I flew to Japan to find the Best Nikon Zf Grip.
I flew to Japan to find the best grip for the Nikon Zf, but first I had to try every other grip on the market. Some were good - one was terrible - but I didn’t want to settle. The mythical ZF-GR1 - the official Japan Exclusive Nikon grip was my last hope and I looked in10 camera stores across 5 districts amidst the chaos of tourist-season Tokyo before I found it, which begs two questions. One Is this the best grip for the Nikon Zf and two - am I obsessed?
21 Photography Lessons I wish I knew in my 30s | Nikon Z6III
It’s great, but I don’t “need” the Nikon Z6III. It’s technically “better” almost any camera in its price range, but I’m trying not to get blinded by the specs. While the Z6III comes with 6 headline grabbing features, it’s still missing 3 things that Nikon shooters have been demanding, for YEARS. After shooting with 31 cameras from the major brands for both photo and video over the past 10 years, I’ve learnt 21 photography lessons - things I wish I knew in my 30s - which will hopefully help with this decision. Is the Z6III the right camera for me and for you?
The Price of Nostalgia? | Fujifilm X100VI
With its retro design and throwback film look, Fujifilm’s X100VI is the internet’s trendiest camera. It might be one of the best looking cameras of all time, BUT I was here before the hype. I bought the X100T on my first trip to Japan, upgraded to the X100F on the next trip, then graduated to the V before yet another trip to Nippon. Across the span of three separate Japan adventures, the X100 cameras taught me three street photography philosophies that I still use every day. But these cameras aren’t mine, not anymore. Turns out I’ve been chasing a ghost, a fleeting memory of that first shooting experience. So here I am, back at the start.
Am I, and are you - over-romanticising these cameras? How much are you willing to pay for nostalgia?
Photo Packing Panic? | Wotancraft Pilot Sling 7L
In Japan there is great premium placed on empty or negative space - “Ma”. this gap in the physical world should be filled not with objects but instead left empty to maximise your creative possibilities. Wotancraft’s camera bags are designed for this exact purpose.
Rugged mil-spec aesthetic. Single magnetic fidlock that opens and closes in one satisfying click. The main selling point for me is that Wotancraft bags make some of the lightest street photography bags on the market courtesy of the lightweight weather resistant waxed cordura fabric. The Pilot bags do come in 18L, 10L, 7L, 3.5L, 2.5L… how do you choose between all these sizes?
Bored by your Photos? Try 40mm | Ricoh GRIIIX
Do all of your photos look the same? Similar subjects, same angle, wide open, every time? Orange and teal, black and white, the same edit and presets, time and again? If this supposed to be fun, then why do I feel so bored?
Turns out boredom is nothing more than a clue of what’s yet to come, and having an EDC camera like the Ricoh GRIIIX can help unlock that boredom.
Lonely in a Crowd? | Sony 85mm f1.8
Want your travel photos to stand out? You should try 85mm. A focal length flattering for people, architecture, landscapes, that can melt the background away if you want to. While everyone else is shooting wide? Your 85 will pick out faraway details and capture locations through a completely different perspective.
Granted it’s not the easiest lens to start with.
Alone in the frame, isolated from surroundings, your subject and your work will have nowhere to hide.
I’m not a Minimalist | Sony 50mm f1.4 vs f1.2 GM
I don’t need this.
You don’t need this.
I’m a failed minimalist, especially when it comes to photography and GAS.
In the last post I went on the record to say Sony’s 50mm f1.4 G Master is my favourite lens of all time. Ever since I got it, its big brother - the 50mm f1.2 G Master - has been collecting dust on the shelf.
Is there room for two fast 50mm lenses? Why did I get both to begin with? Which one do I keep?
The Lens that made me an Impostor | Sony 50mm f1.4 GM
This search took me a decade, but last year I finally found it. My favourite lens of all time. A technical masterpiece - everything I could have wanted in a lens.
The problem? This lens is so good it made me feel like an impostor.
Creative Anxiety? | Sony 35mm f1.4 GM
Sony’s flagship 35mm f1.4 GMaster. The sharpest detail coupled with the creamiest bokeh, quick and silent autofocus. Every button, switch, and ring you could want right on the lens, weather sealed gaskets to protect it against rain, dirt, and dust. All of this in a small compact form factor, especially for a bright f1.4 aperture which will take you from day to night without missing a beat. It’s supposed to be a perfect lens, but you want to know a secret?
I absolutely hated it when it first came out.
I took 13,231 Photos to Beat Burnout | Sony A7CR
Photography isn’t my job, but it’s my tool of choice for mental well-being. I took the newly announced Sony A7CR on a trip to Japan to document my much needed break.