Dear friend,
When it comes to equipment, we always think:
My equipment is not good enough.
The reason why my lack of inspiration and motivation is because my equipment is sub-par.
However this is just the insidious voice of capitalism and consumerism lurking in the back of our heads.
Consider– a child … when they are painting something or using crayons, do they ever think:
If I only had better crayons I would make better art.
No! Thus perhaps the best way for us to re-motivate ourselves in photography is this:
Learn to UN-LEARN all of this negative self-talk which DE-MOTIVATES us.
ERIC
EQUIPMENT by KIM
There is no “perfect” camera. Don’t fall into GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and falsely believe that buying a new camera will make you a better photographer.
If you’re not feeling inspired in your photography, I recommend you to buy books, not gear. Also check out these 75+ Inspirational Photo Books You Gotta Buy. You can also download my free books.
Equipment Articles >
- The Best Camera is the One You Shoot with the Most
- Why RICOH GR III is the Best Camera
- Use and Abuse Your Gear!
- RICOH is the new LEICA
- In Praise of Banging around Your Camera
- Electric Cameras
- Why the RICOH GR III is Better than the Leica Q2
- Buy a new Ricoh GR III, not a New iPhone
- The Best Headphones are In-Ear Monitors
- Are Point-and-Shoot Cameras the Best Cameras?
- Gear Adaptation Syndrome
- Satisfice
- What is the Benefit of “Standalone” Digital Cameras?
- All Cameras are Good Cameras
- Why The Future of Photography is Software
- RICOH MAFIA
- Use and Abuse Your Gear!
- Why RICOH GR II is the Best Street Photography Camera
- The Best Photography/Vlogging Equipment Setup
- My Favorite Travel Street Photography Equipment
- Zen Body-Hand-Mind Connection with the Camera
- Why It Doesn’t Matter What Camera You Shoot With
- What is the Best Camera and Lenses for Street Photography?
- The Best Travel Street Photography Equipment 2018
- 6 Lessons I’ve Learned After Shooting All the Expensive Cameras
- How to Make Good Photos on a Shitty Camera
- Why I Shoot With One Camera and One Lens
- My Travel Equipment, Winter 2017
- What is the Perfect Camera For You?
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera
Digital Medium Format Photography
- Why Digital Medium Format is a Game-Changer for Color Photography
- The Upsides and Downsides of Digital Medium Format Photography
- Fujifilm GFX 50R and 45mm f/2.8 Lens First-Impressions Review
- Review of the Pentax 645Z and Digital Medium Format Photography
- 7 Reasons Why I Love Digital Medium-Format Photography
- My Experience Shooting Digital Medium Format in Street Photography
- My Experience Shooting my Friend’s Wedding on Digital Medium Format
- Why Digital Medium Format is the Future of Photography
- Is Digital Medium Format Worth It?
- 7 Lessons I’ve Learned Shooting Fashion For the First time on Digital Medium Format (PENTAX 645Z)
Smartphone Photography >
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Smartphone Photography
- Benefits of Shooting Street Photography With a Smartphone
- In Street Photography, The Smaller the Camera, the Better
Film Photography 101 >
- Film Street Photography Manual
- What I Learned Shooting 100 Rolls of Black and White Film
- What I Learned Processing 164 Rolls of Film
My favorite camera: RICOH GR III
Currently my favorite camera is the RICOH GR III:
- Why the RICOH GR III is the Best Travel Photography Camera
- Why the RICOH GR III is Better than the Leica Q2
- Why the RICOH GR III is the Best Street Photography Camera
- The RICOH GR III (3) is the Best Camera Ever Made.
Best Equipment by ERIC KIM
This is a list of my personal favorite equipment in photography, computers, and life:
Of course, this list probably won’t apply to you — but this is advice I would give myself (if I needed to buy stuff):
Film cameras
If you’re new to shooting film, pick up a copy of FILM NOTES.
Best film rangefinder
Leica MP + Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron Lens
Best affordable film rangefinder
Leica M6 + Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 Lens
Best compact film camera
Contax T3
Best medium-format film camera
Hasselblad 500-series
Best black and white film
Kodak Tri-X 400 (pushed to 1600): $5
Best color film
Best film scanner
For medium-format/35mm: Epson v800: $800
For 35mm: Plustek OpticFilm 8100: $270
Camera accessories
Best camera shoulder bag
Best camera backpack
Fits 13” Laptop and Camera: Thinktank Perception 15 (black): $120
Best photography neck strap
Best photography wrist strap
Best photography inspiration website
Best photography news blog
Best photography software
Adobe Lightroom
Best video editing software
iMovie (free) or Final Cut Pro X ($300)
Books
Best educational photography book
Best black-and-white photography art book
Best color photography art book
“The Suffering of Light” by Alex Webb
Best photography handbook
Best philosophy book
On the Shortness of Life – Seneca ($8) // 10 Lessons Seneca Has Taught Me.
Best digital tools
Best laptop
Maxed-out 13” MacBook Pro (Refurbished)
Best phone
Best Mac Apps
Best writing app
IA Writer (for writing)
Best screen recorder
Camtasia
Best image resizer
JPEGmini Pro
Audio
Best earbuds
In-ear monitors
Apparel
Best underwear
ExOfficio Men Boxer Brief (black): $26
Best T-shirt
Outlier NYC Merino Wool T-Shirt
Best socks
Outlier NYC Black Merino Wool Socks
Best pants
Merino Wool Leggings (black)
Best glasses
Finance
Best bank
Chase
Best entrepreneurial tools
Best blogging platform
Best paid online services
Best cloud storage
Dropbox (Pro)
Diet & Nutrition
Food
Intermittent fasting — with one big meal a day (only dinner)
Workout
Deadlifts (one rep max) + squats + dumbbell press + chin-ups + pushups
Conclusion
Of course this is just a list of stuff that work for me. It probably won’t work for you.
But I got inspired to make this list– because it took me about 10 years to figure out the best equipment for me. And this works for me, and I hope it can help simplify your purchasing decisions (at least in photography and some other details).
I’ll continue to do articles and videos related to equipment– because I do believe (up to a certain degree) having the ‘right’ equipment in life makes life easier. But the problem is falling victim to GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) where we are buying stuff for the sake of it (has happened to me).
If you already have a bunch of equipment that works for you– stick with it. But if you need some help, I hope this list helped you.
Always,
Eric