OTG - Defining the photographer needs - Part 1 - The Camera
In my previous post, I've talked about an environment a photographer needs to work, or just for living his passion.
Because it is the new philosophy I want to try, let's focus on the "street photographer" point of view or on any case where a freedom of movement is more important than your confort.
During this phase of improvisation, the photographer have to be as "free" as he can. The goal is to let the creativity manages the limits he has. Not the material or the environment.
For a "walking session" for example, one of my favorite (the most compatible with creativity I think), the camera is the most important. Not too heavy, not too small, with enough battery and memory capacity, with a bag for the most important accessories (lenses, tripod, etc...) and with your creativity for sure! And that's all !
The way we photograph when everything can be improvisation, where nothing is prepared for you, but you have to be prepared for everything.
This is the basic definition of the "On The Go" philosophy i want to share with you.
Since more than 7 years now, I've started having some interest in photography. From my point of view, reflex was the finest photography material, and a MacPro and the 30" cinema display that comes with, were the lab I needed !
I've always prefered Street Photography above shootings in a studio configuration. My satisfaction was always resulting from a pic taken in pure improvisation. This is when a lot of different elements are gathered on a specific moment, that we can create what makes the picture so original, artistic, or just pleasant to look at.
After a lot of walks and the acquisition of my complete "must have" photography equipment, I've felt that something was missing.
Past year before my first travel trip to Iceland, I've decided to buy one of that new species of camera, "the hybrid camera". Supposed to be the perfect mix between compact and reflex, lightweight but performant, and with the possbility of changing lenses, it was looking more adapted to my Iceland road trip than my heavy backpack and my Nikon D80.
So I've bought a Fujifilm XM-1. Not so expensive, with this Leica format I really love, with tons of options and really simple to use, this camera was my preferred one compared to any Nikon/Canon/Sony I already knew.
2 Years ago, Fujifilm was not really recognized for their digital camera but everyone agreed about the fact that their continuous improvement philosophy would make them more and more represented in the camera maker competition.
My journey in Iceland was a complete test for the XM-1. With some Leica lenses and without having any time before to practice with that new toy, the result was not so bad (check the Iceland album ;D ).
I was really enthousiatic about the possibilities offered by this new camera, and I've used it for all my trips and hiking sessions through the year.
Define the camera needs
Really convinced by Fujifilm and the XM-1, I've switched to their professional camera, the X-PRO2
And it is through this camera that I think the "needs" for my OTG philosophy can be reached.
This camera is just an example, and any hybrid camera could reach your satisfaction. I really incite you to make your own opinion, but this one is really my favorite.
You have a lot of interesting stuff here! Really good sensor, with a high definition (24mp), dual SD slot for RAW/JPEG picture saving, wireless connectivity to control your camera and transfer pictures, a lot of configurable thumb wheels and buttons for a lot of usefull functions, dedicated thumb wheels for speed, iso, etc... But for details you'll easily find technical description, or advanced testing on the internet.
All those functionalities, small format, lightweight, make every of your move and action easy to realize.
Coupling this with the fact that you can switch to different lenses, and adapt to the situation, this type of camera is really a must have when you're "On The Go".
Conclusion
This first part was not really "in depth" because the choice of your camera can only be done after experiences. A test you can find on the internet will help you for sure, but don't forget that everybody has his own feeling with a camera, and a detail that can be ridiculous for the tester, can be the most important for you.
The goal of this first part was essentialy to transmit a vision. So when you'll choose your camera, remember those two keywords, freedom of movement and adaptation.