radiojohn

Somewhere, I clipped out an image of a seriously wounded soldier in courtyard clinging to the cassock of a priest. I know it was South America, but not sure where. Any chance it was your photo?

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

radiojohn

In my broadcasting world, I also am a "pro," still making a living with my voice, writing and editing skills.
In an upcoming book podcasting, I make suggestions on microphones and studio setups based on what has worked for ME for 40 years. As with our photojournalist friend, showing what works reliably for me just might help another person make a better choice for them.

For example, as many of my interviews are recorded on location, I do NOT use a so-called "studio mic." I use an "ENG" [electronic news gathering] mic with better durability, built in wind and "pop" filters and an extended handle. Studio mics are meant to be used in a noise-reduced studio and not touched.

A lot of wannabee podcasters spent too much money on a studio mic AND HAVE NO STUDIO! They have a noisy bedroom.

So my advice on what works for me is a strong suggestion. It is not about my career, but passing on information based on hard fought experience is worth a bit of consideration. This applies to gardeners, woodworkers, cooks, auto enthusiasts and anything else where you sometimes learn the hard way best practices.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Oh man...and he writes it all down. That's bad. He seems to think that liking a D500 is tied to some sort of evil.

Tote1940 Loc: Dallas

For me favorite film camera 1970 Mamiya Sekor 500 DTL probably , like first love, my first SLR
Perfect fit in my hands, manual focus forces you to rethink composition as you focus
Spot meter taught me to think of where to measure light, needle range tells you amount over/under exposure, short of histogram best I have had
Interchangeable lensed with T mount cheap lenses galore.
Of course cannot compare with autofocus digital wonders with ISO into stratosphere but many fonds memories

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Nikon F3
Canon EOS 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D
Lumix GH4 and GH5

I’ve used those more than any others. All of them were what I needed at the time.

The Lumix models make the most sense for what I do now. A G9 II or GH7 is in my future.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

A camera is a personal tool. What good is a top of the line camera that has super specs on paper, gets rave five star reviews, and spoken well by most everyone? Yet, when you handle the camera yourself, doesn't feel right in your hands, has confusing controls, and an EVF/OVF not to your liking? Other the other hand, you find a three star camera that works best for YOU. That's why I weigh camera reviews based on my experience with the camera. Specs are important too, up to a point. Sometimes the camera you think you really want is out of reach financially. So you "bid down" until you find the one that is "just right" all arounder you can afford.

And with all the mirrorless craze in the last few years, I know many who prefer their tried and true DSLRs....it gets the job done for you without hassle - that's what counts.

Hip Coyote

Amateur photog here.

As far as handling, I favor my Oly OMD Em1 Mark 2 over the Mark 3. Mostly because the 2 has all the buttons near where the right thumb rests. The 3 idiotically has the menu button on the left side of the back of the camera, forcing a two handed manipulation. It was downright odd that that they did that. Also, my 3 went on the fritz while traveling...in a far away land. Thankfully I could fiddle with it and make it work, mostly. Sent it in and got it repaired, but of course, it was the worst possible time for it to happen. I had a back up plan, but still....

But, for me, more importantly, I prefer the Pro lenses, the 12-100 and now the 8-25 which are spectacular. I'm torn over which lens I like better. I can carry two lenses which cover from 16 to 200 mm (ff equivalent) in a very compact bag.

Both cameras, coupled with the pro lenses provide me with the ability to hand-hold with shutter speeds up to 1 second and have very sharp images. Some people can hold for longer! And both, when married up with a pro lens are a pretty weather tight rig...took one on Maid of the Mist at Niagara and never had a problem. I do not even carry rain protection for my cameras.

I had a lot of Canon gear, but sold it to the Navy. They're making anchors out of it.

KarenKaptures Loc: New Jersey

Mine too 😊

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Interesting. I have an RX10MIV and I use it fairly often. It’s my kayak camera. I love what I can get with it from a package that gives me a 24-600mm range at f/4 and excellent focus tracking. But it’s my least favorite camera and I never use it if I’m not kayaking. The ergonomics suck and I’m not a fan of electronic zoom.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Thank you, Chief.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I like my cell phone for its ease of use and relatively good image quality.

My alternate favorite is my Sony RX10 IV for its 24-600mm zoom range.

bwa

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

I actually prefer the left hand placement of the menu button. It’s not a button I access with the camera to my eye so convenience isn’t an issue. I want things like ISO, EC and AF with easy acces while shooting.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I am hugely in favor of using gear that "gets out of the way," by being ergonomically sound for me and feeling good in my hands. It has to be capable of what I need it to do. However, I learned a long time ago that maximizing performance along any one vector, without balance within my whole system, is a formula for disaster.

One of my old film cameras, a Nikon FTn, was a GREAT photographic instrument. But ergonomically, it was an annoyance. Changing film required removing the back and finding a place to put it. The shutter release was so far back on the body it was painful to use. The interchangeable viewfinders never stayed on tight enough, so dust intrusion was a major issue if you worked in dusty environments. Nikon's early mechanical lens-to-meter coupling was clever, but clunky. The F3 fixed all of those issues. It was a joy to use.

russraman Loc: New York City

For me it’s the Nikon Df whose retro design revived my passion for photography when I discovered it in 2015?