My Cameras and Accessories
There is no doubt that for photographers the equipment that we use is part of the enjoyment of our hobby. I re-discovered photography in 2002 when I bought a Fuji S2 Pro digital SLR for astrophotography and to begin recording the beauty of The English Lake District where my family and I often go walking.
I say 're-discovered' because as a child I would stand next to my Dad working in his darkroom in the attic of our house, watching him working in the red glow of his safelight as he created prints from weddings. I can still smell developer when I think back to that time.
I learnt a lot using the Fuji S2 Pro, digital providing me the ideal tool to learn by my mistakes, offering immediate feedback and the chance to expose ten thousand images in a year with little additional cost. However, I soon began to realise that digital at its current stage of evolution, is not well suited to landscape photography. The resolution of all current digital SLRs is limited and the processing required to formulate a colour image from the bayer patterned sensor creates very poor detail in areas away from the main point of focus.
Having tried buying expensive lenses and invested in a top of the range Gitzo 1128 carbon fibre tripod with Arca Swiss Monoball head, I finally realised that it was the camera that was failing to deliver. I made the jump to medium format film and acquired a Mamiya 7II rangefinder camera that creates transparencies of 6cm x 7cm. These large transparencies are a joy to view on a lightbox. Using Fuji Velvia 50 and 100 films, which offer high colour saturation and almost invisible grain, I was able to capture the detail and wonderful colours of nature for the first time. I use 50mm, 80mm and 150mm lenses with this camera which roughly equate to 24mm, 39mm and 71mm in 35mm terms. All of the lenses are very sharp.
In order to capture the incredible range of tones and colours in many landscape images, particularly those taken at dawn and at dusk, my favoured times of the day, it is necessary to use neutral density graduated filters. These filters do not impart any colour to the image but allow me to reduce the brightness of bright objects, such as the sky, to ensure that all areas of the image are recorded as they are experienced by the human eye which has a much greater dynamic range than film. I also use warm-up filters which are used to correct the colour balance of film, mainly in low light. Film is designed to give realistic colours in normal daylight and Fuji's Velvia films will take on a blue tint in lower light. Warm-up filters counter this blueness to keep colours realistic. I prefer Lee and Cokin Z Pro filters. I do not use any coloured filters as I feel that they create unnatural images.
Having 'found' film I bought a Nikon FM2n as a carry anywhere camera. This camera is fully mechanical, small, light and extremely well made. The FM2n can be carried anywhere and will always work since it's not reliant on batteries. This is a real boon compared with any digital camera! I generally use Fuji Provia 400 or Kodak E100GX for colour work with this camera or Ilford Delta 400, Ilford XP2 or Ilford Delta 3200 for black and white work. I use 28mm, 50mm and 105mm lenses.
More recently I have acquired a Toyo 45A 4x5 large format camera. I use Schneider Super Angulon lenses at 65mm and 90mm and a Schneider APO Symmar for 150mm. Using the movements available with this camera enables me to capture images that no modern digital SLR can achieve. I use this camera for colour and black and white work and load it with Fuji Velvia 100 or Ilford Delta 100 for low grain, wonderful tonality and very fine detail.
Finally, I succumbed to the film photographer's great lust and bought a Leica M6 with a Tri-Elmar lens. The Tri-Elmar covers 28mm, 35mm and 50mm focal lengths in one small package and although it's a slowish lens, with a maximum aperture of f/4, it's a very useful companion. I use Ilford Delta 400 and Ilford Delta 3200 in this camera for black and white work.
Other pieces of equipment worthy of mention are the Kirk quick release plates which very neatly attach to my cameras and allow me to quickly attach them to my Arca Swiss Ballhead. These plates are specifically designed for each individual camera and do not affect their operation or handling.
I use a Sekonic L558 spot light meter which enables me to accurately meter a tiny one degree area of my image to find the highlights, mid-tones and shadows. This meter is a necessity when calculating the neutral density graduated filters required to expose the whole image within the dynamic range of the film.
For several years I used a LowePro Mini Trekker AW to carry my lenses, filters and other bits and pieces along with a selection of other LowePro bags to carry each camera separately. Now I use a rather large Tamrac Expedition 8 which makes for a heavy load but keeps my hands free when clambering over rough terrain with two medium format cameras and an SLR or rangefinder, tripod and a huge assortment of lenses, filters, films and cleaning equipment loaded on my back.
