Camera gear and film
The majority of images features on this site are taken from medium format (6x7) originals taken with a Pentax 67, or more recently, a Pentax 67II camera. While these cameras and their lenses are quite heavy to carry, they are capable of capturing superbly sharp images which yield high-quality results when enlarged and printed.
I carry five lenses with these cameras:
- Pentax 45 mm f/4
- Pentax 75 mm f/2.8
- Pentax 105 mm f/2.4
- Pentax 200 mm f/4
- Pentax 300 mm f/4
For most landscapes I use either the 75 mm or 105 mm lenses and occasionally the 200 mm lens; only very rarely do I need to go to 300 mm. The 45 mm lens is a very wide-angle lens (equivalent to roughly 22 mm for a 35 mm format camera) which I find excellent for dramatic foregrounds or perspective shots.
In addition to the medium format kit I carry an Olympus 35 mm kit based on the very popular (but no longer made) Olympus OM4Ti SLR. The advantage of this smaller-format kit is that the camera and lenses are very compact and generally light-weight, suitable for longer trips when weight becomes an issue.
With the Olympus 35 mm camera I have nine lenses:
- Zuiko 21 mm f/3.5
- Zuiko 24 mm f/2.8
- Zuiko 35 mm f/2.8
- Zuiko 50 mm f/3.5 macro
- Zuiko 90 mm f/2 macro
- Zuiko 135 mm f/3.5
- Zuiko 200 mm f/4
- Zuiko 28-48 f/4 zoom
- Zuiko 65-200 mm f/4 zoom
Similarly to the medium format kit, I generally use the short to mid-range lenses for most landscapes I take. The 90 mm f/2 macro in particular is a versatile and beautiful (and now rare) piece of glass which yields stunningly sharp images, allowing for considerable enlargement without noticeable softness even at 40 x 50 cm. It's relatively heavy, but worth every gram!
Wherever possible, I use a tripod to ensure maximum sharpness in my images. I carry a Manfrotto 055C Triminor aluminium tripod, which, while not particularly light, is a strong and dependable piece of equipment that has seen me through many difficult and inclement situations without fail.
Film
I almost always use Fuji transparency film, chosen for its superb sharpness and colour rendition in a wide range of photographic situations. Fuji Velvia 50 ASA film is a favourite amongst professional and amateur photographers alike, delivering crisp, clean whites and vivid colours while maintaining very good sharpness and definition. It is especially good in subdued light where contrast is relatively low. However it is not so good with high-contrast lighting, and in these situations I prefer Fuji Astia 100 ASA film (now superceded by Astia 100F) which has a slightly better exposure latitude. It also features a more muted colour palette than Velvia does, giving a wide range of scenes a very even, 'natural' tonality. It is also extremely sharp and therefore gives very good enlargements.