New year, new me?

Did you do some pre-festive cleaning too?
I started mine somewhere back in November, but it has nothing to do with Christmas.

Not only there’s no room in my house (and in my life in general) for things I don’t use. Having lots of tidy and free space around me does wonders for my mind.

As an amateur photographer, I naturally had quite a bit of gear. I apparently had to check it off the beginners mistakes list: buy a camera body, loads of lenses, accessories and - spoiler alert - eventually get rid of most of them.

The gear I said goodbye to

The first to go was my drone. For more than two years I was the happy owner of a DJI Mini 2. Happy until at some point taking photos from above didn’t bring me joy anymore. Dutch weather helped with that a bit - since most of the year, it was too windy to fly.

Don’t get me wrong. Drones are awesome. It’s fun to fly them and see the world from above. It’s not every day you get that opportunity. But photography wise, something started to feel missing in drone photography. The perspective that drones offer instantly adds a “wow factor” to photos, which makes it easy to impress others. But in my opinion it is hard to create truly meaningful shots with the drone. Ultimately, even that unusual perspective can lose its charm after a while and get boring.

After selling a drone, feeling lighter, and somewhat better, I decided to take a closer look at my shelf with lenses.

The Sigma 19mm f/2.8, which had joined me on a few water photography sessions, was sold shortly after the drone. I disliked that lens from the very beginning. It had severe focus breathing issues, which led to many disappointments in the sea. A fast-changing environment demands a lens that can keep up. Overall, it’s a rather clunky lens for a Sigma. Thankfully, its price reflects that, so I didn’t lose much in the process.

My “water” camera, the Sony A6400, pairs perfectly with the Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS lens, and - for now, at least - I’m happy to keep it that way.

Next, I decided to review the lenses I use with my main camera, the Sony A7III.

As first - Samyang 50mm f/1.4. The reasons? Disappointing sharpness and image quality, as well as a noisy focus (which can be particularly annoying if you use it for video). Bye.

But since I can’t imagine life without a lens in this focal range, I started looking for an alternative.

I settled on a used Sony Zeiss Sonnar T* 55mm f/1.8, and we hit it off from the very first click. The Zeiss is smaller than the Samyang, lightweight, razor-sharp, and has no issues with focus.
Its ergonomics would score a perfect 100 if not for the lack of a button to switch to manual focus.
I don’t even miss image stabilisation; it performs brilliantly even in challenging light conditions.
I had to pay a small extra for the lens swap, but it was absolutely worth it.

Sony 35mm and Sony Zeiss 55mm now form an inseparable duo in my bag.

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 ART had a chance to join the trisome, but ultimately, it didn’t make the cut. Sorry, not sorry.

The 85mm is a fantastic lens. I bought it secondhand about two years ago. Unfortunately, it never got the chance to pay for itself. Most of the time, it just sat quietly on the shelf, gathering dust.

It’s a real shame, because this lens produces stunning images (without a doubt, the best-quality photos I’ve ever taken were with this Sigma). However, it’s massive, weighs a ton, and would easily contribute to my future back and wrist problems if I had used it more often.

Beyond its size, weight, and price, there’s not much to complain about. But dragging it around in a dedicated backpack - let’s be honest - is not ideal. I just didn’t feel like using it anymore.

I also sold my Sigma 100-400mm. Why did I even bother buying it? Apparently, when I thought I’d become a surf and wildlife photographer - or that I’d add some extra charm to my landscapes with compression effect - I was mistaken. I used the lens a few times; it was fun, and that’s where it ended.
And compression? Turns out I don’t even like it.

My all-around lens for covering longer focal ranges is the Sony 24-105mm f/4. It’s more than enough when I feel the need to zoom in. The higher aperture value - that’s something I feel pretty ambivalent about. If it ever starts to bother me, I might swap it out for the 24-70mm f/2.8.

That’s not all. With the gear downsizing, I realized I could also part with my photo backpack. Two lightweight lenses and a camera body fit just as comfortably in a regular shoulder bag or a small backpack (for both a regular photo walk and travel). My Thule Aspect is still for sale.

New purchase

Recently, I purchased a camera I've been dreaming of for a long time - ever since I was a kid, in fact!
It's the Polaroid Now Gen 2, an ultimate photo-toy, but also a source of pure joy. So far, I've only used the first pack of film, but I already love it. Best spent 60 euros of past weeks!

Gear dOWNSIZING CONCLUSIONS

At some point, I realised that, whether I’m out for a photowalk or traveling, I typically bring no more than two lenses. Sometimes just one - and that’s enough. The less, the better.

I didn’t want to fall into category: more gear than skill.

Do I miss any of the gear I got rid of? Not at all. I actually feel much better. Whenever I declutter and reduce the number of things I own, I feel relieved.
It’s like how getting dressed becomes easier when you only have a few items to choose from - all similar and equally practical. How simpler it is to grab your camera when you have just one or two lenses, both lightweight and reliable?

The whole thing with downsizing my gear has also a huge impact on my photography overall.

I also understood that what fascinates me most in photography is the challenge of capturing the world through my eyes. Therefore I need focal lengths that reflect the way human eye sees - somewhere in the 35-55mm range.
No fancy, eye-catching ultra-wide angles, reality-warping compression, or bird’s-eye views. Just me, my eyes, and capturing their perspective.

And last but not least: has my photography suffered or rather developed since I reduced the amount of gear I use? Answer to this question in one of the upcoming blog posts.

Houdoe and see you in the next one!

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