My photography gear

A list of cameras and software I use.

Last updated July 2025.. For my entire lifestack, see baty.net/lifestack.

I'm a camera nerd. I love trying everything. I currently own more than 20 of them. My favorite cameras are rangefinders, specifically the Leica M. My first rangefinder was a Canon Canonet QL17. I loved the rangefinder experience, so I of course ended up with a Leica. I bought my first M in 2004, and have used one or more of them consistently ever since.

I shoot film and digital, but my heart belongs to film. My most commonly used format is 35mm, but I also shoot 120 and 4x5. All of my stuff is processed at home and either scanned or printed in my darkroom.

Photography

Cameras I use most frequently

  • Leica MP (Black Paint) - OMG it’s so beautiful. I bought it new in 2021 as my “forever” camera.
  • Leica SL2 (Digital) - Superb build and image quality. Best EVF I’ve ever used. And made for use with adapted M lenses.
  • Leica M3 - The O.G. Leica M. Built in 1960 and works like butter.
  • Rolleiflex 2.8D - Built in 1955. New to me in 2025. Still getting the hang of it.
  • Olympus Stylus Epic – Compact 35mm film camera. I love these little things.
  • Ricoh GRIII (Digital) - Pocketable, high-quality (APS-C), and fun to use snapshot camera.
  • Nikon FE2 - A classic. Looks and feels great. Auto exposure can be handy.

Cameras I use occasionally

  • Leica IIIf – Barnack! Mine was made in 1946.
  • Hasselblad 500C/M - The Hasselblad V series cameras are iconic, beautiful, and superbly engineered. They also produce wonderful images, which is why they are my favorite all-around cameras.
  • Graflex Crown Graphic - Large Format (4×5) film camera. Mine is beat up and held together with gaffer tape, and I love it. It’s a pain in the ass to use, but there’s nothing like a 4×5 negative.
  • Canon Pro-zoom 814 Electronic – Super8 movie film camera
  • Nikon F100 – 35mm auto-focus film camera. Best bang for the buck in film cameras.
  • Olympus OM–1n – 35mm film camera. Tiny and jewel-like. Amazing viewfinder.
  • Olympus OM–2n – 35mm film camera
  • Fujifilm X100 - The original Fuji X camera. It’s 12 years old now, but I still use it, even though the rear buttons suck and it’s “only” 12 MP.

Retired cameras

  • Canon AE–1 Program – 35mm Film SLR. This is the first “real” camera I ever owned.
  • Canon Canonet – 35mm rangefinder camera. Retired.
  • Minolta Autocord – Medium format TLR. Retired.
  • Graflex Speed Graphic – Another 4×5 film camera. Mine has a bad light leak so it sits on a shelf.

Software for photography

  • Capture One Pro - It gets me to images I like faster and easier than anything else.
  • Adobe Lightroom – Used mainly for converting digital scans via Negative Lab Pro. Sometimes the AI stuff is useful (e.g. noise reduction)
  • Apple Photos – For iPhone shots and keepers exported from my editor
  • Adobe Bridge - New-to-me photo browser. Replaces Photo Mechanic, which has become too expensive.

Photo Hardware

  • Epson ET-8500 - “EcoTank” photo printer. Great photo printer that doesn’t cost a fortue to run.
  • Epson V850 – Flatbed film scanner. Works great for medium and large format. Less great for 35mm, but still fine.
  • Profoto D1 Monolights – Aging but still great for studio portraits.
  • Billingham Hadley Pro Small – Beautiful and well-made camera bag
  • ONA Prince Street - Fancy leather bag for the Hasselblad.

Darkroom

I use a basement bathroom as a makeshift darkroom.

  • Leitz Focomat v35 – 35mm auto-focus enlarger. Solid and reliable. It is a fantastic device.
  • Leitz Focomat IIc – Manufactured from 1956–1983, the Focomat IIc is a giant, over-engineered marvel of an enlarger. I bought mine as a fixer-upper from Craigslist and I still don’t have it working completely. Getting there, though.
  • Beseler 45MXT – This is for printing medium and large format negatives. Mine is a little janky but works great overall. It’s in a separate room, so is rarely used.