Olympus Trip 35
Cameras
The first camera that I bought was an Olympus Trip 35, a small 35mm film camera with a fixed 40mm lens, which I bought in Gibraltar in 1969 while I was 'off to see the world'. I didn't get much further on that occasion. I now regret not even having a camera when I first set off the year before with two friends. It was a great little camera for traveling because it had a simple automatic exposure control and it didn't need a battery. It cost me about £20, which was almost my weekly wage working as a truck driver in Gibraltar. This camera then went everywhere with me for about 15 years until I bought my first SLR.
Canon 35mm film SLRs
Canon AE1 - Canon A1 with motor-drive - Canon F1n with power-winder
Canon F1n kit. Billingham 335 bag.
My first SLR camera was a Canon AE1 with a 50mm f1.8 lens. Cameras were generally sold with a 'standard' 50mm lens in those days. I added more prime lenses. Later I changed to a Canon A1 and then to a Canon F1n.
Then Canon introduced auto-focus cameras and abandoned their FD lens mount, meaning that none of my lenses would fit a new Canon camera. So I sold everything and changed to Nikon. Their new autofocus cameras and lenses were compatible with their older manual ones.
Nikon 35mm film SLRs
Nikon FM2n manual SLR and Nikon F80 auto-focus SLR.
I bought a used Nikon FM2n and a new autofocus Nikon F80 and some Nikkor autofocus lenses. In those days people were wary of only having cameras that wouldn't work if the battery went flat. The FM2 didn't need a battery to keep working and it could use any Nikkor lens, so it made a great back-up camera. I loved using this camera and mostly used it with a manual focus Nikkor 50mm f1.4 (which could also be used on the F80). It was a very relaxing camera to use when not in a hurry. I still have it.
Nikon D3.
Digital SLRs
When digital SLRs had became more affordable I changed the Nikon F80 35mm film body for a Nikon D70 digital body and continued to use my Nikkor AF lenses. At various times I worked my way through a Nikon D300, a D700, a D750 and my final DSLR, a D3.
Compact cameras
When not carrying an SLR or a DSLR, I always took a pocketable fixed-lens camera of some sort with me. After my original Olympus Trip 35 I used an Olympus XA2 and then an Olympus Mju II. When digital compacts became available I changed to a Nikon Coolpix 775 and then to a Nikon P300.
Compact fixed lens cameras
Olympus Xa2 - Olympus Mju II - Nikon Coolpix 775 - Nikon P300
The Nikon 775 was small and chunky with a small rear screen and a tiny viewfinder. It was also slow and had a very small sensor. The Nikon P300 was small and neat and had a larger sensor, but it had no viewfinder and I found that the rear screen was hard to see in bright light, so I changed it for a Fujifilm X20 which had an optical viewfinder with digital readouts. The X20 was a really good little camera but later I changed to a Fujifilm X100T which was even better because it had the larger APS-C sensor, a faster start-up time and a large bright optical and electronic viewfinder instantly switchable from one to the other by flicking a little lever on the front.
Compact fixed lens cameras Fujifilm X20 and Fujifilm X100V.
Mirrorless camera system
I was so impressed by the quality and ability of those Fuji fixed lens cameras that I decided to try a Fuji mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. So I bought a used X-pro2 and an 18-55mm lens. Wow! I was so impressed by what I could do with that camera that I could not do with a DSLR that I decided to stop lugging my heavy Nikon kit around and change completely to a Fuji APS-C system. I sold my Nikon DSLR gear to buy more Fujinon lenses and also a Fujifilm X-E3 for use as a second body.
My main camera is now a Fuji X-T5. I like this camera because it has easy to use analogue controls that allow fingertip control while still looking through the viewfinder, and I like Fujinon lenses because almost all have aperture control rings. I also like to be able to check, and set, the main controls without even powering the camera up, so I can always be prepared.
I also use a Fuji X-E5, which is smaller and lighter than the X-T5, and when fitted with a small prime lens will fit into a small bag or a coat pocket. It has the same processor and sensor as the X-T5.
Although I love the features of the X-T5 and X-E5: 40MP sensor, digital zoom, tilting rear screen, in body stabilisation and plenty of programmable controls, I also love the simpler, lighter and smaller X-E3, which fits most pockets when fitted with a tiny 23mm or 27mm pancake lens. I tend to use it for one purpose: to be ready for use on the street at any time.
Out and about
If I want to fully cover a really wide range of focal lengths I have three Fuji zoom lenses, 10-24mm, 16-50mm and 70-300mm plus its 1.4x converter. These give me a range of from 15mm to 450mm equivalent, or up to 610mm with the converter. These lenses and my X-T5 all fit snugly into my Billingham Hadley and weigh less than 3kg - including the bag. I use a SmallRig grip on this camera for extra grip.
My favourite lenses for this camera are the Fuji 10-24mm f4, 33mm f1.4 and 56mm f1.2.
If I am traveling light with a man bag I usually take my X-E5 with a Fuji 16-50mm f2.8-4.8, which is a small, light, internal-zoom lens. For discrete street photography I might also take a small Fuji prime lens such as the tiny 23mm f2.8 pancake lens, the slightly larger 18mm f2 or the 35mm f2.
If I am not carrying a bag I will have my X-E3 with Fuji 23mm pancake lens in a pocket.
Contact me here if you have a question or any advice.