rph.oto

Leica M11

Ahhhh the Leica M. It has always been a dream camera of mine. A few years ago I picked up a used M10, and due to the uncanny way they hold value, I later sold it for a (rather large) profit. Why sell it? To buy the M11.

Aside from its stunning quality, upgrades over the M10 include: native ISO 64, multi-resolution sensor, and the internal storage.

Leica Sofort 2

This camera is a small step above a "toy", but it's a blast to use and does exactly what it's meant to do.

Voigtlander Bessa R2A

This camera was released in 2004, so it's pretty old. But this used copy is near mint condition. I'm a digital shooter at heart, but shooting film does indeed make me feel some type of way.

M Lenses

I don't own any Leica glass, I simply can't afford it. Instead I've gone all-in on Voigtlander. These three lenses make up my entire M-kit:

• Voigtlander 28mm Nokton Vintage f/1.5 ASPH
• Voigtlander 35mm APO-LANTHAR f/2 ASPH
• Voigtlander 50mm APO-LANTHAR f/2 ASPH

Visoflex 2

I love the rangefinder on the M11, it's one of the reasons I own a Leica M. But there are plenty of times when the EVF is handy, image review in bright sunlight being one.

Fujifilm X-T5

This is my main "landscape" camera. While I'm not driven by megapixels, the 40MP sensor really has been useful (cropping, extra detail, sharpness, etc). In general, though, the X-T5 represents Fujifilm's attempt to focus exclusively on photography, which is exactly what I'm after. The SmallRig L-bracket lives on this camera.

Fujifilm X-Pro3

This is one of the most controversial products Fujifilm has released, with their decision to remove the rear screen. For me, it's much of why I love it. I bought this camera used and it became my goto for capturing family memories. I can't see ever letting it go.

Fujifilm X-T3 (Infrared)

I sent my old, used X-T3 off to have its sensor converted to infrared (Kolari Vision). I opted to do a full sensor conversion over filters mostly for reliable autofocus and fast shutter speeds when hand-holding. Having this makes mid-day, summer photography a lot more realistic!

Fujifilm X100V

I bet 60% of the photos taken of my kids were with an X100 series camera. I've been a part of the X100 club since the X100S, selling and "trading up" along the way. The X100V is for sure the best iteration. Despite its compact size, it's nearly a perfect camera.

XF "Red Badge" Lenses

The red XF badge signifies Fujifilm's "pro" glass.

• xf 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR
• xf 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR
• xf 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR
• xf 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

"The" 35mm f/1.4 R

Arguably Fujifilm's greatest lens. It's the first lens for the X-system and is intentionally flawed, which gives it this oh-so-nice bit of character. Listening to it hunt for focus reminds you of sand grinding in your teeth, but it's hard to argue with the output. It's so, so good.

XF Lenses

• XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR
• XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro
• XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR
• XF 56mm f/1.2 R (WR mk II)
• XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR
• XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR

X-Mount Lenses

Viltrox has recently been making lenses as good or (dare I say) better than Fujifilm. The micro-contrast, sharpness, drop-off... It's very impressive.

• Viltrox 13mm f/1.4
• Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Pro

Nomatic McKinnon 35L

The McKinnon series bags are heirloom quality, built to withstand a life in the outdoors. It's not a light bag, but it's comforting to know my gear is safe.

Nomatic McKinnon LUMA 18L

It doesn't always (or, often doesn't) make sense to carry a 35L bag, but I'm so impressed with the quality of the McKinnon series I decided to get a smaller version. For local hikes and light travel, this bag is perfect.

Clever Supply Co 6L

This is the highest quality bag I've ever owned. The visual design exactly fits my taste and it's been my goto bag recently. I'm not worried about banging it around because I know it can withstand actual, real-world use. Highly recommended!

Peak Design Everyday 3L

If I'm heading downtown on a quick photo walk, this is the bag I'm taking. It's incredibly light and comfortable, and was built to hold a camera and one or two lenses.

Peak Design Camera Cubes

These are where I store my lenses when not in use. I have the "small" and "medium" sizes and they're amazing.

Peak Design Field Pouch V2

I use this to house my X100V and/or cables when traveling. It can be used as a sling, but I don't often use it that way.

Tripods

For serious landscape trips, it's always the Benro tripods.

• Benro Mach3 9X CF Series 3 (4 section, twist lock)
• Benro 46C CF Monopod

For small hikes and local landscapes, I generally take one of the smaller travel tripods.

• Peak Design Travel (carbon fiber)
• Heipi 3-in-1 Travel (carbon fiber)
• Joby GorillaPod 3K Kit
• Manfrotto PIXI Mini

PolarPro Quartzline (77mm)

I use 77mm step up rings with 3, 6, 10 stop (polarized) NDs and a CP. Admittedly, though, I kind of hate dealing with screw-on filters.

PolarPro Helix Maglock (82mm)

I recently upgraded my filter lineup (3, 6, 10 stop ND and CP) to a magnetic system and plan on selling my Quartzline filters.

UV/Protection

I generally put UV/protection filters on all of my lenses, and for that I currently prefer B+W filters.

Peak Design Strap

• Slide Lite
• All of my current straps support Peak Design anchors

Clever Supply Co Straps

• Minimal Anchor Strap
• Adjustable Anchor Strap
• Anchor Wrist Strap

Flash

I very rarely (rarely) use flash. Generally, it's for bouncing light out from the side when shooting macro. Regardless, I've found this flash to perform well for my needs.

Godox External

• Godox TT350F
• Godox XPro-F wireless trigger

Diffusers

• Angler PSFD-100
• (I use this primarily for macro photography)

Random Stuff

• Vallerret Photography Gloves (these are incredible)
• Garmin inReach Mini 2
• Lume Cube Panel Mini
• SKOLOO waterproof SD card case
• JJC Fujifilm RR-90 multi-function timer remote control
• SanDisk 2TB/4TB for exports/backups
• Filter wrench set (77mm)
• Peter Mckinnon Nomatic battery case (2)
• Anker 200W 3-port Power Bank
• Giottos Rocket Air Blaster
• Composition ViewCatcher