About Camera

There are only two months left of this year.

Have any of you ever struggled with camera equipment? I always think I'm making the best choices, but whenever new gear is released, I find myself wanting it. In Japan, we call this kind of situation "falling into a swamp". Like "falling into the lens swamp".

My first SLR was a Pentax. A friend recommended it to me, but the reason they recommended it was a bit of a wind-up: the autofocus was slow, they didn't make a full-frame model and it wasn't exactly a popular brand. Not knowing any of this, I bought the Pentax as suggested. My friend probably just believed some online reviews and had never actually used one themselves. It was a proper camera and was perfectly adequate for learning the basics.

My first mirrorless camera was the Fujifilm X-E1, which had just been released. I became interested in it because the ad campaign featured the work of the Russian photographer Gueorgui Pinkhassov, but after seeing the work of the other photographer featured in the campaign, Toshimitsu Takahashi, I thought, 'Is there someone in Japan taking photos this cool?!' I wanted to take photos like theirs, and I remember buying it that very day. It was a camera that received a lot of criticism, but having already discovered the joy of using a Pentax, I thought it was a brilliant camera that enhanced that experience.

Later, when I became an official photographer of traditional Japanese performing arts, I switched to a full-frame SLR and started using high-performance, albeit heavy, lenses. While shooting, I would be completely absorbed, but afterwards, I would be left with an indescribable sense of unease. I read on a famous photographer's blog that the increasing weight of high-performance cameras is causing more people to suffer from shoulder and back pain. I wondered if this could be the cause of my unease. Some of my colleagues can shoot for hours with a massive 200 mm lens. I even started to think that perhaps I wasn't cut out to be a photographer. Photography just wasn't fun during that period.

However, after quitting as an official photographer and picking up Fujifilm again, I found it incredibly enjoyable. When I tried the Nikon Zf in a shop, I also found it really enjoyable. The Zf is by no means small or light, but it felt like an extension of my body. The Zf has been on the market for two years now, and I can see why its user base is growing all the time. I used to think that rangefinder-style cameras suited me, but the Zf isn't one, despite its retro design. I was even more confused.

What finally brought my agonising camera journey to a close was visiting a photo exhibition dedicated solely to old lenses. When I tried a modern lens that could be considered a contemporary version of the old ones, in which I'd had no interest before, I got that feeling — the 'this is it' feeling. For me, it seems that it wasn't about the size or weight of the body or lens, but where the centre of gravity was located. I also realised that, although I'd always thought the latest lenses were the be-all and end-all, they were actually too high-spec for me and that I preferred the classic, old-school look.

Had that friend recommended a model where you just press the shutter to get a good photo back then, I might still favour high-spec cameras and lenses today.  Cameras and lenses are by no means cheap purchases. However, if something doesn't feel quite right, I think it's perfectly acceptable to try a different model. Life is short, so it's important not to waste time.