gear stack
Current lineup of cameras, lenses, film and accessories.
Pentax 67
I just picked this one up a few months ago and loving it, minus the defective one I first ordered followed by this one now needing a minor repair. My first medium format camera was a Mamiya 645 in early 2021, (and already regret selling it), but was ready for the leap to 67. I was torn between this and the Mamiya RZ 67, but decided I wanted the more compact/SLR system. The 105mm f/2.4 lens paired with the 55mm f/4 has been a nice combo and the fall off/detail is very nice. Other things I like: easy focus screen, relatively portable, and shutter sound lol. I’ve only ran around 15 rolls through it so more to come..my only complaint on this model is there’s no built-in light meter and already needs a repair. Tips for anyone buying one of these is to go with the newer models (i.e. 67 ii) if possible.
Side note: I’ve noticed a lot of the bigger fashion photographers I follow use the Pentax 67, Contax 645, and/or the Mamiya RZ67 for 120. A lot of them also handprint..
Contax T2
This one that gets a lot of chatter in the analog community. The price tag is no doubt crazy for a point-n-shoot (got this one recently for ~$1k on eBay), but love control/sharpness. The Carl Zeiss prime lens is solid and surprisingly dynamic at the 38mm length. For me, I wanted something not only sharp but also quick with auto focus (and manual focus capability) that had the ability to control shutter/f stop. I’m shooting more travel/hospitality type work so it felt right. I took this to New York to shoot for a hotel in November and was for sure handy with capturing more street/atmosphere of the city as well as interior shots of the hotel. One thing I’ve noticed is this camera overexposes a bit more than my Yashica T4. Luckily, you can underexpose up to 2 stops.
Yashica T4 zoom (Kyocera)
Probably my most used 35mm camera since getting into film. Not to be confused with the infamous Yashica T4, the Yashica Kyocera T4 zoom is an incredibly sharp/versatile/ compact point-n-shoot (I think released in the 90s. It’s a 28-70mm lens (with the Carl Zeiss lens f4-8) with a reliable flash and has built in exposure compensation (but annoying to use tbh). I also heard you can use the infinity focus but never tried this. Some of my favorite images were shot on this camera given the portability and quality, and for some reason the colors that come out look so nice. I’ll bring this one on personal trips, shoot events, and use it as a “B Camera” for client work. My only biggest complaint is the autofocus can be painfully slow when shooting moving objects (i.e. not ideal for street/sports/auto ect.). You can pick one of these up for ~$400 on eBay and would still say it’s worth the run-up in price that film cameras has seen in recent years.
Canon EOS1v
This camera felt like a cheat code when I heard you can shoot 35mm film with a SLR body + canon glass. It’s like shooting on a 5d and surprisingly quick on the autofocus and auto advancing. I bought this camera in 2021 (thanks you Sam Dameshek) and use primarily for model tests or brand work. I love throwing the 70-200mm lens on and getting those punchy compressed shots. It’s also built like a tank with the metal body..the drawback is the price point and the bulkiness for 35mm but again I think there’s a certain time/place for this in the gear kit. This one has sadly been repaired several times but hopefully holds up for a while now.
Polaroid Now
I think everyone should carry some form of Polaroid purely for the instant and nostalgic results you get. I’ll bring this along on nearly all projects (personal/client), because who doesn’t like instant film. These cameras need lots of light, but the flash is pretty reliable if shooting in shade/darkness. Aside from the milky colors/texture you get, I’ve found everyone reacts very positively seeing something in real time on set, especially if you’re not shooting digital. The main downside is consistency.
Bolex H16 16mm Rex3 with 16-100mm f/2.8 lens
This was a bigger purchase at the end of 2023 and probably the biggest learning curves but worth every bit. I’ve been trying to learn more about filmmaking/cinema in the last couple of years and wanted to integrate some form of motion into my work. Last year, we shot 3 projects on this setup (and lots of wasted test rolls) and will do a separate post on this soon.
Other/Accessories:
-Canon 5d Mark IV + 16-35mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8
-Light Meter: Sekonic L-308X-U
-Film Stock: Portra 400 (90% of the time), recently shooting Kodak Gold 200 for 35mm for personal
-Lacie 2 TB Hard Drive
-Pelican 1535 Air Case (just buy one, you look professional and know your gear will be protected)
-Nanlite FS-300B AC-Powered Bi-Color LED Monolight (looks like they’re on sale)
-Tripod: Benro MeFOTO RoadTrip Pro Carbon Fiber Series 1 Travel Tripod
-3 in 1 reflector
-batteries for every camera (best pro tip)