When working a job the first part of any workflow is picking the right gear. Thankfully, I have an extensive working collection of new and vintage cameras that I can use in any job I'm hired for not to mention shooting for my own enjoyment. While this only represents a cross-section of my collection, these are the workhorses that come out on the job.
While the cameras listed below are my primary tools when photographing jobs I also have various early 20th-Century Kodak Cameras, SLRs, Rangefinders, and Toy Cameras.
Nikon|F5 | |
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In my 35mm options my Nikon kit is centred around the Nikon F5, a hefty professional SLR from the late 1990s and is my goto for paid jobs such as events and weddings. With a wide range of prime lenses not just autofocus but manual focus as well, the F5 is a rock solid performer that I've taken into battle, litterally. The F5 is backed up by the equally solid Nikon AF F90, a semi-professional SLR from the previous decade but has the same level of performace as the F5. Both have excellent records in both my personal and professional work.
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Nikon|FA | |
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Out of all the manual focus Nikon SLRs I've had come in and out of my collection my choice for jobs remains the game-changing Nikon FA. While not a 'professional' camera I see the Nikon FA as what the F3 could have been if Nikon had waited a few more years. Featuring the first matrix meter from Nikon and one of the nicest looking manual focus SLRs from the company the FA has never let me down. It comes with on travels, photo walks, and even paid gigs that need something a little different from a modern looking camera. Paired with an MD-15 the camera is a real workhorse in my toolbox.
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Minolta|Maxxum 9 | |
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Like the F5, the Maxxum 9 is a solid professional SLR from the later years of Minolta, a new camera in my toolkit the Maxxum 9 is my primary camera for travel featuring a removable grip for smaller profile and several short lens options including the 35-70, 50, and 28mm lenses. Just because I use it more for personal work shouldn't let you fear when I turn up at a professional job sporting this camera, infact it can be used as a secondary camera on film-only assignments as a second shooter or even primary paired with the F5.
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Minolta|XE-7 | |
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Born of an alliance between Leica, Minolta, and Copal to create a long series of cameras that stands up even today. If you have heard my photographic journey you'll know that I originally ran with Minolta kit, but the XE-7 is the camera that brought me back to Minolta. The XE-7 is the Minolta cousin on the Leica R3. But a far superior camera to the Leica cousin in the sense that it works with any Minolta lens either MC or MD. While a bigger camera it has never let me down with semi-automatic function and with a set of lenses that are pretty darn close to the Leica glass for the R3.
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Mamyia|m645 | |
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This may sound weird, but I think I like my m645 better than my Pentax 645. The Mamiya m645 quickly became my go-to medium format camera for project and travels due to the compact sized. Arriving due to a stroke of luck from a fomer wedding photographer spotting my Crown Graphic in a coffee shop. And while it took some times to build up the lens kit, especally the final lens, thankfully the prices on these cameras and the optics are still resonable and it certainly fits my style specifically for field work.
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Franke & Heidecke|Rollieflex 2.8F | |
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When it comes to cameras, my steadfast Rolleiflex is the oldest camera that has remained in my collection. Having picked it up only a couple years into my journey with film and after figuring out how to use the camera. It has become a fast favourite and while I don't take it out that often it will always deliever amazing quality image and is always a conversation starter on the streets. |
Graflex|Crown Graphic | |
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When it came to large format I never thought I would use the size. But then again never say never. But the Crown Graphic fits into my style, with the ablity to shoot both on a tripod like a traditional LF camera or handheld like the Press Photographers of old. The Crown never gives me a bad result, providing I'm on my a-game that day. While I don't often use this in a professional setting, I use it when out capturing landscapes, buildings, and historical projects.
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