Every year I shoot a huge vacation bible school. Which is now by far the biggest event I shoot since retiring from cons and festivals. I've posted about all the changes I made to my kit. Gearing it towards portraits/candids, musicians performing, and events. After the second day I realized that, without realizing it, how shoot, what I prefer to shoot with, and how I carry it has gone through a lot of changes. As always, I like to post these things for discussion, feedback, and if by chance it may help someone out in figuring things out for themselves.
Today was the second day. And I think I have ironed out how I will be shooting for the rest of the week. At least for the most part. But first, the start of things. Yesterday, I arrived. Got my gear ready. I had the Think Tank speed belt on with a non gripped X-T2/23mm 1.4 in one large pouch. The 56mm 1.2 in another pouch. And the 90mmf2 mounted to a X-T2 w/battery grip slung with a Peak Design Slide strap. The standard FF equivalent 35/85/135 event prime kit.
I made it all of 10 minutes before I was running back to where my backpack was stashed and dumping the pouch and 56mm. Realizing that everything was too bulky the way I was carrying it and uncomfortable work in. How did I shoot like that with DSLRs for so many years? So off I went again. About 10ish minutes later, I was running back to my backpack. Ditching the speed belt, pouch, second body, and Slide strap. Somewhere along the line I've gotten to no longer like either big PD straps, or straps in general. Small PD pouch went onto the belt holding my shorts up with the 23mm and off I went again.
I made it 1 and a 1/2 hours before realizing that I was not really using the 23mm unless I absolutely had to. So a quick spin by the backpack and I switched out the 23mm for the 35mm 1.4. From there I shot most of the day. Occasionally trading the 90 for the 56 and back again. I seemed to really settle in shooting the 35 1.4 and either of the longer primes.
Day 2, today, I rolled with the 35/90 combo out of the gate. Swapping the 35 for the 16mm 1.4 to do some wide angle work. Then back with the 35. About halfway through I switched over to the body without the battery grip. Really enjoying the lightness of the kit. Going into tomorrow I am going to leave the battery grip at home. One body in the backpack for backup. And I will give the Peak Design leash a go in the morning. Which brings us back to me shooting the 35/90 pair the remainder of the week.
The biggest surprise for me was shooting the 35/90 pair after so many years shooting what would be the 23/56/90 kit. The images I'm getting are some I really love. Having chosen the 35 1.4 for the SiJ challenge and shooting with it so much may play a part in that. I have really become comfortable shooting the 35mm. My full event prime kit now would be 16/35/90. But the 16 would only be for anything really wide.
The other thing I have come to realize shooting this event and some local bands playing. If I am going to work with 3 lenses, I prefer to work out of smallish shoulder bag. Two lense, then a small pouch and one on the camera.
Today was the second day. And I think I have ironed out how I will be shooting for the rest of the week. At least for the most part. But first, the start of things. Yesterday, I arrived. Got my gear ready. I had the Think Tank speed belt on with a non gripped X-T2/23mm 1.4 in one large pouch. The 56mm 1.2 in another pouch. And the 90mmf2 mounted to a X-T2 w/battery grip slung with a Peak Design Slide strap. The standard FF equivalent 35/85/135 event prime kit.
I made it all of 10 minutes before I was running back to where my backpack was stashed and dumping the pouch and 56mm. Realizing that everything was too bulky the way I was carrying it and uncomfortable work in. How did I shoot like that with DSLRs for so many years? So off I went again. About 10ish minutes later, I was running back to my backpack. Ditching the speed belt, pouch, second body, and Slide strap. Somewhere along the line I've gotten to no longer like either big PD straps, or straps in general. Small PD pouch went onto the belt holding my shorts up with the 23mm and off I went again.
I made it 1 and a 1/2 hours before realizing that I was not really using the 23mm unless I absolutely had to. So a quick spin by the backpack and I switched out the 23mm for the 35mm 1.4. From there I shot most of the day. Occasionally trading the 90 for the 56 and back again. I seemed to really settle in shooting the 35 1.4 and either of the longer primes.
Day 2, today, I rolled with the 35/90 combo out of the gate. Swapping the 35 for the 16mm 1.4 to do some wide angle work. Then back with the 35. About halfway through I switched over to the body without the battery grip. Really enjoying the lightness of the kit. Going into tomorrow I am going to leave the battery grip at home. One body in the backpack for backup. And I will give the Peak Design leash a go in the morning. Which brings us back to me shooting the 35/90 pair the remainder of the week.
The biggest surprise for me was shooting the 35/90 pair after so many years shooting what would be the 23/56/90 kit. The images I'm getting are some I really love. Having chosen the 35 1.4 for the SiJ challenge and shooting with it so much may play a part in that. I have really become comfortable shooting the 35mm. My full event prime kit now would be 16/35/90. But the 16 would only be for anything really wide.
The other thing I have come to realize shooting this event and some local bands playing. If I am going to work with 3 lenses, I prefer to work out of smallish shoulder bag. Two lense, then a small pouch and one on the camera.