I thought the ego was for those who fix things later rather than learn their cameras and accept reality? ;)

Agreed!

Sure, but that's so much more work. Careful not to tip the graycard too much, clip the dome on and off the camera. etc. I've done all that in the past but my Sekonic takes just seconds.
I custom white balance my Fuji X camera off the white side of the gray card using the camera, but that's all.
Then I assess if the highlight and shadow controls will give me what I want.

Nice.
I just can't use flash outdoors. I want them to look like they do in the wild. I also never shoot in the sun but use diffusers.
I've been shooting that same orchid since 1973 when I first found it.
Now I know there are many hundreds of them (along with yellows and pinks over the spring) in this same area.
Toughest part is keeping folks from mowing them since they grow 6 inches from the road in some areas.

Lucky to have saved a few from my collection when I sold 90% in 2006.
I still have a bunch of film for them in my freezer.
The coupled rangefinder on the 1903 unit is my favorite.
I also use the cable release that came with that camera on my Fuji X system (Love threaded shutter buttons)

Fuji XS10 for color, sharpness, price, and no need to shoot RAW. Unless you like all that work.

The strobe always make them seem a bit clinical.
I always go natural light.

nice, but the strobe reflection is a bit hot.

I use an incident meter. This way I read the light FALLING on the subject instead of a reflective meter that reads the light bouncing off the subject.
Incident meters are far more consistent since the light falling on a subject doesn't care what the color/tone of the subject is.
For example: if you're photographing a white car or a black car, an incident meter doesn't care what color the car is, just how much light is on the subject.
A reflective meter reading would be DRASTICALLY different of the two cars and therefore, most likely, neither of the readings will be correct for reflective meter readings.

Fuji X system with either the 55-200 (80-300mm) or M-42 Fujinon 200mm (300mm) with helecoid extension tube and helecoid lens mount adapter.
I don't use flash because it's too obvious. For specimen images I would, but I avoid that kind of work. I own ring lights, speedlights and studio strobe gear, but use it only for portrait work (if I'm forced to photograph people).

Fujinon 200mm M42 mount with helecoid extension tubes for macro/micro work on my Fuji X System. The Fuji EBC lenses ALL have the same color rendition up to today. I don't have to compensate for the color rendition of various other lens brands.
It looks unweildy but is quite light and gets VERY close.

From the Midwest
I've owned Olympus, Pentax, Canon, Leica, Hassleblad, 4x5, 8x10, Fuji GX680 and Nikon systems before settling on the Fuji X system in 2013. The amazing color accuracy, exposure control and gross weight advantages have made me even happier than when I shot my first roll of Velvia film.
I do mostly micro and nature work.
Was in the photo business from 1974-2016 from retail to tech rep to instructor.
I do it all for the fun of it.