For all the gear changes I’ve made during the past couple of years, the plurality were because my shooting circumstances changed. Some were made because I wanted to try something new. Some were made because I wanted to get out of a bad buy. And then there were the ones that, in retrospect, were just boneheaded.
Like the one that started the downhill roll away from Leica. I remember thinking that if M cameras were decent wearables, then the CL gear would be great wearable stuff. From there, it was an avalanche, with Leica’s business choices being a major catalyst. Part of the absurdity was that with no travel, it made little difference whether a camera was wearable or not.
Wait a minute! I bet you’re wondering how I could say that when I was lugging around heavy bird-chasing gear the whole time. Good point. With that gear I use a harness and carry a backpack because the only lens change I might do would be to add or remove a teleconverter. It’s a symmetrical load, both left to right and front to back. No issues there.
When I shoot short, I carry a shoulder bag because I may want to change lenses often. I usually use a cross-body strap for the camera, but with the heavier Sony/Sigma gear I’ve been using a harness. I’m also usually in some proximity to others, so wish to maintain some semblance of sartorial propriety. Either way, it’s an asymmetrical load, which also makes it feel heavier over time. And during the recent long days out with the Sony, I found myself pulling my collar straight far more times than I was capturing an image.
With an M camera attached to a custom Harry Benz brogue strap, along with an Oberwerth Boulevard shoulder bag, my clothes stayed put. Nothing ever felt out of alignment, even the few times I was on my feet for three or four hours without sitting. I had quality gear and the mental freedom to concentrate on how I used it.
Slowly but surely things went to hell in a handbasket.
No problem, though . . . things will be rectified. Slowly but surely.
