Here we are, after one more trip around our star, buckled up and ready for the next one. A belated happy new year to you all.
I wrote in my last blog about the personal challenges faced last year, and it seemed to resonate with many of you who were also glad to see the back of 2024.
What a start it’s been to 2025 though, certainly from a landscape photographer’s point of view. A stunning aurora in the first week was quickly followed by lots of fog and then proper snowfall. It would be greedy to expect more but we now have a planetary alignment for the next couple of weeks. I’m hoping for clear night skies but let’s get through this weekend’s severe storm first……..
So 2025 has started really well and it’s not even February ! I’ve got lots of things in the diary already, including a couple of trips to North Wales in March and April, quickly followed by two weeks of Greek island sun. My 1:1 tuition diary is also nearly full for the coming Spring, some with new clients and a couple of returning ones. A few spaces remain for my Autumn workshops, so get in touch if you’re tempted. Details here: https://www.timscanlanphotography.com/workshops
One significant entry in my diary has yet to be made though.
Enforced downtime last year gave me time to review my camera gear and assess what’s not getting used and what needs replacing. I love my kit and it never lets me down, but it’s a few years old so I’ve decided to completely renew everything over the next few months. I accept that I don’t need to do this but upgrading my cameras and lenses will certainly benefit my work. This is a significant change for me and it’s one I’ve been putting off for a while, both from a financial viewpoint but also out of slightly mis-placed loyalty. So I’m looking forward to circling the date for the new kit.
The more photographers I speak to, the more I realise that the latest cameras are so much smaller and lighter than my Nikons and have some excellent new tech. I’ve been very impressed with the high end Canon’s and have also looked at Sony’s latest offerings as they perform really well in low light.
I’ve decided, though, to stay with Nikon gear as it’s so reliable and robust, coping in all weathers and temperatures. I’ve been waiting for them to release an update to their mirrorless camera range and also add newer, faster lenses to their astrophotography catalogue. I’ve recently had a good look at the newer lenses and in terms of weight reduction they’re on another level. This becomes especially important when carrying two cameras and three or four lenses for a night shoot. I’m also not getting any younger so every ounce saved in the backpack is very welcome!
Just to be clear, I haven’t won the lottery (not yet anyway ) and have weighed up the cost very carefully. After trading in my current gear and with income from print sales and tuition workshops I’m confident I can replace everything by the end of the year for less than £500. That’s two cameras and 9 lenses in total, a considerable amount to swap out. There’s a lot of sense in looking after gear and I’ve kept the boxes mine came in, which can make a considerably difference in the price a dealer offers at trade in, plus the average age of my kit is 3 or 4 years so it’s still very much sought after by hobbyists and enthusiasts. Fingers crossed eh?
The evolution of cameras from digital single lens reflex (DSLR) to the newer mirrorless models began around 15 years ago. Manufacturers rolled out new all-singing all-dancing tech to great fanfare, and despite them being generally lighter and smaller, the professional community were reluctant to change straight away, mainly due to incompatibility with existing lenses. Pros who had built up a collection of expensive glass couldn’t justify the expense of buying a new camera plus new lenses or an adaptor, so they hung back until the kit proved to be the improvement it was promised to be. Now mirrorless sales far outstrip DSLRs and there’s only a few luddites like me clinging onto older kit. They all appear to be Nikon users which speaks volumes for reliability in my opinion. Another benefit of not being an early adopter is the current range of cheaper third party lenses that are now available. They’ve come a long way in the last few years and are now not far short of native kit in terms of image quality. Their wider angle lens are faster as well so that’s a real bonus for nightscapers like me.
Enough of the dry technical stuff. The exciting part is working with new, improved kit and that can only benefit my photography. I’m looking forward to putting it through its paces in the coming months. I don’t need much excuse to visit photography stores or websites but you can bet I’ll be having a very close look at lots of new stuff over the next few weeks. Boys toys and all that…….
So as we start a new revolution around the Sun, I’m looking forward to a revolution in my camera gear. Can’t wait !
