What I shoot with
I shoot across a mix of modern mirrorless, compact digital, and vintage film cameras. No single camera does everything — here’s what I reach for and why.
Modern mirrorless
My main digital body. The retro dials match how I think about exposure — after years shooting film, having physical shutter speed and aperture controls feels natural. Pairs beautifully with Nikkor Z glass and adapted vintage glass alike.
Compact full-frame for travel. When weight matters and I need the reliability of a modern autofocus system, the a7C II disappears into a small bag. The subject tracking is unbeatable for street and environmental portraits.
The best street camera ever made, full stop. Pocketable, sharp, and with a focal length (40mm equivalent) that forces compositional discipline. I carry it every single day whether I’m planning to shoot or not.
The film simulations on this camera are unlike anything else in digital. Classic Chrome, Acros, Eterna — they’re not presets, they’re baked-in character. Travel-friendly and genuinely enjoyable to use. My go-to for casual travel days.
The film collection
A fully mechanical 35mm SLR from the 1990s. Paired with Contax/Yashica mount Zeiss glass it produces some of the most beautiful film images I’ve ever made. No batteries needed for the shutter. Pure mechanical precision.
An autofocus rangefinder-style camera with interchangeable Zeiss lenses. The Zeiss Biogon 28mm and Planar 45mm on this body produce extraordinary results. Compact, quiet, and sharp beyond reason.
A pocketable point-and-shoot with a Summarit 40mm f/2.4 Leica lens. The rendering — the way it handles out-of-focus areas, the micro-contrast — is unmistakably Leica. Small enough to take anywhere, sharp enough to matter.
A brand-new half-frame 35mm camera. You get 72 frames from a 36-exposure roll. The vertical format pairs beautifully with street photography. A genuinely modern film camera that still feels analog.
For moments that deserve a physical print on the spot. Instax wide format gives a slightly cinematic aspect ratio. I use it at events, on travels, and whenever someone asks “can I see that shot?”
Aerial & action
Landscape photography from above completely changes the relationship between subject and viewer. The perspective shift — removing human-eye-level expectations — creates images that would be impossible any other way. Essential for travel landscape work.
A tiny magnetic clip camera for the behind-the-scenes of a photo trip. When I’m out shooting I clip it somewhere and let it run. The footage it captures — a photographer at work, in the field — is something a phone can’t replicate. More honest than a vlog camera.
Film stocks I shoot regularly
My default. Latitude, colour rendition, skin tones — it does everything. Push it to 800 when needed.
High saturation, ultra-fine grain. Landscapes and architecture. Unforgiving in exposure but stunning when right.
Budget everyday colour negative. Warm tones and a nostalgic quality that’s hard to replicate digitally.
The Swiss Army knife of B&W. Push to 1600 or 3200 in low light. Excellent shadow detail.
Punchy saturation for landscapes. Demanding to expose correctly but the results are unlike any other film.
Tungsten-balanced, halation glow around lights. My go-to for shooting cities at night on film.
Almost zero reciprocity failure — exceptional for long exposures. Renders incredible mid-tone gradation.
Consumer stock with a character I genuinely like. Better than it has any right to be at this price.
“The best camera is the one you have with you — but the right camera is the one that makes you think before you shoot.”
I shoot digitally when I need speed, reliability, and the ability to review and adjust immediately. I shoot film when I want to slow down, think more carefully, and live with uncertainty until the roll comes back from the lab.
These aren’t competing approaches. They complement each other. The discipline of film makes me a better digital shooter. The flexibility of digital makes me less precious about film.
The gear list above will change. Some cameras will come and go. But the underlying question — what does this tool ask of me as a photographer? — stays constant.
Want to try film?
The reciprocity failure calculator is a good place to start if you’re venturing into long-exposure film work.