Back in 2003, after deciding to ditch film and go digital, I turned my back on my 20-year relationship with Nikon and bought a Minolta A1. The main attraction was its revolutionary anti-shake sensor and great ergonomics. Though not a DSLR, it kept me happy for a couple of years. In the end, I tired of its slow, contrast-based focusing and bought a Konica Minolta 5D - a DSLR with an anti-shake sensor. Being a budget model, it lost a little of the great ergonomics of the A1, but being a DSLR, it gained faster auto-focus and better low-noise performance.
In September 2007, Sony finally released the long-awaited a700 DSLR. I held off for a full month, but finally relented and bought one! It has a terrific anti-shake sensor, lightning-fast and accurate auto-focus, great ergonomics, an amazing high-resolution LCD and a rugged semi-pro body. This camera should keep me happy for a few years ;-)
On the lens side, I use:
- Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 (for nocturnal expeditions; supremely sharp)
- Carl Zeiss 135mm f1.8 (all round, slightly better than the 85mm)
- Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f2.8 (perfection in a zoom)
- Sony 70-200G f2.8 (heavy, fast focusing, tack sharp from f4)
- Sony 11-18mm f4.5/5.6 (fun but flawed)
- Sigma 180mm f3.5 macro (real sharp from f5.6)
As of April 2009, I replaced my Fuji f31fd with an Olympus e-420 + 25mm f2.8 pancake lens. This is my new "walkabout" camera. VERY small and light for a DSLR — fits in a large pocket. It's chunky compared to a compact camera, but it gives DSLR fast focusing and image quality. Not up there with the a700, but SO much cheaper, smaller and lighter that I can forgive it its failings. To keep me motivated and learning about the little Oly, I have a e-420 photo blog going.
Oh and... gear really doesn't matter. I've taken some of my favourite shots with an old 2MP Canon IXUS v.
