Daily Archives: April 21, 2025

 

Things change and they require a rethinking of how you work. Since last year’s heart events I’ve found that I simply can’t carry as much gear in terms of weight.  I’ve tried several ways to work it out but it still requires rethinking the whole issue of what to shoot with.  Let me be clear, I still own and I’m keeping several Fujifilm bodies and over 15 lenses, and I still plan to get back to them as my cardio vascular health returns.  I’m committed to the APSC sensored X system gear, but for right now, I can’t deal with the weight.  I’ve also come to understand that my needs in terms of capabilities in a system are not as great as when I was doing this full time.  On the other hand, the Micro 4/3rds cameras and lenses are more than capable enough for my current requirements and the advancements in post processing software have negated any issues that would have been a problem in the past!

 

Why am I making a big deal out of this?  Over the last 12 years I’ve enthusiastically told hundreds of photographer friends that I love and fully endorse the Fujifilm eco system of cameras and lenses.  I still do, but things change and at 79 I simply have to adjust how I work, or put away cameras all  together!  I’m still wanting to try to enjoy this wonderful craft so changes are being made.  I love my friends at Fujifilm and have enjoyed being a X-Photographer representing them, but I have and will always be honest about what I’m doing and why, it is only fair to anyone that cares that I’m up front abut this issue!  Enough said!

 

I now am using two small camera bags for general photography, including travel and nature work.  I still. have some long glass and close-up gear for specialized work, but these two bags are allowing me to work more comfortably!  The top photo is a Billingham Hadly Small Pro bag with the following gear; an Olympus Pen F body with an Olympus 17mm f 1.8 lens (35mm equiv.) and two stacked sets of lenses, an Olympus 12mm f 2, (24mm equiv.), a Olympus 45mm f 1.8 (90mm equiv.) and a Panasonic Lumix 35-100 f 2.8 (70-200 equiv.).  this very light system allows me to easily carry lenses from 24mm to 200mm all at good speed and excellent optical quality.  I’ve never owned a Billingham bag, I always thought them way to expensive, but I really love the quality of construction, great materials and thoughtful design of this bag and have come to put it in the category of you get what you pay for and I frankly love it!  I just figured it was about time that I enjoy something I would never have owned before now! 

 

Below is my other small bag system contained in a Tenba DNA 7 Messenger bag.  I have owned a number of Tenba products over the years and have always been impressed with their value and quality and very good design and this bag is as good as any I’ve used.  It is almost identical in size and carries about an equal system to the Billingham, just a little more affordably!

 

 

This bag holds a Panasonic Lumix GX8 camera with a Lumix-Leica Summilux 15mm f 1.7 lens (30mm Equiv.) and exceptional piece of glass!  Again two stacked sets of lens include a Lumix 20mm f 1.7 (40mm Equiv.), Lumix 42.5 mm f 1.7 lens (85mm equiv.), an Olympus 75mm f 1.8 lens (150mm Equiv.) and a Lumix – Leica Summilux 9mm f 1.7 (18mm Equiv.). again, all of exceptional optical qualities.

 

With the exception of very long focal lengths this set of lenses in both bags allow me to do 90% of my day to day work and not be exhausted at the end of the day!

 

So if you run into me in the field that is what you will see I’m doing!  Still loving be a photographer!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim