My Gear

I am frequently asked what gear I use so here goes!

The Fujifilm X Series is now my system of choice. It’s light weight, small in size, very user friendly and delivers excellent image quality, key factors that influenced my switch from a heavy DSLR system - read more about my Fujifilm journey here.

My current gear consists of :
Cameras : Fujifilm XT4, XE3, XE2s (converted to infra-red)

Zoom lenses : XF10-24mm, XF16-55, XF18-55mm, XF50-140, XF55-200mm

Prime Lenses : Fujifilm XF14mm f2.8, XF23mm f2, XF27mm, X35mm f2, XF50mm f2, XF56mm f1.2

Flash : Nissin i40 & i60

Filters : Kase Circular Magnetic Polariser, 6 stop ND, 10 stop ND

Tripods : Gitzo GT3541LS, Gitzo GT1545T

Bags : Shimoda Explore 40L, Mindshift Backlight 18L, Wandrd Prvke 31, Domke F2, Wotancraft Trooper

For Travel I would typically take the items in bold above.

Tripods are an invaluable piece of kit and there are many reasons why using one is good practice in addition to those occasions when you are shooting at longer shutter speeds. A tripod slows you down allowing you to view the scene more carefully and fine tune your composition. It obviously ensures camera shake free images but also helps when you are using ND Graduated filters. It's probably fair to say there is no perfect tripod as the balance of rigidity, weight, size and cost is nigh on impossible to achieve. Many people fall into the trap of buying cheaper tripods then finding their limitations and after perhaps one or two more models eventually buy the tripod they should have bought in the first place! 

I now use GITZO carbon fibre tripods which are superb, really well designed, beautifully manufactured, and handle like a dream. The quality is apparent from the second you pick up the tripod. Yes they couldn't be described as budget tripods but you certainly get what you pay for. I have three including the GT3541LS, which provides a rock steady platform in most conditions and I use this for landscape photography. The GT1545 Traveller, is a superb travel tripod and my 1228 MkII Mountaineer is a great all rounder and is still going strong after 25 years, testimony to the quality of the GITZO product.

If choosing a tripod is difficult then bags provide an even bigger headache! Choices between roller, backpack, shoulder and waist bags is the first decision to be made and one which is driven by the intended purpose and gear to be carried. Even with my small, lightweight range of Fujifilm gear I have different bags for different uses. However currently I currently use a Mindshift Backlight 26L backpack which is great, not only for the fact that it holds a large amount of gear plus has modest space for extra things like a raintop and food but also because the design allows you to flip the pack around whilst wearing it to access the bag without putting it on the floor, great for when you are on the beach. My shoulder bag of choice is the DOMKE F2. Never has the adage "if it aint broke don't fix it" been more appropriate as this design has been around for years but is so easy to shoot from and holds enough gear for travel, it really is a super bag - see the review on the News page.