seem to have a real problem using the same camera / lens combination all the time (or indeed on more than one occasion!!.) Photographers seem to split between those who like the familiarity of what they have always used and those who like to challenge themselves by constantly using different gear. It seems I fall into the latter catergory. I wrote before that how much I like a photographer has nothing to do with whether they use one outfit repeatedly or are constantly chopping and changing. I see no particular virtue in either. I do sometimes think about where I'm going and what would be the best to use, but often, because of the weather I end up somewhere different anyway. Certainly yesterdays outfit would cover most locations I visit. Focal lengths from 7-140mm on m4/3 is a pretty wide set of choices. I did however end up using the 7-14mm most of the time and only used the 14-140mm because I thought I should since I had carried it around all afternoon.
Sometimes all this constantly changing ends up being very financially inefficient. I've just sold my Nikon 85mm f/1.8G lens, exactly for what reason I can't quite remember, but I did have a plan at the time. However I now realise that its exactly what I want for my speed booster adventures with my Panasonics and if and when I get hold of a Nikon > Fuji X booster, for my X-E1. I have of course had to order another one. And so it goes. The GH3 I have is my second and the 7-14mm is I'm sure my fourth. And astonishingly enough I'm far from alone in this. I remember Mike Kobal on his blog, writing about selling his X-Pro 1 for something he didn't like about it and then buying another one the next day. I recently sold huge chunks of my Nikon 1 outfit on ebay to someone who had lots of that gear, sold it, missed it and then rebought it via my outfit.
It would be great if I could afford (or had the space) to keep everything I've ever bought, but I can't, so I guess this is the way its going to be. So it seems I'm pretty much commited to be uncommited.
And today is definitely going to be a Speed Booster day!!
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