As a matter of course, I tend to use a shifting collection of equipment to make images. This probably has more to do with the fact that I’m an uncurable collector of photo gear than with any particular insights about what makes a good photo.
As I’ve grown more mature as a photographer – however amateur – I’ve realized the truth in the hackneyed phrase, “The best camera is the one you have with you.” Those closest to me know that I’m a lifelong adherent to this view, as I’m very rarely without a camera of some kind in my hand.
That said, however, I do have certain current interests and favorites. For some time now, I’ve been a big fan of rangefinder cameras, but there are certainly other types in my stable. As time permits, I’ll add more details of these tools, and my experiences with them, in this space.
For a while now, my main camera has been the Leica M4. Some call the M4 the “last of the classic Ms”, referring to Leitz’ supposed change in manufacturing procedures with the M4-2 and M4-P that followed. To me, the M4 is the ideal trade-off of cost against a feature set that works for my purposes; furthermore, it’s a regular workhorse – Leica certainly built wonderful working machines. you can see from the photo above that I work mine pretty hard.
I’ve been a fan of rangefinder equipment since about 2005, when I purchased my first RF, the Canon P. To me, RF cameras possess a good balance of ruggedness and utility; their small size makes carriage easy, and keeps your traveling kit light. Traditionally, RF cameras are mostly mechanical devices, with robust construction and simple operation. Modern versions have made the leap into digital, however, with Epson’s RD-1 and Leica’s M8. Some say that RFs are the ideal street photography machines, quiet and stealthy. While I’m not a street shooter (as it were), I can certainly appreciate this assessments, which is by and large true; shooting with an RF is a very intimate experience, one that I find brings me closer to my subject somehow. I also find them ideal for portraiture, at least as far as the smaller 35 mm format will allow.
