Posted by Nisah Cheatham on the Big Photo Hunt community board.
For the basic hobbyist, Fuji vs Sony vs Hasselblad - not really what to worry about. OK. Yes - trying to shoot action/sports with a 16-50mm kit lens will limit you, just like trying to be a professional wedding photographer with only an iPhone isn't going to work.
For those of us with interchangeable lens setups, I'm more interested in details of how we shoot the kind of things we shoot. Learning about how others setup their gear gives me ideas and keeps this hobby interesting over the 40 years I've been into it.
Scenes I most often shoot: city, urban, street My gear: Full-frame mirrorless with a 40mm prime (also 85mm prime and sometimes a 16-25mm zoom) My setup: spot-metered w/tracking, back button focus, Aperture Priority (auto ISO ranging to 6400), daylight white balance
Why: I like full-frame mirrorless is so that I can switch to aps-c mode (or crop in for the higher megapixel). Its like having two primes in one. I like decoupling focus from shutter so that I am more free to compose in a hectic scene moving around or waiting. With city scenes changing, I've found AWB makes it harder to copy/paste base settings across a photo shoot. Reflections and colors are always changing and I don't want my camera to try to adjust. For my sensibilities, depth of field is the most important criteria, so aperture priority gets me where I want to be the best.
It's not right or better - its how I shoot (for now).
Share how you do it and maybe it will inspire others [me] to revisit their setups and maybe help to better match our style of photography.
Replies
Scott Peterson
Nikon Zf with prime lenses. My go to is my Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 but I also love my Voigtlander 50mm f2 APO lens. I also have a collection of old Asahi-Pentax lenses that adapt very well to the Nikon Zf and are a joy to use. Meetering and WB depend on the setting and what I'm after, both are in my imenu for quick access. My record button is programmed to 200% zoom with focus peaking which makes it great for using manual lenses. I shoot in manual 90% of the time with the other 10% being Aperature Priority.
Mike Gunderloy
I seem to be constantly changing things up, perhaps because I am more of an amateur or perhaps because I get bored easily or something. These days I'm mostly shooting nature/landscape/macro with a side dose of street (all because I hike/walk 150-200 miles per month).
Gear: Micro 4/3. Not so much a conscious choice as having been happy with an Olympus TG-6 and just staying with the brand, and wanting weather-sealed kit. It works for me. OM-1 II and often carrying an EM-1 III as well so I can have two setups (macro & other) easily available without changing lenses. I still end up changing lenses in the field not as often. But generally have the 12-40 f/2.8 pro on one body and the 60 f/2.8 macro on the other. I've got a bunch of other lenses that I swap in from time to time. 14-150 is my go-to for a single-body walk around town. I just spend a day shooting with an adapted 50mm Minolta to have some fun.
Setup: Almost always shooting manual because I prefer the control. 99% of the time I'm in 5600K white balance because I prefer to see scenes close to what I saw with my eyes, and adjust in post if I want. Custom modes set up for focus stack, HDR, ND. Last time I tried back button focus it didn't click for me, but it might be about time to experiment again.
Software: I walked away from Microsoft, and then I walked away from Apple (all due to not liking the way big companies behave) so I'm all Linux on the desktop now. Using a combination of Digikam & Darktable to keep track of things and post-process.
Nate Riggins
Sony a7 and a6000 cameras. DJI Mini 3 Pro drone. Variety of Sigma and Tamron lenses ranging from 16mm up to 600mm. I think I only have one prime lens, a 50mm Sony. A couple of tripods, one that I can put in the vehicle and the other for backpacking and airplane travel. I mostly shoot wildlife and landscape photography. I'll use shutter, aperture and manual modes. Manual and auto focus, just depends on the situation. I don't mess with the WB and metering much.
Ken Deckinger
Great post Nisah. For me, as a hobbyist and street photographer, I'm pretty simple; A Sony full-frame with either a G Master 24-70mm or 35mm prime. And then in my pocket is always the Ricoh GRIII. :-)
Ralph Berrett
I shoot sports, events, news, street photography, commercial, portraits, and glamour. I am terrible with nature and landscapes.
I have a solid, reliable kit. I shoot the Nikon D5, D4s, and D3 with used Nikkor lenses. I am not in a hurry to do an upgrade. I shoot the pro bodies because they are solid and built like tanks. I have to always explain to rookies that newer does not mean better. Also, just because a new camera or lens comes out, that old gear does not stop working. One thing I like is that the older pro lenses are a lot less money and deliver quality.
Nikkor 17-35mm F2.8 AF-S for large group shots, EP shots, and interior shots.
Nikkor 28-70mm F2.8 AF-S is good for sports, EP shots, group shots, and event shots.
Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 AF-S candids, 3/4 portrait shots, and closeups. These lenses can be bought for $350-400 used a piece.. Nikkor 300mm F2.8 AF-I outdoor portraits, sports, events, airshows, and nature. Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 VR sports, nature, and airshows. These lenses can be bought for $900 a piece. I actually own all these lenses.
Here is my main gear
Nikon D5 $1500
D4s $900
(1) Nikon D3 $350
(2) SB-800 Speedlights $80
Celestron NexStar 8SE 2032 mm F10 $1500 (Astro Photography)
Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 VR $1000
Nikkor 300mm F2.8 AF-I $600
Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 AF-S $350
Nikkor 28-70mm F2.8 AF-S $350
Nikkor 17-35mm F2.8 AF-S $350
Kenko 1.4X adapter $35
My backup lenses
Nikkor 35-70mm F2.8 D $57
Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 ED $160
Tokina 300mm F2.8 (which I have owned since 1998) $700
Andrew Bailey
I shoot whatever is wherever I go. I prefer cities to the country, but I live in the country, so I mostly end up shooting small towns, objects, or flowers, unless we're on holiday. I shoot RAW and manual, mostly, but I'm not snobbish about it. For years, I chased clinical perfection. Now I realize I'm much more interested in character and intent, in connecting emotionally and connecting others, when I can.
I'm a Nikon guy, cut my teeth on a D5100 (still have it), then a D5600 (shot with it this week and will probably post one next week), which can punch above its weight. Then I went into mirrorless with the Z5. The shot of the boat racing toward the sunset in Key West (it's in my gallery) was my first week with that camera. I liked it, but wanted a more tactile experience, so now I shoot with my Zf.
I prefer the 50mm. I have a Voigtlander 50 f/1.0 I call "The Owl" that I used for art shots, at first, and night shots. Now it stays on camera unless I'm crowd shooting, when I trade it for the f/1.8 S 50mm that I also use for animals and children, zone focusing being problematic on a 50mm. I have a 24-120 f/4 S, but I rarely use it and will probably sell it to partially fund a 35 or 28mm prime in the near future. If the 28, it will likely be another Voigtlander. If 35...it will probably be an autofocus, for versatility, though I think I could zone a 35 well enough that I might change that answer.
How's that?
Nisah Cheatham
@[Scott Peterson](bd42d2a5-2019-4fd5-b787-eda17e392c24) I have begun to build a second setup (button programs, menus, etc.) for shooting manual. I have a pair of Lensbabies and am thinking about getting into the vintage/vintage-ish lenses. I need to setup the zoom as a button for sure!
Funny question: do you shoot in manual because you have these interesting lens OR did you gravitate to manual shooting because you kept liking the optics of these lenses?
Nisah Cheatham
@[Nate Riggins](9b83f1a3-a802-40bd-b214-d2f84c0bdb22) When you say you don't mess with the WB and metering much - are you saying then its AWB and Multi/matrix metering most of the time?
Nisah Cheatham
@[Ken Deckinger](c3048578-7544-410e-a042-d00e6ec6333e) Aperture priority? Manual? AWB? spot metering? These are the details that I was looking to coax out of people. 😎
Nisah Cheatham
@[Mike Gunderloy](65b6b973-f22d-4907-add6-f0148bb9ddc7) If I had a different background and had to "do it all over again", I'd be all about the OM-1. I've been shooting off and on since 1984, seriously from about 1994 to 2000, then again from 2012-present. Once I started hating film, I stopped shooting (except travel snapshots). Then when mirrorless showed up, I got interested again. Conveniently I skipped the DSLR (went from SLR to mirrorless during my hiatus 😄). I just felt that full-frame pull. If I could have ignored it, M43 is where I'd be. 😎
Do you run fully manual in the streets? When I'm on Aperture priority with auto-ISO and shutter min set (usually 1/125), I feel I'm able to get what I want without compromise. When I shoot with my Lensbaby lenses I am still auto-ISO, but the lenses are manual AND the aperture controls light, DoF, plus the strength of the effect, so I feel wild out there! haha
Mike Gunderloy
@[Nisah Cheatham](cf53a09d-1eb6-45e0-b529-06e3bf21aaf4) Yeah, I mostly shoot fully manual even in the street. Well, except when I'm out with the E-PM1, where the controls are a pain. But TBH I don't do a whole lot of street photography. I may move more in that direction as I age and 20-mile wilderness hikes become less doable. I should probably spend a few days in downtown Eugene on aperture priority and see how I like the results.
Nate Riggins
@[Nisah Cheatham](cf53a09d-1eb6-45e0-b529-06e3bf21aaf4) yep
Nisah Cheatham
@[Mike Gunderloy](65b6b973-f22d-4907-add6-f0148bb9ddc7) I'd love to see your downtown Eugene work at some point 😊
Ken Deckinger
@[Nisah Cheatham](cf53a09d-1eb6-45e0-b529-06e3bf21aaf4) Ah! Manual, zone or spot focus, no spot metering. AWB typically. Maybe auto iso if I'm not trying to be creative. When on the street I try to keep shutter speed at around 250 and aperture at f8 but depends on light. 😎
Nisah Cheatham
@[Andrew Bailey](8e50a75d-cd92-4ba1-970c-647b7c2df371) Someone else here has mentioned zone focusing. I have dabbled with that here and there, but my urban technique is about finding places based on what the light and lines are doing, then thinking about what would make it better and waiting for that better thing to come along. I've dialed in my settings - which usually means picking my aperture, but on occasion I adjust shutter to get a slight motion blur or full arrest anything in the scene.
"The Owl" - awesome! I can think of a lot of Chicago night scenes that would work with with that lens 😎 My go to focal length these days is 40mm. But no one piece of glass lives on my camera.
I didn't talk much about lenses in starting this thread, but I own more than I mentioned. I churn through them. I also rent randomly for the hell of it. My Lightroom catalog tells me that I have used over 27 lenses on my Sony E-mount mirrorless camera(s). Some of my favorite lenses I just got rid of for no reason - like the 28mm f/2. I mean I really liked it. I haven't owned it since 2020 and its still my 3rd most used lens in my Lightroom catalog! 🤷
Scott Peterson
@[Nisah Cheatham](cf53a09d-1eb6-45e0-b529-06e3bf21aaf4) I shoot in manual to slow down and enjoy the process. Instead of coming home with 200 photos I come home with 30 or 40 that I think through the process. Much like my old film day. LOL
Nisah Cheatham
@[Scott Peterson](bd42d2a5-2019-4fd5-b787-eda17e392c24) I'll take that under advisement. I like editing and I like shooting. But I drag my heels on the culling and selecting phase. I've always said, "I can always go back and get new scenes/stories since I live where I like to shoot." Maybe I'll start shooting manual in Chicago, but still setup for faster shooting when I'm in a place I'm less likely to return. 🤔