Probably bags. Not because they're not worth spending money on, but because it took so much trial and error over a long time to figure out what works best for me. Good bags aren't cheap, so that really adds up if you're not careful.
I'd agree with the rectangular filters (graduated & even full ND). Nowadays, like you said, software can do what you want, and it's non-destructive. I wish I could sell my filter kit, but nobody will buy them now !
peak design shoulder strap and wrist strap, nisi macro rail, nivi v6 filter holder, godox mf12 macro flashes and popeshield diffuser for them, some noname bag for camera and some other tripod heads and rails which turned out to be useless ;) oh, and of course a couple of 100x150 gnd filters ;)
A photo printer. Canon Pixma 100. My dad encouraged me to get it on Black Friday 2018 for 50% off at $300. He's an old film guy and he thought my money was in printing. I had no other perspective, so I bought it. I never used it. The learning curve was too high, and with print shops selling at $5 for an 8x10, I just gave up on it and it's sitting in the garage.
I think most of us have too many camera bags of various designs and sizes. It seems we never find the perfect one and I have a closet full to prove it. 🤣
How true. Although I might have found the bag for me now. It’s the Wotancraft 7L. It’s a Sling, but my MFT gear is not so heavy I would get problems with it carrying it the whole day.
I have a K&F Concept backpack for all of my tat, and a rucksack with insert for camera, then can store lenses etc. in the side pockets, meaning I can carry snax, drinks & dog treats easily!
I got y’all beat. I spent all my savings, $10,000 on the Letus lens system to make my video camera use film lenses for a cinematic look, a few months before the Canon 5D mark II was released. Ended up selling it years later on eBay for $75
@@Centauri27 that company and others struck when the iron was hot! The only way to put DSLR lenses and PL mount lenses onto your video camera like the Panasonic HVX 200 which could do 24P was to purchase those systems I went all out on the full packageIt was close to 10 grand. And then the cannon five de mark two did the exact same thing right after lol
You’ve been using your cleaning pen wrong if you’ve been using the felt tip to wipe across the glass. The black tip is meant for finger print smudges and you’re suppose to blot it on the lens to absorb the oil from the skin, not to rub it on the glass itself. The same logic goes into using microfibre clothes to clean the lens, suppose to use a blower to blow sand/ dust off first before wiping with cloth. You’re going to run into same problem of scratching your lens if you use even a Zeiss wipe straight on a dirty lens without blowing it first.
the trick with the Peak Design lens kit is to keep only one lens on it, and the other slot empty. Then you can quickly put your current lens on it, then pick up the other one all with one hand
I agree with everything except the travel tripod. I have a Gitzo, use it all the time, clips onto my back pack, light and easy to carry as I am getting old and every bit of weight saved is a bonus. Very sturdy little tripod.
It looks like you used the Lenspen incorrectly. Lenspen should be capped at any time. It not only takes the activated carbon from the sponge in the cap each time you use but also protecting the head from dusting. Lenspen is a quite good tool to remove fingerprints from the lens. It's a must in my bag.
In movie productions it's common to either use clean microfibers or one time use sterile sheets with lens spray (Kim wipes and pancro) Using lens pens has too high of a chance of scratching lens elements When I got into photography I bought a lens pen because I thought that's just what you did, but after seeing other methods of cleaning lenses I no longer recommend them
Thanks for your reply! One thing I’ve always wondered: I wear myopia glasses, and I clean them with hand soap or a wet wipe and then dry them with tissue. My glasses, which are either Essilor or Nikon, have coatings like a blue light filter, and they almost have zero scratches. However, they do become yellowish over the years due to the aging of the resins. Why are our more expensive camera lenses so much more delicate in comparison?
My lenspens are used solely on the rear elements of my lenses; in the order of... Blower; brush; Lenspen. Use the brush, then blower, to clean lenspen before use. Simples.
@@fredlar9421 It's interesting to bring up eyeglass lenses, for I battle scratches constantly and am happy that I have two lens replacements available for two years after each exam. I live in far-western North Dakota where there is a LOT of highly abrasive scoria dust. Scoria is one of the common "gravels" here (instead of the limestone rock that I was more familiar with in the US South) used for roads and oilfield pads here. Windshields and roll-up windows on vehicles become scratched over time and my glasses suffer, as well. I, too, have one of the lenspens but even after blowing with a large blower and brushing, I find it difficult to risk the lenspen on my pro glass. I honestly have never compared the construction of our lenses with my eyeglasses, though one would think that with all the care I take with my camera gear, I'd do better than washing my eyeglasses with hand soap at the sink... I am guilty, I admit! lol :)
I do use my Lenspen fairly often, always after thoroughly brushing the lens surface, then breathing on the lens to wipe off small smudges. If you have a speck of dirt big enough to gouge your lens, then you sure didn't dust it off properly! (I read somewhere else that lens surfaces are actually quite hardy. Enough that I've stopped using UV or skylight filters for protection.)
What I like those Joby-type tripods for is to hold strobes. The larger ones are strong enough to hold a strobe and umbrella, for example, and handy for places where a stand isn't practical/feasible.
I have tried that and found I just can't get them to hold well enough. I think I have a box of them that keep showing up in my office... maybe I will try flash photography again LoL
4:16 about the lens pen, you should really get rid of all the dirt with the blower and brush BEFORE using the polish pad! It works way better than those Zeiss wipes.
My workflow, if you will, with the lens pen has always been: rocket blower first, then brush, and finally the polish tool. Also, it looked like Mark was using the cap to cover the brush end instead of the polishing end, and that's not the best design for a Lens Pen style tool that I've ever seen. I'm not sure he's got an actual Lens Pen product, perhaps it's a knockoff or an earlier version. The best Lens Pen product, at least the one I have had for years and which they still make, has a cap that covers the polishing end in order to help keep the carbon compound from drying out, but no cap on the brush side, just the slider. I've never had any issues with the Lens Pen and have not seen any scratches develop because of its use.
I just assumed you're supposed to tap the pad on any remaining blemishes not scrub with it. The general advice I received in physics lab for cleaning any optics had been to never drag anything across the surface. I've also heard not to use running water on more sensitive things as even water pushing dirt over the surface can damage it. I always try to stick to those principles unless I don't care as much or it would be really inconvenient like my everyday glasses.
I'm a fan of the lens pen...but can agree I've wasted money on most of the others and a ton on filters until I learned the joy of the magnetic filters and step up rings. Expensive decorations in the studio for the most part. Cheers!
I never had any problems with them. All "streaks" only last a few seconds before they evaporate. And I can’t see any afterwards. Most oleophobic coatings show the cleaning solution more than normal glass. They only have problems when it’s too dirty to the point it can’t clean it all the way with a single one. But this only happens to me when cleaning glasses. But as you described they still work in form of "loosen" the smudges so you can easily wipe them off with a microfiber.
Never, never ever use wet paper that is intended to clean goggles. If you want to use paper then take cigarette paper. Better than microfiber is cloth of bamboo.
I generally use backpacks primarily for travel, and a sling bag with the gear I want for each day's shooting. My go-to sling is the PD 6L. The "origami" dividers let me divide the main compartment into 5 sections. Sometimes, I'll take a body, 2 compact primes and a tele-zoom. Sometimes I'll take a body, 2 compact primes and a fast prime. Sometimes 3 compact primes and a wireless mike kit. My Ulanzi-Coman Zero Y tripod straps on to the bottom. Any of those loadouts leave room for a blower and neck strap in the main compartment, a couple of filters and step rings, cleaning kit, and a spare battery.
I agree. My backpack - the Lowepro ProTactic 450 - is mainly my overall storage case and travel bag. For individual shoots where I need more than one lens, I use the ThinkTank Turnstyle 20 is my go-to bag. It easily carries my Z8, 24-70 and either my 70-200 or 100-400 with a bit of room left over.
Lol... the lens kit by Peak Design is the #1 gear I can't shoot a wedding without. I have 3 clips on my belt (never on a backpack) so Two cameras and the lens kit. I don't carry a bag. I am so fast at changing lenses with it at least 200 weddings. When it finally broke I had to have it replaced. It had a lifetime warranty so they sent a new one. I had to shoot one wedding without it... never again. The #1 non camera non lens gear I own.
Same here. Rather than how Mark was describing how he used it, I only keep one other lens attached to it at any given time and use the other mount as a kind of third hand when changing out lenses. Slot the old lens into the vacant mount, flip the Lens Kit around, remove the new lens and attach to the camera body. I assume you use it this way as well. I do agree with Mark, though, that using it to carry two extra lenses would be... excessive. 😆
@@MarcusVowell I don't think Peak Design designed the lens Kit device to hold two lenses at the same time. Like you, I use the device to hold one extra lens especially when I was shooting with an APS-C camera body but have full frame lenses. I had to switch between the 24-70mm to 11-16mm quite often in the past.
yep highly used gear for me too.. not for weddings but for hiking, quickest way to change lenses for me on the go, having one at the hip at all times. Only thing I wish for is that the caps would sit a little tighter
I got a travel tripod recently and it's been a game changer. I do a lot of photography in the backcountry and being able to stash the tripod into a water bottle pocket has made it so much easier and more enjoyable to take it on long and difficult hiking and backpacking excursions. I haven't flown with it yet, but it will fit inside my carry-on with the rest of my gear. If I'm not hiking long distances, then I will bring my larger tripod with me. But I think a quality travel tripod will compliment a robust tripod for those that do travel regularly.
Which travel tripod are you using? I have just got a mini tripod, Benro SC05, hoping it’s small enough to carry everywhere and have something to stabilize the camera against anything solid.
i travelled all over asia with an expensive carbon fiber travel tripod BUT i replaced the winpy ball head by a Manfrotto 410 gear head and i use by bag to weight down the tripod on long exposures.
This. I barely used a tripod before, because my old tripod was so big and heavy I couldn't take it anywhere. But now that I bought a small and light travel tripod (Ulanzi Zero F38), it's always with me in the camera bag side pocket.
Concerning sling bags, Mark: they are not made to replace backpack but to be used with a reduced (!) amount of gear (and they should be made for photography). I use a backpack with my X-T5, two primes, spare batteries, wallet, key and sunglasses. It all fits in a 7l bag (there are many different choices) and with a soft pad attached to the strap I can wear it a whole day long for a reportage for example. When I go out for landscape photography I will of course always wear a backpack.
When hiking and exploring the back country, they are also useful to just protect it when pushing through thick underbrush and scrambling over rocky terrain while keeping it accessible and not in your pack.
I'd like to see the mirror image of this video that shows the items that you find really useful. I'm finding I take less and less gear now when I travel.
For travel, I'm down to my 24-200 (I shoot Nikon. Canon and Sony have a similar lens in 24-240) and that's all. A couple of times, I also took a 16-35 and maybe used it once on an entire trip.
Hey Mark! I’ll push back on the Lens kit from Peak Design (2:20.) I use it quite often. It’s brilliant for Astrophotography (or any night/very dark photography.) How I use it - the kit sits on my belt with only one lens hanging from the bottom…say a 15mm or 50mm lens. I leave the top slot open. If I’m shorting stars with my camera and a 24mm lens and I want to switch lenses. All I do is take the 24 off, clip it to the top of the kit, flip it, and pull the other lens off and throw it in my camera. I don’t have to go looking for my bag (remember it is pitch black.) I don’t have to put a light on to try to find the lens I want in my bag, disturbing other photographers or even my other camera shooting with a tracker and a shutter wide open. I don’t have to try and find my fitting if my bag is 3 yards away. I don’t kick my tripod leg or move so much that it shakes other cameras. I don’t have to move at all. For that use case, I haven’t found a better solution.
I have many of the items you called out on your list and agree they never really contributed to any of my successes with photography. This was a good set of lessons in my opinion. Thank you and take care.
Mark, small correction to your video this time, the graduated ND filter is actually meant to be used to equalize the brightness of the scene in case you can't or think you can't fit the whole dynamic range in one shot, so that you can fit the scene in one shot with the dynamic range of your camera. The problem with that is however exactly as you stated, that the mountains or other subjects sticking out of the horizon may get too dark. And therefore the best solution for the problem is of course exposure bracketing, so yes those filters are destructive as you stated but for slightly different reason.
For travel tripods, if you hook your camera bag to the bottom hook, it adds tons of stability. It still won't work for massive winds, but regular mountain and ocean breezes are no longer a problem.
Exactly. It's what it's for! You can also stand creatively to block wind hitting the kit. Works loads better than trying to handhold in windy conditions.
A photo accessory I personally find necessary is front lens filters. They save my front element on many occasions from dust, debris, tree sap, salt spray and overall outdoor use. I use b+w clear protection filters and there's no negative detrimental effect on my photos.
Holster is really useful for me, for slings you want to go smaller than you'd think, totally agree that a camera backpack is the best option there for most people.
oh Mark. I usually agree with 99% of what you say - and I really appreciate your experience and guidance. That said, the PD lens gadget serves me well. I don't use it the way you describe to carry two more lenses. But, when I am changing lenses it serves as a third hand (like hold my beer). I really like it. and the capture clip ... don't even get me started. They have a time and place for sure. I may sound like a PD fan boy which isn't exactly true. That said, I do find the items in question to be both clever and helpful.
I agree with you. The PD lens change gadget is great. From what I understand it, is only meant for carrying one lens and like you write, helps when changing lenses. The capture clip is also in daily use. And yes, they still sell it.
Mark, it's so cathartic to see that well established landscape photographers have also bought so much useless gear. If I knew then what I know now, I would have saved a ton of money. I recently took a pass and just got rid of all that stuff. Many of which you yourself displayed in this video.
lens pen is actually only for spot cleaning for stuck dusts. Never wipe the lens without blowing/ brushing the lose dirt first. Whether it’s wipe or brush
Hi Mark, thanks for all the videos and content that you share with us! This video reminded me of something that I thought I’d share with you. Years ago, you showed us your favorite tripod Ballhead, the Aspen from Colorado Tripod, and I went out and bought one off their website at full price. It’s been several years now and they’ve never shipped me one even though I can search on their website and see that the order is still open. I’ve contacted them many times and many ways including talking with their customer service and they never reply or take any action. I’ve searched on-line and see that many others have had the same experience. Colorado Tripod is a fraudulent company with the worst ethics and should be put out of business. I went through the process of filing claims with my bank the Colorado BBB and even the Colorado Attorney General. Because too much time had expired, no one would take any action. I just thought that you should be aware of this and please don’t promote Colorado Tripod or any of their products in the future. Thanks!
I use a neoprene lens cover to protect the ball head on my tripod when packed in my luggage or when my backpack with tripod is shoved into a van on a photo workshop.
It's nice to know that I am not the only person buying gear that just turns out to be a waste of money. I have two sets of GND's, a Lee and a NISI. I don't use either one for the same reasons you gave. Now I'm waiting for my order of Kate filters to be delivered. Hopefully I'll use them more than the others.
I can unfortunately relate to some of these things. After watching this, I'm taking my grad filters and holders out of my bag after hauling them around for who know how long and I can't remember the last time I used them, LOL. I have so many little gizmos on my shelf that I'll probably never use too. Thanks Mark, great work as always!
If I'm taking a heavy kit with long lenses, in a backpack. I love my Peak Design Capture clip. Full-frame bodies with long lenses on a neck strap are a pain in the neck, literally. And the Capture Clip baseplates are Arca-Swiss compatible, so I don't have to change QR plates to put them on my tripod (one of the reasons I love Arca-Swiss QR). Lever-lock quick releases are usually square, and proprietary to the tripod manufacturer, so if you want a longer plate to help balance your camera, you're SOL.
It is a very nice round up of your perspective of these GAS related hoarding. If I may chip in with a few notes: - Travel tripod: Yes! I have been preaching for a very long time that one should carry the sturdiest (hence heaviest) tripod possible when traveling as you may reach a once in a lifetime chance, and you should not risk loosing that chance with a flimsy tripod.I use an FLM CP-38 L5 II with great joy. - Thank you for bringing the RRS ballhed to my attention. My Foba Superball head is at the end of its life (after serving me for almost 20 years), and I became a sucker with ball heads having proper sized locking wrenches. Sadly the larger BH-55 doesn't seem to have that. The BS-40 is a bit too small for my load. - Clamp vs screwing lock: I am also in favor of the clamp, but there are problems. Sand may go into the locking mechanism, which will prevent the arm to fully close. And some third party plates may be a bit too loose in certain conditions, and you cannot lock them. For example the RRS clamp I have on my Foba head is a tiny bit loose on one of the camera - but only in cold conditions. I use that camera mostly with a geared head though, and it has a screw. - Gorillapod: I started to use super clamps (eg Manfrotto 035) to attach the camera to poles/branches/handrails. I highly recommend to have one in the bag. It is extremely useful when the tripod would be blown off by the wind or when there is a handrail in between you and the scene, which is really hard to exclude from the image with a tripod (fx at Brúarfoss).
Fun watch, and found myself nodding my head in agreement at many of the items you shared. I think we all in general are guilty of overspending on our hobbies, whether it be photography or something else. I'm definitely guilty. And absolutely agree on sling bags, they destroy my lower back. Go backpack or waistpack. And have three different travel tripods...that I don't use enough to justify having.
I would probably agree with most, apart from the PD clip. For me that has been the most useful accessory ever. For hiking, and trips were i walk a lot in general. I love it ❤
Maybe one of your best videos. LOL! Now I feel so much better about my old camera bag full of bad decisions. Rather than saying I bought stupid stuff I would rather say I'm always open to new ideas😂 Thanks Mark really enjoyed this one.
The comments about graduated filters were very interesting and gave me food for thought. I then realised that while I own them, I have not used one for some years. Thankfully my seemingly redundant graduated filters cost nothing like the ones in the video!
For the ballhead and the clamp to release the camera, I'm with you 100%! Those rotating things is awful. I think slingbags could actually be quite useful. I have a ThinkTank 10 that fits my mirrorless X-T3, an extra lens, a flash and some small items like extra batteries and whipes. Love it for street photo etc. I'll just turn the bag to my front and open it up to access everyting really easy. The one sling bag you showed that just fit the camera, I have used a simular padded one attached to the hip strap of my 80 liter backpack while hiking in the mountains. I used walking sticks that could be used as monopod as well. 😊 Good video, thanks! 👏
I agree with everything you said. Of the items, I have many, the pen, lens sacks, lightweight tripod, two variable ND filters, on of which I use. I would also add step down rings. Where I disagree is with the Peak Design clip and slings. The Peak Design sling system is unique. The clip fits on the side of the sling, not on the shoulder and you can attach the camera or the extra lens. At times, I had two clips on the bag, one for the camera and one for the lens. This is very handy for lens swapping. Also, I try to keep my daily gear to a minimum and use the 3 and 6 liter slings. The 3 liter with camera and one lens is great for street photography. (Sony a7cii, 16-25 and 20-70, some like the 24-50)
Great stuff, Mark, and funny as well. I don't do much landscape work, doing more macro than anything else, but for me I have a ring flash that I have never used.....
Do you mean carbon fiber? I also have the PD Aluminum Tripod and I love it for travel. I don't want to walk around with a massive tripod when I'm walking around a city like Hong Kong or Tokyo. I prefer something that I can either put completely inside my backpack or just on the side. The limitations of a travel tripod can be worked around, while a massive tripod that's cumbersome and heavy cannot.
I like your comments on the graduated filters. I shot film way back in the day, so when I thought about a filter system, my first thought was Cokin since it has all of those ready made filter effects. Part of their marketing strategy today is the advantage of baking the filter effects in situ instead of during post processing.
i'm happy to say that I've been shooting for 20 years and I've only gone through 5 camera bags, 3 of which i'm still currently using. The three I use are the Peak Design backpack which i've had for several years now and is my most used bag. I have a tenba messenger back purchased over 10 years ago which I still use when I only need to carry minimal gear and then a larger lowepro bag for when i go on roadtrips for landscape photography and i need something that can haul all my gear.
Thanks for this overview Mark! I agree with your love of the lever release on the ball heads. I don't understand why all companies don't offer that format. I find that the screw type takes far too many turns to open or close, and you don't know if the damn thing is closed! And the gorillapod; I have one that I have never, not once, used in the field. I keep coming across it in a bin and should just give it away. Many photographers, me included, must go through the same purchases as you reviewed. This video was like resurrecting bad memories!
Oooh, I have many from your pile and so agree! The bags are the biggest one and always issues! Not having a lot of money, I also tried to make my own...ended up spending more than if I just bought a good one :( Thank you for making this video!
I use a sling bag for my camera+lens and it works for me. To balance the weight, I often have a second sling with just a lens on the other side, and/or a water bottle sling.
3 Legged Thing Airhed Ball head is the one I upgraded to and it has been sooo good, along with a benro actual tripod. It was pricey but I regret nothing.
I just got a Neewer 5 stop var ND, which works well; my previous one though, cross every time. Agree with grad ND, esp with digital workflow. Thanks for the fun vid.
I agree with pretty much everything you have mentioned and have purged my "unfortunate" purchases through eBay as much as possible. However, I have a "Lens Flipper", similar to the PD lens kit, which allows me to bring along another lens if I don't want to carry my bag with me. The good thing is that it minimizes the amount of dust that can get on the back element, and also lets you secure both lenses at once while making a change of lenses in the field. I never clip it to anything, but instead use a shoulder strap.
I love my lens pen. If you are using the pad on a lens with debris, you are using it wrong. That's what the brush is for. I have the rocket blower too, and I like it for debris, but the lens pen does more. brush and blower remove dust and debris. The pad removes residue stuck to the sensor. It's dry. So, the cleaning is quick. It is a great field tool, or session tool. For deep cleanings during camera maintenance, I use 99.9% anhydrous alcohol. Same thing I used to use on laser optics when I worked on surgical lasers. On a side note. I while I used Isopropyl, the laser vendor FSE had a small bottle of the ethanol variety.
This video vindicates my abstinence from most of these gizmos, though I am kind of a tripod geek and have bought two travel tripods over the years. I used a MeFOTO (mine's red, too) for years and recently replaced it with a Heipi. The Heipi is actually quite good, but unless I'm on the road and packing light, I always use my Gitzo.
I've had a different experience with sling bags. My favorite was an Allen fishing bag until it ripped a seam after 4 years of usage. I've since tried various fishing and tactical bags. I have a selection of padded Apecase inserts for them depending on the gear I need to carry. On my most recent trip I bought a Brevite camera bag, with side access. What I found is because I use a sling strap for my camera, that kept me from being able to easily swing the bag off that shoulder, neutralizing the ease of access feature. I agree on the Mephoto tripods. Too flimsy for typical usage. I have bought a couple of fairly short travel tripods, however. They only go up to about 18-21" but they are stable and portable. The tripod from Newer is the one I seem to prefer.
Good video. A usecase I see with a gorillapod is mounting a remote flash on it, but even that's still niche. With sling bags, the messenger bag design seems key (like a TT Retrospective); there can't be a zipper to faff around with, adding even more friction. That obviously doesn't solve the ergonomic issues you've mentioned, though, it's never a substitute for a backpack. Probably the best one can do is to use as wide a strap as possible and very carefully gauge (and diligently observe) the maximum loadout that doesn't lead to rapid fatiguing. But other than that, it's probably still a solution one puts up with when one has to (bringing heavy 2.8 full frame zooms one needs to switch rapidly, e.g.), trying to make the experience as painless as possible, not something that is enjoyable. Carrying a heavy combo in hand is where a hand grip strap can help.
Interesting. My little camera bag is an insulated Titan brand canvass lunchbox that Costco sells for $16. It’s more discreet in foreign cities and it’s perfect for my Sony A7CR with even my 70-200 lens. I’ve traveled all over Europe & the west coast with it. A bonus benefit is that the bag fits perfectly under the airplane seat, with the strap around my ankle (to prevent sliding & theft). I swear by this bag & won’t use anything else except when a backpack is required.
Funnily enough, I have a LowePro version of the Mindshift bag you showed. The difference is that you can attach, by Velcro+strap, various size LowePro bags for various sized lenses. I use an mft camera and lenses. I find it’s perfect for me, very comfortable, and is my go-to bag, but then I am a small elderly person!
I think for me i wasted a lot of money on trying different camera bags and about 6 or 8 different camera straps. But i finally have settled on one camera strap and a couple of different bags. Keep up the nice work.
Hahaha! Each to their own, as they say. I just came back from Iceland where I extensively used three of the items from your list. Shoulder bag: amazing for quickly grabbing or putting your camera away, when the weather changes every 5min, or you're under a waterfall. Much quicker and easier than taking your backpack on and off. Lens pen: yes, you gotta be careful, but great for smudges and quicker than taking the wipes out and disposing of rubbish, also reusable 100s of times, contrary to the wipes. Gorilla pod: agreed, useless for the camera itself, but great for off camera flash or led lights. It all boils down to your style of photography and methods you use. Regardless of a few disagreements, good, informative video as always.
Yep. Thought the VND would be a cheaper way in, but it was a total waste. Getting the "X" and not knowing the strength of ND was a non-starter. RocketBlower and Zeiss Wipes work wonderfully. It's definitely a tradeoff for each trip on tripods - light and ok in light wind or heavier and more stable. I never used my Gorilla pod or my monopod. Expensive education!
Really enjoyed the video, Mark! I own several of these items. Re: the double-side lens holder from Peak Design. Perhaps it'll be more useful for prime lenses? What chokes me is that these would be great for smaller lenses--like Micro Four Thirds! But Peak Design never made a version for m4/3 (even though I kept mentioning this in the surveys they send out). And I'm with you on the sling bags: I own several from Peak Design (sling/messenger) and I could never get into them either. They really bug me after several hours of use. Yet I don't want to bring my photo backpack all the time either. My latest experiment is using a tiny foldable day backpack, plus a 3L waist bag. On my next trip, I'll put my tiny Panasonic GX850 + couple of lenses in the waist pack, then put my G9+12-100 zoom in the day backpack. When I'm in shooting mode I'll keep the G9 slung around my shoulder. When in travel or low profile mode, I'll put the camera in the backpack.
I have a gorgeous slingbag with nicely padded strap. I love it, when I have to transport my camera from a to b. For everything else I use also a backpack. I also have travel tripods and you’re so correct about them. I used it once and it easily tipped over by the slightest wind and I had the luck to catch it before it fell on concrete. My habit to buy filter isn’t financially smart. I have ND and CPL round filter for four sizes. I use them regularly, but some step up rings would be smarter to have.
Really happy with Manfrotto Compact, I have it since 2017 and I use it hell a lot. Also my average camera is quite small and I'm not a big telephoto user.
Another great video! Thank you so much for going into detail about all of the stuff you’ve purchased. If you hadn’t talked me out of a lot of the things I probably would’ve purchased them as well! Lol Thank you again for your presentation! Ray
Hi Mark, great video. I agree with all your choices. The only one I had a different experience with is the travel tripod. I bought a few $100 units and they are as you show in the video... not stable at all. However, I got a Sirui AM-284 and love it. It is light and very stable. It has a load rating of 33lbs. which is the same as my much heavier Vanguard CF studio tripod. The AM-284 weighs less than 3lbs. vs. the Vanguard at over 6 lbs. I use an Acratech ballhead despite having a few cheaper/lighter ones. I like the "Swiss Cheese" bullhead you are using! It looks really cool and very functional.
@ 5:25. I use them minimally as might be needed in the field. But, the idea is that you first to get any standing debris off. I use these specifically to touch/hold the lens cleaner pad u show cut into little squares moistened w/ gentle cleaner His step is particularly for the oils, not debris fingerprints. & u absolutely can clean the rubber always before using
Excellent common sense advice. I only use my Bellingham sling bag for day trips with one body and three lenses. Like you I have a graduated filter that is gathering dust somewhere.
The ball head on the Peak Design travel tripod is a good example of a terrible little ball head. Drifts with a heavy lens every time. The tripod itself performs far better than I expected. A heavy tripod can kill a 10 mile hike in uneven terrain when the camera and lenses alone weigh 29 or 25 lbs. But instability is definitely an issue.
This subject amused me... This probably happens to everyone when they get into photography. I chuckled when you got to the subject of travel tripods, as well, for I cope with winds here in western North Dakota, eastern Montana and the occasional jaunt down to Wyoming (where wind speed could often be measured by how far it will push a length of hanging chain lol). I'll go for the heavier tripods any day, even if it means a heavier pack, just for the added stability and peace of mind. As for graduated ND's, I'm of the same mind, as well, for I'm sure that many make good use of them without issue but the filters seem more of a pain for me than simply doing the work in post, especially when I am often dealing with subjects that often extend far above a horizon.
Count me in. I purchased a full set of rectangular filters - ND, GND and circular polarizer. The CP alone was 105mm. The whole system was so bulky I couldn’t even fit it in my backpack. I maybe used them once in the field. Sold the system at a loss. I switched to the circular magnetic filters and couldn’t be happier. But an expensive learning experience 😢.
I love this kind of videos, they seem to be indicating that I am above average smart and cunning because I never needed to spend any money on what I've considered obvious from the very beginning ... :P
Comments about stuff I've actually used myself: - Variable ND: if you buy a decent one that doesn't have the problem you describe they're actually worth it if you're going to do landscape photography very rarely (less than once every couple of years). Yes the quality is not as good, but there's no point in buying an expensive and bulky kit that you're gonna use once every blue moon - Peak Design Lens thinghie: useful only in very specific situations (photography staff at conventions/gigs where you have a safe space to leave your bag at but you also want to carry around a couple of light lenses). Don't even think about it if you only have big lenses. - Neoprene Lens Pouches (although you don't specifically state that they are a waste of money, just that they don't turn a sling bag into a photography bag): very useful if you want to travel with a camera body and a detached lens in a "normal" backpack (street/travel photography), would not use more than one each time, would not use for trolleys or other carrying methods that involve frequent vibrations/bumps Agree on pretty much everything else
Make/buy a shelf with four compartments, or if you have a lot of photographic stuff, four shelves. In the first compartment you put all your photography gear and things, and later everything after you have used it. Everything you haven't used out of that compartment in the past month - put that into the second compartment. Everything out of this compartment you haven't used in the past six months, put in the third compartment. Lastly everything you haven't used in the past year, put from the third into the fourth compartment to either sell or discard it.
I've been there, done everything you described in this video. I've tried to that GAS but it always find a way to get to me. However, lately, as I'm getting older, GAS just went away. Not saying I'm cured but I'm getting the best of it. 🤫🤫😉😄😄😄
😂😂 I agree with you 100%, the marketing pull and photo-shaming out there makes it tough to ignore. I am a cheap-o so it is tough for me to open my wallet to buy anything, but there is something about photography equipment that has some voodoo hold on me, I sent a lot of money of a bunch of photography stuff that I am so ashamed to admit it so I put them on shelves in my home office room to make it look they are collectables so my wife wouldn't bother me about "bad spending". So yea I know what you are saying. 😂😂
I agree with everything except the sling bag setup at the end. I think the bag depends on how/what you're shooting and the kit you're carrying. I use a small 3.5L sling most of my daily with a lens or two in a pouch but my kit is also really small in size shooting with an M10 (R orD) and usually one lens on the camera and a second option with me and some filters. If I were out with my Sony kit it definitely wouldn't work well with the sling setup.
I love my Peak Design lens kit. I don't put it on a backpack. I put it on the other side of a dual harness. One side has a camera, one side has lenses and a bag for cleaning stuff etc.
I think the problem most of us have is that we purchase everything that seems "new" or "cool" without actually thinking whether we need it or not. A few things you showed are useful but not for everyone. I also made the mistake of buying lots that I never used and are in a little storage box. 🤣
I found that a padded tech backpack with two straps and a cross chest strap is far better than a sling pack. I still shoot with a DSLR, and if I'm bringing something like my big 120-300mm f2.8 lens out (7+ lbs all by itself), I don't want to feel like I'm carrying as much as I am. Obviously I try to be conservative so I'm not basically rucking. As for the tripod, I think it matters more about what your goals are. I have a travel tripod, but if you want to also be in the shot, you need something to hold the camera. When I'm just out on my own sightseeing, I may only have a Sony RX100VII with me, so any tripod will do and it's not going to be too much of a burden for much of anything. I agree with most of your list. I've also bought a bunch of glorified dust collectors.
Several of these items work really well for me - ND grads, for example. Not because you're wrong, but using them slows me right down and makes me truly consider the shot. So it's not the value of the filter itself, but the fact that it works as a catalyst to make me consider everything. Sling bags - hopeless for landscape photography, but absolutely perfect for travel photography, where backpacks are an absolute nuisance [ on public transport, for example, I slide the bag in front of me to keep an eye on it and stop whacking other people with it. It also makes access so very much easier. Completely agree about holster bags. Travel tripods - I love mine, but it's a Gitzo, and much more solid and reliable for the same weight than any of the cheapies. Well worth the extra money. Ditto the travel ballhead - get a decent one, and they're very solid. Cheap ones generally aren't, although as well as my beloved Gitzo one, I have a Smallrig one that's vastly better than the price might suggest. Medium sized hands makes them all workable, and although I agree about levers over knobs, it's never been a real practical issue for me, as I always double check everything. But the beauty of this video is to get people thinking about future purposes - is some bit of kit really the answer to an actual problem, or merely a white elephant?
I sold my Gorilla Pod after only a few weeks and bought a Moman Mini Tripod instead. And I bought three Peak Design Capture Clips and four Plates for all my cameras and I wouldn't want to live without them. The Clips reside firmly on the seatbelts of my wheelchairs, so one or two cameras are always at hand in my lap while outside. I use your tip with the shower cap for rain protection. All lenses have step-up rings, so either the filter set (CP + VND) of 58mm or 67mm can be attached in small foldable pouches to the seatbelt as well.
I have that same MeFoto tripod. It works, but it is flimsy. He's right. It is worth it to get a more robust tripod for most uses. It does fit well in a suitcase if you are flying and space is an issue. It will hold a full frame camera with speedlight, battery grip, and 70-200 lens. Remote shutter release is really good to have, almost mandatory. I would not say I regret buying it, but if I prefer something else most of the time.
I don't leave the house with my camera without a lens pen in my pocket. I use the brush end to get foreign particles off of my filter before shooting. I almost never use the other end because of the possible scratching problem. Thanks for another great video!
I’ve purchased many of the same things but have not used them much. I do not get a lot of use out of most of the camera accessories. What I’ve spent the most on is camera bags, tripod/monopods, and most recently miops capsule pro system. One of the reasons is I try to use something but have issues and never go back to work through them.
Rectangular grads were great - back in the film days. They'd let you capture a scene where the dynamic range just wasn't possible to get onto film. I haven't used one since I switched to digital. Even the earlier cameras that struggled for dynamic range would let you bracket - and now even bracketing isn't necessary, just raw mode and ETTR. The point of that flat bit on the lens pen is that they're loaded up with carbon. Tap gently on any grease spots (e.g. fingerprints) then use the brush to whisk away - same idea as oil-dry (fuller's earth) in the garage. I have a couple, mostly use them to clean the Rx eyepiece on my camera. Blow / brush any surface *first*. FWIW I've used a lot of high-end ball heads. My favorite (even over the RRS one you're showing there) is the ArcaSwiss P0/P1. Easy to use, even in the cold (gloves/mittens). Easy to put some drag on so with, say, a 400mm ff lens you can just grab the camera, point it where you want and it'll stay. No downward drift. Yes, I lock down for long exposures (still not sure if that's necessary). Get the version that comes with no clamp, put a flip clamp on it.
Great advice! I wish I had read this 10 years ago! My own journey with unused/infrequently used equipment closely parallels yours! p.s. I do use the lens pen but only the brush side.
💥QUESTION: What's the one Photography Accessory you Wasted the Most Money on?
I wasted too much money on filters / filter adapter, for how little I use them. I never had problems with my travel tripods.
Probably bags. Not because they're not worth spending money on, but because it took so much trial and error over a long time to figure out what works best for me. Good bags aren't cheap, so that really adds up if you're not careful.
I'd agree with the rectangular filters (graduated & even full ND). Nowadays, like you said, software can do what you want, and it's non-destructive. I wish I could sell my filter kit, but nobody will buy them now !
peak design shoulder strap and wrist strap, nisi macro rail, nivi v6 filter holder, godox mf12 macro flashes and popeshield diffuser for them, some noname bag for camera and some other tripod heads and rails which turned out to be useless ;) oh, and of course a couple of 100x150 gnd filters ;)
A photo printer. Canon Pixma 100. My dad encouraged me to get it on Black Friday 2018 for 50% off at $300. He's an old film guy and he thought my money was in printing. I had no other perspective, so I bought it. I never used it. The learning curve was too high, and with print shops selling at $5 for an 8x10, I just gave up on it and it's sitting in the garage.
I think most of us have too many camera bags of various designs and sizes. It seems we never find the perfect one and I have a closet full to prove it. 🤣
How true. Although I might have found the bag for me now. It’s the Wotancraft 7L. It’s a Sling, but my MFT gear is not so heavy I would get problems with it carrying it the whole day.
I have a K&F Concept backpack for all of my tat, and a rucksack with insert for camera, then can store lenses etc. in the side pockets, meaning I can carry snax, drinks & dog treats easily!
So true. I think I have at least 10. It’s an illness.
Same. Recently, I started using a lens bag that fits in the bottom compartment of an Under Armor gym backpack.
@@peterfritzphoto Someone, not me but someone, should invest in research for curing this debilitating disease.
I got y’all beat. I spent all my savings, $10,000 on the Letus lens system to make my video camera use film lenses for a cinematic look, a few months before the Canon 5D mark II was released.
Ended up selling it years later on eBay for $75
Damn!
Whoah....a $10K investment down to $75??? (I'm not familiar with the Letus lens system.)
@@Centauri27 that company and others struck when the iron was hot! The only way to put DSLR lenses and PL mount lenses onto your video camera like the Panasonic HVX 200 which could do 24P was to purchase those systems I went all out on the full packageIt was close to 10 grand. And then the cannon five de mark two did the exact same thing right after lol
You’ve been using your cleaning pen wrong if you’ve been using the felt tip to wipe across the glass. The black tip is meant for finger print smudges and you’re suppose to blot it on the lens to absorb the oil from the skin, not to rub it on the glass itself. The same logic goes into using microfibre clothes to clean the lens, suppose to use a blower to blow sand/ dust off first before wiping with cloth. You’re going to run into same problem of scratching your lens if you use even a Zeiss wipe straight on a dirty lens without blowing it first.
the trick with the Peak Design lens kit is to keep only one lens on it, and the other slot empty. Then you can quickly put your current lens on it, then pick up the other one all with one hand
I agree with everything except the travel tripod. I have a Gitzo, use it all the time, clips onto my back pack, light and easy to carry as I am getting old and every bit of weight saved is a bonus. Very sturdy little tripod.
It looks like you used the Lenspen incorrectly.
Lenspen should be capped at any time. It not only takes the activated carbon from the sponge in the cap each time you use but also protecting the head from dusting.
Lenspen is a quite good tool to remove fingerprints from the lens. It's a must in my bag.
In movie productions it's common to either use clean microfibers or one time use sterile sheets with lens spray (Kim wipes and pancro)
Using lens pens has too high of a chance of scratching lens elements
When I got into photography I bought a lens pen because I thought that's just what you did, but after seeing other methods of cleaning lenses I no longer recommend them
Thanks for your reply! One thing I’ve always wondered: I wear myopia glasses, and I clean them with hand soap or a wet wipe and then dry them with tissue. My glasses, which are either Essilor or Nikon, have coatings like a blue light filter, and they almost have zero scratches. However, they do become yellowish over the years due to the aging of the resins.
Why are our more expensive camera lenses so much more delicate in comparison?
My lenspens are used solely on the rear elements of my lenses; in the order of...
Blower; brush; Lenspen.
Use the brush, then blower, to clean lenspen before use.
Simples.
@@fredlar9421 It's interesting to bring up eyeglass lenses, for I battle scratches constantly and am happy that I have two lens replacements available for two years after each exam. I live in far-western North Dakota where there is a LOT of highly abrasive scoria dust. Scoria is one of the common "gravels" here (instead of the limestone rock that I was more familiar with in the US South) used for roads and oilfield pads here. Windshields and roll-up windows on vehicles become scratched over time and my glasses suffer, as well. I, too, have one of the lenspens but even after blowing with a large blower and brushing, I find it difficult to risk the lenspen on my pro glass. I honestly have never compared the construction of our lenses with my eyeglasses, though one would think that with all the care I take with my camera gear, I'd do better than washing my eyeglasses with hand soap at the sink... I am guilty, I admit! lol :)
I do use my Lenspen fairly often, always after thoroughly brushing the lens surface, then breathing on the lens to wipe off small smudges. If you have a speck of dirt big enough to gouge your lens, then you sure didn't dust it off properly! (I read somewhere else that lens surfaces are actually quite hardy. Enough that I've stopped using UV or skylight filters for protection.)
Very bold and frank opinion by Mark, yet not offending any particular brand
What I like those Joby-type tripods for is to hold strobes. The larger ones are strong enough to hold a strobe and umbrella, for example, and handy for places where a stand isn't practical/feasible.
I have tried that and found I just can't get them to hold well enough. I think I have a box of them that keep showing up in my office... maybe I will try flash photography again LoL
4:16 about the lens pen, you should really get rid of all the dirt with the blower and brush BEFORE using the polish pad! It works way better than those Zeiss wipes.
Yes always blow off everything first before putting anything directly on the glass
My workflow, if you will, with the lens pen has always been: rocket blower first, then brush, and finally the polish tool. Also, it looked like Mark was using the cap to cover the brush end instead of the polishing end, and that's not the best design for a Lens Pen style tool that I've ever seen. I'm not sure he's got an actual Lens Pen product, perhaps it's a knockoff or an earlier version. The best Lens Pen product, at least the one I have had for years and which they still make, has a cap that covers the polishing end in order to help keep the carbon compound from drying out, but no cap on the brush side, just the slider. I've never had any issues with the Lens Pen and have not seen any scratches develop because of its use.
I just assumed you're supposed to tap the pad on any remaining blemishes not scrub with it. The general advice I received in physics lab for cleaning any optics had been to never drag anything across the surface. I've also heard not to use running water on more sensitive things as even water pushing dirt over the surface can damage it. I always try to stick to those principles unless I don't care as much or it would be really inconvenient like my everyday glasses.
I'm a fan of the lens pen...but can agree I've wasted money on most of the others and a ton on filters until I learned the joy of the magnetic filters and step up rings. Expensive decorations in the studio for the most part. Cheers!
I use those lens wipes. They always leave a residue that needs to be wiped off with a clean lens cloth.
@@Justin-d4l I still use them. They clean the grease layer off and a microfiber cleanser any streaks, easily.
Yep, they definitely cause streakings... I'm concerned that they strip lens coatings
I never had any problems with them. All "streaks" only last a few seconds before they evaporate. And I can’t see any afterwards.
Most oleophobic coatings show the cleaning solution more than normal glass.
They only have problems when it’s too dirty to the point it can’t clean it all the way with a single one. But this only happens to me when cleaning glasses.
But as you described they still work in form of "loosen" the smudges so you can easily wipe them off with a microfiber.
Buy a lot of microfibre cloths. Wash them normally. You can soak them afterwards in isopropyl alcohol after washing and dry them.
Never, never ever use wet paper that is intended to clean goggles. If you want to use paper then take cigarette paper. Better than microfiber is cloth of bamboo.
I generally use backpacks primarily for travel, and a sling bag with the gear I want for each day's shooting. My go-to sling is the PD 6L. The "origami" dividers let me divide the main compartment into 5 sections. Sometimes, I'll take a body, 2 compact primes and a tele-zoom. Sometimes I'll take a body, 2 compact primes and a fast prime. Sometimes 3 compact primes and a wireless mike kit. My Ulanzi-Coman Zero Y tripod straps on to the bottom. Any of those loadouts leave room for a blower and neck strap in the main compartment, a couple of filters and step rings, cleaning kit, and a spare battery.
I agree. My backpack - the Lowepro ProTactic 450 - is mainly my overall storage case and travel bag. For individual shoots where I need more than one lens, I use the ThinkTank Turnstyle 20 is my go-to bag. It easily carries my Z8, 24-70 and either my 70-200 or 100-400 with a bit of room left over.
Lol... the lens kit by Peak Design is the #1 gear I can't shoot a wedding without. I have 3 clips on my belt (never on a backpack) so Two cameras and the lens kit. I don't carry a bag. I am so fast at changing lenses with it at least 200 weddings. When it finally broke I had to have it replaced. It had a lifetime warranty so they sent a new one. I had to shoot one wedding without it... never again. The #1 non camera non lens gear I own.
Same here. Rather than how Mark was describing how he used it, I only keep one other lens attached to it at any given time and use the other mount as a kind of third hand when changing out lenses. Slot the old lens into the vacant mount, flip the Lens Kit around, remove the new lens and attach to the camera body. I assume you use it this way as well. I do agree with Mark, though, that using it to carry two extra lenses would be... excessive. 😆
Great Idea for astro thanks @@MarcusVowell
@@MarcusVowell I don't think Peak Design designed the lens Kit device to hold two lenses at the same time. Like you, I use the device to hold one extra lens especially when I was shooting with an APS-C camera body but have full frame lenses. I had to switch between the 24-70mm to 11-16mm quite often in the past.
yep highly used gear for me too.. not for weddings but for hiking, quickest way to change lenses for me on the go, having one at the hip at all times. Only thing I wish for is that the caps would sit a little tighter
@@MarcusVowell That is exactly how I use it too.
Great advice all around. Now you need a follow-up of gear that was NOT a waste of money- best accessories that are pragmatic and will get used.
Next week:)
I got a travel tripod recently and it's been a game changer. I do a lot of photography in the backcountry and being able to stash the tripod into a water bottle pocket has made it so much easier and more enjoyable to take it on long and difficult hiking and backpacking excursions. I haven't flown with it yet, but it will fit inside my carry-on with the rest of my gear. If I'm not hiking long distances, then I will bring my larger tripod with me. But I think a quality travel tripod will compliment a robust tripod for those that do travel regularly.
I've been using that Mefoto he has in windy Mojave. I just leave those flimsy legs in when windy. Use Flippy screen.
Which travel tripod are you using? I have just got a mini tripod, Benro SC05, hoping it’s small enough to carry everywhere and have something to stabilize the camera against anything solid.
@@huei2005 I got myself a Ulanzi Zero Y
i travelled all over asia with an expensive carbon fiber travel tripod BUT i replaced the winpy ball head by a Manfrotto 410 gear head and i use by bag to weight down the tripod on long exposures.
This. I barely used a tripod before, because my old tripod was so big and heavy I couldn't take it anywhere. But now that I bought a small and light travel tripod (Ulanzi Zero F38), it's always with me in the camera bag side pocket.
Concerning sling bags, Mark: they are not made to replace backpack but to be used with a reduced (!) amount of gear (and they should be made for photography). I use a backpack with my X-T5, two primes, spare batteries, wallet, key and sunglasses. It all fits in a 7l bag (there are many different choices) and with a soft pad attached to the strap I can wear it a whole day long for a reportage for example. When I go out for landscape photography I will of course always wear a backpack.
Most backpacks are not good for urban photography.
ok for modern hillbillies.
When hiking and exploring the back country, they are also useful to just protect it when pushing through thick underbrush and scrambling over rocky terrain while keeping it accessible and not in your pack.
sling bag are game changing
I'd like to see the mirror image of this video that shows the items that you find really useful. I'm finding I take less and less gear now when I travel.
For travel, I'm down to my 24-200 (I shoot Nikon. Canon and Sony have a similar lens in 24-240) and that's all. A couple of times, I also took a 16-35 and maybe used it once on an entire trip.
Hey Mark! I’ll push back on the Lens kit from Peak Design (2:20.) I use it quite often. It’s brilliant for Astrophotography (or any night/very dark photography.)
How I use it - the kit sits on my belt with only one lens hanging from the bottom…say a 15mm or 50mm lens. I leave the top slot open. If I’m shorting stars with my camera and a 24mm lens and I want to switch lenses. All I do is take the 24 off, clip it to the top of the kit, flip it, and pull the other lens off and throw it in my camera. I don’t have to go looking for my bag (remember it is pitch black.) I don’t have to put a light on to try to find the lens I want in my bag, disturbing other photographers or even my other camera shooting with a tracker and a shutter wide open. I don’t have to try and find my fitting if my bag is 3 yards away. I don’t kick my tripod leg or move so much that it shakes other cameras. I don’t have to move at all. For that use case, I haven’t found a better solution.
So true, agree 100% with you. Never forget that a bipod photographer is better than a bad tripod, quadripod or any multipods.
Thank you and all your commenters on this subject matter as I’m a beginner and this is important to me-kudos
Glad it was helpful!
I have many of the items you called out on your list and agree they never really contributed to any of my successes with photography. This was a good set of lessons in my opinion. Thank you and take care.
Mark, small correction to your video this time, the graduated ND filter is actually meant to be used to equalize the brightness of the scene in case you can't or think you can't fit the whole dynamic range in one shot, so that you can fit the scene in one shot with the dynamic range of your camera. The problem with that is however exactly as you stated, that the mountains or other subjects sticking out of the horizon may get too dark. And therefore the best solution for the problem is of course exposure bracketing, so yes those filters are destructive as you stated but for slightly different reason.
For travel tripods, if you hook your camera bag to the bottom hook, it adds tons of stability. It still won't work for massive winds, but regular mountain and ocean breezes are no longer a problem.
Exactly. It's what it's for! You can also stand creatively to block wind hitting the kit. Works loads better than trying to handhold in windy conditions.
A photo accessory I personally find necessary is front lens filters. They save my front element on many occasions from dust, debris, tree sap, salt spray and overall outdoor use. I use b+w clear protection filters and there's no negative detrimental effect on my photos.
yes ; good filter is essential but lens cap is what stand between your camera and a Pullitzer price photo
As a Surfing (beach) snapper I couldn't agree more!
Holster is really useful for me, for slings you want to go smaller than you'd think, totally agree that a camera backpack is the best option there for most people.
oh Mark. I usually agree with 99% of what you say - and I really appreciate your experience and guidance. That said, the PD lens gadget serves me well. I don't use it the way you describe to carry two more lenses. But, when I am changing lenses it serves as a third hand (like hold my beer). I really like it. and the capture clip ... don't even get me started. They have a time and place for sure. I may sound like a PD fan boy which isn't exactly true. That said, I do find the items in question to be both clever and helpful.
I agree with you. The PD lens change gadget is great. From what I understand it, is only meant for carrying one lens and like you write, helps when changing lenses. The capture clip is also in daily use. And yes, they still sell it.
I'm afraid I like so many learn by buying things and then finding out it didn't work out like intended! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Mark, it's so cathartic to see that well established landscape photographers have also bought so much useless gear. If I knew then what I know now, I would have saved a ton of money. I recently took a pass and just got rid of all that stuff. Many of which you yourself displayed in this video.
lens pen is actually only for spot cleaning for stuck dusts. Never wipe the lens without blowing/ brushing the lose dirt first. Whether it’s wipe or brush
Hi Mark, thanks for all the videos and content that you share with us! This video reminded me of something that I thought I’d share with you. Years ago, you showed us your favorite tripod Ballhead, the Aspen from Colorado Tripod, and I went out and bought one off their website at full price. It’s been several years now and they’ve never shipped me one even though I can search on their website and see that the order is still open. I’ve contacted them many times and many ways including talking with their customer service and they never reply or take any action. I’ve searched on-line and see that many others have had the same experience. Colorado Tripod is a fraudulent company with the worst ethics and should be put out of business. I went through the process of filing claims with my bank the Colorado BBB and even the Colorado Attorney General. Because too much time had expired, no one would take any action. I just thought that you should be aware of this and please don’t promote Colorado Tripod or any of their products in the future. Thanks!
I use a neoprene lens cover to protect the ball head on my tripod when packed in my luggage or when my backpack with tripod is shoved into a van on a photo workshop.
Great idea. I have a set of the same lens covers that Mark showed and the only thing they've really been used for is to collect dust.
I have neoprene type used to carry wine bottles and may be next to free at garage sales and thrift stores here.
My Gorilla Pod now gets used as a light stand for night photography.
It's nice to know that I am not the only person buying gear that just turns out to be a waste of money. I have two sets of GND's, a Lee and a NISI. I don't use either one for the same reasons you gave. Now I'm waiting for my order of Kate filters to be delivered. Hopefully I'll use them more than the others.
I can unfortunately relate to some of these things. After watching this, I'm taking my grad filters and holders out of my bag after hauling them around for who know how long and I can't remember the last time I used them, LOL. I have so many little gizmos on my shelf that I'll probably never use too. Thanks Mark, great work as always!
If I'm taking a heavy kit with long lenses, in a backpack. I love my Peak Design Capture clip. Full-frame bodies with long lenses on a neck strap are a pain in the neck, literally. And the Capture Clip baseplates are Arca-Swiss compatible, so I don't have to change QR plates to put them on my tripod (one of the reasons I love Arca-Swiss QR). Lever-lock quick releases are usually square, and proprietary to the tripod manufacturer, so if you want a longer plate to help balance your camera, you're SOL.
It is a very nice round up of your perspective of these GAS related hoarding.
If I may chip in with a few notes:
- Travel tripod: Yes! I have been preaching for a very long time that one should carry the sturdiest (hence heaviest) tripod possible when traveling as you may reach a once in a lifetime chance, and you should not risk loosing that chance with a flimsy tripod.I use an FLM CP-38 L5 II with great joy.
- Thank you for bringing the RRS ballhed to my attention. My Foba Superball head is at the end of its life (after serving me for almost 20 years), and I became a sucker with ball heads having proper sized locking wrenches. Sadly the larger BH-55 doesn't seem to have that. The BS-40 is a bit too small for my load.
- Clamp vs screwing lock: I am also in favor of the clamp, but there are problems. Sand may go into the locking mechanism, which will prevent the arm to fully close. And some third party plates may be a bit too loose in certain conditions, and you cannot lock them. For example the RRS clamp I have on my Foba head is a tiny bit loose on one of the camera - but only in cold conditions. I use that camera mostly with a geared head though, and it has a screw.
- Gorillapod: I started to use super clamps (eg Manfrotto 035) to attach the camera to poles/branches/handrails. I highly recommend to have one in the bag. It is extremely useful when the tripod would be blown off by the wind or when there is a handrail in between you and the scene, which is really hard to exclude from the image with a tripod (fx at Brúarfoss).
Fun watch, and found myself nodding my head in agreement at many of the items you shared. I think we all in general are guilty of overspending on our hobbies, whether it be photography or something else. I'm definitely guilty. And absolutely agree on sling bags, they destroy my lower back. Go backpack or waistpack. And have three different travel tripods...that I don't use enough to justify having.
I would probably agree with most, apart from the PD clip. For me that has been the most useful accessory ever. For hiking, and trips were i walk a lot in general. I love it ❤
Great video. We all buy things that we didn't need or used so it's a great idea to share your knowledge on what not to buy. Thank.
Maybe one of your best videos. LOL! Now I feel so much better about my old camera bag full of bad decisions. Rather than saying I bought stupid stuff I would rather say I'm always open to new ideas😂 Thanks Mark really enjoyed this one.
The comments about graduated filters were very interesting and gave me food for thought. I then realised that while I own them, I have not used one for some years. Thankfully my seemingly redundant graduated filters cost nothing like the ones in the video!
For the ballhead and the clamp to release the camera, I'm with you 100%! Those rotating things is awful.
I think slingbags could actually be quite useful. I have a ThinkTank 10 that fits my mirrorless X-T3, an extra lens, a flash and some small items like extra batteries and whipes. Love it for street photo etc. I'll just turn the bag to my front and open it up to access everyting really easy.
The one sling bag you showed that just fit the camera, I have used a simular padded one attached to the hip strap of my 80 liter backpack while hiking in the mountains.
I used walking sticks that could be used as monopod as well. 😊
Good video, thanks! 👏
I agree with everything you said. Of the items, I have many, the pen, lens sacks, lightweight tripod, two variable ND filters, on of which I use. I would also add step down rings. Where I disagree is with the Peak Design clip and slings. The Peak Design sling system is unique. The clip fits on the side of the sling, not on the shoulder and you can attach the camera or the extra lens. At times, I had two clips on the bag, one for the camera and one for the lens. This is very handy for lens swapping.
Also, I try to keep my daily gear to a minimum and use the 3 and 6 liter slings. The 3 liter with camera and one lens is great for street photography. (Sony a7cii, 16-25 and 20-70, some like the 24-50)
You were right so many times in this video! And way more than the clock back there that's right only twice a day.
Great stuff, Mark, and funny as well. I don't do much landscape work, doing more macro than anything else, but for me I have a ring flash that I have never used.....
The peak design travel tripod is sturdy AF, love it, the fiberglass model, cant speak for the aluminum one
I have had the aluminum one for 3 years. It’s great for my backpacking trips.
Do you mean carbon fiber?
I also have the PD Aluminum Tripod and I love it for travel. I don't want to walk around with a massive tripod when I'm walking around a city like Hong Kong or Tokyo. I prefer something that I can either put completely inside my backpack or just on the side. The limitations of a travel tripod can be worked around, while a massive tripod that's cumbersome and heavy cannot.
@@joits yes carbon fiber lol
I like your comments on the graduated filters. I shot film way back in the day, so when I thought about a filter system, my first thought was Cokin since it has all of those ready made filter effects. Part of their marketing strategy today is the advantage of baking the filter effects in situ instead of during post processing.
Graduated ND filters are absolutely crucial for film, especially slide film.
With modern digital I agree. Bracket if you need to.
i'm happy to say that I've been shooting for 20 years and I've only gone through 5 camera bags, 3 of which i'm still currently using. The three I use are the Peak Design backpack which i've had for several years now and is my most used bag. I have a tenba messenger back purchased over 10 years ago which I still use when I only need to carry minimal gear and then a larger lowepro bag for when i go on roadtrips for landscape photography and i need something that can haul all my gear.
Thanks for this overview Mark! I agree with your love of the lever release on the ball heads. I don't understand why all companies don't offer that format. I find that the screw type takes far too many turns to open or close, and you don't know if the damn thing is closed! And the gorillapod; I have one that I have never, not once, used in the field. I keep coming across it in a bin and should just give it away. Many photographers, me included, must go through the same purchases as you reviewed. This video was like resurrecting bad memories!
Oooh, I have many from your pile and so agree! The bags are the biggest one and always issues! Not having a lot of money, I also tried to make my own...ended up spending more than if I just bought a good one :( Thank you for making this video!
I use a sling bag for my camera+lens and it works for me. To balance the weight, I often have a second sling with just a lens on the other side, and/or a water bottle sling.
3 Legged Thing Airhed Ball head is the one I upgraded to and it has been sooo good, along with a benro actual tripod. It was pricey but I regret nothing.
I just got a Neewer 5 stop var ND, which works well; my previous one though, cross every time. Agree with grad ND, esp with digital workflow. Thanks for the fun vid.
I bought most of the items you talked about!! You made my day.
I agree with pretty much everything you have mentioned and have purged my "unfortunate" purchases through eBay as much as possible. However, I have a "Lens Flipper", similar to the PD lens kit, which allows me to bring along another lens if I don't want to carry my bag with me. The good thing is that it minimizes the amount of dust that can get on the back element, and also lets you secure both lenses at once while making a change of lenses in the field. I never clip it to anything, but instead use a shoulder strap.
I love my lens pen. If you are using the pad on a lens with debris, you are using it wrong. That's what the brush is for. I have the rocket blower too, and I like it for debris, but the lens pen does more. brush and blower remove dust and debris. The pad removes residue stuck to the sensor. It's dry. So, the cleaning is quick. It is a great field tool, or session tool. For deep cleanings during camera maintenance, I use 99.9% anhydrous alcohol. Same thing I used to use on laser optics when I worked on surgical lasers. On a side note. I while I used Isopropyl, the laser vendor FSE had a small bottle of the ethanol variety.
You sure know how to give us lots of good advice in a short period of time. RUclips says it takes 17:41 your clock no time at all😬
This video vindicates my abstinence from most of these gizmos, though I am kind of a tripod geek and have bought two travel tripods over the years. I used a MeFOTO (mine's red, too) for years and recently replaced it with a Heipi. The Heipi is actually quite good, but unless I'm on the road and packing light, I always use my Gitzo.
I've had a different experience with sling bags. My favorite was an Allen fishing bag until it ripped a seam after 4 years of usage. I've since tried various fishing and tactical bags. I have a selection of padded Apecase inserts for them depending on the gear I need to carry. On my most recent trip I bought a Brevite camera bag, with side access. What I found is because I use a sling strap for my camera, that kept me from being able to easily swing the bag off that shoulder, neutralizing the ease of access feature. I agree on the Mephoto tripods. Too flimsy for typical usage. I have bought a couple of fairly short travel tripods, however. They only go up to about 18-21" but they are stable and portable. The tripod from Newer is the one I seem to prefer.
Good video. A usecase I see with a gorillapod is mounting a remote flash on it, but even that's still niche. With sling bags, the messenger bag design seems key (like a TT Retrospective); there can't be a zipper to faff around with, adding even more friction. That obviously doesn't solve the ergonomic issues you've mentioned, though, it's never a substitute for a backpack. Probably the best one can do is to use as wide a strap as possible and very carefully gauge (and diligently observe) the maximum loadout that doesn't lead to rapid fatiguing. But other than that, it's probably still a solution one puts up with when one has to (bringing heavy 2.8 full frame zooms one needs to switch rapidly, e.g.), trying to make the experience as painless as possible, not something that is enjoyable. Carrying a heavy combo in hand is where a hand grip strap can help.
Interesting. My little camera bag is an insulated Titan brand canvass lunchbox that Costco sells for $16. It’s more discreet in foreign cities and it’s perfect for my Sony A7CR with even my 70-200 lens. I’ve traveled all over Europe & the west coast with it. A bonus benefit is that the bag fits perfectly under the airplane seat, with the strap around my ankle (to prevent sliding & theft). I swear by this bag & won’t use anything else except when a backpack is required.
Funnily enough, I have a LowePro version of the Mindshift bag you showed. The difference is that you can attach, by Velcro+strap, various size LowePro bags for various sized lenses. I use an mft camera and lenses. I find it’s perfect for me, very comfortable, and is my go-to bag, but then I am a small elderly person!
I think for me i wasted a lot of money on trying different camera bags and about 6 or 8 different camera straps. But i finally have settled on one camera strap and a couple of different bags. Keep up the nice work.
Hahaha! Each to their own, as they say. I just came back from Iceland where I extensively used three of the items from your list.
Shoulder bag: amazing for quickly grabbing or putting your camera away, when the weather changes every 5min, or you're under a waterfall. Much quicker and easier than taking your backpack on and off.
Lens pen: yes, you gotta be careful, but great for smudges and quicker than taking the wipes out and disposing of rubbish, also reusable 100s of times, contrary to the wipes.
Gorilla pod: agreed, useless for the camera itself, but great for off camera flash or led lights.
It all boils down to your style of photography and methods you use. Regardless of a few disagreements, good, informative video as always.
Yep. Thought the VND would be a cheaper way in, but it was a total waste. Getting the "X" and not knowing the strength of ND was a non-starter. RocketBlower and Zeiss Wipes work wonderfully. It's definitely a tradeoff for each trip on tripods - light and ok in light wind or heavier and more stable. I never used my Gorilla pod or my monopod. Expensive education!
Really enjoyed the video, Mark! I own several of these items. Re: the double-side lens holder from Peak Design. Perhaps it'll be more useful for prime lenses? What chokes me is that these would be great for smaller lenses--like Micro Four Thirds! But Peak Design never made a version for m4/3 (even though I kept mentioning this in the surveys they send out). And I'm with you on the sling bags: I own several from Peak Design (sling/messenger) and I could never get into them either. They really bug me after several hours of use. Yet I don't want to bring my photo backpack all the time either. My latest experiment is using a tiny foldable day backpack, plus a 3L waist bag. On my next trip, I'll put my tiny Panasonic GX850 + couple of lenses in the waist pack, then put my G9+12-100 zoom in the day backpack. When I'm in shooting mode I'll keep the G9 slung around my shoulder. When in travel or low profile mode, I'll put the camera in the backpack.
I have a gorgeous slingbag with nicely padded strap. I love it, when I have to transport my camera from a to b. For everything else I use also a backpack. I also have travel tripods and you’re so correct about them. I used it once and it easily tipped over by the slightest wind and I had the luck to catch it before it fell on concrete. My habit to buy filter isn’t financially smart. I have ND and CPL round filter for four sizes. I use them regularly, but some step up rings would be smarter to have.
I agree to much on the whole line of recommendations 😂 Had at some point made all those same choices!
Another great video! Nicely done. Well-spoken. Agreed. Thanks.
Really happy with Manfrotto Compact, I have it since 2017 and I use it hell a lot. Also my average camera is quite small and I'm not a big telephoto user.
Another great video! Thank you so much for going into detail about all of the stuff you’ve purchased.
If you hadn’t talked me out of a lot of the things I probably would’ve purchased them as well! Lol
Thank you again for your presentation!
Ray
I’m actually pretty happy with my K&F Concept travel tripod. It’s very light and quite sturdy.
Hi Mark, great video. I agree with all your choices. The only one I had a different experience with is the travel tripod. I bought a few $100 units and they are as you show in the video... not stable at all. However, I got a Sirui AM-284 and love it. It is light and very stable. It has a load rating of 33lbs. which is the same as my much heavier Vanguard CF studio tripod. The AM-284 weighs less than 3lbs. vs. the Vanguard at over 6 lbs.
I use an Acratech ballhead despite having a few cheaper/lighter ones. I like the "Swiss Cheese" bullhead you are using! It looks really cool and very functional.
@ 5:25. I use them minimally as might be needed in the field. But, the idea is that you first to get any standing debris off. I use these specifically to touch/hold the lens cleaner pad u show cut into little squares moistened w/ gentle cleaner His step is particularly for the oils, not debris fingerprints. & u absolutely can clean the rubber always before using
I love my K&F concept 1-5 stops. I just figured out how to open it and clean it.
Excellent common sense advice. I only use my Bellingham sling bag for day trips with one body and three lenses. Like you I have a graduated filter that is gathering dust somewhere.
Fully agree on the Joby and lens pen lol.
The ball head on the Peak Design travel tripod is a good example of a terrible little ball head. Drifts with a heavy lens every time. The tripod itself performs far better than I expected. A heavy tripod can kill a 10 mile hike in uneven terrain when the camera and lenses alone weigh 29 or 25 lbs. But instability is definitely an issue.
This subject amused me... This probably happens to everyone when they get into photography. I chuckled when you got to the subject of travel tripods, as well, for I cope with winds here in western North Dakota, eastern Montana and the occasional jaunt down to Wyoming (where wind speed could often be measured by how far it will push a length of hanging chain lol). I'll go for the heavier tripods any day, even if it means a heavier pack, just for the added stability and peace of mind. As for graduated ND's, I'm of the same mind, as well, for I'm sure that many make good use of them without issue but the filters seem more of a pain for me than simply doing the work in post, especially when I am often dealing with subjects that often extend far above a horizon.
Count me in. I purchased a full set of rectangular filters - ND, GND and circular polarizer. The CP alone was 105mm. The whole system was so bulky I couldn’t even fit it in my backpack. I maybe used them once in the field. Sold the system at a loss. I switched to the circular magnetic filters and couldn’t be happier. But an expensive learning experience 😢.
I love this kind of videos, they seem to be indicating that I am above average smart and cunning because I never needed to spend any money on what I've considered obvious from the very beginning ... :P
Comments about stuff I've actually used myself:
- Variable ND: if you buy a decent one that doesn't have the problem you describe they're actually worth it if you're going to do landscape photography very rarely (less than once every couple of years). Yes the quality is not as good, but there's no point in buying an expensive and bulky kit that you're gonna use once every blue moon
- Peak Design Lens thinghie: useful only in very specific situations (photography staff at conventions/gigs where you have a safe space to leave your bag at but you also want to carry around a couple of light lenses). Don't even think about it if you only have big lenses.
- Neoprene Lens Pouches (although you don't specifically state that they are a waste of money, just that they don't turn a sling bag into a photography bag): very useful if you want to travel with a camera body and a detached lens in a "normal" backpack (street/travel photography), would not use more than one each time, would not use for trolleys or other carrying methods that involve frequent vibrations/bumps
Agree on pretty much everything else
90 percent of my photos are taken with combo nd polarizer from kf. Never have the x problem show up.
Make/buy a shelf with four compartments, or if you have a lot of photographic stuff, four shelves. In the first compartment you put all your photography gear and things, and later everything after you have used it. Everything you haven't used out of that compartment in the past month - put that into the second compartment. Everything out of this compartment you haven't used in the past six months, put in the third compartment. Lastly everything you haven't used in the past year, put from the third into the fourth compartment to either sell or discard it.
I've been there, done everything you described in this video. I've tried to that GAS but it always find a way to get to me. However, lately, as I'm getting older, GAS just went away. Not saying I'm cured but I'm getting the best of it. 🤫🤫😉😄😄😄
😂😂 I agree with you 100%, the marketing pull and photo-shaming out there makes it tough to ignore. I am a cheap-o so it is tough for me to open my wallet to buy anything, but there is something about photography equipment that has some voodoo hold on me, I sent a lot of money of a bunch of photography stuff that I am so ashamed to admit it so I put them on shelves in my home office room to make it look they are collectables so my wife wouldn't bother me about "bad spending". So yea I know what you are saying. 😂😂
I agree with everything except the sling bag setup at the end. I think the bag depends on how/what you're shooting and the kit you're carrying. I use a small 3.5L sling most of my daily with a lens or two in a pouch but my kit is also really small in size shooting with an M10 (R orD) and usually one lens on the camera and a second option with me and some filters. If I were out with my Sony kit it definitely wouldn't work well with the sling setup.
I love my Peak Design lens kit. I don't put it on a backpack. I put it on the other side of a dual harness. One side has a camera, one side has lenses and a bag for cleaning stuff etc.
I think the problem most of us have is that we purchase everything that seems "new" or "cool" without actually thinking whether we need it or not.
A few things you showed are useful but not for everyone.
I also made the mistake of buying lots that I never used and are in a little storage box. 🤣
Great video Mark, I guess we all have a load of similar gear we have bought over the years and found almost useless.
I found that a padded tech backpack with two straps and a cross chest strap is far better than a sling pack. I still shoot with a DSLR, and if I'm bringing something like my big 120-300mm f2.8 lens out (7+ lbs all by itself), I don't want to feel like I'm carrying as much as I am. Obviously I try to be conservative so I'm not basically rucking.
As for the tripod, I think it matters more about what your goals are. I have a travel tripod, but if you want to also be in the shot, you need something to hold the camera. When I'm just out on my own sightseeing, I may only have a Sony RX100VII with me, so any tripod will do and it's not going to be too much of a burden for much of anything.
I agree with most of your list. I've also bought a bunch of glorified dust collectors.
Several of these items work really well for me - ND grads, for example. Not because you're wrong, but using them slows me right down and makes me truly consider the shot. So it's not the value of the filter itself, but the fact that it works as a catalyst to make me consider everything.
Sling bags - hopeless for landscape photography, but absolutely perfect for travel photography, where backpacks are an absolute nuisance [ on public transport, for example, I slide the bag in front of me to keep an eye on it and stop whacking other people with it. It also makes access so very much easier. Completely agree about holster bags.
Travel tripods - I love mine, but it's a Gitzo, and much more solid and reliable for the same weight than any of the cheapies. Well worth the extra money.
Ditto the travel ballhead - get a decent one, and they're very solid. Cheap ones generally aren't, although as well as my beloved Gitzo one, I have a Smallrig one that's vastly better than the price might suggest. Medium sized hands makes them all workable, and although I agree about levers over knobs, it's never been a real practical issue for me, as I always double check everything.
But the beauty of this video is to get people thinking about future purposes - is some bit of kit really the answer to an actual problem, or merely a white elephant?
I sold my Gorilla Pod after only a few weeks and bought a Moman Mini Tripod instead.
And I bought three Peak Design Capture Clips and four Plates for all my cameras and I wouldn't want to live without them. The Clips reside firmly on the seatbelts of my wheelchairs, so one or two cameras are always at hand in my lap while outside. I use your tip with the shower cap for rain protection.
All lenses have step-up rings, so either the filter set (CP + VND) of 58mm or 67mm can be attached in small foldable pouches to the seatbelt as well.
I have that same MeFoto tripod. It works, but it is flimsy. He's right. It is worth it to get a more robust tripod for most uses. It does fit well in a suitcase if you are flying and space is an issue. It will hold a full frame camera with speedlight, battery grip, and 70-200 lens. Remote shutter release is really good to have, almost mandatory. I would not say I regret buying it, but if I prefer something else most of the time.
6:43 It's just SO easy to fix that in post, place a gradient layer rising the exposure by the filters ND-Value, maybe play around a bit, boom done
Those were more useful when sensors didn't have enough dynamic range to capture the scene.
I don't leave the house with my camera without a lens pen in my pocket. I use the brush end to get foreign particles off of my filter before shooting. I almost never use the other end because of the possible scratching problem. Thanks for another great video!
I’ve purchased many of the same things but have not used them much. I do not get a lot of use out of most of the camera accessories. What I’ve spent the most on is camera bags, tripod/monopods, and most recently miops capsule pro system. One of the reasons is I try to use something but have issues and never go back to work through them.
Rectangular grads were great - back in the film days. They'd let you capture a scene where the dynamic range just wasn't possible to get onto film. I haven't used one since I switched to digital. Even the earlier cameras that struggled for dynamic range would let you bracket - and now even bracketing isn't necessary, just raw mode and ETTR.
The point of that flat bit on the lens pen is that they're loaded up with carbon. Tap gently on any grease spots (e.g. fingerprints) then use the brush to whisk away - same idea as oil-dry (fuller's earth) in the garage. I have a couple, mostly use them to clean the Rx eyepiece on my camera. Blow / brush any surface *first*.
FWIW I've used a lot of high-end ball heads. My favorite (even over the RRS one you're showing there) is the ArcaSwiss P0/P1. Easy to use, even in the cold (gloves/mittens). Easy to put some drag on so with, say, a 400mm ff lens you can just grab the camera, point it where you want and it'll stay. No downward drift. Yes, I lock down for long exposures (still not sure if that's necessary). Get the version that comes with no clamp, put a flip clamp on it.
Great advice! I wish I had read this 10 years ago! My own journey with unused/infrequently used equipment closely parallels yours! p.s. I do use the lens pen but only the brush side.