I have loved photography and cameras for as long as I can remember. I don’t know why really. No one in my family took photos, we didn’t have any cameras I recall fondly, but something about the nature of taking a picture, the mechanical nature of cameras from my youth stuck with me.
My first real chance to use a camera for anything besides wedding candids came from a class I took on basic photography in the early 90’s when I was still in high school. I was fortunate to be able to take a college level course at Edinboro University on the subject and learn about the golden rule of exposure, the rule of thirds and more.
These days I would categorize myself as a semi-professional photographer. I have made money from selling photos, had them published on various blogs, web zines, and professional settings but it’s not how I make a living. I mostly shoot them for myself, and this website. I will take requests and jobs occasionally for the fun of it.
I’ve made mistakes.
I don’t know about you but I often have gear envy and want to swap out my camera for something “better”. It’s a personality quirk and not constrained to just cameras. I do it with cars, motorcycles, tools, etc… pretty much any hobby I have. Lately though my goal is to find the one to keep.
The hardest part about switching camera brands is the investment in lenses. I have now done it 3 times. I went from Sony to Nikon, from Nikon to Fujifilm, and lastly from Fujifilm to L-Mount. This last one I hope is truly the last one. It gives me interesting choices to work from. With the L-Mount I can choose a camera body from Sigma, Leica, and Panasonic without giving up lenses. That’s a great option for someone like me who often chases a specific “thing” when looking at new gear.
What is the L-Mount alliance?
The L-Mount Alliance is a partnership between Leica Camera, SIGMA, Panasonic, Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH, DJI, ASTRODESIGN, SAMYANG and Blackmagic Design. Its aim is to provide photographers with one unified lens mount standard. Developed by Leica Camera, the L-Mount allows photographers to seamlessly combine lenses and cameras from various partners.
I get why not everyone would want to be part of this alliance but as a photographer how great would it be to buy any lens from any manufacturer and have it fit your full-frame camera?
Why am I sharing this?
I’m hoping some of my readers have a similar passion for photography and we can share ideas, pictures, and generally enjoy the nerdiness of gear and chasing that perfect shot.
This article shared with permission from 4wheelsandamotor.com.