{"id":21646,"date":"2019-09-23T21:10:38","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T20:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=21646"},"modified":"2024-04-21T13:34:20","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T12:34:20","slug":"a-look-into-phillips-camera-bag-september-2019-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/a-look-into-phillips-camera-bag-september-2019-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"A look into Phillip’s camera bag – September 2019 Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

After the favorite lenses series<\/a> fell dormant I thought it would be interesting to give an update on our current gear which has changed a bit and change the format a bit at the same time. So feel invited to have a look into my camera bags.<\/p>\n

If you purchase the lens through one of the affiliate-links in this article I get a small compensation with no additional cost to you.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Bag<\/h1>\n

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I use a Think Tank Turnstyle 10 V2.<\/span> The bag fits a camera and 3 medium sized lenses.The biggest argument for a shoulder bag to me is quick access and that it is more ergonomic to carry than a messenger bag. The bag works really well for not that long hikes without a backpack and when I am on my bike. I have carried it besides a daypack on longer hikes and that is anything but enjoyable. A Mindshift Gear 180\u00b0 Panorama Backpack<\/a> would be a much better solution but those are expensive.<\/p>\n

The bag just feels like a very well made, well engineered product from a company which knows how to make good bags.\u00a0After nearly two years of constant use it shows few signs of wear. Even though I forgot to close the zip several times I never lost a lens thanks to its clever design which keeps lenses from falling out. It also comes with a waist strap you can easily stow away in one of the many pockets. The strap is a big help when I am on a bike. The bag comes with a cape for bad weather and has many smaller pockets so packing away accessories is easy.<\/p>\n

amazon.de<\/a> | amazon.com<\/a> (affiliate links)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Camera<\/h1>\n

I am still using my good old Sony a7II which I bought in July 2016. I know that a a7rIII would be a much nicer camera but that doesn’t make the a7II a bad camera for my needs. I rarely actually feel limited by it so spending 1500\u20ac to upgrade doesn’t seem to be that smart an idea. That doesn’t mean that I am tempted to upgrade.<\/p>\n

The Lenses<\/h1>\n

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We always tell people to chose lenses according to their needs so I should probably say something about my own needs. For my landscape and nature photography I still enjoy using manual focus lenses a lot more than AF lenses. I am also competent at shooting family, friends and the occasional gig with manual focus lenses but that is not my focus so my kit is mostly manual focus lenses. I still own some legacy lenses like a Pentax K 3.5\/28<\/a>, Minolta MC 1.2\/58<\/a>, Zeiss 2.8\/90<\/a>, Minolta MD 2.5\/100<\/a> or Canon FD 4\/300 L<\/a> but these see only occasional use since having electronic contacts makes the shooting process easier and I usually prefer the better flare resistance and contrast of my modern lenses.<\/p>\n

Whenever I review a lens that also gets used a lot. Only rarely do I go out with a specific picture and the process is more important than the result to me so I know that I can get decent results out of about any lens and enjoy shooting it. That is not to say that I don’t care about results: Obviously I analyze lenses with quite a lot of effort and only keep a few but I like the challenge of getting to know a lens and produce decent results with it as well as finding its limits.<\/p>\n

Usually I carry a 3 lens kit. A wideangle (21mm oder 16-35mm), my 40mm (almost always) and a tele (2.5\/110 most of the time. Replaced by the Zeiss 2.8\/90 when needed) but obviously I adjust my kit to the occasion.<\/p>\n

Voigtlander 1.2\/40<\/strong><\/a>: I have owned it for 1.5 years now and it is my most used lens. As David described it so well in his review<\/a> this lens is far away from optical perfection but pretty close to perfect handling and very versatile thanks to its focal length and speed. At times I feel tempted to replace it with the Voigtlander 1.2\/50 which offers better bokeh in more difficult settings but then I remind myself that it gaps well with the 21 and keep enjoying it.<\/p>\n

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Amazon.com <\/a>| B&H<\/a> |\u00a0 ebay.com\u00a0<\/a>(affiliate links)<\/p>\n

Sony FE 4\/16-35 ZA<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong>I have owned it for about 4 years now and while its flare resistance could be better and I am still not a fan of fly by wire focus it is just a very handy lens which I take on most of my holidays. Recently I compared it to the Tamron 2.8\/17-28 and the Tamron is a bit sharper in the corners and more flare resistant but I decided to keep the Sony for now for its wider zoom range.<\/p>\n

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Amazon.com <\/a>| B&H<\/a> | Amazon.de<\/a> | ebay.com\u00a0<\/a>(affiliate links)<\/p>\n

Voigtlander 3.5\/21<\/strong><\/a>: I have owned it for about a year now and it sees less use than I would have anticipated and at times I am a little bothered by the midzone dip but then it has good flare resistance, nice sunstars and it is just tiny.<\/p>\n

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Amazon.com <\/a>| B&H<\/a> | Amazon.de<\/a> | ebay.com<\/a> (affiliate links)<\/p>\n

Voigtlander 2.5\/110 APO Macro<\/strong><\/a>: Optically my best lens with some margin and I have zero complaints about it in that regard. I like the focal length in a kit with the 21 and 40. What I like less is the bulk and weight of it. I rarely use it to shoot macros but I always have to haul the weight added by that feature with me. But then the only manual focus alternative in E-mount is the Loxia 2.4\/85 which is a bit short for my taste and not much lighter.<\/p>\n

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Amazon.com <\/a>| B&H<\/a> | ebay.com<\/a> (affiliate links)<\/p>\n

Contenders<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a Sony FE 1.8\/85<\/strong> which I got for a good price but I don’t enjoy using it and I am bothered by the bokeh at times so I will probably sell it. I also have a Samyang 1.4\/35 AF<\/strong> which I bought for 400\u20ac and I like it’s optical performance but MF is a pain and AF seems to be not that reliable so I am not sure I will keept it.<\/p>\n

Tripod<\/h1>\n

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I don’t like using tripods. I guess I am not patient enough for them. I think my photography could benefit from working slower and spending more time on improving compositions but whenever I try to slow myself down I fail. I have a bigger Sirui ET-1004 which is a solid enough tripod but it very rarely gets used for anything but testing. I have found another solution for myself and that is a very small Cullmann Carvao 816TCS. It fits into my bag (well kind of) and comes in handy for testing but also when I run out of light. One advantage I wouldn’t have expected is that it helps me handholding the camera. Mounting the camera and pressing the 3 legs to my chest I gain about two stops so I can work as quickly and flexibly as I like longer thanks to this small tripod.<\/p>\n

amazon.de<\/a> (affiliate link)<\/p>\n

Accessories<\/h2>\n

Usually a spare battery, a spare card and a blower to get rid of dust.<\/p>\n

Filters<\/h2>\n

I don’t see a good reason to use filters nowadays that we have cameras with very high dynamic range. As I said I avoid to use a tripod whenever I can get away without one so NDs and GNDs wouldn’t work well for me and in case I wanted to use them I would prefer getting better results by combining several images. Polarizers are the only exception and I use them to reduce reflections in foliage and thus improve saturation. I use affordable Hoya HD filters which work well enough for me but since I don’t use them often and saw no obvious issues I didn’t delve far into the topic.<\/p>\n

Further Reading<\/h1>\n