Photography equipment

Throughout the past decade or so, I’ve used various photography equipment to take various photos,  If you look at my Shutterstock portfolio, you will not be able to tell what camera body and lens took what photo or piece of footage.  Camera equipment is now ubiquitous.  I’ve been photographing the world around me for over 10 years now.  I’ve used various camera bodies and lenses from various manufacturers such as Sony and Canon.  The best camera I’ve ever used is the one I carry with me all the time.  No it’s not an Apple or a Samsung phone.  Although I’ve used them for some of my micro stock agency work and I’ve sold a few iPhone photos, the majority of my photos have come from a DSLR or the Sony RX100 line of cameras.  Back in 2017, when I was in Calgary for an I.T contract, I sold all my Canon DSLR equipment and went fully Sony Hybrid cameras. Particularly the Sony RX10 Mark II.  I did not want to lug around 25-30 pounds of equipment on my back while on a 20km hike through the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

It’s not the equipment you use.  Equipment gets upgraded by manufacturers monthly who come out with new features in their cameras.  Through out my 10 plus years of being in the industry, I’ve gone from the Canon Rebel line of cameras to full frame Canon bodies and Canon f2.8 lenses to just using a Sony RX100 Mark VI point and shoot camera.  Yes, the Sony RX100 VI and VII cost $1600 Canadian.  I fell victim to the “I have to have the latest and greatest” philosophy to compete with the neighbour.  I’ve had other photographers come up to my while I’m shooting with just the Sony RX100 Mark VI and tell me that I absolutely need this camera body with this lens combination to get the perfect shot.  They tell me the Sony RX100 VII is not a real camera because it can’t do this like their “pro” camera.  If you think you’re pro because you have this camera/lens combination, you are not a pro.  You’re just some guy or girl who has this camera/lens combination.  I’ve seen photographers run circles around other photographers with an Apple iPhone while these pro photographers use a 45 megapixel body with a 200-600MM lens that cost $14,000.  

A camera is just a tool like a hammer or saw.  It’s the person using that tool that makes the difference.  Always has been.  Always will be.  If you go to my Shutterstock portfolio, you will not be able to distinguish what camera and lens combo shot what photo.  And in the end, you won’t care.  As of right now, I have 15,255 photos and 1,544 clips on my Shutterstock portfolio.  All shot with different equipment.  If you’re looking for a photographer right now and they tell you that they have the latest and greatest equipment, tell them it doesn’t matter what they have.  Ask them if they know how to use it.  You’re hiring the photographer, not the equipment.

At the Speedway with the Sony RX100 Mark VI

It was another hot Saturday today.  It was 32 degrees Celsius or 89 degrees Fahrenheit not including the humidity.  With the humidity it was about 40 degrees Celsius and 104 Fahrenheit.  So basically hot.  

The girlfriend and I actually slept in till about 9am this morning.  I was exhausted personally.  Late breakfast and we decided to go to the west of Ottawa just for a drive.  We went thru Fitzroy Harbour, Pakenham and we ended up in Calabogie.  I’ve never been to the Calabogie Speedway before.  I’ve heated of it but I’ve never been there before.  I took only my Sony RX100 Mark VI with me since it’s so easy to carry, it being a really nice point and shoot camera that shoots copious amounts of photographs and does 4K video.  I only shot photos today since it was so hot today.  

I honestly don’t know how these guys and girls ride these bikes wearing those suits in this heat.  I was sweating there just doing photography in the shade.  I am just waiting for the Sony RX100 Mark VII to come out in a few weeks so I can purchase it.  It is supposed to shoot 96 RAW files in a second.  The Sony RX100 Mark VII would be perfect for sports photography such as this.  I’m using it with a 128GB SD card and I have a feeling I could spend the whole day shooting bike racing such as this and fill a few cards easily.  I’d also kill a few batteries.  I think the only problem the Sony RX100 Mark VII is going to be the battery issue.  The whole RX100 series line of cameras has had this issue where it just eats batteries for breakfast.  If Sony could just make the batteries a bit better, you’d have the perfect camera.  The Sony RX100 Mark VII is 99.5% there to being the perfect little point and shoot camera.  Sony, just fix the battery issue and add more megapixels to the sensor.  If this shot 30+ megapixels instead of the 20MP and batteries didn’t drain as fast as they do, it’d be a great camera.  Personally I’ve emptied 2 batteries over a day of shooting and filling up a 128GB SD card just once in the past 4 years owning a Sony RX100 series of cameras and I do some serious shooting with it.

Can’t wait till mid June

Mid June.  That is when I will start getting some nice pay cheques from work finally.  Till then, I’m still surviving on photography money. Patience is key here.  I want to go do a lot of photography on weekends this summer.  The weather has to co-operate as well.  We’ve only had three nice days in the last fifty two days.  It was either raining, snowing, high winds, cloudy in the last two months or so.

I am so ready for summer.  I’m planning on doing a lot of travel on weekends this summer.  Up to Algonquin Park, down to Sandbanks Provincial Park.  I want to go visit the radio observatory again up in Algonquin.  I want to do a lot this summer.  Thanks God, I got a really nice contract that pays well.  I’ll be able to pay off credit cards and finally enjoy life.  I think it will start the first weekend in June.  Till then, keep the head down and keep on working.