Adam Perfect

Gear Guide

I’ve been through a lot of camera gear since 2005. These are my views on the stuff I’ve used.

This gear guide is a mix of things: an overview of the camera and photography-related equipment I currently use; a place for me to write about all the gear I’ve used historically and a hub linking to more in-depth reviews of some of said gear.

Cameras & lenses

Cameras

APS-C

Crop-sensor cameras

The workhorse

Fujifilm X-T3

with Vertical Power Booster grip

8,520 frames

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Sep 2018present

The flagship X camera from Fujifilm, the X-T3 is in theory my ‘main’ camera though for a mix of reasons I increasingly only use it on serious full-day photo outings. I'll tend to take the X-Pro2 out more for street-style shooting and now I have the GFX line too, it’s always hard not to want to play with the medium format sensor.

None of which should detract from the X-T3 which is frankly an outstanding camera. If I wasn’t so lazy, I’d take the vertical grip off and the X-T3 body itself is a perfect size for the instances when I tend to reach for the X-Pro2.

It performs better and has a much better EVF (particularly important for glasses-wearers like me)

The street pro

Fujifilm X-Pro2

20,623 frames

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Apr 2017Oct 2022

The other top-end Fuji body, the X-Pro2 is my street camera. The one I’ll more often have in my bag on a daily basis in case I want to take any pictures.

Partly this is due to the rangefinder form factor, partly it’s the button layout (so much easier to quickly review images) and partly it’s that I tend to leave the vertical grip on the X-T3 bringing size into things (lazy, I know—the X-T3 is actually smaller without the grip). It has a slightly older sensor compared to the X-T3 but the difference is minimal in practise.

Honorary-president-for-life camera

Fujifilm Finepix X100

6,223 frames

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Sep 2011present

Mostly retired for some time now, the X100 is the camera with the deepest emotional connection for me. It introduced the Fujifilm X series, but more importantly it re-introduced the joy of photography for me. The classic rangefinder styling and use of physical controls for most of the key exposure settings encourage you to get out of auto and really get to know your camera. After a near miss leaving the camera on the Jubilee line in London and thankfully getting it back a month later, I still take the X100 for the odd outing and still adore the image quality, even at ‘only’ 12MP.

Mini masterpiece

Fujifilm X100F

4,818 frames

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Jul 2019present

The fourth iteration—hence the ‘F’, weirdly; they went roman numeral V for ‘fifth’—of the X100 line. Almost exactly the same body (and actually the same lens) as the original X100, the X100F simply packs all the latest goodness Fujifilm had to offer in early 2017 into an already-near-perfect form.

A focus selection joystick and front dial, plus the combined shutter speed/ISO top dial from the X-Pro2, are the main physical differences from the original.

While resolution doubles from 12 to 24MP, the only real thing stopping me still using the original X100 regularly was performance (both auto-focus and general speed) and the X100F basically solves both. I’m also totally bought-in on the focus joystick with newer Fujis so it’s great to see it here.

The opinionated street pro

Fujifilm X-Pro3 Dura

3,814 frames

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Nov 2020Jun 2021

Oct 2022present

I picked up a second-hand X-Pro3 with the ‘Dura Black’ titanium top and bottom plates, which was a lovely upgrade on the X-Pro2 (slightly bigger viewfinder being key, as a glasses-wearer).

The infamous rear flip screen takes some getting used to, though it does discourage chimping. First impressions were good and I particularly enjoyed pairing it with the Contax G mount Zeiss Biogon 28mm F2.8.

After 6 or so months though, I decided to move a few bits on and the X-Pro3 got sold as the X-Pro2 could also do a great job. 18 months later, the itch came back and I picked up a ‘Dura Silver’ copy which I’ve had since.

Interchangeable X100?

Fujifilm X-E3

1,752 frames

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Aug 2018Mar 2019

Sep 2021present

I first bought the X-E3 in late 2018 with the idea of it being an almost-pocketable, X100-style camera for the lighter days out but with the option of interchangeable lenses. A month or so later though, I picked up both the brand-new X-T3 and a used GFX 50s, both of which overtook the little X-E3 in usage quite quickly. Eventually, I sold the X-E3 back on as it wasn’t seeing enough usage, while the smaller viewfinder was a bit of an issue as a glasses-wearer.

The X-E3 is still a great little camera however: the same 24MP X-trans sensor and processor as its larger siblings, in a much smaller body. And it’s that size (narrower even than the X100F) that recently led me to buy another copy, this time in silver to match my X100F and for more of that retro feel.

40MP APS-C

Fujifilm X-T5

195 frames

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May 2023present

After holding out hope for an X-Pro4 to be released in early 2023, I gave up and bought a silver X-T5. Very early impressions are that the resolution is great—approaching the 50MP I have with the GFX bodies—but the IBIS (in-body image stabilisation) is outstanding.

This is surprisingly the first camera I’ve owned with IBIS and it’s excellent. It will open up way more usage possibilities with some of my slower or longer manual lenses; it might even make the old Soligor 100-300mm hand-holdable, who knows!

Full-frame

Traditional full-frame cameras

A frustrating dalliance with a pure rangefinder

Leica M (Typ 240)

404 frames

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Jul 2018Aug 2018

As with so many other photographers, I eventually had to give the Leica world a try. A visit to Red Dot Cameras got me a lovely black M 240 body and off I went to excitedly try it out on a walk home through the streets of London.

Over the course of a couple of weeks though, the camera frustrated me and I quickly sold it on again. I got a few lovely pictures but wasn’t used to rangefinder focusing and only had one rangefinder-coupled lens, the Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.5.

Ever since though, I’ve occasionally looked back at the few images I took and regretted selling so quickly. The colours and rendition could be lovely and maybe I needed to just persevere a little longer and not expect it to be a camera with a wide range of lenses—I have plenty of other for that!

Another aborted Leica attempt

Leica M10

182 frames

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May 2019May 2019

Nearly a year after trying the M 240, I had another attempt at the Leica M system and picked up a used M10, though it didn’t even last as long as the 240. Leica Ms really need Leica lenses but I still only had the Voigtländer 50/1.5 and quickly got frustrated again.

Worse, the new optional electronic viewfinder was even more awkward to use when using non-rangefinder-coupled lenses and after only a few days I traded the M10 back in for a Fujifilm GFX 50R which has been my main camera since. The M10 is a lovely object but I prefer the handling of the Fujis in almost all other ways. I’m sure I’ll try Leica again one day though.

44x33mm

Digital medium format

Medium format monster

Fujifilm GFX 50S

11,027 frames

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Oct 2018present

The game-changer.

Plenty has been said about the GFX 50S and after managing to pick a second-hand body and two lenses for a great price, I've been loving it. Image quality is beyond excellent and while obviously big and heavy relative to the X-series bodies, it’s actually 100g lighter than my old Canon 5D Mark II body. The 50S is a beast for landscape photography but I’ve also increasingly taken it on short family outings with success.

Everyday monster?

Fujifilm GFX 50R

13,846 frames

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May 2019present

In short: it’s the same sensor and image quality as the GFX 50S in a rangefinder-style body and without the protruding box at the back.

After a very brief second sojourn into Leica territory with the M10, I thought better of it and traded in for the 50R. Initially I found it a little unbalanced, but using the smaller GF lenses (63/2.8, 50/3.5, etc.) or adapted manual lenses work great. For larger lenses, I have an L-bracket that includes an extended grip to help out.

While quite a bit bigger than an M10, the 50R isn’t that much heavier and so it works pretty nicely with adapted manual lenses. The EVF and focus peaking are excellent. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the GFX 50R and it’s my go-to camera of the past couple of years.

Film

6x6, 6x7 and 645 medium format cameras

Vintage 6x6

Zenza Bronica S2

48 frames

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May 2015Jun 2015

May 2019present

The first film camera I bought, a 6x6cm medium format tank (albeit a good-looking tank).

Sadly, after buying the S2 on a work trip to California, I returned to London and had the film developed only to find the focusing screen was out of alignment. I had to return it, but I absolutely loved using the S2 and I’ve just recently bought another one.

My first roll of film through the ‘new’ S2 seems to suggest a light leak however, so I either have particularly bad luck with this camera or I’m doing something wrong. More investigation needed…

Read review

Medium format film SLR

Mamiya 645AFD

48 frames

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Jun 2015Feb 2016

While the Bronica S2 had been a dud, it got me excited about film photography and I quickly looked around for a replacement. Slightly burned by the faulty S2, I wanted more of a sure thing to get stuck into film with and ended up buying the much more modern Mamiya 645AFD

With a familiar SLR layout and auto-exposure, it was certainly an easier camera to use and I did really enjoy the 645. After a while though, I decided the more familiar form factor and aspect ratio—particularly the ease of shooting with auto-exposure and -focus—was lulling me back into shooting like I did with digital cameras.

All on me, but it was time to go square(ish) again…

6x7 film monster

Zenza Bronica GS-1

80 frames

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Feb 2016Jul 2017

Jun 2019present

The Mamiya 645 was a lovely camera, but too close in style to my digital cameras and I ended up just using it the same way, which was a bit of a waste. So I decided to sell it on and go back to a more square format camera with waist-level finder—something more like the Bronica S2 I'd started, and fallen in love, with. Much ebay-searching and review-reading led eventually to the Bronica GS-1, a 6x7 medium format camera that's on the heavy side even for medium format but is a great camera.

I really enjoyed the GS-1 and got some lovely images from it but wasn't getting enough use out of it and eventually decided to sell it to raise funds towards the Mavic Pro. I'll bring back film photography to my repertoire one day though as there's just something special about the process.

Drones

Aerial photography

A new perspective

DJI Mavic Pro

1,362 frames

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Aug 2017present

While most people have jumped on the drone wave for video, I picked up the DJI Mavic Pro a couple of years ago purely for stills photography. Compared to every other camera I've owned in years, the camera specs aren't great but the new perspective you can get from aerial photography totally makes it worth it. I haven’t been able to fly as much as I’d like (I’m mostly in and around London which isn’t the most open airspace) but have still got some great images from the little Mavic.

The raw files start out very flat, much more like a video log file, which gives them tons of leeway for editing but also means you have to work quite hard at getting them back to what you saw in person. Put the effort in though, and even that little 12MP sensor can put out some lovely imagery.

A new perspective, sharper

DJI Mavic 2 Pro

537 frames

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Feb 2019Sep 2022

While I haven’t had as much use out of the original Mavic as I’d like, the results I’ve had from even a few flights have totally made it worthwhile. Using it solely for stills photography though, resolution and dynamic range are definite issues you have to work around and so the Mavic 2 Pro with its larger, 1" sensor and Hasselblad-designed lens was always going to be too tempting.

My early testing shows a definite improvement in image quality and particularly dynamic range, while the extra resolution is very welcome without being exactly generous.

High res. aerial imagery in your pocket?

DJI Mini 3 Pro

150 frames

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Sep 2022present

After so rarely flying my Mavic 2 Pro due to the size and weight that it and its batteries added to my already-heavy backpack on photography outings, when the Mini 3 Pro came along with 48MP raw files, a camera that could rotate 90° like the original Mavic Pro in a tiny, sub-250g package, I eventually decided to make the switch.

With 2022 being something of a washout for my photography, it took me until the start of 2023 before getting out to fly the Mini 3 Pro, but I’m already impressed with the results. Of course the Mavic 2 Pro (and no doubt the Mavic 3 Pro) will have sensor size advantages, but the Mini 3 Pro is small enough that I’m actually likely to take it with me.

Video

Vlogging camera

DJI Osmo Pocket

0 frames

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Aug 2019present

I bought the Osmo Pocket with the idea of attempting a little bit of vlogging on the theme of location scouting, as I work on SceneMapper. I’ve done a few test recordings but had neither the time nor the confidence to actually attempt to create a shareable video yet.

The Osmo Pocket is pretty easy to use at a basic level, as with DJIs drones, although the touch screen interface isn’t the most intuitive and I’ve found myself lost swiping around fruitlessly looking for settings and trying to figure out how to either get the camera to follow me, or to stop.

Lenses

Super-wide

10-21mm full-frame equivalents

Fujifilm

XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS

880 frames

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Feb 2018present

High quality wide zoom lens. Replaced my Samyang 12mm f2, trading a couple of stops of light for auto-focus, focal length range and sharper images.

I haven’t used this lens as much as I’d hoped yet, but I plan to do more!

Samyang

12mm f2 NCS CS

2,086 frames

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Aug 2015Sep 2017

This was a popular early X-mount lens for astro-photography, although I can't say I’ve done much of that. It was a lovely light, manual focus lens to walk round with however, and I used it quite a bit on our honeymoon road trip across Italy.

It was also quite a fun lens for event photography where you can get close, wide shots in low light.

I no longer have the lens however, having switched to using the Fuji 10-24 as I did often struggle to get sharp focus with the Samyang.

Fujifilm

GF 23mm F4 R LM WR

1,222 frames

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May 2019present

Giving a roughly 19mm full-frame equivalent focal length, this super-wide lens for the GFX comes with an outstanding reputation. It’s super sharp, as all GF lenses are, and really can’t be faulted.

With my love for panoramic 65✕24 (X-Pan) or 17✕6 (large format) ratios, this lens becomes a really interesting walk-around lens in those wide aspects too.

Canon

TS-E 24mm f/3.5L

74 frames

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May 2019Aug 2022

Included in the super-wide section as I only got it for my GFX bodies: 19mm equivalent, with tilt-shift!

Bought second-hand as a much cheaper alternative to the native GF23/4, not long after, I lucked out and managed to get the ‘proper’ Fuji lens, so never really used the Canon in anger and ended up selling it largely unused. Test shots in the garden though showed it to have excellent sharpness and the using the shift in each direction would give you a sharp square image around the 64MP mark with stitching.

Wide-angle

21-35mm full-frame equivalents

Fujifilm

XF 16mm F1.4 R WR

3,875 frames

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Jul 2017present

This is a lens I need to use more often. It’s stunningly sharp, with a slightly ridiculous minimum focus distance that means you can have your subject practically within the lens hood for close-up shots. The wide f/1.4 maximum aperture combines to provide a lovely shallow depth of field when needed, or just good light-gathering in dark conditions.

At a full frame equivalent of 24mm, it’s wide rather than super-wide and works as much for street photography as landscape. The overlap with the 16-55/2.8 zoom means I don’t use this as much as I should, but I never regret it when I do mount the lens on one of my X bodies.

Fujifilm

XF 23mm F1.4 R

5,396 frames

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Jul 2015Oct 2017

I regret selling this lens.

With a bright ƒ/1.4 max aperture and 35mm full frame equivalent field of view, when I look back through Lightroom I’ve actually taken some of my favourite photographs with the Fuji 23mm 1.4.

Fujifilm

XF 23mm F2 R WR

755 frames

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Aug 2018present

One of the ‘Fujicron’ family of small ƒ2, weather-resistant lenses. Nice and compact, sharp as pretty much all XF lenses are and a great walk-around lens giving a classic 35mm field of view.

Vivitar

28mm F2 (Komine) Close Focus

294 frames

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May 2019present

I came across recommendations for this lens while looking for a 28-35mm manual prime to go on my X-Pro2 and then found one for a reasonable price on ebay.

The Komine close focus version of this Vivitar lens is the one to buy it seems, and it does indeed seem to be very good. While it obviously covers the X-series sensors just fine, it has shockingly good coverage on the GFX. There’s vignetting wide open, but nothing show-stopping. The bigger issue wide open is the softness, with edges becoming a bit 'glowy' and probably not that usable unless you’re looking for that specific aesthetic. Stopped down just a little though, and things improve a lot.

The Vivitar 28/2 is nice and sharp, focuses down to 23cm and has a pleasing rendition albeit lots of flaring in direct light. Bargain.

Asahi Pentax

Super-Takumar 28mm F3.5

808 frames

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Nov 2017present

A chance purchase at Mr. Cad in London, this is an interesting lens. For around £50–100 you get a very sharp, high-quality vintage wide lens.

Pretty much all the Takumars I’ve tried have produced great quality even on modern digital cameras and the 28/3.5 is no different. Its one down-side is that maximum aperture of ƒ/3.5 which is just a bit slow to make it a lens I want to grab and go.

Obviously I need to get over myself as it’s not really that bad—I’ll happily use other, slower lenses—but it has meant I haven’t used the Super-Takumar 28mm all that much yet.

Fujifilm

GF 32-64mm F4 R LM WR

5,471 frames

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Oct 2018present

Giving roughly a 25-50mm full frame equivalent range, this lens is close enough to the GFX mount’s answer to the standard 24-70mm lenses in the full frame world.

As with all GF lenses, it’s physically big and provides excellent results. I’ve been playing with all sorts of vintage glass on the GFX but this lens has been out with me on the few proper photography days I’ve managed in the past months and it really show what the GFX is capable of.

Zenza Bronica

Zenzanon-PG 65mm F4

70 frames

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Jan 2016Jul 2017

Dec 2020present

This is a lovely wide lens for the GS-1 6x7 system. It was the only lens I had on my first GS-1 and now, having bought another GS-1 body, I’ve just got hold of another copy in fantastic condition.

Looking forward to using it again.

Standard / normal

35-70mm full-frame equivalents

Fujifilm

XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR

13,878 frames

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Jun 2017present

The Fuji APS-C equivalent of the full frame staple 24-70, this lens gives a 24-82.5mm full frame equivalent range. Super sharp, pretty fast, it's a go-to lens on my X-T3. With the crop factor, f/2.8 doesn't give the shallowest depth of field at the wider end, but there are primes for that (like the 16mm 1.4!).

Fujifilm

XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS

2,887 frames

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Nov 2014Jul 2017

The kit lens on most Fuji X-bodies, the 18-55 shows that even the basic lenses in the XF line are excellent pieces of glass.

This lens spent most of its time as the default on my X-T1 until I ‘upgraded’ to the red-badge 16-55 ƒ/2.8. The 16-55 is an awesome lens and has also seen huge use but it’s much larger and heavier and lacks image stabilisation.

While I wouldn’t want to give up the 16-55, I’m tempted to pick up a second-hand 18-55 again as a lighter option for more casual shooting.

Fujifilm

XF 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

6,717 frames

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Jul 2015May 2017

The XF 18-135 is a great travel lens thanks to its wide focal range, though it’s consequently neither the sharpest nor fastest lens in the XF line-up.

A full-frame equivalent focal range of 27-203mm though makes it a very versatile lens and while I still owned it, I was also lucky to be travelling a fair amount and it became almost the default lens on my main camera for a while.

Fujifilm

XF 27mm F2.8

1,637 frames

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Aug 2015Apr 2017

Aug 2018present

The Fuji 27mm 2.8 pancake lens is an oft-overlooked lens in Fujifilms lineup that’s actually rather good.

Back when I had the X-T10, paired with this lens I had just about a Fuji X100-equivalent camera (slightly longer focal length) that was actually smaller than my X100. It’s the combo that prevented me ever feeling a great urge to upgrade my X100.

The lens is obviously very small and, at ƒ/2.8, it’s not super fast but is a great walk-around lens. I used it quite a bit on my honeymoon and although I later traded it in when buying the X-Pro2, I recently picked up another second-hand copy for lightweight shooting days.

Sainsonic

Kamlan 28mm F1.4 (X-mount)

625 frames

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Aug 2018present

A cheap manual-focus fast prime that won’t give you perfect image quality but does have ‘character’ and is pretty sharp stopped down.

Wide open, you can get some nice results and I’ve found it’s a nice alternative lens to the main Fuji glass for a different character now and then. It suits black & white street photography pretty well and for its price is a really fun (not-so-) little lens.

Read review

Zeiss

Biogon 28/2.8 Contax G

726 frames

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Dec 2020present

While I acquired this lens as part of a Contax G1 set, mainly to get hold of the much-lauded 45/2 Planar, it’s this 28/2.8 Biogon that has become one of my favourites. When used on the Fuji X-mount cameras, its focal length is more equivalent to the 45 as it would be natively on full frame, and it works really nicely as a walk-around lens.

Sharpness seems good and it sits really nicely on the X-Pro3, both in terms of balance and looks. It even sits nicely on the much smaller X-E3 body. Using the Contax lenses adapted means an adapter with built-in focus ring, which is far from ideal in terms of ergonomics, but I still really enjoy using this lens.

Fujifilm

XF 35mm F1.4 R

10,268 frames

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Nov 2014present

The classic X-system lens and one of the earliest. It's a near-perfect combination of small size, wide aperture and great image quality giving a roughly 50mm full frame equivalent. The only part of this lens that shows its age is focusing, both auto and manual. The first iteration of the focus-by-wire manual focus ring isn't great (also not terrible though) while autofocus is pretty slow as well. Newer firmwares have improved things a bit however.

Minolta

MC W.Rokkor-HH 35mm F1.8

215 frames

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May 2019present

A recent addition based on Jonas Rask’s Minolta roundup for adapting on the Fuji GFX bodies.

Not used in anger yet, so no opinions for now.

Fujifilm

XF 35mm F2 R WR

1,592 frames

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Aug 2018present

Another ‘Fujicron’, the 35mm ƒ/2 is a compact, weather-resistant prime with very fast autofocus. For image quality I’d still use the 35mm ƒ/1.4 but the ƒ/2 is nice and sharp and great for street shooting with that speedy AF.

Asahi Pentax

Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 35mm F3.5

176 frames

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Apr 2023present

An opportunistic ebay find, I’ve only used this once so far. Early results suggest there’s decent sharpness to be had, though perhaps not always great resolution: I got a few frames that look in-focus but just lack a little detail, while others have really quite good detail.

I’ll need to investigate further; it may be light conditions/direction, or might just be that the infinity stop isn’t quite as reliable on the M42 adapter for my Fuji cameras and I need to be more careful with the focus magnification.

Voigtländer

Nokton 40mm F1.4

1,107 frames

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May 2019present

A very recent addition and so no sample image yet, but I’m loving the handling on my X-Pro2 and it looks great on the camera too. Early signs from some family photos is that image quality is very good.

Canon

EF 40mm F2.8 STM

94 frames

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May 2019present

Having added the GFX 50R to the 50S, I wanted some (physically) smaller lenses to see if it could be something of a street shooting camera. Having ordered the Kipon EF to GFX smart adapter in order to try the Canon 24mm tilt-shift, I saw this 40mm pancake recommended for use on GFX bodies and decided to give it a go.

It does indeed have good sensor coverage and provides about as low a profile as you’re ever going to get with the 50R. Autofocus on the Kipon adapter is a little slow for reactive street shooting but sharpness is good and it’s a fun lens on the 50R.

Zeiss

Planar 45/2 Contax G

1,560 frames

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Dec 2020present

Long on my wanted list, I haven’t had huge opportunities to use this yet but so far so good. It handles pretty well and has a nice sharpness while maintaining some character.

Read review

Sainsonic

Kamlan 50mm F1.1 II

89 frames

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Aug 2018present

Another cheap, fast lens from Sainsonic. The Kamlan 50mm 1.1 has a full-frame equivalent focal length of 75mm (it’s for APS-C cameras) and although I’ve only used it once, much like the Kamlan 28/1.4, it can give some lovely results in the right circumstances. And very shallow depth of field of course.

Asahi Pentax

Super-Takumar 50mm F1.4

434 frames

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Oct 2018present

My copy of this lens has quite severe yellowing from the thorium in the glass, so I’ll give a fairer overview of it when I’ve had a chance to try the IKEA Jansjö lamp de-yellowing trick.

Voigtländer

Nokton 50mm 1.5 LTM

4,192 frames

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Jul 2015present

I absolutely love this lens.

I love how it looks on the X-Pro2, which makes me want to use it. I love the handling, with a nicely dampened focus ring and an aperture ring that has a satisfying metallic click.

Image quality has that non-digital sharpness that lacks no detail but also doesn’t feel too sharp. Fall-off and bokeh is smooth and creamy.

Read review

Leica

Summicron-R 50mm F2

1,383 frames

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May 2019present

Leica Summicron for non-Leica prices. Fantastic on the GFX 50R, with great sensor coverage in most instances.

Fujifilm

GF 50mm F3.5 R LM WR

919 frames

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Dec 2020Jun 2021

I've always slightly regretted missing out on this lens when it was available for pretty much half price a while back… and then I found a brand new copy for pretty much half price.

The image quality is fantastic—super sharp images even for a GF lens—and while calling it a ‘pancake’ is certainly stretching the term quite a bit, the GF50/3.5 is the smallest GF lens around.

What I found though was that I didn’t fall in love with the lens. I certainly got good results from it, but it sat in a slightly awkward place in my collection and I have just sold it on. The GF63/2.8 is also excellent and for an equivalent focal length and smaller form factor I actually enjoy using the Leica Summicron-R 50mm more (even with its strong vignetting).

Asahi Pentax

Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 55mm F1.8

1,227 frames

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Jan 2017present

One of the first vintage lenses I bought—on a trip to the US back in early 2017—and one that set off a love for old Asahi Pentax Takumar lenses.

The thing that always impresses me with this lens is its sharpness. Wide open, it’s significantly less soft than most vintage fast primes, like the 50/1.4.

My copy sadly has a damaged filter thread so I can’t put a lens hood on, but given how cheap this lens is I may just buy another one!

For GFX owners, the lens covers the medium format sensor remarkably well, with very little vignetting.

Canon

FL 58mm F1.2

224 frames

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Oct 2018Oct 2018

I didn’t get on with this lens, but having returned it in short order I do wonder if I’d have changed my mind if I gave it more time.

Encouraged by Jonas Rask’s article on adapting old Minolta Rokkor lenses to the GFX and having seen some decent results already with my Takumar 55/1.8, I came across the Canon 58/1.2 in a shop in London and pulled the trigger despite it being pretty pricey.

After a family day out using the lens on the GFX 50S, I did get some lovely images but also a lot of battling with flaring and the glow that some photographers enjoy for portraits. The glow was the real issue for me, as wide open it made a number of shots unusable and so I returned the lens and switched to the Super-Takumar 50/1.4 instead.

If the lens was cheaper, I’d have held on to it as it certainly is capable of lovely results in the right conditions.

Minolta

MC Rokkor-PG 58mm F1.2

352 frames

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May 2019Jul 2021

Earliest impressions were slightly disappointing—a bit like the Canon 58/1.2, though not as bad. It grew on me and I used it a few times but it never really suited my photography and I sold it on again.

Fujifilm

GF 63mm F2.8 R WR

5,129 frames

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Oct 2018present

Pretty much the standard prime on the GFX cameras, with a 50mm full frame equivalent field of view. Stupid sharp and one of the fastest GF lenses available.

Medium telephoto

70-150mm full-frame equivalents

Fujifilm

XF 50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR

5,337 frames

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Feb 2018Jun 2021

One of the ‘red badge’ Fuji lenses, the 50-140mm matches roughly a 75-210mm full-frame field of view for a standard telephoto zoom range.

My first encounter with the 50-140 was a bit disappointing: I hired the lens and 1.4x teleconverter for a brand photo shoot out on a farm and found that it really struggled to nail focus. My 55-200 was starting to irritate me however, with the telescoping zoom constantly drifting out when carrying and so I jumped when I saw a great deal on the faster 50-140 2.8 on ebay.

It turns out Calumet had just hired out a dodgy copy of the lens, as my bought copy has been outstanding and as I’ve got more into telephoto landscape photography it has been a joy to take with me.

Fujifilm

XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

1,030 frames

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Jul 2017Jan 2018

The medium telephoto I had before switching to the 50-140, I bought it for landscape work where I wouldn’t need the wider aperture and had read people suggest its sharpness rivals if not even beats out the red-badged lens.

It really is a lovely lens: certainly plenty sharp and provides a nice focal range for landscape work. It’s also small enough that you can just about get away with hanging it on a Peak Design Capture clip comfortably, although here is where I had a problem: on the Capture it would be hanging straight down and there's no zoom lock, so the telescoping zoom would slowly extend and leave it a bit vulnerable for my liking.

Fujifilm

XF 56mm F1.2 R APD

1,856 frames

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Aug 2018Jul 2021

I’m not a natural portrait photographer, which is what this lens excels at, but with two young kids it can be put to great use while they’re not moving too quickly (autofocus speed is not a strength).

The 56 1.2 is also a good street lens although with the standard lens hood it is a bit intimidating. The square metal hood for the 23mm 1.4 also fits without introducing vignetting or flare though, and gives it a more discrete outward appearance. I bought the equivalent hood by JJC (the metal hoods are expensive!) which did a lovely job.

Asahi Pentax

Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 85mm F1.8

1,909 frames

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Oct 2018present

Another winner of a Takumar. The image circle covers the GFX sensor really well, with a bit of soft vignetting but basically a whole usable frame. On the GFX, you get a full frame equivalent of a 70mm ƒ/1.4 which is beastly, and on the APS-C X series you have the equivalent of a 130mm ƒ/2.8, also very nice.

I use this mainly on the GFX, although it shines on the X-series too. Sharpness is pretty good wide open (it doesn’t have the soft ‘glow’ so many manual primes have) and excellent when stopped down a little.

Leica

Summicron-R 90mm F2

1,934 frames

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May 2019present

Not enough shooting yet for a proper overview, but early signs are it’s just as good as its sibling, the Summicron-R 50mm ƒ/2.

Zeiss

Sonnar 90/2.8 Contax G

35 frames

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Dec 2020present

The longest focal length of my Contax G trio, the 90/2.8 is a lens I really haven’t used much so far. I can only mount the Contax G lenses on my Fuji X cameras, making the 90mm a 135mm equivalent, which is a bit interesting to hand-hold and manually focus in most circumstances.

I did give myself a mini challenge on a walk to the local lighthouse and back one day though: taking the X-Pro2 and the 3 Contax lenses. I used the 90/2.8 from the lighthouse and back home, with the open coastline providing good range. Image quality is good across the frame so I’ll try to find some more opportunities to use this one.

Minolta

MD Tele Rokkor-X 100mm F2.5

216 frames

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Nov 2018present

I haven’t used this lens anywhere close to enough, especially for how well it works adapted for the Fuji GFX cameras. Sensor coverage is really good and the sharpness is surprisingly good too.

With a full-frame equivalent focal length on the GFX of around 80mm, it’s close enough to a 75mm for that long-end-of-normal primes—a focal length I’ve always enjoyed, especially with lenses like the Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.5 adapted to Fuji X cameras.

Canon

EF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM

353 frames

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May 2019present

The third of three Canon EF lenses I picked up to go with the Kipon adapter, macro lenses are often good for adapting as they tend to be among the sharpest lenses a manufacturer offers.

The EF 100/2.8L definitely holds its own on the GFX with good coverage and very little vignetting (though the lens hood does introduce some). Sharpness seems very good and until I can afford the GF 110/2, this should be a very good portrait option for me along with the Summicron-R 90/2.

I’m also planning to use this lens for ‘scanning’ 120 film with the GFX so will report back on that in due course, compared to the GF macro extension tube.

Fujifilm

GF 100-200mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR

5,316 frames

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Feb 2019present

After trying a few vintage adapted telephoto lenses on the GFX, when this was announced in January 2019 I had to get a pre-order in.

As GF lenses go, it’s very reasonably priced; it sits nicely on the GFX 50S though I probably wouldn’t use it on the 50R without adding a bigger grip. At risk of becoming a broken record with GF lenses, sharpness is insane and image quality is top notch.

I can’t wait to get out for some proper landscape shooting with this once the move north is complete.

Asahi Pentax

Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm F2.8

568 frames

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Nov 2017present

Another excellent Takumar. Sensor coverage for the GFX is fantastic with basically no vignetting and sharp in the corners, especially at ƒ/8-11.

The medium telephoto length and fast aperture marry with good sharpness and lovely image quality. The lens is also pretty small, only slightly longer than the 85/1.8 and much narrower. It's similar in diameter to the Fujicrons and maybe 30-40% longer than the XF 35/2.

Asahi Pentax

SMC Pentax-M 135mm F3.5

507 frames

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Jan 2017present

Pretty decent lens that I hardly ever use sadly. At &fnonf;/3.5 max aperture for a manual focus telephoto like this, you need some pretty good light unless you’re on a tripod and it’s a bit too long for a walk-around lens.

The lens is very capable of good results if handled correctly however. It’s also pretty cheap to buy: available on ebay from around £35-40, so there’s not much danger in trying one out.

Zenza Bronica

Zenzanon-PG 150mm F4

10 frames

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Jun 2019present

I have only shot a roll and a half with this lens so far: a test roll at home which produced good results—albeit just family snaps in the garden—and 5 frames on a roll yet to be finished.

In other words, I can’t say too much about it yet, but it seems sharp.

Telephoto

150mm+ full-frame equivalents

Fujifilm

XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

3,264 frames

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Feb 2019Jun 2021

Another telephoto zoom I rented for an event and wasn't initially bowled over by, but later came round to.

I first used the 100-400 for the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2017 and came away a little ambivalent about it. Image quality was very good, but at ƒ4.5-5.6 max aperture, it’s quite slow and I also just wasn't used to shooting with the equivalent of a 150-600mm beast.

Looking back at the photos I took 18 months later though, the image quality really is actually quite good and like the 50-140, I chanced on a great deal on ebay so took the plunge. I found I just wasn’t using the lens very often at all though, so while the results were always good I decided to sell it on again.

Soligor

100-300mm F5 Macro

57 frames

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Jan 2017present

One of the first three vintage lenses I bought over in the US a couple of years ago (with the Takumar 55/1.8 and Takumar 135/3.5), I bought this lens as a bit of a joke: it’s hugely long, was marked as ‘bargain’ quality by KEH and, therefore, was very cheap.

After an early attempt at using it in the field on the California coast showed it to be very difficult to use and possibly just bad, it sat in a cupboard for nearly 2 years until I got the GFX 50S and decided to give it a try again just because.

It turns out, this is actually quite a good lens (and certainly for its age and the ~$30 I paid for it) if you’re patient and careful with it. You’ll also need a sturdy tripod.

Minolta

MC Tele Rokkor-QF 200mm F3.5

57 frames

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Oct 2018present

As you may spot from the frame count, I’ve only had this lens out once so far. I bought it as an attempt at a cheap telephoto for the GFX 50S until I both could afford a GF lens and a suitable one existed (the GF 100-200 was only announced in January).

Resolution seems very good—plenty of detail pulled out with the GFX sensor—and it’s nice and sharp. Alas, it doesn't come close to covering the full 44x33mm sensor, with hard vignetting knocking a significant portion of the frame out of use, getting worse as you stop down.

It’s not unusable though. In 35mm mode on a GFX you’ll still be getting 31.5MP images and cropping usefully from the full frame you should safely get a 37-38MP image. Depending on your needs and budget, not actually a bad option. I also need to give it a try on the X-series cameras.

Zenza Bronica

Zenzanon-PG 250mm F5.6

0 frames

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Aug 2020present

Recently arrived and yet to be used, but I’m looking forward to trying this longer focal length on the Bronica GS-1.

Lens adapters

Teleconverters, macro tubes and mount adapters

Fujifilm

XF 1.4X TC WR

1,482 frames

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Feb 2018present

The Fujifilm XF 1.4x teleconverter is a great extra tool to have in your bag if you own either of the 50-140 or 100-400 telephoto zoom lenses.

You gain 1.4x magnification on your image (giving you 70-196mm or 140-560mm on the aforementioned zooms) at the cost of a stop of light and a little sharpness.

Carry & support

Carry

Bags

Backpacks, messenger bags and the like

Atlas

Adventure backpack

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May 2019present

The ultimate camera backpack? It gets pretty close.

Excellent storage options, with large dedicated camera ‘core’ as well as plenty of non-camera storage space too. I found it very difficult to set up the straps for comfortable carry, but after much trial-and-error, it’s actually been pretty comfortable to carry, even with heavy gear.

Read review

Lowepro

Flipside 500AW

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Feb 2018present

A great day pack for photo trips, the Lowepro 500AW fits a load of camera gear in the main compartment, has a laptop sleeve should you need it and a reasonably large front pocket for sundry items (as well as a zipped pouch that velcros into the top of the main compartment) but does suffer the usual camera bag problem of having nowhere to stash things like a jacket.

If I don't need to carry a bunch of extra gear though, it’s my go-to backpack for a day of scouting or short photo trips. The smaller 400AW is also great, just slightly, well, smaller.

Lowepro

Flipside 400AW

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Sep 2010Jul 2019

Basically the same as the Lowepro Flipside 500AW, just a little smaller (a more standard backpack size). Still fits plenty of gear, is very comfortable and while it has the ‘camera bag’ look, it’s one of the better designs in the genre.

I gave mine away to a local charity shop as I couldn’t justify both the 400AW and 500AW taking up space in the house alongside all my other bags as they’re too similar, but I’d heartily recommend both.

The bags are tough. The 400AW served as my main camera bag for 8/9 years and when I gave it to the charity shop they still thought I was giving them an as-new item.

Peak Design

Everyday Messenger 15"

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Dec 2015present

Peak Design recently released a whole new design for the Everyday Messenger (EDM) and there had already been a v2 minor iteration, but what I have is the original bag that kicked off PD's push into luggage.

On release, the mag-latch system allowing expandability and FlexFold dividers were key selling points and both are still holding their own in terms of functionality. Mag-latch in particular I love on both this and the Everyday Backpack for providing a lovely balance of ease-of-use, relative security and expandability that looks good rather than involves sloppy (to use a PD-favourite term) compression straps.

Sadly, after nearly 7 years of faithful service, the laptop compartment zip got thoroughly stuck while on holiday to the point I had to cut it open to recover my iPad. Peak Design was great and replaced the bag under warranty no problem, but they no longer produce this original design and so I got the new design 14" version, which has felt like a serious downgrade.

Read review

Peak Design

Everyday Backpack 30L

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Dec 2016present

The follow-up to the Everyday Messenger and still in heavy rotation for my everyday carry, as well as shorter photography outings.

The side access panels and top flap combine for pretty solid access options and—as with the EDM—the attention to details, with pockets designed with specific items in mind (like memory cards and batteries) make it pretty hard to switch to another bag that approaches storage more generically.

Peak Design

Everyday Messenger 14"

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Sep 2022present

My trusty, original Everyday Messenger finally hit a pretty major fault after almost 7 years of use and while Peak Design were excellent in holding up their lifetime warranty, they sadly no longer make the 15" version.

This v2 has been a bit of a disappointment if I’m honest. The bag is noticeably smaller by design and it’s a shame there isn’t a larger option: my personal laptop luckily happens to be a 14" MacBook Pro but my work laptop is the 16" version so now I can’t use this bag for work.

The top/rear access zippers are both gone, so now the only access into the bag is via the satchel flap: removing one of the main selling points and indeed uses of the bag for me. The front pocket is also now within the main compartment, which has actually been fine so far. I get that it creates an overall sleeker profile but it seems at the expense of what made the original bag great. Also a minor irritation: balance. The bag with laptop in will not easily stand up straight when placed on the floor, where I feel the original did a better job.

Straps

Neck, shoulder and wrist straps

Peak Design

Slide Summit Edition – Lassen Red

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Dec 2015present

I’ve had the Peak Design Slide strap for a few years now, having bought it as part of the Kickstarter campaign for the original Everyday Messenger bag.

The Slide is a large neck/shoulder strap made from seatbelt-like material, with big, easy-to-grab, toggles on both side that slide easily to cinch the strap shorter or longer. Just over 4 years in there is a bit of play in the the slide toggles, but not too bad.

Having been using mostly the small Fujifilm X system for the years I’ve had the strap, it hasn’t been my main camera strap (it’s too big and would be overkill) but has served plenty of time on my medium format film cameras, a short time as a handy method of carrying a tripod between scenes—just attach a PD Arca plate to the strap and clip that into the tripod head for carry—and more recently on the medium format Fujifilm GFX 50S, where it matches up perfectly.

Support

Tripods

And monopods

ifootage

Gazelle Uprise TC6

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Feb 2019present

I love this tripod.

iFootage is a manufacturer I’d never heard of until spotting Thomas Heaton using one of their tripods in a video with a built-in levelling bowl, something that’s a massive help for panoramas in particular. A bit of Internet sleuthing later, I found iFootage who have more of a background in video tripods but had just released a pair of lighter, photography tripods: the Gazelle Fastbowl (which Thomas Heaton had) and the Gazelle Uprise, which I ended up ordering as it has a higher maximum height.

The Uprise instantly replaced my pricey Gitzo tripod. It covers all the pluses of the Gitzo but adds the levelling base as an integrated feature. Excellent.

3 legged thing

Albert

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Sep 2019present

Bought in a bit of a hurry ahead of my trip to the Alps on a stag do, the 3 legged thing Albert is a carbon fibre travel tripod that folds up small enough that I can fit it within my Peak Design Everyday Backpack (the EDB side-access and divider system really helped out here!)

That meant I could get the tripod through carry-on for flying and, once in the Alps, it proved a perfectly stable platform even for the Fujifilm GFX 50S with GF 100-200mm which is a beast of a lens.

Gitzo

GT2541EX Series 2 Explorer

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May 2017present

I’ve noticed Gitzo having a hard time from photographers switching to newer brands like Benro over the past year or two. Gitzo tripods are certainly pricey—I only bought mine as it was a clearance/end of line item with Wex, getting it half price—but despite having largely switched to the iFootage Uprise last year, I really can’t complain about the Gitzo.

It’s really solid, relatively light for its size and generally does an excellent job. The snap-down locks at the top of the legs have plenty of pain potential if (read ‘when’: it’s happened to me multiple times) they snap down on a finger or pinch some other part of your hand, but they do also give a lot more flexibility on independent leg angles unlike for example the 3 Legged Thing tripods which have preset notches.

The ability to angle the centre column up to 90 degrees is also handy at times.

Tripod heads

Ball heads, gear heads

Gitzo

GH1382TQD Series 1 Centre Ball Head

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May 2017present

I bought this along with the Gitzo Series 2 tripod aiming for a solid, reliable ball head that wouldn’t slip under the weight of a camera. It does its job on that front pretty well, though the ‘quick release’ plate isn’t really very quick at all and since getting the geared Benro head I don’t thing I’ve used the Gitzo since.

As a ball head it’s a solid option, though I’m sure there are cheaper equivalents these days that would be as reliable.

Benro

GD3WH Precision Geared Head

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Aug 2018present

The Benro GD3WH (snappy name as ever with photography gear) has been one of my best purchases of recent years. I can’t remember exactly where I came across it, but I think it was a Youtube video.

The precision across 3 axes provided by a geared head over a ball head was a big attraction and it’s worked out brilliantly. No more worry of ball head drooping, while panorama stitches are so much easier (and easier still in combo with the levelling base on the iFootage Uprise tripod).

It certainly has a learning curve and having to adjust each axis separately feels slower at first, but once you get the hang of the controls and the fact you can go into a free-movement mode to make the big adjustments then the gears for fine-tuning, it feels mostly very natural and does provide pretty much all the precision you could need.

The only negatives for me are that the direction on the gears has never been 100% intuitive to me and I end up turning the wrong way at first quite often; the design means that the GD3WH is a large piece of equipment and it’s also relatively heavy. The positives have far outweighed the negatives for me though.

Tripod plates and brackets

L-brackets, Arca plates, etc.

Kirk

X-T2G L-bracket

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Jun 2017present

An L-bracket is an important piece of kit when working on a tripod, making it easy to switch between portrait and landscape shooting. When I bought the Fujifilm X-T2 with battery grip, I wanted a quality L-bracket custom-fitted to the camera and the Kirk X-T2G was both slightly cheaper (still £164!) than the RRS equivalent and, more importantly, available immediately from Wex in the UK.

It fits the camera perfectly and has even transferred over to my X-T3 too. The only issue on the X-T3 is that the left door can’t open with the plate close in to the camera, which has been fine for me as I haven’t needed things like mic ports so far.

The bracket is as solid and form-fitting as you’d hope for the price and has served me well for nearly 3 years now.

3 legged thing

QR11- LG L-bracket

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Oct 2018present

3 Legged Things universal L-bracket does what it sets out to do: be a solid L-bracket that can be used with just about any camera.

I’ve had mine attached to the Fujifilm GFX 50S for just over a year and, as with many good products, it mostly just gets out of the way. The side-load door for the battery on the 50S does mean I have to loosen the plate and extend it out every time I need a battery change, but it’s quick to do (I keep the 3LT tool on my keychain and have allen keys liberally spread across my camera bags) and the GFX batteries last quite a long time anyway.

Where I want an L-bracket but there isn’t a custom-fitted option available, or for a camera I’m not going to use enough to justify the price of a Kirk or RRS plate, the 3LT plates are great.