IF You Had The Chance To Start Over And Re-Buy All Your Photo Gear, What Would You Buy?

OM-1 Mark II; 8-25mm f/4 PRO lens @ 25mm; 1/25th sec. @ f/5.6;
ISO 6400; Exp. Comp. -0.07

It’s Friday during a dreary January.  Instead of a mindless post, I’m going to ask you to think through something.  So, let’s start off the new year with a hypothetical question:  If, for whatever reason, all your photo gear was lost, stolen, damaged or just mysteriously disappeared (aliens?), first, would you replace it and second, if so, what photo gear would you buy—money not being a limiting factor?  

I'm sure we've all thought about this at one time or another.  We've probably, at some time, wanted to trade-in or sell all of our gear and go a different way.  Maybe even fantasized as to buying that super expensive camera or that fast super telephoto lens with a built-in tele-converter or something completely different than what we use now.  I find this a fun exercise but I also find this a good exercise in photographic self-examination.  Thinking about this helps me solidify where I've been, where I am and where I'm likely to go, photographically speaking.

This exercise is nothing new but when I first thought of it, my eyes widened, a smile came to my face and my mind immediately drifted to all kinds of cameras and lenses that I have wanted to own yet never have.  I thought of buying a complete Leica system—M cameras, SL cameras, Q cameras and a bunch of lenses.  I thought it would be nice to have a medium format Hasselblad system.  How about a Phase One system!  Maybe a complete medium format Fujifilm system.  I thought about a Sony A1 Mark II system since I've never used Sony gear and have wondered how it is to own and use.  How about a Canon R1?  I even thought about going back to film—large format, like I used not long after I first started in photography—carefully contemplating each exposure before pressing the shutter.  

But after fantasizing a bit, coming back down to earth and after a bit of self-examination, I think I know what I would do.  Surprisingly to me, it is nothing exotic.  Reality trumps fantasy.

Belted Kingfisher taking flight. (click to enlarge)
OM-1 Mark II; 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens @ 600mm; 1/2500th sec. @ f/6.3; ISO 1250; -0.3 EV

I started thinking this through and ‘getting real.’  Let’s walk through my thought process.  To me, that meant developing a number of considerations about my photography, and about myself, before coming to any sort of decision.  I would take into consideration:

a) the genres of photography in which I now engage and will potentially practice in the future, 

b) the frequency I practice each of those kinds of photographic genres, 

c) my age (74), 

d) where I think I am in my photographic journey (now almost 54 years long), 

e) what I plan on doing and where I plan on going in the future, both photographically and otherwise, 

f) what I plan on doing with my images, and

g) going forward, what about my photo gear is most important to me?

After answering those questions I think I would be in a better position to decide what I would buy in this once in a lifetime opportunity.  I could intelligently answer the question, “What photo gear would I now buy to completely re-equip myself to fully meet my anticipated needs?” 

Before I answer, let me explain a bit of my thinking.

Being that I am getting closer to the end of my photographic journey (but I haven't lost one iota of passion, however!) and have been photographing for more than five decades, more than three of those using a bunch of film formats (110, 126, 35mm, 6X45, 6X6, 6X7, 6X9 and 4”X5”) and even more brands of film gear (Canon, Calumet, Crown Graphic, Hasselblad, Kodak, Koni, Leica, Mamiya, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Plaubel Makina, Polaroid, Tachihara, Minolta and others!  Whew!), I am certain I have no desire to go back to film. Not even an inkling.  Sometimes I feel nostalgic toward film but then I quickly come to my senses.

In the realm of digital gear, I have shot with several brands and several formats as well.  I’ve shot with iPhones, tiny Canon and Minolta point-and-shoot cameras, Olympus/OM and Panasonic/Lumix Micro4/3 cameras and lenses, Fujifilm and Nikon APS-C cameras and lenses as well as Nikon full frame cameras.  I shot with sensors ranging from 4mp to 45.7mp and many in-between.  So, I have some understanding of what each can do and how well each would serve me at this point and in the future in my photographic life.  

Monument Valley, Utah. (click to enlarge)
OM-1 Mark II; 12-100mm f/4 PRO lens @ 14mm; 1/250th sec. @ f/11; ISO 1600; +0.3 EV

After using a 45.7mp Nikon Z8 and 40.2mp Fujifilm X-T5 and X100VI, I know that most of those pixels are wasted for not only what I photograph but also for what I will do with my images.  That is a critical understanding.  Often times, we advocate (and I've done so myself) for more and more pixels but never do anything with our images that would warrant all those pixels.  I have confirmed in my photography, over and over again, that twenty to twenty-six megapixels is plenty for recording fine detail and making large prints.  Also I have to factor in my continuing and long time journey of going smaller and lighter but maintaining excellent image quality.  I've written about that many times over the years.  Well, I’ve now added convenience as another important factor for my photographic future.  Convenience is now probably more important than size and weight.  But convenience cannot be at the expense of  image quality, in my opinion.  I just don’t have much desire any longer or want to be burdened with carrying large, heavy cameras and a large number of lenses or deal with 273 features, 265 of them I’ll never use, on a camera (yes, some of those features are very nice to have if I have a use for them).  Those days are over.  I want small, lightweight, uncomplicated, old school basic photography.  These days I find myself mostly shooting in manual mode, setting my shutter speed and aperture and letting the camera take care of the ISO using its automatic function.  Small adjustments in exposure are done using the exposure compensation dial.  Works perfectly.

Going back to my list above, being closer to the end of my photographic journey than the beginning and considering the extreme capabilities of all the digital cameras and lenses that are available today as well as the kinds of photography I do now and what I think I’ll be doing in the future and what I’ll be doing with my images as far as printing and display is concerned, I think I know which way I would go.

Conoco Station, Shamrock, Texas (click to enlarge)
OM-3; 8-25mm f/4 PRO lens @ 11mm; 1/10th sec. @ f/7.1; ISO 500; -1.0 EV

So, what would I buy?  Well, I think in the end, I would first focus (pun intended) on a camera that has the few features I think I will need, is relatively small and lightweight, is well engineered, feels good in my hand (never underestimate how a camera feels in your hand and how that can influence whether or not you want to pick it up and go out with it), has menus that 'meld' with my brain, controls that fall under my fingers and thumb, that I find fun to use and basically will do what I want it to do, will be all I need.

Second, consider this.  I made more than 13,000 exposures during 2025.  Almost none were made with my full frame Nikon Z8 or Zf (it just worked out that way).  After looking at them, editing them and publishing and making large prints of several of them, I don’t believe there is a single photo that I have made over the past year that would have been better if I would have used one of my full frame Nikons.  That is telling.  Of course, if you photograph differently than do I, yours may benefit.  Mine won't.

Third, since cameras are so good and fully featured, that consideration when buying becomes secondary.  Just about every camera has the features I think I would need.  I think for me, what' more important is an available selection of high quality lenses both for travel as well as going out specifically to photograph.  What's the use of having a great camera but not the 'right' lenses to use with it—lenses that won't allow you to do what you need to do?  So, whatever I would buy must have the lenses I want to use—typically a reasonably fast, sharp superzoom for travel or just grabbing a camera when I go out the door (a one lens solution) and other fast, high quality, small and lightweight lenses for lugging around in a bag or backpack when going out specifically to photograph.

Roy's Motel & Cafe, Amboy, California. (click to enlarge)
OM-3; 12-100mm f/4 PRO lens @ 50mm; 1/800th sec. @ f/7.1; ISO 200; 0.00 EV

So, even though it is not expensive or a dream camera and foregoing the availability of unlimited funds for buying anything I want, here is what I would buy.  I believe this kit would fully meet my needs in the future.

OM-1 Mark II camera body (more than fully featured, feels good, excellent image quality)

OM-3 Body (same sensor as in the camera above, backup body as well as the travel body)

8-25mm f/4 PRO lens (a terrific ultra wide angle to normal zoom, sharp corner to corner)

12-40mm f/2.8 II PRO lens (tack sharp, small and versatile)

12-100mm f/4 PRO lens (all-in-one travel lens or grab 'out the door' lens, sharp everywhere)

20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (indoor and low light such as family events, nice little lens)

150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25 PRO lens (main wildlife and birding lens)

60mm f/2.8 Macro lens (tiny, sharp and renders beautifully)

1.4X tele-converter (no degradation)

I currently have the OM 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens for birding and wildlife but, if money were no object, I would buy the 150-400mm f/4.5 lens with the built-in tele-converter instead.

And just to satisfy my whimsy, I would buy a 

Fujifilm X100VI (I love everything about this camera! It’s perfect for grabbing when going out of the door)

Suprised?

I believe a Micro4/3 kit would serve my needs perfectly well.  Yes, Micro4/3.  Not full frame.  Not medium format.  Even though money would be no object.  I have to approach this logically and with reason.  Besides proving to me over and over again, the system does everything I need it to do.  I’ve been very happy with the images I’ve produced with it year after year after year.  I don’t need the huge files and I don’t need the huge sensor.  With the industry leading traditional as well as computational features built into OM cameras and the extraordinary quality of Olympus/OM and Panasonic/Lumix/Leica lenses which are available in full frame equivalent focal lengths from 8mm to1200mm, there is nothing to want that isn’t now available in this format.

Model T Ford, Hackberry, Arizona. (click to enlarge
OM-3; 12-100mm f/4 PRO lens @ 16mm; 1/200th sec. @ f/7.1; ISO 200; 0.00 EV

Why did I choose this combination, you ask, when money is no object and I could choose anything?  Well, I photograph nature, landscapes, old and forgotten infrastructure, Americana, family events and, on occasions, birds and wildlife. More camera than this would be overkill.  A waste and I'm not into waste.  Several years ago, I retired from stock and a couple of other types of income generating photography so now I only photograph for myself.  The OM-1 Mark II camera model can do just about anything with its long list of features, most of which I'll never need but they are there if I ever do need them.  It is an amazing tool.  I feel that the combination of camera and lenses I took on my two extensive 2025 road trips (OM-1 Mark II, 8-25 and 12-100mm & Fujifilm X100VI) was perfect.  The 8-25 f/4, 12-40 f/2.8 and 40-150 f/4 lenses plus the 1.4X tele-converter make a relatively small and excellent all around kit.  The 150-400mm lens is superb for birds and wildlife.  I thought about adding the 50-200mm f/2.8 lens just because I can, but then felt I didn't need it.

As far as the X100VI is concerned, I really enjoy using that camera.  I love everything about it.  Yes, it has a fixed, single focal length lens, but that is the beauty of it.  No muss, no fuss, no choices.  Just put it in a small pouch and go out to photograph whatever I see that I find interesting.  The key for me is no choices to make.  No stress.  See and shoot.  Also, I find a remarkable number of images I make fit well in the 35mm focal length.

Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River in Page, Arizona. (click to enlarge)
OM-3; 8-25mm f/4 PRO lens @ 8mm; 1/640th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200; -1.0 EV

Now, you may want or need to go in a completely different direction.  You probably should buy something different then me as you needs and photographic journey is much different than mine.  That said, I would be interested to hear what you would buy and why.  Please leave a comment below.

By the way, as you may have already noticed, all images in this post were made with either my OM-1 Mark II or my OM-3 cameras in 2025.  What is there to complain about?

UPDATE: I was asked why, if the X-T5 is my favorite camera, wouldn’t I go with a Fujifilm system.  The answer is simple.  They don’t offer the lenses I want.  If they did, I would.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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