--my gears
Equipment
The first camera I ever used for photography was a Sony RX100 III in 2017. Though hard for using, it was my first photography teacher. What follows is a overlook of my gears used in recent years. The setup may not catch up with the most updated techs, but stress portability--\"willing to take it on then go\" comes first to me.This setup is built around being light and portable—"willing to take it out"—as the main goal, suitable for non-serious shooting.
There are many equipment listed below, but every time I go out, I usually take no more than two lenses. I want to reduce unnecessary loads, and focus on specific perspectives.
Camera｜Panasonic Lumix S5M2
Camera｜Olympus EM5II
Lenses｜Panasonic 35mm f/1.8 + 20-60 f/3.5-6.3
Lenses｜Olympus 17mm f/1.7 + 75/300mm f4.8-6.7
Driven by a desire to explore more photographic subjects and videos, I purchased the Lumix S5M2 in the summer of 2025. To be honest, I wasn't particularly fond of the camera when I first got it. Compared to the excitement I felt upon first seeing the Fuji XT3, the S5M2 lacked a pleasing appearance and was too bulky. However, after using it a few times, I forgot about these shortcomings. Compared to XT3, its performance and stability were significantly improved. Panasonic's color science was also excellent. Compared to the overly stylized colors of Fujifilm, Panasonic's colors, while maintaining realism, are very pleasing to the eye as well.
The Lumix S5M2 is a very cost-effective camera; it's the most affordable and best-performing camera you can buy with an IMX410 sensor. Its in-body image stabilization is powerful, so I do not need an additional stabilizer. If you're not a professional photographer, the S5M2 is more than enough to document your daily life.
I still insist on carrying no more than two lenses when I go out. Besides my favorite 35mm, the 20-60mm zoom lens is very suitable for video shooting and is a cost-effective choice.
When I want to relax, I choose the Olympus EM5II. Its compact size prevents it from bothering others during street photography, unlike the S5M2. Meanwhile, the M43 system boasts a significant size advantage in super-telephoto lenses. Full-frame camera owners might find it hard to believe that a 150-600mm equivalent focal length body and lens combination is only palm-sized. While there is some loss in image quality, the convenience of M43 is irreplaceable.
Previous｜Fujifilm X-T3
Lens｜Fujinon 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro
At the end of 2021 I picked up this brand-new X-T3 at a fairly reasonable price. It's a classic model whose success has been proven by time; when it first launched in 2018, the price was close to 12k. Compared with my previous camera, the X-T20, it has better handling, a bigger viewfinder, and most importantly, autofocus that finally reached a usable state.
Compared with the Sony-Canon-Nikon big three, the Fuji system has some unique advantages: you can adjust all the main parameters with nearly fully mechanical controls, very suited to street photography in changing light; the body plus lens is compact, not disturbing the subject; the built-in film simulations look great and can sometimes save post-processing (though post-processing is still necessary for serious photography). Bringing home hundreds of raw files in a day of travel is normal; skipping complex post-processing reduces travel fatigue and lets you focus more on composition in the field.
I prefer Fujinon f/2 series lenses, whose optical quality can well meet the needs with fair prices. The compact shooting system makes it possible to travel without burden and provides covertness, reducing the stress of the target people. I don't really need an aperture below 2.0, as excessive bokeh can lead to a loss of information.
Currently I mainly use the newest 30mm f/2.8 macro lens for recording everyday life. Though named macro, it performs very well for daily documentation too. Its biggest advantage is a focal length equivalent to about 44mm—a field of view slightly wider than 50mm and more focused than 35mm. For street photography, its image rendering is sharp enough, and macro can have unexpected effects in certain outdoor scenes.
This set accompanied me for nearly four years. In the summer of 2025, due to increased demands for video shooting, I purchased a Panasonic Lumix S5M2. I traded this XT3 for my friend's Olympus EM5II. It continues to record another unique way of life in a corner of the world.
Previous｜Fujifilm X-T20
Purchased secondhand in 2019 after selling the RX100, together with a standard 16-50 lens (though I barely used it, sold it) and a pile of practical accessories—a quite affordable choice. Though it wasn't a new model at the time, it was in quite good condition and fit my needs well. InAt the end of 2021, as my shooting demands grew, I really needed a camera with stable autofocus, so I switched to the X-T3.
Film | Olympus 35RC
Made in the 1970's and in very good condition. I bought it mainly because I like the 42mm lens and the side viewfinder. Very compact and can be easily taken out together with other cams.
It is better to choose a film camera with a simple structure as it is less prone to damage and easier to repair. Price is also an important consideration. Usually film cams are not expensive, but films, as a consumable materials, may cost more than imagine. By the way, mono films can be developed at home withought difficulty.
Film | Yashica Mat-124G
A double-lens reflex film camera from the 1980s while the optical quality is still not bad today, since the medium format film has an inherent imaging advantage, coupled with the waist-level viewfinder gives a unique perspective.Unfortunately, the camera malfunctioned months after I bought it. The experience reminds me that when buying a mechanical film camera, it is important to prioritize stability, otherwise maintenance and repair will be a hassle.
Lenses I've used before
｜Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
｜Fujinon 35mm f/2
｜Fujinon 50mm f/2
｜Fujinon 56mm f/1.2
｜Viltrox 56mm f/1.4
Listed here are lenses that I once used but eventually abandoned and sold out, even though they have their own characteristics. Some of the photos on this site were also created with them.
I tried the XF27mm lens for persuit of compacting, only giving up dut to the terrible focusing performance.
For a while I tried street photography with a 75mm equivalent XF50 lens, but soon realized that shooting too far away from people was a little offensive and started walking closer. This lens then became less important.
The Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 is a third-party lens with good value for money—compact in size and fast in autofocus,but its optical quality is poor. By contrast, the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R has very high optical quality, but is somewhat bulky, slow to focus, and costs more than three times the Viltrox. I once used them to shoot portraits in daily life, but laterI actually don't like obvious bokeh, which makes portraits lack some story. In the end I chose the most classic 35mm f/2 lens for shooting people.
The Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR, equivalent to 52mm, is a classic lens for Fuji digital cameras—suited to many scenarios, usable for street photography, and also for shootingportraits—at least a third of the images on this site were made with it. But as my shooting habits changed, this lens felt a bit "narrow" for me, so I switched to the 30mm I use now.
Astrophotography | Special System
Astrophotography uses completely different equipment than daily photography, but the basic components are similar.
The tripod for astrophotography is an equatorial mount which counteracts the Earth's rotation by actively rotating, allowing for longer tracking. Additional star-guiding system and polar axis calibration equipment are also needed to improve the accuracy of the tracking.
An astronomical telescope can be seen as a special lens for astrophotography. Compared to telephoto lenses for digital cameras, astronomical telescopes have better image quality at infinity with a simple and solid structure.
Astronomical photography usually requires a special camera with active cooling. Since astrophotography requires extremely loooong exposures, the CMOS heats up easily and generates a lot of thermal noise, which needs to be suppressed by cooling.
Also, post-processing of astronomical photos requires special software. Serious astrophotographers use Pixinsight for post-processing, while Photoshop contains only a small part of the whole process.
Summary
I think the most important questions about photography should be: what kind of works do I want most, and then, what kind of equipment do I need meet just what I need without going broke with expensive gears.
Professional photography equipment may not be as expensive as you think, but only if you know what you need and be decisive in giving up expensive features that you don't actually need. The best camera is always the one you would like to take out with you most.
-- Updated in Aug, 2023