The Tyranny of Choice

I suffer badly from the tyranny of choice. The more options I have, the more nervous I get. And therefor I constantly need to go back to simplicity. 

90% of my photography in the last 6 months was done with just this: the X-Pro2/3 with the good old XF35mm F1.4, the X100F/V and an iPad Pro. I see this as my essential setup. I have more gear but I decided to see it as specialist equipment that I only take out of the cupboard when I need it for a particular reason or job. 

If I could only have one camera, it would be the X-Pro3. I’ve always loved the X-Pro range. It’s not as multifunctional as the X-T series but it just works for me.  Pair it with the oldest lens in the Fujinon lineup, the XF35mm F1.4, and you have my natural do-it-all setup. For portraits, I usually add the XF56mm F1.2 to the kit. 

The X100V gives me a slightly wider view that comes in handy when I’m working in close quarters or need a bit more context in the image. It’s also smaller and whisper silent which helps to be unobtrusive.

The X100V isn’t a complete backup for the X-Pro3, but I think in terms of redundancy, rather than backup.  If one of the cameras dies, I’m confident I can still finish the job on the other. If the job requires different gear or a higher degree of backup, I’ll dive in the cupboard and take out whatever I need. 

And then there’s the iPad Pro. I have the basic model and it’s plenty powerful for me. It goes through my raw files faster than any computer I’ve owned (granted, I don’t have a top spec computer). In the past I used a Microsoft Surface Pro and loved it (mostly). The iPad is not as versatile but the user experience is better than anything else I’ve tried, the battery life is much better and it’s even more compact. Lightroom Mobile has come a long way since I had last used it. Most of the time it’s a joy to use and it has pretty much all the features that I need. I still use my laptop for some tasks that are impossible or difficult on the iPad. But I probably do 90% of all my editing, writing and sharing on the iPad. If I miss one thing, it would be an iPad version of Capture One. 

This simple setup make me feel free in my photography again.

If anyone is interested in my process, workflow, ... Let me know in the comments. I might do a video about it. I’m also interested to hear what your minimalist setup is.