I love to talk about gear!!!
I'm using:
Sony A7R IV (Mirrorless Full-Frame)
Sony RX10 IV (Mirrorless "Bridge" "Superzoom")
Sony RX100 VII (Mirrorless Compact)
(
and occasionally Apple iPhone 11 Pro)
Previously I had been a "Nikon Girl" for many, many years, and over that time various bodies and lenses came and went. I found that a lot of times I'd buy a lens and only use it a few times, reaching instead for the same favorites over and over again. So this time, starting from scratch, after having traded in all the Nikon gear in November 2019, I started out with three lenses on the first day and then as the need and desire arose for another focal length, another type of lens for specific purposes, etc., I would add it when funds permitted.
As of today I have and am using:
(All Sony)
35mm f/1.8
50mm f/2.8 macro
85mm f/1.8
90mm f/2.8 G macro
100mm f/2.8 STF GM (specialty lens for fantastic bokeh)
135mm f/1.8 GM
100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM
200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G
I don't yet have any flashes and probably won't bother with them as I found with Nikon that I rarely used them, either on-camera or off-camera. Fortunately I don't do the kind of photography where flash is really necessary. That said, I do have various types of continuous lighting that I use when I'm doing tabletop photography at home in the house, and recently just bought the intriguing Ice Light 2 (
thanks for the suggestion and recommendation, AFB!). It will be fun to use and definitely offers flexibility for use wherever I have set up something and need to add light! I have very limited space in here so don't have room for a lot of studio lighting: softlights, beauty dishes, hair lights, various stands and booms and all that....
I've got two Gitzo tripods, one with an RRS BH 55 ballhead and the other with a Wimberley 100 II Gimbal head. In the old days I had the original Wimberley gimbal, but then during the time when I wasn't doing much shooting and never thought I'd be back using long lenses and a gimbal, I sold it to a friend. Shortly after I bought the 200-600mm I realized that, yeah, I was going to need another Wimberley gimbal! It makes all the difference shooting wildlife from my deck..... Also have a Gitzo monopod but I'm not really a monopod person, as I hate having to hang on to the thing all the time. With a tripod you can get the camera set up on it and then step away if you need to do so to grab something else or to take a look at a scene or subject from another angle before moving the camera-laden tripod to a different position.
As one can see by looking at my list of lenses, it's kind of lopsided in terms of focal lengths! Nothing in the wide-angle arena yet. I love fast, I love long, and I love macro.....so have been focusing on lenses which do that first. I primarily shoot macro and closeups on one end and birds and wildlife on the other end of the spectrum..... I rarely do landscapes, portraits and heaven forfend that I would do weddings! (Years ago I assisted a friend at shooting a wedding and that was enough to convince me, never again!) So trying to keep that firmly in mind as I began developing my gear setup, I started out with the two macro lenses and the 135mm f/1.8 (I don't do portraits but this lens has gorgeous bokeh and is great for other types of situations, too). About two months later I introduced the 200-600mm into the household, and promptly nicknamed it the "Bazooka." It's terrific for shooting the birdies out in the water (haven't had much luck yet getting decent BIF with this lens), but I realized that for a long walk-around lens that I'd prefer its shorter, lighter-weight sister, the 100-400mm, and that lens rapidly became a favorite as I have been using it most of the summer and early autumn for not just birds but for getting close up pseudo-macros, too.
The next lens to join the party will definitely be a wide-angle but I just haven't made up my mind yet about which would best serve my purposes, and I haven't been in any hurry. Sony offers some tempting wide-angle primes, but I'm thinking that one of their wide-angle zooms will be the most flexible option. One can create interesting images with wide angle lenses.....
For travel (gee, what's that? I've almost forgotten!) I have used the RX10 and RX100 in the past, as both are great for that purpose, and I expect to continue doing that in the future, although another lens that I've been considering since the very beginning and just haven't added yet is the excellent all-around 24-105mm, which would be just dandy to stick on the A7R IV and off we go..... It's been on the "want" list for a while but keeps getting nudged down to the bottom as another lens jumps in to take priority.
Aside from the gear, I do have the usual accessories, with various filters in various sizes although I tend not to use ND and polarizer filters much. I do put UV-Haze filters on all of my lenses for protection, although I am aware of the argument that it is not really necessary as long as one is mindful of always using a lens hood (which I am). Too many camera bags, some of which I've had for years, since my early film days! I did do a massive purging a few weeks ago but still have too many bags. Various reflectors and doodads, a beanbag, of course a remote shutter release, etc. I do have a cleaning kit which came as a "bonus" when I ordered something from B&H one time. I have yet to use it, as so far I've managed just fine with the Giottos Rocket Blower to keep the sensor dust bunny population under control. Probably if I find the sensor needs a proper cleaning I will take it to the local camera shop and let them do it, as I am a bit nervous about trying that myself.
So that's my current setup.....
I'm contacting Sigma today to see what (if anything) could be covered from this event.
